When God Speaks

Psalm 29:3-5
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

"God's voice is unmistakable. When He speaks He speaks with clarity. God's voice is powerful because it is backed by His character. He's not making bogus claims. He's not saying stuff that He can't back up. He's not just bragging, boasting or speculating. No He's the God of the universe and He speaks with moral, holy integrity and demands to be listened to and not to be ignored." Crawford Loritts

David wrote the voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is majestic. Today that voice rings out through His Word, the Bible. If we want to experience real power through God's voice we must spend time in His Word. For it is there that I hear the voice of God and can through His spirit experience the power of that voice in my life. What blows me away is that God chooses to use me in order proclaim that message and in a way transfer His power to others.

Father give me a hunger for your Word and may I be able to hear your voice through it and experience your power. May your voice speaks volumes into my life and may it be heard by others as they see my actions.

God Is In Control

Romans 8:28-29
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Do I really believe this? Do I really trust God that He will work all things to the good? My heart cries out "yes" but often my life says the opposite. If God is in control than nothing that happens in my life takes Him by surprise. Not one thing catches Him off guard, nothing sneaks up on Him and freaks Him out. I am certain that God allows things to happen in our lives in order that He might work it out for our good. Now it may not seem so good to us, but I am certain that once you look at whatever it is, you will see the good if you are looking from God's point of view and not my own fleshly point of view. God is in control and either I can choose to except that or I can choose to ignore it but it does not change that He is still in control.

Father help me to trust you and look at things through your vantage point rather than my own and help me to see the good that you are working out in my life.

First Things First

Colossians 3:1-3
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

It's so easy to read this verse and say ok no problem. However living it out is quite another. Having an eternal focus is crucial to living for Christ on a daily basis. The choices I make are they eternal in scope or just the necessary to get by for that moment. Living the life of a follower of Christ is all about choosing and looking to our eternal home and not satisfying the moment. Today may I fix my eyes on Christ and my heart on things above so that I might live for Him.

Father give me the strength to live for you and the desire to set my heart on things that would honor you.

God's Good

Romans 8:26-28
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

"In all tings God works for the good." To often and I know I have been guilty of this, we use this verse as a crutch to tell others don't worry God will work all things out to the good. The problem is that telling someone that and then something that to us is "bad" happens and all of a sudden you find yourself questioning and doubting God. For example, my brother for over nine years battled cancer and then on Christmas Eve passed away from complications due to the cancer. Most people would look at this situation and others and say man that is horrible where was God. The problem is that God's "good" and our "good" are not the same. We think good is a feeling or if the right thing happens in a circumstance or makes us feel good or you will in the blank. But God's good could and often is completely different. I absolutely believe this verse but I must trust God that He knows what is best for my life and that the good He works out is for my best. You see in the case of my brother I believe He did work all things to the good because through it God called me into the ministry, several people gave their hearts to Christ at his funeral and the instant he died, he awoke in the presence of God completely healed from the cancer. I also know that one day I will see Him again and he is in a far better place than I am currently.

Father help me to trust you in every circumstance of life that you know what is best for my life and that you are working out the details to see that best made reality in my life.

Live Out The Truth

Titus 3:9-11
9But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

I remember in college many guys that would sit around in the evenings and "debate" theological topics. It always cracked me up because they were not really debating at all they were each just simply talking and trying to outwit the others with their self-generated intellect. The sad part about these guys was that they would spend more time in this pointless exercise than they ever did in ministry or putting into practice the very topics they were "debating". I know that there is nothing wrong with discussing things and working through theological topics but when all those very truths of God's Word are not practiced then we have become nothing more than a pharisee. My prayer in my life is that I would be ready to give an answer but that my answer would not simply come from my lips but more importantly from my lifestyle.

Father give me the strength to live out the Word of God and not simply be able to argue my point.

Every Step I Take I Take In You

Acts 17:24-28
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

God is in control. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the creator of life. He is all powerful, holy, just, righteous, everywhere all the time, He is God. Yet as it says in verse 27 he is not far from each one of us. Man that is awesome and comforting and convicting all at the same time. To know that God is not far from us that He is with us and longs for us to draw closer to Him is an amazing promise. God will take care of us and the Bible says He will meet all of our needs. Not only is He not far but verse 28 says that in Him we live and move and have our being. God gives us each breath we take and each step me make. Without Him life would cease to exist and become meaningless. God is so amazing and yet so I often I question Him or doubt Him or just plain take Him for granted. Why? Why when I see that He is in control, why when I believe that He meets all of my needs, why when I know that He can see the beginning from the end? I must like Proverbs 3:5-6 says trust in Him with all my heart and I must not lean on my own understanding and in all my ways acknowledge Him and then allow Him to direct my every path of life.

Father today help me to trust you and to allow you to show me the steps you want me to take. Help me be quick to praise you and give you thanks for everything.

Do I have to?

Galatians 2:6
6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message.

These men that this verse refers to were those who were focusing on being religious instead of being in a relationship with Jesus. They were acting out of obligation and not out of love for the Savior. How easy it is to get stuck in a rut and lose site of what is really important. It's so easy to do things to make myself look good but have no heart in it or passion for it which ultimately leads to failure. Why? because if my heart is not in xy or z then it will not be long and I will stop doing it because it has made little difference in my life. Being religious may be all well and good for a time but it will not last, only what is done for eternity will last and that is to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship implies love, meaning, passion, intimacy and work. I do not want it to be said of me that I had little or no impact on another persons life, but the only way that I will have an impact on others is by drawing closer to Christ and falling more in love with Him everyday.

Father help me to pursue you out of love and not obligation. May my life be marked by our relationship and not religious duty. May I impact others because of your son working through me as a result of our relationship.

Turn the World Upside Down

Acts 17:5-7 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

Wow what an awesome thing to have said about you, "these men have turned the world upside down." Through their fearless proclamation of the Gospel, their expectant prayers, and their full-hearted willingness to obey they lived out radical Christianity and turned the world upside down. This is what I want to be said of me. This is what I want to be said of my family. This is what I want to be said of my church and youth ministry. Could it happen? Is it possible that God could use us to turn the world upside down again? I believe that yes He can and it starts with me living out my faith in a radical and yet normal way that others see Christ in me and as I live it out my kids, my wife, my peers, my students will see it and I pray God would put in them something that says I want to live like that, I want to live for Christ.

Father give me the passion and hunger to live out a radical devotion to you and use me to turn this world upside down.

The Gospel

The other day I heard on the radio something that I have been meditating on since. "The Gospel is not the A,B,C's of the our faith it is the A to Z of our faith." Many times our church has been accused of being shallow when it comes to preaching and that we should preach the deep things of God. Sadly I believe these people have believed the myth that The Gospel is just the elementary things of God when in fact The Gospel permeates everything we need to know and should know. Think about it Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again for my sin. Without this everything would be a farce, with Christ everything the Bible teaches would lose it's meaning and significance. Without Christ our faith is meaningless and hopeless because everything we believe stems from Him. The reason I follow the Word of God is because of Christ, the reason I live out my faith is because of Christ, the reason I do anything of eternal value is because of Christ. Without Christ I would be just existing, but with Him I am living life to the fullest.

Father help me never to take for granted the good news of Jesus Christ and what He has done for me. May I never fall prey to the empty belief that The Gospel is good for me at the point of salvation but rather help me to find the significance of it in every area of my life.

Make My Better Great!!

Matthew 10:38-42 38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

It's so easy to get wrapped up in doing good things only to miss the best thing. Martha in verse 40 was distracted by all the preparations. How often do I allow ministry and those proverbial tings that come up to distract me from experiencing the best thing? It is so easy to be great at doing things for God instead of being a man of God. Mary got it and in verse 42 Jesus tells Martha that Mary had chosen the better course of action. What was that action? Verse 39 tells us Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to what He had to say. Mary was experiencing the presence of God and listening to His voice. So often I try to do ministry without experiencing the presence of God or listening to His voice. This morning I am reminded that I need to stop, sit and listen and allow God to speak to me so that I might experience His presence. You see it's not that what Martha was doing was bad, simply seeing Jesus response tells us that because Mary chose the better indicating that what Mary was doing was good but not best. I want to choose what is best so that my better might become great. Without God or His presence guiding my better it will never become great. Only God can take my better and make it great.

Father help me today to sit at your feet to hear your voice and to experience your presence as I strive to serve you faithfully today. I know that I cannot possibly serve you apart from you. Fill my life so that as I serve you, you impact the world around me.

Meeting My Needs

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." ¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

There is so much in this passage to really be able to give it all equal time but one verse really stand out to me in this time in which we live. "⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." Wow what an amazing verse for the times that we find ourselves and country struggling through. But the question is do we really believe it or not? I believe the way we show that we believe it is by practicing the verses preceding it by giving back to God. Call it tithing call it whatever you like but giving back to God is absolutely a practice taught in scripture. What is amazing is here Paul is speaking of money, but giving back to God involves every aspect of our lives, from time to relationships. Notice what happens when we give back to God, He meets all of our needs, not wants, but needs. Big difference and one that often I think we overlook and then blame God because He has not met our wants. Today as I go through this day may I find myself believing that God can and will meet all of my needs at all times.

Father may I trust you as you see the bigger picture and know what is best for me. May I not lean on my own understanding but in everyway acknowledge you and live for you as I go through this day.

Jars of Clay

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Just one question what is inside your jar of clay (your life)?

Father may what is inside of me be revealed, oh how I want you to be that treasure, but oh how I know so often I replace the treasure of you with fool's gold. Help me today to live for you and allow the treasure of you to be revealed.

Shine Make Them Wonder What You Got

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Newsboys have a song entitled "Shine" in it they challenge us the listener to "shine make them wonder what you got make them wish that they were not on the outside looking on." Obviously Satan has blinded people to the truth of the Gospel and it is God that make His light shine into our hearts illuminating the darkness and giving us the knowledge of Him. We must live our lives in such a way as verse 4 exhorts us to be servants for Jesus. However I must remember that without God it is impossible to shine, it is impossible for men to see the light. God is the only one who can save, I am just a vessel, a demonstration of what His light can do in a heart that was once filled with darkness. Today may the light of Christ shine through my life as I serve Him.

Father give me the strength to shine out your light as I serve you. Help me to be obedient to whatever task you call me to do today as a servant of your son. As I serve may I serve not to preach myself but your son.

Attitude Check

Philippians 2:5-10 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Wow what a statement to try to live up to in my life. So easy to say but so hard to do. So what was Christ attitude, a servant's heart. A willingness to be obedient to anything His father told Him including dying for sinful man. But it did not stop with just willingness but resulted in action. To have an attitude like that would mean to be completely taking the focus off myself and placing it on God. In myself there is no good thing, nothing righteous of my own making. It is only Christ in me the hope of glory that gives me anything of eternal value and allows me to be used to do eternal things. Today I wonder is my attitude reflecting Christ?

Father give me the determination to say yes to whatever you direct me to do and give me the strength to do it, so that I might reflect Christ.

Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you, must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

James and John's mother comes to Jesus and asks her to let her sons be the one's who would sit next to Jesus on his throne in Heaven. To her she was asking for them to be in a place of great significance. This made the other disciples upset and Jesus then pulled the disciples together to teach them the principle of being a servant. Greatness in God's eyes does not come from power or authority but rather the willingness to put others before yourself. As a father and husband this principle is huge. Maybe just as in our fathers eyes greatness comes from service, maybe in our kids and our spouse greatness would be seen in our service. May we learn to put their needs before our own and may they see in our life a lifestyle of service that would translate into seeing God through our actions.

Father give us the heart of a servant and may we learn from the example of your son to serve others just as you came to serve and not be served.

The New You

Colossians 3:5-10 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

The key to putting the things mentioned in verse 5-9 is verse 10. "Put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge in the image of its Creator." Pjillippians 4:8-9 gives us some insight to this new self, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Now obviously the new self begins with a relationship with Christ and is developed over time as we walk with Him. However in these verses we find the exact opposite of the Colossians passage and one that I believe is crucial to putting on the new self. This putting on carries with it the idea of getting dressed and getting ready to face the day. We would not face it naked, no we must cloth ourselves and we will. Either we will choose to cloth ourselves in righteousness which comes from Christ or self-righteousness which comes from ourselves. The choice is our today may we choose to put on the new self.

Father give me the strength today to put on the new self which you began in my life some time ago. May I live in such a way that others see in my you and may my life and actions reflect that of putting on the new self.

Chewing Your Cud

Psalm 1:1-6 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

This man's delight is the Word of God and he meditates on it everyday throughout the day. The word meditates carries with it the idea of a cow chewing its cud. A cow does not have a very good digestive system and it has to continually cough up its food and re-chew it as it breaks down the food in order for it to be digested. That is why you always see cows jaws moving because they are chewing and re-chewing their food in order for it to pass through their system. This is what mediating on God's Word is all about, throughout the day continually chewing on it utill we are able to digest and live out what it says. As we do we become like a tree planeted near streams of water strong, vibrant and fruit bearing.

Father today help me to meditate on your Word and allow it to impact my life as I live out all that you are teaching me.

Wait for the Lord

Proverbs 1:10-19 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

Cutting corners, taking short cuts, not reporting things that should be reported and more seems to be a trend these days in our society and sadly our economy is taking the full force of many peoples ill-gotten gain. Notice the verse says the their very lives will be taken away. Is this not what we are seeing happening today. Sadly the innocent are effected right alone with the guilty. That is the curse of sin because really none of us are innocent. We are all born with a sin problem. However maybe all is not lost maybe through this people will turn to God and put their faith and trust in one who is really in control and sees the end from the beginning. Psalm 27:13-14 says "I will see the Lord in the land of the living, wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord." May I today wait for the Lord and rely on His strength and may I look to Him to guide me.

Father guide my heart today and may I be found faithful in serving you and proclaiming you throughout this day.

Understanding Spiritual Things

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"But we have the mind of Christ.

As I read this passage I am reminded why so many that so greatly stand against the Word of God do so. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." The creation story, abortion, homosexuality, men and women's roles in marriage, the Ten Commandments just to name a few all are rejected by men because they do not have the spirit of God to discern the teachings of the Bible. Yet I find myself sometimes treating or thinking about such people that they must be fools when in fact it's not that they are fools but they lack one thing, God. I assume they just accept the Bible as true and that is simply not true. Sadly we are living in a time that is increasingly rejecting the Bible as a truth source. We must pray that God will open men's eyes and hearts to see their need for Him spiritually.

Father as I go throughout my day may I be mindful that you are at work in people's hearts and that you call all men to yourself. Help me not get caught up in judging men for rejecting your truth and instead determined to live out how your Word has impacted my life. Use me today to be a light for you in this dark world.

More Than Conquerors

Romans 8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Often we here some to say that "God wants to bless us and give us His best", of which I totally agree. However often what they are speaking about is wealth, health and luxuary. I am not really sure where anybody gets that idea from but all I can say is that it is a complete misinterpretation of scripture. Yes God does want to bless us and allow us to live life and life it to the fullest, but sometimes those blessings come in the midst of a storm. Hardship and trial is something that every believer will face, non of us are somehow exempt. Actually the Bible makes it clear if you live for Jesus you will endure many hardships. But it is those hardships that make us stronger and challenge us to move forward. Do we feel like giving up? For sure but then we are reminded as in the verses above that nothing can seperate us from God's love. In the midst of the trial is God holding out His hand of mercy to guide us through. Just as David said God goes with us through the valley of the shadow of death. I am thankful for the storms of my life because I would not be where I am today if it had not been for them.

Father today as I face a new day with many challenges help me to gain my strength from you and not try to tackle it alone. May I sense throughout the day your presence as you guide me through this life.