Wednesday, September 30, 2009

God's People Rejoice

Can anybody tell how blessed you are?


Psalms 5:11-12  But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.

Are Christ followers the happiest people on the planet? They are certainly the most blessed people, but does it show?

Why are there so many angry, unhappy people sitting in church on Sunday morning? It seems that rejoicing isn't a habit for the majority of people. I always think how hypocritical and sad is to sing songs like "Count Your Blessing" with dismal looks on our faces. There isn't much evidence in the church that the good news is really good news.

Help us to be aware of what you have done for us Lord. Help us to make you famous for having a following of people full of joy.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Is It Bad? Rejoice Anyway!

I am blessed no matter how bad it looks at the moment.


Habakkuk 3:17-19 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

You can tell a lot about a person when everything that he has is taken away from him, for some a major loss of creature comforts and a lack of resources is enough to make them sit and pity themselves, for others they can see the blessings of material goods disappear and realize that their joy is in the strength and salvation that the Lord has blessed them with. These are blessings that cannot be taken away.

This world and all the things that we feel like we need to accumulate are only temporary. We get sucked into the world's way of thinking that we need to get everything we can whether it's more toys or more food or newer clothes.

Our greatest source of joy should be our salvation, if I cannot rejoice in any circumstance then I have lost my perspective, the Lord has blessed me with the promise of a bright future in His kingdom.

I want to live by Job's motto: "The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!" 

Help me to always be joyful, Lord; you have blessed me with the assurance of your salvation, and a home for eternity with you.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Unfailing Love

Love is the greatest.


Micah 7:19-20 You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.

Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

1Corinthians 13:8 But love will last forever!

It is amazing that every world religion in its attempt to connect with God and win his approval they all pull out the scales and see how they balance out. How did I do today was it more good than bad? Will God love me enough?

When God reached out to man he didn't throw a set of scales down to us and say good luck, instead he sent us a Savior, a substitue payment for our sins. Even though God was angry with us for our selfish ways he still took "delight in showing unfailing love."

God has been wronged far worse than I have ever been, and yet his love is still unfailing, instead of throwing the scales at us he picks up our sin and tosses them to the ocean floor.

I need to practice forgiving and loving as God has forgiven me.

I have never been wronged anywhere close to how my Savior was treated. Help me to follow your example and always show love and to let go of every wrong.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

How Do You Spell Relief?

Time to put down that load of sin.


Psalms 65:1-5 What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion.

We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers.

All of us must come to you.

Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.

What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts.

What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.
You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior.

What a mighty God we have, if he had never done one thing for me he would still deserve my praise, he is that magnificent.

But the truth is he has provided awesome blessings for his people, he has given us the ability to have a personal relationship with him, a relationship that is full of joy and praise to him for the awesome things that he has done, and for forgiveness of all the broken vows that we have made to him.

Probably everybody has reached the point in life where they were defeated and overcome by sin, unable to help ourselves, we can go to God in prayer and he is willing to lift the burden of our sin. I spell relief "forgiveness"

No wonder we have so much joy, at least we should have, we should be the most joyful people on earth.

I want to spend each day joyfully knowing that God has provided forgiveness for all my sin, when I go to church on Sunday it should be a celebration.

You are an awesome God and you are worthy of our praise. Thank you for giving us a pardon for our sins by trusting in your son.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Where Are You?

God wants to be in a close relationship with you.


Genesis 3:8-9 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

Psalms 37:23-24 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

Romans 1:21-23 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

The God of the universe as big as he is and as glorious as he is, he has initiated a relationship with us, he created us for it. The entire Bible is the love story of God reaching out in love to man.

But instead man has sought to hide from God and pretend that he isn't there, or we choose to substitute something else for him but still he waits for us to answer the question "Where are you?" No matter where we are he is willing to start from that point and build a relationship with him, I don't have to improve who I am or clean up some and then meet with God, he will accept me just as I am.

God delights in those that accept the invitation to have a relationship with him, he is interested in the details of our lives, he wants to connect with us but he will not force the relationship on us. We all have a choice that we make every day, will I give thanks to God for every blessing that he has given to me, will I worship him, or will I make a substitute for him? Will I worship the creator or his creation?

God is still asking the question "Where are you?" Every day I need to surrender to his will and make the choice to come and worship him and be thankful for everything that he has done for me.

I praise you God for initiating a relationship with me, I want to worship you and connect with you every day, and I pray that I will be pleasing to you.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Praise The Lord Always

Here I am to worship, not just a Sunday thing.


Psalms 34:1  I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

Psalms 100:1  Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! 2  Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3  Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5  For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Psalms 105:1  Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. 2  Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. 3  Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. 4  Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.

Romans 12:1  And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

1 Corinthians 10:31  So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Worship [wur-ship] n. reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

Over the centuries there has always been debate in the church about worship, what it is and how to do it.

One of the hottest debates about worship has always been about the music being used. There was a time when the only music that was allowed was the music that came straight from the Bible, the lyrics had to come directly from scripture, and hymns were not acceptable.

There are a lot of things that we have decided that worship is and how it should be done, but most of it stems from tradition and self pleasing desires to make the worshipper feel good. This is especially true when it comes to music, if you play just the right songs it will spark an emotional response in me and when I get all worked up emotionally, that is when I am finally worshipping.

But that isn't what the Bible teaches us at all. There is plenty of evidence of people getting emotionally worked up in the temple but God told his people that it was a waste of their time. The "how to's" for worship that can be found in scripture include:
  • Worship the Lord constantly – it's not a Sunday morning thing.
  • Worship with gladness – most of us don't look very glad when we worship on Sunday.
  • Acknowledge that God is the God
  • Worship with thanksgiving
  • Worship with praise
  • Worship him with your sacrifice of service
I am not saying that my emotions in worship are wrong, it's just that the emotions are not proof that I have worshipped, and if the emotional response isn't there just because the right songs were not played then I say that I must have a heart problem.

Everything that we do is supposed to be for the glory of the Lord and certainly that should be very evident in our worship. I must ask myself if my worship is intended for God's pleasure. Are my emotions caused by a broken heart before God or are they dependent on the right songs being sung? I must worship my Savior "in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way." (John 4:23)

Help me Lord to worship you with a pure heart, help me to live each day worshipping you constantly with gladness and with acts or service, denying self and giving to others.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

It's Not About Me?!?!

Sunday morning isn't the time to be in the spotlight.


Isaiah 1:11-18  "What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?" says the LORD. "I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?

Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!

When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.

We sure can take a lot of things to church with us, no I'm not talking about your Bible or that box of Krispy Kreme's. What I am talking about is all that smut that is stuck to us like dirt on a toddler, and how about that bucket of self-righteousness, and then there is that back-pack full of sin that weighs us down.

I am convinced that a lot of what happens in church on Sunday morning is a burden to God. I am pretty sure that he is tired of seeing some of us come back week after week holding on to our pious attitudes, feeling righteous and selfish, demanding that things be done the "right" way. So you brought your offering, you said a prayer, you stacked some chairs or maybe you even brought some food for the dinner on the ground, what else is there?

We get in the way of God finding pleasure in our worship, there is too much tendency to push our own agenda in order for the worship experience to be more pleasurable to ourselves, but there is a huge problem with that line of thinking. It isn’t about my pleasure! I think that most of us know that in our heads but it doesn’t seem to sink into our hearts, we know it but we just can’t fully put it into practice, what better place could there be to deny myself and take up my cross than when I am worshiping?

Matthew 16:24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.

God wants us to live selfless lives every day of the week and when we enter his house and participate in corporate worship it just seems to me that we should live it out more deliberately then than at any other time. I am supposed to be a servant.

Help me to make the focus of every activity that happens at church be all about you and your glory. My live is not about me and my worship isn’t supposed to be about me either, help me to worship you in a pleasing manner today and every day.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Joy For The Forgiven

Pass the forgiveness to somebody else.


Psalm 32:1-5 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

A lack of hope is a terrible situation to be in, having no prospect for making our situation better than it is puts us in a desperate situation, thats the predicament that we would be in without divine forgiveness. Imagine how bleak life would be if we didn't have the hope of being forgiven. What if God had never provided a means for forgiveness and you had to live with the thought that you would never measure up to God's standard.

Forgiveness that comes from our creator is our greatest need, without it David said that his body wasted away, this mighty warrior felt that his strength had vaporized like a puddle on a sidewalk in Florida.

But what absolute joy there is for those that ask God for forgiveness! He is full of compassion and mercy to those that are willing to ask! Do you live with joy?Everyone of us that claim to have a relationship with Jesus should be living with joy, just knowing what we have been spared from by having our sins forgiven should make us ecstatic.

But don't think that you can keep this gift of forgiveness to yourself,

Colossians 3:12-13 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

We have to take on the same character traits that God has and be just as forgiving to others that cross us as God was towards us. That is something that I will have to work on!

Help me to be merciful to those that need forgiveness from me, your example Lord is a challenge for all of us.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hope To Carry On

God's promises will keep you going.


Romans 15:4b  And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled.

Psalm 119:47  How I delight in your commands! How I love them! 48  I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees. 49  Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. 50  Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. 51  The proud hold me in utter contempt, but I do not turn away from your instructions. 52  I meditate on your age-old regulations; O LORD, they comfort me.

This week I have learned that Bible study is powerful for transforming my thinking into the way that God thinks and I learned that Bible study is beneficial to us in that it gives us a firm foundation, real truth that we can build our lives upon that will stand during the storms of life.

Probably all of us know what it is like to wreak the car or lose a job or worse yet a loved one, some of us know how it feels to have poor health, to suffer divorce or to have someone beat you down. The Lord loves his people, there is no doubt, even though he doesn't remove us from the misery of this world. There are plenty of reasons to feel frustrated and down in the dumps but there are even greater reasons to be encouraged and to have hope.

God gave us his word to provide us with hope, the whole overall theme of the Bible is hope for the believer, God knew that we would need to know that there is a better day coming. He knew that we would need to have our hope renewed each day.

2 Peter 1:4  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.

I am blessed because of the hope that is shared in God's word, I will take time to dig in everyday, why neglect such a resource?

Thank you Lord for the hope that you have given us through your word. Help me to use your word to encourage others.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Digging The Word

You can't get close to God if you aren't reading the Bible.


Luke 6:46-49  "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?  I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.

 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Yesterday I looked at the transforming power of God's word, how it will shape your thinking, show you absolute truth, and give you wisdom that will show you God's will. Here is another benefit of digging the word each day: God's Word provides an unmovable footing for your life.

There is only one good way to build and that is to be sure that you have a firm foundation. What is true in construction of buildings is also true of anybody wanting to build their lives in a manner that will survive when disaster comes. Nobody should base their life on a house of cards that can be blown away by the slightest breeze.

Jesus expected his followers to be the real deal that didn't just give lip service to his teaching but didn't follow through. If I cry out to him and say "Lord, Lord" on Sunday morning but I walk into the office on Monday and don't live out his commands then I have not set my foundation on the solid rock.

Digging the word each day is the discipline that will give you the knowledge of God's will but Jesus said that you still have to follow through and put his words into practice. Walking around with this pseudo-spirituality, being holier-than-thou is a trap of the devil that will keep you from having an eternal impact for good on the mission field around you.

Thank you for your word, thank you for the desire to study your word each day. Help me to put what I have learned each day into practice.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

What Were You Thinking?

The only way to know what God thinks about it is to get in his Word.


Psalms 119:97-106 Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.

Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws.

I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments.

I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven't turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.

Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

I've promised it once, and I'll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

Many people do not see the importance of God's word for their daily life, showing up occasionally on a Sunday morning and listening to the pastor read the Bible should be enough, they feel like they know the basics of what is in that big book and that should be enough.

God gave us his word so that it would shape our thinking and our perspective, there are many theologies and teachings that compete to shape our worldview, and we have to decide for ourselves what we are going to accept as truth.

If you accept the world's point of view you will be duped into believing that there is no God or if there is a God he doesn't have any interest in my life. You may accept for truth that there are many ways to get to God in the afterlife after all aren't all these religions all providing a different path to the same place.

The only way to know God’s will and to have wisdom and understanding is through a love for God’s word. Loving his word will bring about a desire to study his word and have it transform our thinking into a manner that is consistent with his way, your desires and behavior will change, you will have wisdom, and a light for your path.

My attitudes and actions ultimately spring from my view of the world and what I think about God. I need the truth that is contained in his word to shape my thinking and then I will know God’s will.

Help me to hunger for your word everyday Lord, I don’t want to have my mind shaped by the lies that this world has to offer, I want the wisdom that comes from you to guide my feet and light my path.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

The Prayer Priority

Does it seem unusual that the Son of God needed to pray?


Psalms 5:1 O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. 3 Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

Matthew 14:23  After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

King David was a busy man, he had a huge kingdom to run, wars to fight, peasants to take care of, day after day he was responsible for the nation of Israel. With all of that responsibility you would think that the king would be tempted to cut corners on his relationship with God so that he would have more time to get things done. David was a very successful leader and had to be careful that he didn't let his pride get in the way of his dependence on prayer. David recognized the need to pray every day, and not just the "going through the motions prayer", this guy was groaning his prayer. His plea to God was so earnest that he couldn't always get the words out.

We are taught throughout the Bible about the importance of prayer but who would have thought that Jesus would feel the need to make prayer a priority. We have to make prayer a priority, there will always be the temptation to give in to a busy schedule and not make the time, it takes a conscious effort to have the time.
"Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees." -Corrie Ten Boom

Give me a sense of urgency for the need to pray about everything everyday and give me the patience to wait for the answer.

Friday, September 11, 2009

The Pursuit Of Happiness

I need to trust in God for real peace and joy.


Philippians 4:4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Everybody likes to hang out with happy people, everybody likes a party, and hey the pursuit of happiness is a protected right in this country. But the pursuit of happiness can be so elusive, so difficult to obtain for any significant amount of time, we are happy now but wait five minutes and check back with me.

Happiness is just a diversion for what we are really searching for. Although most of us spend our lives not realizing it, what we really are trying to find is joy.

Christians are told to always be full of joy and yet there are so many of us that are difficult and cranky. It seems that the cares of the "worldly" people have become our cares as well, we become overly concerned with selfish desires, pursuit of fame, fortune, prosperity and power.

Anxiety indicates a lack of faith, Paul said the remedy for anxiety is prayer, we have to exercise our faith that God can handle our problems. Paul goes on to say that as we pray for everything we will receive peace that is beyond understanding.

When faith in God becomes real, peace and joy will abound in our lives which will be attractive to the unbelieving world around us. Without the peace and joy from God we will spend our entire lives chasing after happiness.

Lord help us to lay aside the pursuit of worldly desires that don't last.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Help Wanted: Giant Slayer

Your choice, hunker down or face the giant.



1 Samuel 17:32 "Don't worry about this Philistine," David told Saul. "I'll go fight him!"

33 "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth."

34 But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.

36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!"

Fortitude- Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

Help wanted: Giant Slayer. Great benefits package, no taxes for life and a daughter of the king for a wife. Apply within.

All of Israel's army is hunkering down in panic and fear, everybody is waiting for a giant slayer to come along and help them out, and even the king is too scared.

No matter how much know how that any of us have, sooner or later we will run into something in this life that will go beyond our natural ability or training. This shortfall can make us scared and ineffective, we can lose sight of our mission and we can allow this adversity to paralyze us. But there is another option.

God allows such overwhelming circumstances to develop faith and trust. How do you think that David felt when he fought his first lion? Do you think that David was born with the courage to fight a giant? No, David had already seen adversity out in the pasture with the sheep, God had already brought overwhelming circumstances into David's life that grew his faith and trust in God so that when he came upon this Giant he was able to go beyond trust in his own abilities and trust in God's love and sovereignty to handle the situation.

We must let go of self-reliance and embrace an unwavering faith in what God can do through us, God doesn't expect us to muster the self-will, courage, and strength to supersede the feeling of fear and doubt.

Sometimes I wish that God would have given me a boisterous personality, one that would stand up with greater confidence and proclaim his love and sovereignty, but this lesson has shown me that I don't need to change my personality, I need to increase my faith.

God wants leaders that will have faith in him instead of trusting in their own abilities.

Thank you Lord for providing a way to overcome the giants in life. Help me to rely on you instead of self.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Impact The Darkness

I need to make a difference in the world around me.


Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

John 12:46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

Yesterday we saw that being a leader requires good character, one that is above reproach, a leader's character should set the moral standard so high that those that follow will have no reason to doubt the integrity of their leader.

A leader is somebody that has influence on others, by now it should be obvious that every Christian is supposed to be a leader, we are commanded to have an influence in other people's lives that will point them to Jesus.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus used two illustrations to tell his followers about the impact that they should have on this world.

Salt has two beneficial characteristics, it preserves and it gives flavor. When salt comes into contact with food it gives it more taste or it can also be used to keep the food from rotting.

As a Christian am I whetting someone's appetite and causing them to want to know more about Jesus? Am I behaving in a way that will leave people hungry and thirsty for more of Jesus? Is somebody developing an appetite to experience God's love first hand?

Are my actions encouraging moral decay or is my living up to God's standards helping to preserve and slow down the moral decay that is all around us?

Don't forget that salt is not neutral it exerts influence for good just by its nature but we have to actually apply the salt and cause it to come into contact with the food. As Christ followers we tend to isolate ourselves and minimize our contact with those that need the salt. We have to mingle with those that need the salt just like Jesus did.

Not only are you supposed to be salty you are also supposed to be a shining city on a hill. The Christian should be shining the light of the gospel to everyone around, peirceing the darkness so that the world will be able to see and they will be drawn to the Jesus.

In either analogy the point is clear that God wants us to be a positive moral influence for all to see.

Too many Christians either avoid contact with non-Christians altogether, or they conceal their faith in a manner that provides no salt or light. I need to be a lot more salty and I need to become a light house that can save people from the dangers in the dark.

Help me to be salty and full of light so that I can have an influence on somebodies life today.

Monday, September 07, 2009

A Leaders Lifestyle

A Christian leader needs to have a higher standard.


1 Timothy 3:1 This is a trustworthy saying: "If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position."

2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

6 An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap.

Paul says that it is a good thing to desire to lead but he quickly lets us know what kind of leader that he is talking about. There isn't any shortage on leaders, the problem is we are all leaders of somebody but we are not all honorable leaders, the kind that Paul says that the Christ follower should be.

The kind of leadership that we need in our churches today is a person that is willing to live above reproach, somebody that doesn't skirt around the edges of moral boundaries or the legal limits but instead God desires to have leaders that live so far above the bar that there isn't any room to consider that the leader is doing anything wrong.

We must avoid any behavior that might even raise a question or suspicion of wrongdoing, simply abstaining from a behavior may not suffice to appear "above reproach" Many things may seem innocent and harmless but the casual observer may look at you and have a good reason to question your behavior. The man of God should live so far above the standard that there is no way that anybody could reasonably suggest that he is guilty of being less than honorable.

What does living above reproach look like?
  • He must be faithful to his wife.
  • He must exercise self-control,
  • He must live wisely,
  • He must be hospitable
  • He must be able to teach.
  • He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent.
  • He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.
  • He must manage his own family well
A leader bears the responsibility for setting the moral bar for those he or she leads, followers will seldom surpass the example of their leader, the leader is responsible to live this way in private as well as out in public. Many leaders have been caught not living up to the moral code that they say they prescribe to in public.

A self-controlled leader builds credibility with followers when he or she imposes personal limits of behavior on himself or herself that are consistent with God's standards.

God is looking for leaders that will live so far above reproach that if someone makes an accusation against them it will never be considered a possibility.

1 Peter 2:12, 15 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 15 It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

God is looking for leaders that are pleasing him with their daily lives.
Reproach - to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure. To be a cause of blame or discredit to.

I thank you Lord for my pastors leadership that is above reproach, help me to follow his example and help me to lead with credibility that comes from living above reproach. Help my church staff to live above reproach every day.

Friday, September 04, 2009

A Line In The Sand

Are you ready to step over the line and get serious for Jesus?


Mark 8:34-38  Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Jesus taught many times on the concept of denying self and living to serve others. I think that sometimes we forget that the things that he taught were not instructions for the exclusive benefit of the twelve disciples but they are instructions for all of us. Here in this passage Jesus spoke to the disciples and to the crowd that had gathered around and he gave them some important instructions on how to be his follower.

Rule number 1: Turn from your selfish ways.
Yikes! What Jesus is demanding of those who follow him, those who choose to be publicly identified as his follower, is a total 180 degrees turning away from the pursuit of all personal agendas, never to return to them. Exactly opposite of our natural human desires, forget about them, the follower of Christ must be seeking to please the desires of the Father.

Rule number 2: Take up your cross.
Right here where I am today I have a mission field, most likely God already has me in the mission field that I am supposed to be working in, this isn't a call to go far from home to start doing his work.
What God may be waiting for is for me to stop pursuing my own interests and make the interests of others a top priority. As his follower I am called to do what he did, I must wash feet, rub elbows with the downtrodden, accept rejection, endure ridicule, expect to be persecuted, and carry a cross.

What extreme requirements, the fact that they are completely opposite of our sinful nature makes them seem harsh, but what is the alternative? If I spend all my time dwelling on my happiness and grabbing all the stuff that will supposedly bring fulfillment then Jesus said in the end I will lose all the my stuff and I will lose my life.

What benefit is it to me if I work to obtain my share of everything that the world has to offer but in the end its only stuff that belongs to this world and in this world its gonna stay.

What benefit is it to me if I am constantly looking out for number 1 and in my selfish endeavours I never see the one need that must be met for the protection of my soul? Humans spend so much time trying to fill "needs" that we think are so valuable and we don't see the most valuable need that we have.

Taking up my cross can lead to doing unpleasant things, being rejested or laughed at or even persecuted but still I am told to pick up my cross without embarrassment or shame so that my Savior will not be ashamed of me.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Give me a greater urgency to do the good works that you have called me to do, give me boldness to live for you despite the opposition that will come my way.

Jesus has drawn a line in the sand, if I want to be his follower then I have to choose to live to please the Father and to do the good works that he has called me to do.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Wanna Lead? Go Serve.

A servants heart is the first thing a leader needs.


Mark 9:33-35  After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, "What were you discussing out on the road?" 34 But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, "Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."

Mark 10:42-45 So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

I have been studying about leadership from God's perspective. I have seen that God wants a leader that has a pure heart, one that will be obedient to God's leadership and I have seen that the number one mission of God's leaders is to reach others with the gospel and then to disciple them to maturity.

"Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."

Jesus Christ approached leadership as a servant, the disciples hadn't figured that out yet, boy were they hoping for something that they wouldn't see in their lifetime. The disciples were anxious for Jesus to be the new leader of the nation, a leader that would over through the rule of the Roman government, instead they found that Jesus is using some new math, he told them that if they want to be number one then they will have to be number last.

"But among you it will be different."

Jesus points out that the worldly leadership style is one that pushes its power around and forces people to be its followers, not so with Jesus, he wants his followers to follow willingly by their own free will. Jesus told his disciples that his example of servant leadership would be the only style of leadership that he would accept.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

It is so tempting to look out for self and to think that I can use my rights as a leader to get some personal gain but if the Lord of the universe came down to my level and served me then it is hopeless to think that I can look out for myself and still be pleasing to him.

A leader either sees him or herself as a superior, controlling others who must serve his or her self-centered agenda or as a servant. An authoritative leader uses people for personal gain with no regard for the well-being of the follower.

Jesus rejected the world's mission of selfishness, pursuit of fame, fortune, and power and he also goes opposite of their style of leadership. Jesus' approach to leadership is intended for the pursuit of his mission on earth, to make more disciples.

I must be a leader with a servants heart, if I lead in this fashion then I will be able to help make more disciples.

Give me wisdom Lord to live opposite of the natural order of the world. Help me to serve my family and my church and give me the boldness to lead people that I meet to you.