Let God Redirect Your “Desires of the Flesh”
To Your Deeper “Desires of the Heart”
Matthew 6:9-13(MSG)
Our Father in heaven, . . . Set the world right; Do what's best — as above, so below. . . . Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! Matthew 6:9-13 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
“Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil”
“lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
“don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13 (NLT)
“Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil." Matthew 6:13 (CEV)
There are two dangers we face, Satan and ourselves. In Genesis 3, God’s through-Moses-revealed answer to the question, “why is life so hard”. God explains that there is a power beyond ourselves at work. This power, a personal entity, variously described as the devil, Beelzebub, Satan (the accuser), the father of lies and more, is simply a reality we humans have to face. I echo the best biblical scholars that I know when I say that I cannot posit any better explanation for the depth of evil that exists in the world than the existence of the devil. The second danger is ourselves, our desire to do whatever we want, our pride, the inner draw to do that which transcends our boundaries.
Humans are the highest of all the beasts and therefore we have the capacity to go lower than all of them.
When you are tempted can you surrender it? Just give up and walk away? Don’t fight it. Just walk away? Can you accept the possibility of not getting what the “tempted (by the tempter or by yourself) “you” wants?” Can you accept that that which tempts you is a pretender, a fraud, an unfulfillable promise? Can you accept that loosing out on the immediate gratification opens you to the possibility of being fulfilled with the Real Thing?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Are You A Worrier?
Philippians 4:6, 7
“Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
Are you able to worry? This means you are able to focus your mind on a problem and chew on it, ruminate over it, continually roll over it in your mind. The bad news is that you can’t stop worrying by deciding not to worry. The good news is that if you let Him, God can slowly shape your worries into prayers.
The paraphrase (a non literal yet accurate “translation”) I chose above is a very beautiful rendering, I think, of what Paul was getting at in this letter to believers in Philippi, the first “church” ever in Europe. Here’s a translation of the same passage beginning a few verses earlier.
"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
Paul seems to think that over time, with intentionality, we can actually choose to grow a “glass half full” attitude toward life’s issues (“rejoice”). Paul wants us to know that God is at work beyond what we can see and he seems to think that we can increasingly learn to rest in that. Paul wants us to practice thanking God for His blessings and he seems to think that this will lead to deeper trust and deeper peace.
The next time worry is a big blockade to the flow of the Spirit in your life can you just take all the worry words that flood your mind and point them toward God, just give them to Him as your offering – kind of as a way to say, “God I’m inviting you into the drivers seat. Please accept me now as passenger.”
Philippians 4:6, 7
“Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
Are you able to worry? This means you are able to focus your mind on a problem and chew on it, ruminate over it, continually roll over it in your mind. The bad news is that you can’t stop worrying by deciding not to worry. The good news is that if you let Him, God can slowly shape your worries into prayers.
The paraphrase (a non literal yet accurate “translation”) I chose above is a very beautiful rendering, I think, of what Paul was getting at in this letter to believers in Philippi, the first “church” ever in Europe. Here’s a translation of the same passage beginning a few verses earlier.
"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
Paul seems to think that over time, with intentionality, we can actually choose to grow a “glass half full” attitude toward life’s issues (“rejoice”). Paul wants us to know that God is at work beyond what we can see and he seems to think that we can increasingly learn to rest in that. Paul wants us to practice thanking God for His blessings and he seems to think that this will lead to deeper trust and deeper peace.
The next time worry is a big blockade to the flow of the Spirit in your life can you just take all the worry words that flood your mind and point them toward God, just give them to Him as your offering – kind of as a way to say, “God I’m inviting you into the drivers seat. Please accept me now as passenger.”
Friday, August 27, 2010
August 27, 2010
Please Read, Chew On, Meditate Over, Think About,
The Apostle Paul’s Summary Statement Of The Good News
Above All Do Not Miss Out On One Word Of This Incredible Passage
Romans 8:28- 39
“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 (NLT)
31"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us."
35"Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
Read it , chew on it, meditate on it, think about it, pray it, live it. These are the 4 steps the ancient practice of Bible reading known as Lectio Divina (or “spiritual reading”)
Read: Sound easy? Ours is a culture of convenience and sound bites. Reading is anything but speedy. To truly read the Bible you need to soak yourself in it. Read leisurely and thoughtfully. Get a feel for what you’re reading. As you do so you begin to “get it”, all these sermons, conversations, poems, stories, parables, visions and prayers that comprise the Bible. In time you will see beyond yourself to world far bigger than you know. You see more to the world, to God and to you than you were ever aware. You will have come far when you notice the bible “interpreting you” instead of you being the evaluator of it.
Think, Chew on it: some who visit the grand canyon, stop their cars, get out, look it over and then leave. Others will spend and entire day watching it from their own private spot. These are the people who come back year after year and see a different show. As you read, you will find a particular word phrase or verse which grips your curiosity. Allow yourself to get “stuck” there and to soak in it. This is prayer. It is allowing God to speak. It is allowing the Bible to be a window to God.
Pray: Discuss what you’ve read with God. He wants you to do this. Do not try to be spiritual! Just be you. Go beyond “thank you” “help me be better” to having an actual conversation with God. Over time, if you persist and practice (all relationships require time and practice) you actually get to know God!
Live: God’s word by its very nature makes us more like Christ. We see ourselves as we are. We see God as He is. We learn what our true identity is, who our “real” father is. The amazing thing is that as you spend time with God he becomes alive to you, alive in you. You will find your reading saving you, encouraging you and, yes, directing your life. You’ll even find more and more that is not rocket science. . . . that this, like so much of life, comes down to trust and then simply acting on the direction of the one we trust.
Lectio Divina: Read, think, pray and live
The Apostle Paul’s Summary Statement Of The Good News
Above All Do Not Miss Out On One Word Of This Incredible Passage
Romans 8:28- 39
“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 (NLT)
31"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us."
35"Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
Read it , chew on it, meditate on it, think about it, pray it, live it. These are the 4 steps the ancient practice of Bible reading known as Lectio Divina (or “spiritual reading”)
Read: Sound easy? Ours is a culture of convenience and sound bites. Reading is anything but speedy. To truly read the Bible you need to soak yourself in it. Read leisurely and thoughtfully. Get a feel for what you’re reading. As you do so you begin to “get it”, all these sermons, conversations, poems, stories, parables, visions and prayers that comprise the Bible. In time you will see beyond yourself to world far bigger than you know. You see more to the world, to God and to you than you were ever aware. You will have come far when you notice the bible “interpreting you” instead of you being the evaluator of it.
Think, Chew on it: some who visit the grand canyon, stop their cars, get out, look it over and then leave. Others will spend and entire day watching it from their own private spot. These are the people who come back year after year and see a different show. As you read, you will find a particular word phrase or verse which grips your curiosity. Allow yourself to get “stuck” there and to soak in it. This is prayer. It is allowing God to speak. It is allowing the Bible to be a window to God.
Pray: Discuss what you’ve read with God. He wants you to do this. Do not try to be spiritual! Just be you. Go beyond “thank you” “help me be better” to having an actual conversation with God. Over time, if you persist and practice (all relationships require time and practice) you actually get to know God!
Live: God’s word by its very nature makes us more like Christ. We see ourselves as we are. We see God as He is. We learn what our true identity is, who our “real” father is. The amazing thing is that as you spend time with God he becomes alive to you, alive in you. You will find your reading saving you, encouraging you and, yes, directing your life. You’ll even find more and more that is not rocket science. . . . that this, like so much of life, comes down to trust and then simply acting on the direction of the one we trust.
Lectio Divina: Read, think, pray and live
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
August 25, 2010
5 Days Through Romans 8
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
“What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later . . . all creation is waiting eagerly for that . . . . glorious freedom from death and decay. . . . all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we. . .also groan, . . .for we long . . . to be released from sin and suffering." Romans 8:18-25 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
This is one of the most defining passages in all of scripture. It explains why we yearn always for something more. And it explains how there is a sense in all of us that things as they are now are not as they always will be.
All of nature and humanity is groaning, writes Paul, waiting for God to redeem the world. God will put humpty dumpty back together again. But for now, we wait, groan, and hope. Paul says this groaning is like childbirth. It’s terribly painful. However what mother looks back on that pain and complains? When she looks at the child that was born, the pain dwindles to nothingness compared the beauty of what was birthed.
I hope you can hear what scripture is saying. Genesis 1 teaches us who God is, Genesis 2 teaches us who we are and Genesis 3 tells why we are having so much trouble. But Romans 8 summarizes all the rest of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. It’s the story of God’s putting it all back together again. And that includes every detail of your life. Believe that. Believe. Believe when it’s easy to believe, Believe when it’s hard to believe. And when you can’t believe anymore, believe nonetheless.
“The leaves of scripture rustle with the “rumor” that one day all will be made right and that we will get to see that day”
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
“What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later . . . all creation is waiting eagerly for that . . . . glorious freedom from death and decay. . . . all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we. . .also groan, . . .for we long . . . to be released from sin and suffering." Romans 8:18-25 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
This is one of the most defining passages in all of scripture. It explains why we yearn always for something more. And it explains how there is a sense in all of us that things as they are now are not as they always will be.
All of nature and humanity is groaning, writes Paul, waiting for God to redeem the world. God will put humpty dumpty back together again. But for now, we wait, groan, and hope. Paul says this groaning is like childbirth. It’s terribly painful. However what mother looks back on that pain and complains? When she looks at the child that was born, the pain dwindles to nothingness compared the beauty of what was birthed.
I hope you can hear what scripture is saying. Genesis 1 teaches us who God is, Genesis 2 teaches us who we are and Genesis 3 tells why we are having so much trouble. But Romans 8 summarizes all the rest of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. It’s the story of God’s putting it all back together again. And that includes every detail of your life. Believe that. Believe. Believe when it’s easy to believe, Believe when it’s hard to believe. And when you can’t believe anymore, believe nonetheless.
“The leaves of scripture rustle with the “rumor” that one day all will be made right and that we will get to see that day”
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
August 24, 2010
The Power of God
Romans 8:9-11 (NLT)
“You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
. . . Christ lives within you . . . . . The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies” Romans 8:9-11 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
I suspect that for most Christians the idea that we are controlled by the Holy Spirit is surprising. Such a statement leads many to conclude that maybe the Holy Spirit doesn’t dwell in them after all (“I feel controlled by sin, not the Spirit”) Yet that conclusion isn’t biblical. How can we understand this?
Remember the “river”, the flow of the Holy Spirit. I think it is biblically accurate to say that our most important job in life is to surrender to the flow of God’s powerful and life giving Holy Spirit.
This means first that the Holy Spirit, the river, is always flowing in and through us if we have given our life to Christ. This is another way of saying that the Christ lives in us. Christ in us means that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at working, flowing, leading, helping us at all times.
Why then do I sin so much? If the Spirit is really controlling me why do I feel more controlled by a bad attitude, bad thought life (whatever your signature sin may be), and all the rest?
Think of it this way. God’s Spirit is at work, but the flow can get plugged up. Think of my particular sins as that which clogs the flow. The “river” is still at work, but it’s just a weak trickle rather than a powerful gush. What’s my job? Perhaps it is not so much about fighting against my sinful nature as it is to unplug the flow. Maybe it’s more about doing the new kinds of things that the Spirit nudges me to do. Maybe when I focus on the promptings and nudgings, obeying them acts like a dam release. The increased volume becomes much more powerful than the sins that block the flow. So powerful in fact that the flow, not me, does the job of wearing down the blockages.
Romans 8:9-11 (NLT)
“You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
. . . Christ lives within you . . . . . The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies” Romans 8:9-11 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
I suspect that for most Christians the idea that we are controlled by the Holy Spirit is surprising. Such a statement leads many to conclude that maybe the Holy Spirit doesn’t dwell in them after all (“I feel controlled by sin, not the Spirit”) Yet that conclusion isn’t biblical. How can we understand this?
Remember the “river”, the flow of the Holy Spirit. I think it is biblically accurate to say that our most important job in life is to surrender to the flow of God’s powerful and life giving Holy Spirit.
This means first that the Holy Spirit, the river, is always flowing in and through us if we have given our life to Christ. This is another way of saying that the Christ lives in us. Christ in us means that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at working, flowing, leading, helping us at all times.
Why then do I sin so much? If the Spirit is really controlling me why do I feel more controlled by a bad attitude, bad thought life (whatever your signature sin may be), and all the rest?
Think of it this way. God’s Spirit is at work, but the flow can get plugged up. Think of my particular sins as that which clogs the flow. The “river” is still at work, but it’s just a weak trickle rather than a powerful gush. What’s my job? Perhaps it is not so much about fighting against my sinful nature as it is to unplug the flow. Maybe it’s more about doing the new kinds of things that the Spirit nudges me to do. Maybe when I focus on the promptings and nudgings, obeying them acts like a dam release. The increased volume becomes much more powerful than the sins that block the flow. So powerful in fact that the flow, not me, does the job of wearing down the blockages.
Monday, August 23, 2010
August 23, 2010
Romans 8 in 5 Days
Romans chapter 8 is the most powerful chapter in the entire Bible. If you get this you’ve got the Gospel
Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
Romans 8:1 may be the most important verse in the Bible. Do you believe it to be true for you? Further, Romans 8:2 says God sets you free not only from condemnation, but ALSO from the power of the sin that cripples your life. Do you believe THAT? You need not only the forgiveness offered on the cross, but also the power of the Holy Spirit to live beyond the crippling grip those sins may still have on you.
God is not looking down from Heaven mad at you! Like a loving earthly father, God may not always be pleased with you, but he views you with love and pleasure, not only in the man or woman he is shaping you into but also in the man or woman you are now in the shaping process. As a potter is pleased with his not yet completed work, so God is pleased with his not yet completed you. And the very beautiful thing is that God will never cease his primary task on earth, the shaping of the human soul, and that includes your soul.
For those of you who love biblical theology, all the brilliant reasoning in the first 7 chapters of Romans leads to this one thing: there is no condemnation in Christ and the Holy Spirit will never stop working set you free from the grip of sin and free to live in His power and abundance.
Romans chapter 8 is the most powerful chapter in the entire Bible. If you get this you’ve got the Gospel
Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
Romans 8:1 may be the most important verse in the Bible. Do you believe it to be true for you? Further, Romans 8:2 says God sets you free not only from condemnation, but ALSO from the power of the sin that cripples your life. Do you believe THAT? You need not only the forgiveness offered on the cross, but also the power of the Holy Spirit to live beyond the crippling grip those sins may still have on you.
God is not looking down from Heaven mad at you! Like a loving earthly father, God may not always be pleased with you, but he views you with love and pleasure, not only in the man or woman he is shaping you into but also in the man or woman you are now in the shaping process. As a potter is pleased with his not yet completed work, so God is pleased with his not yet completed you. And the very beautiful thing is that God will never cease his primary task on earth, the shaping of the human soul, and that includes your soul.
For those of you who love biblical theology, all the brilliant reasoning in the first 7 chapters of Romans leads to this one thing: there is no condemnation in Christ and the Holy Spirit will never stop working set you free from the grip of sin and free to live in His power and abundance.
Friday, August 20, 2010
August 20, 2010
The World’s Greatest Mystery
Matthew 5:48 (Msg)
"Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
Pastor’s Blog
While studying in seminary 25 years ago I came across today’s verse. I can honestly say that it gripped me in an overpowering way then and it still grips me today. The intrique is still with me. For me it is still the most thought compelling verse in the Bible. What does it mean that “I have died”? What does it mean that “my life is hidden with Christ in God?”
This does not mean that I should crucify my old sinful life nor does it mean that one day my old sinful self will have been put to death. Rather it means that the sinful me, the false me, the tarnished and misfigured image of God that is me has been crucified. The tense matters. Paul says I have died.
This is such a big deal. God has done something. God has ridded the world of the old Jeff Lampl and He has introduced a restored, real, refurbished, dare I say an even (I type this with great trepidation) holy Jeff Lampl, whose life exists somehow “in Christ”. My task then is not to try ever harder to become more holy, rather my task in life is simply to “live into” who I already am.
I wish I could explain this better, but I can’t. All I know is that this astonishing, beyond belief statement is true. Somehow, some way it is true. And with every passing year I understand it less but believe it more. After all how else could I (or you) become the kind of person who flourishes in the presence of God in the new creation?
Matthew 5:48 (Msg)
"Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
Pastor’s Blog
While studying in seminary 25 years ago I came across today’s verse. I can honestly say that it gripped me in an overpowering way then and it still grips me today. The intrique is still with me. For me it is still the most thought compelling verse in the Bible. What does it mean that “I have died”? What does it mean that “my life is hidden with Christ in God?”
This does not mean that I should crucify my old sinful life nor does it mean that one day my old sinful self will have been put to death. Rather it means that the sinful me, the false me, the tarnished and misfigured image of God that is me has been crucified. The tense matters. Paul says I have died.
This is such a big deal. God has done something. God has ridded the world of the old Jeff Lampl and He has introduced a restored, real, refurbished, dare I say an even (I type this with great trepidation) holy Jeff Lampl, whose life exists somehow “in Christ”. My task then is not to try ever harder to become more holy, rather my task in life is simply to “live into” who I already am.
I wish I could explain this better, but I can’t. All I know is that this astonishing, beyond belief statement is true. Somehow, some way it is true. And with every passing year I understand it less but believe it more. After all how else could I (or you) become the kind of person who flourishes in the presence of God in the new creation?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
August 19, 2010
No Priest Required
Matthew 7:7-8
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
Jesus had just finished teaching his followers how to live for God, how to store up treasure in the right places, how to avoid sexual immorality, how to serve selflessly, and more. And now Jesus, perhaps with his heart pounding with desire that the people could really know his Father as he does, breaks out of his teaching and into what sounds like a heartfelt plea, “You have a Father who loves you, is available, wants to hear from you, aches to be a Father to you."
Maybe it’s like a birth mother waiting 18 years or 30 or a lifetime to see her child, hold her and let her know, I’m here and I just want to lavish my love and grace on you in a way that nothing else in world ever could.
In Jesus’ day the idea that ordinary people could talk directly to God was staggering. It went against 100’s of years of religious tradition in which they needed an intermediary, a priest, to talk to them. And now Jesus says in effect,
“no priest required”, no hoops to jump through, no rituals, no sacrifices and no ceremonial purification. You can talk to your Father who will listen. Just ask and then keep it up.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Matthew 7:7-8
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
Jesus had just finished teaching his followers how to live for God, how to store up treasure in the right places, how to avoid sexual immorality, how to serve selflessly, and more. And now Jesus, perhaps with his heart pounding with desire that the people could really know his Father as he does, breaks out of his teaching and into what sounds like a heartfelt plea, “You have a Father who loves you, is available, wants to hear from you, aches to be a Father to you."
Maybe it’s like a birth mother waiting 18 years or 30 or a lifetime to see her child, hold her and let her know, I’m here and I just want to lavish my love and grace on you in a way that nothing else in world ever could.
In Jesus’ day the idea that ordinary people could talk directly to God was staggering. It went against 100’s of years of religious tradition in which they needed an intermediary, a priest, to talk to them. And now Jesus says in effect,
“no priest required”, no hoops to jump through, no rituals, no sacrifices and no ceremonial purification. You can talk to your Father who will listen. Just ask and then keep it up.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
August 18, 2010
Disciples are Handcrafted not Mass Produced
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
“We are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
Pastor’s Blog
The following is an incredibly insightful comment from one of our regular reflection readers. It’s from someone who knows handcrafting.
“I wanted to pass along an insight that I have about your blog today. You said that you 'loved how John Otberg puts it disciples are hand crafted not massed produced'. Being someone who everyday hand crafts furniture I understand his comment from a different perspective than many. As I was thinking about your blog my mind was drawn back to our shop and the furniture we have built. We do not mass produce it, as a matter of fact most of the work we do is "bench work" around 70 to 80 percent. In other words this work must be done by hand with hand tools as the machines are not capable of producing it. This means there is an intimacy between the builder and the work that is never shared with any other work. It also means that no two jobs are ever the same and each builder leaves his own unique "signature" on the piece. Not his literal name but the movments of his hands can be trace by the marks he leaves and the tools he chooses to shape the wood. To most people at a quick glance the two pieces might look identical but if you let me see them up close for a minute I can tell you who built them just by the way the piece is crafted. This is what makes each piece unique, the marks left by the builders hands, the method of building he chooses, his choice of material, placement of hardware, his sense of style and proportion, in other words his "fingerprints" are all over his work and the same is true of our Heavenly Father. We are covered by the fingerprints of God, it is this that makes us of value and importance, His work on us and His work through us. He has used you to place His finger prints on my life and I am so greatful to Him and you.”
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
“We are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
Pastor’s Blog
The following is an incredibly insightful comment from one of our regular reflection readers. It’s from someone who knows handcrafting.
“I wanted to pass along an insight that I have about your blog today. You said that you 'loved how John Otberg puts it disciples are hand crafted not massed produced'. Being someone who everyday hand crafts furniture I understand his comment from a different perspective than many. As I was thinking about your blog my mind was drawn back to our shop and the furniture we have built. We do not mass produce it, as a matter of fact most of the work we do is "bench work" around 70 to 80 percent. In other words this work must be done by hand with hand tools as the machines are not capable of producing it. This means there is an intimacy between the builder and the work that is never shared with any other work. It also means that no two jobs are ever the same and each builder leaves his own unique "signature" on the piece. Not his literal name but the movments of his hands can be trace by the marks he leaves and the tools he chooses to shape the wood. To most people at a quick glance the two pieces might look identical but if you let me see them up close for a minute I can tell you who built them just by the way the piece is crafted. This is what makes each piece unique, the marks left by the builders hands, the method of building he chooses, his choice of material, placement of hardware, his sense of style and proportion, in other words his "fingerprints" are all over his work and the same is true of our Heavenly Father. We are covered by the fingerprints of God, it is this that makes us of value and importance, His work on us and His work through us. He has used you to place His finger prints on my life and I am so greatful to Him and you.”
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
August 17, 2010
God’s Goal for your Life is not to Save You From Hell
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” Philippians 3:10
Pastor’s Blog
For perhaps the last year or so today’s verse has been my verse. It means that I seek to embrace every part of my life as the life that God has given me to live while I remain on earth. It means the goal of my life is not to avoid hell when I die. That is God’s goal for no one. What kind of father has as his goal for his child to keep her out of jail?
No, the goal of God for you is know Him and His Son Jesus Christ. Do you know the meaning of eternal life? Read John 17:3 and you will discover it is not “going to Heaven when I die”. God wants daughters and sons, nothing less. Sons and daughters who like him, love him, are happy to be his children, who find him fun, who find in him life.
Heaven, Eternal Life, Life eternal with God is both a state of being and a place. It will be populated with the kind of people who can live and flourish there. That is a certain kind of person. People who don’t embrace now wouldn’t like heaven. It would hurt too much. For them it would be hell.
This is why today’s verse matters. God is shaping you into the kind of person who knows him, knows his power and knows his suffering and, yes, faces even death as Jesus did. A God shaped person fits a God shaped eternity.
I am right now being shaped by Christ or I am being shaped by something else. No, Christianity is not about a ticket to heaven. Rather heaven is like happiness. In seeking it we miss it. In seeking instead the One who inhabits every inch of it, heaven comes as a piercingly beautiful byproduct.
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” Philippians 3:10
Pastor’s Blog
For perhaps the last year or so today’s verse has been my verse. It means that I seek to embrace every part of my life as the life that God has given me to live while I remain on earth. It means the goal of my life is not to avoid hell when I die. That is God’s goal for no one. What kind of father has as his goal for his child to keep her out of jail?
No, the goal of God for you is know Him and His Son Jesus Christ. Do you know the meaning of eternal life? Read John 17:3 and you will discover it is not “going to Heaven when I die”. God wants daughters and sons, nothing less. Sons and daughters who like him, love him, are happy to be his children, who find him fun, who find in him life.
Heaven, Eternal Life, Life eternal with God is both a state of being and a place. It will be populated with the kind of people who can live and flourish there. That is a certain kind of person. People who don’t embrace now wouldn’t like heaven. It would hurt too much. For them it would be hell.
This is why today’s verse matters. God is shaping you into the kind of person who knows him, knows his power and knows his suffering and, yes, faces even death as Jesus did. A God shaped person fits a God shaped eternity.
I am right now being shaped by Christ or I am being shaped by something else. No, Christianity is not about a ticket to heaven. Rather heaven is like happiness. In seeking it we miss it. In seeking instead the One who inhabits every inch of it, heaven comes as a piercingly beautiful byproduct.
Monday, August 16, 2010
August 16, 2010
Would you like to know what my #1 job as Pastor of CLC is?Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature, perfect, complete in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all Christ’s energy, which so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)
Pastor’s Blog
This means that my main job is to do everything I can to help you see and know that God is stopping at nothing, at every moment using circumstances, pain, joys, challenges, sermons, his Word, your friends, your enemies, failures, successes, temptations, yearnings, dreams, frustrations, good attitude and bad attitude—and much much more-----at every moment-- . . . . . He is using the entirety of your life to shape you into the person God has created you to be from before the foundation of the world. He is using all these “tools” to restore you to your original intended “shape”.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is coming to theaters on December 10. Here’s a fantastic spiritual exericise for you to try: Purchase the book of the same name (in the Narnia series). Read it and ponder over the section where Eustice Scrub is changed by a loving God. It’s perhaps the most powerful and poignant description of God’s shaping that you will ever read!!!!
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature, perfect, complete in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all Christ’s energy, which so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)
Pastor’s Blog
This means that my main job is to do everything I can to help you see and know that God is stopping at nothing, at every moment using circumstances, pain, joys, challenges, sermons, his Word, your friends, your enemies, failures, successes, temptations, yearnings, dreams, frustrations, good attitude and bad attitude—and much much more-----at every moment-- . . . . . He is using the entirety of your life to shape you into the person God has created you to be from before the foundation of the world. He is using all these “tools” to restore you to your original intended “shape”.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is coming to theaters on December 10. Here’s a fantastic spiritual exericise for you to try: Purchase the book of the same name (in the Narnia series). Read it and ponder over the section where Eustice Scrub is changed by a loving God. It’s perhaps the most powerful and poignant description of God’s shaping that you will ever read!!!!
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Friday, August 13, 2010
August 13, 2010
God Never Planned for You to Be Someone Else
Matthew 5:48 (Msg)
Long before he laid down earth's foundations, God had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. 5 Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) 6 He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Ephesians 1:4-6 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
God planned on, created and chose you before the foundation of the world. God doesn’t want you to become anyone other than the you He intended you to be.
All of my Christian life I’ve been susceptible to the discouragement that often comes from teachings that elevate model Christians whose devotional life is “exemplary”. Those with a great “devotional life” are often described in what seems heroic terms: They read big chunks of the Bible every day without exception, get up at 4:00 am and stay in prayer for hours, journal copiously, memorize scripture, and listen to Christian CD’s and Radio all day. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS ARE WONDERFUL, HOWEVER . .. not everyone meets God in the same way! Some of you are so grumpy and miserable at 4:00 am that not even Jesus wants to be with you at that time of day! (that was supposed to be humorous).
Each of us must learn to pray in our own way and to learn to be fed from the Bible not as someone else gets fed, but according to how God wired you to get fed. Your job is to let God shape you into Christlikeness in the way God intended you to reflect Christ. Thought of this way, spiritual formation leads you to become a “you-ier” version of the you God wants you to be. No one else will ever be able reflect Christ as you can. Nor can you ever grow into someone else’s Christlikeness. Your growth in Christ will never be the same as another’s.
I love how John Ortberg puts it; “disciples are hand crafted, not mass produced.”
Plan to be in church on Sunday. I’ll be doing my best to help you grow not just a devotional life, but a life, one which reflects the things of God and is a soul shaped by God.
Matthew 5:48 (Msg)
Long before he laid down earth's foundations, God had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. 5 Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) 6 He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Ephesians 1:4-6 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
God planned on, created and chose you before the foundation of the world. God doesn’t want you to become anyone other than the you He intended you to be.
All of my Christian life I’ve been susceptible to the discouragement that often comes from teachings that elevate model Christians whose devotional life is “exemplary”. Those with a great “devotional life” are often described in what seems heroic terms: They read big chunks of the Bible every day without exception, get up at 4:00 am and stay in prayer for hours, journal copiously, memorize scripture, and listen to Christian CD’s and Radio all day. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS ARE WONDERFUL, HOWEVER . .. not everyone meets God in the same way! Some of you are so grumpy and miserable at 4:00 am that not even Jesus wants to be with you at that time of day! (that was supposed to be humorous).
Each of us must learn to pray in our own way and to learn to be fed from the Bible not as someone else gets fed, but according to how God wired you to get fed. Your job is to let God shape you into Christlikeness in the way God intended you to reflect Christ. Thought of this way, spiritual formation leads you to become a “you-ier” version of the you God wants you to be. No one else will ever be able reflect Christ as you can. Nor can you ever grow into someone else’s Christlikeness. Your growth in Christ will never be the same as another’s.
I love how John Ortberg puts it; “disciples are hand crafted, not mass produced.”
Plan to be in church on Sunday. I’ll be doing my best to help you grow not just a devotional life, but a life, one which reflects the things of God and is a soul shaped by God.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
August 11, 2010
When You Look At Your Child, Do You Remember Your
(Or Your Wife’s) Pain Of The Birth?
John 16:21-24 (MSG)
"When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain”
"This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. 24 Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you."
"Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks." John 16:21-24(MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
Joy is the anticipation of what God will do. It is found in anticipating God’s future. . . . like a mom anticipating the birth of her child. The pain will have been horrendous (so I ‘m told) but the future wrought through the pain will render the pain insignificant, even wiped out, in comparison. Joy comes from flowing in the river of God’s Spirit, trusting Him, regardless of circumstances or your ability to understand.
The following reflection comes from “God Calling” my wife Kathy’s favorite devotional.
"Understanding will never bring you Peace. That's why I (God) have instructed you to trust in Me, not in your understanding. Humans have a voracious appetite for trying to figure things out, in order to gain a sense of mastery over their lives. But the world presents you with an endless series of problems. As soon as you master one set, another pops up to challenge you. The relief you had anticipated is short-lived. Soon your mind is gearing up again: searching for understanding (mastery), instead of seeking Me (your Master)....My Peace is not an elusive goal, hidden at the center of some complicated maze. Actually, you are always enveloped in Peace, which is inherent in My Presence. As you look to Me, you gain awareness of this precious Peace."
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
(Or Your Wife’s) Pain Of The Birth?
John 16:21-24 (MSG)
"When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain”
"This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. 24 Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you."
"Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks." John 16:21-24(MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
Joy is the anticipation of what God will do. It is found in anticipating God’s future. . . . like a mom anticipating the birth of her child. The pain will have been horrendous (so I ‘m told) but the future wrought through the pain will render the pain insignificant, even wiped out, in comparison. Joy comes from flowing in the river of God’s Spirit, trusting Him, regardless of circumstances or your ability to understand.
The following reflection comes from “God Calling” my wife Kathy’s favorite devotional.
"Understanding will never bring you Peace. That's why I (God) have instructed you to trust in Me, not in your understanding. Humans have a voracious appetite for trying to figure things out, in order to gain a sense of mastery over their lives. But the world presents you with an endless series of problems. As soon as you master one set, another pops up to challenge you. The relief you had anticipated is short-lived. Soon your mind is gearing up again: searching for understanding (mastery), instead of seeking Me (your Master)....My Peace is not an elusive goal, hidden at the center of some complicated maze. Actually, you are always enveloped in Peace, which is inherent in My Presence. As you look to Me, you gain awareness of this precious Peace."
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
August 10, 2010
Where the River Flows Life Flourishes
John 7:37-39 (NLT)
A river watered the garden and then flowed out of Eden and divided into four branches. Genesis 2:10 (NLT)
There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives. Psalm 46:4 (GW)
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1 (NIV)
Pastor’s Blog
We don’t know a lot about the Garden of Eden, but we do know this, a river ran through it.
The image of flowing “living” water is used in scripture about 150 times, most often as a kind of a picture of spiritual life and there’s good reason for this. Israel was a desert country. A river is grace, a river is gift, a river is life. Genesis 2:10 is not primarily about geography. It’s about the human soul flourishing. The point of Psalm 46:4 is that where the river flows life flourishes. Where the river dries up we die. Psalm 42 (perhaps you know the song that comes from it) pictures a desert where the waters have all dried up and that deer is going to die if it doesn’t find water.
That’s me. That’s you. If I’m cut off from the Spirit of God it means unsatisfied desires, spiritual dryness, moral failure, emotional debt. In the flow of the Holy Spirit we find life, the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6;19)
The most important thing we can do is not to “try harder”, rather to jump into the river where the flow will carry us.
A wonderful spiritual exercise is to imagine that picture and imagine what it would look like for you, practically speaking to approach your days not so much in terms of effortful trying harder, rather in term of jumping into the river.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
John 7:37-39 (NLT)
A river watered the garden and then flowed out of Eden and divided into four branches. Genesis 2:10 (NLT)
There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives. Psalm 46:4 (GW)
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1 (NIV)
Pastor’s Blog
We don’t know a lot about the Garden of Eden, but we do know this, a river ran through it.
The image of flowing “living” water is used in scripture about 150 times, most often as a kind of a picture of spiritual life and there’s good reason for this. Israel was a desert country. A river is grace, a river is gift, a river is life. Genesis 2:10 is not primarily about geography. It’s about the human soul flourishing. The point of Psalm 46:4 is that where the river flows life flourishes. Where the river dries up we die. Psalm 42 (perhaps you know the song that comes from it) pictures a desert where the waters have all dried up and that deer is going to die if it doesn’t find water.
That’s me. That’s you. If I’m cut off from the Spirit of God it means unsatisfied desires, spiritual dryness, moral failure, emotional debt. In the flow of the Holy Spirit we find life, the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6;19)
The most important thing we can do is not to “try harder”, rather to jump into the river where the flow will carry us.
A wonderful spiritual exercise is to imagine that picture and imagine what it would look like for you, practically speaking to approach your days not so much in terms of effortful trying harder, rather in term of jumping into the river.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Monday, August 9, 2010
August 9, 2010
What Flows Into You Determines What Will Flow Out of You
John 7:37-39 (NLT)
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) John 7:37-39 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
There are few things in life that are more difficult to control than what shapes my soul.
Jesus was teaching at the feast of tabernacles in Jerusalem. It was a great feast where people from all over would gather and the rabbis would say “If you have not been to a Feast of the Tabernacles, you have not seen joy”. The highlight was when the High Priest would scoop a pitcher into the waters of Solome and carry the water to the temple and pour the water out (a big deal in a desert land) and then quote from the prophets, “With joy we shall drink from the wells of salvation”. It was at that moment that a young itinerant rabbi (Jesus) spoke today’s scripture. Jesus was saying, “Anyone who is discontent , anybody who is unhappy, anybody who is frustrated, anybody who whines, anybody who complains, all who are dissatisfied, let them come to me” To anyone who has a gap between where they are and where God intends them to be (who doesn’t have such a gap), Jesus says, “Come to me”.
Perhaps a helpful spiritual exercise would be to make a list of all the ways your environment seeks to satisfy you longings, to fill your “gap”. You might be surprised at all the “voices” seeking your allegiance. Next, in a parallel column, list the ways that your life allows God to provide a shaping of and a satisfaction for you soul. Then study it for a while and let the Holy Spirit direct you to some next “soul shaping” steps.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
John 7:37-39 (NLT)
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) John 7:37-39 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
There are few things in life that are more difficult to control than what shapes my soul.
Jesus was teaching at the feast of tabernacles in Jerusalem. It was a great feast where people from all over would gather and the rabbis would say “If you have not been to a Feast of the Tabernacles, you have not seen joy”. The highlight was when the High Priest would scoop a pitcher into the waters of Solome and carry the water to the temple and pour the water out (a big deal in a desert land) and then quote from the prophets, “With joy we shall drink from the wells of salvation”. It was at that moment that a young itinerant rabbi (Jesus) spoke today’s scripture. Jesus was saying, “Anyone who is discontent , anybody who is unhappy, anybody who is frustrated, anybody who whines, anybody who complains, all who are dissatisfied, let them come to me” To anyone who has a gap between where they are and where God intends them to be (who doesn’t have such a gap), Jesus says, “Come to me”.
Perhaps a helpful spiritual exercise would be to make a list of all the ways your environment seeks to satisfy you longings, to fill your “gap”. You might be surprised at all the “voices” seeking your allegiance. Next, in a parallel column, list the ways that your life allows God to provide a shaping of and a satisfaction for you soul. Then study it for a while and let the Holy Spirit direct you to some next “soul shaping” steps.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Friday, August 6, 2010
August 6, 2010
Moses Boils It All Down to One Thing
Deuteronomy 32:46-47 (MSG)
46 he said, "Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your children to put them into practice, every single word of this Revelation. 47 Yes. This is no small matter for you; it's your life. In keeping this word you'll have a good and long life in this land that you're crossing the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 32:46-47 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
If you were asked, “What does the entirety of your life boil down to?" what would you say?
Moses says it is knowing and doing God’s will. Jesus agreed. He said that was that entirety of His purpose on earth.
The following is from a devotional by the brilliant Elizabeth Elliot:
“The primary condition for learning what God wants of us is putting ourselves wholly at his disposal. It is just here that we are often blocked. We hold certain reservations about how far we are willing to go, what we will or will not do, how much God can have of us or of what we treasure. Then we pray for guidance. It will not work. We must begin by laying it all down--ourselves, our treasures, our destiny. Then we are in a position to think with renewed minds and act with a transformed nature.
The withholding of any part of ourselves is the same as saying, "Thy will be done up to a point, mine from there on."
The Apolstel Paul gives four important steps to discerning the will of God:
1. "Offer your very selves to Him,"
2. "Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world."
3. "Let your minds be remade."
4. "Your whole nature transformed."
"Then you will be able to discern the will of God" (Rom 12:1,2 NEB).
Deuteronomy 32:46-47 (MSG)
46 he said, "Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your children to put them into practice, every single word of this Revelation. 47 Yes. This is no small matter for you; it's your life. In keeping this word you'll have a good and long life in this land that you're crossing the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 32:46-47 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
If you were asked, “What does the entirety of your life boil down to?" what would you say?
Moses says it is knowing and doing God’s will. Jesus agreed. He said that was that entirety of His purpose on earth.
The following is from a devotional by the brilliant Elizabeth Elliot:
“The primary condition for learning what God wants of us is putting ourselves wholly at his disposal. It is just here that we are often blocked. We hold certain reservations about how far we are willing to go, what we will or will not do, how much God can have of us or of what we treasure. Then we pray for guidance. It will not work. We must begin by laying it all down--ourselves, our treasures, our destiny. Then we are in a position to think with renewed minds and act with a transformed nature.
The withholding of any part of ourselves is the same as saying, "Thy will be done up to a point, mine from there on."
The Apolstel Paul gives four important steps to discerning the will of God:
1. "Offer your very selves to Him,"
2. "Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world."
3. "Let your minds be remade."
4. "Your whole nature transformed."
"Then you will be able to discern the will of God" (Rom 12:1,2 NEB).
Thursday, August 5, 2010
August 5, 2010
Get on the Good Side of How Life Works
Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (MSG)
”Moses wrote out this Revelation and gave it to the priests, . . . And he gave these orders:
'At the end of every seven years . . . , during the pilgrim Festival of Booths . . . . read out this Revelation (the Book of Deuteronomy) to all Israel, with everyone listening.
12 Gather the people together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living among you—so they can listen well, so they may learn to live in holy awe before GOD, your God . . . . .' " Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
Is your life one of paddling upstream or downstream?
I hate to read instructions. In fact I read them only as a last resort. Actually I start with the pictures. People who are hired to draw pictures of how to put things together ought to be replaced with better artists. The written instructions are even worse, probably written by English majors who chose the wrong major and didn’t finish school, or maybe they are unemployed doctors, lawyers, engineers or pastors.
But this terrible attitude I have toward instructions is exactly why the dresser in my son’s room was assembled with the shelves backwards. It was not only harder to do than it needed to be, but the end product looks bad and doesn’t work right.
That’s my life when I don’t read and follow the instructions. It’s hard work to read instructions, especially when they use words and concepts I don’t get. But not taking the time to read and learn them is worse, far worse. Read them and follow them. Read them and follow. Time consuming, difficult, effort consuming, but in the end the results are good.
Verse 12 says “listen well”. Listen to what? The Instructions.
Summary: figure out a way to read your Bible, understand it, reflect on it, and do what it teaches you to do. Find any way that works for you and then go for it.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (MSG)
”Moses wrote out this Revelation and gave it to the priests, . . . And he gave these orders:
'At the end of every seven years . . . , during the pilgrim Festival of Booths . . . . read out this Revelation (the Book of Deuteronomy) to all Israel, with everyone listening.
12 Gather the people together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living among you—so they can listen well, so they may learn to live in holy awe before GOD, your God . . . . .' " Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
Is your life one of paddling upstream or downstream?
I hate to read instructions. In fact I read them only as a last resort. Actually I start with the pictures. People who are hired to draw pictures of how to put things together ought to be replaced with better artists. The written instructions are even worse, probably written by English majors who chose the wrong major and didn’t finish school, or maybe they are unemployed doctors, lawyers, engineers or pastors.
But this terrible attitude I have toward instructions is exactly why the dresser in my son’s room was assembled with the shelves backwards. It was not only harder to do than it needed to be, but the end product looks bad and doesn’t work right.
That’s my life when I don’t read and follow the instructions. It’s hard work to read instructions, especially when they use words and concepts I don’t get. But not taking the time to read and learn them is worse, far worse. Read them and follow them. Read them and follow. Time consuming, difficult, effort consuming, but in the end the results are good.
Verse 12 says “listen well”. Listen to what? The Instructions.
Summary: figure out a way to read your Bible, understand it, reflect on it, and do what it teaches you to do. Find any way that works for you and then go for it.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
August 4, 2010
Marks of Great Leadership
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NLT)
7 Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
General MacArthur, liberator of the Pacific in WWII, called Joshua the greatest leader who ever lived.
Yet in vs 7 and in numerous passages at the beginning of the book of Joshua, Joshua needed encouraged. At least 7 times he needed to be told to be strong and courageous. This means that if you have fears you’re not alone. Courage is not absence of fear, rather it’s being scared to death but saddling up anyway, at least that’s what John Wayne said (for those of you who are uneducated in the Hollywood Classics, John Wayne was an actor and has an airport named after him.)
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will go ahead of you”. Well, for me at least, fear never leaves before I act. It leaves only after I move on what I’m supposed to but am afraid to do and live to tell the tale.
Christians should have more courage than non Christians. You have the Lord paving the way before you.
What are you afraid to do? What leadership responsibility (no matter how small) do you fear? If the Lord calls you to it, he will lead the way. Loving God and O\obeying God are one in the same. And Perfect Love casts out fear.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NLT)
7 Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
General MacArthur, liberator of the Pacific in WWII, called Joshua the greatest leader who ever lived.
Yet in vs 7 and in numerous passages at the beginning of the book of Joshua, Joshua needed encouraged. At least 7 times he needed to be told to be strong and courageous. This means that if you have fears you’re not alone. Courage is not absence of fear, rather it’s being scared to death but saddling up anyway, at least that’s what John Wayne said (for those of you who are uneducated in the Hollywood Classics, John Wayne was an actor and has an airport named after him.)
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will go ahead of you”. Well, for me at least, fear never leaves before I act. It leaves only after I move on what I’m supposed to but am afraid to do and live to tell the tale.
Christians should have more courage than non Christians. You have the Lord paving the way before you.
What are you afraid to do? What leadership responsibility (no matter how small) do you fear? If the Lord calls you to it, he will lead the way. Loving God and O\obeying God are one in the same. And Perfect Love casts out fear.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
August 3, 2010
“It’s Not As Hard As You Think”Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NCV)
“This command I give you today is not too hard for you; it is not beyond what you can do.....14 No, the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 Look, today I offer you life and success, death and destruction....... I am offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live.
To choose life is to love the LORD your God, obey him, and stay close to him. He is your life” Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NCV)
Pastor’s Blog
JB Phillips, a brilliant Bible scholar, theologian, translator of the Bible, had a vision, actually a face to face encounter, in the 1960’s with his friend CS Lewis after Lewis had passed away.
While Philips was sitting in his living room reading he looked up and saw Lewis sitting in chair across the room. This wasn’t a mirage but Lewis actually sitting there (JB Phillips a British theologian and scholar was far from the kind of person who was prone to “see things”- you can read about this in his wonderful little book, The Ring of Truth).
As their eyes met, Lewis said to him, “It’s not as hard as you think”. Isn’t that good? It’s not as hard as you think.
Moses tells us, “it’s not as hard as we think”. We have the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ, friends and family, and the ability to choose.
In fact new studies on the human will seem to reveal that our will is created to submit. Submit to whom or what is the question. Either way it’s a submission.
What if it’s actually true, that it’s not as hard as we think. What would that mean to you, today and tomorrow?
“This command I give you today is not too hard for you; it is not beyond what you can do.....14 No, the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 Look, today I offer you life and success, death and destruction....... I am offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live.
To choose life is to love the LORD your God, obey him, and stay close to him. He is your life” Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NCV)
Pastor’s Blog
JB Phillips, a brilliant Bible scholar, theologian, translator of the Bible, had a vision, actually a face to face encounter, in the 1960’s with his friend CS Lewis after Lewis had passed away.
While Philips was sitting in his living room reading he looked up and saw Lewis sitting in chair across the room. This wasn’t a mirage but Lewis actually sitting there (JB Phillips a British theologian and scholar was far from the kind of person who was prone to “see things”- you can read about this in his wonderful little book, The Ring of Truth).
As their eyes met, Lewis said to him, “It’s not as hard as you think”. Isn’t that good? It’s not as hard as you think.
Moses tells us, “it’s not as hard as we think”. We have the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ, friends and family, and the ability to choose.
In fact new studies on the human will seem to reveal that our will is created to submit. Submit to whom or what is the question. Either way it’s a submission.
What if it’s actually true, that it’s not as hard as we think. What would that mean to you, today and tomorrow?
Monday, August 2, 2010
August 2, 2010
When You are at Your Bottom
Deuteronomy 30:4 (NLT)
”Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the LORD your God will gather you from there and bring you back again” Deuteronomy 30:4 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
I have been to the bottom more than once. But I discovered the bottom was solid.
That last sentence comes from a story I heard about a local pastor. His wife had died suddenly and after the funeral he simply disappeared. He didn’t show up at home or at church, even on Sunday. No one knew where he was. Many looked for him, including police. A few weeks later he showed up in church and walked to the pulpit before anyone could speak with him. He simply went to the microphone and said, “I’ve been to the bottom, but the bottom is solid”.
In other words God was there.
I think that’s all there is to say sometimes. “I hit the bottom, but God was there”. I’m a person who wants to know details when I hear that. I want to know how he knew God was there, what the comforting word was, what it was specifically that carried him over the hump. However, having been to the bottom myself, I have no answers to these questions. I only know that through all the tears, hopelessness, loss and pain, God was there and because of that I could get back up again. The Lord gathered me up from there and brought me back again.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
Deuteronomy 30:4 (NLT)
”Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the LORD your God will gather you from there and bring you back again” Deuteronomy 30:4 (NLT)
Pastor’s Blog
I have been to the bottom more than once. But I discovered the bottom was solid.
That last sentence comes from a story I heard about a local pastor. His wife had died suddenly and after the funeral he simply disappeared. He didn’t show up at home or at church, even on Sunday. No one knew where he was. Many looked for him, including police. A few weeks later he showed up in church and walked to the pulpit before anyone could speak with him. He simply went to the microphone and said, “I’ve been to the bottom, but the bottom is solid”.
In other words God was there.
I think that’s all there is to say sometimes. “I hit the bottom, but God was there”. I’m a person who wants to know details when I hear that. I want to know how he knew God was there, what the comforting word was, what it was specifically that carried him over the hump. However, having been to the bottom myself, I have no answers to these questions. I only know that through all the tears, hopelessness, loss and pain, God was there and because of that I could get back up again. The Lord gathered me up from there and brought me back again.
(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on “comments” below)
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