Everyone Has a Bad Day Sometimes

Psalm 13 says, “How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”

Observation: Kind David, the man after God’s own heart, was struggling. He felt that God was not hearing him in his time of need. Going so far as to think God has forgotten him! He was forced to deal with his thoughts. What kind of thoughts do you think he was having? He felt that the bad team was winning. He then demands that God listen to him. He said “if you don’t listen, I’m dead!” He then tries to appeal to God’s competitive side saying, “if you don’t help, evil wins.” After this self argument, he remembers that God can always be trusted, that He loves us, and that we at the very least have salvation. And that is worth singing about.

Application: Everyone has one of those days when they think the world is caving in on them. That is just a matter of fact. But how do we deal with it? I think what I have learned from this psalm is that I can cry out to God with all frustration. But I must always remember that God can be trusted. This is easier said than done. I have salvation. That is always worth singing about.

Prayer: God, you know my heart. You know my needs. You know my fears and frustrations. I pray that when I am in those ugly spots and it seems like I am drowning, you remind me of the gift you have given me.

A Teachable Heart

Acts 17: 24-26 says, “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”

Observation: Apollos knew his stuff. He was obviously a smart man who loved God and knew His word well. He was a strong communicator. He was gifted. He did all these things in boldness. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speaking they saw his gifts in speaking but knew they needed to correct him. They taught him more about who Jesus was. He received it and went on to do great things. Later on, Paul refers to him as a man who has furthered the gospel.

Application: I need to be teachable just as Apollos was. I think I know what I’m talking about, I have a good heart and love to tell others about what I have learned about God. But, when I get corrected or shown something that I didn’t understand I sometimes take it personal. Why should I feel this way? A part of being a Christian is realizing that we never have it figured all out and there is always something new to learn about the character of God. The Bible tells us that one day we will be complete, but that will not come until the day we see Jesus again. Until then, it is a process, a journey.

One thing that jazzes me up more than anything is when I encounter a person who wants to grow in their faith. They soak up everything they hear about God and His word. This is a teachable heart. I think Jesus loves a teachable heart more than just about anything else. When he recruited his disciples, he was looking for men with a teachable heart. If we have that heart, imagine what God can do with that!

Prayer: God, make me teachable. Let me learn something new about your character everyday! Put me in the path of someone who wants to teach me something new. Put me in the path of someone who I can teach something new.

To An Unknown God

As I was reading Acts 17 this morning, the following passage struck me, “Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Athens was the intellectual capital of the area. There was an openness to new ideas on every subject. Paul used this to his advantage. But the problem was that all they did was sat around talking about and listening to the latest ideas. What’s wrong with that? That made it possible for Paul to tell them about Jesus Christ. We go on to read, however, that Paul was unable to start a church in Athens. My guess is because they sat around talking about and listening to new ideas. They never decided to believe in something. But just to be safe they would cover their bases and give respect to all God, know and unknown?!?

When I was young, I remember sitting with friends at school talking about religion. Do you remember those days? We would throw out all sorts of ideas. I was brought up knowing about God, and for the most part I knew what I believed. One thing that always saddened me was when I would talk with someone who knew a little bit about everything but had no real conviction or belief system. They would talk and listen to new ideas. But those ideas never really took roots and turned into something more. How could I share my ideas about who Jesus was and make it more than just idle talk?

As I look back, all of those discussions may or may not have been productive. But I was able to share my ideas about who Jesus was. What I really regret was that I talked a lot about him, but never really let me friends see him in action in the way I acted. As I look back I think that my actions and my words could have met up a little bit better. But today, I have opportunity to sit and talk with people who are also searching for something. Like Paul, I can tell them about Jesus. If it takes root then Amen! If not, did I fail? Not as long as I was obedient.

God, today I hope I have the opportunity to tell someone about who Jesus is in my life, and that those words take root and grow.

Leviticus: A Love Letter from God

Today, as I was reading Leviticus 10-12 my mind began to wonder as many do when reading the book of Leviticus. But the more I read the book of Leviticus, I’m impressed by something God is doing in the midst of all the rules and regulations. God was giving the Israelites a healthy and safe way of living. They had been slaves for hundreds of years and most likely took on most of the Egyptians customs and ways of living. God wanted to bring them back into relationship with Himself, and protect them in the process..

As He described what was lawful and unlawful to eat, we see that the food that was lawful was healthier than the unlawful food. Take the creatures from the sea. Only things with scales and fins were lawful to eat, so shell fish, crab, lobster, would have been unlawful. But those are the most tasty! True, but they are incredibly unhealthy. Those are the creatures that eat all the junk at the bottom of the oceans.

So in the midst of all the rules, God was loving His people and wanted them to be healthy and safe. It’s no different than being a parent. I tell my boys what is lawful and unlawful every day. Why? to protect them and keep them safe and healthy.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, “”Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The law is a beautiful thing because it demonstrates God’s love for His people in writing, like a love letter from Him to us. Jesus came to fulfill or carryout the commandments of the law that we were unable to do. That is where grace is engaged!

Thank you God, for loving me so much. Let me be one who follows your commandments and let me be one who walks in your grace.

Law Vs. Grace

Simon Peter said a bunch of goofy things in the Bible. He is also credited as totally denying Jesus Christ when he should have been embracing him most. But for all the things he said, he was enlightened by the Spirit of God and made a profound statement in Acts: “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Thank you God! Thank you Peter for speaking up! There were those who wanted to sprinkle on a little Law with Grace. But Peter understood that you can’t do that. For hundreds of years, the Jews were unable to hold themselves to that standard. Peter called it out.

Today, we still do the same. Mix man’s laws with God’s grace. God is all about faith through his son. So take hold and live it out. Let Jesus live through you to do what needs to get done for those around you.

Speak Up

Are you ever afraid to speak up when you know God has given you a word to encourage with? Of course, all of us at times are fearful. I’m not sure why, but we are.

Paul and Barnabas were told: “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13) So they do what they were asked. Later on we read: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.”

Paul and Barnabas were faithful to speak up, even though those they were trying to encourage rejected them. They did, however, learn a valuable lesson. They found the people that were willing to listen to them.

It’s really not our responsibility to make sure those we are talking to follow through, it’s only our responsiblity to be faithful to speak up when God tell us to. How do you know when you are suppose to speak up? All I can say is when you have that feeling in the pit of your gut, it’s time to step out on faith. There are many times when I know I am to speak up and I am so worried about what others may think. But don’t forget, there was never a popular prophet in the Bible, they were speaking truth, and truth is sometimes a hard pill to swallow.

More Than Enough

Exodus 35:10 says, ““Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the Lord has commanded:” And later Exodus 36:4-5 says, “Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!”

Observation: God had given Moses a task to build and prepare the tabernacle for His presence. Moses asked the men and women to step up and serve. They did, so much so that Moses had to say, “we’re good, you can stop giving, there is an abundance.”

Application: What was it that mobilized the people to serve so selflessly and giving in abundance? I think it was they wanted to be in the presence of God. They wanted Him with them and in order for that to happen they had to serve Him. I always say I want God with me and to be in His presence, but am I always willing to give and do what He is asking me to do? I don’t think I can say that is true of me. I still want what I want. I still waste my time on things that do not prepare a way. I let my mind wonder and get caught up in things that do not matter. What I need to be doing is not what I am doing. I feel like Paul saying that. But it is true.

Prayer: God, I want you with me through your son. There are some areas in my life where I am not giving in abundance. It’s not even about money, it’s about the heart. If I were giving from the abundance of my heart I feel that you would walk with me daily. God, change me! Change me! Change me! Let me be consumed with your agenda and your things. Please, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Darth Vader was Blinded

Acts 9: 3-4 says, “As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

Observation: The Darth Vader of the new Christian movement was going around killing Christian Jedi’s, Saul. He was a super bad man. He was a murder, liar, thief. He was bad. He was on his way to Damascus to do what he did best. But while on the way he encountered Jesus Christ. He spent a few moments in the very presence of God. He was blinded and told to go to Ananias. There he was healed and sent on a mission, to preach Jesus and to start churches.

Application: When you are in the presence of God, you will be different. We were teaching the kids at The Crossing Church all this month that when we spend time with God, we can know we will be different. A prayer of every Christian is to be different than how we were (or are). God gives us the key to this mystery. Every time someone was in His presence, they were changed. It didn’t matter how bad you were, you would be changed more into his image. So if you ask me, the secret to becoming more like Christ is to spend more time with Christ. How? Prayer, the Word, study it, think about it, fast from things that are in control of you, sing songs of praise, make your life living worship. You will be different.

Prayer: God, make me different, I thank you that you are making me different even as I write this. Being in your presence is a good place, don’t let me be away from you. Let me bring others with me. Let my light shine.

Giving into the Pressures of Popularity and Pleasing Others

Exodus 32:4-5 “Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt! Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!”

Observation: Moses was up on a mountain having a conversation with God. God was giving the Law to Moses. This Law would be the foundation to bring His people back into relationship with God. While Moses was away, his “mouth piece,” Aaron, was suppose to be watching the kids. The freshly rescued Israelites were complaining and grumbling. So they pressured Aaron into forming an idol out of gold for them to pray to. Aaron did as they asked. When he saw that it pleased the people, he was pleased..

Application: I will be the first to admit that there have been times in my life when I compromised what was right in the eyes of God in order to please the people around me. We all have at least a small desire to please others, some of us more than others. That is when peer pressure and the idea of popularity can take a Christian and put them in a place of compromise. That is a dangerous place to be in. Jesus told us we would be a people set apart, not of this world. Yet we struggle with the tension of pleasing God and pleasing people. I have learned that we only need to please one. God will be responsible for letting others see what they need to see about us.

Prayer: God, let me please and obey you this week. I know I will be tempted as Aaron was to give into the pressures of those around me, but remind be that I am set apart by you, for you.