Showing posts with label Compromise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Compromise. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
2.5.12 "Death Trap"
"Death Trap"
Exodus 21:22-23:13
Matthew 24:1-28
Psalm 29:1-11
Proverbs 7:6-23
When I was in college I had a Toyota Corolla that was quite the piece of work. It started great (which is a major point in northern MN winters!) and it ran great. It just has some rust issues. When you'd open the trunk you would just see the ground and gas tank. On the drivers side, it was just the carpet between your feet and the ground. (I never tried this, but it would have been a great car to take ice fishing... just lift the carpet & fish!) It was a beautiful "primer gray", and when i sold it I was thrilled that i got over $300 for it. The steering wheel had so much play in it, it was pretty tough to drive in a straight line. Yeah, some would call that car a death trap.
Proverbs 7 speaks of a "death trap"
"He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life." Proverbs. 7:22-23
What is this trap? It's a young man who is "lacking common sense, walking at twilight down the street to the house of this wayward girl, a prostitute."
Sin has a "fate awaiting". There's such a deceptive trap in sin. It becomes so powerful, because there's no "electric fence" instantly zapping the sinner for their waywardness. The consequences are many times delayed, but as subtle as the consequences may seem, the results are devastating.
What is the consequence? When thinking in Sunday School terms, "you go to hell". Well, there's truth to that, but what Jesus says in Matthew 24 really stood out to me today. He is talking about the end times. He speaks of false prophets and wars. Those seem so obvious. But in verse 12 he says, "Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many."
Here's the big danger: Sin numbs us to the love of God. So many times I've heard in marriage counseling, "I just don't love him anymore." When asked, no one can point to a day where love stopped, it's just a gradual "loss". This also happens spiritually. Small compromises gradually kill the fire for God. A little sin here & there may go "unnoticed". There's no lightning from heaven. Nobody knows. Things must be ok, right?
But in reality there is a fate awaiting. The most horrible fate is to be separated from God. Daily, people make sinful decisions and think "I'm still ok." A deep rooted cancer of rebellion against God takes hold and begins the internal mission to kill love for God. Then one day there's a realization, "I don't love him anymore."
We'd want to think "that could never happen to me. I can beat this thing that lures me..." Yet we don't realize that our willingness to allow sin to remain in our life is a death trap.... little knowing it will cost us our lives.
"Praise the Lord, you angels of his; praise his glory and his strength. Praise him for his majestic glory, the glory of his name. Come before him clothed in sacred garments." Psalm 29:1-2
If you were to stand in the light of God's glory at this very second, what stains would appear on your clothing? Are your garments sacred? Would you run in shame trying to hide the stain, and attempt to scrub it out with your own strength and determination? The truth is, He's the only one with the "detergent" that will wash our stain away. It's the blood of Jesus shed for us.
Be clean before him today. Be pure. Allow him to cleanse you. And stay away from the "death trap"
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, July 23, 2011
7.23.11 "The Seed that Always Grows"
"The Seed that Always Grows"
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
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
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
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, May 2, 2011
5.2.11 "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
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
Monday, October 4, 2010
10.4.10 "Protecting Purity"
"Protecting Purity"
Jeremiah 2:31- 4:18
Colossians 1:1-19
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 24:21-22
There are many "subtle killers" out there. Carbon Monoxide is one. You don't see it, you don't smell it, and yet if you work with a gas powered engine in an enclosed area, it will overtake you. Hypothermia is considered another subtle killer. When you're trapped in the cold it lulls you to sleep and takes your life.
Probably the most dangerous of them all is this: Spiritual compromise is a subtle killer. Minor steps of disobedience at the onset seem like no big deal, but they numb the conscience ever so gradually, that an individual begins to feel that involvement in sin is nothing more than a matter of priorities that need adjustment, or just a minor offense. In the same way a mountain climber might just want to "take a short rest" in the snow, the compromising believer will take his eyes off the path of purity only to look around and find the spiritual fire has gone out.
In Jeremiah we see how God feels about this. God views our relationship with him as a marriage. He desires that we are intimately committed to Him. So what does that say about our little compromises or indulgences? "Is there a single spot in all the land where you haven't been defiled by your adulteries - your worshiping these other gods? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a client!" Jer 3:2
In verse 9 the Lord says, "She treated it all so lightly - to her it was nothing at all that she should worship idols made of wood and stone. And so the land was greatly polluted and defiled."
The marriage relationship is something to be protected and guarded. The intensity with which we guard it depends on how valuable we think it is. In other words, if we understand how important purity is in our marriage relationship, we will make every effort to intensely protect it. If we don't value it, how hard do we work to protect it?
How valuable is your relationship to God? How intensely do you protect it? Too often we treat it casually, and approach God saying, "'O Father, you have always been my Friend; surely you won't be angry about such a little thing! Surely you will just forget it?' So you talk, and keep right on doing all the evil that you can." (Jer. 3:4-5)
This is a Big Deal! If you can imagine the pain of adultery and a broken marriage, that is how God views our lack of faithfulness to him. In the same way God wants our earthly marriages to be pure so it can be a testimony to the world, He wants our pure relationship with him to be a sign to the world. Jeremiah 4:1-2 says, "O Israel, if you will truly return to me and absolutely discard your idols, and if you will swear by me alone, the living God, and begin to live good, honest, clean lives, then you will be a testimony to the nations of the World and they will come to me and glorify my name."
Put your every effort into living a life of purity. Put your efforts and energy into the value of your relationship with Christ. If you will value it, you will lock the doors of your heart to anything that would compromise the purity the Lord desires. Protect your purity!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Jeremiah 2:31- 4:18
Colossians 1:1-19
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 24:21-22
There are many "subtle killers" out there. Carbon Monoxide is one. You don't see it, you don't smell it, and yet if you work with a gas powered engine in an enclosed area, it will overtake you. Hypothermia is considered another subtle killer. When you're trapped in the cold it lulls you to sleep and takes your life.
Probably the most dangerous of them all is this: Spiritual compromise is a subtle killer. Minor steps of disobedience at the onset seem like no big deal, but they numb the conscience ever so gradually, that an individual begins to feel that involvement in sin is nothing more than a matter of priorities that need adjustment, or just a minor offense. In the same way a mountain climber might just want to "take a short rest" in the snow, the compromising believer will take his eyes off the path of purity only to look around and find the spiritual fire has gone out.
In Jeremiah we see how God feels about this. God views our relationship with him as a marriage. He desires that we are intimately committed to Him. So what does that say about our little compromises or indulgences? "Is there a single spot in all the land where you haven't been defiled by your adulteries - your worshiping these other gods? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a client!" Jer 3:2
In verse 9 the Lord says, "She treated it all so lightly - to her it was nothing at all that she should worship idols made of wood and stone. And so the land was greatly polluted and defiled."
The marriage relationship is something to be protected and guarded. The intensity with which we guard it depends on how valuable we think it is. In other words, if we understand how important purity is in our marriage relationship, we will make every effort to intensely protect it. If we don't value it, how hard do we work to protect it?
How valuable is your relationship to God? How intensely do you protect it? Too often we treat it casually, and approach God saying, "'O Father, you have always been my Friend; surely you won't be angry about such a little thing! Surely you will just forget it?' So you talk, and keep right on doing all the evil that you can." (Jer. 3:4-5)
This is a Big Deal! If you can imagine the pain of adultery and a broken marriage, that is how God views our lack of faithfulness to him. In the same way God wants our earthly marriages to be pure so it can be a testimony to the world, He wants our pure relationship with him to be a sign to the world. Jeremiah 4:1-2 says, "O Israel, if you will truly return to me and absolutely discard your idols, and if you will swear by me alone, the living God, and begin to live good, honest, clean lives, then you will be a testimony to the nations of the World and they will come to me and glorify my name."
Put your every effort into living a life of purity. Put your efforts and energy into the value of your relationship with Christ. If you will value it, you will lock the doors of your heart to anything that would compromise the purity the Lord desires. Protect your purity!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, July 23, 2010
7.23.10 "The Seed that Always Grows"
"The Seed that Always Grows"
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, May 2, 2010
5.2.10 "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 (remember, 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!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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 (remember, 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!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, November 8, 2009
11.8.9 "Don't Eat the Jell-o!"
"Don't Eat the Jell-o!"
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
Hebrews 9:1-12
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 27:10
A Readers' Digest article told about the "Black Widow". This was a woman who had poisoned two husbands by putting antifreeze in green Jell-o. It was kind of a subtle death. They'd get sick, and ultimately die. Pretty nasty, huh?
The pull toward the compromised Christian life is constant. The enemy loves to do whatever it takes to subtly taint the purity of the Godly life and turn it toward sin.
Today's Psalm says, "Again and again he delivered them from their slavery, but they continued to rebel against him, and were finally destroyed by their sin."
Sin is a subtle killer. We know the "biggies": committing adultery, etc. THAT sin is BAD! But, rarely is that the kind of sin that sears our conscience. When we sin "bad", we can't live with ourselves. We repent, and turn. But when it comes to those "little things" they don't shock us so bad. In truth, THESE are the killers.
Israel continued to rebel against God. Last week we talked about how the root of rebellion is the lack of trust. They stopped trusting God till the point that this sin destroyed them.
Make a quick list of sins that will destroy you.... Let me save you some time. All sin destroys. It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". It's 'green Jell-o' that kills.
I'm so grateful that God in his mercy did not give me what I deserved in my sin. His Spirit drew me to him to surrender all.
In John 10 Jesus speaks of himself as being the gate to the sheep pen, and ANYTHING coming over the wall is a thief or a robber. In our lives, some of these thieves and robbers don't look so bad. They can be fun. Attractive. They seem harmless. But no matter how we view them, they are thieves and robbers nonetheless.
The more we get to know Christ, the more we need to align everything in our lives to him. If it doesn't please him, we need to throw it out. It will destroy us.
This game is for keeps. Unfortunately I've seen too many that have compromised so long, they can't be convinced to return. There's no desire to hear the voice of God. I'm not talking about unbelievers, I'm talking about those who've been on fire, but then turned away. They've given themselves to the "Green Jell-o" of lust, bitterness, or some other subtle killer.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is so much more than "put on a happy face". It's about living right with God. It's not worrying about the poison in the food! It's living in a confident relationship with the creator. Stay away from the Green Jell-o of sin!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
Hebrews 9:1-12
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 27:10
A Readers' Digest article told about the "Black Widow". This was a woman who had poisoned two husbands by putting antifreeze in green Jell-o. It was kind of a subtle death. They'd get sick, and ultimately die. Pretty nasty, huh?
The pull toward the compromised Christian life is constant. The enemy loves to do whatever it takes to subtly taint the purity of the Godly life and turn it toward sin.
Today's Psalm says, "Again and again he delivered them from their slavery, but they continued to rebel against him, and were finally destroyed by their sin."
Sin is a subtle killer. We know the "biggies": committing adultery, etc. THAT sin is BAD! But, rarely is that the kind of sin that sears our conscience. When we sin "bad", we can't live with ourselves. We repent, and turn. But when it comes to those "little things" they don't shock us so bad. In truth, THESE are the killers.
Israel continued to rebel against God. Last week we talked about how the root of rebellion is the lack of trust. They stopped trusting God till the point that this sin destroyed them.
Make a quick list of sins that will destroy you.... Let me save you some time. All sin destroys. It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". It's 'green Jell-o' that kills.
I'm so grateful that God in his mercy did not give me what I deserved in my sin. His Spirit drew me to him to surrender all.
In John 10 Jesus speaks of himself as being the gate to the sheep pen, and ANYTHING coming over the wall is a thief or a robber. In our lives, some of these thieves and robbers don't look so bad. They can be fun. Attractive. They seem harmless. But no matter how we view them, they are thieves and robbers nonetheless.
The more we get to know Christ, the more we need to align everything in our lives to him. If it doesn't please him, we need to throw it out. It will destroy us.
This game is for keeps. Unfortunately I've seen too many that have compromised so long, they can't be convinced to return. There's no desire to hear the voice of God. I'm not talking about unbelievers, I'm talking about those who've been on fire, but then turned away. They've given themselves to the "Green Jell-o" of lust, bitterness, or some other subtle killer.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is so much more than "put on a happy face". It's about living right with God. It's not worrying about the poison in the food! It's living in a confident relationship with the creator. Stay away from the Green Jell-o of sin!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, July 23, 2009
7.23.9 "The Seed that Always Grows"
"The Seed that Always Grows"
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, February 5, 2009
2.5.9 "Death Trap"
"Death Trap"
Exodus 21:22-23:13
Matthew 24:1-28
Psalm 29:1-11
Proverbs 7:6-23
When I was in college I had a Toyota Corolla that was quite the piece of work. It started great (which is a major point in northern MN!) and it ran great. It just has some rust issues. When you'd open the trunk you would just see the ground and gas tank. On the drivers side, it was just the carpet between your feet and the ground. (I never tried this, but it would have been a great car to take ice fishing... just lift the carpet & fish!) It was a beautiful "primer gray", and when i sold it I was thrilled that i got over $300 for it. The steering wheel had so much play in it, it was pretty tough to drive in a straight line. Yeah, some would call that car a death trap.
Proverbs 7 speaks of a "death trap"
"He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life." Proverbs. 7:22-23
What is this trap? It's a young man who is "lacking common sense, walking at twilight down the street to the house of this wayward girl, a prostitute."
Sin has a "fate awaiting". There's such a deceptive trap in sin. It becomes so powerful, because there's no "electric fence" instantly zapping the sinner for their waywardness. The consequences are many times delayed, but as subtle as the consequences may seem, the results are devastating.
What is the consequence? When thinking in Sunday School terms, "you go to hell". Well, there's truth to that, but what Jesus says in Matthew 24 really stood out to me today. He is talking about the end times. He speaks of false prophets and wars. Those seem so obvious. But in verse 12 he says, "Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many."
Here's the big danger: Sin numbs us to the love of God. So many times I've heard in marriage counseling, "I just don't love him anymore." When asked, no one can point to a day where love stopped, it's just a gradual "loss". This also happens spiritually. Small compromises gradually kill the fire for God. A little sin here & there may go "unnoticed". There's no lightning from heaven. Nobody knows. Things must be ok, right?
But in reality there is a fate awaiting. The most horrible fate is to be separated from God. Daily, people make sinful decisions and think "I'm still ok." A deep rooted cancer of rebellion against God takes hold and begins the internal mission to kill love for God. Then one day there's a realization, "I don't love him anymore."
We'd want to think "that could never happen to me. I can beat this thing that lures me..." Yet we don't realize that our willingness to allow sin to remain in our life is a death trap.... little knowing it will cost us our lives.
"Praise the Lord, you angels of his; praise his glory and his strength. Praise him for his majestic glory, the glory of his name. Come before him clothed in sacred garments." Psalm 29:1-2
If you were to stand in the light of God's glory at this very second, what stains would appear on your clothing? Are your garments sacred? Would you run in shame trying to hide the stain, and attempt to scrub it out with your own strength and determination? The truth is, He's the only one with the "detergent" that will was our stain away. It's the blood of Jesus shed for us.
Be clean before him today. Be pure. Allow him to cleanse you. And stay away from the "death trap"
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 21:22-23:13
Matthew 24:1-28
Psalm 29:1-11
Proverbs 7:6-23
When I was in college I had a Toyota Corolla that was quite the piece of work. It started great (which is a major point in northern MN!) and it ran great. It just has some rust issues. When you'd open the trunk you would just see the ground and gas tank. On the drivers side, it was just the carpet between your feet and the ground. (I never tried this, but it would have been a great car to take ice fishing... just lift the carpet & fish!) It was a beautiful "primer gray", and when i sold it I was thrilled that i got over $300 for it. The steering wheel had so much play in it, it was pretty tough to drive in a straight line. Yeah, some would call that car a death trap.
Proverbs 7 speaks of a "death trap"
"He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life." Proverbs. 7:22-23
What is this trap? It's a young man who is "lacking common sense, walking at twilight down the street to the house of this wayward girl, a prostitute."
Sin has a "fate awaiting". There's such a deceptive trap in sin. It becomes so powerful, because there's no "electric fence" instantly zapping the sinner for their waywardness. The consequences are many times delayed, but as subtle as the consequences may seem, the results are devastating.
What is the consequence? When thinking in Sunday School terms, "you go to hell". Well, there's truth to that, but what Jesus says in Matthew 24 really stood out to me today. He is talking about the end times. He speaks of false prophets and wars. Those seem so obvious. But in verse 12 he says, "Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many."
Here's the big danger: Sin numbs us to the love of God. So many times I've heard in marriage counseling, "I just don't love him anymore." When asked, no one can point to a day where love stopped, it's just a gradual "loss". This also happens spiritually. Small compromises gradually kill the fire for God. A little sin here & there may go "unnoticed". There's no lightning from heaven. Nobody knows. Things must be ok, right?
But in reality there is a fate awaiting. The most horrible fate is to be separated from God. Daily, people make sinful decisions and think "I'm still ok." A deep rooted cancer of rebellion against God takes hold and begins the internal mission to kill love for God. Then one day there's a realization, "I don't love him anymore."
We'd want to think "that could never happen to me. I can beat this thing that lures me..." Yet we don't realize that our willingness to allow sin to remain in our life is a death trap.... little knowing it will cost us our lives.
"Praise the Lord, you angels of his; praise his glory and his strength. Praise him for his majestic glory, the glory of his name. Come before him clothed in sacred garments." Psalm 29:1-2
If you were to stand in the light of God's glory at this very second, what stains would appear on your clothing? Are your garments sacred? Would you run in shame trying to hide the stain, and attempt to scrub it out with your own strength and determination? The truth is, He's the only one with the "detergent" that will was our stain away. It's the blood of Jesus shed for us.
Be clean before him today. Be pure. Allow him to cleanse you. And stay away from the "death trap"
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, November 10, 2008
11.10.8 "'Paint' the DREAM??"
"'Paint' the DREAM??"
Ezekiel 21:1- 22:31
Hebrews 10:1-17
Psalm 108:1-13
Proverbs 27:12
The Proverb for today says, "A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks, and suffers the consequences."
Are you Sensible or a Simpleton? I would love to put myself in the category of the sensible, but I got several things working against that. I'm a procrastinator. I don't like to do things until they NEED to be done. This creates some problems. It usually ends up getting done some time AFTER it needed to be done. "Oh yeah, I should have..."
There's something in our human nature that has really messed up the process of Christian maturity as well. We know the discipline necessary to grow in Christ: obedience, commitment to the word, discipline of character, faithful to church and ministry, witnessing, etc. But what we tend to mess up is that are more concerned about making it LOOK like we are disciplined as we are in actually being disciplined. We tend to be satisfied if people THINK we're growing in Christ, even when we aren't.
In Ezekiel 22, God is speaking to Jerusalem about a judgment that is coming. verse 30 says, "I looked in vain for anyone who would build again the wall of righteousness that guards the land, who could stand in the gap and defend you from my just attacks, but I found not one." The wall of righteousness has broken down. It needs to be rebuilt.
In our lives, the disciplines of the Christian walk are equivalent to building the wall of righteousness. The sensible man knows why this is necessary. Assaults are coming. The enemy will attack. To wait until the enemy comes to build the wall is foolish. But often the labors it takes to build the wall are frustrating and no one sees how hard it is, or unfair the circumstances. And no one notices if we cut a few corners, right?
Earlier in the chapter in Ezekiel, there are false prophets claiming they have heard from God when they haven't. Verse 28 ends with "Thus they repair the wall with whitewash!"
Imagine a broken down wall, and someone trying to "repair" it by painting it. Sounds foolish doesn't it?
Apply that to our lives. So often our goal is to cover up and hide our vulnerabilities. As long as our friends or church family think we have it all together, we're fine. Our goal is too often to look like we're building the wall instead of actually building the wall. "I'm ok if you think i'm doing my devotions."
What makes this such a huge danger is the fact that trouble IS coming. Preparation is necessary. There are no shortcuts. If we are walking in obedience, and doing what God directs us to do on a daily basis, we will be so much more prepared for what is to come. The walls will be stable, and we wont be tossed around.
Unfortunately, we often put so much effort into painting our wall that we don't pay attention to those we love. We don't notice vulnerabilities in one another because we're so focussed on ourself. Heaven forbid we ask a question that would bring attention to our weak spot. So we slap on more paint, and before we know it, a loved one has fallen.
If our defenses have only been built up with a bucket of paint, you may not notice it right away, but when the attack comes, the results are devastating.
"Live the DREAM" could be a bucket of paint. It's a catchy little slogan. We can live our lives looking like all the elements of DREAM are in place, but if there's no true Spirit-led heart change, the lack of balance will be revealed when the trials come and things can fall apart.
Commit this day to Live the DREAM. Not just "paint the DREAM", but live it. Apply Godly principles in all areas of your day. You're created with a purpose. Live like it. Live the Sensible life, not the life of a Simpleton.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 21:1- 22:31
Hebrews 10:1-17
Psalm 108:1-13
Proverbs 27:12
The Proverb for today says, "A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks, and suffers the consequences."
Are you Sensible or a Simpleton? I would love to put myself in the category of the sensible, but I got several things working against that. I'm a procrastinator. I don't like to do things until they NEED to be done. This creates some problems. It usually ends up getting done some time AFTER it needed to be done. "Oh yeah, I should have..."
There's something in our human nature that has really messed up the process of Christian maturity as well. We know the discipline necessary to grow in Christ: obedience, commitment to the word, discipline of character, faithful to church and ministry, witnessing, etc. But what we tend to mess up is that are more concerned about making it LOOK like we are disciplined as we are in actually being disciplined. We tend to be satisfied if people THINK we're growing in Christ, even when we aren't.
In Ezekiel 22, God is speaking to Jerusalem about a judgment that is coming. verse 30 says, "I looked in vain for anyone who would build again the wall of righteousness that guards the land, who could stand in the gap and defend you from my just attacks, but I found not one." The wall of righteousness has broken down. It needs to be rebuilt.
In our lives, the disciplines of the Christian walk are equivalent to building the wall of righteousness. The sensible man knows why this is necessary. Assaults are coming. The enemy will attack. To wait until the enemy comes to build the wall is foolish. But often the labors it takes to build the wall are frustrating and no one sees how hard it is, or unfair the circumstances. And no one notices if we cut a few corners, right?
Earlier in the chapter in Ezekiel, there are false prophets claiming they have heard from God when they haven't. Verse 28 ends with "Thus they repair the wall with whitewash!"
Imagine a broken down wall, and someone trying to "repair" it by painting it. Sounds foolish doesn't it?
Apply that to our lives. So often our goal is to cover up and hide our vulnerabilities. As long as our friends or church family think we have it all together, we're fine. Our goal is too often to look like we're building the wall instead of actually building the wall. "I'm ok if you think i'm doing my devotions."
What makes this such a huge danger is the fact that trouble IS coming. Preparation is necessary. There are no shortcuts. If we are walking in obedience, and doing what God directs us to do on a daily basis, we will be so much more prepared for what is to come. The walls will be stable, and we wont be tossed around.
Unfortunately, we often put so much effort into painting our wall that we don't pay attention to those we love. We don't notice vulnerabilities in one another because we're so focussed on ourself. Heaven forbid we ask a question that would bring attention to our weak spot. So we slap on more paint, and before we know it, a loved one has fallen.
If our defenses have only been built up with a bucket of paint, you may not notice it right away, but when the attack comes, the results are devastating.
"Live the DREAM" could be a bucket of paint. It's a catchy little slogan. We can live our lives looking like all the elements of DREAM are in place, but if there's no true Spirit-led heart change, the lack of balance will be revealed when the trials come and things can fall apart.
Commit this day to Live the DREAM. Not just "paint the DREAM", but live it. Apply Godly principles in all areas of your day. You're created with a purpose. Live like it. Live the Sensible life, not the life of a Simpleton.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, November 8, 2008
11.8.8 "Don't Eat the Jell-o!"
"Don't Eat the Jell-o!"
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
Hebrews 9:1-12
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 27:10
A Readers' Digest article told about the "Black Widow". This was a woman who had poisoned two husbands by putting antifreeze in green Jell-o. It was kind of a subtle death. They'd get sick, and ultimately die. Pretty nasty, huh?
The pull toward the compromised Christian life is constant. The enemy loves to do whatever it takes to subtly taint the purity of the Godly life and turn it toward sin.
Today's Psalm says, "Again and again he delivered them from their slavery, but they continued to rebel against him, and were finally destroyed by their sin."
Sin is a subtle killer. We know the "biggies": committing adultery, etc. THAT sin is BAD! But, rarely is that the kind of sin that sears our conscience. When we sin "bad", we can't live with ourselves. We repent, and turn. But when it comes to those "little things" they don't shock us so bad. THESE are the killers.
Israel continued to rebel against God. Last week we talked about how the root of rebellion is the lack of trust. They stopped trusting God till the point that this sin destroyed them.
Make a quick list of sins that will destroy you.... Let me save you some time. All sin destroys. It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". It's 'green Jell-o' that kills.
I'm so grateful that God in his mercy did not give me what I deserved in my sin. His Spirit drew me to him to surrender all.
In John 10 Jesus speaks of himself as being the gate to the sheep pen, and ANYTHING coming over the wall is a thief or a robber. In our lives, some of these thieves and robbers don't look so bad. They can be fun. Attractive. They seem harmless. But no matter how we view them, they are thieves and robbers nonetheless.
The more we get to know Christ, the more we need to align everything in our lives to him. If it doesn't please him, we need to throw it out. It will destroy us.
This game is for keeps. Unfortunately I've seen too many that have compromised so long, they can't be convinced to return. There's no desire to hear the voice of God. I'm not talking about unbelievers, I'm talking about those who've been on fire, but then turned away. They've given themselves to the "Green Jell-o" of lust, bitterness, or some other subtle killer.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is so much more than "put on a happy face". It's about living right with God. It's not worrying about the poison in the food! It's living in a confident relationship with the creator. Stay away from the Green Jell-o of sin!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
Hebrews 9:1-12
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 27:10
A Readers' Digest article told about the "Black Widow". This was a woman who had poisoned two husbands by putting antifreeze in green Jell-o. It was kind of a subtle death. They'd get sick, and ultimately die. Pretty nasty, huh?
The pull toward the compromised Christian life is constant. The enemy loves to do whatever it takes to subtly taint the purity of the Godly life and turn it toward sin.
Today's Psalm says, "Again and again he delivered them from their slavery, but they continued to rebel against him, and were finally destroyed by their sin."
Sin is a subtle killer. We know the "biggies": committing adultery, etc. THAT sin is BAD! But, rarely is that the kind of sin that sears our conscience. When we sin "bad", we can't live with ourselves. We repent, and turn. But when it comes to those "little things" they don't shock us so bad. THESE are the killers.
Israel continued to rebel against God. Last week we talked about how the root of rebellion is the lack of trust. They stopped trusting God till the point that this sin destroyed them.
Make a quick list of sins that will destroy you.... Let me save you some time. All sin destroys. It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". It's 'green Jell-o' that kills.
I'm so grateful that God in his mercy did not give me what I deserved in my sin. His Spirit drew me to him to surrender all.
In John 10 Jesus speaks of himself as being the gate to the sheep pen, and ANYTHING coming over the wall is a thief or a robber. In our lives, some of these thieves and robbers don't look so bad. They can be fun. Attractive. They seem harmless. But no matter how we view them, they are thieves and robbers nonetheless.
The more we get to know Christ, the more we need to align everything in our lives to him. If it doesn't please him, we need to throw it out. It will destroy us.
This game is for keeps. Unfortunately I've seen too many that have compromised so long, they can't be convinced to return. There's no desire to hear the voice of God. I'm not talking about unbelievers, I'm talking about those who've been on fire, but then turned away. They've given themselves to the "Green Jell-o" of lust, bitterness, or some other subtle killer.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is so much more than "put on a happy face". It's about living right with God. It's not worrying about the poison in the food! It's living in a confident relationship with the creator. Stay away from the Green Jell-o of sin!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
7.23.8 "The Seed that Always Grows"
"The Seed that Always Grows"
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Romans 8:9-23
Psalm 18:16-34
Proverbs 19:26
In the One Year Bible reading today, we read through a couple chapters in 2 Chronicles. Through the course of this portion of scripture, we go through quite a contrast in Israel. Compare these two excerpts:
The Queen of Sheba is saying to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:5, "everything I heard about you in my own country is true! I didn't believe it until I got here and saw it with my own eyes. Your wisdom is far greater than I could ever have imagined. What a privilege for these men of yours to stand here and listen to you talk! Blessed be the Lord your God! How he must love Israel to give them a just king like you! He wants them to be a great, strong nation forever."
After Rehoboam succeeds Solomon, 2 Chronicles 10:19 "And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day."
What happened?!
2 things: Pride & Compromise
We have to look into I Kings to get more of the story. Here's the scenario:
Solomon is successful. In 2 Chronicles 8:15, "Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's instructions." This was concerning the building of the temple. Great! but what about what we read in I Kings 11:1,4 "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
As a result of this, later in I Kings 11 we meet Jeroboam who Solomon puts in charge of much of the labor force. The prophet Ahijah prophecies that because of Solomon's compromise the Kingdom of Israel will be torn apart. the Lord promises Jeroboam will be a blessed leader, and have a dynasty as that of David if he follows after the Lord. Solomon tries to kill him, but he hides in Egypt until Solomon's death.
Then there's Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He has the chance to win the hearts of the people. In 2 Chronicles 10, because of his pride, he rejects the wisdom of Solomon's advisors, and the tribes of Israel turn their backs on him & refuse to follow the house of David anymore.
What a disaster! What a disgrace to the name of the Lord God of Israel. Where did all this start??
It started in Solomon's compromise.
How can we apply this to our lives??
Solomon was MOSTLY obedient. Sometimes we fall into the same trap. For example, we can really make things look good on the outside by doing work for the kingdom. Doing everything our leader asks us to do, Just as Solomon did what David commanded in regards to the temple. This may give us "enough" of a sense of accomplishment that we think the things that are hidden will go unnoticed.
But it's the seed that always grows. There will be a consequence to partial obedience. Maybe it's like the case of Rehoboam. The motivation is pride that causes us to go without heeding the spiritual advisors around us. We'll do it OUR way. There will always be a consequence to that as well.
It's important that we understand how urgent it is to make sure we are totally pure before God. We live in danger each moment we linger with hidden high places of pride and compromise.
Jeroboam blew it too. He caused the people to worship idols as well.
God has a great plan for us. It's full of promise like it was for each of these leaders. The terms of this promise are dependent on "if you obey all I command."
Our sinful nature drives us to compromise. "So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)
Do that today. Be led by the Spirit. Live in full obedience of all God commands. If you find the seeds of pride and compromise, allow God to weed them out of your life, or they will grow!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, June 15, 2008
6.15.8 "It's a Lot of Work"
"It's a Lot of Work"
I Kings 14:1-15:24
Acts 10:1-23
Psalm 133:1-3
Proverbs 17:7-8
In I Kings 11, Solomon dies. Because of Solomon's disobedience in allowing the worship of other Gods, the kingdom of Israel is divided into two kingdoms. The tribe of Judah, where Jerusalem is, remains under the reign of David's descendants. The rest of Israel begins under the reign of Jeroboam. Thus begins a cycle of rebellion against God. In reading of these circumstances, you get almost sick thinking about how God must feel about their sin. And, of course, how he feels about our sin. The following thoughts are a result of reading the stories in I Kings 14 & 15.
It's a lot of work to live a partially obedient life.
Each day you wake up you have to handle whatever situation comes up in your own strength. When your child is sick, you have to have your wife go to the prophet in disguise (I Kings 14:1-18) hoping to get a good word from God. You know you can't approach with confidence, because you've been disobedient. You know you're not right with God. That's a alot of work.
It's a lot of work to live in sin.
At first it seems easier to let the people worship as they choose in the countryside, but pretty soon everyone has "built shrines and obelisks and idols on every high hill and under every green tree." (I Kings 14:23) And homosexuality runs rampant throughout the land. At first it seemed so easy to do as you please, but when you realize you've become "as depraved as the heathen nations which the Lord drove out to make room for his people" (I Kings 14:24), you realize you've angered the Lord. To live with that heaviness on your heart, that's alot of work!
It's alot of work to walk outside of the blessing of the Lord.
You don't know who your next enemy will be. It may be the King of Egypt who came and stole the sacred things from the temple, even the gold shields Solomon had made. It's alot of work to make bronze ones to replace them to try to bring back some of the glory. It's alot of work to have guards take them out each time the king comes to the temple to make it look like there is still honor in this place. (I Kings 14: 25-28) Trying to make it look like everything is ok, That's alot of work.
It's alot of work to be at war with your brothers.
Especially when you know deep down that you are at war because of the sins of your fathers, and regretfully your own. This has created a civil war that has divided the people of God. You know what you were created to be like: A great nation... a sign to nations around the world of the greatness of God... but now you sell the sacred things of the temple to buy allegiance from heathen nations to salvage a sense of peace.... So much energy spent on vengeance... that's alot of work.
It SEEMS like a lot of work to make it all right again.
You know those around you will be "put out" by your decision to do right. You know there are relationships that will have to die. You know that part of you will die. It SEEMS like it may not be worth it. To swallow your pride... That's alot of work.
It's alot of work to pay the price of sin.
It requires a sacrifice greater than any man can pay. It's a debt that cannot be satisfied. Only one could pay that price, and did. THAT was alot of work!
To live the obedient life in the timing and blessing of God is the only way to go. At first the journey seems too long and challenging, but the journey is made up of small steps directed by one who sees the map in it's entirety. There are times when it would seem so easy to step off the road of obedience and rest by a pool of comfort, or taste the forbidden fruit of selfish desire, but in the end, THAT'S ALOT OF WORK!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Kings 14:1-15:24
Acts 10:1-23
Psalm 133:1-3
Proverbs 17:7-8
In I Kings 11, Solomon dies. Because of Solomon's disobedience in allowing the worship of other Gods, the kingdom of Israel is divided into two kingdoms. The tribe of Judah, where Jerusalem is, remains under the reign of David's descendants. The rest of Israel begins under the reign of Jeroboam. Thus begins a cycle of rebellion against God. In reading of these circumstances, you get almost sick thinking about how God must feel about their sin. And, of course, how he feels about our sin. The following thoughts are a result of reading the stories in I Kings 14 & 15.
It's a lot of work to live a partially obedient life.
Each day you wake up you have to handle whatever situation comes up in your own strength. When your child is sick, you have to have your wife go to the prophet in disguise (I Kings 14:1-18) hoping to get a good word from God. You know you can't approach with confidence, because you've been disobedient. You know you're not right with God. That's a alot of work.
It's a lot of work to live in sin.
At first it seems easier to let the people worship as they choose in the countryside, but pretty soon everyone has "built shrines and obelisks and idols on every high hill and under every green tree." (I Kings 14:23) And homosexuality runs rampant throughout the land. At first it seemed so easy to do as you please, but when you realize you've become "as depraved as the heathen nations which the Lord drove out to make room for his people" (I Kings 14:24), you realize you've angered the Lord. To live with that heaviness on your heart, that's alot of work!
It's alot of work to walk outside of the blessing of the Lord.
You don't know who your next enemy will be. It may be the King of Egypt who came and stole the sacred things from the temple, even the gold shields Solomon had made. It's alot of work to make bronze ones to replace them to try to bring back some of the glory. It's alot of work to have guards take them out each time the king comes to the temple to make it look like there is still honor in this place. (I Kings 14: 25-28) Trying to make it look like everything is ok, That's alot of work.
It's alot of work to be at war with your brothers.
Especially when you know deep down that you are at war because of the sins of your fathers, and regretfully your own. This has created a civil war that has divided the people of God. You know what you were created to be like: A great nation... a sign to nations around the world of the greatness of God... but now you sell the sacred things of the temple to buy allegiance from heathen nations to salvage a sense of peace.... So much energy spent on vengeance... that's alot of work.
It SEEMS like a lot of work to make it all right again.
You know those around you will be "put out" by your decision to do right. You know there are relationships that will have to die. You know that part of you will die. It SEEMS like it may not be worth it. To swallow your pride... That's alot of work.
It's alot of work to pay the price of sin.
It requires a sacrifice greater than any man can pay. It's a debt that cannot be satisfied. Only one could pay that price, and did. THAT was alot of work!
To live the obedient life in the timing and blessing of God is the only way to go. At first the journey seems too long and challenging, but the journey is made up of small steps directed by one who sees the map in it's entirety. There are times when it would seem so easy to step off the road of obedience and rest by a pool of comfort, or taste the forbidden fruit of selfish desire, but in the end, THAT'S ALOT OF WORK!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, May 9, 2008
5.9.8 "Leanness of Soul"
"Leanness of Soul"
1 Samuel 5:1-7:17
John 6:1-21
Psalm 106:13-31
Proverbs 14:32-33
Today's reading from Psalms is sad. The chapter starts out talking about the greatness of God, and how awesome it was that he delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. But listen to this:
"Yet how quickly they forgot again! They wouldn't wait for him to act, but demanded better food, testing God's patience to the breaking point. So he gave them their demands, but sent them leanness in their souls." (Ps106:13-14)
The scriptures that follow lay out the continuous cycle of the rebellion and waywardness of God's people.
It's verse 14 that sticks in my mind. "So he gave them their demands, but sent them leanness in their souls." I was thinking about how true that is. When we get what we want, there is something lacking inside of us.
Think of it like a spoiled child. If you've ever experienced a child who gets whatever they ask for, you notice something. Yes, they have a lot of stuff, but they're not happy. There's something lacking inside. Many times it's a matter of ungratefulness, or rudeness, but there's almost a "leanness of soul" that is visible.
How would you describe "leanness of soul"? It would be a life that's never satisfied. It would be a life that's self-centered and constantly looking for gratification. It would be a life that compromises moral standards for the sake of self. All of this would still result in an incredible emptiness that is beyond description. There would be an attempt to fill the void with more things, more food, medication, alcohol, noise, anything to hide the need.
That sounds a lot like the state of the world around us. As we meet people everyday we are looking into the eyes of people who are getting "what they want", and living life "my way", but they are experiencing leanness of soul.
I'm not just talking about people who don't know Christ. I think often the people of God do things their own way and find themselves outside the umbrella of God's pleasure, and it's a bad place to be.
Whenever we elevate our opinions or desires above the will of God, we are in danger of this. We risk the joy of hearing his voice. We risk the abundant life he has for us. In Deuteronomy it speaks of the danger of forgetting God when we are "fat" with his blessings. We must never take for granted the greatness of our God the way the Israelites did. We must humbly accept his will for our lives.
We must find our satisfaction in him. We must live in the blessing of his timing. We must rejoice in his provision, and allow his Spirit to fill our souls with abundant life.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 5:1-7:17
John 6:1-21
Psalm 106:13-31
Proverbs 14:32-33
Today's reading from Psalms is sad. The chapter starts out talking about the greatness of God, and how awesome it was that he delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. But listen to this:
"Yet how quickly they forgot again! They wouldn't wait for him to act, but demanded better food, testing God's patience to the breaking point. So he gave them their demands, but sent them leanness in their souls." (Ps106:13-14)
The scriptures that follow lay out the continuous cycle of the rebellion and waywardness of God's people.
It's verse 14 that sticks in my mind. "So he gave them their demands, but sent them leanness in their souls." I was thinking about how true that is. When we get what we want, there is something lacking inside of us.
Think of it like a spoiled child. If you've ever experienced a child who gets whatever they ask for, you notice something. Yes, they have a lot of stuff, but they're not happy. There's something lacking inside. Many times it's a matter of ungratefulness, or rudeness, but there's almost a "leanness of soul" that is visible.
How would you describe "leanness of soul"? It would be a life that's never satisfied. It would be a life that's self-centered and constantly looking for gratification. It would be a life that compromises moral standards for the sake of self. All of this would still result in an incredible emptiness that is beyond description. There would be an attempt to fill the void with more things, more food, medication, alcohol, noise, anything to hide the need.
That sounds a lot like the state of the world around us. As we meet people everyday we are looking into the eyes of people who are getting "what they want", and living life "my way", but they are experiencing leanness of soul.
I'm not just talking about people who don't know Christ. I think often the people of God do things their own way and find themselves outside the umbrella of God's pleasure, and it's a bad place to be.
Whenever we elevate our opinions or desires above the will of God, we are in danger of this. We risk the joy of hearing his voice. We risk the abundant life he has for us. In Deuteronomy it speaks of the danger of forgetting God when we are "fat" with his blessings. We must never take for granted the greatness of our God the way the Israelites did. We must humbly accept his will for our lives.
We must find our satisfaction in him. We must live in the blessing of his timing. We must rejoice in his provision, and allow his Spirit to fill our souls with abundant life.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, May 2, 2008
5.2.8 "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's 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 (remember, 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. 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.
This quote is from a Bloomberg news report, April 27, 2007: Visitors to the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa won't find the Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. Instead, on the bureau will be a copy of ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' former Vice President Al Gores's book about global warming. Regardless of your views on the book, the point is, it replaced the Bible... while someone was sleeping.
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!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Judges 15:1-16:31
John 2:1-25
Psalm 103:1-22
Proverbs 14:17-19
It's 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 (remember, 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. 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.
This quote is from a Bloomberg news report, April 27, 2007: Visitors to the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa won't find the Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. Instead, on the bureau will be a copy of ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' former Vice President Al Gores's book about global warming. Regardless of your views on the book, the point is, it replaced the Bible... while someone was sleeping.
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!
P Greg
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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