Stop and Pray
I have a bad habit of letting moments pass by. I know what I'm supposed to do or maybe what I ought to do; and I let it slip by without taking action. It's a defect, a shadow of the sin nature that I try to shake daily, but to no avail without the power of Christ. But with every failure, I learn, understand and recognize God's gentle nudging a little bit better. What is the common denominator of all of these failures, of my missed opportunities with God's nudging, you may ask? Prayer. I need to stop and pray. I feel it clearly from the Lord but much of the time I balk; I seize up. Maybe I don't want to inconvenience the person, or maybe I simply don't want to inconvenience me...I have many excuses, none of them good. I am being disobedient! And I can tell them I will pray for them, but let's be honest I forget and I let the moment sail by with my good intentions worth about as much as monopoly money on wall street.
I am my biggest critic, I admit it, but I'm too convicted on this topic not to change. I must stop and pray. You told me your having a ba day, from now on when I hear that, I am stopping what I'm doing and I'm praying. And I hope it blesses you, but it's not so I feel extra spiritual, it's an act of obedience. I'm called to intercede for you, to go into the trenches of spiritual warfare for you and pray. When? Now! I will stop and pray...now! The moment to pray is now. Jesus healed in the moment, he prayed in the moment, he taught in the moment. He didn't tell people he would heal them in a few days, he did it right then. My offensive weapon, my tool to bless others and further his kingdom is prayer. And I will stop and pray, now.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Divine Wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:6-12
Earthly wisdom, doesn't necessarily equal God's wisdom. In fact, God's wisdom is foolishness to the world; earthly wisdom is foolish to God.
Sometimes I feel like we don't belong. Like, this is not our permanent home. WE are on this earth, for only a short while...we are just passing through on our way to our final destination. So how should that affect how we live our daily lives? How should that affect our priorities; what we put value and effort into? How should that affect what we are passionate about?
With the Holy Spirit as our guide, God will reveal the secret,....the majesty of His wisdom to us. He will reveal his plan a portion at a time; just enough for what we need in the moment. He guides us in His perfect will, majestically and deliberately adding color and purpose to our life. When we seek wisdom...when we seek purpose....when we seek fulfillment apart from God and his will...it falls flat: guaranteed. Apart from God it's pointless. We will frustrate ourselves; we will bang our heads against the walls of our world in futility, because without the secret wisdom of God, we are lost. But the cool thing is that we are all privy to the secret, it is unlocked for all who will believe, who will let go of the stranglehold they have on their life, and let the God of the Universe be the God of their universe.
When you surrender, you gain a better foothold; when you quit, you win!
Earthly wisdom, doesn't necessarily equal God's wisdom. In fact, God's wisdom is foolishness to the world; earthly wisdom is foolish to God.
Sometimes I feel like we don't belong. Like, this is not our permanent home. WE are on this earth, for only a short while...we are just passing through on our way to our final destination. So how should that affect how we live our daily lives? How should that affect our priorities; what we put value and effort into? How should that affect what we are passionate about?
With the Holy Spirit as our guide, God will reveal the secret,....the majesty of His wisdom to us. He will reveal his plan a portion at a time; just enough for what we need in the moment. He guides us in His perfect will, majestically and deliberately adding color and purpose to our life. When we seek wisdom...when we seek purpose....when we seek fulfillment apart from God and his will...it falls flat: guaranteed. Apart from God it's pointless. We will frustrate ourselves; we will bang our heads against the walls of our world in futility, because without the secret wisdom of God, we are lost. But the cool thing is that we are all privy to the secret, it is unlocked for all who will believe, who will let go of the stranglehold they have on their life, and let the God of the Universe be the God of their universe.
When you surrender, you gain a better foothold; when you quit, you win!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Backwards Jesus
Matthew 5:21-48
In the sermon on the mount and his other teachings, Jesus had a habit of taking the normal teachings of the day and completely turning them upside down. He didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it...to show us the heart of why God set up rules in the first place. But I think he also just like to rock people's worlds.
"You've heard it said 'do not murder', but I tell you that anyone who is angry with their brother will be subject to judgment." Jesus is warning about the danger of anger. Anger is dangerous, and when it is left to fester it causes grudges and warps people's ability to see the truth and the things of God. So Jesus says don't be angry. In fact if you are angry, seek reconciliation...don't let it go, don't even let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26-27).
"You've heard it said 'do not break your oath,' but I tell you do not swear at all: either by heaven or by earth." Jesus is saying here that our yes needs to be yes and our no, no. Do not promise and swear things that you may or may not come through on. Your word is your bond, and you need to do what you say you are going to do.
"You've heard it said, 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth:' but I tell you, do not resist an evil person." Turn the other cheek? Give someone not only your tunic, but your cloak as well? Don't just go one mile, go two miles as well? Does Jesus want us to be wimps? Absolutely not! He is showing the importance to forgive first and not jump to anger and revenge. Forgive...even when its hard; even if they aren't sorry. Don't hold a grudge, don't go down that road to anger.
"You've heard that it was said, 'love your neighbor and hate your enemy:' but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Love your neighbor...even if that neighbor is actually an enemy. Once again, forgive and put on an attitude of love even in the tough situations of life. Don't let anger, and hatred pull you down the road towards destruction.
Jesus loved to turn the world on its head with his teachings. In this passage he reminds us: love first, forgive first, and be serving.
In the sermon on the mount and his other teachings, Jesus had a habit of taking the normal teachings of the day and completely turning them upside down. He didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it...to show us the heart of why God set up rules in the first place. But I think he also just like to rock people's worlds.
"You've heard it said 'do not murder', but I tell you that anyone who is angry with their brother will be subject to judgment." Jesus is warning about the danger of anger. Anger is dangerous, and when it is left to fester it causes grudges and warps people's ability to see the truth and the things of God. So Jesus says don't be angry. In fact if you are angry, seek reconciliation...don't let it go, don't even let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26-27).
"You've heard it said 'do not break your oath,' but I tell you do not swear at all: either by heaven or by earth." Jesus is saying here that our yes needs to be yes and our no, no. Do not promise and swear things that you may or may not come through on. Your word is your bond, and you need to do what you say you are going to do.
"You've heard it said, 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth:' but I tell you, do not resist an evil person." Turn the other cheek? Give someone not only your tunic, but your cloak as well? Don't just go one mile, go two miles as well? Does Jesus want us to be wimps? Absolutely not! He is showing the importance to forgive first and not jump to anger and revenge. Forgive...even when its hard; even if they aren't sorry. Don't hold a grudge, don't go down that road to anger.
"You've heard that it was said, 'love your neighbor and hate your enemy:' but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Love your neighbor...even if that neighbor is actually an enemy. Once again, forgive and put on an attitude of love even in the tough situations of life. Don't let anger, and hatred pull you down the road towards destruction.
Jesus loved to turn the world on its head with his teachings. In this passage he reminds us: love first, forgive first, and be serving.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Salt and Light
Matthew 5:13-16
I am what you might call a "salt-aholic." I love salt. If it's too salty for you, its probably just right for me: popcorn, french fries, soup...I have to have salt on it. This isn't always a good thing, because too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and a number of other health problems down the road. So I have to monitor my salt intake. But Jesus makes a great point about salt....it adds flavor! Without flavor, food is bland and inedible. I have endured many a stale bag of popcorn, just because the salt made it more bearable. But what happens when salt loses it's saltiness? Is it worth anything at all?! Not really, you would just throw that type of salt in the trash can.
Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth. As Christ followers we contain the knowledge of the one thing that will preserve us beyond this life to eternity. We have the love, grace and peace that the world is so desperate for. Our words need to be seasoned with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, because the world is desperate for a life that is full and abundant and not just bland and hallow.
Jesus also says that we are the light of the world. Have you ever been in complete darkness? I mean...you can't see your hand in front of your face from an inch away...complete darkness? In that moment when you strike a match or turn on the back-light of your cell phone, the darkness starts to scatter and you can see more and more. It is like that with Christians in this world. Let you light shine, live a life that reflects the light of Christ.
The world is desperate for light and desperate for salt. Jesus says we are both salt and light. Don't let your light dim and your salt lose its saltiness. Be different, live live righteously and purposefully to make a difference in this world hungry for meaning.
I am what you might call a "salt-aholic." I love salt. If it's too salty for you, its probably just right for me: popcorn, french fries, soup...I have to have salt on it. This isn't always a good thing, because too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and a number of other health problems down the road. So I have to monitor my salt intake. But Jesus makes a great point about salt....it adds flavor! Without flavor, food is bland and inedible. I have endured many a stale bag of popcorn, just because the salt made it more bearable. But what happens when salt loses it's saltiness? Is it worth anything at all?! Not really, you would just throw that type of salt in the trash can.
Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth. As Christ followers we contain the knowledge of the one thing that will preserve us beyond this life to eternity. We have the love, grace and peace that the world is so desperate for. Our words need to be seasoned with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, because the world is desperate for a life that is full and abundant and not just bland and hallow.
Jesus also says that we are the light of the world. Have you ever been in complete darkness? I mean...you can't see your hand in front of your face from an inch away...complete darkness? In that moment when you strike a match or turn on the back-light of your cell phone, the darkness starts to scatter and you can see more and more. It is like that with Christians in this world. Let you light shine, live a life that reflects the light of Christ.
The world is desperate for light and desperate for salt. Jesus says we are both salt and light. Don't let your light dim and your salt lose its saltiness. Be different, live live righteously and purposefully to make a difference in this world hungry for meaning.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Beatitudes and More
The Beatitudes are the verses of the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 from vs. 3-12. Jesus mentions a type of person who is blessed (not necessarily happy but filled with the joy of Christ) and then talks about the promise that God has for such a person. Blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers and blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness (who are insulted or lied to.)
The poor in spirit are blessed. What does that even mean, “The poor in spirit.” I find poor in spirit to mean humility; and selflessness. The world would tell you that you have to look out for yourself in order to get anywhere in life. Jesus says that if you are poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to you! Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. The world would tell us to suck it up, life is hard, deal with it, but Jesus is saying here that it is ok to mourn, because your Heavenly Father cares and will comfort you. Blessed are the meek (the gentle and soft-spoken), but the world says that the aggressive and powerful are blessed. The meek person will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for what is right will be blessed according to Jesus, whereas the world will tell you to do whatever it takes to get ahead. Jesus says the righteous will be filled and won’t remain empty and hollow. The pure are also blessed, as well as the peacemakers and the merciful and even those who endure persecution because of their faith in God. The promise to those blessed people: seeing God, being part of God’s family and receiving a reward in heaven. Jesus sees things in a way that seems backwards to the people in society.
They are used to having to be aggressive, even nasty to succeed in life. But Jesus comes
on the scene and speaks with authority about being humble, and being merciful, and peaceful, and pure, and taking persecution as a badge of honor. That wasn’t what they were used to hearing! It was refreshing, it was confusing, but it was good.Jesus goes on through the rest of chapter 5 to talk about God’s stance on some more specific issues of the day such as the law, anger, divorce, promises, and revenge. In all of His teachings the overwhelming tone is love, peace, grace and mercy. Is it even possible to live in this world and be loving and peaceful and gracious to everyone we meet? Some days it doesn’t seem possible but Jesus shows us that it is. Not only did He teach about it; He lived it out. The words that we speak, need to be filled with love; our thoughts and actions need to be pure; we need to desire to do what is right and point others to the Truth with our actions and with our deeds not just our words.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Covered in Dust: Jesus Was Tempted
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus was tempted. That fact alone gives me relief when I am going through the ringer day in and day out. There is nothing that I will go through that Jesus didn't go through also, and He did it without sin. We've all been in the desert; in fact we live in the desert (Arizona, get it!?). It's how we respond when our lives are in the desert that shows what we are made of. Jesus was tempted three times by Satan in the desert. He was there for forty days. In Jewish culture the time frame 40 days was symbolic. It meant a really long period of time. Can you imagine not eating, drinking, playing xbox360 for six weeks?! The idea of being denied some of these things we depend on, is too much to bare for some of us. This is where the celebration of Lent comes from; Jesus was tempted and was in the desert for 40 days, so during Lent people are challenged to fast or give something up for those six weeks. What would you give up if you were fasting?
The first temptation involved turning stones into bread. Jesus knew that God provides and He responded by stating that He gets His nourishment from every word that comes from God. The second temptation involved Jesus throwing himself off of the top of the temple and having angels rescue Him. Jesus said, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." The third temptation of Satan was for Jesus to worship Him, and he would give Him control of everything He could see. But Jesus commanded Satan away because we are to worship the Lord our God alone. Jesus did not cave to temptation for basic human needs such as food and water; Jesus did not cave to temptation to test God and be spectacular; and Jesus did not cave to temptation to have power and glory from worshiping Satan. Jesus knew that our purpose, and our acceptance comes through and by God and God alone.
Jesus was tempted. That fact alone gives me relief when I am going through the ringer day in and day out. There is nothing that I will go through that Jesus didn't go through also, and He did it without sin. We've all been in the desert; in fact we live in the desert (Arizona, get it!?). It's how we respond when our lives are in the desert that shows what we are made of. Jesus was tempted three times by Satan in the desert. He was there for forty days. In Jewish culture the time frame 40 days was symbolic. It meant a really long period of time. Can you imagine not eating, drinking, playing xbox360 for six weeks?! The idea of being denied some of these things we depend on, is too much to bare for some of us. This is where the celebration of Lent comes from; Jesus was tempted and was in the desert for 40 days, so during Lent people are challenged to fast or give something up for those six weeks. What would you give up if you were fasting?
The first temptation involved turning stones into bread. Jesus knew that God provides and He responded by stating that He gets His nourishment from every word that comes from God. The second temptation involved Jesus throwing himself off of the top of the temple and having angels rescue Him. Jesus said, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." The third temptation of Satan was for Jesus to worship Him, and he would give Him control of everything He could see. But Jesus commanded Satan away because we are to worship the Lord our God alone. Jesus did not cave to temptation for basic human needs such as food and water; Jesus did not cave to temptation to test God and be spectacular; and Jesus did not cave to temptation to have power and glory from worshiping Satan. Jesus knew that our purpose, and our acceptance comes through and by God and God alone.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Close Encounters
We have been doing this series on "Close Encounters of the Divine Kind," all about being close to God. It's really the basic goal of any follower of Christ....to be close to Him. Sometimes it feels like He is a million miles away; or a better way to put it is we are a million miles away from Him and where we need to be. John Ortberg likens it to the dude named Waldo. In the beloved children's books, "Where's Waldo," every page of every book is full of action. There are crazy things going on, filling the entire page. In every single page Waldo is there....somewhere. But you have to go and find him. Sometimes its easy to find Waldo, on other pages its quite difficult, but he is guaranteed to be on every page. It's like that with God. He is on every page of our life, waiting to be found by us. He desires for us to be close to Him, to have an intimate relationship with the God of the universe. Can you even imagine an invitation like that coming to us? I know that I am flawed, I am a sinner, with many short-comings and bad habits. But the God of the universe still desires for me to know Him and know Him well. He knows me well! He knew me completely before I was even knit together in my mother's womb. He knew my passions and my talents and the deepest desires of my heart long before I did. God is amazing and His love is vast...and He wants us to know Him.
In His Grip,
Matt
In His Grip,
Matt
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