Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Man to Be

Scripture:
"And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly." Matthew 1:19

Observation:
He could have destroyed her. Literally, stoning was the consequence of a woman being found pregnant outside of wedlock. In the days and times that Joseph lived, he could have literally destroyed her in public, ruined her chance at a normal life and had her stoned to death.

He had to be hurt. The woman engaged to him suddenly turned up pregnant. He had not had sex with her, so he knew it was not him. I just can't imagine the pain this caused him. The humiliation. The anger. Yet, these words penned by Matthew sit shining on the page like a beautiful diamond, "being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her…"

This is one of the most beautiful pictures of a man laying aside his personal rights in order to preserve his righteousness.

Application:
There is a line in one of my favorite songs by Credence Clearwater Revival that says, "It ain't me, it ain't me." As I look over this brief glimpse of the character that made up Joseph's life the words of that song accurately reflect my honest comparison of myself to Joseph. The scriptures do not say much about Joseph, but the ones that do, speak volumes about the man chosen to the earthly father of Jesus and paint an a amazing picture of a man I should strive to be.

Prayer:
There is no need in me denying what I would have done in this situation. My flesh and my pride would have gotten the best of me. I would have acted out of hurt and would have disgraced an innocent woman. This realization scares me a bit as I feel the weight of my own guilt.

I need to change. The pride of life has a strong grip on me. I read this passage and I ask that you make me a righteous man. One who is humble enough to deny himself. One that is pure enough in motive to realize that being right does not make him righteous.
Even in moments when someone cuts me the deepest in the core of my being, help me to seek ways to offer grace. I pray that in those moments You minister to me through the Holy Spirit. I ask for tangible moments with You that will serve as affirmation to what You are asking me to do. Minister to me in my moments of hurt so that I may become a vessel of grace to others.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Weakness

Scripture:
"And he has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Observation:
Weakness. There is nothing attractive about that word. I do not even like the way that it looks as I write it on paper. The world is designed to eliminate weaknesses. Just about every product on the market today is designed to satisfy, strengthen, or avoid a weakness in human nature.

Application:
That is what makes this verse so backwards to me. I want to focus on my strengths. I want God to make me strong BEFORE I do something so that I will have the confidence to do what needs to be done. But Paul does not say that Christ's power is perfected in my strength, it says it is perfected in my weakness.

As I sit with this verse this morning, I am reminded that I will never feel strong enough to handle God's call on my life. His invitation will often feel like it is outside my gift, beyond my knowledge, or against odds that can’t be overcome. This scripture reminds me that I will never feel comfortable in my own ability to do something for God.

Prayer:
There are many days that I go to bed at night feeling like I am naturally gifted at being weak. I often feel as if the walls of my faith contain more holes than do they bricks. I can't speak eloquently. I am very insecure. I have a hot temper. My life is full of chaos. I am tempted by things and I often fall to the same ones. Conflict seems to find me where ever I go. I pray for things to happen and they don't. I pray against things and they still occur.

While weaknesses are not hard for me to find, the attitude displayed by Paul in this passage is. My weaknesses seem to push me away from You; not draw me closer. My weaknesses seem to steal Your power from my life; not perfect it.

There are a few weak areas that I ask for Your help with today. Help be to rejoice today, even when I feel tempted to sulk. Help me to be made complete today, even when my flesh tells me I need something else. Allow me to find comfort today even while the battle grows in violence. Help me to be likeminded with others, even when we seem miles apart. Teach me to walk in peace, even when the flame of my anger burns hot.

In all things, I ask that Your grace, love and fellowship be made full in my life today.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Lessons to Learn

Scripture:
"Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness." 1 Corinthians 10:5

Observation:
The power of a sign. So many people ask for it. So many long for it. "Give me a sign!" I wonder just how many times those words have rang out from the mouths of hurting people searching for God and asking for a tangible sign that He was in fact there and working on their behalf. It seems so logical. If God would just do something that revealed Himself, then it would be easier to follow.

Logical as it may seem, the story of the Israelites coming out of Egypt serves as an example that signs and wonders do not make following God any easier. No group of people in the history of the world have experienced more signs and wonders. The stories captured beginning in Exodus chapter 13 are mind boggling. Every single day the people of Israel were the recipients of a tangible sign from God, yet many of them chose to not submit to God.

Application:
As much as I would like to think that I am somehow different and that I would really benefit from God showing me some love by revealing himself to me, I am not. I am the same as the people noted in the scripture. I can't even remember all the times that I have prayed to God saying, "If you would only ____ then I would _____." Many times, God filled in His blank only to watch me leave mine blank.

Instead of searching for signs to help me get started, I think I am better served learning from the mistakes made by my forefathers. Paul notes the primary ones here in Chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians verses 7 - 10.

Prayer:
Your Word is quite clear that I am to not serve idols. Serving a statue seems quite silly to me, but when I really think about the definition of an idol, I realize that my life is full of them. It is so hard to keep You first. Money should not be my idol, yet the necessity of survival is so real it makes it easy to put it first. My wife and family should not be my idol, yet their presence in my life and my love for them makes it easy for them to be first. My work should not be my idol, yet the pressures of it and my fear of failing in it seem to force it to the top of the list. I do confess to You this morning that I am guilty of serving many things other than You.

Your word says that we should not act immorally. The world that I live in is full of immorality. I am constantly offered opportunities that are outside of the commands of Your word and many times I fall. I slip, fall and intentionally walk away from You quite often. I am so very grateful for Your grace, but God I ask that You teach me to resist the things that constantly pursue me. Give me rest from the longings that consistently drag me away.

Your word says that we should not try You. Moments of doubt will inevitably come. I am so grateful for the openness that I share with You in those moments and that You have always come around me and helped strengthen me. But Father there are times that I look at something I know You have called me to and I question the goodness of that plan. I pray that You forgive me for that. I do not want the pain of circumstances to cause me to disagree with Your goodness.

Your word says to not grumble. Man, this one gets me. There are plenty of Biblical examples of men calling out to You in acceptable ways. I love to read the Psalms because of the way David honestly addressed You with how he was feeling. But in all the things David said, he always submitted to Your goodness. He never grumbled. I, on the other hand, tend to grumble. I get angry at You. I reach a point where I do not feel You move at a pace that satisfies me and it ticks me off. I desire more than anything to grow in this area. Teach me to have a grateful heart.

In all these things I rest not on my own behavior, for I have clearly proven myself to be an idiot, but I rest on Your grace to me through Christ. My only hope and peace is that You view me as holy through Him. Help me to be patient with myself as You continue the work of molding my life into the plans You have set for me.

Monday, November 10, 2008

A Tricky Act to Balance

Scripture:
"Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." 1 Corinthians 8:1

Observation:
Roman and Greek society had many gods to worship and demons to fear. A central part of this worship included food sacrificed to idols. A person would sacrifice food to gain favor from a god or to remove evil spirits that were attached to it. The food was then prepared and served in pagan feasts. The leftovers were sold in the market place.

In the early church, this created a controversy. Those who had knowledge knew that there were no other gods and did not fear demonic forces. For them to eat food sacrificed idols meant nothing. It did not affect them at all. Those who were weak in their beliefs reacted in one of two ways. They either felt like eating the food defiled them and affected their standing with God or the eating of this food created a longing inside of them for their former life.

Application:
There are a few things in this passage that stick out to me this morning for application to my life. First, I must understand that if the actions of another person cause me confusion, concern, doubt or temptation; I am a weak person. My faith should be strong enough to stand on its own. There are times that I look around at how others are living their life to determine if I am on the right path. That is not fair to other people nor is it healthy to me. I need to live by my own convictions and allow people to live by theirs. This does not mean that we can't confront each other on our behaviors, but it does mean that when that happens each person should return to God's Word in prayer and allow Him to settle the issue.

The second thing that I notice here is that the Christian life requires a whole lot of love. My heart has to be broken for other people. It angers me when I am falsely judged by others. I mean it really ticks me off. But as I read this passage this morning, I notice something in Paul. The driving force in his life was his love for other people. He wanted them to know Jesus and his love compelled him to do whatever it took to point people in that direction. If this meant cutting out a sinless activity from his life in order to not cause confusion he did it.

Prayer:
Love for You and love for others is not the driving force in my life. The honest conviction I feel this morning is my own personal satisfaction and contentment is what motivates me the most. That is not as You intended it to be and I confess it to You this morning as sin. I also confess to You that I am helpless to change this. I beg this morning for You to move in my life and break my heart for the people in my life. Give me a burden to see those outside of Your grace come to know You and give me the strength to not be frustrated by the weaker Christians who judge me.

I often look too others to confirm the convictions that You have placed in my heart. This also is not as You have intended it to be and I confess it to You as a weakness in my life. I pray for wisdom to understand how to allow others to speak into my life, but to not allow them to become a god to me. I want to be humble enough to accept instruction, but I do not want my acceptance by You to be affected by the opinion of others.

Finding the balance in these things is a tricky act. It is one that I can't do on my own. I always seem to err on the extreme sides. I do not want the approval of man to have any affect on how I live my life. I also do not want to be come calloused to the affect my life has on others watching me. You alone are God in my life. I pray that You give me the love, patience knowledge, and wisdom I need to apply these things to my life.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

True Calling

Scripture:
"For consider your calling, Brethren…" 1 Corinthians 1:26

Observation:
In the Christian life, it is sometimes tempting to stop at personal salvation. It is almost like once we have our ticket to heaven punched, complacency kicks in and we set our lives on cruise. The gift of salvation is an amazing thing and an eternity in heaven is quite a "perk", but there is so much more. God's offer of salvation did not just rescue me from hell, it included a higher calling of living for my life in service to others.

So this verse challenges me to consider my calling. The first two chapters of 1 Corinthians contain a wealth of things to consider about my calling.

Application:
First, I am a saint. I look at those words on this screen and I feel uncomfortable about them. In chapter 1:2 Paul refers to the recipients of this letter as "saints by calling". That is crazy to me. My past and present are full of many reminders of just how un-saintly I can behave, but my behavior is no longer an issue. Once I accepted Christ, His grace sanctified me. I am blameless.

Second, I have a mission. In these two chapters it is hard to miss the fact that Paul models what Christ said in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:8; "Go spread the good news and make disciples." That is a universal call to every believer. There are times that I feel I need to study or get ready, but when I read these verses I am reminded that I will never be ready. I will never be comfortable with this part of my calling. I have to just step out in the simplicity of my own speech, with much fear, and share the story of what God has done and is doing in my life.

Third, I need to remember that I was enriched in Christ. God starts with the most simple of people. In chapter 1:26, Paul reminds the church to look around at themselves. There were not many people who would make logical choices for the mission of God. In order to make sure that people know it was God, He very often picks unlikely candidates to entrust with His purposes. Once I made the choice to trust Christ as my Savior, I became enriched. He added something to me that I could not have on my own. My life now is not limited by my deficiencies.

Finally, I need to remember that in chapter 1:3 Paul points out that I am not lacking any gift. One of the current trends in the church today is the teaching of spiritual gifts. There are may resources that help you identify how God has gifted you for service. I think these tools are great, but I also think they are dangerous. It is tempting to sometimes excuse myself from certain things simply because I am not "gifted" to do them. As logical as that may seem, it is also equally false. There are core gifts that are just a part of how God has wired me, but there are also times that God chooses to send me into something that will totally depend on him showing up for me to succeed.

Prayer:
I have a purpose. My life has meaning. This morning has been an incredible reminder of that. Please help me to never lose sight of that. As long as there is breath in me, I ask that my life be used in impacting the lives of others for Your purpose. I ask that You allow the truths outlined in these passages from Your Word to become the call of my heart and the very fabric of my being.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Child of Blessing

Scripture:
"In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:14

Observation:
Christ paid the price so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to all the people of the world and so that we would receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Application:
It does not take very long when I read the books of the New Testament to realize that the work Jesus completed on the cross was not just a good thing.

Blessing. Promise. Hope. Good news. Words such as these liter the pages of the Bible. People were risking life and liberty for the JOY of their relationship with Jesus. They forsook everything that they knew and became outcasts of their society to follow the teaching of the apostles.

When I examine my own life I am challenged by this. It often feels like I more of a struggle for me. It is like I waste my energy pursuing something that I feel like I can’t achieved.
There are days when my honestly struggle to not get discouraged. To not feel condemned.

That is not how God wants it to be. The coolest thing about God is that He does not view me as work in progress. He views me as being complete. Not because my lifestyle is perfect, far from it. My inability to live up to the standards of God is precisely why God sent Jesus into the world. He established a new law. A good law. One that only requires faith to make a person whole. It no longer has anything to do with my performance.

My faith does not excuse my sin; it removes it. Gone. Never happened. Done away with. Jesus bore the burden of all my sin on the cross. Sins of my past, sins of my present, and the sins of my future are all covered. Every blessing of the Bible has been sealed on my life.

Prayer:
I know my ways. I understand my struggles. It is rare that I come up with a new one as the things to which I fall to are things that I have fallen to for many years. That is the most amazing thing about Your grace. It is new each day; even when I need it for a repeat of the same old mistakes.

While I have been made complete in Christ, I realize that I will never be complete on earth. Each day presents to me an opportunity to move closer to the day that I will find the completeness that is to come in the life that follows.

Help me to walk in freedom. When guilt and condemnation follow me around; I want to know Your good news. I have wasted so much time trying to earn something that You have already given to me. Help me to live my life as a child of blessing. Help the reality of that sink deep into the core of who I am. Help me to extend the reality of that great love to others around me. I present myself to You tonight and ask that I be a vessel that is poured out on others.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Healthy Fear

Scripture:
"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'" Job 28:28

Observation:
I often struggle with understanding the fear of the Lord. I have heard it explained many ways. The word used is not interpreted as in fear of getting in trouble or fear of punishment. It is fear as in a dread of causing offense or fear as in awe and wonder.

To me it is the same type of fear that I have of my kids. It sounds funny to say, but I fear my kids. When I look at my children, I am filled with wonder and awe. There are moments when I could spend hours just watching them play. The thought of maliciously doing something that would hurt them, disappoint them or in anyway cause them displeasure cuts me to my core.

That is the type of fear of which this verse is speaking. Job is saying that being broken at the thought of hurting the Lord is wisdom. And the sign of that brokenness being evident in someone's life is that they depart from evil; not because they fear consequences, but because they can't stand the thought of causing God to hurt.

Application:
The tough thing with this passage is that it is not something I can just do. It is something that results from my relationship with God. This morning, I am acutely aware of the fact that I am lacking wisdom. I fear God, but not in the manner outlined in this verse. I fear him more like a child fears a principle.

Prayer:
My heart does not belong to You as it should. I definitely love You and pursue You daily, but I feel convicted this morning. My pursuit of You has more to do with seeking Your blessing than it has to do with my love for You. It has more to do with staying out of trouble than it has to do with not causing You pain.

I want to change. Fear of getting in trouble has never served as a very effective deterrent for me. I loath rules and often carry contempt for those who enforce them. At times, that is how I feel about my relationship with You. It stinks to live that way, but it is often my reality.

All that I know to do is come before You this morning, acknowledge my mistakes, and express a desire to do things differently going forward. I ask in this moment that You come alongside me in a manner that I have never experienced. I ask that I be able to be with You in a way that is real. Real enough that the thought of causing You pain disturbs me at my very core.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

It's Never Too Late

Scripture:
"and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus." Mark 15:43

Observation:
He was there. The scriptures say that Joseph was not just a member of the council that decided to crucify Christ, he was a prominent member. Luke, in his gospel, notes that he was not in favor of their plan. There is no way to know what was said and how the meeting went, but we know enough to know that to some level Joseph held back his true beliefs about Jesus.

That had to haunt him. As the events leading up to the death of Christ played out, the torment in Joseph's mind had to grow. I can only imagine the questions that would have been playing over in his mind. The second guesses. The doubts. The shame. He must have agonized over the end result of the body to which he played such a prominent role.

Joseph found himself in a tough place. An opportunity had passed. A man was dead. His entire life now teetered on the edge. The decisions he would make in this moment stood to shape the balance of his life. What would he do? Go back to the council and repress his feelings? Cast his lot for a man that had already been killed? Neither option carried any promise.

The wording of this verse says it all to me when it notes that "he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate."

Application:
Life gets complicated. Seemingly insignificant decisions start a chain reaction of events that starts me down a path that can ultimately carry me to a place I never imagined I would find myself in.

This story of Joseph reminds me that it is never too late to do the right thing. There comes a day when I have to push aside my fear, guilt, and shame; pull myself up by my bootstraps; and then make things right.

Prayer:
I am so very grateful that it is never to late for me to make the right choice. Your word promises that Your mercies are new each day. I also know that through Christ, my sins are already covered. Still, I often find myself sitting in a puddle of mess of my own doing, searching for the strength to carry on.

You have taught me a lot in these moments. Looking back, every turning point in my life came as a result of me, like Joseph, gathering up my courage and following after what You put on my heart to do.

All my mistakes have been taken away and I live with no regrets. There are many things I am not proud of and if given a second chance I would do things differently, but I rest in Your Grace and as a result live free of my past.

That said, I hate learning that way. It is painful and destructive. I ask that You speak clearly to me and remind me that it is always better to find my courage before it is scattered by my bad choices. Following You is easier when my first answer is yes.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Risk Management

Scripture:
"And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled." Mark 14:33

Observation:
It is easy to forget sometimes that Jesus was fully man. He felt every emotion that humans feel. Fear. Pain. Anguish. Torment. No feeling was beyond Him.

As Jesus sat in the garden that night He could see all that was coming. One of His twelve would betray Him. Those who remained would be scattered, persecuted and eventually most of them would be killed. His body would be marred, beaten, and eventually hung on a cross until suffocation stole the breath of his lungs. The weight of the world's sin would literally be placed on Him and He would be outside of the fellowship of His Father for the first time.

Knowing that he was fully man and as such felt all human emotions, I just can't fathom the thoughts that He must have been experiencing. My entire life is built around avoiding loss. From the contents of my house to my own life, everything is protected. I do all that I can to avoid risk, exposure, pain, or loss on any front.

Application:
As I study this passage this morning I sense a few things that I can take as lessons. First, I must learn to value obedience to God. If I am honest with myself I struggle with obedience more than do I value it. Here is a simple example. In the heat of the moment, when I am good and ticked off, I hear a still small voice telling me to let go of my argument and forgive the other person even though they are wrong. In this situation I do not react with joy at the sound of that small voice. I get irritated. I throw a fit. Most of the time, I just disobey it and ask for forgiveness later. But Jesus was different. He truly valued obedience as being the better thing. That is the level of obedience God desires for me.

Second thing that I feel I can take away from this passage is honest prayers. Growing up in church brought many good things in my life, but it also brought many struggles. One of the greatest struggles that the tradition of religion brought upon me was all the fake prayers I heard offered. People talked differently when they prayed. They used words that were uncommon and phrases that were unfamiliar. I naturally picked up on this model and struggle with it still today. As I read this passage this morning, I see a different type of prayer. Jesus did not hold back. He called out to God and told Him exactly what he felt. Raw, unfiltered emotion poured out from Him to His father regarding the events that were coming His way. Then He did something amazing, He surrendered to God's will. That is the essence of true prayer.

The final lesson that I can take away from this passage is the reminder that I can't live on the prayers of others. Jesus took with Him His closest three companions to pray with Him, but they could not sustain their prayers. Three times He checked on them and three times He found them asleep. While His soul has anguished and He cried out to God, His friends slept. As bad as that sounds, it is reality. It is unrealistic for me to expect other people to be able to pray for something in my life with the same level of emotion and intensity that I can pray over my own situation. While it is good to seek others to pray with me, I must make sure that this does not become a surrogate for me praying for myself.

Prayer:
It is amazing to me that I have the ability to connect with You as I do. There is no fear. No condemnation. No thought of what I need to say. Every time I pray I have the opportunity to pour out my heart before You without worry. That just blows my mind as I do not have that freedom in any other relationship. I ask this morning that you help me apply the lessons You gave to me this morning. You know me better than I know myself and so You know how far I am away from feeling that obedience is the better choice. It is an ugly truth of my life and the only way for me to get away from it is that You guide me.

While I do not struggle with praying to You honestly, I do struggle with surrendering to Your will in the end. I want things to turn out the way I want them to be. I ask that you help me lay down all that is within me to seek Your will in my life. Teach me to pray through things and to stop praying for escape from things.

In all that I do today I desire to do thing with a pure heart, securely grounded in Your will, and with absolute clarity of purpose.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Building Blocks

Scripture:
"Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them." Mark 9:2

Observation:
Following the lives of the disciples is an incredible journey for me. Jesus literally scraped the bottom of the barrel with His ministry and surrounded Himself with a team of very unlikely men and women. Everyday these people walked after Jesus they experienced something new. Each moment offered them the opportunity to walk deeper or to step away.

Application:
I settle for too little of God. I need to more of Him than I am getting. So how do I do that? What needs to shift in my life in order for my image of God to be transfigured before me?

I think that it starts with the basic building block of staying connected with God. I am good at getting up early and carving out my quiet time. I study the Word, write my journal, pray and then roll with my day. There is a transition that happens around six o'clock every morning when I put down my Bible and begin getting my family up and going for the day. It almost feels like I leave God sitting in the club chair where I pray and head out without Him. For some reason, it is hard to keep connected with Him as I wrestle against the clock and attempt to accomplish all that is on my plate for the day. My life needs to shift in this area.

I think the next block I need to evaluate is the time I spend with Him. Many days, the only alone time I have with God is the time I spend from 5 - 6 in the morning. Just how much of God do I think I can get in an hour? This needs to change on a couple levels. First, I just need to be intentional throughout the day to pause and pray. My days are crazy. The demands created by a staff of more than 50 and the couple thousand volunteers I oversee creates more than I can reasonably complete. The success I have depends totally upon my ability to lead in obedience to God. I can't bet my success on an hour alone with God. Second, I need to carve out some intentional times to be alone with God. Throughout Jesus' ministry I see Him modeling the importance of getting away to lonely places which are free of distractions and just connecting with God.

I think that the last block I need to evaluate is my mission. Jesus was totally surrendered to God's mission for his life. Jesus' disciples surrendered to the best of their ability to the same mission. The question for me becomes whose mission am I serving? I have a tendency to ask God to be a part of my mission and not really seek after His. I want God to come along side of me and help me succeed with my plans. The call I sense in my spirit this morning is to really fast and pray for clarity around the direction God has for my life and get in alignment with it.

Every moment of everyday represents an opportunity to do something with God. He is constantly at work and I have an open invitation to join him. Surrender for me is moment by moment. It only takes a few decisions and I can find myself making choices I regret.

Prayer:
There is not a single thing listed in this journal that I am capable of doing. I have tried to address these basic three things for years. Help me today to stay connected with You. In a few moments I will put down my Bible, shut down my laptop and start my day. I don't want to leave You behind in that process. I ask that You walk before me. Open my eyes to view my life differently. I ask that You be real enough to me today that I can literally see Your path before me and follow along; staying in constant contact with You and pursuing only Your mission for my day.