Learning to be Ready

Scripture:
"Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." Titus 4:2

Observation:
The world always has been and always will be opposed to the Word of God. People hate being told that their lifestyle is not right. The resistance to absolute truth and a central standard of right and wrong is as strong today as it was in Paul's time. The world today is viciously against the Church taking stands against controversial issues. As a result, many churches have compromised the teaching of the Word in order to adapt it to the cultural context in which it resides. People of the world are searching for a doctrine to fit their lifestyle and many churches and Christians have met them with open arms.

Paul's challenge to Timothy is as applicable to my life as it was to Timothy's. I have to learn to be ready to speak the truth. That is not always easy. The temptation is to surround myself with likeminded people and therefore never be confronted with either the truth or an opportunity to present the truth to its opposition. So what must I do to be ready? As I read the scripture above, a few things come to mind.

Application:
First, I must know the Word. Can't preach it if I don't know it. And this is not just a head knowledge. I must know the Word and it must be lived out in my life. The choices I make with my life should be my greatest message. I must spend time in God's word everyday applying it to the everyday choices I make.

Second, I must maintain my lifestyle. Paul says to be ready in season and out of season. That means that I know the Word, but it also means that my lifestyle has to be ready. In verse 5, Paul lays out a few commands that I think help me to stay ready. He says to be sober in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, and to fulfill my ministry.

Third, I need to commit myself to being patient in my teaching. This is the most critical aspect of the process. I need to be patient with myself and I need to be patient with others. Changing behavior does not happen instantly. No matter how clearly truth is articulated, lasting change comes with time.

Finally, I have to speak. Being ready does no good if I chose to not act on it when the opportunity arises. This does not mean that I run through life preaching to everyone, but it does mean that I become intentional and make the most of every opportunity God places in my path.

Prayer:
I have missed many opportunities to speak Your word. Fear has overtaken me. Lack of knowledge has hindered me. My lifestyle has disqualified me. I have seen all these things prevent Your Truth from being delivered through me. I am tired of living that way. I want to be ready. There is a certain peace that overtakes me when I am prepared for what is to come. Move in my heart this morning and guide me in Your wisdom. Teach me Your Word. Hide it in my heart and store it in my mind. Bring it to my memory when it is needed and apply it to my choices so that my lifestyle reflects. Give me the patience I need to have... both with myself and others.

Learning to Change

Scripture:
"Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth." 2 Timothy 3:7

Observation:
Learning is a tricky process. It comes in two main forms:
1. Knowledge acquired by systematic study in any field of scholarly application.
2. The modification of behavior through practice, training, or experience.

One of the key factors to learning is starting with an open mind and a pure heart. I have watched people my whole life spend countless hours in pursuit of knowledge only to observe two key mistakes. These mistakes are especially true in the church. First, they enter the process with a preconceived idea and search for supporting arguments for their position. I have heard it said that you can take scripture and justify just about any side of almost any argument. If scripture is "learned" in this manner it will indeed produce knowledge, just not truth. The second mistake that I see people commonly make is that they take their knowledge a mile wide, but never go more than an inch deep. Depth comes as we take knowledge and allow the actions of our life to be transformed by it. It does not really matter how much truth lies in a persons head. It is how much truth can be measured in the actions of their lives that truly counts.

Application:
I need to empty myself before I study the Bible. I was once told that 80% of everything a Christian knows about God is something that was told to them by another person. This is a scary thought. Acquiring most of my knowledge from other people is problematic. We are all cracked pots. No person on earth has all the truth. The only source of pure truth is God. As I open the Word, I need to set aside all that I think I know and allow Him to guide me. I think that is the source of most of my confusion, frustration, and disappointment in my relationship with God. I end up standing on beliefs that are both logical and appealing, but they are also wrong. Nothing can twist scripture more out of context than my errant desires.

I also need to slow down. I like to check things off the list. I hear something once and want to apply it and move on. The trouble is that behavioral change can't keep pace with the minds ability to learn. I can learn something overnight, but it takes weeks of focus to see it applied to my life. Slowing down and allowing my behavior to come into alignment with what I know to be true is essential. I have a bad tendency to rush this process.

Prayer:
I do not want to be the Christian described in 2 Timothy 3. My greatest fear in life is to be a hypocrite. I sit down everyday with Your Word and my laptop in hopes of acquiring knowledge that will make me a better me. The problem is I really can’t change. I sat this weekend and I realize that I struggle with some of the same things today that I struggled with as a teenager. After 16 years of wrestling with certain issues, I am beginning to realize that something is obviously broken in my learning process. I pray that You teach me to empty my mind and heart of anything that would bend the truth of Your Word so that it fits my life. Help me to approach my quiet time with You with no thought other than finding Your absolute truth. I also need to better understand how to allow that truth to transform my life and behavior. I hope that the image I see in the mirror changes with each day as my life is transformed by Your truth, love, mercy, kindness and grace. My heart is filled with gratitude over Your great patience with me. Life is an amazing journey. The ups and downs, twists and turns keep me on the edge of my seat. I wake up each day with an eager anticipation of wondering what will come next and walk through each day knowing that there is nothing I can do to affect Your love for me. Thank You for my life. Regardless of what I face, I rest easy knowing that You are with me each step of the way.

Learning to be Strong

Scripture:
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:1

Observation:
Living the life God has called me to is not an easy thing. There are so many things that serve as an open invitation to walk away from the call God has on my life. Pressures at work. Tension in my home. Desires for possessions. Lustful temptations. Tragedies.

Overall, I would say that I am fairly seasoned in my understanding of how to be strong in struggles of my flesh. I know how to let pressure overwhelm me. I know how to snap at my wife and kids as tensions build in my house. I know how to go in debt to by things I want. I definitely am well schooled at how to chase after things my eyes lust for. I have not trouble doubting God after a tragedy. It seems like those things came to me as I grew up just as walking did.

So what am I to do? How do I learn to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus? In 2 Timothy 2, I see a few choices I can make that help me start in the right direction.

Application:
I have to establish a missional focus for my life. In verse 4 Paul talks about how a solider does not get bogged down in the daily details of life. He stays focused on the mission handed to him by the one who enlisted him. This is a great struggle for me. Keeping a pulse on my personal budget, the enrichment of my marriage, the development of my kids, the advancement of my career, the maintenance of my possessions, and other things such as these can all come together and totally suck the life out of me. It is not that these are bad things. In fact, a healthy and happy life that is pleasing to God can not ignore these items. But, if they become my primary pursuit then I have placed them above God's call on my life. My life was bought by God for a price and sealed into His mission by covenant. I do not belong to me anymore. There is a higher calling. Keeping that calling front and center in my spirit, soul and mind is a critical element in staying strong in faith. God's power for me to live life as he would have me live it is always found on the battlefields to which he leads me. He promises to take care of the details of my life when I take care of the details of His plans for me.

I need to increase my knowledge. In verse 5-7 Paul points out 2 things that are essential to growing in knowledge. First he points out in verse 5 there are no rewards for shortcuts. There is just something innate inside a man to look for and exploit a shortcut to victory. When I think about athletes today and the steroid scandals that fact is really driven home. Even with steroids, professional athletes must possess great talent and be willing to invest long hours of working out with weights to be great. But steroids definitely do provide an edge; that little something extra. I fall prey to that in my life. I am always looking forward. The vision of where I am going can become compelling enough to create a desire in me to skip ahead. Second, he points out in verse 6 that I must live like a farmer. Farming is hard work and it is a never ending process. A successful farmer commits himself not to the selling of a commodity, but to the continuous process of preparing the soil, planting seeds, caring for the plants, reaping the harvest, and resting his land. So should I commit myself to growth in God. Every day of life should find me committed to preparing my heart, planting good seeds from God's word, caring for the opportunities He provides, reaping the benefits of obedience and resting in the goodness of His sovereign reign over my life. All of this will bring to me hope as I see fruit being reproduced in my life.

Finally, I need to just zip my lips. People will argue about anything. The world is full of people who have an opinion on everything. I sit back and listen to discussions. Often I feel this pressure to join in to offer my opinion. There is something about remaining silent that just feels wrong. It is not that I always want to appear smart in their eyes. Most of the time I genuinely feel that I am missing an opportunity to bring something to the argument that will impact a person or a group of people. But Paul points out in verses 14 & 23 that there is very little good that comes from most of these discussions. On any given Sunday I could spend all day discussing the finer points of grace versus law, predestination versus free will, drinking in moderation versus abstinence from alcohol, the last days are coming versus the last days are here and the list just keeps on going. People seem to sit perched, looking for an opportunity to start a discussion and are very willing to split from the church or split the church over some belief that at the end of the day really has no impact. I just need to stay quiet and focused. I would much rather sit down with someone who is hurting and love them back to the peace of God anyway.

Prayer:
This does not come as a shock to You but I have really been in a funk the past three days. I took a couple of shots from people this week that I let get the best of me. It is amazing just how frail my ego is. Please continue to help me continue to develop and grow stronger in my ability to stand firm under the relentless weight of life that continually presses down on me. Allow the words that You have spoken to me this morning to grow in my spirit. Bring Your mission for my life to the forefront of my mind. Let it become my all consuming desire. Prepare my soul, spirit, and mind to embrace the never ending process of growing in my faith and help me to learn when to speak and when to just be quiet.

Rekindled Faith

Scripture:
"For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 1 Timothy 1:6-7

Observation:Timothy was living in a really tough time. Nero had burned Rome and blamed the Christians for it. Romans already were not so fond of Christians. Christian beliefs condemned the immoral lifestyle that the Romans are so well known to have possessed, so they were already looking for an excuse to go after them. Nero's deception provided that excuse. It was not uncommon for a crowd of Roman citizens to patrol the streets looking for a Christian. Many followers of Christ were persecuted, beaten and martyred at the hands of the Romans and Jewish leaders. This list included the 10 remaining disciples of Jesus. All, except for John, died at the hands of persecutors. Paul was sitting in prison while writing this letter to Timothy and he himself would soon join the list of martyrs. Needless to say, Timothy did not have to look very far to find reason to lose his heart for his mission.

Application:
Times have changed. I have never faced persecution the like of which the early church faced nor the likes of which some Christians face today in places such as China. Be that as it may, I still grow tired and it is easy to lose my zeal. This scripture reminds me of just how important it is to pay attention to what is taking place in my life. Paul gives three warning signs that my faith has lost its flame; I become timid, I lose my love, and I lose power and discipline. I need to learn to pay attention to these things. When I see them in my life, they serve as a warning that I need to tend to the flame of my faith. So how do I go about doing this?

One thing I loved to do on winter mornings was restart the fire. I would open the doors on the fireplace and dig through the ashes until I found some hot embers. They were buried, but still glowed red. I would blow on them and get them crackling again. Once this was done, I had a good place to start in rebuilding my fire. The same is true of rekindling my faith. The best place to start is by finding the remnant of what once burned hot in my soul. Maybe this means I read back through some old journals or I go visit with an old friend who inspires me or I read a book that really touches my heart. The method does not really matter. The important thing is that I need to return to a place where I once felt alive for Christ and dwell on that and reconnect to the reality of that moment.

Back to the fire. Once I had a bed of hot embers I would get some kindling. The embers could not provide enough heat to warm a room nor did they have enough energy to ignite a log, but they could spark a flame on kindling. I would throw the kindling down and once again blow on the embers. This time, a flame was sparked and the kindling would begin to burn. The same process applies to rekindling my faith. I can't live on the past. There is not enough energy there to carry a flame by itself. But memories can provide enough fuel to reignite the kindling of worship, prayer and Bible study. The moment I feel reconnected to God, I should thank Him for it, open the Word and seek Him in prayer. Before long a flame starts burning.

Last look at the fire. Kindling burns hot, but it can't be relied on for warming a house. It burns too quickly. You need wood with some substance to it. Once I would get the kindling burning good, I would begin layering wood on top of it. If I dumped too much too fast, the flame would die. But if I layered it on, I could get the fire burning hot. Really hot. My goal was to turn the black metal doors of the fireplace white from the heat. I normally achieved this goal. What is true of building fires is true of igniting my faith. My personal quiet time is very important just as kindling is important to building a fire. But God does not gift me with His presence and power just to warm my heart in the quietness of my home. He gifts me to serve out in the world. Good works are the logs that sustain the fire of my faith. I can try to do too much too fast and quickly burn out. I have done that many times. The trick is to start small and gradually add to what God is doing. The size of the task does not matter. The important thing is to find something that is in alignment with God's word and in service of another person and to then to go do that thing.

Prayer:
Burn out is the worst. It is so easy to get there. I often get frustrated at the constant work required in keeping my faith fresh and staying energized. I pray that you allow me to learn to enjoy that process just as I enjoy the process of keeping a fire lit at home. Guide me as I go. Help me to find fresh encounters with You. Open Your word to my heart. Open my eyes to the work going on around me. I do not want to miss out on truly living the life You have given me. If Timothy can find the strength to relight his faith in his circumstance, I know I can find zeal to live in the comfort of the life You have given to me.

A Life Worth Living

Scripture:
"So that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." 1 Timothy 6:1

Observation:
The burden of religion is that it spends all of its energy trying to tie people down with rituals, rules, and regulations. It approaches life totally from a stand point of what not to do. I struggle with that for a couple of reasons. First, I am a rebel. I do not like being told not to do something. The instant I am told no, the struggle within me starts. It is one of those things about me that I do not know whether it is right or wrong, I just know that it is and I have to manage it. The second reason that I struggle with this is that it puts me in a defensive or reactive position. It indicates to me that I am just trying not to mess up. I can't live life that way. God has not wired me for it. I have to be moving. I have to be taking ground by focusing on what I can do and doing it well.

There are definitely disciplines of faith that require me to submit to God's desire for me to live a holy life, but I have found that those things come into alignment in my life when I charge after the things God has ordained as worthy of pursuit. Not when I sit back and just try to be good or not mess things up.

Application:
From the text, I see a few things that Paul is saying go after. First, I am to pursue submission to those in authority over me. The first couple of verses say that I am to regard those over me as being worthy of all honor. This is definitely counter to today's culture. Many times it is tempting to look at those in authority only from the perspective of what they can do for me or to look at them and resent their authority. But in God's economy his rewards belong to those who not only submit, but faithfully serve those placed in authority above them. I need to approach work determined to be spilled out for the success of those given authority over me.

Second, I am to pursue contentment. Throughout verses 3-10, Paul issues warnings about desiring riches. He does not condemn being rich or finding success in life. Actually in verse 6 he says that godliness is a source of great gain. What he goes after is the pursuit of wealth or love of money. The pursuit of gain knows no bounds. It will consume anything in its path. I have seen this first hand over my lifetime, rarely does a person reach a limit where they say they have enough. I need to learn to be content with where I am and with what I have. That does not mean I am resolved to staying put or not ever advancing, but I feel that God's desire is for me to work hard, live an honorable life, be content with His provision, and trust Him to provide my gain.

Third, I am to pursue the Kingdom agenda. The Kingdom agenda is righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. The goal of the Kingdom agenda is to share what Paul refers to in verse 12 as the good confession which is the gospel of Christ. God sits ready to be reconciled with the world. He has given me an agenda that is worthy of pursuit and rich in reward. My life would be radically altered if I woke up each day and determined within my heart to pursue the items listed above. The world would become unrecognizable from its current state if I led others to do the same.

Finally, I am to pursue good works. My faith is given to me by grace. That means there is nothing I can do to earn nor is there anything I can do to lose it. That said, a true conversion is always accompanied by a great desire to do something good. It is tempting to hold onto what God has given me, but that is not His desired purpose for His gifts. God wants to take the blessings he has given me and use them to help others. God's heart is for the needy. The orphaned, the widowed, the oppressed, the forgotten, and the abused sit close to the heart of God and He expects me to pursue His heart. There is growing inside of me a great discontent with the abuse of children and women world wide caused by dead-beat dads and greedy men; especially in Guatemala and Honduras. Each day, thousands of kids are either killed or sold as slaves to the underground sex trade which plagues our world. This is something I should pursue with all that is within me.

Prayer:
I want to start with the end in mind. I pray that you move upon my life to do whatever is required to bring relief to the lives of those close to Your heart. I desire more than anything to live life in a manner that will produce fruit that can bring life to the forgotten people of this world. Place the images of these people on the forefront of my mind. Let me see them in all that I do. Outside of my desire to be close to You, may my desire to help others consume all that is left of me. I am selfish by nature and I confess that I am powerless to overcome that. Help me make the goal of everything I do become seeing Your compassion reach those who have never received compassion from anyone.

It's not Just a Phrase

Scripture:
"O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." 2 Kings 6:16

Observation:
I can’t even begin to calculate the number of times that I have heard this phrase used in church. So many prayers have included it. So many songs have sung it. So many sermons have preached it. It is used with such frequency and tossed about so flippantly that the power of it is robbed as it becomes yet another wave in the sea of phrases and empty clichés created by the Christian religion.

But this morning has renewed my sense of awe at the power of this type of prayer. In this chapter, Elisha is in a really tough spot. A situation unlike any I have ever known. He is surrounded by chariots. The king of Aram had literally sent an army to capture him. Elisha's servant had come unglued and was in the midst of a full fledged panic attack. But not Elisha. He saw things differently. His eyes were fixed in another dimension.

I often hear people talk of blind faith. There are even scriptures that point to the truth that we will sometimes have to apply faith to something that we can't see. As I have studied Elisha's life over the past few days even he had to walk into some situations blindly. But blind faith is not the only type of faith. There comes a point when we must return to the sea of empty phrases and take back the one associated with the opening of our eyes. It is not just a phrase. It is a way of life.

Application:
I get tired of walking through life as a blind man with regards to the things of God. I am definitely not blind to worldly desires. No, they are prominently displayed before me everywhere I go. But the things of God can feel at times like they are hidden. It is easy to accept this as the way it has to be, but that does not necessarily mean that it is the right way. So what is God trying to teach me this morning? There are a few things that I think I can learn from Elisha.

First, Elisha walked through life with a man greater than he was. A man named Elijah. Elijah followed God's command and mentored Elisha. There are things in life that I will face for the first time, but there is nothing in life I will face that someone else has not already experienced. I need to be in relationship with seasoned men of God and I need to observe how they handle life. I can then draw strength and confidence from these men. Mentoring is an essential first step in removing the blinders from my eyes and seeing first hand how God works.

Second, Elisha dealt with his doubts. Elisha did not just live off the faith of Elijah, he put it into effect in his own life. In 2 Kings 2:14 Elisha asks where is the God of Elijah and then copies what he had seen Elijah do when the Jordan split and they crossed over. God responds and splits the Jordan river for him, just as he did for Elijah. In essence, Elisha moved from living on the faith of his mentor to living off of his own faith in God.

Third, Elisha walked with God in everyday life. As I read through the first few chapters of 2 Kings I see Elisha just walking around, doing everyday life with God. He paid attention to what God was doing around him and joined Him as the opportunity arose. God did many miracles and as a result he built a history with God. A history he could look back on for strength and courage. Then when the stakes were raised and the situation worsened, Elisha did not have to start with nothing in building up the faith needed.

Finally, Elisha learned to proactively seek God's voice. There are many times in 2 Kings where Elisha knew what was coming well in advance of it actually taking place. He did not wait before he sought after God. He listened to Him daily. The LORD revealed things to him in the spirit.

Prayer:
My eyes need to be opened to the things that happen in the spiritual world around me. I pray this morning that You lead me to a man of Yours who is older than me and able to serve as a model of what You want to do in my life. You have been gracious to me in my past by allowing older men to invest in me, I pray that continues in my future.

I also pray that You help me deal with my doubts and fears. My abuse of prayer and faith has really taken a toll on me. I put my faith in many things that were not of You. I thought they were, but they were actually just things that I wanted. Nevertheless, I am left with the wounds of failed faith and this has opened me up to many doubts. I ask that You guide me in dealing with these doubts so that I may stand firm in the things that You call me to face.

Help me to learn what it means to walk with You. As I go through my day, I pray that you enter my everyday life and begin to build a strong history of You working through me. Open my eyes and ears to see and hear Your work around me. I want more than anything to join You in those things and see Your great hand move.

Finally, I ask that you literally open my eyes and ears. I want to hear You and see You. Not to get out of trouble or advance my own agenda, but because I am tired of living life for me. I want to live for You. I want the assurance that comes from a life of walking with You. Speak to me today in a voice that is unmistakable and begin to shape my world around what it is You desire to accomplish through me.

Loss of Words

Scripture:
"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good in the sight of God our Savior." 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Observation:
My dad always prays for the President. You can almost count on hearing it anytime he prays in public, "LORD be with our president." I have never really thought about it much, but this morning I realize there is something to his prayer. It is actually Biblical. Praying for the President is something that is often not included in my prayers. I wonder what else my prayers are missing?

Application:
There was a season in my life when I literally prayed for everything. There was not a thing in my life that I did not pray about. It came easy and naturally for me. It has almost always been that way. Even in the midst of my rebellions, I maintained an ability to pray to God. But something has gone terribly wrong.

I am not sure when it happened, but I feel like I have lost my ability to pray. What once felt like a perfect fitting suit now feels like the coat is too tight and the pants are too short. I try to do it and the words just are not there. I can write prayers, and that is ok. God sees them and hears them all the same. But the ability to speak them is gone. Especially in public. I feel like when I pray in front of someone they too realize that the suit does not fit.

As I think about it, it is not just my prayers that have taken a hit. Speaking anything has become a struggle for me. My confidence in my ability to communicate to another person has been stolen from me. I am not sure why that is, what needs to be done about it, or how serious a problem it is.

Prayer:
I need Your help. I do not know what I have done to create this situation or how to get out of it, but I beg for You to move. Loosen my tongue so that I may openly communicate to others about the truth of Your word. If this loss of words is a trap from my enemy please strike him down on my behalf. If the loss of words is of Your hand, please open my eyes to the lesson that you have for me. I desire deep in my heart to lead people, but I can’t do it if I cannot speak. I desire to have a vibrant prayer life, but I can't do it if I am constantly doubting what I say. I ask for your strength and guidance as I tackle this obstacle.

Shipwrecked Faith

Scripture:
"Which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith." 1 Timothy 1:19

Observation:
In some of the previous verses Paul issues a warning against listening to what people say. He says that there are some out there who are spending their time and energy on fruitless discussions that do nothing to further God's plans. These arguments come in many different types. All things must be weighed and balanced with the scripture.

I remember at one point of my life I really bought into the "name it and claim it" teaching that is so very popular in today's church. It was very early in my career and I was full of hope, ambition and dreams. Brandy and I had to beg and borrow just to scrape together enough money to stay in moderate debt. Needless to say the prosperity gospel struck a chord deep inside of me and I swallowed the bait; hook, line and sinker. We were very early in a new business venture and things were tight. The bills had piled up and I was in charge of managing cash flow. After much prayer and thought, I decided to act on a message that I had heard from a televangelist in a $3,000 suit.

I went into the office early one day and had my assistant print checks for all the bills that were sitting in our accounts payable. I went to my office, closed the door, stood on top of my desk and began praying in the money to cover the bills. Originally, I planned on keeping the pile of checks until we had received the money to cover them. As I prayed scripture and reflected on the message I had heard, I became convicted that I was not acting on faith. So I sent the checks out. It was a big step of faith.

Once the mail had left the office, I stood on top of my desk, took the name of Jesus and claimed that everything was covered. I bound everything I could think of that would prevent money coming in. I claimed every promise from the Bible I could think of. At the end of the day, I went home pumped up. I had done it. I had taken a huge leap of faith. I had absolute confidence that everything was going to be great. It was a shining moment.

Five days later, I received a call. It was the bank. It was not good. My act of faith had gotten us overdrawn to the tune of $250,000. Oops. Fear and panic ran over me, but I was not ready to give in. Immediately I denounced Satan, stood back on my desk, and claimed that I was standing on the word of God. For good measure, I literally stood on top of my Bible this time. I ran to the post office to collect the "harvest" I had just prayed in. Half an hour later I returned to my desk. This time I crawled under it, assumed the fetal position, wet my pants, and prayed for the rapture. There has never been a worse moment in my career than when I had to explain to my leadership team what I had done. My faith and my company both lay shipwrecked in troubled waters. It was now another type of moment.

A great deal of time has passed since that ordeal and I now know that if you spend very much time listening to televangelists in shiny suits you will end up broke and confused. But more than that I have learned that the flesh is tricky. It is deceptive. It strikes a cord inside of me that can actually feel very holy. I am still susceptible to it even today. Scripture is not intended to profit me. It is intended to advance God's kingdom. Anything contrary to that is false faith and it will return void. I learned that the hard way. That said, I am still left wondering just exactly what am I supposed to do with my faith? How do I develop a faith that is firm? I think Paul offers some sound advice regarding this in 1 Timothy 1.

Application:
The first thing I should seek is love from a pure heart. The basis of everything that Jesus did while He was on earth was grounded in love. Love for the father. Love for the lost. Love for the hurting. The two greatest commandments in the scripture both pointed to love for God and love for my neighbors. As I look back over my life, most of my failures in faith were based more on something I wanted than were they pointed towards love for others. This is the starting point, the love of Christ expressed from a pure heart. Until I get this down, I will never be able to stand firm.

The second thing that I should seek is a good conscience. Where love establishes my motives, my choices determine the state of my conscience. I feel like the Holy Spirit speaks through my conscience. He leads me and guides me as I make decisions. There are many times that I do not take a stand. There are many times that I do not follow His direction. When I do that, my conscience bothers me. As the love of Christ develops in my heart, I must make choices that line up with how that love seeks to be expressed. I can always stand firm when I am in alignment with the direction of the Holy Spirit. Many times, I am trying to use my faith to get me out of a jam, not to lead me into a work.

The third thing I should seek is a sincere faith. This is where I feel like my greatest struggle is. My faith is not always sincere. Honestly, I am struggling just to grasp what it means to have sincere faith. I think many times my faith is hijacked by my emotions. My feelings around what I want act as a powerful force as they draw my focus away from God's will. God's desire for my life is for it to serve as evidence, not of His ability to prosper me, but of His ability to create something inside of me that is beautiful and compellingly different from anything that is in the world. In short, His goal for my faith is for me to be an adequate expression of His love for man.

Prayer:
I laugh at myself as I think back over all the times I have wrecked my faith by seeking things that I desire simply as a display of power or for my on comfort and convenience. You are not a genie in a bottle sent to serve my life's purpose, yet that is what I often try to use You for. I am here to serve You and Your purpose. I have missed that mark for most of my life. I pray today for love from a pure heart, choices that lead to a pure conscience and a sincere expression of faith. I want my life to be something of value and worth to the world around me. My heart aches for the world to know You. Help me learn to focus my time and energy on strengthening... not on seeking things that make sense to me... but on things that will introduce You into the lives of others.

Devotion to Prayer

Scripture:
"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." Colossians 2:2

Observation:
I have gone through a few studies on prayer, read many things written on prayer and I here is what I have discovered; prayer can be messy. It is confusing. It is awkward. It is illogical. It is abused and often it is found to be full of hypocrisy.

I have tried many different things. Eyes open. Eyes shut. Standing. Sitting. Kneeling. Walking. And those are just the physical experiments. In addition to those, I have tried countless different approaches to what I say and how I say it.

As I sit here this morning staring at this verse I am searching my heart for what God has for me in it. In this verse I see three keys to an effective prayer life; devotion, alertness, and thanksgiving.

Application:
Devotion requires me to make a conscious choice to pray regardless of how I feel. That means that I should have a serious intention towards prayer at all times. I am not so sure that I can say that of myself. I am more of a reactive prayer. When trouble strikes, I pray. When I know that I need to do it, I pray. When I feel like something is missing, I pray. When I am in a group and they ask me to, I pray. In 90% of the situations I find myself praying, I am praying in reaction to something. I do not approach each day with a serious intention of praying through the entire day and if I do not feel like it or if there is not a compelling reason to do it; I can go an entire day without praying once.

Devotion also requires me to not become weary in prayer. Sometimes I feel the same towards prayer as I feel about a long drive. I just want to get to where I want to go without enduring the long path that is required to get me there. Prayer is a labor at times. True devotion to something means that I do not become impatient or dissatisfied in the work required. I need to stop acting like a spoiled child sitting in the back seat relentlessly asking if we are there yet. I need to learn to enjoy the ride.

Devotion requires me to be unwavering and absolute in my resolve to pursue prayer. I feel like this is missing from my prayer life. I am not firm in my choice to pray. My resolve to stick with it is determined by what is taking place in my life and how long it takes before God responds. If I have to pray through a situation for more than a few days I lose my resolve and become frustrated. I am also full of uncertainty with regards to the effectiveness of my prayer. Most of the time I am more mindful of what I say than am I focused on the power of it.

Prayer:
Prayer is the primary method of communication between You and I. There are so many things that hinder my prayer life. I can honestly say that I am powerless to improve it. I have tried many things on my own to get better at it, but they have all failed me miserably. As I have meditated on this verse I have come to realize that there are only three things that I can control; my devotion to it, my alertness in it, and my gratitude for it. Today I chose to move towards these things. I ask that You reveal Yourself to me in my prayer life. It is the primary way that you have chosen for me to connect with You and to connect You to others. I pray that You forgive my doubts, laziness, and frustration that I have towards prayer. Help me replace those things with devotion, intention, and thanksgiving.

A Call to Go Deep

Scripture:
"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." Colossians 2: 6-7

Observation:
There is a great deal of conflict created by people trying to universally apply personal convictions to the entire body of Christ. In this chapter, the church at Colosse was really screwed up. The Jews and mystics of the time had added many things to their faith. They were still observing many aspects of the Mosaic Law with regards to Holy days, rituals, and dietary restrictions and they were also accepting philosophical arguments from a religious sect that claimed to have a higher word than what was given by Jesus.

The do's and don'ts of religion get confusing at times. There just seems to be so much left to interpretation and there also seems to be too many people willing to offer their interpretation. Much time has passed since Paul penned this letter to the early church at Colosse, but the same junk is going on today. I grew up in churches that often added to my salvation conditions for acceptance by God. I think the same is true for most people. No one ever intentionally led me astray with false teaching, but I was taught that my acceptance with God was based on my good behavior and how well I avoided bad behavior.

Application:
I still struggle with this today. My childhood training kicks in and I feel really close to God when I do something good and consequently I feel rejected by God when I do something bad. This creates inside of me a roller coaster of emotions consisting of extreme highs and lows based on what my scorecard looks like. It is hard to be firmly rooted in God when my feelings are so all over the place. I need to learn to ground myself in the truth of God's word. In this verse, Paul issues a call to go deep in my relationship with God.

Prayer:
Often times I struggle to stand firm simply because I do not know what I believe. I am easily swayed because I really do not own the truths that guide my life. I take things that people teach me and those things become my moral compass. I am tired of living that way. Protect me from the empty teachings and philosophies of tradition and legalism. You came to set me free not only from my sin, but from religion as well. You have canceled the debt of my sin and you have also done away with my obligation under the law. You made me alive together with Christ. Open my eyes and give me the knowledge I need to fully understand this. I pray that you take me deep in my understand of You, Your truth, and Your ways. Let me own these things as my own and be firmly rooted in them.

Good Reminders

Scripture:
"To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you." Philippians 3:1

Observations:
There is a natural reaction to repeated lessons which causes to me to initially get frustrated. I hate to tell my kids the same things over and over again. I feel like a failure when I have to repeatedly go over the same things with people at work. I feel like I am being talked down to when someone goes back over the same ground with me. While that is truly my natural reaction; it is not very intelligent. To change behavior requires repetition. In this passage, Paul gently reminds his readers that he is there to be their coach, and that he is there to go back over some of the same lessons with them. So as I sit here this morning reading this passage, I also am reminded of some things that I already know but need to re-visit.

Application:
First, I need to know what has been given to me. There is so much about God, Jesus, salvation, life, and life after death that I do not understand. It is easy to lose sight of what has been given to me. I can remember several times getting gifts as a kid that were complicated to figure out. Video games, a boomerang, and a remote controlled airplane all come to mind at the moment. Each of these gifts required time and the learning of a skill before I would be able to fully enjoy the gift. I did not have the patience for that so they all ended up thrown into the closet and I never fully enjoyed them. If I am not careful, the same thing can happen with my faith. The frustration of the unknown can steal the beauty of what has been given to me. In verse 8 Paul says that he has lost everything yet considers that loss the same as losing rubbish for the joy of knowing Christ. Do I know Christ that way? Is my relationship with God such that the joy of walking with Him would enable me to lose everything I have and love Him more at the same time? Do I spend time truly learning to enjoy what I have in Christ or have I thrown my faith in the closet out of frustration?

Second, there is no work associated with the receiving of my faith. This one requires a daily reminder for me. I still feel like a failure most of the time. I constantly war against feeling like there is so much I need to do better. That is not a bad thing in and of itself but it becomes problematic when I allow my failures to affect my relationship with God. Righteousness does not come to me by works. In verse 9 Paul reminds me that it comes only by faith in Jesus. A true salvation experience creates inside of a person a uncontainable compulsion to do good works, but the works themselves have nothing to do with my righteousness. They are the fruit, not the tree. Have I accepted this? Am I still trying to earn my righteousness with God?

Third, I will never be complete as long as I am in this body and reside on this side of heaven. I am a "check it off the list" kind of guy. I target a goal and go after it. Nothing short of accomplishment satisfies me. This has brought success to my life, but it also creates a lot of frustration in my walk with God. In verse 12 Paul reminds me of this by saying that he was still incomplete, yet he pressed on. His sights were not set on where he was. He was focused on where he was headed. My blessings in Christ must compel me to do the same thing. How well do I handle adversity and failure? Am I still pressing on or am I ready to quit in some areas? Do I get caught up in my weak spots or am I focused where God is taking me?

Fourth, I must leave the past in the past. In verse 13 Paul says that he forgets what lies behind him. I must forget my past failures and I also must not dwell on past successes. My past is very real to me. People often comment on how well I remember stories from my past. Some of those stories are good, but many of them are bad. Either way, I should never look to them for joy nor should I allow the memory of them to bring me sorrow or shame. Once a failure is confessed, it is done. There is nothing more to be said about the matter. Regardless of just how vile the mistakes of my past are, they are covered by God's grace. In the same fashion, once a good deed is done, it is done. My value is not determined by the good things that I did in the time that has already passed by; it is determined by the good things that I have the potential to do today. Do I live in the present or am I still a slave to my past?

Prayer:
I need to know you better. I lack the depth of understanding that I need to break free from the desires of this world. There are many things in my life that I would not consider rubbish if You took them from me in order to bring me closer to You. Those things are idols to me and I confess that sin to You today. I pray for revelation knowledge that will move me into a level of closeness to You that I have never known.

I also am still a slave to the law. I live by rights and wrongs and do's and don'ts. It makes me miserable, but I do not know how to stop trying to earn Your acceptance. Help me accept the fact that my righteousness is not tied to my works. You can't remind me of that enough. At the same time, I pray that You fan inside of me the flame of good works that was ignited the day I accepted Christ. I desire for that flame to explode inside of me and consume my every desire.

I need a better grasp of Your rewards. To be honest with you the tangible things available to me on earth are easier to recognize and the immediate gratification they bring interfere with me setting my sights on the things that You are storing up for me. I am spoiled in this regard. Actually, I am sinful in this area. I pray that you forgive me of making idols out of success, money, relationships and hobbies.

Failure really knocks me down. I am so hard on myself about the things that are in my past. I confess them, yet I still carry their guilt. I also have a tendency to want to quit after I have do something good. I pray that you set my sights on what lies ahead. Let me leave the past in the past. I only want to revisit it to draw from it lessons that will prepare me for what I face today or will tackle tomorrow.

Good Keys for Relationships

Scripture:
"Being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on the same purpose." Philippians 2:2

Observation:
Marriage can be tough. Actually "can" is not a good word. Marriage IS tough. It takes a lot of work. As a couple it demands two people working in unison to preserve the sanctity of the union created by God. There are so many things that we can read on marriage. So many tips to adopt. So many tricks to try. But they all really seem to be mostly useless. Marriage is not a simple thing. It is very complex. The requirements of a healthy marriage vary from couple to couple. That is what makes books so ineffective. Each person is unique. Once joined with another unique individual, each couple creates yet another totally unique creation. In the verse above Paul is speaking to members of the Philippian Church; not a married couple. But as I read it, I see a few keys that I think are universal to all relationships and are especially applicable to marriage.

Application:
The first key is that we must strive to be of the same mind. This does not mean that we agree on everything, but it does mean that we have to be on the same page on important things. Parenting values, views on God, roles we serve in the family, morals, financial decisions, and other universal items such as these must be in alignment. Brandy and I should strive to lead together in these things. Almost everything else must be let go that we can focus our energy on the things that really matter. When we waste energy on bickering over trivial things; we do not have enough energy to work through the really impactful things.

The second key is that we must strive to maintain the same love. We must both be committed not only to loving each other, but loving each other in the same way. There have been many fights in my marriage that were caused as a result of Brandy or I not loving each other in a manner that was consistent with each other. For instance if Brandy is expressing love to me by tolerating my messy habits, it is going to incite a slightly scary reaction if I respond by not tolerating hers. Giving love to each other is like rowing oars on a boat. If we are rowing in different directions, we will just go in circles. It takes an equal commitment from both of us to love each other in a manner that is able to be received by the other.

The third key is that we must strive to be united in spirit. There is nothing more critical to a happy marriage than to mimic the spirit of Christ. In verse three Paul says "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." What would my marriage be like if Brandy and I both placed this verse front and center of our lives? I have a feeling it would be really amazing. But it take both of us being united in that same spirit. If one does it and the other stays focused on their self, someone is going to feel cheated. We both must also be growing closer to God in spirit. As we grow closer to God, He will bring us closer together.

The fourth key is that we must be intent on the same purpose. We have to have the same end in mind. There is simply no other way. Everything we do has to be done with the intention of fulfilling the same purpose. This is true of everything from big purposes in life such as our purpose for living and even down to the smallest of things like why we are going to the store. So many fights are caused by simply not agreeing on the same end.

Prayer:
I want to be a better husband. Teach me to lead in a manner that honors Your name and reflects Your character. Of all the things I could seek in my marriage, I ask tonight that you lead me to understand how to create a marriage that is of one mind, one love, one spirit, and one purpose.

Embracing Life

Scripture:
"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…and I do not know which to choose." Philippians 1:21-22

Observation:
I have heard it said that any day above the dirt is a good day. This saying has many different versions, but they all mean that any day of life is good when compared to the fact that you could be dead.

Paul would disagree. When thinking about living or dying, Paul goes on in verse 23 to say that he is hard pressed on both sides. To Paul, any day above dirt represents both an opportunity and a loss. The opportunity is to influence the world for Christ. The loss is he has to wait another day before he sees Jesus face-to-face. As I sit with this passage this morning I see two things that must immediately change in my life.

Application:
First, I need to change my view of death. From the beginning of time people from all walks of life have feared death. In our world today, billions of dollars are spent each year trying to delay death or the results of aging. The same applies to me. When I think about death, there are two primary things that scare me; the anticipation of death itself and concern for my family. When I think about dying those are the first things that generally pop into my mind. Honestly, I do not know how to overcome either of those. I think for now I will have to pray through them and let God move in my heart.

Second, I need to change my goal for living. I am a seize the day kind of guy. I like to wake up early and charge into my day with both guns blazing. That is just the way I am. The problem is I often go running off into the wrong direction. I pursue goals that lead to nowhere. There is nothing about time spent at work, with family, or at my leisure that can really ever satisfy me. I can have a good day doing these things. Actually, I can have a great day doing these things and create some really good memories. But there is nothing about these things that can bring about a self-sustaining river of life to me. The only thing that can do this is living for Christ. This is incredible when I think about all the teachings that I have heard over my lifetime. Most of the knowledge poured into my head tried to teach me about right and wrong. Good and evil. Reward and punishment. In short, they created in my mind a model where I was supposed to spend my days trying not to screw up and if I did screw up, I had better confess it fast before I got torched. In my opinion, that is a really crappy model.

Prayer:
Life with You is much more than just being good. It is reckless. It is adventure. It is impactful. It is world changing. The more I live for Christ, the less the world really seems to matter. I want to go deeper. I want to grow in my desire for Christ to be known to others until I reach the point where all that matters about life anymore is seeking Your kingdom in the lives of others. I need You to create inside of my heart a true picture of what death will mean to me. I want the kingdom of heaven to become a reality to me today. I also want to release to You my wife and kids. I need to trust that regardless of what happens to me You are their protector, provider, and source of love.

Battle Tactics Part Two

Scripture:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." Ephesians 6:10

Observation:
What does it look like to be strong in the Lord? How do I stand in the strength of His might? This morning as I work these questions over in my mind there are a few things that I feel God is saying to me with regards to battle tactics.

Application:
The first battle tactic is to know I am in a battle and who my enemy is. This is a critical step in the process. It is easy to forget that I am actually in a battle. A battle that will never cease. And that I face a vicious enemy. An enemy that will constantly attack. I have to be ready. Three times in verses 10-14 of this chapter Paul tells us to stand firm. Not just to stand firm but to prepare ourselves to stand firm. I need to stay suited up for battle with the armor of God. And I need to learn to recognize how Satan is working against me. I may not have a battle plan, but Satan does.

The second battle tactic is to defend my family. Family life is the primary place that Satan will attack. It is the easiest battle field for him to take ground and create strife. When I sit and I think about it, there is no great science to creating discord among parents and kids, brothers and sisters, or husbands and wives. It is easy. One sideways word in any of these areas can start of chain reaction of events that will lead to a split in relationships. These splits create wounds in our hearts that open us up to all sorts of destruction.

The third battle tactic is to be strong worker. This is another area that Satan loves to tear down. Whether that is at home, in the market place or in ministry; e spend most of our lives working for someone else. If Satan can get us miserable in this area of life, he can keep us miserable for most our time on earth. This is a huge warning for me. I need to keep my heart, mind and soul engaged in my labor. Regardless of where I am or what I am doing I need to do it as if I am working for God and as if I am a slave to the people I serve.

The final battle tactic is intercessory prayer. I can attempt to make myself feel better by trying to candy coat this, but what's the use. I am a self-centered, self-serving piece of work. I do not think about others nearly as often as I should. This final tactic takes place on two fronts; praying in the spirit and developing a heart for the pain of others. These are two things that are really difficult to do. Praying in the Spirit is a confusing thing. It is hard to know what that looks like. Developing a heart that is sensitive to the pain of others hurts as it requires me to endure the heart break of others. Be that as it may, God calls me to do both.

Prayer:
Father I pray this morning that You begin to clear my heart, mind and life of things that would distract me from clearly understanding the battle that wages on around me. Take me to a place in my spirit that is sensitive to what is taking place in the realm of the war between good and evil. As I face difficult people and circumstances remind me of the fact that I only have one enemy and that he is enemy to us all.

In battle, I pray that you teach me to war well against the forces of hell and darkness. Allow me the wisdom, knowledge, humility, and perseverance needed to defend my family and my work from the attacks of our enemy. I also pray that you give me a heart to enter the battles that others face. Keep my emotions strong, my head clear, and my words pure as I attempt to stay engaged in this great battle of the ages.

There are so many things about all of this that lie beyond my abilities. I am totally helpless. To be honest, I can’t even grasp this in my mind and I am full of doubt. I pray that You minister to my mind, spirit and soul in a way that will allow me to truly believe Your words of truth and to walk in them with a sense of urgency.

Walking Tall

Scripture:
"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise." Ephesians 5:15

Observation:
Lifestyle matters. That is the bottom line. Each day I make many individual choices that come together to create my lifestyle. What is God saying to me this morning about walk of life? As I read through Ephesians chapter 5, I see a few things that He wants me to hear this morning.

Application:
First, I must choose to imitate God by walking in love. Everything in the Christian life must be grounded in love. His love has done so much for me and He expects me to imitate that love in the life of others. I should freely give to others in my life just as God has freely given to me. I wonder what the impact would be if I where to spend time just looking around and seeking opportunities to give away God's love?

Second, I must choose to stay far away from immorality. Immorality is captivating. That sounds bad to say but it is true. The fleshly nature of man longs to be set free to pursue its dark desires. I will always struggle to make wise choices regarding the morality of my life, but this is an area of life that I must determine to live as a wise man of God. I wonder what would change in my life if I made the choice to pursue morality instead of just choosing to resist immorality? I think it is a huge difference in approach. One means that I set my sights of things that are pure. The other means that I look at things that are impure and try to not do them.

Third, I must choose to make the most of my time. The best way to do this is to live each moment with a sense of intentionality. I veg out to much. There are too many days that I allow the weariness of my mind to get the best of me and persuade me to coast. I need to constantly seek to understand what the will of God is and then order my time around it. What would life look like if I constantly chose to spend my life pursuing things that were of God?

Finally, I must choose to listen only to God. I am an easy sell, especially when someone is trying to sell me on something I enjoy. In verse 6 Paul gives a very sobering warning; people will approve and affirm decisions that will lead to my destruction. All things must be filtered through God's words and His commands. The approval of man is irrelevant. The Word of God is the only thing that will withstand judgment.

Prayer:
I do not want to waste one more day of my life. Help me to make wise choices in the things that make up my lifestyle. I desire to be grounded in Your love. Help me make that the first thing I consider in every choice that I make. I also pray that You guide me in making choices that lead me in a direction opposite of immorality. I want to live in a place where immorality can't even be mentioned when my lifestyle is questioned. I ask that you allow me to make wise choices with how I use my time. I want to live alert and on purpose. Create inside of me a sense of urgency to see Your kingdom advanced through my life. Finally, I pray that You remove from my life any voice or counsel that would lead me away from You. It is so easy to accept the voice of others as confirmation that I am living appropriately, but there is nothing more dangerous. Darkness is deceiving and other people will approve even the most vile things to protect their own lifestyles. Lead me this day as I seek You in all the things that You lay on my heart. Help me to walk tall in Your will and name.

A Tall Order

Scripture:
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…" Ephesians 4:1

Observation:
Somewhere in Ephesus around 61 A.D. a man unrolled the scroll containing the epistle from Paul to the Ephesians and read the same verse that I read tonight. That is just cool to me when I stop and think about the power of God's word to prove the test of time. As I read the text from chapter 4, I am asking myself what are some things that could qualify as a walk worthy of the calling on my life?

Application:
First, I need to understand that God created us all different and I must embrace that. This is one of those things that sounds simple in theory, but it really kicks me in the stomach in application. Gifts that differ from mine can be annoying. I hate nit-picky details, yet some people are gifted in identifying them. I do not enjoy long prayers, especially group prayers, yet some people are gifted with these abilities. In verse 11 of chapter 4, Paul lists out some of the different types of gifts God has given. In verse 16 he makes the case that it is a combination of all the gifts working together that make the body of Christ strong. If I am going to walk a life worthy of my calling, I need to fully understand what my gifting is and I also need to be content with the fact that I need the gifting of others to complete the mission that God has for me.

Second, I need to learn to walk in forgiveness, humility, gentleness, and tolerance. There are several places that this is referenced in chapter 4. Verses 2, 3, 26, 30, 31, & 32 all speak to this issue. I can really stink at doing these. I hold grudges. I want to be honored. I can become too harsh. Zero tolerance seems to always be the easier avenue. I do not like this about myself, but it is the truth. I am not really sure that I understand how to walk in the things listed above, but I am sure of the fact that it will take the working of God to bring it about.

Third, I need to grow in my knowledge and understanding of God. In verse 14 Paul encourages us to grow up and no longer be tossed about like someone trying to walk against the battering of waves. At times it does not seem to take much to cause me to doubt and wonder. A question I can’t answer. A situation I don’t like. A teaching I have never heard. A promise of a better life. Any of these things can start me down a path of doubt and questioning. I need to clearly own the beliefs that I have regarding critical elements of my faith and I need to stand on them.

Fourth, I need to watch my mouth. Verse 29 says "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that you will give grace to those who hear." This is not one of my favorite verses. I often feel like I am gifted at being able to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I can't count the number of times I have had trouble going to sleep as I relived the absolute stupidity of something that came from my mouth.

Prayer:
Tonight is a tall order. The things listed above are items that I can't tackle on my own. I can't even come close. The only thing that I know I can do is confess my sins and weaknesses. In doing so, I trust that you are able to forgive my past and better equip me to handle things in the future. As You continue to grow me, I pray that you allow me to be patient and tolerant of myself. I can often be my staunchest critic. Help me walk in the grace that You have provided. All four of the things listed above resonate deep within my soul as being something that You are calling me to pursue. I pray that you work within my mind, body and soul to bring these things about.

In Need of Some Knowledge

Scripture:
"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 1:13

Observation:
Reading the scripture can be frustrating at times. I read a passage like this and I know that it is saying something to me, but I just do not understand it. There is obviously some significance to being sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise, but what does that mean to me? What should my response to that be?

Application:
God's word is truth. All of it is tested, weighed and proven worthy. Every word of the Bible is God birthed and useful for teaching. I believe that with all my heart. That said, there are some things that I just flat struggle to understand and apply to my life. That is what I love so much about this chapter of Ephesians. Verses 17-19 contain a great prayer for people like me who are struggling to comprehend the truth of a passage of scripture.

Prayer:
I ask you tonight Father for a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in my knowledge of You. There is so much that is beyond my ability to understand. I need You to open the eyes of my heart and bring the clarity of thought needed to know what is the hope of the calling You placed on my life and what are the riches of my inheritance in You. I desire more than anything to know the surpassing greatness of Your power at work in my life. I do not want to settle for the knowledge that I have. I want to go deeper in my walk with You. I want to be a better saint in the lives of those You have entrusted to me.

5 Points of Leadership

Scripture:
"When the righteous increase, the people rejoice." Proverbs 29:2

Observation:
This scripture points to something in the leadership of a righteous man that causes others to rejoice. As I read through Proverbs 29, I see five things that I should keep in mind.

Application:
First, justice brings stability. At first glance I have a tendency to blow right past verse 5 as it talks about accepting bribes. I would never accept a bribe, so why bother with that passage. But as I have thought on it, I realize a few things about bribes that I never really understood before. I accept bribes from my kids and I offer bribes to them. It is so tempting to offer to "reward" them with something if they just shut up. Or there are times my heart gives in to the pitiful faces that are promising to never do it again. Brandy and I often deal with each other in bribes. She will offer me something to sleep in or miss work. I will offer her something to get out of a party or event. I also offer and accept bribes at work. Everyday I am given the opportunity to make decisions and there are times that decision is clouded by an emotional bribe of some sorts. I do not feel like God is saying that these things are sinful, but He is saying that they lead to instability. If I am not careful, my kids will throw fits just to get a reward. Brandy and I will no longer deal with each other based on love, but will always be expecting something in return. My decisions will vary based on the amount of sympathy I have for the person standing in front of me. In short the taking and offering of bribes works great in a pinch, but in the long run it will lead to instability in my life and for those around me.

Second, as I go, so go those I lead. Verse 12 says that if I pay attention to falsehood, all the people I lead become wicked. This is not just talking about lies. It is talking about anything that is counter to the truth of God's word. My decisions about what I give my attention to affects the morals of my kids, my wife and for those I lead at work. I can say whatever I want. I can put up all the fronts I want. But ultimately, I will reproduce what I am. I need to passionately guard what gets my attention.

Third, people need direction. Verse 18 says that where there is no vision, the people go unrestrained. My kids need to know that I have expectations. My wife needs to know where I am leading the family and what I need from her. People at work need to know the boundaries for what they can do. Giving vision is not easy. It requires communicating my desires to others and asking them to help me accomplish them. It demands of others that they alter their desires to get in alignment with mine. That is never an easy thing to do, but it is essential. Outside of solid direction from me my family and my work will become chaotic.

Fourth, I need to have realistic expectations. Verse 14 talks about dealing with the poor in truth. As I have thought about this it has expanded in my mind to mean more than just poor in terms of money. There are times that people just do not have anything to offer. People can become so tired that they lose their ability to control their emotions. In the heat of the moment people poor in restraint can say things that they don’t mean. Everyone has flaws in their personality that prevent them from being able to do certain things. I need to be really careful in how I deal with people. My expectations of them have to be grounded in the reality of what they have to offer.

Finally, I have to drive results. Verse 19 says that a slave will not be instructed by words alone. It is nothing more than a fantasy to think that I will say something to someone and it will get done. It takes much more than just words. People have to know that I love them. They have to no where I am going and why I am asking them for something. This is true of my kids, my wife, and my staff. I must always be patient with the time that it will require to get the results I want. That also means that I must pick my battles.

Prayer:
Father, being a leader is not an easy task. Help me bring stability in my life by allowing all my decisions to be grounded in justice. I need Your help in staying away from emotional bribes and being swayed by people. Hold me firm. I pray that you protect me from paying attention to anything that is contrary to Your word. The things that I allow in my life will reproduce themselves in the people I lead, please help me guard my thoughts. I pray that You give me the wisdom to deal with people fairly and to express my needs and desires in a humble and pleasing way. Give me the patience I need to work through things with others and constantly remind me of the patience that you have with me. I do not take the leadership You have given me lightly. I do not want to lose any person that You have given to me. Continue to grow me into the man and leader You desire me to be.

Sharpening Iron

Scripture:
"Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17-18

Observation:
This morning I am really sitting with iron sharpening iron. What is God trying to say that He wants me to apply to my life today?

Application:
God has called me to live life in community with others and that is a good thing; but it also can be a bad thing. While iron can sharpen iron, but it can also dull it. If I live my life with others according to how God asks me too, we will sharpen each other. If I live my life with others in opposition to how God asks me too we will dull each other. So what is it that God is asking me to do? It is easy to take this verse and think that it means we are to confront each others weaknesses and encourage each other to grow stronger. Those are good things and there is definitely a time and place for them, but I think that God has something different for me this morning. In Romans 15:1-13 I see four things that God is asking me to consider as ways to sharpen others in my life.

First, I need to learn how to bear the weaknesses of others. In Romans 15:1 Paul says that it is not good to just do what is pleasing to me, I need to live my life in consideration of the weakness of others. That means that I will be inconvenienced. That means that I learn to live life under the weight of the weaknesses of others. That is hard for me because I typically want to get rid of other people's weaknesses because they are aggravating to me. It is easy to feel like my life should not be negatively impacted by the dysfunction of another, but God calls me to live a different way.

Second, I need to recognize that this is a life long journey and we are all seeking the same end. In Romans 15:5 Paul says that we need to pray for God to provide patience, endurance, and steadfastness as we seek to become of one mind according to Christ. This is not a one time choice. It is a daily walk that will require much from me. And we are not just seeking our own preferred life styles. Instead we are all seeking to live life like Christ lived His. As I do this, I need to be willing to share my life with others so that they may be able to find strength on days when they feel dull and so that I may draw from them at times I find myself weak.

Third, I need to learn to accept others. In Romans 15:7, Paul says that we should accept people just as Christ accepted us. There is nothing more comforting than feeling accepted just as you are. No pretending. No hiding. No worrying about what someone may find out about you. Just relaxing in the fact that you are accepted. That is how Christ accepted me and how I should accept others. There is a time and a place to challenge behavior, but that is almost impossible to accept from someone until I feel they accept me or they know that I accept them.

Fourth, I need to learn to be filled by God. In Romans 15:13 Paul prays that God will fill me with joy, peace and that I may abound in Hope. There is nothing that can sharpen my spirit better than being in the presence of a person consumed by joy, peace, and hope. It is uplifting. I need to seek to be this to others. The world is desperate for these three things. I am desperate for these things. Regardless of the circumstances I face, I need to maintain my joy, peace and hope. They are constantly available.


Prayer:
This morning You have given me four really tough things that I need to do to become a source of life and strength to the world around me. These are things that I can not do on my own. I need Your help in bearing the weaknesses of others. I pray that You make me strong. Give me the strength that I need to endure the weight of others. There are times that I lose my strength and energy as it feels like things continue to pile up on top of me. I am depending on You to hold me up.

I also pray that you firmly set my sights on becoming like Christ and remind me that this is a challenge of endurance that will last my entire life. Thinking of constant struggle is disheartening and is not something that I can do on my own. I ask you this morning for the perseverance, endurance and steadfastness required to complete this journey.

Give me the ability to walk in the acceptance You have given to me and the desire to offer that same acceptance to others around me. I pray that You surround me with people seeking to do the same. Set my sights on Christ and lead me to walk in the path that you have for me. I desire this more than anything.

Above all, fill me this morning with joy, peace and hope. Not so that I can feel good, but so that I may be a vessel of honor to those around me. Life on earth can really stink. There is just so much that causes concern, fear, and doubt. As long as I am on earth I will live life as a foreigner who is not at home. But that does not mean I should live a life held captive by fear and concern. I do not believe that is Your will. Help me rise above the circumstances of this world and become a beacon of your joy, peace, and hope.

Live and Let Live

Scripture:
"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions." Romans 14:1

Observation:
No two people are going to share the same convictions. Each person's life represents a unique path and journey. We mature at different times and experience different seasons. Life is tough enough as it is. Christians have a tendency to make things worse by spending our time throwing rocks at each other.

Application:
The way Christians sometimes act can really make me sick at my stomach at times. There are times that I listen to all that goes on around me and I am baffled. It seems to me that Christians waste an awful amount of energy throwing rocks of judgment at each other. I get really tired of all the pointless arguments around what we should do or should not do. There are certain things that are absolutes. Sexual immorality, for example, contains absolute rules that apply to everyone the same. But then there are things that are just seem pointless to debate. Consuming alcohol. Watching R-rated movies. White lies. Cutting grass on Sunday. Telling jokes. The list goes on. Paul offers something in this chapter that really challenges me to live life in a different way.

First, in verse 5 Paul says that each person must be convinced in his own mind as to what God is convicting him in his heart. That means that we have to allow each other flexibility. I have to stop judging what other people do and looking to others for approval of what I do. It is ridiculous. Nobody has it all figured out. There are things that I see other people do everyday, that it is not ok for me to do. There are experiences I have had in the past that have just taught me to stay away from certain things. For me it is too easy to fall down. But I should never judge another person for not living to the same standards. I also can not allow someone else's freedom to cause me to step away from a conviction that I have. The important thing is to be convinced in my own heart that I am in alignment with my own convictions. At the end of the day God is going to hold me accountable for my own choices and convictions; not those of other people.

Second, Paul says we should live our lives in consideration of others. In verse 13 Paul encourages us to live our lives in a way that does not cause a brother to stumble. There is a consideration that I must have. I have been given the right to do many things, but that does not give me the permission to use it. There is nothing wrong with me having a glass of wine at dinner. The Bible does not forbid it. That said, doing so would really cause some people to stumble. I have to say no. There is not reason to cause confusion when it is so easily avoidable.
The final thing that I feel like God is saying to me is in verse 19. Paul challenges us to focus on things that build each other up. I really do not understand why we spend so much time tearing each other down and dividing ourselves over stupid debates. Why should I ever tear down someone who God has built up in order to make them behave just as I do? It is crazy. I want to just focus on living my life out before God and sharing life with others. There are so many good things that we get to do, I really feel like it is a great shame to waste time on arguing over what we should not be doing.

Prayer:
I pray that You protect me as I think through the application of what is on my heart. It is easy to get side tracked in this type of discussion and end up approving things in my life that You have asked me to stop doing. Help me to stop thinking about others and just connect with the convictions that You have placed on my heart for my own life. I do not want to be divided in my conscience. Even as I sit here tonight I know that You are still waiting on me to cut out some things from my life. I am grateful that I have Your Grace covering me while I struggle with my flesh in these areas.


I also pray that you really place a burden on my heart for the people watching me. Help me learn to live life in a way that will never cause another person to stumble. Give me the love I need to enable me to deny myself for the sake of weaker people around me. I also pray that all my conversations and interactions with others focus only on things that are good. Things that are pure. Things that build another person up.