James 1:22-25

James 1:22-25

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

This is one of my favorite passages.  I think partly its because of James sarcasm.  So he says listening to the word of God and not doing it is like someone who looks in a mirror walks away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  That is just ridiculous, completely absurd, how does one even do that, they don't.   I am confident that I have never done that, yet often I have listened to the Bible or someone speaking the Bible and often do not live it.  How ridiculous, completely absurd and yet reality.  I think part of it is that I do not look beyond these couple of verses to verse 25.  Looking intently involves listening and action and when that happens freedom and blessing comes.  May not be the blessing that I define it as or the freedom that I define it as but it is freedom and blessing according to the word of God.  I think sometimes that is where the friction comes is that it does not look like or is not at all what I was looking for in freedom and blessing.  

So what to do ignore this instruction and lose out on blessing and freedom.  Or obey it and allow the freedom and blessing that only God can bring rain down on me.

Father today please help me to choose your way.  Give me the strength to choose your way and then the contentment to allow your freedom and blessing to be all that I need.  

Philippians 4:11-13

Philippians 4:11-13

¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I 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. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Today is my birthday and I am turning 40.  Wow seriously does not seem possible that cresting the proverbial "hill".  But what I find even more amazing is that the Lord decides to remind me of my life verse today in verse 13.  It would be really easy for me to look at my life and not be content with where I am at or what I am doing or how much or don't have.  It is really tempting to feel like I have not accomplished much with my life.  

But the fact of the matter is that if I accomplish nothing else in life I can say I know Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Him.  I know that He gives me strength and that no matter what I face in life He is with me.

So instead of feeling discontent and letting Satan whisper sweet (ok not so sweet) nothings into my ear.  I choose to listen to the voice of God that resounds in my ear, I love you and together there is nothing we cannot do.  

Father today may I over and over be reminded of your love and strength.  May I lean on that strength to face this day and each day as I strive to live for you.  

Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9-14

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I find it amazing that the Pharisees found themselves to be righteous (another words made all the right decision and obeyed God), yet them would look down on other people.  They would treat others with contempt and treat them as sub par, pointing fingers just as they did in verse 11.  Jesus taught that to love God you must love others as you love yourself.  It is impossible to be righteous and treat others the way Pharisees treated people around them.  

Sadly I see this even today in the church, a place where the Love of Christ should be overwhelming, I see contempt.  I see people who would rather point out the sin or what they perceive as sin in others lives then to look at themselves in the mirror.  They would rather quit a church because of this contempt then choose to love in spite of others faults.  
Sadly I see this even in my own life as well.  Not sharing my faith with others because of fear or because of a pre-conceived idea that they really don't want to hear the gospel or will reject it.  Penn and Teller a pair of illusionists and out spoken atheist once said, "How much do you have to hate someone if you believe you have the answer for their lives and you will not tell them."  That if where like the Pharisees I see I treat others with contempt.  
Father I need your strength, I need to see others as you see them, I need to be willing to go and to share the truth of your son with them regardless of costs.  Help me to move beyond contempt to compassion.

John 15:4-5

John 15:4-5

⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;apart from me you can do nothing.

To remain in Christ is to be in a relationship with Him.  A relationship that is active, intentional and growing.  Jesus uses the metaphor of a grape vine and its branches to illustrate this relationship.  The vine trunk is Jesus, we are the branches.  Obviously from nature we can see this and know that it is true. As long as the branch stays connected to the vine it lives and bears fruit.   However if the branch becomes severed from the vine it dies and bears no fruit and can do nothing.  The branch must stay connected to the vine.  It must receive the nutrients and life from the vine or it will be able to do nothing.  Something I was thinking about even was if the branch gets damaged or even partially cut it till stop producing fruit and eventually die and          be unable to do anything.  I want to stay connected to the vine, I want to have a relationship with Christ that is alive, intentional and growing.  But sometimes my actions say otherwise.  Sometimes my actions damage the branch.  I am thankful that God the Father "the vine dresser" or care taker sees fit to forgive and restore me and let me produce fruit once again.  God you are good and your love endures forever.  

Proverbs 2:1-5

Proverbs 2:1-5

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Store up my commands within you, the word store means to hide or treasure.  This is the same word used in Psalm 119:11 which instructs us to hide God's Word in our hearts.  

I am reminded of a verse in Matthew where Jesus challenges the people to check their hearts.  He said "where your treasure is their your heart will be, store up treasure in heaven not on earth."  Yet in our culture today what we are constantly bombarded with is storing up treasure on earth.  A saying that I have seen plastered on posters is "He who dies with the most toys wins."  Usually in the picture is a huge house and several exotic sports cars sitting in front of the house.  I remember thinking when I saw that poster as a kid yeah that is what I want and I think I may have even bought that poster.  Now I understand that those things are not wrong, but they are temporary.  What Solomon challenges his son with and what Jesus challenges his followers with is that their are things that we should treasure far above earthly or temporal things.  That those things will lead to a relationship with Christ and have eternal value.

As a youth pastor I am saddened today by so many students and families that are pursuing temporary over eternal.  Sadly what I see instead of wisdom is folly, why because ultimately the result of temporary things is foolishness.  But the pursuit of the eternal is wisdom and knowledge of God. My prayer is that we would see the reality of pursuing temporary things and see that even though sometimes the eternal things do not produce the most visible outcomes that God promises they have eternal weight and ultimately effect our lives in ways that they may not be seen by men but our seen by Him.

Father today help me to focus on the eternal and not get caught up in the rat race of life seeking temporary comfort.  

Gods Wardrobe

Colossians 3:12-15

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.And be thankful.

God's wardrobe is unique in every sense.  The word clothe means to put on just like you would clothes.   Putting on means action, this must be a conscience active choice that we make at all times.  What are the clothes, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with each other, forgiveness and most importantly love.  What reaction do these clothes bring, peace and thankfulness.  

I notice that many of these articles of clothing are the same as the fruit of the Spirit, which are a product of a life surrendered to His working.  As I look at my life and think about which ones I most struggle with is gentleness.  I am not a very gentle person especially when it comes to my kids.  I speak harshly and am not proud of it.  I am thankful for the reminder today of what a child of God should look and be.  But I will need help, I cannot put these clothes on in my own strength or way.  I must rely on God to give me the strength to allow his Spirit to work in my life.  

Father give me strength today to be gentle.  Especially in the way I respond, talk and interact with my kids.  I want them to see Christ in me and allow peace to reign in our home.  

Psalm 51

Psalm 51:7-12

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

David has written this Psalm after his meeting with Nathan the prophet.  Nathan has pointed out to him the sin that like Hebrews 12 describes "so easily entangles."  Obviously David understood what he had done was sin and now is willing to deal with the issue.  In the verses before this part of the passage he confesses his sin and agree's with God that it is sin.  

Now he seeks to be cleaned.  Hyssop was a plant used for medicinal purposes and like hyssop forgiveness cleanses and removes the sin out from our lives. (1 John 1:9)  You can continue to hear his prayer of repentance through the next couple of sentences.

Then he ask God to do something only that God can do, give him a pure heart and renew the relationship that they have enjoyed in the past.

Sin will always take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and pay more than you want to pay.  But praise the Lord that it only takes one step to get back to Him and that is repentance (turning away from sin and turning toward God).  God loves us so much and desires to be in relationship with us that he promises to never leave us or forsake us even if there is a season of sin in our lives.  He is always there and with arms wide open is willing to receive, restore and refill our lives with His Spirit.  

Father thank you for your forgiveness, thank you for providing a way for us to be forgiven.  Thank you that when we confess you are willing to cleanse us and to restore the relationship.  

Comfort in Conviction

Psalm 139:1-3

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

This perhaps is one of the most convicting and comforting passages in all of scripture.  Convicting in that God knows me completely, my thoughts, my actions, my reactions.  As David says all my ways he is familiar with, ouch!  When I think about just a fraction of my ways and realize wow that was not glorifying or that was not godly at all.  Conviction as I understand it is from the Holy Spirit and is not for the purpose of guilt or remorse but is for the purpose of growth.  The Holy Spirit brings conviction for the purpose of growth in my relationship with the Father.  Sin will disrupt that relationship so the Holy Spirit steps in and brings conviction to point out to me something is not right.  Out of that I have a choice to make repent and turn from the sin or continue to ignore the Holy Spirit and allow it to hinder my relationship with God. 

Secondly it brings comfort because of the same reason, "all my ways he is familiar with".  Nothing takes God by surprise so the circumstances of life God knows and sees in my life.  He offers to me strength, wisdom and promises He will never leave me nor forsake me in the process.  So how can I not take comfort in this passage.

Father as I go through life and make choices that both will draw me closer to you and ones that will take me further from you, would you be quick to convict and quick to comfort.  Thank you for your presence, thank you for your conviction.  

Building

1 Thessalonians 5:11

¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

The word for build is edify, which means literally to build or repair a building.  Carries with it the idea of promoting growth in a believers life in their walk with Christ and their character.

Building things can be both fun and hard work at the same time.  I have had the privilege of helping to build homes for families in Honduras and watch as those building are completed the joy and excitement that it brings to each families life.  
However in building each home like all homes it started with the foundation and worked up from there till you completed the roof.  The process was not easy, actually some of the most difficult work I have ever done.  The building itself did not look all that appealing during the process either.  By the time we finished the project it was amazing to see and even more amazing to see it being used for its intended purpose.
Building each other up in our walk with Christ is very much the same.  Its a process that can both be fun and hard work at the same time.  A believers life does not always look pretty or even what it is supposed to look like but the end product is amazing.  We are all supposed to help with the process of building each other up so that we might be able to accomplish the call God has given each one of us.  

God Knows Best

Psalm 145:17-21

The Lord is righteous in all his ways faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him,  to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

God's will his best.  Do I really believe that or is that just a nice sentiment for us as Christians to be able to claim.  But when it comes to living it out is a whole different thing all together.  "The Lord is righteous in all His ways" means that everything He does is good, pleasing and perfect.  Clearly from this passage we see that those things are also for our benefit and ultimately for our good.  There is an old saying, "Mother knows best", well in this case our heavenly Father knows best.  But yet I find it difficult to lean and trust on Him at times.  Why?  Because I think that while I acknowledge "God knows best" my flesh wars against it with "I know best".  Oh that I might be able to surrender my will to God's that I might be able to in every situation say "God knows best".

Father today may I lean on you, may I turn to you, may I follow you wherever you lead me.  Help to not just acknowledge you with my lips but to truly serve you with my heart.

Growing Intentionally

2 Peter 1:5-9

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

"Add to", and "increasing measure" are two phrases that challenge us to grow intentionally in our faith.  Our faith cannot be a passive one, for if it is Peter warns that our vision (the way we see the world and God) is hindered and we have taken for granted what Christ has done for us.  
However if these actions are true of our lives then we will grow in our relationship with Christ.  The specific actions we are to add to our faith is first of all moral goodness or purity (saying no to sin and yes to God).  Then moral knowledge (desire for right living) and to this self control (the ability to master our desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites).  Then to self control add patience (steadfastness, consistency).  Then to these things godliness (reverence of God or respect for things of God) and then to this mutual affection (respect for God's people).  Last but certainly not least is love which we know is what binds them all together from other writings of Peter and Paul.
These are to be increasing growing in my life and as a result I will be effective and will produce fruit in my life.  

Father help me to grow in these areas of my life, but I need your strength, I need your power in order to grow.  Give me the determination today to see and adding of these things in my life.  

Delight

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law does he meditate day and night.  

The word delight means something that brings great pleasure.  In this life we have many things that bring great pleasure, but I wonder where the Bible ranks on that long list.  I am not even sure people would view the Bible as a delight.  I think sometimes we think of it more like a text book.  Ah man I got to read that again or ok I need to sit down and study.  But delight, really do I really find great pleasure in reading it, spending time pouring over its content.  Yet this is what the man of God according to this passage is saying, he stays away from sin and those who would take him down the wrong path of life and he delights in the law (Word=Bible) of God.  As a result of finding delight he meditates (thinks) about it constantly.  Wow I am so convicted by this because I know that often it is not God's Word that fills my thoughts but often the pleasures of this life or worries of it as well.  But how can I make it something I delight in?  Same way you would make anything something you find pleasure in, you simply get into it, try it, spend time reading, thinking, studying and meditating on it.  At the same time I believe praying that God would give you a hunger and thirst for it that out weighs the other pleasure items of this life.  Overtime God's Word will become a delight that I know will radically impact my life and the lives of those around me.  Because lets face it was we find pleasure in we tell others about and that ultimately is our most important job in the Kingdom is making disciples who make disciples.

Father give me a hunger and thirst for you Word, may you be quick to remind me of all the goodness your Word brings to my life.  May you use your Word to speak volumes in my life and then in turn as you do that would you use me to spread your Word to those I meet everyday.