Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Simplest of Forms

Today's Reading: Numbers 27:12-13 & 1 Corinthians 13

Scripture:
"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Observation:
The Christian life can get quite complicated. Traditions, rituals, interpretations and differences in opinions related to these things have come together to create a tangled web of confusion and division.

In its most simple of forms, however, Christianity can be boiled down to these three things: faith, hope and love. As I journey back home to God, it is these three things that get me there.

The same is true of automobiles. Cars can become quite elaborate and get very complicated. But in their simplest of forms cars are made up of the body (engine, interior and exterior), the fuel, and the lubricants.

In the same way, the Christian life is represented by faith, hope and love. They represent the body of the car, the fuel that gives life to the car and the lubrication that keeps it all working together.

Application:
Faith is what connects me to God. It is accepting the testimony of the scriptures as being the Word of God. It is believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that I am reconciled to God through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Faith makes up all the mechanical workings of my relationship with God just as the body of a car encompasses all the mechanical parts of a car.

Hope is firm assurance of things yet still unseen. It is hope that allows me to take hold of the future. This is not something I have to aspire to as in hoping FOR something, it is something that I have. It is the fuel of life. Without hope my life cannot run just as a car cannot run without fuel. A Christian void of hope is as useless as a car without gas.

Love is nearly impossible for me to define in a sentence. It is to life what oil and lubricates are to cars. I can have the best car in the world but without the proper lubricates it will always break down. My life depends on love much in the same way.

Prayer:
Father this morning I am confronted by the reality that I am running short on hope and love. My faith, though still under development, is firm. I know where I am heading and I accept the gift of salvation You offered me in Christ. There are seasons I doubt it but I in my heart of hearts I know that I am good with you.

Love and hope, on the other hand, are daily struggles for me. I find myself wrestling hard with anger and despair. My temper explodes at the drop of a hat and I am losing heart with some areas of my life. I feel needy and I hate that sensation. My life is running dry and I need to be fueled and oiled.

Please speak to me and guide my steps. Teach me to live the life to which You have called me in the spirit and truth of Your will and ways. Open my soul to receive the things You desire for me to have. In my season of need teach me to find all my fulfillment in You alone.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Limitations of the Heart

Today's Reading: Mark 6

Scripture:
"For they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hear was hardened." Mark 6:52

Observation:
The word used in this text indicates that they held onto rebellious thoughts. These thoughts dulled their hearts and made it impossible for them to receive the truth. Their ability to fully experience the presence of Christ was limited by the dullness of their heart.

Application:
I, just as the disciples, often experience seasons where I am with God, sense His presence and yet do not get it. I seek answers but they do not come. I have experiences but my heart does feel them. I go through the motions but life change does not follow. In those seasons it is easy to feel like I need something from God but the reality is that God needs something from me; my heart.

Prayer:
Father I get so confused at times that I literally do not know which way is up. Over the past few weeks I have asked for You to be more tangible and real to me than You ever have been before. I thought the way that would happen would involve You doing things for me that would prove beyond any doubt Your power. In my own mind this would mean that every morning You would pour out on me fresh ideas, energy and favor as my life became filled with miracles, signs and wonders.

As I look at this text I realize what I fool I have been. No matter what happens externally it can never exceed the capacity of what my heart can comprehend. The comprehension of my heart is limited only by the rebellious nature of my thoughts and actions. I expected You to work outside of me and have been blinded the correction You desired to bring to my attitudes, thoughts, and actions.

Who knows the desires of my heart other than You? Who know the motivation of my actions other than You? Who knows where I am and what my struggles are other than You? I pray this morning that You reveal to me the truth of my heart for I desire for it to be sharp. Let me see my sin and find the freedom from it You provided with the cross of Christ.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Private Conversations with the Master

Scripture:
"As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables." Mark 4:10

Observation:
Christ spoke from a large platform. There were so many people around that He had to get in a boat and be pushed out from the shore to speak to everyone. The teaching obviously had an impact on those who heard, since they kept returning; but Christ was not fooled. He kept in mind that of the four scenarios He spoke of, only one received the word. It would appear, that most of them did not get it in big group teaching. They got it by drawing close to the Teacher at the end of the message and asking Him questions in private.

Application:
I fill my mind with noise. I am constantly reading, listening to sermons and working on Bible studies. There is nothing wrong with these things. In fact they are good things, but not matter how much teaching I hear; it is in my private time with Christ that my life is changed.

I wonder sometimes why it is so hard for me to remember this? What is it about getting alone with God that is so difficult? Here as I read these stories I am fully reminded that the disciples got a word in the large setting, but they got the full meaning of the word in private conversations with the Master.

In this day and time, how is it that we are to do this? As Christ was preparing to leave the earth He gave us a glimpse of this. He told His disciples that it was better for them that He leave, because if he left then the Helper would come. Man do I forget that verse. God did not leave me here to wonder about things. Inside of me rests the Spirit of the Almighty God I serve. He stands ready to teach me. To Counsel me. To prepare my heart so that the seeds planted will find deep soil in which to take root.

That is the course of true discipleship. Sitting one-on-one with the one and only True God and simply having a conversation. What an amazing privilege. There are so many things that get in the way of this. Distractions are not very hard to find and often are easy to blame, but let's get real. If I really want to do something, I find a way. If I truly value something, I will move heaven and earth to get it. The true reason I avoid private conversations with God? Fear. Laziness. Difficulty. Confusion. Ignorance. I am afraid that He will ask something of me that I will not be able to give. I do not want to work at it. It is hard to really get myself in a place that I can hear from God. It is confusing trying to understand what voice I am hearing. They all sound like me at times. I am completely unaware of just how much I need to be with God.

Prayer:
I blame many things for me being the way that I am but I know that it is fear, laziness, difficulty, confusion and ignorance that keeps me from fellowshipping with you. I am tired of the birds, briars, and shallow soil robbing my life of the seed that You sow. I want my heart to be prepared. I want to sit in Your counsel. I pray that You move in my life to the point where I am inconvenienced by Your truth. I thirst for a deeper knowledge of You. I want my time alone with You to come alive and see Your mighty hand move as my wisdom and strength in You grow. Allow my heart to be broken for the people You have given me and grant that my private time alone with You be the place that I find the words of counsel I love sitting under a great teacher, but I do not want anything to ever take the place of You showing up in the private setting of my house and filling my heart.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Submission

Today's Reading: Numbers 14

Scripture:
"Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept all night." Numbers 14:1

Observation:
This passage begins with a very simple word, then. As simple as it is, it is a word that carries an enormous amount of weight because it represents what a person does next.

In the context of this passage the people are deciding on which report they are going to accept. The are deciding on whether or not they will submit to God and His ordained leadership or give way to the weight of the task and the nay sayers who are attacking it. In the end they chose poorly.

Application:
Romans 13:1 teaches me that every leader given some type of authority in my life is given that authority by God, therefore; anytime I refuse to be in submission I am rebelling against God.

Living according to this teaching has never been an easy thing and it seems to get tougher each day. I do not think that this verse indicates that all actions taken by leaders are inspired by God. Leaders clearly make evil choices. Since God is not capable of evil that means there is no way He can inspire evil choices. But it does mean that I am bound to submit to the leaders in my life as long as they are not calling me to directly violate the word of God.

Sometimes that is easier said than done. Submission is an issue for me. I am a bit of a rebel. I do not like to be controlled. I want things the way I want them to be and as long a my leadership agrees with me I am happy to comply, but as soon as we disagree the battle within me starts. I also like to be comfortable. Leaders also often cause me to take more risks than I would take if left to my own.

I need to bind myself to the leaders in my life and then commit myself to praying strong prayers for God to direct their heart. If I allow myself an out, I will take it. If insubordination of leaders in my life is an option for me then my prayers for my leaders begin to lose their sense of urgency. God gives me leaders to stretch me and move me in a certain direction. I am called to follow.

Prayer:
It is tempting to spend more time grumbling against the leaders in my life than it is to spend time praying over them. Father I confess that to You this morning. Teach me to be a better follower. Teach me to pray for those to who authority over my life has been granted. My president, my government officials, my senior leaders at work, my father, and the elders of my church all represent the leadership structure in my life. Help me to serve them in a way that brings honor to Your name.

As important as all these earthly leaders are I am also reminded this morning that You are the ultimate authority in my life and I struggle daily to stay in submission to Your leading in my life. I pray today that You allow me to sense Your tangible, manifest presence in my life. Help me to hear Your voice with clarity. I pray that the actions following the "then's" in the story of my life be actions that create a testimony of Your glory.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Staying on Task

Today's Reading: Numbers 9:15-23 & Acts 27

Scripture:
"…and thus we came to Rome." Acts 27:14

Observation:
From the time Paul was imprisoned in Judea to his arrival in Rome, somewhere around three years has passed. Two years of beatings and trials in Judea and a year of hell and torment at sea comprised the experiences of Paul and Luke during this three year journey. That is what amazes me about this verse. Luke did not celebrate their arrival at Rome as having accomplished anything. His notation of their arrival is barely a footnote.

Luke and Paul were on a mission and that mission was not to get to Rome. Their mission was to spend the balance of their life spreading the gospel. Anything and everything that happened in their life was secondary to that. No matter what events transpired in the lives of these men they stayed on task.

Application:
There are three things that are really on my heart today as I read this passage. First, I must learn to pray. Throughout the New Testament I see the mighty men of these books spending time with God in prayer, seeking the call of God for their lives. I pray but I do not pray like they did. I do not see the release of power that they saw. I go often go to God to get Him on board with my agenda. These men went to God seeking to surrender to His agenda.

Second, I must be realistic about my journey. Following after God will never be easy. The more obedient I become to God's will for my life the more at odds I become with the world. This is war. The life I lead is so comfortable I often forget that. I am called to daily surrender to God's desire to transform me into His own image. I am called to daily abide in Christ. Jesus warned His disciples that the world would hate them just as it hated Him. Following after God will be a life-long journey and an adventure. It will never end and it will never be easy. I might as well accept that.

Finally, I must stay on task. Paul never strayed from his task. Every step of the journey he just kept on pursuing God's call on his life. For me this is a challenge. I get really irritated when something comes between me and where I want to be. In my irritation I turn to all sorts of things that distract me from my mission. I seek solutions. I pursue relief. I seek new missions. In short, I will pursue just about anything that holds promise of delivery.

Prayer:The simple cry of my heart this morning is to be able to enter Your presence in a real and tangible way. Father, I can't live the life You have called me to if I am not daily connected to You in prayer. Not prayer in terms of some mindless oratory pointed at the ceiling of my home. Not prayer in terms of some well thought out words designed to create a moving moment for other people. But Prayer in terms of a simple man, entering the presence of a mighty God and receiving clear direction.

Friday, February 20, 2009

A Way Through

Today's Reading: Psalm 23 & Acts 27


Scripture:
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

Observation:
This is one of the most widely known Psalms. Just about any child raised in the South knows it by heart and just about anyone in the United States would be familiar with select parts of it. As popular as it may be I also feel that it is one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible.

Application:
This is not one of my favorite Psalms. There are a couple reasons for this, but I think that primary reason is all the contradictions I see between it and my life. It says I shall not want, but I want a lot. It says I will lie down in green pastures, but I often find myself standing in the hot sands of a desert. My soul often feels more afflicted than it does restored and the path of righteousness seems to constantly allude me.

I think that is the struggle that I have with this passage. In my own mind this chapter would indicate a way out of trouble. A way to avoid it. A way to never feel pressed. But I think that is a lie. What this chapter represents to me is a promise to bring your through, not a way to escape.

Prayer:
Father, as I read this chapter from Your Word I realize that I am out of alignment. I pray spoiled prayers. I come at You only looking for You to change my circumstances. When my circumstances stay the same I get angry. In my anger it is tempting to look at passages like the 23rd Psalm and feel like there is no truth in it. I confess this to You as sin and thank You for Your forgiveness.

You are my Shepherd. Help me submit to Your leadership. Instead of always praying over my circumstances, teach me to pray over my heart and emotions so that I will be able to control them. Instead of hoping for escape from hard times, I pray that You teach me to find joy in walking through.

I ask that my relationship with You become so real, so tangible, and so fulfilling that it rises up the circumstances of my life. I pray for peace that is beyond understanding and a sense of safety and purpose that is protected from the harsh realities of life.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Face Down in the Dirt

Scripture:
I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than all the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. Acts 26:12

Observation:
God got Paul's attention and the attention of those around him. There was no doubt in his mind as to what God had told him to go and do. He also got the attention of those traveling with him. They could not hear what was said, but there was little doubt that something amazing had taken place. It was an amazing encounter, however; the value of the encounter was not determined by the moment of light on the road to Damascus. The value of the encounter was determined by what Paul did once he got up off the ground.

Application:
As I sit here this morning, I am more than a little weary from wrestling with the scripture. My mind is running in a hundred different directions and gathering them together feels a lot like herding cats. There is much to understand about Paul's encounter with God.

First I must change my communication expectations with God. A blinding light knocked Paul flat on his face. A thundering voice instructed him in the way he should go. I wonder, just what would the impact to my lifestyle and my prayer life be if I were to live in expectation that God would move speak to me that clearly? Often I go into prayer not really expecting much and consequently I do not get much.

The second thing that really get me in this passage is that the others with Paul saw the light, but the did not understand the voice. As I follow after God, I should be prepared for this. God spoke to Paul as an individual. He spoke to Moses as an individual. He spoke to Abraham as an individual. He will speak to Jason as an individual. The groups around these men rarely heard the instruction and often worked against the fulfillment of the mission handed down.

The third thing that I am taking away from this story is that Paul was living counter to God at the time of his call. I mean, seriously, he was murdering Christians. It does not get much worse than that. I put so much pressure on myself to get cleaned up before I expect God to use me. There is no truth in that. I need to seek God as best I can from where I am. He will take care of the rest.


Prayer:
I have spent many days face down in the dirt. Most of the time, it is hard to get back up. I pray that I learn to treat these encounters with you has the Holy moments that they are. I pray for the strength to not lay there wallowing in self-pity but to pick myself up and continue in a new direction.

As I sit here this morning my soul stirs at the excitement that comes from following You on this mission that you have for me. In all that I do, allow me the Wisdom to hear Your voice clearly. Speak to me in a manner that is unmistakable. Direct my life and keep me moving.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Staying Power

Today's Reading: Acts 25

Scripture:
"Yet I have nothing definite to write to my lord." Acts 25:26

Observation:
Acts is tough book for journaling personal application. It is very much a narrative story and I am having a really hard time finding how to apply it to my life. Much like Festus in this verse, I keep playing it over in my head, but I am not finding anything to write.

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. So what is God trying to teach me this morning?

Application:
Staying power. That is the word I feel like God is giving me today. Staying power. I had a dream last night. I started out getting in an argument with some biker dudes. Were this to have happened in real life it would not have been a good thing as I am not much of a fighter. At any rate, I remember walking away from the guys and feeling convicted of what I had said so I went back and apologized. During the apology I realized these guys needed to here about Jesus. I beautifully laid out the plan of salvation to these guys and they began to mock me.

Anger boiled up in side of me. I awoke from my dream and I still felt the anger. It was one of those dreams that seemed so real and when I woke up I felt like it literally had happened. I was ticked. So ticked that I wished I could go back in my dream and kick the crap out of the bikers.

As I look at the trials of Paul in this passage, here is the thing that amazes me; he controlled himself. My dream last night was just a dream, but at the same time it was very revealing of my heart. If I were in Paul's place I do not think I would have been able to stay focused on the mission God had for me. I would not have been able to face a trial on BS charges 6 times. I would have been angry even to the point of being angry at God.

But not Paul. Each opportunity afforded to him was viewed as a chance for him to share his faith. His faith was real to him. His heart was bent fully towards God's word being known. He did not care about himself. He was broken for the lost. Even as they mocked him or tried to kill him he maintained his love for them. His faith had true staying power.

Prayer:
I have a long ways to go. Father God, forgive my pride. Help me move past it. I am way to self-centered. I am afraid that my faith has no staying power. As soon as life gets tough or things do not go my way I have a tendency to become angry, get frustrated and then fall away.

I pray this morning that You guide me as I seek Your presence. Be before me today in a real and tangible way. Speak to me in a way that cuts to the core of who I am and molds me into the man You desire for me to be. Help me to articulate Your truth to others in a manner that gives You glory for what You have done in my life and causes them to seek Your glory for their own. Strengthen my faith so that it has the power to stay with me in good times and bad.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Idol of Myself

Today's Reading: Numbers 2 & Acts 24

Scripture:
"But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers." Acts 24:14

Observation:
Paul was not pursuing his own personal interests. He was not after acclaim, fame or fortune. He loved God and his desire was to see God be given the glory He deserved.

Paul says that he does his best to maintain a good conscience and to be blameless before both God and man. It seems to me that one of the key ways to ensure that this happens is to steer clear of selfish ambition.

Application:
This scripture is one that points to something that I have been struggling with heavily over the past few weeks. God has really been working on my heart about my selfish motives and ambitions. It is not that I feel condemned or guilty as much as I get a strong sense that there is something more for me.

I few weeks back I observed a man from our church named Shelby Neese leave his family to be a missionary. At a season of life when most men are thinking about retirement he left everything to spread the gospel in the dark places of Africa. The night we honored him and told him goodbye he said something that I will never forget. When asked why he was going he broke down and said because God is being robbed of the glory that is due Him from these people.

As I heard that statement I suddenly found myself needing to redefine selflessness in my own life. I do things for God but not because I hunger for His glory to be known but because I am seeking a better life. That to me is the missing piece of my faith. I do a lot of the right things for the wrong reasons.

Prayer:
I am not satisfied to be where I am. I despise my own selfishness. There is not one thing in my life that is not self centered. When I succeed I rejoice because it feels good, not because Your glory was revealed. When I fail I am broken because I hate to lose out on something, not because You were robbed of Your glory.

Every moment of everyday is assessed based on how I feel about what is taking place. I am slave to myself and I serve my own image. This morning I confess that to You and freely admit I am powerless to do anything to stop myself from doing this again today.

Father my only hope is that You be real to me today. I pray that Your presence be tangibly before me, that Your voice clearly call out to me and that You lead me to find my satisfaction in Your Name being glorified.

I call out to You today begging that You move in a way I have never known You to move. I pray that the God I read about in the Bible, the one that tangibly touches the lives of those pursuing Him, be made known to me. Mold me and break me so that I may be a man bound into service to You.

I try to live obediently to You now because I feel like I need to or have to. I ask that You move me to a place where I obey You because I can't help but do the things You have asked me to do.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Mindless Debates

Today's Reading: Leviticus 27:30 & Acts 23

Scripture:
"I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead." Acts 23:6

Observation:
This whole passage of scripture is very troubling to me. So many divisions over so many points of scripture. I wonder at times just how many souls have been lost to hell over the mindless debating of theology? Following this statement from Paul, another debate started and they begin fighting against themselves over addition points of theology. Uselessness.

Application:
I must guard myself against forming hard-lined, theological beliefs. I must know what I believe, but outside the essentials of One God in three persons, justification by Grace, and the character of God there is very little worth creating a division over.

People are apt to argue over anything, but Christ did not see this as necessary. He said that pure religion was loving the unlovable and taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves. To love God with all my heart means that I pursue things that lead to His character, heart, and will.

Why create division over so many of the things that we create division over? I honestly do not understand it. It drives me crazy the number of things people will argue over. That is my theology at this point. Christ died to redeem the lost and God has a broken heart for the lost and needy in all societies in all the worlds. That is my pursuit and my theology. I pray that it sinks into my soul and transforms the man that I am.

Prayer:
At times I hate being a part of organized religion. I honestly do. Part of me would just like to walk away from it all and pursue a different path. Trying to pull people away from the petty and useless and focus them on the pure and profitable is as taxing an endeavor as I could imagine. But I submit to the task you have called me to.

I pray for the wisdom to respond appropriately to the theological debates of my time. Please protect me from division and dissention. Train me in how to guide discussions that reflect Your heart. I desire more than anything to see the men of my people get Your heart, understand Your ways, and abandon their lifestyles to pursue You.

We are the poorest state in the Union. There is no better place to start than here. Lead us to repent to you and then prove the greatness of Your will to this nation. I submit to follow You where You lead and serve as You call me. Continue to grow me in wisdom, knowledge, and spirit. Keep me Holy and protect the mission that you have for my life. I love You. I am committed to serve You to the end. My flesh fights against me daily, but by Your strength I will endure.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Secure Living

Scripture:
"…that you may live securely on the land. Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it. Leviticus 25:17

Observation:
The scripture leads us to live life according to God's way. God's way is most always opposite of the common logic that leads the thinking of the world. The world tells me to take care of myself and look out for my best interest. But here God tells us the true secret to living securely on earth is to not wrong one another, but to fear him and follow his commands.

Application:
My God is amazing. He cares about me. He cares about all men. In the midst of all that He has watch over, he cares about our feelings and our protection from being taken advantage of or wronged. What are the ways that I wrong others? I am not a cut-throat salesman nor am I a ruthless business man. I do not take financial advantage of people in the pursuit of money. My methods are much more subtle. I withhold the full truth. I forgo paying a complement when it is in my power to do so. I back down. I speak out in wrath.

My sins against my brothers and sisters are so many. Self-preservation often steps in and takes over. I will sacrifice most anything in pursuit of protecting or advancing myself. It seems to just come naturally. But it is crazy. Keeping God's commands is the ticket. It is what I am called to do and the only pathway that will lead me to God's goodness. All other paths lead me to feel empty and create in me a sense of paranoia that drives me mad.

Prayer:
From Psalms 25:4-6. My sins are ever before me Father. I approach you with boldness this evening not out of my lack of sin, but by my reliance on the Grace bestowed to me by Your Son Jesus Christ. None of those who wait for You will be ashamed. That is my desire tonight; to wait on you.

Keep me from dealing treacherously with others without cause and allow me to proceed with adverse plans only when it is Your hand guiding me. Make me know Your ways. This is a request that I fully expect to come at great personal death, but it is my desire to truly know Your ways. Light my heart and soul with a deep longing and life altering thirst for a glimpse of Your Glorious ways.

You are the God of my salvation and my only desire. It is for you that I wait. Mold me. Break me. Use me. May the tablets that hold the history of my life be filled with evidence of the goodness that comes to a man centered in Your will and righteous ways. Fill my house with the voices of those serving your name. Make my legacy one that endures to the last days of my life and carries on to through my lineage until Your return. May we be known as a family that serves the Most High God. Keep me from doing wrong to another. Defend me before the people and prove the power of Your Hand through me. Allow my plans to prosper and bring glory to You. Keep me from shame. Let me not fall aside.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Be on Guard

Today's Reading: Leviticus 22: 31-33 & Acts 20

Scripture:
"Be on guard…" Acts 20:28

Observation:
In any situation you have to know the detail of your order. It is not enough to be told just guard something, you must be prepared.

Professional security forces, police, and soldiers are all trained extensively to know what they are guarding against. It is critical that this training take place. They have to know the threats, understand the risks, and identify potential enemies.

The same truth applies to me this morning. It is not enough to know that I am supposed to be on guard. I have to know what to guard against. This morning I see four things from Acts 20 related to this.

Application:
First, I need to guard my mission. It is so easy to miss this part. Many things in life fight for my attention and the probability of me getting off task is high. I must stay in tune with the leadership of the Holy Spirit in my life, bind myself to completing the task given to me, and surrender the desires of my life to pursuing the thing given to me by God to complete.

Second, I need to guard against is shrinking from the truth. I have to know the Word. It is essential. It is the base building block. If I am not spending time daily pursuing God's truth then I am useless to the mission. I can only stand firm on the things I truly believe. I must be on the alert and ready to speak out when given the opportunity. This is hard for me. It is often very tempting to candy coat things or to just shrink back out of fear or embarrassment.

Third, I must guard against getting snagged. The world is alluring and sin is fun. I can say all sorts of things about the wickedness of life, but I am not being honest if I deny that it is pleasurable. If I do not constantly guard myself against coveting things others have, seeking profit, or fearing loss; I will quickly find myself back in the bottom of the same ole pit.

Finally, I must guard against losing my flock. Of all the things given to me by God none are more valuable than the people He has entrusted to me. My family, my friends, my staff, and my congregation all count on me to be accountable for protecting them from false teaching, destructive behavior and low morale. I must be a good shepherd.

Prayer:
Living by the rules does not do anything for me. I despise rules and do not posses the ability to stay with them. On the other hand, living with a solid grasp of a purpose or mission excites me beyond imagination.

I pray today that You fill my heart and mind with the truth You have revealed to me. Help me to grasp it with all that is within me. Teach me to connect with the Holy Spirit in a manner which will compel me towards my mission. Protect my life from the things designed to destroy it. Guide me to make Holy choices today in all that I do.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Stories to Share

Today's Reading: Leviticus 5 & Acts 14

Scripture:
"When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all the things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles." Acts 14:27

Observation:
Religion is boring. It is lifeless. There is very little in it that is appealing. When Christianity is reduced to Sunday service, it really stinks.

Following Christ on the other hand is an adventure. It is full of life. When people come together and seek the will of God in their daily lives and commit themselves to seeking the advancement of His kingdom, amazing things happen. Stories are written and lives are altered.

Application:
What would I say? That is the question burning in my mind this morning. If I were standing before an assembly and asked to tell of story of how God had worked through my life this past week, would I have something to offer?

That is the challenge before me. I need to live each day in anticipation of God doing something through me. I need to guard my heart each day from getting comfortable with simple minded religious activities and instead seek to encounter God and witness Him doing something amazing.

Prayer:
Father it is so easy to settle. To fake it. To just go through the motions. I can read my Bible, I can pray to You, I can go to church, and I can lead spiritual activities without ever really coming into contact with You. I pray that You enter into the times I spend with You and really impact my heart, mind, and soul. Please give me a hunger that drives me past religious thinking and truly opens my life to encounter You.

Life is rhythmic and the rhythm of it is comforting. I get dialed into the routine of my day and it is hard to break out. Many aspects of my life are so normal that I can do them without any real thought. I don't need You for them so I consequently don’t seek You in them. I pray that You enter the routine of my life and teach me to seek You in the monotony of my day.

Finding You often involves seeking risks. That is the hardest part of all. As I look at the lives of the apostles I realize they had stories because they risked everything in pursuit of You. They placed themselves in situations where their only hope was You. I ask that You move upon my life in a manner that allows me to hold on loosely to the things that bring me comfort and to be willing to let it all go as I sense Your movement around me.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Specific Terms

Today's Reading: Exodus 40, Psalm 15, & Acts 12

Scripture:
"…But prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God." Acts 12:5

Observation:
Today's reading covered three very different passages. As I look at these passages I see 4 very different presences of God. In Exodus I see the Guiding presence of God. In Psalms I see the peacemaking presence of God. In Acts I see the delivering presence of God and the multiplying presence of God.

When praying to God, such as the people in this verse were praying, it is good to think about God in specific terms, not general ones.

Application:
I am bad about general prayers. As I read these passages this morning I realize that this is because I have a general view of God. I do not think of God in specifics when I pray. I have heard of people praying the names of God but that has really never made sense to me. I have read passages in the Bible where God introduced Himself to people using one of His names, but I really never appreciated why He did that.

This morning I realize that when I approach God I need to do so realizing that He has a specific presence that He is able to give to my need. When I feel lost, He is the guiding presence I need. When I struggle to find peace, He is the peacemaking presence I need. When I am bound, He is the delivering presence I need. When I am stuck and not growing, He is the multiplying presence I need.

Prayer:
I want to know Your guiding presence. There are so many times I move forward in uncertainty. Teach me to sense and see Your guiding presence moving before me. Show me how to be attuned to where Your presence is in my life and give me the strength and courage to align myself with It.

My peace is tied to how well I live life with others. Psalm 15 lays out an amazing picture of how that looks. I pray that I come to know Your peacemaking presence in manner that produces a life that will never be shaken.

Life is tough. There are many things laid out before me designed to trap me. Often, I find myself bound to things from which I can't find freedom. I pray that I come to know Your delivering presence. Just as You came to Peter in His literal prison, I pray that You come visit me in the mental prisons created by my sin and weaknesses.

Multiplying Your word must take place on two fronts. First it must be multiplied in my life. Then, it must be spread to the lives of those around me. I pray that I come to know Your multiplying presence. No matter what happened in the lives of the early church, You kept multiplying Your Word in their lives and in the lives of those around them. I pray that it be the same with me.

It never ceases to amaze me just how little I know about You. Each day is like a new day of discovery. This morning I discovered something about You that I knew, but never really experienced. You truly are everything I need. In specific times of need, You offer specific traits to fill that need. I pray that You teach me to relate to You in specific terms.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Dealing with Frustration

Today's Reading: Psalm 19 & Acts 11

Scripture:
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Observation:
The simplicity of this prayer is captivating. There nothing of man that is not born from the words of his mouth or the meditations of his heart.

Application:
I'm struggling this morning. The past few days have been stressful beyond what I can really explain. It has not all been bad, but everything has been hard. Nothing has come easy. Attacks from my enemy have affected every single aspect of my life. From the moment I've awakened I have been hit with things. Even my sleep has been disturbed by attacks.

Seasons of what I am experiencing come; there is no way of escaping it. I am not afraid of them. I have had everything in my life come undone several times and I have faith that God will bring me through. The struggle is controlling myself during these times.

Satan knows that the best time for him to capture the words of my mouth or the meditations of my heart are seasons where I am frustrated or my needs are extremely deprived. He can hijack my emotions and I can go spiraling down a pathway that is not good.

Prayer:
It is easy to hold onto Your Word and seek Your Face when everything in life is great. It is easy to hold onto Your Word and seek Your Face when the initial shock of hard times hit. But holding onto Your Word and seeking Your Face when hard times linger on; that is a miserably difficult task.

It is so easy to become frustrated or have doubts. I come to You this morning praying the simple prayer of David. Guard the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart. Protect me from the hidden sins in my life and give me the strength to walk away from the obvious patterns of sin that become so alluring during seasons of stress.

I stand before You this morning and claim that You are God and that Your ways are good. I say this not because I get everything I want in life. I say this not because I understand everything. I say this not because all is well with me. I say this because it is the truth that explodes from my heart. The very fabric of my soul testifies to Your goodness. You are the only thing in my life that is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

One Nation

Today's Reading: Acts 10

Scripture:
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message." Acts 10:44

Observation:
This is truly an amazing scene in the Bible. The Romans and the Jews were two people groups separated by many things. Race, customs, religions, ethnicity, and a history of violence all came together to create an impenetrable wall of separation between these two groups.

That is what is so amazing about this scene. As Peter spoke to this group of Roman soldiers and citizens, the Holy Spirit came down and in an instant centuries of separation where destroyed and they were brought together as one. No longer were they Jew and Gentile; now they were joint heirs and followers of Christ.

Application:
Everything in this country is divided by race or status. The South seems to be the part of the country who takes most of the blame for being racist, but it exists everywhere. I have spent a great deal of time in San Francisco. San Fran is known to be a place of great tolerance. But here is something interesting to me, it is very much a divided place. When you look at a map of the city it is literally divided by race and social status. You can literally see lines on the map and the sections are named. People who know the city can tell you what type of people live where. So even in the most liberal of societies the differences in people (race, ethnicity, social status or lifestyle) separate people.

We are very much a country divided just as Rome was. As I read this passage the application to me is this, God tore down the divides in Rome. He did not use a massive rebellion- that had been tried before. He did not use legislation. He did not use a campaign of tolerance. In this case, He chose to use the quiet times of two men- Peter and Cornelius.

These two men were dedicated to seeking God daily. Not just early morning or bedtime prayers, but every 3 hours found them sitting somewhere seeking the face of God. That is the level of dedication that ushers in the movement of God. That is the level of dedication required to break down what divides us. That is the level of dedication to which God is calling me.

Prayer:
Father I think so small when it comes to my prayers. This passage reminds me that seeking You in prayer literally has the power to breakdown barriers. It has the power to re-unite a country that is very much divided. Democrats and Republicans. Black and white. Hispanic and Asian. Help us today realize that You only see two groups of people; followers of Christ or rejecters of Christ, and that You desire above all things to see these two groups become one. Move upon the prayers of Your people and return this country to what it once was; One Nation Under One God.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Four Common Failures

Today's Reading: Exodus 32 & Acts 8:1-25

Scripture:
"Then Moses said to them, 'Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD...In order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.'" Exodus 32:34

Observation:
The blessing of the LORD follows the direction of the LORD. Exodus 32 reveals 4 common mistakes that will cause a person to take their focus away from God. Avoiding these 4 things requires a daily commitment to dedicating oneself to the pursuit of God's direction. The four mistakes I see are associating things of God to a man, becoming frustrated with the timing of things, giving in to the weight of peer pressure, and seeking selfish desires.

Application:
As I look back over the mistakes that I have made in life, there is not a single one that does not fit into one of these four categories. If Satan is going to attack, these are his normal tactics. I must guard against them at all costs.

Prayer:
Father You have chosen to use men in the spreading of Your word. My life has been greatly impacted by the men You have allowed to pour into my life. The problem is man is fallible. We are all prone to failure. Please protect me from associating Your movement in my life with a human being. No matter the impact a person has on my life; it is not the person but rather You who delivers the results.

Timing is a huge issue for me. I want what I want when I want it. I get really impatient and my anger burns hot when what I seek is delayed. In these moments of frustration I am prone to wonder. Please forgive me of this. I regret the man I become when I have to wait. I confess to You this morning I am powerless against this. Delaying gratification is not something I can do on my own.

Peer pressure is by far the most powerful earthly force at work in my life. As I think upon my life I am astonished at the destruction I have brought upon myself simply because I lacked the courage to go against the desires of the crowd. Even now as a full grown man it is tempting to give in when people attempt to press me in a certain direction. Please strengthen me against this. Allow Your power to overwhelm the pressure people apply against me.

Time and time again my choices have proven that self-centered choices always result in empty accomplishments. They are no more filling than a candy bar, yet there is something so alluring about them. My appetite for accomplishment causes me to smash everything good and holy in my life should it get in the way of me going after what I want. I have seen myself cranked up on selfishness and I am honestly afraid of who I can be. Please protect me from this. I need Your Spirit to be alive to me in a way that my desires can be satisfied in only You.

You did not wire me to be one who sits and waits on things to come to him. My natural gifting is to charge the hill, take the battle to the enemy and accomplish things through blood, sweat and tears. Tenacity, courage, and sheer will are the only things I have ever been naturally gifted at. I can never be a pushover. I can never sit idle and wait. I have to be on mission. I have to be in pursuit of something. I pray that You speak clearly to me and help me to engage in things that are dedicated to You. Protect me from the dark side of the gifts You gave me.