Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Saturday, March 10, 2012
3.10.12 "Another Lap Around the Desert"
"Another Lap Around the Desert"
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4
My insecurities can hinder and potentially destroy the great things God has planned. So can yours.
The story of the 12 spies is told in Numbers 13 and 14. The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for years. They've been eating Manna & Quail like it's going out of style. Now they stand on the edge of the Promised Land. This is it. This is the moment they've all been waiting for. After the years of journeying in the desert it was now time to take possession of the promise!
When the 12 spies return with their report, they all talk of how beautiful it is, but 10 of the spies talk of the strength of the enemy, and the inadequacy of the people to overcome them. The people began complaining, well it was actually more intense than just complaining. 14:1 says, "Then all the people began weeping aloud, and they carried on all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of complaint against Moses and Aaron." I love the phrase "chorus of complaint"... quite a picture...
The people then said, "We wish we had died in Egypt... Let's get out of here and return to Egypt!" Verse 4 says, "The idea swept the camp. 'Let's elect a leader to take us back to Egypt!' they shouted."
The story continues with Joshua and Caleb standing up to them in a vain attempt to remind them of the greatness of God. "Oh, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land... the Lord is with us... Don't be afraid of them!" (14:9)
Then the glory of the Lord shows up... Yeah, you can guess what he's thinking of all this. God was ready to nuke em. Moses stands up for them, and God listens. "then the Lord said, 'All right, I will pardon them as you have requested. But I vow by my own name that just as it is true that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, so it is true that not one of the men who has seen my glory and the miracles I did both in Egypt and in the wilderness - and ten times refused to trust me and obey me - shall even see the land I promised to this people's ancestors..." (14:20-23)
The Lord had a different opinion of the spies with faith. "But my servant Caleb is a different kind of man - he has obeyed me fully. I will bring him into the land he entered, and his descendants shall have their full share in it."
But for the rest, the hammer falls. "Tomorrow you must turn back into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea."(v25) "Then the ten spies who had incited the rebellion against Jehovah by striking fear into the hearts of the people were struck dead before the Lord... What sorrow there was throughout the camp when Moses reported God's words to the people!"
verses 40-45 are funny and sad at the same time. "[the people] were up early the next morning and started towards the Promised Land. 'Here we are!' they said. 'We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to go on into the land the Lord has promised us.' But Moses said, 'It's too late. Now you are disobeying the Lord's orders to return to the wilderness. Don't go ahead with your plan or you will be crushed... But they went ahead.. despite the fact that neither the Ark nor Moses left the camp. Then the [enemy] attacked them and chased them to Hormah."
It's quite a story, and it's one we REALLY need to learn from.
1. The wilderness is not a holding pattern. It is a proving ground. All of the great things God had done for the people in the past was to be "faith ammunition". By the time they got to the Promised Land, they should have KNOWN that God would bring them in. Too often we fail to connect the dots. We "endure" the desert, instead of considering it "pure joy" and gaining the fruit we so desperately need.
2. A negative idea "sweeps the camp". Negative thoughts and attitudes are a fast track to rebellion. As soon as things look uncomfortable, or there's a chance that the leader had a bad idea, we are too often ready to "vote them off the island" and do things our own way. It's like throwing gas on a fire. Matthew Henry's commentary says, "we give more credit to the reports and representations of sense than to divine revelation; we walk by sight, not by faith." Ouch! If God says it, we need to go for it, and squelch the negativity. We can't "get the band together" and sing the "chorus of complaint"!
3. We need to be "a different kind of man". We need to be fully obedient what the Lord has for us. There's no giant that he can't defeat. The blessing is not found in our strength. It's found in our obedience.
4. If you don't pass the test, you will repeat it. How sad to hear "tomorrow you must turn back into the wilderness..." If that's not motivation enough to be obedient people, I don't know what is. They came out of the wilderness without remembering the greatness of God. When we go through the trials, we MUST remember how God carries us through. We NEED that to pass the tests that are to come.
5. Faith must be rebuilt in humility. After seeing the spies struck dead, and hearing the verdict of their sin, the people were "oops, my bad! ok, let's go get the bad guys!" It doesn't work that way. We've missed God's timing. We can't go out in our own strength. Yes, when we fall we are forgiven, but there is often a need for a time of restoration. I find it interesting that chapter 15 goes back to more instructions about the offering. Restoration comes through steps of obedience that may seem small, but are very important.
What are you standing on the border of today? As you look at the territory that by natural sense seems impenetrable, whose report will you believe? Will you walk in obedience, will you experience the fruit of the faith that has grown in the trial of the past?
Or will you take another lap around the desert?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, November 12, 2011
11.12.11 "What makes God Proud"
"What makes God Proud"
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my life.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my life.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
8.30.11 "Get Over Yourself"
"Get Over Yourself"
Job 34:1-36:33
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Psalm 44:1-7
Proverbs 22:10-12
Think of that "impossible" thing God has put on your heart. Why haven't you moved ahead? It's probably some of the same reasons many of us are held back: "I'm not good enough", "There's no way I could do that", "The resources aren't there to accomplish this".... the list can go on.
What is it that keeps us from moving ahead in bold obedience? What keeps us from experiencing supernatural victories on a regular basis? I think that many times it's because we don't live in true acknowledgment of where the victory comes from. Of course, we know it as a Sunday School answer: our help comes from the Lord, etc..., but knowing it in our heads and putting it into everyday life can be two different things.
Our responses of our lack of ability, resources and the like reveal something about our belief process. If we respond this way, we must believe deep down that victory comes from us. We must think that what God wants to accomplish is because of our skill, value, etc. (Time to take the daily, "It's not about you." pill) If we truly believed in the truth of where victory was, we would be more faithful in stepping out in faith and obedience.
Psalm 44:1 says, "O God, we have heard of the glorious miracles you did in the days of long ago." Have you been there? Have you heard awesome testimonies, or seen what God has done or is doing and wanted so bad to be a part of that?
verse 3 says of the forefathers, "They did not conquer by their own strength and skill, but by your mighty power and because you smiled upon them and favored them." verse 5: "For it is only by your power and through your name that we tread down our enemies;" We need to remind ourselves of this consistently. We need the power of God. We need to understand and walk in His presence. that is the only source of strength and victory. Yes, it's a Sunday School answer, but why don't we walk in this in reality?
We need to daily acknowledge Psalm 44:6 "I do not trust my weapons. They could never save me." We need to live lives of desperate dependence. If we were to rest only on His strength, we would be quick to respond to his leading and experience victory as never before.
The presence of God is a valuable commodity. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, "But his precious treasure - this light and power that now shine within us - is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own."
Yes, "i'm not good enough." That's the point. The point is that the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, wants to complete his plan and his purpose in someone as simple and as frail as me. He's just waiting for me to "get over myself" and the insecurities, and move in His power and not my own.
Spend the day trusting in his power to save you. Rest in his strength. See what waters part. See what walls fall down. See what enemies scatter.
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
Job 34:1-36:33
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Psalm 44:1-7
Proverbs 22:10-12
Think of that "impossible" thing God has put on your heart. Why haven't you moved ahead? It's probably some of the same reasons many of us are held back: "I'm not good enough", "There's no way I could do that", "The resources aren't there to accomplish this".... the list can go on.
What is it that keeps us from moving ahead in bold obedience? What keeps us from experiencing supernatural victories on a regular basis? I think that many times it's because we don't live in true acknowledgment of where the victory comes from. Of course, we know it as a Sunday School answer: our help comes from the Lord, etc..., but knowing it in our heads and putting it into everyday life can be two different things.
Our responses of our lack of ability, resources and the like reveal something about our belief process. If we respond this way, we must believe deep down that victory comes from us. We must think that what God wants to accomplish is because of our skill, value, etc. (Time to take the daily, "It's not about you." pill) If we truly believed in the truth of where victory was, we would be more faithful in stepping out in faith and obedience.
Psalm 44:1 says, "O God, we have heard of the glorious miracles you did in the days of long ago." Have you been there? Have you heard awesome testimonies, or seen what God has done or is doing and wanted so bad to be a part of that?
verse 3 says of the forefathers, "They did not conquer by their own strength and skill, but by your mighty power and because you smiled upon them and favored them." verse 5: "For it is only by your power and through your name that we tread down our enemies;" We need to remind ourselves of this consistently. We need the power of God. We need to understand and walk in His presence. that is the only source of strength and victory. Yes, it's a Sunday School answer, but why don't we walk in this in reality?
We need to daily acknowledge Psalm 44:6 "I do not trust my weapons. They could never save me." We need to live lives of desperate dependence. If we were to rest only on His strength, we would be quick to respond to his leading and experience victory as never before.
The presence of God is a valuable commodity. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, "But his precious treasure - this light and power that now shine within us - is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own."
Yes, "i'm not good enough." That's the point. The point is that the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, wants to complete his plan and his purpose in someone as simple and as frail as me. He's just waiting for me to "get over myself" and the insecurities, and move in His power and not my own.
Spend the day trusting in his power to save you. Rest in his strength. See what waters part. See what walls fall down. See what enemies scatter.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, June 24, 2011
6.24.11 "Our Army is Bigger than Theirs!"
"Our Army is Bigger than Theirs!"
2 Kings 6:1-7:20
Acts 15:32-16:15
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 17:24-25
We are so limited by our human understanding. We look at life through natural eyes. Don't get me wrong. God gave us common sense for a very good reason, and he expects us to use it, but it takes an internal discipline to look through spiritual eyes.
In 2 Kings 6, The king of Syria is after Elisha. Starting in verse 14, "so one night the king of Syria sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the prophet's servant got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere.
"'Alas, my master, what shall we do now?' he cried out to Elisha.
"'Don't be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For our army is bigger than theirs!'
"Then Elisha prayed, 'Lord, Open his eyes and let him see!' And the Lord opened the young man's eyes so that he could see horses of fire and chariots of fire everywhere upon the mountain!"
How different could you live each day if you knew that our army is bigger than theirs. Oh, I know we all know this, and we can say it in our best "sunday school" voice, but can you imagine REALLY living this way.
Be honest. When a challenge comes, our first reaction is more like the servant than it is Elisha. "what shall we do now?"
Many times we don't ask that of God, we ask that of a friend, or a family member, and we strategize about how we're going to get out of this mess. It seems so overwhelming... so trying. We MUST fix this. So, we react in our own strength, or worse yet, we give up in despair. Think of what would change if we change our mindset.
If instead we would discipline our thoughts to acknowledge and submit to the fact that our army is indeed bigger, we could experience a new level of victory through life's situations. Elisha has a bit of fun with this Syrian army. He asks God to strike them blind. Then he tells them they've gone to the wrong place. Then he brings them to the Israeli capital, and asks the Lord to open their eyes. Then they throw a feast for them and send them home.
Seems like a trite little story, but I think it's pretty cool. I really believe that as we discipline our thought and understanding to the greatness of God in every situation, we will have our eyes opened to a new level of creativity in dealing with situations that will bring about some incredible victories.
Walk with open eyes today. Indeed, the best is yet to come!
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 Kings 6:1-7:20
Acts 15:32-16:15
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 17:24-25
We are so limited by our human understanding. We look at life through natural eyes. Don't get me wrong. God gave us common sense for a very good reason, and he expects us to use it, but it takes an internal discipline to look through spiritual eyes.
In 2 Kings 6, The king of Syria is after Elisha. Starting in verse 14, "so one night the king of Syria sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the prophet's servant got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere.
"'Alas, my master, what shall we do now?' he cried out to Elisha.
"'Don't be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For our army is bigger than theirs!'
"Then Elisha prayed, 'Lord, Open his eyes and let him see!' And the Lord opened the young man's eyes so that he could see horses of fire and chariots of fire everywhere upon the mountain!"
How different could you live each day if you knew that our army is bigger than theirs. Oh, I know we all know this, and we can say it in our best "sunday school" voice, but can you imagine REALLY living this way.
Be honest. When a challenge comes, our first reaction is more like the servant than it is Elisha. "what shall we do now?"
Many times we don't ask that of God, we ask that of a friend, or a family member, and we strategize about how we're going to get out of this mess. It seems so overwhelming... so trying. We MUST fix this. So, we react in our own strength, or worse yet, we give up in despair. Think of what would change if we change our mindset.
If instead we would discipline our thoughts to acknowledge and submit to the fact that our army is indeed bigger, we could experience a new level of victory through life's situations. Elisha has a bit of fun with this Syrian army. He asks God to strike them blind. Then he tells them they've gone to the wrong place. Then he brings them to the Israeli capital, and asks the Lord to open their eyes. Then they throw a feast for them and send them home.
Seems like a trite little story, but I think it's pretty cool. I really believe that as we discipline our thought and understanding to the greatness of God in every situation, we will have our eyes opened to a new level of creativity in dealing with situations that will bring about some incredible victories.
Walk with open eyes today. Indeed, the best is yet to come!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
4.6.11 "Sometimes it Has to Be Impossible"
"Sometimes it Has to Be Impossible"
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
Luke 11:37-12:7
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 12:19-20
How long does a pair of shoes last for you? Being the high-end shoe shopper that I am, I usually wear my Payless shoes a bit longer than they last. But i'm usually pretty good for at least a year or so on a pair of shoes. How about those Israelites? Wandering in the desert for 40 years!
"For forty years God has led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes haven't become old, and your shoes haven't worn out!" (Deut. 29:5)
Pretty incredible, isn't it? These wanderers were Gellin'! (don't take out your greek dictionary.... that's from a commercial!)
So what's this all about? check out the next verse:
"The reason he hasn't let you settle down... is so that you would realize that it is the Lord your God who has been caring for you." (29:6)
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in impossible situations. Sure the example of clothes and shoes may not seem like a huge deal, but there's a deeper principle here we need to look at. We serve a powerful God. At the same time, we have a "rebellious" nature that wants to do it's own thing. Verse 19 says, "Let no one blithely think... 'I shall prosper even though I walk in my own stubborn way!'" ("blithely" means casual indifference)
When circumstances around us seem impossible, they actually can serve to put us in a place of a proper perspective. "I can't do this on my own!" is exactly the place to be. We too often don't understand or realize the incredible danger of walking through life with the tumor of self-sufficiency growing in us. Left unchecked and unchallenged by truth, this tumor will eventually blind the eye to the need for relationship with God. It's danger can't be overstated.
Impossible circumstances serve to prove the greatness of our God. However, even though the circumstances seem impossible, God never demands of us impossible things. He only asks that we obey him. Yet sometimes in our mind we build obedience to be this monstrous impossible thing. It never is.
"Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can't hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; but they are very close at hand - in your hearts and on your lips - so obey them." (Deut. 30:11-14)
God isn't asking us to take impossible steps. He's already laid out steps before us in his word that are within our grasp. It's often not the "huge" things we struggle with. It's the very simple steps of obedience that we fail to follow through on. We fail to recognize the danger therein.
"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey... Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days." (30:15, 19-20)
This is the heart of God. If we do the right thing by taking the small steps of obedience, He comes through in impossible situations. Man's concept of "religion" twists this all around. People think that to live "religious" is impossible. In fact, too often there are "religious" people who twist the truth into something 'impossible'.
The teachers of the law were doing that in Jesus' day. Needless to say, he didn't take too kindly to it.
"Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You wont accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it." (Luke 11:52)
I'd hate to be on the "woe" end of a conversation with Jesus. We need to understand the profound simplicity of walking with God. Following him is a great adventure. As we seek his will we find that those impossible situations are nothing more than props in "rubber monster" movie. They are nothing in the presence of God!
Walk in obedience.
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
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
Luke 11:37-12:7
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 12:19-20
How long does a pair of shoes last for you? Being the high-end shoe shopper that I am, I usually wear my Payless shoes a bit longer than they last. But i'm usually pretty good for at least a year or so on a pair of shoes. How about those Israelites? Wandering in the desert for 40 years!
"For forty years God has led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes haven't become old, and your shoes haven't worn out!" (Deut. 29:5)
Pretty incredible, isn't it? These wanderers were Gellin'! (don't take out your greek dictionary.... that's from a commercial!)
So what's this all about? check out the next verse:
"The reason he hasn't let you settle down... is so that you would realize that it is the Lord your God who has been caring for you." (29:6)
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in impossible situations. Sure the example of clothes and shoes may not seem like a huge deal, but there's a deeper principle here we need to look at. We serve a powerful God. At the same time, we have a "rebellious" nature that wants to do it's own thing. Verse 19 says, "Let no one blithely think... 'I shall prosper even though I walk in my own stubborn way!'" ("blithely" means casual indifference)
When circumstances around us seem impossible, they actually can serve to put us in a place of a proper perspective. "I can't do this on my own!" is exactly the place to be. We too often don't understand or realize the incredible danger of walking through life with the tumor of self-sufficiency growing in us. Left unchecked and unchallenged by truth, this tumor will eventually blind the eye to the need for relationship with God. It's danger can't be overstated.
Impossible circumstances serve to prove the greatness of our God. However, even though the circumstances seem impossible, God never demands of us impossible things. He only asks that we obey him. Yet sometimes in our mind we build obedience to be this monstrous impossible thing. It never is.
"Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can't hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; but they are very close at hand - in your hearts and on your lips - so obey them." (Deut. 30:11-14)
God isn't asking us to take impossible steps. He's already laid out steps before us in his word that are within our grasp. It's often not the "huge" things we struggle with. It's the very simple steps of obedience that we fail to follow through on. We fail to recognize the danger therein.
"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey... Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days." (30:15, 19-20)
This is the heart of God. If we do the right thing by taking the small steps of obedience, He comes through in impossible situations. Man's concept of "religion" twists this all around. People think that to live "religious" is impossible. In fact, too often there are "religious" people who twist the truth into something 'impossible'.
The teachers of the law were doing that in Jesus' day. Needless to say, he didn't take too kindly to it.
"Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You wont accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it." (Luke 11:52)
I'd hate to be on the "woe" end of a conversation with Jesus. We need to understand the profound simplicity of walking with God. Following him is a great adventure. As we seek his will we find that those impossible situations are nothing more than props in "rubber monster" movie. They are nothing in the presence of God!
Walk in obedience.
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, January 22, 2011
1.22.11 "What Are You Looking At?"
"What Are You Looking At?"
Genesis 44:1-45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50
Proverbs 4:11-13
If you want to walk on water, quit looking at the waves.
Today's reading from Matthew is a familiar story. Jesus sends the disciples across the lake.
Starting in verse 24 it says, "Night fell, and out on the lake the disciples were in trouble. For the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas. About four o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water! They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. Then Peter called to him: 'Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.'"
Peter then walks toward Jesus. Verse 30 says, "But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me Lord!' He shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. 'O man of little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?' And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped."
There is such incredible teaching from God's Word. Look at how the progression of this story gives us a life lesson:
It caught my attention how Jesus sent them across the lake, and as night fell the storm started. It wasn't until 4 in the morning that Jesus came out to them. We know God has a plan for our lives. Too often we think that if we walk in obedience to the plan there wont be any storms. That's not the case at all. Storms will happen. Storms do not negate the fact that we are doing what we are called to do.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the storm that when Jesus comes to us in the midst of it, we don't even recognize him. The storms of life can make so much 'noise' that we don't hear the voice that says, "Do not be afraid!"
We need to develop a full understanding of the fact that God doesn't just want us to "survive" the storm, he wants us to experience miracles through it. The circumstances of the storm did not change when Jesus told Peter to step out in faith. The waves didn't die down before he did it.
Too often, the waves keep us in the boat. We hear God speaking to us & we say, "That's ridiculous!" We miss the opportunity to experience the miracle.
What happens to Peter is a life lesson to us all. He steps out in obedience, but he takes his eyes off Jesus. Then he begins to sink.
What are you looking at today? The Master or the waves? With our eyes on Jesus, we can have a victory that is beyond belief. Maybe your eyes have been on the waves, and you can feel yourself sinking. All you have to do is cry out, "Save me, Lord!" the scripture says, "Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him." Jesus will do the same for you.
Take note that after Peter cried out to the Lord it didn't say, "Instantly the storm stopped." Yes, Jesus took his hand but the storm didn't stop until they were back in the boat. Often I think we get the mentality that if we cry out to God the waves of circumstance around us should change immediately. There are times that may happen, but what really should change is our heart. Our faith should grow. What should happen is that we shouldn't care if there are waves our not. We are in his hand.
We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. The storms are different for each one of us, but that doesn't change the principle of keeping our eyes on Jesus. The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life of obedience.
What are you looking at?
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
Genesis 44:1-45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50
Proverbs 4:11-13
If you want to walk on water, quit looking at the waves.
Today's reading from Matthew is a familiar story. Jesus sends the disciples across the lake.
Starting in verse 24 it says, "Night fell, and out on the lake the disciples were in trouble. For the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas. About four o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water! They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. Then Peter called to him: 'Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.'"
Peter then walks toward Jesus. Verse 30 says, "But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me Lord!' He shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. 'O man of little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?' And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped."
There is such incredible teaching from God's Word. Look at how the progression of this story gives us a life lesson:
It caught my attention how Jesus sent them across the lake, and as night fell the storm started. It wasn't until 4 in the morning that Jesus came out to them. We know God has a plan for our lives. Too often we think that if we walk in obedience to the plan there wont be any storms. That's not the case at all. Storms will happen. Storms do not negate the fact that we are doing what we are called to do.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the storm that when Jesus comes to us in the midst of it, we don't even recognize him. The storms of life can make so much 'noise' that we don't hear the voice that says, "Do not be afraid!"
We need to develop a full understanding of the fact that God doesn't just want us to "survive" the storm, he wants us to experience miracles through it. The circumstances of the storm did not change when Jesus told Peter to step out in faith. The waves didn't die down before he did it.
Too often, the waves keep us in the boat. We hear God speaking to us & we say, "That's ridiculous!" We miss the opportunity to experience the miracle.
What happens to Peter is a life lesson to us all. He steps out in obedience, but he takes his eyes off Jesus. Then he begins to sink.
What are you looking at today? The Master or the waves? With our eyes on Jesus, we can have a victory that is beyond belief. Maybe your eyes have been on the waves, and you can feel yourself sinking. All you have to do is cry out, "Save me, Lord!" the scripture says, "Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him." Jesus will do the same for you.
Take note that after Peter cried out to the Lord it didn't say, "Instantly the storm stopped." Yes, Jesus took his hand but the storm didn't stop until they were back in the boat. Often I think we get the mentality that if we cry out to God the waves of circumstance around us should change immediately. There are times that may happen, but what really should change is our heart. Our faith should grow. What should happen is that we shouldn't care if there are waves our not. We are in his hand.
We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. The storms are different for each one of us, but that doesn't change the principle of keeping our eyes on Jesus. The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life of obedience.
What are you looking at?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, November 12, 2010
11.12.10 "What makes God Proud"
"What makes God Proud"
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my 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
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my 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
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
10.13.10 "Faith Rewarded with Power"
"Faith Rewarded with Power"
Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."
These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.
1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!
2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!
3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.
4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?
5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.
If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith 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
Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."
These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.
1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!
2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!
3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.
4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?
5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.
If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith 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
Saturday, May 15, 2010
5.15.10 "The Slingshot Heard 'Round the World"
"The Slingshot Heard 'Round the World"
1 Samuel 17:1-18:4
John 8:21-30
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 15:11
I Samuel 17 has to be a favorite chapter for many people. We've heard innumerable references to it, and many sermons. Each time you read it, you can find new morsels of truth in the story of this boy after God's own heart. I think we relate to it so well because every single one of us face giants of some shape or size. We often find ourselves paralyzed and intimidated. I believe that the Lord would have us learn not only from the details of the story, but from the character of the hero.
Here's what it takes to be a giant killer:
1. Be a servant - Serve faithfully where you're at with all your heart.
"David was the youngest son, and was on Saul's staff on a part-time basis. He went back and forth to Bethlehem to help his father with the sheep... One day Jesse said to David, 'Take this bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Give this cheese to their captain and see how the boys are getting along; and bring us back a letter from them!... So David left hte sheep with another shepherd and took off early the next morning with the gifts." (I Sam 17:14-20)
You have to remember that we're now in chapter 17. It was chapter 16 that David was anointed. For many of us, our reaction is, "Hey, I've been anointed king! Send someone else to deliver pizza to the brothers!" Not David. He would go back & forth from playing the harp for Saul to tending the sheep. We cannot overlook that David's heart is being prepared in all of this. It's this faithfulness that prepares him to lead a nation. He was even faithful to make sure that someone was taking care of the sheep back home.
What kind of tasks do you see before you that seem "beneath" you? Do you feel "over-qualified" for something you're asked to do, or some task that's placed at your hand? You must serve faithfully. It prepares you to kill giants.
2. Don't get discouraged - recognize discouragement as the enemy.
"When Saul and the Israeli army heard this, they were dismayed and frightened... As [David] was talking with them, he saw Goliath the giant step out... As soon as they saw him the Israeli army began to run away in fright. 'Have you seen the giant?' The soldiers were asking.... But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking like that, he was angry. 'What are you doing around here anyway?' he demanded. 'What about the sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!'... 'Don't worry about a thing,' David told him. 'I'll take care of this Philistine!' 'Don't be ridiculous!' Saul replied. 'How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy and he has been in the army since he was boy..." (vs. 11,23-25,28,32-33)
After all of that negative influence, most of us would give up. We would become paralyzed by fear & discouragement like everyone else. We too often allow discouragement to live with us, rather than seeing it as a weapon of the enemy. We need to battle it with the same intensity we would the giant. Instead, we invite discouragement to sit down with us. We feed it. We make it our friend. And then pretty soon we have plenty of excuses about why it shouldn't be my job to kill the giant. "I can't do it." "I'm not good enough."
3. It's not about you! - Realize who you are in Christ and fight on those terms.
"David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. 'What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his insults to Israel?' he asked them. 'who is this heathen Philistine, anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?'... 'I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this Philistine too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me... will save me from this Philistine!'... David shouted in reply, 'You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel - the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" (vs. 26,36-37,45-46)
So many times we think about how the giant effects us. We don't even consider that the giant is out to tarnish the name of God. I am God's representative. He has called me. He has a plan, and I have purpose. We are commissioned to be giant killers. The world around us is needing us to step up and sling some stones. They need to see that the name of the Lord is great!
We must get that fact that it's about God's reputation, and not ours. Sometimes we go out to fight a giant armed with an offended spirit. "How dare you do this to me!" Contrast that with David's offense: "How dare you do this to the name of the Lord!"
It wasn't HUGE steps that David took to beat the giant, it was a series of small, faithful steps. That is within the grasp of each one of us. My giant looks different than yours, and ours looks different than David's, but the scriptural principles apply to all of us!
We've all got 5 smooth stones: D, R, E, A, M... Now, get out there & slay the giant!
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
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/15/2009 07:04:00 AM
1 Samuel 17:1-18:4
John 8:21-30
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 15:11
I Samuel 17 has to be a favorite chapter for many people. We've heard innumerable references to it, and many sermons. Each time you read it, you can find new morsels of truth in the story of this boy after God's own heart. I think we relate to it so well because every single one of us face giants of some shape or size. We often find ourselves paralyzed and intimidated. I believe that the Lord would have us learn not only from the details of the story, but from the character of the hero.
Here's what it takes to be a giant killer:
1. Be a servant - Serve faithfully where you're at with all your heart.
"David was the youngest son, and was on Saul's staff on a part-time basis. He went back and forth to Bethlehem to help his father with the sheep... One day Jesse said to David, 'Take this bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Give this cheese to their captain and see how the boys are getting along; and bring us back a letter from them!... So David left hte sheep with another shepherd and took off early the next morning with the gifts." (I Sam 17:14-20)
You have to remember that we're now in chapter 17. It was chapter 16 that David was anointed. For many of us, our reaction is, "Hey, I've been anointed king! Send someone else to deliver pizza to the brothers!" Not David. He would go back & forth from playing the harp for Saul to tending the sheep. We cannot overlook that David's heart is being prepared in all of this. It's this faithfulness that prepares him to lead a nation. He was even faithful to make sure that someone was taking care of the sheep back home.
What kind of tasks do you see before you that seem "beneath" you? Do you feel "over-qualified" for something you're asked to do, or some task that's placed at your hand? You must serve faithfully. It prepares you to kill giants.
2. Don't get discouraged - recognize discouragement as the enemy.
"When Saul and the Israeli army heard this, they were dismayed and frightened... As [David] was talking with them, he saw Goliath the giant step out... As soon as they saw him the Israeli army began to run away in fright. 'Have you seen the giant?' The soldiers were asking.... But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking like that, he was angry. 'What are you doing around here anyway?' he demanded. 'What about the sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!'... 'Don't worry about a thing,' David told him. 'I'll take care of this Philistine!' 'Don't be ridiculous!' Saul replied. 'How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy and he has been in the army since he was boy..." (vs. 11,23-25,28,32-33)
After all of that negative influence, most of us would give up. We would become paralyzed by fear & discouragement like everyone else. We too often allow discouragement to live with us, rather than seeing it as a weapon of the enemy. We need to battle it with the same intensity we would the giant. Instead, we invite discouragement to sit down with us. We feed it. We make it our friend. And then pretty soon we have plenty of excuses about why it shouldn't be my job to kill the giant. "I can't do it." "I'm not good enough."
3. It's not about you! - Realize who you are in Christ and fight on those terms.
"David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. 'What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his insults to Israel?' he asked them. 'who is this heathen Philistine, anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?'... 'I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this Philistine too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me... will save me from this Philistine!'... David shouted in reply, 'You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel - the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" (vs. 26,36-37,45-46)
So many times we think about how the giant effects us. We don't even consider that the giant is out to tarnish the name of God. I am God's representative. He has called me. He has a plan, and I have purpose. We are commissioned to be giant killers. The world around us is needing us to step up and sling some stones. They need to see that the name of the Lord is great!
We must get that fact that it's about God's reputation, and not ours. Sometimes we go out to fight a giant armed with an offended spirit. "How dare you do this to me!" Contrast that with David's offense: "How dare you do this to the name of the Lord!"
It wasn't HUGE steps that David took to beat the giant, it was a series of small, faithful steps. That is within the grasp of each one of us. My giant looks different than yours, and ours looks different than David's, but the scriptural principles apply to all of us!
We've all got 5 smooth stones: D, R, E, A, M... Now, get out there & slay the giant!
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
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/15/2009 07:04:00 AM
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
3.10.10 "Another Lap Around the Desert"
"Another Lap Around the Desert"
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4
My insecurities can hinder and potentially destroy the great things God has planned. So can yours.
The story of the 12 spies is told in Numbers 13 and 14. The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for years. They've been eating Manna & Quail like it's going out of style. Now they stand on the edge of the Promised Land. This is it. This is the moment they've all been waiting for. After the years of journeying in the desert it was now time to take possession of the promise!
When the 12 spies return with their report, they all talk of how beautiful it is, but 10 of the spies talk of the strength of the enemy, and the inadequacy of the people to overcome them. The people began complaining, well it was actually more intense than just complaining. 14:1 says, "Then all the people began weeping aloud, and they carried on all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of complaint against Moses and Aaron." I love the phrase "chorus of complaint"... quite a picture...
The people then said, "We wish we had died in Egypt... Let's get out of here and return to Egypt!" Verse 4 says, "The idea swept the camp. 'Let's elect a leader to take us back to Egypt!' they shouted."
The story continues with Joshua and Caleb standing up to them in a vain attempt to remind them of the greatness of God. "Oh, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land... the Lord is with us... Don't be afraid of them!" (14:9)
Then the glory of the Lord shows up... Yeah, you can guess what he's thinking of all this. God was ready to nuke em. Moses stands up for them, and God listens. "then the Lord said, 'All right, I will pardon them as you have requested. But I vow by my own name that just as it is true that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, so it is true that not one of the men who has seen my glory and the miracles I did both in Egypt and in the wilderness - and ten times refused to trust me and obey me - shall even see the land I promised to this people's ancestors..." (14:20-23)
The Lord had a different opinion of the spies with faith. "But my servant Caleb is a different kind of man - he has obeyed me fully. I will bring him into the land he entered, and his descendants shall have their full share in it."
But for the rest, the hammer falls. "Tomorrow you must turn back into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea."(v25) "Then the ten spies who had incited the rebellion against Jehovah by striking fear into the hearts of the people were struck dead before the Lord... What sorrow there was throughout the camp when Moses reported God's words to the people!"
verses 40-45 are funny and sad at the same time. "[the people] were up early the next morning and started towards the Promised Land. 'Here we are!' they said. 'We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to go on into the land the Lord has promised us.' But Moses said, 'It's too late. Now you are disobeying the Lord's orders to return to the wilderness. Don't go ahead with your plan or you will be crushed... But they went ahead.. despite the fact that neither the Ark nor Moses left the camp. Then the [enemy] attacked them and chased them to Hormah."
It's quite a story, and it's one we REALLY need to learn from.
1. The wilderness is not a holding pattern. It is a proving ground. All of the great things God had done for the people in the past was to be "faith ammunition". By the time they got to the Promised Land, they should have KNOWN that God would bring them in. Too often we fail to connect the dots. We "endure" the desert, instead of considering it "pure joy" and gaining the fruit we so desperately need.
2. A negative idea "sweeps the camp". Negative thoughts and attitudes are a fast track to rebellion. As soon as things look uncomfortable, or there's a chance that the leader had a bad idea, we are too often ready to "vote them off the island" and do things our own way. It's like throwing gas on a fire. Matthew Henry's commentary says, "we give more credit to the reports and representations of sense than to divine revelation; we walk by sight, not by faith." Ouch! If God says it, we need to go for it, and squelch the negativity. We can't "get the band together" and sing the "chorus of complaint"!
3. We need to be "a different kind of man". We need to be fully obedient what the Lord has for us. There's no giant that he can't defeat. The blessing is not found in our strength. It's found in our obedience.
4. If you don't pass the test, you will repeat it. How sad to hear "tomorrow you must turn back into the wilderness..." If that's not motivation enough to be obedient people, I don't know what is. They came out of the wilderness without remembering the greatness of God. When we go through the trials, we MUST remember how God carries us through. We NEED that to pass the tests that are to come.
5. Faith must be rebuilt in humility. After seeing the spies struck dead, and hearing the verdict of their sin, the people were "oops, my bad! ok, let's go get the bad guys!" It doesn't work that way. We've missed God's timing. We can't go out in our own strength. Yes, when we fall we are forgiven, but there is often a need for a time of restoration. I find it interesting that chapter 15 goes back to more instructions about the offering. Restoration comes through steps of obedience that may seem small, but are very important.
What are you standing on the border of today? As you look at the territory that by natural sense seems impenetrable, whose report will you believe? Will you walk in obedience, will you experience the fruit of the faith that has grown in the trial of the past?
Or will you take another lap around the desert?
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
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4
My insecurities can hinder and potentially destroy the great things God has planned. So can yours.
The story of the 12 spies is told in Numbers 13 and 14. The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for years. They've been eating Manna & Quail like it's going out of style. Now they stand on the edge of the Promised Land. This is it. This is the moment they've all been waiting for. After the years of journeying in the desert it was now time to take possession of the promise!
When the 12 spies return with their report, they all talk of how beautiful it is, but 10 of the spies talk of the strength of the enemy, and the inadequacy of the people to overcome them. The people began complaining, well it was actually more intense than just complaining. 14:1 says, "Then all the people began weeping aloud, and they carried on all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of complaint against Moses and Aaron." I love the phrase "chorus of complaint"... quite a picture...
The people then said, "We wish we had died in Egypt... Let's get out of here and return to Egypt!" Verse 4 says, "The idea swept the camp. 'Let's elect a leader to take us back to Egypt!' they shouted."
The story continues with Joshua and Caleb standing up to them in a vain attempt to remind them of the greatness of God. "Oh, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land... the Lord is with us... Don't be afraid of them!" (14:9)
Then the glory of the Lord shows up... Yeah, you can guess what he's thinking of all this. God was ready to nuke em. Moses stands up for them, and God listens. "then the Lord said, 'All right, I will pardon them as you have requested. But I vow by my own name that just as it is true that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, so it is true that not one of the men who has seen my glory and the miracles I did both in Egypt and in the wilderness - and ten times refused to trust me and obey me - shall even see the land I promised to this people's ancestors..." (14:20-23)
The Lord had a different opinion of the spies with faith. "But my servant Caleb is a different kind of man - he has obeyed me fully. I will bring him into the land he entered, and his descendants shall have their full share in it."
But for the rest, the hammer falls. "Tomorrow you must turn back into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea."(v25) "Then the ten spies who had incited the rebellion against Jehovah by striking fear into the hearts of the people were struck dead before the Lord... What sorrow there was throughout the camp when Moses reported God's words to the people!"
verses 40-45 are funny and sad at the same time. "[the people] were up early the next morning and started towards the Promised Land. 'Here we are!' they said. 'We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to go on into the land the Lord has promised us.' But Moses said, 'It's too late. Now you are disobeying the Lord's orders to return to the wilderness. Don't go ahead with your plan or you will be crushed... But they went ahead.. despite the fact that neither the Ark nor Moses left the camp. Then the [enemy] attacked them and chased them to Hormah."
It's quite a story, and it's one we REALLY need to learn from.
1. The wilderness is not a holding pattern. It is a proving ground. All of the great things God had done for the people in the past was to be "faith ammunition". By the time they got to the Promised Land, they should have KNOWN that God would bring them in. Too often we fail to connect the dots. We "endure" the desert, instead of considering it "pure joy" and gaining the fruit we so desperately need.
2. A negative idea "sweeps the camp". Negative thoughts and attitudes are a fast track to rebellion. As soon as things look uncomfortable, or there's a chance that the leader had a bad idea, we are too often ready to "vote them off the island" and do things our own way. It's like throwing gas on a fire. Matthew Henry's commentary says, "we give more credit to the reports and representations of sense than to divine revelation; we walk by sight, not by faith." Ouch! If God says it, we need to go for it, and squelch the negativity. We can't "get the band together" and sing the "chorus of complaint"!
3. We need to be "a different kind of man". We need to be fully obedient what the Lord has for us. There's no giant that he can't defeat. The blessing is not found in our strength. It's found in our obedience.
4. If you don't pass the test, you will repeat it. How sad to hear "tomorrow you must turn back into the wilderness..." If that's not motivation enough to be obedient people, I don't know what is. They came out of the wilderness without remembering the greatness of God. When we go through the trials, we MUST remember how God carries us through. We NEED that to pass the tests that are to come.
5. Faith must be rebuilt in humility. After seeing the spies struck dead, and hearing the verdict of their sin, the people were "oops, my bad! ok, let's go get the bad guys!" It doesn't work that way. We've missed God's timing. We can't go out in our own strength. Yes, when we fall we are forgiven, but there is often a need for a time of restoration. I find it interesting that chapter 15 goes back to more instructions about the offering. Restoration comes through steps of obedience that may seem small, but are very important.
What are you standing on the border of today? As you look at the territory that by natural sense seems impenetrable, whose report will you believe? Will you walk in obedience, will you experience the fruit of the faith that has grown in the trial of the past?
Or will you take another lap around the desert?
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, November 26, 2009
11.26.9 "But if he doesn't..."
"But if he doesn't..."
Daniel 2:24 - 3:30
I Peter 4:7-5:14
Psalm 119:81-95
Proverbs 28:15-16
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! We have so much to be grateful for today! Make sure to pause and reflect on God's goodness!
The first few chapters in Daniel bring back the memories of childhood stories. They have all the makings of a great story. Daniel 1 has the story of the Hebrew diet and how it turned out better than that of the king. It's a great story, but as a kid I didn't like how adults would use that story to promote vegetables! The 2nd chapter talked of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and how Daniel was used of God to interpret the dream, and save the lives of the kings advisors.
Today's reading contains the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, (Rack, Shack & Benny for all you VeggieTales fans!) and how they refused to bow to another god. The king had made a statue of himself and all the people were ordered to worship it. "When the band strikes up, you are to fall flat on the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue; anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a flaming furnace." Dan. 3:5
Obviously, this law was in direct conflict with the commandment of the Lord. These men could not bow. You know the story: The king became angry, had the furnace heated to 7 times normal. It was so hot the guards who threw them in died, and there was a fourth person in the flames, one who appeared as a "son of God". The king ordered them out and they didn't even smell like smoke!
There were a few things that really stood out. The first is not obvious, and I didn't really notice it until reading these past chapters: Daniel and Rack, Shack & Benny, all responded to authority with respect at all times, even when the authority was doing wrong. In Dan. 1:8, Daniel ASKED his superior about the diet. He didn't demand, start a revolt or petition, or anything like that. He responded with proper respect to God's appointed authority structure. The same was true in the interpretation of the dream.
Well now things get a bit more "heated". (irresistible pun) This is life or death. These men are ordered to bow or die. Their response is not, "you can't throw us into the fire! We have rights!" Their response is, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not worried about what will happen to us. If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. But if he doesn't, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstance serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected." Dan. 3:16-18
They are willing to pay whatever price they must for their love for God, all the while still reverencing the authority of the king.
The other thing that really stands out as a challenge to me is to live life "not worried about what will happen to us." Living life with the confidence that "our God is able to deliver us... But if he doesn't..." My natural tendencies are "I'll stand strong ... as long as God delivers me!" This is not how it should be. God is completely capable and able to deliver me from ANY situation. I need to live with that faith. I also need to live with the determination to stand strong "Even if he doesn't"!
There will be times he "doesn't", at least he doesn't as soon as we like or the way we like. God's work is again "not about you", so part of what he is doing may include some suffering. "Dear friends, don't be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you. Instead, be really glad - because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed." I Peter 5:12-13
It's tough to be "really glad" about suffering, but it's something we should be working toward. It's faith building. Now, we need to make sure that we're suffering because of obedience and not disobedience. "Don't let me hear of your suffering for murdering or stealing or making trouble or being a busybody and prying into other people's affairs." I Peter 3:15
We shouldn't be out looking for trouble. We need to honor those in authority over us, even when they are wrong. We need to comply with instructions as far as scripture allows (enter the importance of knowing the Word!). We must also be willing to pay the price of obedience.
"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you." I Peter 3:19
What can we learn from Rack, Shack & Benny? Honoring God is honoring his Authority structure (Relationships Devoted to Unity), and walking in obedience is the highest form of worship (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). What do you think the mood around was the day after they got out of the furnace? What kind of faith do you think they had the next day? This kind of obedience is what makes this lifestyle so dynamic!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 2:24 - 3:30
I Peter 4:7-5:14
Psalm 119:81-95
Proverbs 28:15-16
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! We have so much to be grateful for today! Make sure to pause and reflect on God's goodness!
The first few chapters in Daniel bring back the memories of childhood stories. They have all the makings of a great story. Daniel 1 has the story of the Hebrew diet and how it turned out better than that of the king. It's a great story, but as a kid I didn't like how adults would use that story to promote vegetables! The 2nd chapter talked of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and how Daniel was used of God to interpret the dream, and save the lives of the kings advisors.
Today's reading contains the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, (Rack, Shack & Benny for all you VeggieTales fans!) and how they refused to bow to another god. The king had made a statue of himself and all the people were ordered to worship it. "When the band strikes up, you are to fall flat on the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue; anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a flaming furnace." Dan. 3:5
Obviously, this law was in direct conflict with the commandment of the Lord. These men could not bow. You know the story: The king became angry, had the furnace heated to 7 times normal. It was so hot the guards who threw them in died, and there was a fourth person in the flames, one who appeared as a "son of God". The king ordered them out and they didn't even smell like smoke!
There were a few things that really stood out. The first is not obvious, and I didn't really notice it until reading these past chapters: Daniel and Rack, Shack & Benny, all responded to authority with respect at all times, even when the authority was doing wrong. In Dan. 1:8, Daniel ASKED his superior about the diet. He didn't demand, start a revolt or petition, or anything like that. He responded with proper respect to God's appointed authority structure. The same was true in the interpretation of the dream.
Well now things get a bit more "heated". (irresistible pun) This is life or death. These men are ordered to bow or die. Their response is not, "you can't throw us into the fire! We have rights!" Their response is, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not worried about what will happen to us. If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. But if he doesn't, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstance serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected." Dan. 3:16-18
They are willing to pay whatever price they must for their love for God, all the while still reverencing the authority of the king.
The other thing that really stands out as a challenge to me is to live life "not worried about what will happen to us." Living life with the confidence that "our God is able to deliver us... But if he doesn't..." My natural tendencies are "I'll stand strong ... as long as God delivers me!" This is not how it should be. God is completely capable and able to deliver me from ANY situation. I need to live with that faith. I also need to live with the determination to stand strong "Even if he doesn't"!
There will be times he "doesn't", at least he doesn't as soon as we like or the way we like. God's work is again "not about you", so part of what he is doing may include some suffering. "Dear friends, don't be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you. Instead, be really glad - because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed." I Peter 5:12-13
It's tough to be "really glad" about suffering, but it's something we should be working toward. It's faith building. Now, we need to make sure that we're suffering because of obedience and not disobedience. "Don't let me hear of your suffering for murdering or stealing or making trouble or being a busybody and prying into other people's affairs." I Peter 3:15
We shouldn't be out looking for trouble. We need to honor those in authority over us, even when they are wrong. We need to comply with instructions as far as scripture allows (enter the importance of knowing the Word!). We must also be willing to pay the price of obedience.
"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you." I Peter 3:19
What can we learn from Rack, Shack & Benny? Honoring God is honoring his Authority structure (Relationships Devoted to Unity), and walking in obedience is the highest form of worship (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). What do you think the mood around was the day after they got out of the furnace? What kind of faith do you think they had the next day? This kind of obedience is what makes this lifestyle so dynamic!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
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, November 12, 2009
11.12.9 "What makes God Proud"
"What makes God Proud"
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my 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
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my 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
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
10.13.9 "Faith Rewarded with Power"
"Faith Rewarded with Power"
Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."
These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.
1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!
2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!
3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.
4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?
5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.
If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith 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
Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."
These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.
1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!
2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!
3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.
4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?
5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.
If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith 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, August 30, 2009
8.30.9 "Get Over Yourself"
8.
Job 34:1-36:33
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Psalm 44:1-7
Proverbs 22:10-12
Think of that "impossible" thing God has put on your heart. Why haven't you moved ahead? It's probably some of the same reasons many of us are held back: "I'm not good enough", "There's no way I could do that", "The resources aren't there to accomplish this".... the list can go on.
What is it that keeps us from moving ahead in bold obedience? What keeps us from experiencing supernatural victories on a regular basis? I think that many times it's because we don't live in true acknowledgment of where the victory comes from. Of course, we know it as a Sunday School answer: our help comes from the Lord, etc..., but knowing it in our heads and putting it into everyday life can be two different things.
Our responses of our lack of ability, resources and the like reveal something about our belief process. If we respond this way, we must believe deep down that victory comes from us. We must think that what God wants to accomplish is because of our skill, value, etc. (Time to take the daily, "It's not about you." pill) If we truly believed in the truth of where victory was, we would be more faithful in stepping out in faith and obedience.
Psalm 44:1 says, "O God, we have heard of the glorious miracles you did in the days of long ago." Have you been there? Have you heard awesome testimonies, or seen what God has done or is doing and wanted so bad to be a part of that?
verse 3 says of the forefathers, "They did not conquer by their own strength and skill, but by your mighty power and because you smiled upon them and favored them." verse 5: "For it is only by your power and through your name that we tread down our enemies;" We need to remind ourselves of this consistently. We need the power of God. We need to understand and walk in His presence. that is the only source of strength and victory. Yes, it's a Sunday School answer, but why don't we walk in this in reality?
We need to daily acknowledge Psalm 44:6 "I do not trust my weapons. They could never save me." We need to live lives of desperate dependence. If we were to rest only on His strength, we would be quick to respond to his leading and experience victory as never before.
The presence of God is a valuable commodity. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, "But his precious treasure - this light and power that now shine within us - is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own."
Yes, "i'm not good enough." That's the point. The point is that the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, wants to complete his plan and his purpose in someone as simple and as frail as me. He's just waiting for me to "get over myself" and the insecurities, and move in His power and not my own.
Spend the day trusting in his power to save you. Rest in his strength. See what waters part. See what walls fall down. See what enemies scatter.
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
Job 34:1-36:33
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Psalm 44:1-7
Proverbs 22:10-12
Think of that "impossible" thing God has put on your heart. Why haven't you moved ahead? It's probably some of the same reasons many of us are held back: "I'm not good enough", "There's no way I could do that", "The resources aren't there to accomplish this".... the list can go on.
What is it that keeps us from moving ahead in bold obedience? What keeps us from experiencing supernatural victories on a regular basis? I think that many times it's because we don't live in true acknowledgment of where the victory comes from. Of course, we know it as a Sunday School answer: our help comes from the Lord, etc..., but knowing it in our heads and putting it into everyday life can be two different things.
Our responses of our lack of ability, resources and the like reveal something about our belief process. If we respond this way, we must believe deep down that victory comes from us. We must think that what God wants to accomplish is because of our skill, value, etc. (Time to take the daily, "It's not about you." pill) If we truly believed in the truth of where victory was, we would be more faithful in stepping out in faith and obedience.
Psalm 44:1 says, "O God, we have heard of the glorious miracles you did in the days of long ago." Have you been there? Have you heard awesome testimonies, or seen what God has done or is doing and wanted so bad to be a part of that?
verse 3 says of the forefathers, "They did not conquer by their own strength and skill, but by your mighty power and because you smiled upon them and favored them." verse 5: "For it is only by your power and through your name that we tread down our enemies;" We need to remind ourselves of this consistently. We need the power of God. We need to understand and walk in His presence. that is the only source of strength and victory. Yes, it's a Sunday School answer, but why don't we walk in this in reality?
We need to daily acknowledge Psalm 44:6 "I do not trust my weapons. They could never save me." We need to live lives of desperate dependence. If we were to rest only on His strength, we would be quick to respond to his leading and experience victory as never before.
The presence of God is a valuable commodity. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, "But his precious treasure - this light and power that now shine within us - is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own."
Yes, "i'm not good enough." That's the point. The point is that the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, wants to complete his plan and his purpose in someone as simple and as frail as me. He's just waiting for me to "get over myself" and the insecurities, and move in His power and not my own.
Spend the day trusting in his power to save you. Rest in his strength. See what waters part. See what walls fall down. See what enemies scatter.
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, June 24, 2009
6.24.9 "Our Army is Bigger than Theirs!"
"Our Army is Bigger than Theirs!"
2 Kings 6:1-7:20
Acts 15:32-16:15
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 17:24-25
We are so limited by our human understanding. We look at life through natural eyes. Don't get me wrong. God gave us common sense for a very good reason, and he expects us to use it, but it takes an internal discipline to look through spiritual eyes.
In 2 Kings 6, The king of Syria is after Elisha. Starting in verse 14, "so one night the king of Syria sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the prophet's servant got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere.
"'Alas, my master, what shall we do now?' he cried out to Elisha.
"'Don't be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For our army is bigger than theirs!'
"Then Elisha prayed, 'Lord, Open his eyes and let him see!' And the Lord opened the young man's eyes so that he could see horses of fire and chariots of fire everywhere upon the mountain!"
How different could you live each day if you knew that our army is bigger than theirs. Oh, I know we all know this, and we can say it in our best "sunday school" voice, but can you imagine REALLY living this way.
Be honest. When a challenge comes, our first reaction is more like the servant than it is Elisha. "what shall we do now?"
Many times we don't ask that of God, we ask that of a friend, or a family member, and we strategize about how we're going to get out of this mess. It seems so overwhelming... so trying. We MUST fix this. So, we react in our own strength, or worse yet, we give up in despair. Think of what would change if we change our mindset.
If instead we would discipline our thoughts to acknowledge and submit to the fact that our army is indeed bigger, we could experience a new level of victory through life's situations. Elisha has a bit of fun with this Syrian army. He asks God to strike them blind. Then he tells them they've gone to the wrong place. Then he brings them to the Israeli capital, and asks the Lord to open their eyes. Then they throw a feast for them and send them home.
Seems like a trite little story, but I think it's pretty cool. I really believe that as we discipline our thought and understanding to the greatness of God in every situation, we will have our eyes opened to a new level of creativity in dealing with situations that will bring about some incredible victories.
Walk with open eyes today. Indeed, the best is yet to come!
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 Kings 6:1-7:20
Acts 15:32-16:15
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 17:24-25
We are so limited by our human understanding. We look at life through natural eyes. Don't get me wrong. God gave us common sense for a very good reason, and he expects us to use it, but it takes an internal discipline to look through spiritual eyes.
In 2 Kings 6, The king of Syria is after Elisha. Starting in verse 14, "so one night the king of Syria sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the prophet's servant got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere.
"'Alas, my master, what shall we do now?' he cried out to Elisha.
"'Don't be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For our army is bigger than theirs!'
"Then Elisha prayed, 'Lord, Open his eyes and let him see!' And the Lord opened the young man's eyes so that he could see horses of fire and chariots of fire everywhere upon the mountain!"
How different could you live each day if you knew that our army is bigger than theirs. Oh, I know we all know this, and we can say it in our best "sunday school" voice, but can you imagine REALLY living this way.
Be honest. When a challenge comes, our first reaction is more like the servant than it is Elisha. "what shall we do now?"
Many times we don't ask that of God, we ask that of a friend, or a family member, and we strategize about how we're going to get out of this mess. It seems so overwhelming... so trying. We MUST fix this. So, we react in our own strength, or worse yet, we give up in despair. Think of what would change if we change our mindset.
If instead we would discipline our thoughts to acknowledge and submit to the fact that our army is indeed bigger, we could experience a new level of victory through life's situations. Elisha has a bit of fun with this Syrian army. He asks God to strike them blind. Then he tells them they've gone to the wrong place. Then he brings them to the Israeli capital, and asks the Lord to open their eyes. Then they throw a feast for them and send them home.
Seems like a trite little story, but I think it's pretty cool. I really believe that as we discipline our thought and understanding to the greatness of God in every situation, we will have our eyes opened to a new level of creativity in dealing with situations that will bring about some incredible victories.
Walk with open eyes today. Indeed, the best is yet to come!
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, June 3, 2009
6.3.9 "Songs of Praise from Times of Trouble"
"Songs of Praise from Times of Trouble"
2 Samuel 20:14- 22:20
Acts 1:1-26
Psalm 121:1-8
Proverbs 16:18
Today we're going to have a little music lesson. We'll call it "Songwriting 101". Did you know that you are a song writer? Each day your song is being written. Everything that happens within you becomes melodies transfered to a page.
In 2 Samuel 22, David writes a song. "David sang this song to the Lord after he had rescued him from Saul and from all his other enemies:
"Jehovah is my rock, My fortress and my Savior.
I will hide in God, who is my rock and my refuge.
He is my shield and my salvation,
My refuge and high tower.
Thank you, O my Savior, For saving me from all my enemies.
I will call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised;
He will save me from all my enemies.
The waves of death surrounded me; Floods of evil burst upon me;
I was trapped, and bound by hell and death;
But I called upon the Lord in my distress,
And he heard me from his Temple. My cry reached his ears." (2 Sam. 22:1-7)
I gave this chapter my own title: "Songs of Praise from Times of Trouble".
Whether or not you have a musical background, an important thing to remember is that music can only be effective if there is tension and release. A melody grows as it moves away from the "root" tone, and then works its way back. Based on how it does that is the effectiveness of the song. Many times the greater the tension before the release, the more moving the song is.
How true in the Christian walk. The greatest melodies are from the greatest leaps of faith. The greatest joys contrasted from the tension of sorrow. The greatest miracles can only be realized when in the deepest need. Where does the song come from?
We all know individuals who stay "safe" (in their mind) from the tensions of life. The "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship" isn't so dynamic because there's not a commitment to step out in obedience in whatever direction God leads. It may be that "Comfort Zone" has become a boundary line that will never be crossed. The sad truth is that it may also be that there is a song left unwritten.
Don't get me wrong. This doesn't that mean that we look for trouble so we can write a song. Not at all. What this means is that we simply look AT trouble in a different light. As we walk in obedience in our Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, we will experience trials. Some of these will be spear wielding giants. But we must understand that as trials come we are gaining new pitches and rhythms that are being weaved together to form the melody of praise that is unique to each one of us. It's MY song. It will sound different then yours. The Lord desires these songs to be weaved together to form this symphony that draws all men unto him.
When we run from the trial, we run from the song. When we allow the trial to cause our hearts to become bitter, we bring in an out-of-tune instrument that sours the sweet song of victory. But when we run through trials in obedience, we experience joy that can come in no other way.
"Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night. He keeps you from all evil, and preserves your life. He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go, and always guards you." (Ps 121:1-8)
Let your life be a sweet song to our Savior today! Allow the tensions of the past to be released into a glorious symphony of praise!
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 Samuel 20:14- 22:20
Acts 1:1-26
Psalm 121:1-8
Proverbs 16:18
Today we're going to have a little music lesson. We'll call it "Songwriting 101". Did you know that you are a song writer? Each day your song is being written. Everything that happens within you becomes melodies transfered to a page.
In 2 Samuel 22, David writes a song. "David sang this song to the Lord after he had rescued him from Saul and from all his other enemies:
"Jehovah is my rock, My fortress and my Savior.
I will hide in God, who is my rock and my refuge.
He is my shield and my salvation,
My refuge and high tower.
Thank you, O my Savior, For saving me from all my enemies.
I will call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised;
He will save me from all my enemies.
The waves of death surrounded me; Floods of evil burst upon me;
I was trapped, and bound by hell and death;
But I called upon the Lord in my distress,
And he heard me from his Temple. My cry reached his ears." (2 Sam. 22:1-7)
I gave this chapter my own title: "Songs of Praise from Times of Trouble".
Whether or not you have a musical background, an important thing to remember is that music can only be effective if there is tension and release. A melody grows as it moves away from the "root" tone, and then works its way back. Based on how it does that is the effectiveness of the song. Many times the greater the tension before the release, the more moving the song is.
How true in the Christian walk. The greatest melodies are from the greatest leaps of faith. The greatest joys contrasted from the tension of sorrow. The greatest miracles can only be realized when in the deepest need. Where does the song come from?
We all know individuals who stay "safe" (in their mind) from the tensions of life. The "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship" isn't so dynamic because there's not a commitment to step out in obedience in whatever direction God leads. It may be that "Comfort Zone" has become a boundary line that will never be crossed. The sad truth is that it may also be that there is a song left unwritten.
Don't get me wrong. This doesn't that mean that we look for trouble so we can write a song. Not at all. What this means is that we simply look AT trouble in a different light. As we walk in obedience in our Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, we will experience trials. Some of these will be spear wielding giants. But we must understand that as trials come we are gaining new pitches and rhythms that are being weaved together to form the melody of praise that is unique to each one of us. It's MY song. It will sound different then yours. The Lord desires these songs to be weaved together to form this symphony that draws all men unto him.
When we run from the trial, we run from the song. When we allow the trial to cause our hearts to become bitter, we bring in an out-of-tune instrument that sours the sweet song of victory. But when we run through trials in obedience, we experience joy that can come in no other way.
"Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night. He keeps you from all evil, and preserves your life. He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go, and always guards you." (Ps 121:1-8)
Let your life be a sweet song to our Savior today! Allow the tensions of the past to be released into a glorious symphony of praise!
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, May 20, 2009
5.20.9 "The Opportunity to Believe"
"The Opportunity to Believe"
I Samuel 26:1-28:25
John 11:1-53
Psalm 117:1-2
Proverbs 15:22-23
There's nothing more frustrating than being in a situation that looks hopeless. It can be as "superficial" a softball game when you're down by too many runs, or as life-threatening as a cancerous tumor that seems to be spreading. We can all relate at some level to insurmountable obstacles.
In today's reading the the book of John we find the story of Lazarus. It's a story that's familiar to us. I think we can remember from childhood the pictures of Lazarus coming out from the tomb. I remember an old song that Carmen did. In his big booming voice he yells, "Lazarus! Come forth!" It's pretty exciting. We love stories like that.
We also like the story about how David becomes king. We love the great endings. When it comes to our own lives, we want the great endings now. We can even get mad at God because he's not taking care of things in our timing. We can so easily fall into despair.
David wasn't far from there. He says, "Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of Jehovah?" (I Sam 26:20) "But David kept thinking to himself, 'Some day Saul is going to get me. I'll try my luck among the Philistines until Saul gives up and quits hunting for me; then I will finally be safe again.'" (I Sam. 27:1) David and his men then move to the town of Ziklag, and live there for A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS!
We often find ourselves in the middle of a difficult situation. Maybe it's a relationship that's experiencing turmoil, marriage difficulties, grief, health, employment... the list can go on. When we encounter this "waiting period", we can easily lose hope.
We need to recognize this season as the opportunity to BELIEVE, not the opportunity to despair. Jesus got the message that Lazarus had died. "But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation.'" (John 11:4) We LOVE that. I'm sure the disciples were excited. then in verse 6 it says, "He stayed where he was for the NEXT TWO DAYS AND MADE NO MOVE TO GO TO THEM."
HE MADE NO MOVE! What happens inside of us when we perceive that God makes no move? We need to understand God's timing. We need to surrender to it. WE NEED to experience that waiting. It is often the waiting itself that is necessary to transform us into who God has created us to be. As a friend said to me, "The waiting also gives our SELF time to die so that we can be resurrected as a new creation."
"And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, for this will give you another opportunity to believe in me." (John 11:15) Those words are profound. We need to recognize the opportunities to believe. Waiting periods need to be times for faith to grow, not for faith to die!
"Praise the Lord, all nations everywhere. Praise him, all the peoples of the earth. For he loves us very dearly, and his truth endures. Praise the Lord." (Ps 117:1-2) His truth endures!
Whatever the situation, we need to be secure in God's timing. Sometimes we may be in front of Lazarus' tomb for two days. Other times we will be in Ziklag for 16 months. We may be running for our lives, wondering when the promise will come to pass, but we must remember in all things, His truth endures! We have the opportunity to believe!
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 Samuel 26:1-28:25
John 11:1-53
Psalm 117:1-2
Proverbs 15:22-23
There's nothing more frustrating than being in a situation that looks hopeless. It can be as "superficial" a softball game when you're down by too many runs, or as life-threatening as a cancerous tumor that seems to be spreading. We can all relate at some level to insurmountable obstacles.
In today's reading the the book of John we find the story of Lazarus. It's a story that's familiar to us. I think we can remember from childhood the pictures of Lazarus coming out from the tomb. I remember an old song that Carmen did. In his big booming voice he yells, "Lazarus! Come forth!" It's pretty exciting. We love stories like that.
We also like the story about how David becomes king. We love the great endings. When it comes to our own lives, we want the great endings now. We can even get mad at God because he's not taking care of things in our timing. We can so easily fall into despair.
David wasn't far from there. He says, "Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of Jehovah?" (I Sam 26:20) "But David kept thinking to himself, 'Some day Saul is going to get me. I'll try my luck among the Philistines until Saul gives up and quits hunting for me; then I will finally be safe again.'" (I Sam. 27:1) David and his men then move to the town of Ziklag, and live there for A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS!
We often find ourselves in the middle of a difficult situation. Maybe it's a relationship that's experiencing turmoil, marriage difficulties, grief, health, employment... the list can go on. When we encounter this "waiting period", we can easily lose hope.
We need to recognize this season as the opportunity to BELIEVE, not the opportunity to despair. Jesus got the message that Lazarus had died. "But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation.'" (John 11:4) We LOVE that. I'm sure the disciples were excited. then in verse 6 it says, "He stayed where he was for the NEXT TWO DAYS AND MADE NO MOVE TO GO TO THEM."
HE MADE NO MOVE! What happens inside of us when we perceive that God makes no move? We need to understand God's timing. We need to surrender to it. WE NEED to experience that waiting. It is often the waiting itself that is necessary to transform us into who God has created us to be. As a friend said to me, "The waiting also gives our SELF time to die so that we can be resurrected as a new creation."
"And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, for this will give you another opportunity to believe in me." (John 11:15) Those words are profound. We need to recognize the opportunities to believe. Waiting periods need to be times for faith to grow, not for faith to die!
"Praise the Lord, all nations everywhere. Praise him, all the peoples of the earth. For he loves us very dearly, and his truth endures. Praise the Lord." (Ps 117:1-2) His truth endures!
Whatever the situation, we need to be secure in God's timing. Sometimes we may be in front of Lazarus' tomb for two days. Other times we will be in Ziklag for 16 months. We may be running for our lives, wondering when the promise will come to pass, but we must remember in all things, His truth endures! We have the opportunity to believe!
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, April 6, 2009
4.6.9 "Sometimes it Has to Be Impossible"
"Sometimes it Has to Be Impossible"
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
Luke 11:37-12:7
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 12:19-20
How long does a pair of shoes last for you? Being the high-end shoe shopper that I am, I usually wear my Payless shoes a bit longer than they last. But i'm usually pretty good for at least a year or so on a pair of shoes. How about those Israelites? Wandering in the desert for 40 years!
"For forty years God has led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes haven't become old, and your shoes haven't worn out!" (Deut. 29:5)
Pretty incredible, isn't it? These wanderers were Gellin'! (don't take out your greek dictionary.... that's from a commercial!)
So what's this all about? check out the next verse:
"The reason he hasn't let you settle down... is so that you would realize that it is the Lord your God who has been caring for you." (29:6)
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in impossible situations. Sure the example of clothes and shoes may not seem like a huge deal, but there's a deeper principle here we need to look at. We serve a powerful God. At the same time, we have a "rebellious" nature that wants to do it's own thing. Verse 19 says, "Let no one blithely think... 'I shall prosper even though I walk in my own stubborn way!'" (by the way, "blithely" means casual indifference)
When circumstances around us seem impossible, they actually can serve to put us in a place of a proper perspective. "I can't do this on my own!" is exactly the place to be. We too often don't understand or realize the incredible danger of walking through life with the tumor of self-sufficiency growing in us. Left unchecked and unchallenged by truth, this tumor will eventually blind the eye to the need for relationship with God. It's danger can't be overstated.
Impossible circumstances serve to prove the greatness of our God. However, even though the circumstances seem impossible, God never demands of us impossible things. He only asks that we obey him. Yet sometimes in our mind we build obedience to be this monstrous impossible thing. It never is.
"Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can't hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; but they are very close at hand - in your hearts and on your lips - so obey them." (Deut. 30:11-14)
God isn't asking us to take impossible steps. He's already laid out steps before us in his word that are within our grasp. It's often not the "huge" things we struggle with. It's the very simple steps of obedience that we fail to follow through on. We fail to recognize the danger therein.
"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey... Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days." (30:15, 19-20)
This is the heart of our God. If we do the right thing by taking the small steps of obedience, He comes through in impossible situations. Man's concept of "religion" twists this all around. People think that to live "religious" is impossible. In fact, too often there are "religious" people who twist the truth into something 'impossible'.
The teachers of the law were doing that in Jesus' day. Needless to say, he didn't take too kindly to it.
"Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You wont accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it." (Luke 11:52)
I'd hate to be on the "woe" end of a conversation with Jesus. We need to understand the profound simplicity of walking with God. Following him is a great adventure. As we seek his will we find that those impossible situations are nothing more than props in "rubber monster" movie. They are nothing in the presence of God!
Walk in obedience.
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
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
Luke 11:37-12:7
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 12:19-20
How long does a pair of shoes last for you? Being the high-end shoe shopper that I am, I usually wear my Payless shoes a bit longer than they last. But i'm usually pretty good for at least a year or so on a pair of shoes. How about those Israelites? Wandering in the desert for 40 years!
"For forty years God has led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes haven't become old, and your shoes haven't worn out!" (Deut. 29:5)
Pretty incredible, isn't it? These wanderers were Gellin'! (don't take out your greek dictionary.... that's from a commercial!)
So what's this all about? check out the next verse:
"The reason he hasn't let you settle down... is so that you would realize that it is the Lord your God who has been caring for you." (29:6)
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in impossible situations. Sure the example of clothes and shoes may not seem like a huge deal, but there's a deeper principle here we need to look at. We serve a powerful God. At the same time, we have a "rebellious" nature that wants to do it's own thing. Verse 19 says, "Let no one blithely think... 'I shall prosper even though I walk in my own stubborn way!'" (by the way, "blithely" means casual indifference)
When circumstances around us seem impossible, they actually can serve to put us in a place of a proper perspective. "I can't do this on my own!" is exactly the place to be. We too often don't understand or realize the incredible danger of walking through life with the tumor of self-sufficiency growing in us. Left unchecked and unchallenged by truth, this tumor will eventually blind the eye to the need for relationship with God. It's danger can't be overstated.
Impossible circumstances serve to prove the greatness of our God. However, even though the circumstances seem impossible, God never demands of us impossible things. He only asks that we obey him. Yet sometimes in our mind we build obedience to be this monstrous impossible thing. It never is.
"Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can't hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; but they are very close at hand - in your hearts and on your lips - so obey them." (Deut. 30:11-14)
God isn't asking us to take impossible steps. He's already laid out steps before us in his word that are within our grasp. It's often not the "huge" things we struggle with. It's the very simple steps of obedience that we fail to follow through on. We fail to recognize the danger therein.
"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey... Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days." (30:15, 19-20)
This is the heart of our God. If we do the right thing by taking the small steps of obedience, He comes through in impossible situations. Man's concept of "religion" twists this all around. People think that to live "religious" is impossible. In fact, too often there are "religious" people who twist the truth into something 'impossible'.
The teachers of the law were doing that in Jesus' day. Needless to say, he didn't take too kindly to it.
"Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You wont accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it." (Luke 11:52)
I'd hate to be on the "woe" end of a conversation with Jesus. We need to understand the profound simplicity of walking with God. Following him is a great adventure. As we seek his will we find that those impossible situations are nothing more than props in "rubber monster" movie. They are nothing in the presence of God!
Walk in obedience.
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
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
11.12.8 "What makes God Proud"
"What makes God Proud"
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my 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
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
Hebrews 11:16 "And now God is not ashamed to be called their God..." What a verse!! Can you imagine that verse written about you? What would precede a verse like that?
11:4 - "By faith Abel..." 11:5 - "By faith Enoch..." 11:7 - "By faith Noah..."
Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter". This chapter speaks of great men and women throughout the old testament who trusted God. I don't mean trusted God in small ways. They built an ark, walked with God, moved to new countries and many more huge things. How could this happen? They KNEW God.
When you get to know someone, it takes a little bit of time. There are times when we get to know a little bit of something about someone and we base the relationship on that. We get in trouble because that can be a shallow understanding of who that person is, and we miss getting to REALLY know them.
The same is true with the Lord. Too often He will teach us something, and we'll think "that's cool" and go on as if we've now got him figured out. That's exactly how our relationship gets cold and stale. Our relationship with the Lord needs to be on the edge of discovery at all times. How do we cultivate that? Living the wild life of faith!
Verse 6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him."
Faith is such an intimidating thing. In verse 1 it says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."
It can be difficult to live in the realm of that "confident assurance". Because it isn't easy, we can just think, "I'm not wired as a person of faith... I don't have what it takes to be an Abraham, Moses, etc..." and we then excuse ourselves from this list of great believers.
We need to realize that those great men & women of faith had the same temptations we do. Look at verse 15: "If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world."
Too often it's easy to think that great men and women of faith don't have the temptation to quit. Sometimes we don't give up, but we feel SO guilty that we're tempted to give up, that we paralyze ourselves from doing anything. We see the "good" things of the world and it seems to much more comfortable... so much easier.
What makes the difference? verse 16 says, "But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven." Living for heaven. That takes discipline of thought. It's a different priority system. It's a faith that it's worth standing strong. It's a belief that it's worth it to step out in obedience even when the circumstances seem impossible. It's a mindset that consumes every part of life. It constrains us from compromise and shallow living.
I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be living for heaven every moment of every day. I want to experience the moving of his hand. For that to happen, I must step out in obedience in every area of my 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
Monday, October 13, 2008
10.13.8 "Faith Rewarded with Power"
"Faith Rewarded with Power"
Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."
These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.
1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!
2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!
3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.
4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?
5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.
If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith 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
Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."
These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.
1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!
2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!
3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.
4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?
5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.
If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith 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
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