Friday, August 27, 2010

Sincere Love

Matthew 15:7-20 8" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'

Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus because He first loved me. I wish that this was always true of my life. I wish that it was not so easy to allow things, circumstances, people to distract me from following Christ. I wish that I could say that every time I teach or preach that I did not just honor Christ with my lips and yet know that my heart was far from God. The Bible says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." This is my desire, but desire can only become reality if accompanied by action. However action if done out of wrong motives is just action. I want to draw near to God out of a sincere heart, not one motivated by guilt, fear or anything other than love. Today may I pursue a relationship with Christ out of love and allow His love to shine from my life.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Eternal Focus

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

As I read this passage I could not help but think of those I know that are facing some tough times. As one who has been there and has seen the ups and downs of going through a trial here is some food for thought. For most of the trial I was plagued by the what if's, why's and keeping my focus on the light and momentary. It was not until my focus became as described in verse 18 that I not only was able to work through the trial but that God was able to work in and through my heart. The unseen that we fix our eyes on for me is the the eternal truths of God, His love, His strength, His presence, His plan, His sovereignty, His grace and mercy and so much more. That understanding comes from what verse 16 talks about in that our inner man is being renewed day by day. How? Thought getting in God's Word, through praying and while praying laying out the questions and the seen. It was at this point that God really began to give me a peace and an understanding that I cannot explain. My prayer is that each person who reads this will be challenged to seek God and by seeking Him you would turn your focus to the eternal and that God would reveal Himself to you more and more each day.

Father I do not even begin to understand why things happen the way they do or when they do, but I trust you and know that you love me and I ask that you would daily give me an eternal focus.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Chasing the Wind

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

I am not sure I need to say a lot about this passage. Sort of speaks for itself and honestly not sure really what to say. Solomon denied himself nothing and yet found that those things brought him nothing. At the end of the book he concluded that the only thing worth chasing is to know God and obey His commands. Today what will I chase after? At the end of the day what will my money trail, my time card, my spent energy say about what I chased after?

Father help me to chase after you, help me to deny myself pick up the cross and follow you. Give me the strength to overcome the temptation to chase after anything that would take the place of you.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Contentment

Philippians 4:12-13 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I read this morning this quote from a poet, "As a rule, a man's a fool. When it's hot, he wants it cool. When it's cool, he wants it hot. Always wanting what is not." I know I have been guilty of this so often with so many things. I see it in my kids and so I know that it's something that I struggle with, apples don't fall to far from trees. Paul a man who experienced so much from having everything life in his culture could give to being stoned and within a breath of losing his life no doubt had to wrestle with contentment. Through those things he learned as he said the secret to being content, a relationship with Christ. His contentment was not based on circumstances but on his relationship with Jesus. Which Jesus himself even eluded to when He said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you." All these things are our daily needs, not wants. That I think is the problem, our wants, and that is where the relationship with Christ plays a huge part. The closer I get to Jesus the more my wants become what He wants. Not that I won't still struggle as I am sure Paul did being human, but the temptation to please myself instead of Christ is dulled by the mind that is consumed with the Word of God and is surrendered to following Him.

Father so often my wants supersede my needs and honestly distract me from knowing you. Help me like Paul to want to know you more and pursue a love relationship with you. Remove my selfish wants and fill them with yours that I might be used by you to impact others for you.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Pass It On

Proverbs 2:1-6 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Often more is caught than taught, that's a phrase that at time really makes me cringe. I want my kids, my students to fall in love with God and desire to follow Him everyday of their lives. I know that I must teach them by being intentional and equipping them with necessary tools to navigate through life. But if in my teaching they do not see that it has made a difference in my life than more than likely they will follow my example rather than my teaching. One part of the above passage really sticks out to me, "If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure." How valuable is my relationship with the Lord? What does my life say that I value? If I want my kids and students to fall in love with God and desire to follow Him than I must be an example of that to them. I must seek after God as a treasure and maybe just maybe through my faults and triumphs they will see that chasing after God is priceless.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Skeptism

2 Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

I know that many are skeptical of the Bible, Jesus and our faith. Many are skeptical because of an intellectual roadblock like Thomas who would not believe until he saw for himself the nail scares and put his hand into the side of Jesus. I often think though that many skeptics are simply that because what they hear and see often do not match and thus causes questions to rise as to the validity of our faith and claims. I know cause recently I have been confronted with this very thing and have been skeptical of my life as I have seen what I have said in the past was not true of my life in the present. Recently I had the opportunity to go to an Indian Reservation in Montana and to go to La Ceiba, Honduras on mission trips with my youth ministry. What I encountered there I pray has forever changed my life. I was confronted with the harsh reality that the majority of the world lives with and what I as an American take so greatly for granted. I was confronted with the very fact that to this point my life has really been about me and mine. I was confronted with the fact that my $38 a month that I give to Compassion which is great is really just the tip of the iceberg. I was confronted with the reality of needs vs wants and am still wrestling with how much do I really need???? I was confronted with something that is very close to the heart of God and that all in all I am doing very little about, that being the poor, the orphan and the widow. I want this to change in my life, in my church, in my faith and maybe I will no longer give fuel to those that are skeptical of my life, church and faith by showing the one thing that describes God, LOVE!!!! As I figure out how that love will be expressed in my life my prayer is that somehow others will be confronted with these realities and maybe somehow we through Christ's power can change the World!!!!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sportianity: The Religion of Sports

I was recently given an article entitled "Whatever Happened to Play" by Shirl James Hoffman. I wanted to write this to more articulate my response to this article and what I witness day in and day out in the context of working with youth. I hope this generates discussion and thinking but if not at least it helps me think through this subject.
This whole matter of sports has become a huge area of contention for me as a youth pastor and father. I personally love sports and enjoy watching and participating in sports. I want my children to enjoy sports as well. However what I am seeing today is enjoyment of sports to an extreme that I believe is extremely unhealthy and is destroying the family and individual lives as well. Sports today has turned into a religion one that Hoffman calls "Sportianity". He gives some just crazy examples of this in his article which you can find at the Christianity Today website. I am blown away by the sheer dedication and commitment that many families and people make to sports starting at a very young age. I know students and children who have practice every night and sometimes mornings as earlier as 6am before school starts. I know 8 year olds who have games 3 or more nights a week. I know students who are playing 60-90 games a summer in softball or baseball. The kicker for me is that when I talk to some parents about their family or just their child coming to church on Sunday or Wednesday I often get back from them that it is to much to commit to and I am asking an aweful lot of students. Yet these same students are the ones described above. Families skip church to watch a certain game or go to a certain tournament. Students can't go on mission trips or help out in VBS because they have sports camp during the summer. Don't get me wrong, as Hoffman says "Youth sports programs certainly provide worthy experiences for young people, but with increasing frequency they seem to spin out of control." This is what is going on today. Sports is out of control and the sad part to me is that parents and students are not standing up to it and saying "NO". Hoffman states, "Evangelicals in the sports community have to often been followers rather than leaders, adopters of the dominant ethos rather than trendsetters who challenge it." To which I say amen. I absolutely believe that if parents and students would stand up to the status quo and say no things would change. Because what team is going to bench their star athletes if they say no and I am going to church instead of practice tonight. Please understand I am not calling us to stop sports all together, but to bring balance back in order to save our families and children from a self-destructive lifestyle that renders families from spending quality time together and students from missing opportunities that in the long run will matter more. There is no doubt that sports can and are a good thing but like anything when taken to extreme can destroy the very ones who are taking it there. Sportianity will always exist but for those of us who claim to follow Christ we must turn from the idolatry of sports and turn to the Worship of God and allow that worship to direct our choices and commitments.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Knowing Him: Temporal Events 2 Accomplish Eternal Purposes

Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

It always blows me away how the most seemingly obscure parts of the Bible can be some of the most important. In this case it blows me away the way God works. Little did Caesar know that he was playing an important part in accomplishing an eternal purpose. How amazing is God's sovereignty and the mysterious ways that He accomplishes eternal purposes. I look back over my life and see how temporal events accomplished eternal purposes and for which I am thankful. However there are some events that I wish were different, events that hurt, events that led to some very difficult situations but always led to the good. It's in these events that I must trust God and allow His eternal purpose to be played out. The question is do I really believe that God will work all things together for good? My prayer is that no matter what comes my way I will trust God that He knows what is best and that He has my best in mind.

Father help me to trust you no matter what so that you can accomplish your eternal purposes through me.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

No Pain, No Gain

Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Lately I have been challenged with and over and over again reminded that following Christ while extremely rewarding is not easy. We live in a culture where if we want something all we have to do is take a pill for it, charge it to a credit card or have the government bail us out, instead of saving for it, working hard, maybe breaking a sweat and actually having to earn something. As a result we miss the joy and reward that comes from the effort that we put into it and we get stuck just wanting more and believing that we deserve it. Sadly the same thing happens in many who claim to follow Christ, they want the benefits of following Christ, like overcoming sin, experiencing joy and satisfaction. Jesus in His exhortation here in the book of Matthew speaks to the fact that following Christ is work and sacrifice. Just like losing weight and exercise is tough the end results are amazing. So it is with Christ and a relationship that we work at throughout our lives. I must understand that to experience joy, to experience overcoming sin takes a daily surrender of my life to Christ (denying myself), being broken and humble (taking up the cross) and pursuing a relationship with Christ (follow me). Today my prayer is that I would experience all that a relationship with Christ offers.

Father today as I pursue a relationship with you help me to surrender to you and experience just how awesome it is to follow after you.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Metaphors of Growth

Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Paul gives us three metaphors to illustrate the importance of our faith specifically our relationship with Christ. First he gives us the metaphor of a path that we are to walk. Like every path there is a beginning and an end, also throughout the middle there can be several paths or detours that will lead us off the main path to destinations unknown. Jesus declared that He is the only way to life eternal. I know often in my sometimes feeble attempts to walk with Him I often take the side paths and end up going a direction I did not want to go. But Jesus is so amazing in that I can take 10,000 steps away from the path and it only takes one to get back. Second he uses the metaphor of a tree that has roots going deep. The amazing things about roots is that if properly fed they will be twice as long as the tree and able to withstand forces that would try to knock the tree over. In life I have faced many trials and will face many more, I know that in those times that I have been fed by the Word of God that the roots of my relationship with Christ have helped me to stand firm in the midst of a storm. Third he uses on object that is being built. With every building project the foundation is absolutely critical to the overall health of the structure. Jesus himself illustrated this with the two men, one who built his house on the sand and one who built his house on the rock. They key was the foundation which was obeying the Word of God. If I want my faith to be rock solid than I must build its foundation on the Word of God and the truths within and not on my own thinking or the thinking of the "wise" or even my experiences. These things should never be used to validate the Word of God but the Word of God should validate these things. Today may I be found walking the path of a relationship with Christ as I am rooted through God's Word and build my faith as I obey it.

Father thank you for the message of Christ and relationship that comes from believing that message, give me the strength today to live for you and walk with you so that my faith might be strengthened to face the challenges of today.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

So I Wait

Psalm 25:21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.

As I read this verse today I am reminded of the song Hungry, here are the lyrics.

Hungry I come to You
For I know You satisfy
I am empty but I know
Your love does not run dry

So I wait for You
So I wait for You

I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus You're all
This heart is living for

Broken I run to You
For Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know Your touch
Restores my life

So I wait for You
So I wait for You

I’m falling
I’m falling for You
Jesus You’re all
This heart is living for

What an incredible song filled with the truth of who God is and the very longing but often not the practice of my life. Psalm 25:21 is an incredible challenge to my heart that integrity and uprightness should characterize my life as I wait on the Lord. Often I will sing the words of this song and truly mean them but so often my life does not reflect the hunger to which it speaks. Psalm 25 reminds me that I must not just say I am hungry, I must not just sing the words, I must live the words. Jesus you're all this heart is living for, is that true? Oh how I want it to be true. Today my prayer is that my life would be marked by integrity and uprightness and that the words of this song would be found true in me today.

Father give me the strength to live for you today. May moment by moment surrender to you and fall down on my knees as I wait for you. Today may it be said of me that Jesus you're all this heart is living for.