Monday, May 7, 2012
5.7.12 "Prompted by Pain"
"Prompted by Pain"
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21
John 5:1-23
Psalm 105:37-45
Proverbs 14:28-29
There is Preciousness in Frustration! What??? How can that be? Frustration is a bad thing isn't it???
The story of Hannah in the first chapter of I Samuel is the story that first got me thinking about the Preciousness of Frustration.
Hannah is barren. What makes this even more difficult is that her husband's other wife Peninnah has children. "Peninnah made matters worse by taunting Hannah because of her barrenness. Every year it was the same - Peninnah scoffing and laughing at her as they went to Shiloh, making her cry so much she couldn't eat." (I Sam 1:6-7)
There are times in our lives when we may be in a situation like this. We are hurt, and we are frustrated. We may even feel angry. We don't realize what is at stake in these moments. We too often don't understand the importance of our next step.
What was Hannah's response to the pain? She went to God in worship. "She was in deep anguish and was crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: 'O Lord of heaven, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you, and he'll be yours for his entire lifetime, and his hair shall never be cut." (1:10-11)
As if she wasn't frustrated enough, Eli, the priest at the tabernacle, saw the way she was praying and accused her of being drunk. For me, I think that would be the last straw. That would be my signal to go off on someone. I would use my pain to fuel an explosion of fleshly venom. Not Hannah. She responds in humility and respect.
And guess what...God answers prayer! And to make the story even more profound, she commits a tremendous act of obedience, as she returns to the Tabernacle to present her son, Samuel to the Lord's service. This boy Samuel becomes a great man of God.
In life we will have pain. What will we do with it? In our "victim" society we excuse inappropriate actions because we are "hurting". In Christian circles we say, "I'm just venting...". We need to recognize pain and frustration as an opportunity for God to move. The Obstacle that seems to be in our way is really the opportunity for God to do something great. As is the case in the story of Hannah, "The Greater the Pain, the Greater the Promise." From her great anguish came the man who would lead the people back to God.
Who would have thought that Hannah's barrenness was connected to God's plan for greatness. Who would have thought that the frustration you are going through is actually the pathway to an incredible move of God in your life and the lives of those around you.
There is only one appropriate response to pain and frustration. It's the pathway of seeking God. Of worshiping Him and responding to His direction with radical obedience. When we live THAT Lifestyle of Worship, we will understand "Dynamic" at a whole new level!
Seek him today, hear his voice. Cry out to Him. He's got great plans for 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
Sunday, May 6, 2012
5.6.12 "Reverence"
"Reverence"
Ruth 2:1-4:22
John 4:43-54
Psalm 105:16-36
Proverbs 14:26-27
"Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security. Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life; its waters keep a man from death." (Prov. 14:26-27)
In the dictionary "reverence" means "A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love." Looking at today's verse from Proverbs, I'm challenged to rate myself on the "reverence scale". Do I have "reverence" for God?
We have the privilege and benefit of being New Testament believers. We understand that we can "boldly approach the throne of grace." The danger in stating "I am a friend of God" is that we can turn it in to a very casual thing and lose the sense of reverencing God. That's not supposed to happen. Yes, Jesus died on the cross to bridge the gap between God and man, but in no way did that make God less holy, nor did it negate the fact that we need to reverence him.
Reading these verses today, look at the "benefit" of reverence.
"Deep strength". Do I want that? Who doesn't! What I think of is the ability to remain stable in any storm. The Christian life can have storms. I don't think that comes to anyone as a shock. As we mature in Christ, these storms should not have as great effect on us as they did before. We should increase our stability. This comes through reverencing God. Reverencing God is not walking into his kitchen throwing open his fridge, and drinking a miracle from the carton. Reverencing God is trusting him in any situation to equip us with what we need to carry out his will.
"... his children have a place of refuge and security." Do I want that for my daughter? You bet I do! I don't know if you've seen children who do not have this safety and security. They walk through life as if they're carrying a suitcase full of rocks of fear and insecurity. Peace is hard to find. When I have reverence for God, I am not only finding my strength, I am paving the road to peace for those around me.
"... a fountain of life; it's waters keep a man from death." Sound good? count me in! The "fountain of youth" seemed to be the plot of a bunch of different shows when I was a kid. Everyone wants to find the "magical" formula to cheat death. The truth is that the fountain of life is found in Reverence for God. No, it wont necessarily keep you "young", and you may still get wrinkles, but you will experience life more abundantly!
I cannot find a reason why I wouldn't want to reverence God. As I try to think of what holds me back from it, all I can come up with is the issue of "forgetfulness". I think we just "forget" to reverence him. When I don't show him reverence, I do things my own way. I treat his laws casually. I don't walk in obedience, and I don't discipline myself to study the Word. If I want to Live the DREAM, I must reverence the Lord.
Show Him Reverence 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
Ruth 2:1-4:22
John 4:43-54
Psalm 105:16-36
Proverbs 14:26-27
"Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security. Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life; its waters keep a man from death." (Prov. 14:26-27)
In the dictionary "reverence" means "A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love." Looking at today's verse from Proverbs, I'm challenged to rate myself on the "reverence scale". Do I have "reverence" for God?
We have the privilege and benefit of being New Testament believers. We understand that we can "boldly approach the throne of grace." The danger in stating "I am a friend of God" is that we can turn it in to a very casual thing and lose the sense of reverencing God. That's not supposed to happen. Yes, Jesus died on the cross to bridge the gap between God and man, but in no way did that make God less holy, nor did it negate the fact that we need to reverence him.
Reading these verses today, look at the "benefit" of reverence.
"Deep strength". Do I want that? Who doesn't! What I think of is the ability to remain stable in any storm. The Christian life can have storms. I don't think that comes to anyone as a shock. As we mature in Christ, these storms should not have as great effect on us as they did before. We should increase our stability. This comes through reverencing God. Reverencing God is not walking into his kitchen throwing open his fridge, and drinking a miracle from the carton. Reverencing God is trusting him in any situation to equip us with what we need to carry out his will.
"... his children have a place of refuge and security." Do I want that for my daughter? You bet I do! I don't know if you've seen children who do not have this safety and security. They walk through life as if they're carrying a suitcase full of rocks of fear and insecurity. Peace is hard to find. When I have reverence for God, I am not only finding my strength, I am paving the road to peace for those around me.
"... a fountain of life; it's waters keep a man from death." Sound good? count me in! The "fountain of youth" seemed to be the plot of a bunch of different shows when I was a kid. Everyone wants to find the "magical" formula to cheat death. The truth is that the fountain of life is found in Reverence for God. No, it wont necessarily keep you "young", and you may still get wrinkles, but you will experience life more abundantly!
I cannot find a reason why I wouldn't want to reverence God. As I try to think of what holds me back from it, all I can come up with is the issue of "forgetfulness". I think we just "forget" to reverence him. When I don't show him reverence, I do things my own way. I treat his laws casually. I don't walk in obedience, and I don't discipline myself to study the Word. If I want to Live the DREAM, I must reverence the Lord.
Show Him Reverence 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
Saturday, May 5, 2012
5.5.12 "Reach the World!"
"Reach the World!"
Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22
John 4:4-42
Psalm 105:1-15
Proverbs 14:25
"Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping." (John 4:35)
"Vast fields of human souls..." What a description of the need of our world for Christ! It can be very easy to be numbed by constant exposure to the needs of the lost. We are here for a purpose we MUST reach our world for Christ!
This can be an intimidating process. Some Christians have built "witnessing" into this huge thing that they are afraid of. Many only do this as a part of an organized outreach, or only armed w/ tracts. Some are more comfortable with a bullhorn yelling at people about sin than they would be actually sharing the love of Jesus with them. "Witness" is defined as "To be evidence that something has occurred". In this sense, it's more about who you are than what you do. Today's Proverb says, "A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor."
When Jesus makes this statement about the harvest, it is important to understand what has happened just prior to this. It is the story of the woman at the well. Let's look at the story and how Jesus gives us the model to give others the good news.
1. Purpose is more important than comfort. "...he came to Jacob's Well... Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun and sat wearily beside the well." (4:5,6) Jesus was exhausted from his journeys, but that did not keep him from ministering to others. We need to get rid of our excuses for not sharing the Good News.
2. Establish common ground. "Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink." (4:7) Sometimes we don't know where to start when talking to someone, but often the greatest connection is found in discussing a shared interest. It can be talking about landscaping with a neighbor, or even the weather with a stranger.
3. Let them know God has big plans. "If you only knew what a wonderful gift God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living water!" (4:10) So many people are stuck on the treadmill of meaningless life. We know that God has come to give us abundant life. We need to be excited about that! We need to let others in on this great hope! When someone has the realization that God knows who they are, and has a purpose for their life, they WANT to hear about it!
4. Bring truth without judgment. "'Go and get your husband,' Jesus told her. 'But I'm not married,' the woman replied. 'All too true!' Jesus said. For you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now.'" (4:16-18) I think the way we often want to handle this is: "you're living with someone... you're going to hell." Yes, we need to reveal truth, but we need to allow the Spirit to draw them into a place where they can respond to that truth.
5. LISTEN to what they believe so you can bring clarity. "'Sir,' the woman said,'you must be a prophet. But say, tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here [at Mount Gerazim], where our ancestors worshiped?' Jesus replied, '... For it's not where we worship that counts, but how we worship - is our worship spiritual and real?'" Sometimes when we share Christ with someone we are so caught up in making sure we SAY the right thing, that we don't take the time to discover the individual's level of understanding. We have this desire to be profound, but what is really important is that we connect to their level of understanding. Then, based on their understanding and not our "wisdom", we need to bring an answer they can grasp.
6. Bring it home. "Then Jesus told her, 'I am the Messiah!'" (4:26) There was a progression to this conversation. Notice, he didn't sit at that well at the beginning, and say, "Wassup? I'm the Messiah, get me a drink." At the right time, he gave the "punchline" to abundant life.
The pattern I've laid out from these scriptures is not the way EVERY conversation needs to be. We need to be led by the Spirit in every occasion. But I think Jesus shows us that it ain't "rocket surgery". We just need to connect with people and be real about what we know.
"The reapers will be paid good wages and will be gathering eternal souls into the granaries of heaven! What joys await the sower and the reaper, both together!" (4:36)
Let's get to work & sow and reap the harvest! We have a Mission to Reach our World for 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
Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22
John 4:4-42
Psalm 105:1-15
Proverbs 14:25
"Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping." (John 4:35)
"Vast fields of human souls..." What a description of the need of our world for Christ! It can be very easy to be numbed by constant exposure to the needs of the lost. We are here for a purpose we MUST reach our world for Christ!
This can be an intimidating process. Some Christians have built "witnessing" into this huge thing that they are afraid of. Many only do this as a part of an organized outreach, or only armed w/ tracts. Some are more comfortable with a bullhorn yelling at people about sin than they would be actually sharing the love of Jesus with them. "Witness" is defined as "To be evidence that something has occurred". In this sense, it's more about who you are than what you do. Today's Proverb says, "A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor."
When Jesus makes this statement about the harvest, it is important to understand what has happened just prior to this. It is the story of the woman at the well. Let's look at the story and how Jesus gives us the model to give others the good news.
1. Purpose is more important than comfort. "...he came to Jacob's Well... Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun and sat wearily beside the well." (4:5,6) Jesus was exhausted from his journeys, but that did not keep him from ministering to others. We need to get rid of our excuses for not sharing the Good News.
2. Establish common ground. "Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink." (4:7) Sometimes we don't know where to start when talking to someone, but often the greatest connection is found in discussing a shared interest. It can be talking about landscaping with a neighbor, or even the weather with a stranger.
3. Let them know God has big plans. "If you only knew what a wonderful gift God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living water!" (4:10) So many people are stuck on the treadmill of meaningless life. We know that God has come to give us abundant life. We need to be excited about that! We need to let others in on this great hope! When someone has the realization that God knows who they are, and has a purpose for their life, they WANT to hear about it!
4. Bring truth without judgment. "'Go and get your husband,' Jesus told her. 'But I'm not married,' the woman replied. 'All too true!' Jesus said. For you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now.'" (4:16-18) I think the way we often want to handle this is: "you're living with someone... you're going to hell." Yes, we need to reveal truth, but we need to allow the Spirit to draw them into a place where they can respond to that truth.
5. LISTEN to what they believe so you can bring clarity. "'Sir,' the woman said,'you must be a prophet. But say, tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here [at Mount Gerazim], where our ancestors worshiped?' Jesus replied, '... For it's not where we worship that counts, but how we worship - is our worship spiritual and real?'" Sometimes when we share Christ with someone we are so caught up in making sure we SAY the right thing, that we don't take the time to discover the individual's level of understanding. We have this desire to be profound, but what is really important is that we connect to their level of understanding. Then, based on their understanding and not our "wisdom", we need to bring an answer they can grasp.
6. Bring it home. "Then Jesus told her, 'I am the Messiah!'" (4:26) There was a progression to this conversation. Notice, he didn't sit at that well at the beginning, and say, "Wassup? I'm the Messiah, get me a drink." At the right time, he gave the "punchline" to abundant life.
The pattern I've laid out from these scriptures is not the way EVERY conversation needs to be. We need to be led by the Spirit in every occasion. But I think Jesus shows us that it ain't "rocket surgery". We just need to connect with people and be real about what we know.
"The reapers will be paid good wages and will be gathering eternal souls into the granaries of heaven! What joys await the sower and the reaper, both together!" (4:36)
Let's get to work & sow and reap the harvest! We have a Mission to Reach our World for 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
Friday, May 4, 2012
5.4.12 "The Empty Swing"
"The Empty Swing"
Judges 19:1-20:48
John 3:22-4:3
Psalm 104:24-35
Proverbs 14:22-23
Today's reading in Judges is gruesome. It's a story of a man who has a concubine who runs back home. He brings gifts to the girl's family to win her back, and he does. The girls father, however keeps talking him into staying longer than he should. They feast and party on, until finally after a few days of trying to leave, the man leaves late in the day.
Because they left so late, they have to stop along their journey to sleep in a city square. A stranger brings them in, but during the night an occurrence happens that sounds like the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. "... a gang of sex perverts gathered around the house and began beating at the door and yelling at the old man to bring out the man who was saying with him, so they could rape him." (Jud. 19:22) What ended up happening is that the man pushed the concubine out the door, and throughout the night they abused her to the point of death. He threw her body onto his donkey and took her home.
"When he got there he took a knife and cut her body into twelve parts and sent one piece to each tribe of Israel. Everyone who saw it said, 'Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who's going to speak up?'" (Judges 19:29-30)
You may be wondering why I would pick such an encouraging story for today's devotional. Do you recognize the name "Norma McCorvey"? She is also known as Jane Roe. She was the original plaintiff in Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in 1973. In 1995, Norma gave her life to Christ. She was led to Christ by a pastor who was part of Operation Rescue, a pro-life organization that was protesting outside the clinic where Norma worked.
Now that there have been over 50 million "legal" abortions in the US, Norma tells the story of one day she was sitting in a park and there were no kids there. She wept as she realized the swings were empty because of the generation that has been lost.
In our backyard we have a swing set for my daughter. She's outgrown many of her toys, but not the swing. She loves to play on it and sing, and come up with new ways to swing. I hear my daughter's songs as I think of Norma's story.
The entire nation of Israel was roused to action in Judges 20. There were over 400,000 troops mobilized to attack the people of Benjamin who had become so perverted. "So the whole nation united in this task." (Jud 20:11)
"Before the battle the Israeli army went to Bethel first to ask counsel from the God." (20:18) That day, 22,000 Israelis died. "Then the Israeli army wept before the Lord until evening and asked him, 'Shall we fight further against our brother Benjamin?' And the Lord said, 'Yes.' So the men of Israel took courage and went out again the next day to fight at the same place. And that day they lost another eighteen thousand men... Then the entire army went up to Bethel and wept before the Lord..."
As much as we'd love it to be an easy battle, Israel experienced great loss in their fight for justice. Even after God told them to go fight, they lost 40,000 men. It would be easy to give up.
"The men of Israel asked the Lord, 'Shall we go out again and fight against our brother Benjamin, or shall we stop?' And the Lord said, 'Go, for tomorrow I will see to it that you defeat the men of Benjamin.'" (Jud. 20:18-28) There was more loss of life, but the evil men were finally defeated.
Reading this account you can't help think about the state of perversion in our nation. Where are the people of God? There are a few key points we need to realize.
It says earlier in Judges that Benjamin was the only tribe that didn't completely conquer the territory. They didn't purify themselves. This led to their perversion. The Body of Christ needs to be pure.
Second, notice how the man initially placed himself in the situation. He was feasting instead of returning home. Over the course of the last generation, the Church has fallen asleep in prosperity instead of holding to Godly principles.
The other point I want to make is that I believe the people of God have become intimidated into inaction. Just like the Israelites experienced great loss when they first went out to fight, I believe the Christians of our day have realized that this battle can't be fought without sacrifice, and that has caused them to give up far too early.
My question however is whether we have gone back to ask the Lord what we should do, or if we have just determined that the cost is too great and we have gone home. I believe the victory is there, but are we willing to pay the price?
Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer. There is much to pray about. There are empty swings.
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
Judges 19:1-20:48
John 3:22-4:3
Psalm 104:24-35
Proverbs 14:22-23
Today's reading in Judges is gruesome. It's a story of a man who has a concubine who runs back home. He brings gifts to the girl's family to win her back, and he does. The girls father, however keeps talking him into staying longer than he should. They feast and party on, until finally after a few days of trying to leave, the man leaves late in the day.
Because they left so late, they have to stop along their journey to sleep in a city square. A stranger brings them in, but during the night an occurrence happens that sounds like the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. "... a gang of sex perverts gathered around the house and began beating at the door and yelling at the old man to bring out the man who was saying with him, so they could rape him." (Jud. 19:22) What ended up happening is that the man pushed the concubine out the door, and throughout the night they abused her to the point of death. He threw her body onto his donkey and took her home.
"When he got there he took a knife and cut her body into twelve parts and sent one piece to each tribe of Israel. Everyone who saw it said, 'Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who's going to speak up?'" (Judges 19:29-30)
You may be wondering why I would pick such an encouraging story for today's devotional. Do you recognize the name "Norma McCorvey"? She is also known as Jane Roe. She was the original plaintiff in Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in 1973. In 1995, Norma gave her life to Christ. She was led to Christ by a pastor who was part of Operation Rescue, a pro-life organization that was protesting outside the clinic where Norma worked.
Now that there have been over 50 million "legal" abortions in the US, Norma tells the story of one day she was sitting in a park and there were no kids there. She wept as she realized the swings were empty because of the generation that has been lost.
In our backyard we have a swing set for my daughter. She's outgrown many of her toys, but not the swing. She loves to play on it and sing, and come up with new ways to swing. I hear my daughter's songs as I think of Norma's story.
The entire nation of Israel was roused to action in Judges 20. There were over 400,000 troops mobilized to attack the people of Benjamin who had become so perverted. "So the whole nation united in this task." (Jud 20:11)
"Before the battle the Israeli army went to Bethel first to ask counsel from the God." (20:18) That day, 22,000 Israelis died. "Then the Israeli army wept before the Lord until evening and asked him, 'Shall we fight further against our brother Benjamin?' And the Lord said, 'Yes.' So the men of Israel took courage and went out again the next day to fight at the same place. And that day they lost another eighteen thousand men... Then the entire army went up to Bethel and wept before the Lord..."
As much as we'd love it to be an easy battle, Israel experienced great loss in their fight for justice. Even after God told them to go fight, they lost 40,000 men. It would be easy to give up.
"The men of Israel asked the Lord, 'Shall we go out again and fight against our brother Benjamin, or shall we stop?' And the Lord said, 'Go, for tomorrow I will see to it that you defeat the men of Benjamin.'" (Jud. 20:18-28) There was more loss of life, but the evil men were finally defeated.
Reading this account you can't help think about the state of perversion in our nation. Where are the people of God? There are a few key points we need to realize.
It says earlier in Judges that Benjamin was the only tribe that didn't completely conquer the territory. They didn't purify themselves. This led to their perversion. The Body of Christ needs to be pure.
Second, notice how the man initially placed himself in the situation. He was feasting instead of returning home. Over the course of the last generation, the Church has fallen asleep in prosperity instead of holding to Godly principles.
The other point I want to make is that I believe the people of God have become intimidated into inaction. Just like the Israelites experienced great loss when they first went out to fight, I believe the Christians of our day have realized that this battle can't be fought without sacrifice, and that has caused them to give up far too early.
My question however is whether we have gone back to ask the Lord what we should do, or if we have just determined that the cost is too great and we have gone home. I believe the victory is there, but are we willing to pay the price?
Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer. There is much to pray about. There are empty swings.
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, May 3, 2012
5.3.12 "The Power to Change"
"The Power to Change"
Judges 17:1-18:31
John 3:1-21
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 14:20-21
Are there things about you that you'd like to change? Maybe appearance, or habit, or personality, or something else? When man sinned, one of the consequences was an innate dissatisfaction in our flesh of where we are. There's a desire to change. Often we hear these "pit to pinnacle" stories of people who have worked hard to transform their lives. Because our culture values riches, we love the "get rich quick" stories. We like to hear of the people who've triumphed through adversity.
Because people are so often discontent about themselves and where they're at in life, there is usually a great desire to change; to become a better person.
For example, we need to be people who Live the DREAM. We need to live the Balanced Christian Life. Each of us need to be strengthened in one area or another to be who God created us to be. As great as that desire is, we cannot forget that it is not in our power to change.
Jesus is meeting with Nicodemus when he says, "Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven." (John 3:6)
When we get trapped in rut of the "comfortable Christian Life", we can be numbed by our own "good intentions". We "mean" to be transformed into a Christ-like nature, and we even take steps to make improvements. We try to be "better" people, but for some reason we find it "doesn't work".
The main reason we fail is that we try to do it in our own strength, and we only want to change the things WE want to change. An individual can spend a lifetime struggling to transform themselves, when what really needs to happen is to surrender to the working of the Holy Spirit.
A Christian business leader said, "God can do more in a flash than we can do in a lifetime of effort." God desires to work in us to transform us. We need to understand the priority of placing ourselves wholly in his presence, and allow him unlimited access to every area. We need to change what he places on our heart to change, not what WE think needs changing.
The power to Change is the Power of the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender to him and his plan. When we try to do it in our own strength, we can be very frustrated with ourselves. Sometimes we just need to step out of the way and let the Spirit work. Let His light shine on us and transform us into instruments for His glory.
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
Judges 17:1-18:31
John 3:1-21
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 14:20-21
Are there things about you that you'd like to change? Maybe appearance, or habit, or personality, or something else? When man sinned, one of the consequences was an innate dissatisfaction in our flesh of where we are. There's a desire to change. Often we hear these "pit to pinnacle" stories of people who have worked hard to transform their lives. Because our culture values riches, we love the "get rich quick" stories. We like to hear of the people who've triumphed through adversity.
Because people are so often discontent about themselves and where they're at in life, there is usually a great desire to change; to become a better person.
For example, we need to be people who Live the DREAM. We need to live the Balanced Christian Life. Each of us need to be strengthened in one area or another to be who God created us to be. As great as that desire is, we cannot forget that it is not in our power to change.
Jesus is meeting with Nicodemus when he says, "Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven." (John 3:6)
When we get trapped in rut of the "comfortable Christian Life", we can be numbed by our own "good intentions". We "mean" to be transformed into a Christ-like nature, and we even take steps to make improvements. We try to be "better" people, but for some reason we find it "doesn't work".
The main reason we fail is that we try to do it in our own strength, and we only want to change the things WE want to change. An individual can spend a lifetime struggling to transform themselves, when what really needs to happen is to surrender to the working of the Holy Spirit.
A Christian business leader said, "God can do more in a flash than we can do in a lifetime of effort." God desires to work in us to transform us. We need to understand the priority of placing ourselves wholly in his presence, and allow him unlimited access to every area. We need to change what he places on our heart to change, not what WE think needs changing.
The power to Change is the Power of the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender to him and his plan. When we try to do it in our own strength, we can be very frustrated with ourselves. Sometimes we just need to step out of the way and let the Spirit work. Let His light shine on us and transform us into instruments for His glory.
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, May 2, 2012
5.2.12 "The Danger of Falling Asleep"
"The Danger of Falling Asleep"
Judges 15:1-16:31
John 2:1-25
Psalm 103:1-22
Proverbs 14:17-19
It can be a struggle to determine whether or not Samson is a hero. When I was a kid I loved Samson. I thought he was a great hero. He had cool hair (it should be noted that I was a kid in the 80's), and was like Rambo. The more I read into his story though, I'm not so impressed. Yeah, there's the good stuff: Samson is born of the promise to a barren woman. He was set apart from birth to deliver Israel from the Philistines. As you read of his exploits, though, you find they are mainly motivated by his greed, jealousy, and anger.
Here he is. The strongest man in the world. The power of God at his finger tips. Yet only two times do I see it recorded that he cried out to God. The first was because he was thirsty. Listen to this prayer: "You have given Israel such a wonderful deliverance through me today! Must I now die of thirst, and fall to the mercy of these heathen?" (Jud 15:18) The last time he called out to God was just before his death. "O Lord Jehovah, remember me again - please strengthen me one more time, so that I may pay back the Philistines for the loss of at least one of my eyes." (16:28)
My impression of Samson is that he's a bit self-centered. It's a good thing we're not that way today! It's a good thing we don't pray so selfishly...
We all are familiar with the story of Delilah. This is the woman he falls in love with, although she shouldn't be confused with the one he had married in chapter 14, or the prostitute from Gaza he had visited earlier... (you picking up on a weakness?) Delilah is approached by the Philistine leaders to discover the secret of Samson's strength. Samson lies to her 3 times before revealing the truth to her.
There is a key phrase to note in this chapter. "...while he slept she tied him..."(vs. 8) "...as he slept, Delilah took new ropes..." (vs. 12) "So while he slept..."(vs. 14) "She lulled him to sleep with his head in her lap..." (vs. 19)
I believe the saddest verse in the bible is verse 20. "Then she screamed, 'The Philistines are here to capture you, Samson!' And he woke up and thought, 'I will do as before; I'll just shake myself free.' But he didn't realize that the Lord had left him."
As we read this story it is so easy to wonder how Samson could be so stupid to allow Delilah to seduce him like that. But I believe the challenge is before us.
How could we be so stupid to be lulled asleep?
Samson did not just wake up one day to find himself captive. It seemed that way to him, but we can see that where he ended up was the result of pursuing fleshly desire, and laying his head in the lap of bondage. This wasn't a "one night" event of losing the blessing of the Lord. This was a gradual progression of being lulled to sleep.
We must guard against the same danger. Often believers will be lulled to sleep in the lap of worldliness. We become numbed to the blatant sin that is all around us. It becomes normal and acceptable to live in selfishness.
After spending time in our comfort zones and selfish prayers, we are often surprised when we don't experience the power of God in the way we wish we could. The strength is gone.
We must realize why we are here and what we are called to do. We can't compromise the mission. Samson was there to deliver the people from the Philistines, yet his life seemed devoted to himself. This resulted in the enemy celebrating his captivity. He became a mockery.
The church should not be a place that the world mocks. The world shouldn't see a church that is self-righteous and haughty. The church should be seen as a place full of the power of God. How is this going to happen? It happens as the people of God remember the vows they have been called to fulfill. Vows of separation, holiness and devotion to complete the mission God has called them to.
As the body of Christ we need to WAKE UP! We need to see that the comforts we desire are lulling us to sleep and bringing us into captivity.
God has a plan for us, and it is for victory, not defeat. We will overcome as we devote ourselves to him!
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, May 1, 2012
5.1.12 "In Security or Insecurity?"
"In Security or Insecurity?"
Judges 13:1-14:20
John 1:29-51
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 14:15-16
Do you like to feel safe? Have you ever climbed a ladder that you were unsure about? One of those old wooden ones that was cracked and creaking? I remember as a kid walking across one of those swinging bridges over a gorge in Illinois. It was like the ones in the movies. It was made out of rope and had a few missing boards. I kind of enjoyed it, but I remember some of my relatives just wouldn't cross it. Too scary.
Everyone has some things that they're a little unsure of. Some don't trust airplanes. Those of you who have been in a car with my wife while driving over a bridge know that she's not too sure we're going to live through the event (each and every time... even though we've been over the same bridge MANY times...). Therefore, no talking, both hands on the wheel... It's a life and death adventure every time. It's quite the trip, let me tell you...
We are created with an desire to be safe; a desire to be secure. We live in a society filled with insecurity. Fear is all around us. It can be large-scale fear (global warming, terrorism, financial doom) or it can be very personal things (fear of rejection, insecurity about looks, weight, etc). Living with insecurity can be debilitating. It can paralyze.
Psalm 102:27-28 says, "But you are always the same; you will live forever. The children of your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in your presence."
We can live in security when we trust in the Lord. When we are consumed by our insecurities, it shows that we are not trusting the Lord. Verse 25 says, "Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands." Do you think there's anything that catches God by surprise? We need to rest in his presence, knowing that he is in control.
In John 1, Jesus has disciples joining him. One named Nathanael was "recruited" by his brother Philip. When Jesus sees Nathanael for the first time, he says, "'Now here is a genuine son of Israel - a man of complete integrity.' 'How do you know about me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, 'I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.'" (John 1:47-48)
Though this may seem like such an incidental portion of scripture, it assures us of one thing. God sees us. He knows us. He knows our insecurities. He knows our weaknesses. Our faults do not excuse a lack of trust in him. Because I may hate my hair or my nose doesn't mean I have an excuse to be insecure. The truth is, I need to accept who he's made me to be and live in security instead of being in bondage to insecurity.
We have assurance that God is in control. He knows about the state of the world. He knows about our secret fears. When we dwell in his presence, He will calmly assure us of his great mercy and love which is without end.
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
Judges 13:1-14:20
John 1:29-51
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 14:15-16
Do you like to feel safe? Have you ever climbed a ladder that you were unsure about? One of those old wooden ones that was cracked and creaking? I remember as a kid walking across one of those swinging bridges over a gorge in Illinois. It was like the ones in the movies. It was made out of rope and had a few missing boards. I kind of enjoyed it, but I remember some of my relatives just wouldn't cross it. Too scary.
Everyone has some things that they're a little unsure of. Some don't trust airplanes. Those of you who have been in a car with my wife while driving over a bridge know that she's not too sure we're going to live through the event (each and every time... even though we've been over the same bridge MANY times...). Therefore, no talking, both hands on the wheel... It's a life and death adventure every time. It's quite the trip, let me tell you...
We are created with an desire to be safe; a desire to be secure. We live in a society filled with insecurity. Fear is all around us. It can be large-scale fear (global warming, terrorism, financial doom) or it can be very personal things (fear of rejection, insecurity about looks, weight, etc). Living with insecurity can be debilitating. It can paralyze.
Psalm 102:27-28 says, "But you are always the same; you will live forever. The children of your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in your presence."
We can live in security when we trust in the Lord. When we are consumed by our insecurities, it shows that we are not trusting the Lord. Verse 25 says, "Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands." Do you think there's anything that catches God by surprise? We need to rest in his presence, knowing that he is in control.
In John 1, Jesus has disciples joining him. One named Nathanael was "recruited" by his brother Philip. When Jesus sees Nathanael for the first time, he says, "'Now here is a genuine son of Israel - a man of complete integrity.' 'How do you know about me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, 'I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.'" (John 1:47-48)
Though this may seem like such an incidental portion of scripture, it assures us of one thing. God sees us. He knows us. He knows our insecurities. He knows our weaknesses. Our faults do not excuse a lack of trust in him. Because I may hate my hair or my nose doesn't mean I have an excuse to be insecure. The truth is, I need to accept who he's made me to be and live in security instead of being in bondage to insecurity.
We have assurance that God is in control. He knows about the state of the world. He knows about our secret fears. When we dwell in his presence, He will calmly assure us of his great mercy and love which is without end.
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
