"What are You Laughing At?"
Genesis 16:1-18:19
Matthew 6:1-24
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 2:1-5
God has a plan for your life. On any given day, we are more or less aware of the fact that he has a plan, not to mention our understanding or lack thereof of the specifics of it. Why is that? Why don't we see more of God's plan? Is it because of Him, or because of us?
The story of Abraham & Sarah is a "great read". I would love to have met these two. They seem to be very interesting people. At the beginning of Chapter 16 of Genesis, their names are still Abram & Sarai. In chapter 17 their names are changed to Abraham (meaning "father of nations") and Sarah (Meaning "princess")
Abram knows God has given him a promise. When he was 75 years old, God told Abram to "go to the land I will guide you to. If you do, I will cause you to become the father of a great nation; I will bless you and make your name famous." (Genesis 12:1-2)
Abram is obedient. Sarai also knows the plan. She realizes though, that the clock is ticking. "We're not getting any younger Abram..." (not a verse, but I can hear it!) When Abram is 86 Sarai realizes that God must need a little help. (If this were the movie, the music would get more ominous here.)
Sarai's plan is this: "Since the Lord has given me no children... you may sleep with my servant girl, and her children shall be mine" And Abram agreed. When Hagar (the servant girl) realized she was pregnant, "she became very proud and arrogant toward her mistress Sarai. Then Sarai said to Abram, 'It's all your fault. For now this servant girl of mine despises me, though I myself gave her the privilege of being your wife. May the Lord judge you for doing this to me!'" (Can you see why the Lord changed her name to Princess???)
Sarai and Abram took God's plan into their own hands. They manipulated it. They tried to make it THEIR plan. Remember in yesterday's reading the warning about getting your own way? Well, read the account of Hagar in Gen.16:7-16. It's the birth of the Islamic nation... You can see the fruit of Ishmael motivating so much of the world today.
In chapter 17, God reiterates the promise in terms of a contract with Abraham & Sarah. He says, "'It is a contract that I shall be your God and the God of your posterity. And I will give all this land of Canaan to you and them, forever. And I will be your God. Your part of the contract,' God told him, 'is to obey its terms. You personally and all your posterity have this continual responsibility..." Gen. 17:8-10
That applies to our lives. Our job is simply to obey his direction whatever that may be. We want to know SO BAD what he has in store... what his plan is. The danger is, if we know too much, we too often take HIS plan into OUR hands and MESS IT UP. We try to manipulate God's will. In Gen 18:17 God says, "Should I hide my plan from Abraham?"
Now Abraham is 99 years old, and again the Lord reiterates the promise. When the Lord speaks to them this time, both Abraham and Sarah laugh (Gen.17:17; 18:12)
"Then God said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' Is anything too hard for God?" (18:13-14)
So many times we hope for the promise that seems so impossible. We almost laugh because it can't be done. "Can God heal my marriage?" "Can God save my loved one?" What are you laughing at? What seems impossible?
Our part of the deal is to discipline ourselves to obedience. He is a faithful God. We need to position ourselves to receive from Him. We need to constrain ourselves to the center of His will as he reveals it to us, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. We have to guard from beginning to manipulate the Plan into what WE think it should be. All we do is tie his hands from making HIS name great!
Be obedient today!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label God's Timing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Timing. Show all posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, May 20, 2011
5.20.11 "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!
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
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!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, May 12, 2011
5.12.11 "God's Timing"
"God's Timing"
1 Samuel 12:1-13:23
John 7:1-30
Psalm 108:1-13
Proverbs 15:4
How important is it to wait for God's timing? I think patience is one of the most challenging areas of growth in the Christian life. It can be frustrating to want to do something, and yet have to wait. It can even be a greater challenge when we know it's the right thing to do, and yet God says, "wait."
We all know God has a plan for our life. He gives us big dreams. He calls us to great things. Sometimes he gives a picture of what it will be like. He places the desires within us. Here's where we get into trouble. "I know God has called me to do such and such, so now I'm going to make it happen." We then manipulate situations, and circumstances to make it happen. It's not a big deal, right? I mean it's the thing he's called us to do!
In I Samuel 13, Saul and his army are waiting to go to war with the Philistines. "When the men of israel saw the vast mass of enemy troops, they lost their nerve entirely and tried to hide in caves, thickets, coverts, among the rocks, and even in tombs and cisterns... Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and those who were with him trembled with fear at what awaited them. Samuel had told Saul earlier to wait seven days for his arrival, but when he still didn't come, and Saul's troops were rapidly slipping away, he decided to sacrifice the burnt offering and the peace offerings himself. But just as he was finishing, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and to receive his blessing, but Samuel said, 'What is this you have done?'" (I Sam. 13:6-11)
Saul makes excuses about why he went ahead with the sacrifice, but Samuel says, "'You fool!' Samuel exclaimed. 'You have disobeyed the commandment of the Lord your God. He was planning to make you and your descendants kings of Israel forever, but now your dynasty must end; for the Lord wants a man who will obey him.'" (13:13-14)
Wow! that's a pretty heavy consequence for such a "seemingly small" step of disobedience. Why is that? Let's compare this with a conversation that Jesus has with his brothers in John 7.
"But soon it was time for the Tabernacle Ceremonies, one of the annual Jewish holidays, and Jesus' brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration. 'Go where more people can see your miracles!' they scoffed. 'You can't be famous when you hide like this! If you're so great, prove it to the world!' For even his brothers didn't believe in him. Jesus replied, 'It is not the right time for me to go now. But you can go anytime and it will make no difference... You go on, and I'll come later when it is the right time.'" (John 7:2-8) Jesus did end up going a little later, but "incognito".
What is the difference between Jesus and Saul? One of them understood the importance of the right timing in doing what he was called to do. There's a bigger picture. Not only is there the right thing to do, there is a right time to do it. To do the right thing at the wrong time is doing the wrong thing.
One of the things we see by the consequence upon Saul is the HUGE importance God puts on obedience. There is always more at stake than we think. When we take short cuts, we risk EVERYTHING. Jesus knew this when he was being tempted by Satan. If we don't have a full understanding of our call and the value God places on our obedience, we will sell it for a bowl of soup without even thinking about it.
You are valuable to God. When you understand that value, you will make decisions that reflect the intensity and importance of what you are called to do. Remember when Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."? That is only true when we are walking in step with him. If we are trying to move too fast or too slow, or turn one way or another, we are pulling against his will. We are exerting a lot of fleshly effort.
We need to constrain ourselves to his will. We need to understand the precious cargo we are carrying. We have the call of God on our life. This "burden" should not be a lack of peace. It's similar to that feeling as you walk out of the hospital with your first born. That is an almost indescribable sense as you feel the awesome responsibility of doing the right thing.
Let's never forget the precious cargo of the calling and the burden of obedience that we carry with us each and every day.
The essence of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is Obedience. Walk in obedience today. Obedience is better than sacrifice!
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
1 Samuel 12:1-13:23
John 7:1-30
Psalm 108:1-13
Proverbs 15:4
How important is it to wait for God's timing? I think patience is one of the most challenging areas of growth in the Christian life. It can be frustrating to want to do something, and yet have to wait. It can even be a greater challenge when we know it's the right thing to do, and yet God says, "wait."
We all know God has a plan for our life. He gives us big dreams. He calls us to great things. Sometimes he gives a picture of what it will be like. He places the desires within us. Here's where we get into trouble. "I know God has called me to do such and such, so now I'm going to make it happen." We then manipulate situations, and circumstances to make it happen. It's not a big deal, right? I mean it's the thing he's called us to do!
In I Samuel 13, Saul and his army are waiting to go to war with the Philistines. "When the men of israel saw the vast mass of enemy troops, they lost their nerve entirely and tried to hide in caves, thickets, coverts, among the rocks, and even in tombs and cisterns... Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and those who were with him trembled with fear at what awaited them. Samuel had told Saul earlier to wait seven days for his arrival, but when he still didn't come, and Saul's troops were rapidly slipping away, he decided to sacrifice the burnt offering and the peace offerings himself. But just as he was finishing, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and to receive his blessing, but Samuel said, 'What is this you have done?'" (I Sam. 13:6-11)
Saul makes excuses about why he went ahead with the sacrifice, but Samuel says, "'You fool!' Samuel exclaimed. 'You have disobeyed the commandment of the Lord your God. He was planning to make you and your descendants kings of Israel forever, but now your dynasty must end; for the Lord wants a man who will obey him.'" (13:13-14)
Wow! that's a pretty heavy consequence for such a "seemingly small" step of disobedience. Why is that? Let's compare this with a conversation that Jesus has with his brothers in John 7.
"But soon it was time for the Tabernacle Ceremonies, one of the annual Jewish holidays, and Jesus' brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration. 'Go where more people can see your miracles!' they scoffed. 'You can't be famous when you hide like this! If you're so great, prove it to the world!' For even his brothers didn't believe in him. Jesus replied, 'It is not the right time for me to go now. But you can go anytime and it will make no difference... You go on, and I'll come later when it is the right time.'" (John 7:2-8) Jesus did end up going a little later, but "incognito".
What is the difference between Jesus and Saul? One of them understood the importance of the right timing in doing what he was called to do. There's a bigger picture. Not only is there the right thing to do, there is a right time to do it. To do the right thing at the wrong time is doing the wrong thing.
One of the things we see by the consequence upon Saul is the HUGE importance God puts on obedience. There is always more at stake than we think. When we take short cuts, we risk EVERYTHING. Jesus knew this when he was being tempted by Satan. If we don't have a full understanding of our call and the value God places on our obedience, we will sell it for a bowl of soup without even thinking about it.
You are valuable to God. When you understand that value, you will make decisions that reflect the intensity and importance of what you are called to do. Remember when Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."? That is only true when we are walking in step with him. If we are trying to move too fast or too slow, or turn one way or another, we are pulling against his will. We are exerting a lot of fleshly effort.
We need to constrain ourselves to his will. We need to understand the precious cargo we are carrying. We have the call of God on our life. This "burden" should not be a lack of peace. It's similar to that feeling as you walk out of the hospital with your first born. That is an almost indescribable sense as you feel the awesome responsibility of doing the right thing.
Let's never forget the precious cargo of the calling and the burden of obedience that we carry with us each and every day.
The essence of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is Obedience. Walk in obedience today. Obedience is better than sacrifice!
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 13, 2011
4.13.11"Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
"Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that after all of this, now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that after all of this, now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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, January 26, 2011
1.26.11 "Let God Connect the Dots"
"Let God Connect the Dots"
Exodus 2:11-3:22
Matthew 17:10-27
Psalm 22:1-18
Proverbs 5:7-14
"God's will for us is less about our comfort than it is about our contribution. God would never choose for us safety at the cost of significance. God created you so that your life would count, not so that you could count the days of your life." - Erwin McManus
There is a great need out there. The Lord desires to use you to meet that need. You may or may not realize it yet, but there are desires in your heart that are already connected to that need.
Moses was raised in the house of the king. It was the good life. However, he felt a strong connection to his Hebrew brothers. "One day, many years later when Moses had grown up and become a man, he went out to visit his fellow Hebrews and saw the terrible conditions they were under." The story continues to tell how he saw an Egyptian mistreat a Hebrew, so he killed the Egyptian. He then goes into hiding in the wilderness.
Moses had a burden for his people, but at that time he had not placed it in the hands of God. He had not gone through the wilderness experience to meet the need in God's strength and timing. Look at the result: the sin of murder.
Beginning in Exodus 3, Moses meets God via the burning bush. This is an incredible experience with the glory and the voice of God. In Ex. 3:7-10 the Lord says, "I have seen the deep sorrows of my people in Egypt, and have heard their pleas for freedom... I have come to deliver them... Now I am going to send you..."
God is now connecting the need of the people to the desire of Moses. In actuality by now, Moses has spent so long in hiding, and he knows the mistakes he's made, that in his mind, he is not the man for the job. "But I'm not the person for a job like that!" Moses exclaimed. ex. 3:11.
As far as Moses was concerned, the dream was dead. Not to God, though. He had placed the desires in Moses' heart long ago. It was now time to connect the dots.
How about you? What desires are in your heart? You could be in many different places. You could be out there in your own strength trying to pursue the desires. You could be running from the mistakes of the past. You may be in the position where you don't even remember the desire anymore. Maybe you're in the place where God is telling you "it's time". You're scared. You don't think you're the one to be obedient.
God will never call you to do something and not give you the strength to accomplish it. No matter where you're at in this journey, give your desires to God. Make yourself wholly available to him. In his time you're going to see HIM connect the dots.
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
Exodus 2:11-3:22
Matthew 17:10-27
Psalm 22:1-18
Proverbs 5:7-14
"God's will for us is less about our comfort than it is about our contribution. God would never choose for us safety at the cost of significance. God created you so that your life would count, not so that you could count the days of your life." - Erwin McManus
There is a great need out there. The Lord desires to use you to meet that need. You may or may not realize it yet, but there are desires in your heart that are already connected to that need.
Moses was raised in the house of the king. It was the good life. However, he felt a strong connection to his Hebrew brothers. "One day, many years later when Moses had grown up and become a man, he went out to visit his fellow Hebrews and saw the terrible conditions they were under." The story continues to tell how he saw an Egyptian mistreat a Hebrew, so he killed the Egyptian. He then goes into hiding in the wilderness.
Moses had a burden for his people, but at that time he had not placed it in the hands of God. He had not gone through the wilderness experience to meet the need in God's strength and timing. Look at the result: the sin of murder.
Beginning in Exodus 3, Moses meets God via the burning bush. This is an incredible experience with the glory and the voice of God. In Ex. 3:7-10 the Lord says, "I have seen the deep sorrows of my people in Egypt, and have heard their pleas for freedom... I have come to deliver them... Now I am going to send you..."
God is now connecting the need of the people to the desire of Moses. In actuality by now, Moses has spent so long in hiding, and he knows the mistakes he's made, that in his mind, he is not the man for the job. "But I'm not the person for a job like that!" Moses exclaimed. ex. 3:11.
As far as Moses was concerned, the dream was dead. Not to God, though. He had placed the desires in Moses' heart long ago. It was now time to connect the dots.
How about you? What desires are in your heart? You could be in many different places. You could be out there in your own strength trying to pursue the desires. You could be running from the mistakes of the past. You may be in the position where you don't even remember the desire anymore. Maybe you're in the place where God is telling you "it's time". You're scared. You don't think you're the one to be obedient.
God will never call you to do something and not give you the strength to accomplish it. No matter where you're at in this journey, give your desires to God. Make yourself wholly available to him. In his time you're going to see HIM connect the dots.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, January 16, 2011
1.16.11 "The Yoke is On You"
"The Yoke is On You"
Genesis 32:13-34:31
Matthew 11:7-30
Psalm 14:1-7
Proverbs 3:19-20
The title begs for a Sven & Ole joke (yoke for the Scandinavians). One day Sven & Ole go ice fishing. They get to one spot and they hear a voice from above saying, "There are no fish under the ice." They move about 25 feet away and hear it again "There are no fish under the ice." Finally Ole asks, "Are you God?" The voice returns, "No, I'm the skating rink announcer."
Well, that's not the kind of yoke we're talking about today. These verses from Matthew today are some of my favorite.
"Come to me and I will give you rest - all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke - for it fits perfectly - and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for you souls; for I give you only light burdens." Matthew 11:28-30
Our traditional understanding of a yoke is a collar type thing that is put over two oxen to pull the load together. There was another application for those Jesus was speaking to. The Law was considered a yoke. Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary says, "Those who complain of the burden of the ceremonial law, which was an intolerable yoke, and was made much more so by the tradition of the elders, let them come to Christ, and they shall be made easy; he came to free his church from this yoke, to cancel the imposition of those carnal ordinances, and to introduce a purer and more spiritual way of worship; but it is rather to be understood of the burthen of sin, both the guilt and the power of it.
The laws of God had become so burdensome in the hands of men. Christ came to give us a new burden. His burden is easy & light.
What burdens do you carry today? How heavy they are to you may be an indication that some things may be out of balance.
If we are carrying the load the Lord has given us, it's never too much. When we take the yoke of Christ, we are joined together with him. Going back to the symbolism in the context of oxen, we can observe if we are walking in the yoke of Christ. If the burden seems out of balance, there are several things that may be happening.
First, we may be trying to move in a different direction. God has plans for our life, and sometimes we get our eyes off course, and want to pull a certain way. The result is this struggle against the yoke.
Another problem may be that we are moving against God's timing. We may be trying to move ahead of God. We see the goal, we see what he's called us to do, and we wanna jump after it. Just because it's his will does not mean that it's his timing. We may also be moving too slow. The Lord may be spurring us on to move in a certain direction, and we drag our feet. Once again there is tension in the yoke.
How does your yoke feel on you today? Is it heavy, is it light? The yoke of Christ is a yoke of peace. When there are storms and trials and tragedy, there is still such a sense of strength and endurance because of the one who has borne the weight of the load.
We are not "adding" Christ to our life, We are giving him our life. We don't reach out and touch the yoke occasionally. We must bear his yoke upon us. that means give him everything.
Matthew Henry's states:
A yoke speaks some hardship, but if the beast must draw, the yoke helps him. Christ’s commands are all in our favour: we must take this yoke upon us to draw in it. We are yoked to work, and therefore must be diligent; we are yoked to submit, and therefore must be humble and patient: we are yoked together with our fellow-servants, and therefore must keep up the communion of saints: and the words of the wise are as goads, to those who are thus yoked.
No matter how big the trial, how busy the schedule, or terrifying the storm may seem, when Christ is the Lord, the yoke is easy and the burden is light. There is tremendous freedom in submission to Christ. It's not a yoke of bondage, it's a yoke of freedom. All other yokes lead to bondage & death.
So, what yoke is on you?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 32:13-34:31
Matthew 11:7-30
Psalm 14:1-7
Proverbs 3:19-20
The title begs for a Sven & Ole joke (yoke for the Scandinavians). One day Sven & Ole go ice fishing. They get to one spot and they hear a voice from above saying, "There are no fish under the ice." They move about 25 feet away and hear it again "There are no fish under the ice." Finally Ole asks, "Are you God?" The voice returns, "No, I'm the skating rink announcer."
Well, that's not the kind of yoke we're talking about today. These verses from Matthew today are some of my favorite.
"Come to me and I will give you rest - all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke - for it fits perfectly - and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for you souls; for I give you only light burdens." Matthew 11:28-30
Our traditional understanding of a yoke is a collar type thing that is put over two oxen to pull the load together. There was another application for those Jesus was speaking to. The Law was considered a yoke. Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary says, "Those who complain of the burden of the ceremonial law, which was an intolerable yoke, and was made much more so by the tradition of the elders, let them come to Christ, and they shall be made easy; he came to free his church from this yoke, to cancel the imposition of those carnal ordinances, and to introduce a purer and more spiritual way of worship; but it is rather to be understood of the burthen of sin, both the guilt and the power of it.
The laws of God had become so burdensome in the hands of men. Christ came to give us a new burden. His burden is easy & light.
What burdens do you carry today? How heavy they are to you may be an indication that some things may be out of balance.
If we are carrying the load the Lord has given us, it's never too much. When we take the yoke of Christ, we are joined together with him. Going back to the symbolism in the context of oxen, we can observe if we are walking in the yoke of Christ. If the burden seems out of balance, there are several things that may be happening.
First, we may be trying to move in a different direction. God has plans for our life, and sometimes we get our eyes off course, and want to pull a certain way. The result is this struggle against the yoke.
Another problem may be that we are moving against God's timing. We may be trying to move ahead of God. We see the goal, we see what he's called us to do, and we wanna jump after it. Just because it's his will does not mean that it's his timing. We may also be moving too slow. The Lord may be spurring us on to move in a certain direction, and we drag our feet. Once again there is tension in the yoke.
How does your yoke feel on you today? Is it heavy, is it light? The yoke of Christ is a yoke of peace. When there are storms and trials and tragedy, there is still such a sense of strength and endurance because of the one who has borne the weight of the load.
We are not "adding" Christ to our life, We are giving him our life. We don't reach out and touch the yoke occasionally. We must bear his yoke upon us. that means give him everything.
Matthew Henry's states:
A yoke speaks some hardship, but if the beast must draw, the yoke helps him. Christ’s commands are all in our favour: we must take this yoke upon us to draw in it. We are yoked to work, and therefore must be diligent; we are yoked to submit, and therefore must be humble and patient: we are yoked together with our fellow-servants, and therefore must keep up the communion of saints: and the words of the wise are as goads, to those who are thus yoked.
No matter how big the trial, how busy the schedule, or terrifying the storm may seem, when Christ is the Lord, the yoke is easy and the burden is light. There is tremendous freedom in submission to Christ. It's not a yoke of bondage, it's a yoke of freedom. All other yokes lead to bondage & death.
So, what yoke is on you?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, October 16, 2010
10.16.10 "With All your Heart"
"With All your Heart"
Jeremiah 28:1-29:32
I Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 25:17
"I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) This is one of my favorite scriptures because it's such an encouraging scripture. It's awesome to know that the God of the universe knows my name. He is concerned with my path. He's concerned with where I am.
It is extremely important to always remember the context of this verse, however. In Jeremiah 28 there is a "battle" of two prophetic messages. In Jer. 27, God instructed Jeremiah to wear a yoke on his neck as a symbol, and bring the message that God's people are headed into captivity. Things are going to be hard. This is a result of disobedience, and there will be consequence. In chapter 28, Hananiah, the son of the prophet Gibeon speaks to Jeremiah in front of everyone and says, in essence, "No THIS is the word of the Lord..." and breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and declares God's people free, and basically tells the people what they want to hear. Even Jeremiah responded, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say." (Jer. 28:6)
But, as great as Hananiah's message was, it wasn't the word of the Lord. God's plan was that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. He told them Babylon would rule the world. He told them to submit to the process. He told them to build homes and plant trees. They're going to be in captivity for a while.
My personality is the type that wants to please people. It's in my nature to want to tell people what they want to hear. I want to be an encouragement. Because of that tendency, when someone comes with a trial, I WANT to say, "this will be over before you know it! Victory will come today!" While there may be times where that IS the word of the Lord, there are many times that is NOT the word of the Lord. It may be that the Lord is using this trial for a purpose that is far greater than we could understand.
So the question is: Is it worth it?
The Israelites would much more love to align themselves with Hananiah's message, but what good would that do them? Would their hearts change? No. The Lord commanded them to submit to their captivity, and to prosper where he had placed them.
The fact that they're in captivity doesn't change the fact that God has a plan for their life. In fact, the captivity serves to GIVE a future and a hope, not to be in the way of it. I think that's an important message to always remember, but the purpose of the captivity is found in verse 13: "You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." The NIV says, "... when you seek me with all of your heart."
In the midst of the trial, God is found IF we seek him with all our heart. Sometimes we fall short because, "my boss isn't fair!... My spouse wont change... This hurts too bad..." We want the circumstance to show change before we're willing to allow our heart to change. What the Lord is saying is, the circumstance isn't changing anytime soon, so allow me to change your heart. Produce fruit where you are.
The objective is not rosy circumstances, it's a pure heart.
In I Timothy 1:5, Paul says, "What I am eager for is that all the Christians there will be filled with love that comes from pure hearts, and that their minds will be clean and their faith strong." in verse 19 he says, "cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right."
What's tying these all together? "... seek me with all your heart." "... love that comes from pure hearts... Minds clean..." "... conscience clear..."
We need to be giving God our all, all the time. What is the highest form of worship? Obedience. Ps. 86:11 says, "Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name."
"May every fiber of my being..." That is the intensity in which we will truly experience the "Dynamics" of the Lifestyle of Worship. Too often worship is an event. It's a sunday morning service. What a tragedy when our obedience is an "event". Just a moment where we were aligned to God's direction.
Give your all to him today. Serve Him with all of your heart. Give Him a pure mind. Choose to do right. Worship Him with every fiber of your being so that wherever He says to go, you will go there.
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 28:1-29:32
I Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 25:17
"I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) This is one of my favorite scriptures because it's such an encouraging scripture. It's awesome to know that the God of the universe knows my name. He is concerned with my path. He's concerned with where I am.
It is extremely important to always remember the context of this verse, however. In Jeremiah 28 there is a "battle" of two prophetic messages. In Jer. 27, God instructed Jeremiah to wear a yoke on his neck as a symbol, and bring the message that God's people are headed into captivity. Things are going to be hard. This is a result of disobedience, and there will be consequence. In chapter 28, Hananiah, the son of the prophet Gibeon speaks to Jeremiah in front of everyone and says, in essence, "No THIS is the word of the Lord..." and breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and declares God's people free, and basically tells the people what they want to hear. Even Jeremiah responded, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say." (Jer. 28:6)
But, as great as Hananiah's message was, it wasn't the word of the Lord. God's plan was that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. He told them Babylon would rule the world. He told them to submit to the process. He told them to build homes and plant trees. They're going to be in captivity for a while.
My personality is the type that wants to please people. It's in my nature to want to tell people what they want to hear. I want to be an encouragement. Because of that tendency, when someone comes with a trial, I WANT to say, "this will be over before you know it! Victory will come today!" While there may be times where that IS the word of the Lord, there are many times that is NOT the word of the Lord. It may be that the Lord is using this trial for a purpose that is far greater than we could understand.
So the question is: Is it worth it?
The Israelites would much more love to align themselves with Hananiah's message, but what good would that do them? Would their hearts change? No. The Lord commanded them to submit to their captivity, and to prosper where he had placed them.
The fact that they're in captivity doesn't change the fact that God has a plan for their life. In fact, the captivity serves to GIVE a future and a hope, not to be in the way of it. I think that's an important message to always remember, but the purpose of the captivity is found in verse 13: "You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." The NIV says, "... when you seek me with all of your heart."
In the midst of the trial, God is found IF we seek him with all our heart. Sometimes we fall short because, "my boss isn't fair!... My spouse wont change... This hurts too bad..." We want the circumstance to show change before we're willing to allow our heart to change. What the Lord is saying is, the circumstance isn't changing anytime soon, so allow me to change your heart. Produce fruit where you are.
The objective is not rosy circumstances, it's a pure heart.
In I Timothy 1:5, Paul says, "What I am eager for is that all the Christians there will be filled with love that comes from pure hearts, and that their minds will be clean and their faith strong." in verse 19 he says, "cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right."
What's tying these all together? "... seek me with all your heart." "... love that comes from pure hearts... Minds clean..." "... conscience clear..."
We need to be giving God our all, all the time. What is the highest form of worship? Obedience. Ps. 86:11 says, "Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name."
"May every fiber of my being..." That is the intensity in which we will truly experience the "Dynamics" of the Lifestyle of Worship. Too often worship is an event. It's a sunday morning service. What a tragedy when our obedience is an "event". Just a moment where we were aligned to God's direction.
Give your all to him today. Serve Him with all of your heart. Give Him a pure mind. Choose to do right. Worship Him with every fiber of your being so that wherever He says to go, you will go there.
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 22, 2010
5.22.10 "Not That Way!"
"Not That Way!"
2 Samuel 1:1-2:11
John 12:20-50
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 15:27-28
Saul is Dead! Isn't that GREAT? David was anointed king so long ago. After all that running and all that discouragement and fear, and frustration, his chance is finally here! Go storm the castle, David!
"David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord's people, and for the men of Israel who died that day." (2 Sam. 1:11-12)
There's this little Amalekite dude who thinks he can score some points with David. Even though Saul had killed himself this little weasel lies and tells David that he's the one who killed him. He's thinking like we would think. "i took the obstacle out of your way! Now go be king!"
What's David's response to that? "'Why did you kill's God's chosen king?' David demanded...'You die self-condemned,' David said, 'for you yourself confessed that you killed God's appointed king.'"(2 Sam 1:14,16)
We all have dreams and aspirations to some extent. They may be related to a job or a position of authority, or a solo, or maybe it's even just a hope that a longing & a need will be met. These needs, hopes and dreams are God given. They are based on desires that God has placed within us.
Enter the temptation. Satan has one desire. He wants to destroy us. There's only one way he can do that. He must entice us to destroy ourselves. He does that by tempting us to take short-cuts. These kind of thoughts go through our mind: "If only so-and-so wasn't in the picture... THEN I could succeed!" "If only my spouse was like that other person, then I would be fulfilled."
Pretty soon the "if-only"s give way to "Hey, I deserve this", and all of the sudden we're on the destructive path of sin.
Jesus knew this danger. The number of people who believed in him was increasing. He knew he was the Messiah, but those who believed had their own impression of who they thought the Messiah should be. Jesus had spoken of his death and their response was, "'Die?' asked the crowd. 'We understood that the Messiah would live forever and never die. Why are you saying he will die? What messiah are you talking about?'" (John 12:34)
Oh, that must have been so tempting! Take the short-cut! Jesus knew he must constrain himself to God's timing and God's plan. "'Shall I pray, "Father save me from what lies ahead"? But that is the very reason why I came!'" (12:27)
God's ways are not like ours. His timing and his plan are perfect. It's interesting that what drives us is "self-promotion", but the path is usually death to self.
"'I must fall and die like a kernel of wheat that falls into the furrows of the earth. Unless I die I will be alone - a single seed. But my death will produce many new wheat kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. If you love your life down here - you will lose it. If you despise your life down here - you will exchange it for eternal glory.'" (12:23-25)
This principle applies to all of us. If we really want to live, we must die to flesh. If we want to achieve the goals and dreams and fulfillment that God has for us, we must actually die to those desires. When we go around "storming the castle" to accomplish our goals, we are laying a foundation of rebellion. Rebellion separates us from God. That's not the path we are to pursue.
Seek God. Wait for his timing. Die to self.
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 1:1-2:11
John 12:20-50
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 15:27-28
Saul is Dead! Isn't that GREAT? David was anointed king so long ago. After all that running and all that discouragement and fear, and frustration, his chance is finally here! Go storm the castle, David!
"David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord's people, and for the men of Israel who died that day." (2 Sam. 1:11-12)
There's this little Amalekite dude who thinks he can score some points with David. Even though Saul had killed himself this little weasel lies and tells David that he's the one who killed him. He's thinking like we would think. "i took the obstacle out of your way! Now go be king!"
What's David's response to that? "'Why did you kill's God's chosen king?' David demanded...'You die self-condemned,' David said, 'for you yourself confessed that you killed God's appointed king.'"(2 Sam 1:14,16)
We all have dreams and aspirations to some extent. They may be related to a job or a position of authority, or a solo, or maybe it's even just a hope that a longing & a need will be met. These needs, hopes and dreams are God given. They are based on desires that God has placed within us.
Enter the temptation. Satan has one desire. He wants to destroy us. There's only one way he can do that. He must entice us to destroy ourselves. He does that by tempting us to take short-cuts. These kind of thoughts go through our mind: "If only so-and-so wasn't in the picture... THEN I could succeed!" "If only my spouse was like that other person, then I would be fulfilled."
Pretty soon the "if-only"s give way to "Hey, I deserve this", and all of the sudden we're on the destructive path of sin.
Jesus knew this danger. The number of people who believed in him was increasing. He knew he was the Messiah, but those who believed had their own impression of who they thought the Messiah should be. Jesus had spoken of his death and their response was, "'Die?' asked the crowd. 'We understood that the Messiah would live forever and never die. Why are you saying he will die? What messiah are you talking about?'" (John 12:34)
Oh, that must have been so tempting! Take the short-cut! Jesus knew he must constrain himself to God's timing and God's plan. "'Shall I pray, "Father save me from what lies ahead"? But that is the very reason why I came!'" (12:27)
God's ways are not like ours. His timing and his plan are perfect. It's interesting that what drives us is "self-promotion", but the path is usually death to self.
"'I must fall and die like a kernel of wheat that falls into the furrows of the earth. Unless I die I will be alone - a single seed. But my death will produce many new wheat kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. If you love your life down here - you will lose it. If you despise your life down here - you will exchange it for eternal glory.'" (12:23-25)
This principle applies to all of us. If we really want to live, we must die to flesh. If we want to achieve the goals and dreams and fulfillment that God has for us, we must actually die to those desires. When we go around "storming the castle" to accomplish our goals, we are laying a foundation of rebellion. Rebellion separates us from God. That's not the path we are to pursue.
Seek God. Wait for his timing. Die to self.
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
