"Come into the Light"
Daniel 7:1-28
I John 1:1-10
Psalm 119156-176
Proverbs 28:23-24
"This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are his friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. but if we are living the light of God's presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin."
Christian growth is a process. There isn't a moment that we can stop and say, "there, I've arrived.... I don't need to grow any more." Unfortunately, we have forces working against us that would like to stunt our growth. There are things that creep into our life that essentially stop the maturing process.
What makes these "growth stoppers" so dangerous is that they come from within. Growing in Christ is dying to the flesh, and believe it or not, or flesh does not want to die! So, it rages against us.
Think of your relationship with the Lord as a path. The path leads toward greater intimacy with Christ. Where are you on the path right now? The goal is that we walk joyfully onward. Do you feel in your spirit that your running toward him, walking grudgingly onward, or have you stopped along the way? The challenge arises in that the flesh is not really looking forward to this journey. It sees that this progression with Christ becomes increasingly brighter. Flesh knows that as we come into the light, flaws may be revealed. We may become aware of sin, and that will have to be dealt with.
Flesh says, "You're doing a great job compared to them! Look how far you've come. You're much farther down the path than some others. Why don't you stop here. Rest. Sure, there are things that the Light will reveal, but that may get uncomfortable. You deserve your comfort."
So we may say, "you know what, I am tired. I have been working too hard. I know God is drawing me to deal with this, but I'm not going to go there right now." We stop.
So what changes? The surprising thing is that no one really notices we've stopped. In fact we don't notice much change at all. We can still see the light. No big deal, right? In fact, this comfort is kind of a great feeling. What we don't see is that the darkness has crept in. It's very subtle, but none the less, standing out of the "Light of God's presence" is standing in the darkness.
If it seems really hard to get back "on track", it can be because we've become comfortable in the darkness. But the scripture is clear. "if we say we are his friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying."
There is such promise in walking in the Light. "But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin." That's where I want to be. I want my relationship with the Lord to be exciting, open to his leading, and vulnerable to his Spirit. That will change everything, even my relationship to those around me.
This is what puts the "Dynamic" in the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. Walk in the Light today!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
11.29.11 "The Godly Life"
"The Godly Life"
Daniel 6:1-28
2 Peter 3:1-18
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 28:21-22
Reading through the Bible is such a powerful process of getting to know who God is. The pages of scriptures each reveal a different element of his character; a different angle of what he desires; a picture of his heart. I'm finding as I read through some of the bible stories that I can remember hearing from being a little boy, there are such tremendous nuggets of truth that are new for today.
Today's reading is the story of Daniel in the lions' den. I'm sure we could all tell the story. In reading the Word, we could also very easily skip over it as if it were a "re-run" on TV Land. "Oh, I've seen this one... there's nothing new here..."
Take a look at the Godly life of Daniel. Daniel is working for his 3rd king, King Darius. I find it interesting that Daniel remains in a position of honor for 3 administrations. I don't know about the politics of Babylon, but to me that says something about his character. King Darius made him one of 3 presidents who were in charge of 120 governors.
"Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other presidents and governors, for he had great ability, and the king began to think of placing him over the entire empire as his administrative officer." Dan. 6:3
This should be our goal. No, not to rule over the empire, but that we do our job to the absolute best of our ability. Not that we are "better" than other people, but we should be working hard to live up to our full potential and to be people of integrity and honor. This brings such incredible honor to God. This path isn't easy however.
"This made the other presidents and governors very jealous, and they began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn't find anything to criticize! He was faithful and honest, and made no mistakes." Dan. 6:4
What an incredible testimony. What if everyone at your workplace decided they were going to watch your life looking for a chance to complain about you? What kind of ammunition does your life give them? Are they able to complain about the way you talk about your superiors, the way you take too long of a lunch break, or how you waste time?
A Godly life brings glory to God. Wouldn't it be great if those around us would have to say, "Our only chance is his religion!" (Dan. 6:5) Oh that my greatest fault was my love for God.
We know the story, the other leaders plot against Daniel, make a law about praying, he prays, and he's in the lions den. Listen to what King Darius says of Daniel's "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship" when he is thrown into the den: "The king said to him, 'May your God, whom you worship continually, deliver you.'" (Dan. 6:16) The next day King Darius rushes to the den and says, "O Daniel, servant of the Living God, was your God, whom you worship continually, able to deliver you from the lions?" (Dan. 6:20) That should be our trademark. We should be known as people who "Worship Continually". It's not enough for them to say, "hey, don't you go to that church?"
We need to live lives of complete devotion and worship of God. This points others to God in an incredible way. King Darius' decree to his entire empire at the end of the chapter is: "Greetings! I decree that everyone shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel in every part of my kingdom. For his God is the living, unchanging God whose kingdom shall never be destroyed and whose power shall never end. He delivers his people, preserving them from harm; he does great miracles in heaven and earth; it is he who delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."
In 2 Peter 3, Peter is talking about the coming of the Lord. He says in verse 11, "And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living!" Verse 14 &15 say, "Dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen and for him to come, try hard to live without sinning, and be at peace with everyone so that he will be pleased with you when he returns. And remember why he is waiting. He is giving us time to get his message of salvation out to others."
It is so important that our lives point to God. The integrity of our lifestyle preaches far more than words. We don't work hard to make it "look like" we love God, we Love God! The fruit of that is our integrity and hard work. This is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, November 28, 2011
11.28.11 "Prison Break"
"Prison Break"
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". They feel it's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". But I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" We need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a pull toward sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
You may be at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". They feel it's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". But I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" We need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a pull toward sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
You may be at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, November 27, 2011
11.27.11 "It's Much Quieter with your Head in the Sand"
"It's Much Quieter with your Head in the Sand"
Daniel 4:1-37
2 Peter 1:1-21
Psalm 119:96-112
Proverbs 28:17-18
Do you ever wish that someone hadn't told you something? Maybe it was when you found out what was in hot dogs! I wish I hadn't heard THAT! I think our lives are often spent in the pursuit of our human nature's mission statement, "Live the Comfort Zone!" We love to hover as close to that as we can. We try to make sure we chase possessions and wealth, and even the pursuit of "rest" whether that be in days off, or sleeping in, or whatever. We can have seasons where we think "it doesn't get any better than this." I have a great TV, a recorded football game, and a reclining couch. What more do you need?
Then someone comes along, and rocks the boat with an irritating morsel of truth. It may be a story of someone in need that cuts through to our very inner being. Maybe it's word of a sacrifice an individual is making to serve another. Because we work so hard to pursue "comfort zone", we don't want to hear that. We think we've built our safety net... our security. We draw the line in our schedule and say, "God I've given you enough". Even when we feel the tug of the Spirit, we don't put more in the offering because we've over spent in other areas, so it doesn't fit into the budget. We think WE have it figured out. "God, you'll mess up my plan if I follow you in this."
Let's see how that worked for Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4.
"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in peace and prosperity, when one night I had a dream that greatly frightened me. I called in all the wise men of Babylon to tell me the meaning of my dream, but when they came... they couldn't interpret it. At last Daniel came in..."
He proceeds to tell Daniel the dream. Daniel is silent for an hour before sharing the meaning with him. "Daniel replied: 'Oh, that the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, and not to you!"
Uh oh...
As it turns out the dream meant that this mighty king who is known throughout the world is going to live like a beast in the field for 7 years. Sure enough, verse 29 says, "Twelve months after this dream, he was strolling on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, and saying, 'I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence, and as the capital of my empire.' While he was still speaking these words, a voice called down from heaven, 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you: You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be forced out of the palace to live with the animals in the fields, and to eat grass like the cows for seven years..." Now get this: "... until you finally realize that God parcels out the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he chooses."
That happened, and when he realized 7 years later that it was God, and not him, he regained his kingdom.
We stick our head in the sand when we surround ourselves with all that is comfortable. Then God has a way of getting our attention. Sometimes it's to the extreme of King Nebuchadnezzar. Other times it's more subtle.
We must get our head out of the sand and Live the DREAM as laid out in 2 Peter 1:
"Do you want more and more of God's kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life [Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship]: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character." (vs. 2-4)
"But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good [the discipline of Empowered through Biblical Training], and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do." [Active Ministry Involvement] vs. 5.
"Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. this will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply." [Relationships Devoted to Unity] vs. 6-7
"The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ." [Mission to Reach our World for Christ] vs. 8.
Maturing in Christ is a process that we must keep before us each day. We must challenge one another. We must get our head out of the sand and pursue with intensity the race marked out before us. It would have been much more "comfortable" if my ears wouldn't have heard the need.
But they did.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 4:1-37
2 Peter 1:1-21
Psalm 119:96-112
Proverbs 28:17-18
Do you ever wish that someone hadn't told you something? Maybe it was when you found out what was in hot dogs! I wish I hadn't heard THAT! I think our lives are often spent in the pursuit of our human nature's mission statement, "Live the Comfort Zone!" We love to hover as close to that as we can. We try to make sure we chase possessions and wealth, and even the pursuit of "rest" whether that be in days off, or sleeping in, or whatever. We can have seasons where we think "it doesn't get any better than this." I have a great TV, a recorded football game, and a reclining couch. What more do you need?
Then someone comes along, and rocks the boat with an irritating morsel of truth. It may be a story of someone in need that cuts through to our very inner being. Maybe it's word of a sacrifice an individual is making to serve another. Because we work so hard to pursue "comfort zone", we don't want to hear that. We think we've built our safety net... our security. We draw the line in our schedule and say, "God I've given you enough". Even when we feel the tug of the Spirit, we don't put more in the offering because we've over spent in other areas, so it doesn't fit into the budget. We think WE have it figured out. "God, you'll mess up my plan if I follow you in this."
Let's see how that worked for Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4.
"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in peace and prosperity, when one night I had a dream that greatly frightened me. I called in all the wise men of Babylon to tell me the meaning of my dream, but when they came... they couldn't interpret it. At last Daniel came in..."
He proceeds to tell Daniel the dream. Daniel is silent for an hour before sharing the meaning with him. "Daniel replied: 'Oh, that the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, and not to you!"
Uh oh...
As it turns out the dream meant that this mighty king who is known throughout the world is going to live like a beast in the field for 7 years. Sure enough, verse 29 says, "Twelve months after this dream, he was strolling on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, and saying, 'I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence, and as the capital of my empire.' While he was still speaking these words, a voice called down from heaven, 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you: You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be forced out of the palace to live with the animals in the fields, and to eat grass like the cows for seven years..." Now get this: "... until you finally realize that God parcels out the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he chooses."
That happened, and when he realized 7 years later that it was God, and not him, he regained his kingdom.
We stick our head in the sand when we surround ourselves with all that is comfortable. Then God has a way of getting our attention. Sometimes it's to the extreme of King Nebuchadnezzar. Other times it's more subtle.
We must get our head out of the sand and Live the DREAM as laid out in 2 Peter 1:
"Do you want more and more of God's kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life [Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship]: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character." (vs. 2-4)
"But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good [the discipline of Empowered through Biblical Training], and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do." [Active Ministry Involvement] vs. 5.
"Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. this will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply." [Relationships Devoted to Unity] vs. 6-7
"The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ." [Mission to Reach our World for Christ] vs. 8.
Maturing in Christ is a process that we must keep before us each day. We must challenge one another. We must get our head out of the sand and pursue with intensity the race marked out before us. It would have been much more "comfortable" if my ears wouldn't have heard the need.
But they did.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, November 26, 2011
11.26.11 "But if he doesn't..."
"But if he doesn't..."
Daniel 2:24 - 3:30
I Peter 4:7-5:14
Psalm 119:81-95
Proverbs 28:15-16
The first few chapters in Daniel bring back the memories of childhood stories. They have all the makings of a great story. Daniel 1 has the story of the Hebrew diet and how it turned out better than that of the king. It's a great story, but as a kid I didn't like how adults would use that story to promote vegetables! The 2nd chapter talked of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and how Daniel was used of God to interpret the dream, and save the lives of the kings advisors.
Today's reading contains the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, (Rack, Shack & Benny for all you VeggieTales fans!) and how they refused to bow to another god. The king had made a statue of himself and all the people were ordered to worship it. "When the band strikes up, you are to fall flat on the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue; anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a flaming furnace." Dan. 3:5
Obviously, this law was in direct conflict with the commandment of the Lord. These men could not bow. You know the story: The king became angry, had the furnace heated to 7 times normal. It was so hot the guards who threw them in died, and there was a fourth person in the flames, one who appeared as a "son of God". The king ordered them out and they didn't even smell like smoke!
There were a few things that really stood out. The first is not obvious, and I didn't really notice it until reading these past chapters: Daniel and Rack, Shack & Benny, all responded to authority with respect at all times, even when the authority was doing wrong. In Dan. 1:8, Daniel ASKED his superior about the diet. He didn't demand, start a revolt or petition, or anything like that. He responded with proper respect to God's appointed authority structure. The same was true in the interpretation of the dream.
Well now things get a bit more "heated". (irresistible pun) This is life or death. These men are ordered to bow or die. Their response is not, "you can't throw us into the fire! We have rights!" Their response is, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not worried about what will happen to us. If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. But if he doesn't, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstance serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected." Dan. 3:16-18
They are willing to pay whatever price they must for their love for God, all the while still reverencing the authority of the king.
The other thing that really stands out as a challenge to me is to live life "not worried about what will happen to us." Living life with the confidence that "our God is able to deliver us... But if he doesn't..." My natural tendencies are "I'll stand strong ... as long as God delivers me!" This is not how it should be. God is completely capable and able to deliver me from ANY situation. I need to live with that faith. I also need to live with the determination to stand strong "Even if he doesn't"!
There will be times he "doesn't", at least he doesn't as soon as we like or the way we like. God's work is again "not about you", so part of what he is doing may include some suffering. "Dear friends, don't be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you. Instead, be really glad - because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed." I Peter 5:12-13
It's tough to be "really glad" about suffering, but it's something we should be working toward. It's faith building. Now, we need to make sure that we're suffering because of obedience and not disobedience. "Don't let me hear of your suffering for murdering or stealing or making trouble or being a busybody and prying into other people's affairs." I Peter 3:15
We shouldn't be out looking for trouble. We need to honor those in authority over us, even when they are wrong. We need to comply with instructions as far as scripture allows (enter the importance of knowing the Word!). We must also be willing to pay the price of obedience.
"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you." I Peter 3:19
What can we learn from Rack, Shack & Benny? Honoring God is honoring his Authority structure (Relationships Devoted to Unity), and walking in obedience is the highest form of worship (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). What do you think the mood around was the day after they got out of the furnace? What kind of faith do you think they had the next day? This kind of obedience is what makes this lifestyle so dynamic!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 2:24 - 3:30
I Peter 4:7-5:14
Psalm 119:81-95
Proverbs 28:15-16
The first few chapters in Daniel bring back the memories of childhood stories. They have all the makings of a great story. Daniel 1 has the story of the Hebrew diet and how it turned out better than that of the king. It's a great story, but as a kid I didn't like how adults would use that story to promote vegetables! The 2nd chapter talked of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and how Daniel was used of God to interpret the dream, and save the lives of the kings advisors.
Today's reading contains the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, (Rack, Shack & Benny for all you VeggieTales fans!) and how they refused to bow to another god. The king had made a statue of himself and all the people were ordered to worship it. "When the band strikes up, you are to fall flat on the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue; anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a flaming furnace." Dan. 3:5
Obviously, this law was in direct conflict with the commandment of the Lord. These men could not bow. You know the story: The king became angry, had the furnace heated to 7 times normal. It was so hot the guards who threw them in died, and there was a fourth person in the flames, one who appeared as a "son of God". The king ordered them out and they didn't even smell like smoke!
There were a few things that really stood out. The first is not obvious, and I didn't really notice it until reading these past chapters: Daniel and Rack, Shack & Benny, all responded to authority with respect at all times, even when the authority was doing wrong. In Dan. 1:8, Daniel ASKED his superior about the diet. He didn't demand, start a revolt or petition, or anything like that. He responded with proper respect to God's appointed authority structure. The same was true in the interpretation of the dream.
Well now things get a bit more "heated". (irresistible pun) This is life or death. These men are ordered to bow or die. Their response is not, "you can't throw us into the fire! We have rights!" Their response is, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not worried about what will happen to us. If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. But if he doesn't, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstance serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected." Dan. 3:16-18
They are willing to pay whatever price they must for their love for God, all the while still reverencing the authority of the king.
The other thing that really stands out as a challenge to me is to live life "not worried about what will happen to us." Living life with the confidence that "our God is able to deliver us... But if he doesn't..." My natural tendencies are "I'll stand strong ... as long as God delivers me!" This is not how it should be. God is completely capable and able to deliver me from ANY situation. I need to live with that faith. I also need to live with the determination to stand strong "Even if he doesn't"!
There will be times he "doesn't", at least he doesn't as soon as we like or the way we like. God's work is again "not about you", so part of what he is doing may include some suffering. "Dear friends, don't be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you. Instead, be really glad - because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed." I Peter 5:12-13
It's tough to be "really glad" about suffering, but it's something we should be working toward. It's faith building. Now, we need to make sure that we're suffering because of obedience and not disobedience. "Don't let me hear of your suffering for murdering or stealing or making trouble or being a busybody and prying into other people's affairs." I Peter 3:15
We shouldn't be out looking for trouble. We need to honor those in authority over us, even when they are wrong. We need to comply with instructions as far as scripture allows (enter the importance of knowing the Word!). We must also be willing to pay the price of obedience.
"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you." I Peter 3:19
What can we learn from Rack, Shack & Benny? Honoring God is honoring his Authority structure (Relationships Devoted to Unity), and walking in obedience is the highest form of worship (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). What do you think the mood around was the day after they got out of the furnace? What kind of faith do you think they had the next day? This kind of obedience is what makes this lifestyle so dynamic!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, November 25, 2011
11.25.11 "Run after it!"
"Run after it!"
Daniel 1:1-2:23I Peter 3:10-4:6
Psalm 119:71-80
Proverbs 28:14
"Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it!"
There are certain things in life that don't just "happen" to you. You don't just "happen" to get a pay check. You don't just "happen" to get in shape. There's work involved.
My wife's high school teacher used to always quote: "Nothing of value is ever obtained in an atmosphere of comfort." His point was that anything we value is going to come at a some level of cost.
What about peace?
Wouldn't it be great if living in peace with one another just "happened" to you? Don't you wish that we all knew each other well enough that there would be no trial or misunderstanding, or miscommunication?
It doesn't really work that way. To live in unity, we must "run after it to catch and hold it!" There are times we must lay down our rights and opinions for the sake of unity. It's hard, especially when we know our idea is "better", or we have a "better" way of doing things.
It's hard sometimes with family. When world's collide because of different value systems, it can be stressful and peace may seem hard to find, but run after it and catch it.
Relationships Devoted to Unity should be evident in the balanced Christian Life. It will sometimes take work... or I should say it will MOST times take work. But that's where peace is found.
Most often peace comes through dying to self. That of course, is not an easy thing to do. It doesn't just 'happen'. But, as it becomes a habit of dying to self, the Lordship of Christ wins out. Peace is within reach.
Peace can be found in the most horrible of external circumstances. Many times we feel that we'd be at peace "if they'd just..." or "if she didn't say..." That's not the solution to peace. It's found by running after it, not in running away.
Live at peace with one another. Run after it!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 1:1-2:23I Peter 3:10-4:6
Psalm 119:71-80
Proverbs 28:14
"Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it!"
There are certain things in life that don't just "happen" to you. You don't just "happen" to get a pay check. You don't just "happen" to get in shape. There's work involved.
My wife's high school teacher used to always quote: "Nothing of value is ever obtained in an atmosphere of comfort." His point was that anything we value is going to come at a some level of cost.
What about peace?
Wouldn't it be great if living in peace with one another just "happened" to you? Don't you wish that we all knew each other well enough that there would be no trial or misunderstanding, or miscommunication?
It doesn't really work that way. To live in unity, we must "run after it to catch and hold it!" There are times we must lay down our rights and opinions for the sake of unity. It's hard, especially when we know our idea is "better", or we have a "better" way of doing things.
It's hard sometimes with family. When world's collide because of different value systems, it can be stressful and peace may seem hard to find, but run after it and catch it.
Relationships Devoted to Unity should be evident in the balanced Christian Life. It will sometimes take work... or I should say it will MOST times take work. But that's where peace is found.
Most often peace comes through dying to self. That of course, is not an easy thing to do. It doesn't just 'happen'. But, as it becomes a habit of dying to self, the Lordship of Christ wins out. Peace is within reach.
Peace can be found in the most horrible of external circumstances. Many times we feel that we'd be at peace "if they'd just..." or "if she didn't say..." That's not the solution to peace. It's found by running after it, not in running away.
Live at peace with one another. Run after it!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, November 24, 2011
11.24.11 "Thanks"
"Thanks"
Ezekiel 47:1-48:35
1 Peter 2:11-3:9
Psalm 119:53-70
Proverbs 28:12-13
Thanksgiving is upon us! This year as we are celebrating Thanksgiving, let's make sure we don't only view the events that are to come in terms of "days off", or feasting, or even getting together with family. Let's really truly, from our hearts make this a season of giving thanks.
What is it about "Thank You"? Why do we say it? Because it's polite? It's more than that. The words "thank you" when spoken from the heart do an incredible work in us.
A "Thank You" puts us in a place of humility. When you give me something and I say "thank you", what I'm really saying is, "you didn't have to do this, and yet you did. I didn't deserve this, and yet you went out of your way to do this for me." In essence it places the one being "thanked" in a "higher place" or place of honor. It takes humility for one to truly be thankful.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. Everyone's rushing to "get" stuff to "give". With that on the radar, it can be so easy to rush over the day of Thanksgiving. We should not forget in the busyness to remember to celebrate the Christmas season with a heart of Thanksgiving. What does that really mean? It means, "you didn't have to do this, and yet you did. I didn't deserve this, and yet you went out of your way to do this for me." In essence it places the One being thanked in a Higher place. A place of honor.
"He never sinned, never told a lie, never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross, so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on. For his wounds have healed ours!" I Peter 2:22-24
The words of the song "Once Again":
Jesus Christ, I look upon your sacrifice
You became nothing poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
I'm in that place once again.
Once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life
Thank you for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the Cross, my friend
Dear Lord Jesus, We pause to day in the midst of the lives that can be so busy & distracting, just to say, "Thank You!"
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
11.23.11 "Grow Up"
"Grow Up"
Ezekiel 45:13-46:24
I Peter 1:14-2:10
Psalm 119:36-52
Proverbs 28:11
"Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk." I Pet. 2:3
I have been a Christian since 1974. I accepted Christ as a child after an elderly woman filled in for a children's church worker who didn't show up. She brought in a picture of people going up in the rapture. I wanted that to be me. I was 4 years old. I still remember that picture. After I went home from church that day, I talked to my dad about it, and he led me to Christ.
37 years is a long time isn't it? You know what though? It doesn't mean anything when it comes to Christian maturity. Physical maturity "happens" to you. As time goes by, we physically grow old. Spiritual maturity doesn't work that way. As time goes by we should "grow up", but we might not.
I'm just discovering the need to commit oneself to the maturing process. Faithful church attendance doesn't automatically lead to Christian maturity. Sometimes we presume too much in ourselves (and others) that if we've been saved for a while, maturity has happened. It SHOULD have happened, but it might not have.
I Peter hits on some of the elements of maturity. There are three elements we'll pull from these scriptures: Fearing God, Living Holy, and Loving Others.
Fearing God is not a real popular teaching or thought process for us. We are "friends of God", so we don't really want to get into the "fear" thing. The last part of verse 17 into 18 reads, "so act in reverent fear of him from now on until you get to heaven . God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver, as you very well know. But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."
Understanding the tremendous price that was paid should create in us a reverent fear of God. A respect. A gratefulness that goes beyond a "Hey, thanks, God!" Taking the time to meditate, remember and comprehend the precious blood of the Lamb should be a regular part of our Christian walk. This births humility and gratitude. This also helps us to constrain ourselves to Living Holy.
I Peter 1:14-16 says, "Obey God because you are his children; don't slip back into your old ways - doing evil because you knew no better. But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who invited you to be his child. He himself has said, 'You must be holy, for I am holy.'"
Understanding the price that God paid to ransom us and the value he has placed on us should constrain us to do the right thing. When you first got your driver's license, how did you feel when you got to drive the "good" car? There's something about the "value" that caused you to drive more carefully. Understanding the value God has placed on me should cause me to live more carefully.
Most of the rest of the reading deals with a major part of growing up in Christ: Loving Others.
"Now you can have real love for everyone because your souls have been cleansed from selfishness and hatred when you trusted Christ to save you; so see to it that you really do love each other warmly with all your hearts. For you have a new life." I Peter 1:22-23a
Committing ourself to the maturing process should directly effect the way we treat others. Not just in our conduct, but in our heart. I Peter 2:1-2 says, "So get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud."
Growing up in Christ should really change my heart, and it should be reflected on the outside. You would think that after 37 years of this I would have taken care of that at least within the first 5 years! I should have been a fully mature 9 year old! It's not that way. I must crave to grow in Christ, and allow his spirit to work in me to make me into who he has created me to be.
We can tend to be hypocritical. Do you ever notice that many times our frustration with other people is because they haven't "matured" as we thought they should? The irony is that if we were as mature as we should be their lack of maturity wouldn't bother us so much. Ouch. That one hits me pretty hard. I really need to grow up.
I Peter 2:14 says, "Once you were less than nothing; now you are God's own. Once you knew very little of God's kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it."
Let's allow our very lives to be changed by God's loving kindness.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 45:13-46:24
I Peter 1:14-2:10
Psalm 119:36-52
Proverbs 28:11
"Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk." I Pet. 2:3
I have been a Christian since 1974. I accepted Christ as a child after an elderly woman filled in for a children's church worker who didn't show up. She brought in a picture of people going up in the rapture. I wanted that to be me. I was 4 years old. I still remember that picture. After I went home from church that day, I talked to my dad about it, and he led me to Christ.
37 years is a long time isn't it? You know what though? It doesn't mean anything when it comes to Christian maturity. Physical maturity "happens" to you. As time goes by, we physically grow old. Spiritual maturity doesn't work that way. As time goes by we should "grow up", but we might not.
I'm just discovering the need to commit oneself to the maturing process. Faithful church attendance doesn't automatically lead to Christian maturity. Sometimes we presume too much in ourselves (and others) that if we've been saved for a while, maturity has happened. It SHOULD have happened, but it might not have.
I Peter hits on some of the elements of maturity. There are three elements we'll pull from these scriptures: Fearing God, Living Holy, and Loving Others.
Fearing God is not a real popular teaching or thought process for us. We are "friends of God", so we don't really want to get into the "fear" thing. The last part of verse 17 into 18 reads, "so act in reverent fear of him from now on until you get to heaven . God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver, as you very well know. But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."
Understanding the tremendous price that was paid should create in us a reverent fear of God. A respect. A gratefulness that goes beyond a "Hey, thanks, God!" Taking the time to meditate, remember and comprehend the precious blood of the Lamb should be a regular part of our Christian walk. This births humility and gratitude. This also helps us to constrain ourselves to Living Holy.
I Peter 1:14-16 says, "Obey God because you are his children; don't slip back into your old ways - doing evil because you knew no better. But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who invited you to be his child. He himself has said, 'You must be holy, for I am holy.'"
Understanding the price that God paid to ransom us and the value he has placed on us should constrain us to do the right thing. When you first got your driver's license, how did you feel when you got to drive the "good" car? There's something about the "value" that caused you to drive more carefully. Understanding the value God has placed on me should cause me to live more carefully.
Most of the rest of the reading deals with a major part of growing up in Christ: Loving Others.
"Now you can have real love for everyone because your souls have been cleansed from selfishness and hatred when you trusted Christ to save you; so see to it that you really do love each other warmly with all your hearts. For you have a new life." I Peter 1:22-23a
Committing ourself to the maturing process should directly effect the way we treat others. Not just in our conduct, but in our heart. I Peter 2:1-2 says, "So get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud."
Growing up in Christ should really change my heart, and it should be reflected on the outside. You would think that after 37 years of this I would have taken care of that at least within the first 5 years! I should have been a fully mature 9 year old! It's not that way. I must crave to grow in Christ, and allow his spirit to work in me to make me into who he has created me to be.
We can tend to be hypocritical. Do you ever notice that many times our frustration with other people is because they haven't "matured" as we thought they should? The irony is that if we were as mature as we should be their lack of maturity wouldn't bother us so much. Ouch. That one hits me pretty hard. I really need to grow up.
I Peter 2:14 says, "Once you were less than nothing; now you are God's own. Once you knew very little of God's kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it."
Let's allow our very lives to be changed by God's loving kindness.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
11.22.11 "I'm Lost!!"
"I'm Lost!!"
Ezekiel 44:1-45:12
I Peter 1:1-13
Psalm 119:17-35
Proverbs 28:8-10
When you were a kid do you remember watching ants? When they would find food, they would somehow communicate with one another and soon there would be a line of them bringing food back home. In the animated movie, "A Bug's Life" one of the first scenes of the movie was depicting this. The ants were walking one behind the other bringing food back to the nest. Tragedy strikes when a leaf lands in the middle of the line, blocking the way for those following. The ant next to the leaf yells in complete despair, "I'm lost!" Yes, it loses some (or all) of it's humor in the translation, but what makes it so funny is that it's just a leaf, and all he needs to do is walk around it. Easy to see from our perspective.
Psalm 119:19 says, "I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map - and your commands are my chart and guide." The ant in the movie was lost as soon as the path was blocked. How many times are we, or someone we we know of, completely lost when an obstacle comes up. What's the right thing to do? How should I respond? Where am I going?
The answer is found in knowing God's Word. verse 20 says, "I long for your instructions more than I can tell." We don't even realize how much we need to be empowered through the Word. If we don't have the word, we are starving ourselves. We are dangerously walking in uncharted paths.
The word gives us counsel "Your laws are both my light and my counselors." vs. 24. So many people want to "talk through" their trials when the "leaf" blocks their path instead of getting into the Word. Sometimes they don't even want to know what the Word says because it's not what they want to hear. We must allow the Word to guide us.
Verse 25 says, "I am completely discouraged - I lie in the dust. Revive me by your Word." When discouragement comes for some reason, the Word is the last place people look for strength, but it is the only source of lasting strength.
Grieving? verse 28 says, "I weep with grief; my heart is heavy with sorrow; encourage and cheer me with your words."
I "lovingly" refer to discipleship as the "ministry of damage control". Often Jesus taught others by redirecting those who've strayed off the path. Many times people have come with problems and trials that are a direct result of straying away from the path God has laid out. Think of the trouble that could be averted by staying in the path of the Word.
"Keep me far from every wrong. Help me, undeserving as I am, to obey your laws, for I have chosen to do right. I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don't let me make a mess of things. If you will only help me to want your will, then I will follow your laws even more closely. Just tell me what to do and i will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey. Make me walk along the right paths for I know how delightful they really are." Ps 119:29-35
Why do we forget that Biblical Training REALLY Empowers us? Why are we so surprised when we are weak from not being in the Word. We laugh (I may be laughing alone) at the ant who is in such despair over a leaf because we can see the big picture. We see that it's not really that big of deal. I'm sure at times God would want to laugh (or at least get frustrated) at his people who drop everything and cry in despair over a leaf that blows in the path. We forget HE has the perspective to know it's just a leaf. The path is marked in his word. He wants to equip and empower us. Get into the Word today!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 44:1-45:12
I Peter 1:1-13
Psalm 119:17-35
Proverbs 28:8-10
When you were a kid do you remember watching ants? When they would find food, they would somehow communicate with one another and soon there would be a line of them bringing food back home. In the animated movie, "A Bug's Life" one of the first scenes of the movie was depicting this. The ants were walking one behind the other bringing food back to the nest. Tragedy strikes when a leaf lands in the middle of the line, blocking the way for those following. The ant next to the leaf yells in complete despair, "I'm lost!" Yes, it loses some (or all) of it's humor in the translation, but what makes it so funny is that it's just a leaf, and all he needs to do is walk around it. Easy to see from our perspective.
Psalm 119:19 says, "I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map - and your commands are my chart and guide." The ant in the movie was lost as soon as the path was blocked. How many times are we, or someone we we know of, completely lost when an obstacle comes up. What's the right thing to do? How should I respond? Where am I going?
The answer is found in knowing God's Word. verse 20 says, "I long for your instructions more than I can tell." We don't even realize how much we need to be empowered through the Word. If we don't have the word, we are starving ourselves. We are dangerously walking in uncharted paths.
The word gives us counsel "Your laws are both my light and my counselors." vs. 24. So many people want to "talk through" their trials when the "leaf" blocks their path instead of getting into the Word. Sometimes they don't even want to know what the Word says because it's not what they want to hear. We must allow the Word to guide us.
Verse 25 says, "I am completely discouraged - I lie in the dust. Revive me by your Word." When discouragement comes for some reason, the Word is the last place people look for strength, but it is the only source of lasting strength.
Grieving? verse 28 says, "I weep with grief; my heart is heavy with sorrow; encourage and cheer me with your words."
I "lovingly" refer to discipleship as the "ministry of damage control". Often Jesus taught others by redirecting those who've strayed off the path. Many times people have come with problems and trials that are a direct result of straying away from the path God has laid out. Think of the trouble that could be averted by staying in the path of the Word.
"Keep me far from every wrong. Help me, undeserving as I am, to obey your laws, for I have chosen to do right. I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don't let me make a mess of things. If you will only help me to want your will, then I will follow your laws even more closely. Just tell me what to do and i will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey. Make me walk along the right paths for I know how delightful they really are." Ps 119:29-35
Why do we forget that Biblical Training REALLY Empowers us? Why are we so surprised when we are weak from not being in the Word. We laugh (I may be laughing alone) at the ant who is in such despair over a leaf because we can see the big picture. We see that it's not really that big of deal. I'm sure at times God would want to laugh (or at least get frustrated) at his people who drop everything and cry in despair over a leaf that blows in the path. We forget HE has the perspective to know it's just a leaf. The path is marked in his word. He wants to equip and empower us. Get into the Word today!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, November 21, 2011
11.21.11 "The Plan"
"The Plan"
Ezekiel 42:1-43:27
James 5:1-20
Psalms 119:1-16
Proverbs 28:6-7
For the past few days of reading, God has been bringing Ezekiel through the temple. There are around 100 verses over the course of 3+ chapters talking about hallway dimensions, ceiling heights, walkways, and doorways. It's so detailed yesterday I was thinking of getting out some grid paper and drawing up what Ezekiel was seeing. Reading these types of details we are inclined to ask God, "What are you showing me about you through these scriptures?" His response to me is, "I have a plan."
Do you know that God is omniscient? (that means he knows everything) Our Sunday School answers cause us to nod our head. But do we live like we know that? There REALLY is a Blueprint! He is aware of every detail of our lives! He created us with purpose, and for a plan!
"Son of dust, describe the Temple I have shown you to the people of Israel. Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins. And if they are truly ashamed of what they have done, then explain to them the details of its construction - its doors and entrances - and everything about it. Write out all the directions and the rules for them to keep. And this is the basic law of the Temple: holiness! The entire top of the hill where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the primary law concerning it." Ez. 43:10-12
After spending all this time describing the dimensions of the temple, He tells Ezekiel to describe it to the people. It's very interesting what the result is to be. "Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins." Imagine having a blueprint described to you and it causing you to be ashamed of your sin! sounds weird doesn't it? What is the principle here? The principle is that when we see God's plan, we can see where we fall short of his holiness.
In the same way God had a blueprint for the Temple in Jerusalem, he has a blueprint for our lives. I Cor. 3:16 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" There are measurements that are a necessary part of the make up of who we are. There is a plan for us to discover and become who God has created us to be.
This sounds somewhat elementary, but we too often lose sight of this. We especially forget this when trouble comes. When things happen outside of our comfort zone or we experience hurt and sickness, we forget that this may line up with the blue print of what God is trying to accomplish in us. He may be working patience in us, which only comes through suffering.
"For examples of patience in suffering, look at the Lord's prophets. We know how happy they are now because they stayed true to him then, even though they suffered greatly for it. Job is an example of a man who continued to trust the Lord in sorrow; from his experiences we can see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy." James 5:10-11
From suffering, "the Lord's plan finally ended in good." Too many times when I go through suffering, I cry and feel sorry for myself, and try to get others to feel sorry for me. During those times my posture should be "Lord, complete your PLAN for me through these difficult times." It shouldn't be "God has let me down, so I turn my back on him & figure things out on my own."
We need to be consistent about looking into God's blueprint. As we look into His word, He instructs us, and we need to respond. I love Ps 119. "Happy are all who search for God, and always do his will, rejecting compromise with evil, and walking only in his paths. You have given us your laws to obey - oh, how I want to follow them consistently." vs 2-3.
By seeing God's plan we can become aligned to the blueprint. It corrects us. "After you have corrected me I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey! Oh, don't forsake me and let me slip back into sin again." Ps. 119:7-8
I've been involved in several building projects. We've built 2 homes, I've drawn up & built 2 finished basements (I talk big, but my father in law has done most of the labor!). I've also been a part of the building project at the church. There's one thing I've learned that's REALLY important. You can't just look at the plan once, and go to work. You need to keep checking and re-checking to make sure what you're doing is aligned with the plan. It's amazing how many times a subcontractor will do something that doesn't line up with the plan, and it has to be addressed and brought into alignment.
We can't just read the word during the service on a sunday morning and then go live the Balanced Christian Life. We need to make it a lifestyle. Each day we need to check the blueprint and live accordingly. Being Empowered through Biblical Training equips us to live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship - walking in obedience. It encourages us to commit to Relationships Devoted to Unity - submitting to the needs of one another. It reminds us to use our gifts and resources responsibly through Active Ministry Involvement, and it keeps before us our Mission to Reach our World for Christ.
We need to first acknowledge that God has a plan for us, then seek his plan through his word and time in prayer, and then repent for things in our life that don't align with the plan. We then thank Him and honor Him by living obedient lives!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 42:1-43:27
James 5:1-20
Psalms 119:1-16
Proverbs 28:6-7
For the past few days of reading, God has been bringing Ezekiel through the temple. There are around 100 verses over the course of 3+ chapters talking about hallway dimensions, ceiling heights, walkways, and doorways. It's so detailed yesterday I was thinking of getting out some grid paper and drawing up what Ezekiel was seeing. Reading these types of details we are inclined to ask God, "What are you showing me about you through these scriptures?" His response to me is, "I have a plan."
Do you know that God is omniscient? (that means he knows everything) Our Sunday School answers cause us to nod our head. But do we live like we know that? There REALLY is a Blueprint! He is aware of every detail of our lives! He created us with purpose, and for a plan!
"Son of dust, describe the Temple I have shown you to the people of Israel. Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins. And if they are truly ashamed of what they have done, then explain to them the details of its construction - its doors and entrances - and everything about it. Write out all the directions and the rules for them to keep. And this is the basic law of the Temple: holiness! The entire top of the hill where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the primary law concerning it." Ez. 43:10-12
After spending all this time describing the dimensions of the temple, He tells Ezekiel to describe it to the people. It's very interesting what the result is to be. "Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins." Imagine having a blueprint described to you and it causing you to be ashamed of your sin! sounds weird doesn't it? What is the principle here? The principle is that when we see God's plan, we can see where we fall short of his holiness.
In the same way God had a blueprint for the Temple in Jerusalem, he has a blueprint for our lives. I Cor. 3:16 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" There are measurements that are a necessary part of the make up of who we are. There is a plan for us to discover and become who God has created us to be.
This sounds somewhat elementary, but we too often lose sight of this. We especially forget this when trouble comes. When things happen outside of our comfort zone or we experience hurt and sickness, we forget that this may line up with the blue print of what God is trying to accomplish in us. He may be working patience in us, which only comes through suffering.
"For examples of patience in suffering, look at the Lord's prophets. We know how happy they are now because they stayed true to him then, even though they suffered greatly for it. Job is an example of a man who continued to trust the Lord in sorrow; from his experiences we can see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy." James 5:10-11
From suffering, "the Lord's plan finally ended in good." Too many times when I go through suffering, I cry and feel sorry for myself, and try to get others to feel sorry for me. During those times my posture should be "Lord, complete your PLAN for me through these difficult times." It shouldn't be "God has let me down, so I turn my back on him & figure things out on my own."
We need to be consistent about looking into God's blueprint. As we look into His word, He instructs us, and we need to respond. I love Ps 119. "Happy are all who search for God, and always do his will, rejecting compromise with evil, and walking only in his paths. You have given us your laws to obey - oh, how I want to follow them consistently." vs 2-3.
By seeing God's plan we can become aligned to the blueprint. It corrects us. "After you have corrected me I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey! Oh, don't forsake me and let me slip back into sin again." Ps. 119:7-8
I've been involved in several building projects. We've built 2 homes, I've drawn up & built 2 finished basements (I talk big, but my father in law has done most of the labor!). I've also been a part of the building project at the church. There's one thing I've learned that's REALLY important. You can't just look at the plan once, and go to work. You need to keep checking and re-checking to make sure what you're doing is aligned with the plan. It's amazing how many times a subcontractor will do something that doesn't line up with the plan, and it has to be addressed and brought into alignment.
We can't just read the word during the service on a sunday morning and then go live the Balanced Christian Life. We need to make it a lifestyle. Each day we need to check the blueprint and live accordingly. Being Empowered through Biblical Training equips us to live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship - walking in obedience. It encourages us to commit to Relationships Devoted to Unity - submitting to the needs of one another. It reminds us to use our gifts and resources responsibly through Active Ministry Involvement, and it keeps before us our Mission to Reach our World for Christ.
We need to first acknowledge that God has a plan for us, then seek his plan through his word and time in prayer, and then repent for things in our life that don't align with the plan. We then thank Him and honor Him by living obedient lives!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, November 20, 2011
11.20.11 "The Peace of Proper Perspective"
"The Peace of Proper Perspective"
Ezekiel 40:28-41:26
James 4:1-17
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 28:3-5
It's human nature to celebrate individuals who have vision. We love to hear the success stories of people who have forged their own way. Those who have been driven to create a new invention or discover new territory. Everyone is unique. Some people are very driven and goal oriented. Others are frustrated because they feel like they have no goals.
God places desires in our heart for a purpose. While it's important to have dreams, it is even more important to realize that those dreams are subject to God's direction at all times. Sometimes it's easy to get so goal focused and caught up in figuring things out on our own that we leave God out of the picture.
"Look here, you people who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.' How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog - now you see it; soon it is gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.' Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God." James 4:13-16
There's a part of us that wants to get everything figured out. We want to know the plan. We want to force it through at times. Sometimes we wrestle through difficult decisions, and in all of this we forget about the will and direction of the Lord.
There's a discipline of thought that needs to happen in the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. In 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat approaches a difficult situation with the phrase, "we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." The Lord would desire that to be our position in all circumstances. Complete dependence on Him. This does not mean that we are an indecisive people, but we are constantly subjecting our plans to his will. "If the Lord allows, we're doing this."
Why is it so important to take this posture? It's because is brings about humility. We truly subject ourselves to the Lord's leading. Too often what happens is I make a decision on my own, and you know what, things seem to work out. Then the next time I have more confidence in myself, then I make another decision... it doesn't take long before inquiring of the Lord is not even a part of the equation.
People don't necessarily "plan" on growing farther from the Lord, but it can easily happen because of this problem. Reliance on self. "...and such self-confidence never pleases God."
It's stressful trying to pave your own way. But think of the peace that comes with complete reliance on the Lord. There's a calm assurance in all things that He is in control. He will work things out. This perspective is the way we should live as we mature in Christ.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 40:28-41:26
James 4:1-17
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 28:3-5
It's human nature to celebrate individuals who have vision. We love to hear the success stories of people who have forged their own way. Those who have been driven to create a new invention or discover new territory. Everyone is unique. Some people are very driven and goal oriented. Others are frustrated because they feel like they have no goals.
God places desires in our heart for a purpose. While it's important to have dreams, it is even more important to realize that those dreams are subject to God's direction at all times. Sometimes it's easy to get so goal focused and caught up in figuring things out on our own that we leave God out of the picture.
"Look here, you people who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.' How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog - now you see it; soon it is gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.' Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God." James 4:13-16
There's a part of us that wants to get everything figured out. We want to know the plan. We want to force it through at times. Sometimes we wrestle through difficult decisions, and in all of this we forget about the will and direction of the Lord.
There's a discipline of thought that needs to happen in the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. In 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat approaches a difficult situation with the phrase, "we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." The Lord would desire that to be our position in all circumstances. Complete dependence on Him. This does not mean that we are an indecisive people, but we are constantly subjecting our plans to his will. "If the Lord allows, we're doing this."
Why is it so important to take this posture? It's because is brings about humility. We truly subject ourselves to the Lord's leading. Too often what happens is I make a decision on my own, and you know what, things seem to work out. Then the next time I have more confidence in myself, then I make another decision... it doesn't take long before inquiring of the Lord is not even a part of the equation.
People don't necessarily "plan" on growing farther from the Lord, but it can easily happen because of this problem. Reliance on self. "...and such self-confidence never pleases God."
It's stressful trying to pave your own way. But think of the peace that comes with complete reliance on the Lord. There's a calm assurance in all things that He is in control. He will work things out. This perspective is the way we should live as we mature in Christ.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, November 19, 2011
11.19.11 "Taming the Beast"
"Taming the Beast"
Ezekiel 39:1-40:27
James 2:18-3:18
Psalm 118:1-18
Proverbs 28:2
Have your words ever got you in trouble?
"If anyone can control his tongue, it proves that he has perfect control over himself in every other way." James 3:2
Growing in Christ is such a matter of discipline. (I guess that's where disciple and discipleship come from!) I think there are times when we get frustrated with ourselves over the fact that God isn't changing us as fast as we'd like. We know and quote, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature..." But still there are some issues that just haven't "disappeared" as fast as we'd like.
That's when we go buy the bumper sticker that says, "Please Be Patient, God isn't Finished with me yet." I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that statement, but where we get into trouble is in the fact that sometimes we're waiting for God to do some miraculous change in our lives without applying personal discipline. So, we give ourselves all kinds of grace over the fact that "oops, I slipped up again..."
The sad part is that there are times we don't offer that same grace to others. We're quick to point out their mistakes. "...and they call themselves a Christian..." James 3 warns Verse 1 warns about this: "Dear brothers, don't be too eager to tell others their faults, for we all make many mistakes; and when we teachers of religion, who should know better, do wrong, our punishment will be greater than it would be for others."
Often we like to deflect what the Lord is trying to do in our own lives onto others. If the Lord's telling me I shouldn't do a certain thing, it's in my nature to judge you, and let you know that you shouldn't be doing it either.
Our growth needs to be from the inside out. James 3:13 says, "If you are wise, live a life of steady goodness, so that only good deeds will pour forth." The way to tame our tongue is to discipline our heart. It's to allow God to cleanse us entirely of the ungodliness that lurks within.
"And by all means don't brag about being wise and good if you are bitter and jealous and selfish; that is the worst sort of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, inspired by the devil. For wherever there is jealousy or selfish ambition, there will be disorder and every other kind of evil." James 3:14-16
It's amazing how practical God's Word is. We focus so much on the outside, but the only way to see true transformation on the outside is to be transformed on the inside. It's in disciplining our thoughts and emotions, and allowing the peace-loving nature of Christ fill us.
Listen to God's plan for us:
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. Then it is peace-loving and courteous. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others; it is full of mercy and good deeds. It is wholehearted and straightforward and sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness." James 3:17-18
The only way our tongue can be tamed is as we grow steadily in the character-transforming discipline found in God's Word and allow his Spirit to fill our lives.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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