Showing posts with label Knowing God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knowing God. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
4.11.12 "The Great Adventure!"
"The Great Adventure!"
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
God has a unique plan for each one of us. Our experiences, giftings, and passions are as diverse as our fingerprints. The one thing that we all share however, is the fact that God has big plans for every one of us. There is a Promised Land of potential that he has prepared for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, the name of the Promised Land is not "Mediocrity".
Pause to take a moment to consider how close you are to the Lord right now.
Is there anything between you and your relationship with him?
Are you as close as you've ever been?
Are you planning on getting closer?
Is there anything keeping you from getting closer?
As is illustrated in the journey of the Israelites, our adventure with Christ does not stop at salvation. We don't just "get out of Egypt" so we can wander around in the wilderness of mediocrity. We have a purpose and a direction that God has laid out for us. We must pursue it.
What's it going to take to get there?
Moses has died, and Joshua is now leading the people. they are getting ready to cross the Jordan. "'You have never before been where we are going now...' Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. 'For tomorrow,' he said, 'the Lord will do a great miracle.'" (Jos. 3:4-5)
God does not want me to spend my life in a surface relationship with him. He doesn't want me to waste time repeating tests and recycling frustrations. He wants to bring me into a powerful and purposeful relationship with him to experience the full potential of his promise. Why? Not for my benefit, but so that he can make his name great in the world around me.
What are we to do in preparation for this adventure? We must purify ourselves. Consecration is a prerequisite of the miraculous experience. We must prepare for battle. We must keep the "radio" of our spirit tuned to the voice of God. To fill our lives with worldliness and self-gratification creates a broken signal.
I received a voicemail at the church that someone had left at 2:30 in the morning. "Pastor Greg, this is (static) could you call me as soon as (static)? I (static) need to talk to you. my number is 41...(static)." He was calling from a cell phone, and the connection was unclear. I was REALLY worried and was really praying for this guy. It's not usually good news if you're getting a call at that time of day. As it turned out it wasn't a crisis, he just works 3rd shift.
But when there's sin in our life, we put static in our communication with God. We can't hear his voice clearly. We must make sure to get the good "coverage" of a sinless life.
There is a price in following Christ, but it is worth it! "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:26)
We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we hear clear directions in the smallest of things. When we respond in faithfulness to these little things, we will KNOW the voice of God so we don't have to doubt when God directs us to say, "Be Healed!"
We need to count the cost, consecrate ourselves, and prepare to experience the miracles God has laid out for us. We need to prepare for the journey of this Great Adventure!
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, March 21, 2012
3.21.12 "Fishing with Jesus"
"Fishing with Jesus"
Numbers 32:1-33:39
Luke 4:31-5:11
Psalm 64:1-10
Proverbs 11:22
The Word of God is amazing. You can read and re-read a story, and each time something new will stand out. It's awesome how the Spirit unwraps the layers of truth found in the Bible. Not in anyway to diminish Matthew & Mark, but the book of Luke reveals Jesus to me in a fresh way. I notice the emphasis on his faithfulness to the synagogue. I notice the discipline in his message. It's not that these character traits aren't portrayed in the other gospels, it is just brought to light in Luke as the Spirit is bringing to light.
In Luke 4, the popularity of Jesus is greatly increasing. it says starting in verse 40 "all the villagers who had any sick people in their homes, no matter what their diseases were, brought them to Jesus; and the touch of his hands healed every one!" What a phrase! "... the touch of his hands healed every one!"
In verse 42, Jesus leaves town. "Early the next morning he went out into the desert. The crowds searched everywhere for him and when they finally found him they begged him not to leave them, but to stay at Capernaum. But he replied, 'I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other places too, for that is why I was sent.' So he continued to travel around preaching in synagogues throughout Judea." (4:42-44)
The key phrase in that portion of scripture is, "... for that is why I was sent." Jesus had a mission. He knew what it was. In earlier verses, he was healing people of demon possession, and commanding them not to tell who he was. Why would he do that? It would compromise his mission. He knew the people would try to make him into the Messiah they wanted instead of discovering the Messiah he was.
In chapter 5, Jesus is teaching to such large crowds that he & his disciples get into a couple boats and he teaches from there. Here's where it gets REALLY good!
"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets and you will catch a lot of fish!' 'Sir,' Simon replied, 'we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again.' And this time their nets were so full that they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
"When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, 'Oh, sir, please leave us - I'm too much of a sinner for you to have around.' For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him, and his partners too - James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus replied, 'Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for the soul of men!' And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with him." (Luke 5:4-11)
This is a rich portion of scripture. Here are a few points:
1. Jesus tells them to let down their nets, and Simon says, 'we tried that already'. Sometimes what Jesus is calling us to do doesn't make sense at the surface. He may be telling us to talk to the neighbor again. 'But I've done that.' he may be telling us to reach out to a hard heart that's hurt us. So many times I think we give up on what he's telling us to do because we don't see the results. The key is to obey, no matter what. In this case, the 'harvest' was incredibly abundant.
2. Peter's response to seeing the move of God is incredible. He says, "please leave us - I'm too much of a sinner for you to have around." When we REALLY see God, we understand the full magnitude of his greatness. In seeing that, we realize how unworthy we are. It could be easy to look at the harvest and think that it was some work of our own. We must make sure that we like Peter, "realize what had happened". Knowing God has an incredible impact. Because of this revelation, they left everything and followed him.
3. Jesus states the mission: "From now on you'll be fishing for the souls of men!" That is our mission. We need to be people who understand the magnitude of our God and are compelled by the mission he's laid out for us.
To Live the DREAM, we must live with the "Mission to Reach our World for Christ". To live this Mission effectively, we Must first know him, then walk in total radical obedience.
In Luke 4:32 it says that the people in the synagogues were amazed at the things he said. "For he spoke as one who knew the truth, instead of merely quoting the opinions of others as his authority." When we share Christ with others does it come from a heart that KNOWS the truth, or a heart that is only talking about what it has heard?
Know Christ today! Go fishing with Him!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Numbers 32:1-33:39
Luke 4:31-5:11
Psalm 64:1-10
Proverbs 11:22
The Word of God is amazing. You can read and re-read a story, and each time something new will stand out. It's awesome how the Spirit unwraps the layers of truth found in the Bible. Not in anyway to diminish Matthew & Mark, but the book of Luke reveals Jesus to me in a fresh way. I notice the emphasis on his faithfulness to the synagogue. I notice the discipline in his message. It's not that these character traits aren't portrayed in the other gospels, it is just brought to light in Luke as the Spirit is bringing to light.
In Luke 4, the popularity of Jesus is greatly increasing. it says starting in verse 40 "all the villagers who had any sick people in their homes, no matter what their diseases were, brought them to Jesus; and the touch of his hands healed every one!" What a phrase! "... the touch of his hands healed every one!"
In verse 42, Jesus leaves town. "Early the next morning he went out into the desert. The crowds searched everywhere for him and when they finally found him they begged him not to leave them, but to stay at Capernaum. But he replied, 'I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other places too, for that is why I was sent.' So he continued to travel around preaching in synagogues throughout Judea." (4:42-44)
The key phrase in that portion of scripture is, "... for that is why I was sent." Jesus had a mission. He knew what it was. In earlier verses, he was healing people of demon possession, and commanding them not to tell who he was. Why would he do that? It would compromise his mission. He knew the people would try to make him into the Messiah they wanted instead of discovering the Messiah he was.
In chapter 5, Jesus is teaching to such large crowds that he & his disciples get into a couple boats and he teaches from there. Here's where it gets REALLY good!
"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets and you will catch a lot of fish!' 'Sir,' Simon replied, 'we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again.' And this time their nets were so full that they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
"When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, 'Oh, sir, please leave us - I'm too much of a sinner for you to have around.' For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him, and his partners too - James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus replied, 'Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for the soul of men!' And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with him." (Luke 5:4-11)
This is a rich portion of scripture. Here are a few points:
1. Jesus tells them to let down their nets, and Simon says, 'we tried that already'. Sometimes what Jesus is calling us to do doesn't make sense at the surface. He may be telling us to talk to the neighbor again. 'But I've done that.' he may be telling us to reach out to a hard heart that's hurt us. So many times I think we give up on what he's telling us to do because we don't see the results. The key is to obey, no matter what. In this case, the 'harvest' was incredibly abundant.
2. Peter's response to seeing the move of God is incredible. He says, "please leave us - I'm too much of a sinner for you to have around." When we REALLY see God, we understand the full magnitude of his greatness. In seeing that, we realize how unworthy we are. It could be easy to look at the harvest and think that it was some work of our own. We must make sure that we like Peter, "realize what had happened". Knowing God has an incredible impact. Because of this revelation, they left everything and followed him.
3. Jesus states the mission: "From now on you'll be fishing for the souls of men!" That is our mission. We need to be people who understand the magnitude of our God and are compelled by the mission he's laid out for us.
To Live the DREAM, we must live with the "Mission to Reach our World for Christ". To live this Mission effectively, we Must first know him, then walk in total radical obedience.
In Luke 4:32 it says that the people in the synagogues were amazed at the things he said. "For he spoke as one who knew the truth, instead of merely quoting the opinions of others as his authority." When we share Christ with others does it come from a heart that KNOWS the truth, or a heart that is only talking about what it has heard?
Know Christ today! Go fishing with Him!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2.14.12 "The Quest for Knowledge"
"The Quest for Knowledge"
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Matthew 28:1-20
Psalm 34:11-22
Proverbs 9:9-10
"Teach a wise man, and he will be the wiser; teach a good man, and he will learn more. For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
Mankind has such a hunger for knowledge. We want to figure things out. We want know how things work. We read, we "Google", we watch the Discovery channel. Untold billions of dollars are spent on the quest for knowledge.
On the other side, we have a God who loves us. His passion to be in relationship with us is more than we can fathom.
But for the most part, man is too busy in the quest for knowledge to spend time with God. "I must work harder... I must invest wisely... I must get rich..."
The irony is: "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
Can you imagine if the great minds of the world would invest their time in knowing God? Imagine the discoveries. Imagine the breakthroughs.
I'm just thinking about my "to-do" list today. There's a great deal to be done. I have to think through a lot of things. My flesh doesn't want to spend time with the Lord because I have to figure this stuff out. The truth is that I can't really figure any of it out UNLESS I spend time with the Lord.
This is a lesson in Empowered through Biblical Training as well as the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. Committing our lives to the study of his word reveals his greatness. Living in reverent fear of the Lord is living in true worship.
Great words come from today's Psalm: "Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord. Do you want a long, good life? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from lying. Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it."
I need to devote my life to the trust and fear of the Lord.
The Reading in Matthew ends with what we call the "Great Commission". In "DREAMese", this is our "Mission to reach our World for Christ". What I think is to often overlooked in the Great Commission is the fact that it is not a command to merely "witness" to the lost. It's much greater than that.
"Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" (Matt. 28:18-20)
Our life must be consumed with this quest for knowledge of the things of God. We must know him and pursue him, and commit ourselves to leading others to the knowledge of him. This is what it's all about!
Know him 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
Friday, January 20, 2012
1.20.12 "Know the Word"
"Know the Word"
Genesis 41:17-42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15
Proverbs 4:1-6
"Young men, listen to me as you would to your father. Listen, and grow wise, for I speak the truth - don't turn away... [My father] told me never to forget his words. 'If you follow them,' he said, 'you will have a long and happy life. Learn to be wise,' he said,' and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.' Cling to wisdom - she will protect you. Love her - she will guard you." Prov. 4:1-6 (TLB)
Have you ever tried to convince someone the urgency of something and they just didn't get it? It can be as simple as, "if you don't put a coat on, you'll be sorry". Or, it can be more urgent. "I'd turn off the breaker before replacing that light switch..."
Today's Proverb in The Living Bible translation uses the phrase, "I cannot overemphasize this point". We desperately need Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom comes from the Word. We must be Empowered Through Biblical Training. How are you doing with your bible reading? Most make some kind of commitment at the beginning of the year. Sometimes a day is missed, discouragement sets in, and the goal is given up.
To not be in the Word daily means that one doesn't understand the urgency.
We need to be sure of what the Word says because of the "thorns" around us. In Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of a farmer who has sown seed. His enemy came and planted thistles. "The farmer's men came and told him, 'Sir, the field where you planted that choice seed is full of thistles!... Shall we pull out the thistles?' 'No,' he replied. 'You'll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest, and I will tell the reapers to sort out the thistles and burn them...'"
Worldliness is all around us. Sometimes it's tough to tell what's "wheat" and what's "thistle". Knowing the Word brings clarity. Knowing the Word helps us know God. Jesus says in verses 40-43 "Just as in this story the thistles are separated and burned, so shall it be at the end of the world: I will send my angels and they will separate out of the Kingdom every temptation and all who are evil, and throw them into the furnace and burn them. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the godly shall shine as the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Let those with ears, listen!"
Knowing the future as revealed in the word should place upon our hearts the urgency to be in the word. The enemy doesn't want us in the word.
"Death bound me with chains, and the floods of ungodliness mounted a massive attack against me." Ps. 18:4
The word is our defense. What foolishness to think we can stand against that in our own strength. We need to be fortified in the Word.
Being Empowered Through Biblical Training produces fruit in every area of life. Through time in the word the power of the Spirit grows in us. After all Joseph had been through, listen to Pharaoh's comments about him. "As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, 'Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.'" (Gen 41:38)
As we become who God has created us to be, the world will see that we are "obviously filled with the Spirit of God."
This is a game "for keeps". This is a big deal. There are so many excuses of why not to read the word. They all pale in comparison to the real urgency of the situation. We need to KNOW God! We need to KNOW his Word!!
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 41:17-42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15
Proverbs 4:1-6
"Young men, listen to me as you would to your father. Listen, and grow wise, for I speak the truth - don't turn away... [My father] told me never to forget his words. 'If you follow them,' he said, 'you will have a long and happy life. Learn to be wise,' he said,' and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.' Cling to wisdom - she will protect you. Love her - she will guard you." Prov. 4:1-6 (TLB)
Have you ever tried to convince someone the urgency of something and they just didn't get it? It can be as simple as, "if you don't put a coat on, you'll be sorry". Or, it can be more urgent. "I'd turn off the breaker before replacing that light switch..."
Today's Proverb in The Living Bible translation uses the phrase, "I cannot overemphasize this point". We desperately need Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom comes from the Word. We must be Empowered Through Biblical Training. How are you doing with your bible reading? Most make some kind of commitment at the beginning of the year. Sometimes a day is missed, discouragement sets in, and the goal is given up.
To not be in the Word daily means that one doesn't understand the urgency.
We need to be sure of what the Word says because of the "thorns" around us. In Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of a farmer who has sown seed. His enemy came and planted thistles. "The farmer's men came and told him, 'Sir, the field where you planted that choice seed is full of thistles!... Shall we pull out the thistles?' 'No,' he replied. 'You'll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest, and I will tell the reapers to sort out the thistles and burn them...'"
Worldliness is all around us. Sometimes it's tough to tell what's "wheat" and what's "thistle". Knowing the Word brings clarity. Knowing the Word helps us know God. Jesus says in verses 40-43 "Just as in this story the thistles are separated and burned, so shall it be at the end of the world: I will send my angels and they will separate out of the Kingdom every temptation and all who are evil, and throw them into the furnace and burn them. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the godly shall shine as the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Let those with ears, listen!"
Knowing the future as revealed in the word should place upon our hearts the urgency to be in the word. The enemy doesn't want us in the word.
"Death bound me with chains, and the floods of ungodliness mounted a massive attack against me." Ps. 18:4
The word is our defense. What foolishness to think we can stand against that in our own strength. We need to be fortified in the Word.
Being Empowered Through Biblical Training produces fruit in every area of life. Through time in the word the power of the Spirit grows in us. After all Joseph had been through, listen to Pharaoh's comments about him. "As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, 'Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.'" (Gen 41:38)
As we become who God has created us to be, the world will see that we are "obviously filled with the Spirit of God."
This is a game "for keeps". This is a big deal. There are so many excuses of why not to read the word. They all pale in comparison to the real urgency of the situation. We need to KNOW God! We need to KNOW his Word!!
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 22, 2011
10.22.11 "Know the One you Trust"
"Know the One you Trust"
Jeremiah 39:1-41:18
2 Timothy 1:1-18
Psalm 90:1-91:16
Proverbs 26:1-2
In Paul's second letter to Timothy he says, "And God has chosen me to be his missionary, to preach to the Gentiles and teach them. That is whey I am suffering here in jail and I am certainly not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to safely guard all that I have given him until the day of his return. Hold tightly to the pattern of truth I taught you, especially concerning the faith and love Christ Jesus offers you." 2 Timothy 1:11-13
There are several things to note, but first think of this: Paul is in jail BECAUSE he's been chosen by God. Paul understands that it's not a diversion from God's plan, it's a part of it! Oh, that we would all have that kind confidence in the midst of trials.
The main phrase to focus on today is "I know the one in whom I trust." Now THAT'S a great place to be! I'm thinking that most of the people reading this DEVO can say that with a fairly decent amount of certainty. You KNOW the one in whom you trust. But each one of us need to realize that we are surrounded by people who don't. I'm not just talking about the unbeliever. I'm talking about believers who have not grown in discipleship and have fallen into the trap of "circumstantial theology".
Little things can get in and throw the life of the believer way off course if they do not heed what Paul instructs Timothy in verse 13: "Hold tightly to the pattern of truth I taught you..." We need to understand the tremendous importance of disciplining our minds to the knowledge of God through His word. Studying his character helps us know His voice.
Wherever you are in your growth in Christ, you need to be helping those around you to know the one in whom they trust. Too many Christians are attempting to live a double life. They believe one thing in church and when they read their word. They believe it with all their heart! But that belief system is shut off when troubles and trials come. Circumstantial theology kicks in, and some of the wackiest decisions are made having nothing to do with truth. Then they are in a mess, and wonder what happened to their Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship.
If you've ever wondered why it's important to be in God's house and in Sunday School and Wednesday night activities, realize that when we are together with other believers we are strengthening our resolve to know the one we trust. We are reinforcing that which is true. Then, when the trial comes to challenge the depth of our resolve, we can say with confidence that We KNOW him and He will carry us through!
Know God. That simple instruction can bring you safely through some incredible storms. It can also equip you to help someone else weather their storm!
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, July 19, 2011
7.19.11 "I am a Friend of God"
"I am a Friend of God"
I Chronicles 28:1-29:30
Romans 5:6-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 19:18-19
Have you met anyone famous? Any "heroes" of yours that you've met? Due to the marvels of facebook, I can now say I'm "friends" with some of my heroes. I've even sustained some conversations with some people that I think to be GREAT people. Occasionally I'll name drop a couple... well, just for the sake of example... Gretchen Carlson on the FOX news morning show has MY autograph... yep... not the other way around... I scored the music for a pageant she was in in the 80's... she loved it & wanted my autograph... there... I name dropped.. now I'm important right?
Why do we name drop? It almost gives us a feeling of worth, or it makes us feel that "now people should respect me." Check out these verses in Romans:
"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.... So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." Romans 5:6-8,11
As believers we sometimes take the wrong approach to being a friend of God. We can get the sense of "NOW I'm somebody!" A subtle arrogance can develop. Almost as if we "deserve" to be a friend of God.
That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ died for us while we were sinners... we "deserved" none of it. Yet He did it.
Why is this important? If we walk in arrogance of knowing God, we are much like the Pharisees who were proud of their standing and looked in disdain at others who didn't measure up. To realize in humility that we walk in a gift that is undeserved, our outlook is much different. We begin to see those who need Christ through the eyes of hope. We see that They too have this wonderful gift being offered to them. This motivation moves our perspective from a seat of judgment to a kneeling position of washing feet and touching lives.
Oh, that others would know this friendship. Not so the list of "Friends of God" on Facebook can reach 1000, but so that each can know the value that Christ placed in every one of us.
How beautiful it is... I am a friend of God.
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 Chronicles 28:1-29:30
Romans 5:6-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 19:18-19
Have you met anyone famous? Any "heroes" of yours that you've met? Due to the marvels of facebook, I can now say I'm "friends" with some of my heroes. I've even sustained some conversations with some people that I think to be GREAT people. Occasionally I'll name drop a couple... well, just for the sake of example... Gretchen Carlson on the FOX news morning show has MY autograph... yep... not the other way around... I scored the music for a pageant she was in in the 80's... she loved it & wanted my autograph... there... I name dropped.. now I'm important right?
Why do we name drop? It almost gives us a feeling of worth, or it makes us feel that "now people should respect me." Check out these verses in Romans:
"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.... So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." Romans 5:6-8,11
As believers we sometimes take the wrong approach to being a friend of God. We can get the sense of "NOW I'm somebody!" A subtle arrogance can develop. Almost as if we "deserve" to be a friend of God.
That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ died for us while we were sinners... we "deserved" none of it. Yet He did it.
Why is this important? If we walk in arrogance of knowing God, we are much like the Pharisees who were proud of their standing and looked in disdain at others who didn't measure up. To realize in humility that we walk in a gift that is undeserved, our outlook is much different. We begin to see those who need Christ through the eyes of hope. We see that They too have this wonderful gift being offered to them. This motivation moves our perspective from a seat of judgment to a kneeling position of washing feet and touching lives.
Oh, that others would know this friendship. Not so the list of "Friends of God" on Facebook can reach 1000, but so that each can know the value that Christ placed in every one of us.
How beautiful it is... I am a friend of God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, July 9, 2011
7.9.11 "What Do You Know About God?"
"What Do You Know About God?"
I Chronicles 7:1-8:40
Acts 27:1-20
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 18:22
If someone were to ask you, "Hey, what do you know about God?" and you had no time to prepare, what's your first response? "Tell me about him. What's he like? What's important to him?"
As much as we have a personal relationship with the Lord, we still have a tendency to "create" him. We develop an image of what God is based on our presumptions, prejudice, and even opinion. Not that we do that intentionally, we're just wired to think from our own understanding.
I've heard it said that many times an individual's picture of God is greatly influenced by the picture they have of their earthy father. If your father was angry and heavy handed, you may think of God as a disciplinarian. If your father left your family, you may even have a misplaced resentment of God being distant. I have a great dad who's kind and merciful and always available to help and counsel, so my image of God naturally reflects some of those things. Even though those are great qualities, and do describe who God is, I have to be careful that I discover those attributes of God by knowing him, and not just "give" him those attributes.
Looking at how each of us can develop our own view, it can actually be somewhat disconcerting that we all could have differing opinions of what God is like. Don't you think that's dangerous? How do we reconcile this?
This brings up the urgency and importance that we are "Empowered Through Biblical Training". As we mature in Christ, we must increase in our intensity and devotion to the study of the Word. He reveals himself to us through scripture. Sometimes we can take little "snapshots". A verse here, a verse there, and build up a theology, or belief of what God is like, but as you look at scripture in it's entirety, God's nature REALLY shows up.
It's kind of like one of those pictures that's made up of a bunch of tiny pictures. If you look at one segment you can develop an understanding of what that little picture is of, but when you zoom out, it's like, "OH! I get it!" (if you haven't seen what i'm talking about... sorry for the confusion!)
For example, look at today's one year bible reading: I Chronicles 7-8 - Genealogies, populations and authority structures, Acts 27:1-20 - Paul's wild boat ride through many ports and storms, Psalm 7 - David having some issues with the bad guys, and Proverbs 18:22 - "the man who finds a wife finds a good thing..."
Those scriptures paint a great picture of who I see that God is. Here's a few thoughts:
1. He's into details - he knows how many people there are, he knows them by name, and who they're related to.
2. He's into authority structures - He established them, and he gives honor to those who honor them
3. He knows about the storms - he completes his will through them.
4. He has no patience for evil
5. He is Good
6. He's excited about the blessing of a wife.
There's so much more in here, but that last one is important to me as tomorrow Lisa & I celebrate 18 years of this wonderful marriage. I'm so glad that God's a part of it. He has put us together in such a cool way and has used us to help each other grow in our understanding of God. What a great thing! I'm telling you that it's amazing how I learn more about Lisa the longer I'm with her. How much more with God!
Make sure you are disciplined in getting into the Word. It helps you make sure that your picture of God is balanced, and not a man made image.
Be Empowered Through Biblical Training!
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 Chronicles 7:1-8:40
Acts 27:1-20
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 18:22
If someone were to ask you, "Hey, what do you know about God?" and you had no time to prepare, what's your first response? "Tell me about him. What's he like? What's important to him?"
As much as we have a personal relationship with the Lord, we still have a tendency to "create" him. We develop an image of what God is based on our presumptions, prejudice, and even opinion. Not that we do that intentionally, we're just wired to think from our own understanding.
I've heard it said that many times an individual's picture of God is greatly influenced by the picture they have of their earthy father. If your father was angry and heavy handed, you may think of God as a disciplinarian. If your father left your family, you may even have a misplaced resentment of God being distant. I have a great dad who's kind and merciful and always available to help and counsel, so my image of God naturally reflects some of those things. Even though those are great qualities, and do describe who God is, I have to be careful that I discover those attributes of God by knowing him, and not just "give" him those attributes.
Looking at how each of us can develop our own view, it can actually be somewhat disconcerting that we all could have differing opinions of what God is like. Don't you think that's dangerous? How do we reconcile this?
This brings up the urgency and importance that we are "Empowered Through Biblical Training". As we mature in Christ, we must increase in our intensity and devotion to the study of the Word. He reveals himself to us through scripture. Sometimes we can take little "snapshots". A verse here, a verse there, and build up a theology, or belief of what God is like, but as you look at scripture in it's entirety, God's nature REALLY shows up.
It's kind of like one of those pictures that's made up of a bunch of tiny pictures. If you look at one segment you can develop an understanding of what that little picture is of, but when you zoom out, it's like, "OH! I get it!" (if you haven't seen what i'm talking about... sorry for the confusion!)
For example, look at today's one year bible reading: I Chronicles 7-8 - Genealogies, populations and authority structures, Acts 27:1-20 - Paul's wild boat ride through many ports and storms, Psalm 7 - David having some issues with the bad guys, and Proverbs 18:22 - "the man who finds a wife finds a good thing..."
Those scriptures paint a great picture of who I see that God is. Here's a few thoughts:
1. He's into details - he knows how many people there are, he knows them by name, and who they're related to.
2. He's into authority structures - He established them, and he gives honor to those who honor them
3. He knows about the storms - he completes his will through them.
4. He has no patience for evil
5. He is Good
6. He's excited about the blessing of a wife.
There's so much more in here, but that last one is important to me as tomorrow Lisa & I celebrate 18 years of this wonderful marriage. I'm so glad that God's a part of it. He has put us together in such a cool way and has used us to help each other grow in our understanding of God. What a great thing! I'm telling you that it's amazing how I learn more about Lisa the longer I'm with her. How much more with God!
Make sure you are disciplined in getting into the Word. It helps you make sure that your picture of God is balanced, and not a man made image.
Be Empowered Through Biblical Training!
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, March 31, 2011
3.31.11 "Keep Close to Me!"
"Keep Close to Me!"
Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20
Luke 9:7-27
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 12:8-9
"Keep Close to Me!" In what situations have you heard that phrase? When my daughter was old enough to walk in stores we began to practice obedience. If Lisa or I would say "close" Annalese was supposed to see how fast she could get to us. She was supposed to drop whatever she was doing and RUN to us. We would also do it when we were out for walks. She'd get ahead of us or something and we'd say, "Annalese, close!" She would turn and run back to us.
Why did we teach her that? We were teaching her that right next to us is a safe place to be. We were making practice of an important principle.
Jesus says "Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me! Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it; and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one's self?" (Luke 9:23-25)
Why does Jesus say "Keep close to me"? Because next to him is the safest place to be.
What does it take to be close to him? We have to drop everything and run to him. We have to put aside our own desires and conveniences. It's those desires left unchecked that will bring us to harm.
What does it mean to take up your cross? It means that we live at all times with an understanding that we are dying to flesh. "Dead Man Walking". Every step I take down the road of life must be a step that is not directed by self, but by the Spirit. It must be a part of being close to him.
There's something within that cries out, "But think of all the things you miss out on if you die to flesh! Think of all the things YOU want to do!" The world's understanding is that the only way to find fulfillment is if I chase my own wants and needs, but the truth is, If I lose my life for the sake of following Christ, I will actually find the fulfillment of the all of the desires. This happens for a number of reasons, the main one being that knowing Christ transforms our desires into what he wants them to be. They work for his glory.
When we live to serve the flesh, we ultimately lose out not only on the fulfillment, but can eventually lose our soul because we are living for self.
What steps are you taking today? Are they for your desire and convenience, or are they for walking in step with Christ? Stay close to him 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
Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20
Luke 9:7-27
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 12:8-9
"Keep Close to Me!" In what situations have you heard that phrase? When my daughter was old enough to walk in stores we began to practice obedience. If Lisa or I would say "close" Annalese was supposed to see how fast she could get to us. She was supposed to drop whatever she was doing and RUN to us. We would also do it when we were out for walks. She'd get ahead of us or something and we'd say, "Annalese, close!" She would turn and run back to us.
Why did we teach her that? We were teaching her that right next to us is a safe place to be. We were making practice of an important principle.
Jesus says "Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me! Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it; and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one's self?" (Luke 9:23-25)
Why does Jesus say "Keep close to me"? Because next to him is the safest place to be.
What does it take to be close to him? We have to drop everything and run to him. We have to put aside our own desires and conveniences. It's those desires left unchecked that will bring us to harm.
What does it mean to take up your cross? It means that we live at all times with an understanding that we are dying to flesh. "Dead Man Walking". Every step I take down the road of life must be a step that is not directed by self, but by the Spirit. It must be a part of being close to him.
There's something within that cries out, "But think of all the things you miss out on if you die to flesh! Think of all the things YOU want to do!" The world's understanding is that the only way to find fulfillment is if I chase my own wants and needs, but the truth is, If I lose my life for the sake of following Christ, I will actually find the fulfillment of the all of the desires. This happens for a number of reasons, the main one being that knowing Christ transforms our desires into what he wants them to be. They work for his glory.
When we live to serve the flesh, we ultimately lose out not only on the fulfillment, but can eventually lose our soul because we are living for self.
What steps are you taking today? Are they for your desire and convenience, or are they for walking in step with Christ? Stay close to him 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
Thursday, January 20, 2011
1.20.11 "Know the Word"
"Know the Word"
Genesis 41:17-42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15
Proverbs 4:1-6
"Young men, listen to me as you would to your father. Listen, and grow wise, for I speak the truth - don't turn away... [My father] told me never to forget his words. 'If you follow them,' he said, 'you will have a long and happy life. Learn to be wise,' he said,' and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.' Cling to wisdom - she will protect you. Love her - she will guard you." Prov. 4:1-6 (TLB)
Have you ever tried to convince someone the urgency of something and they just didn't get it? It can be as simple as, "if you don't put a coat on, you'll be sorry". Or, it can be more urgent. "I'd turn off the breaker before changing that light switch..."
Today's Proverb in The Living Bible translation uses the phrase, "I cannot overemphasize this point". We desperately need Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom comes from the Word. We must be Empowered Through Biblical Training. How are you doing with your bible reading? Most make some kind of commitment at the beginning of the year. Sometimes a day is missed, discouragement sets in, and the goal is given up.
To not be in the Word daily means that one doesn't understand the urgency.
We need to be sure of what the Word says because of the "thorns" around us. In Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of a farmer who has sown seed. His enemy came and planted thistles. "The farmer's men came and told him, 'Sir, the field where you planted that choice seed is full of thistles!... Shall we pull out the thistles?' 'No,' he replied. 'You'll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest, and I will tell the reapers to sort out the thistles and burn them...'"
Worldliness is all around us. Sometimes it's tough to tell what's "wheat" and what's "thistle". Knowing the Word brings clarity. Knowing the Word helps us know God. Jesus says in verses 40-43 "Just as in this story the thistles are separated and burned, so shall it be at the end of the world: I will send my angels and they will separate out of the Kingdom every temptation and all who are evil, and throw them into the furnace and burn them. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the godly shall shine as the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Let those with ears, listen!"
Knowing the future as revealed in the word should place upon our hearts the urgency to be in the word. The enemy doesn't want us in the word.
"Death bound me with chains, and the floods of ungodliness mounted a massive attack against me." Ps. 18:4
The word is our defense. What foolishness to think we can stand against that in our own strength. We need to be fortified in the Word.
Being Empowered Through Biblical Training produces fruit in every area of life. Through time in the word the power of the Spirit grows in us. After all Joseph had been through, listen to Pharaoh's comments about him. "As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, 'Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.'" (Gen 41:38)
As we become who God has created us to be, the world will see that we are "obviously filled with the Spirit of God."
This is a game "for keeps". This is a big deal. There are so many excuses of why not to read the word. They all pale in comparison to the real urgency of the situation. We need to KNOW God! We need to KNOW his Word!!
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
Genesis 41:17-42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15
Proverbs 4:1-6
"Young men, listen to me as you would to your father. Listen, and grow wise, for I speak the truth - don't turn away... [My father] told me never to forget his words. 'If you follow them,' he said, 'you will have a long and happy life. Learn to be wise,' he said,' and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.' Cling to wisdom - she will protect you. Love her - she will guard you." Prov. 4:1-6 (TLB)
Have you ever tried to convince someone the urgency of something and they just didn't get it? It can be as simple as, "if you don't put a coat on, you'll be sorry". Or, it can be more urgent. "I'd turn off the breaker before changing that light switch..."
Today's Proverb in The Living Bible translation uses the phrase, "I cannot overemphasize this point". We desperately need Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom comes from the Word. We must be Empowered Through Biblical Training. How are you doing with your bible reading? Most make some kind of commitment at the beginning of the year. Sometimes a day is missed, discouragement sets in, and the goal is given up.
To not be in the Word daily means that one doesn't understand the urgency.
We need to be sure of what the Word says because of the "thorns" around us. In Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of a farmer who has sown seed. His enemy came and planted thistles. "The farmer's men came and told him, 'Sir, the field where you planted that choice seed is full of thistles!... Shall we pull out the thistles?' 'No,' he replied. 'You'll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest, and I will tell the reapers to sort out the thistles and burn them...'"
Worldliness is all around us. Sometimes it's tough to tell what's "wheat" and what's "thistle". Knowing the Word brings clarity. Knowing the Word helps us know God. Jesus says in verses 40-43 "Just as in this story the thistles are separated and burned, so shall it be at the end of the world: I will send my angels and they will separate out of the Kingdom every temptation and all who are evil, and throw them into the furnace and burn them. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the godly shall shine as the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Let those with ears, listen!"
Knowing the future as revealed in the word should place upon our hearts the urgency to be in the word. The enemy doesn't want us in the word.
"Death bound me with chains, and the floods of ungodliness mounted a massive attack against me." Ps. 18:4
The word is our defense. What foolishness to think we can stand against that in our own strength. We need to be fortified in the Word.
Being Empowered Through Biblical Training produces fruit in every area of life. Through time in the word the power of the Spirit grows in us. After all Joseph had been through, listen to Pharaoh's comments about him. "As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, 'Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.'" (Gen 41:38)
As we become who God has created us to be, the world will see that we are "obviously filled with the Spirit of God."
This is a game "for keeps". This is a big deal. There are so many excuses of why not to read the word. They all pale in comparison to the real urgency of the situation. We need to KNOW God! We need to KNOW his Word!!
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, December 12, 2010
12.12.10 "Come In!"
"Come In!"
Amos 7:1-9:15
Revelation 3:7-22
Psalm 131:1-3
Proverbs 29:23
We have two dogs. If you want see them get excited quick, yell "Come in!" as if someone is at the door. For some reason they freak out at the potential that someone is at the door. I guess it's their job to make sure that every person who walks through the door passes the sniff test & is formally introduced to the ferocious 9 pound guard dogs.
Rev. 3:20 says, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
This verse reveals a profound insight into the nature of our Savior. His desire is to have a personal relationship with us. He wants to commune with us. He wants to be with us. The creator of the universe says, "Hey, can I come over for pizza?"
I think it's in the guilt-driven human nature to envision a God who is behind massive closed doors with a sign on it that says, "You're not good enough for God!!" But what does Jesus do? He comes to us!
These are the words of Jesus to the church of Laodicea. This church has become lukewarm in it's love for God. They have become complacent. They're so caught up in their own concerns that they're just going through the motions. They've not realized that they've pushed Jesus outside the door. Their relationship with Christ has fallen to the back burner.
But Jesus doesn't kick the door down and start screaming at everyone. He stands and knocks. He speaks, hoping someone will recognize his voice. He desires the door be opened so he can be with friends.
Where are you right now. Have you taken the time to sit and visit with Jesus, or are you thinking, "now that you mention it, I'm not sure where he is." Do you hear his voice calling you? Don't let the condemnation of the enemy keep the door to your heart locked. The enemy would like you to think, "don't let him in, he's going to make you feel guilty!" That's a lie. He just wants to be with you as a friend.
Do you hear him knocking?
"Come in!"
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
Amos 7:1-9:15
Revelation 3:7-22
Psalm 131:1-3
Proverbs 29:23
We have two dogs. If you want see them get excited quick, yell "Come in!" as if someone is at the door. For some reason they freak out at the potential that someone is at the door. I guess it's their job to make sure that every person who walks through the door passes the sniff test & is formally introduced to the ferocious 9 pound guard dogs.
Rev. 3:20 says, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
This verse reveals a profound insight into the nature of our Savior. His desire is to have a personal relationship with us. He wants to commune with us. He wants to be with us. The creator of the universe says, "Hey, can I come over for pizza?"
I think it's in the guilt-driven human nature to envision a God who is behind massive closed doors with a sign on it that says, "You're not good enough for God!!" But what does Jesus do? He comes to us!
These are the words of Jesus to the church of Laodicea. This church has become lukewarm in it's love for God. They have become complacent. They're so caught up in their own concerns that they're just going through the motions. They've not realized that they've pushed Jesus outside the door. Their relationship with Christ has fallen to the back burner.
But Jesus doesn't kick the door down and start screaming at everyone. He stands and knocks. He speaks, hoping someone will recognize his voice. He desires the door be opened so he can be with friends.
Where are you right now. Have you taken the time to sit and visit with Jesus, or are you thinking, "now that you mention it, I'm not sure where he is." Do you hear his voice calling you? Don't let the condemnation of the enemy keep the door to your heart locked. The enemy would like you to think, "don't let him in, he's going to make you feel guilty!" That's a lie. He just wants to be with you as a friend.
Do you hear him knocking?
"Come in!"
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 26, 2010
10.26.10 "What Kind of Truth?"
"What Kind of Truth?"
Jeremiah 49:23- 50:46
Titus 1:1-16
Psalm 97:1-98:9
Proverbs 26:13-16
"From Paul, the slave of God and the messenger of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know God's truth - the kind of truth that changes lives - so that they can have eternal life, which God promised them before the world began - and he cannot lie." Titus 1:1-2
The truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What does that mean? It's hard to say any more. Unfortunately, truth has become a tool rather than a standard. People manipulate the truth to fit their means. "How do I look? tell me the truth..." how often is that one answered truthfully?
Once I was rear-ended at a four-way stop. I didn't have much damage, if any as it was a car hitting the back of my pickup, but it bent up his hood quite a bit. I went back to talk to the guy who hit me. We were both fine, and he said, "This was all my fault!" It was true, but I've seen/heard enough to know that now-a-days you have to be very guarded about what you say at the scene of an accident. Someone could take advantage of that and sue you big time. (Don't worry, I'm didn't do that!) It's sad that truth has been misused so much.
God's word is often manipulated as well. People will use a portion of it to promote their ideas. They may take a couple verses and build a doctrine out of it. We think that could never be us, but think about the way many Christians deal with unbelievers. We see their conduct and we want to pull out a scripture that will serve our purposes of getting them to act the way we want them to. That's not the truth that changes lives. To see what Jesus thinks of this, take a gander at Matthew 23.
I had a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was able to go up in an Air Refueling jet w/ the National Guard. They were having clergy day, and invited many pastors to participate. It was great. I had the opportunity to ride in the "boom" area where the tanker we were in lowers the arm so the receiver plane can get fuel. It was incredible to watch the pilots & boom operator communicate and coordinate all of this. All I could think of was "that's a lot of math!" Two huge jets 20 feet apart traveling at high speeds 2100 feet above the ground. It was incredible.
I also had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit, and listen to what the pilots were saying. The pilots of our plane seemed so young ( I must be getting old!)
They had their checklists out at all times. As we were maneuvering in a holding pattern following our lead tanker, one of the pilots asked a question, and the other answered, "There are no problems if you just follow the book. Just follow procedure."
What kind of truth is in a flight manual? Is it the kind that changes lives? Well I guess it could be argued that if you don't follow it, it would DEFINITELY change lives!
The truth that we discover in God's word is the kind of truth that changes lives, not the truth that should change to serve our purposes.
In Titus 1:9, Paul is stating the requirements for pastors. He says, "Their belief in the truth which they have been taught must be strong and steadfast, so that they will be able to teach it to others and show those who disagree with them where they are wrong." This is a spiritual truth that is not only the goal of pastors. Each believer should be strong in the word. This keeps us from trying to convince people in our own strength or wisdom. Understanding the balance of scripture keeps us from building an unstable doctrine and trying to impose that on others. It also equips us to reveal life-changing truth to those who so desperately need it.
In the next verses of Titus 1, Paul warns to stay away from foolish arguments. These arguments often blind people to the truth. Being Empowered through Biblical Training equips us to help others discover the truth of the Good News and not the "situational" truth of man. Too often we get into discussions and try to convince others of our opinion rather than bringing out the truth. As you get involved in conversations with believers and unbelievers, listen for the truth. Wait for an opportunity to bring God's truth to any situation. Not to suit your needs, but to give life to those who need to hear it. What kind of truth? The kind that changes lives.
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 49:23- 50:46
Titus 1:1-16
Psalm 97:1-98:9
Proverbs 26:13-16
"From Paul, the slave of God and the messenger of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know God's truth - the kind of truth that changes lives - so that they can have eternal life, which God promised them before the world began - and he cannot lie." Titus 1:1-2
The truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What does that mean? It's hard to say any more. Unfortunately, truth has become a tool rather than a standard. People manipulate the truth to fit their means. "How do I look? tell me the truth..." how often is that one answered truthfully?
Once I was rear-ended at a four-way stop. I didn't have much damage, if any as it was a car hitting the back of my pickup, but it bent up his hood quite a bit. I went back to talk to the guy who hit me. We were both fine, and he said, "This was all my fault!" It was true, but I've seen/heard enough to know that now-a-days you have to be very guarded about what you say at the scene of an accident. Someone could take advantage of that and sue you big time. (Don't worry, I'm didn't do that!) It's sad that truth has been misused so much.
God's word is often manipulated as well. People will use a portion of it to promote their ideas. They may take a couple verses and build a doctrine out of it. We think that could never be us, but think about the way many Christians deal with unbelievers. We see their conduct and we want to pull out a scripture that will serve our purposes of getting them to act the way we want them to. That's not the truth that changes lives. To see what Jesus thinks of this, take a gander at Matthew 23.
I had a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was able to go up in an Air Refueling jet w/ the National Guard. They were having clergy day, and invited many pastors to participate. It was great. I had the opportunity to ride in the "boom" area where the tanker we were in lowers the arm so the receiver plane can get fuel. It was incredible to watch the pilots & boom operator communicate and coordinate all of this. All I could think of was "that's a lot of math!" Two huge jets 20 feet apart traveling at high speeds 2100 feet above the ground. It was incredible.
I also had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit, and listen to what the pilots were saying. The pilots of our plane seemed so young ( I must be getting old!)
They had their checklists out at all times. As we were maneuvering in a holding pattern following our lead tanker, one of the pilots asked a question, and the other answered, "There are no problems if you just follow the book. Just follow procedure."
What kind of truth is in a flight manual? Is it the kind that changes lives? Well I guess it could be argued that if you don't follow it, it would DEFINITELY change lives!
The truth that we discover in God's word is the kind of truth that changes lives, not the truth that should change to serve our purposes.
In Titus 1:9, Paul is stating the requirements for pastors. He says, "Their belief in the truth which they have been taught must be strong and steadfast, so that they will be able to teach it to others and show those who disagree with them where they are wrong." This is a spiritual truth that is not only the goal of pastors. Each believer should be strong in the word. This keeps us from trying to convince people in our own strength or wisdom. Understanding the balance of scripture keeps us from building an unstable doctrine and trying to impose that on others. It also equips us to reveal life-changing truth to those who so desperately need it.
In the next verses of Titus 1, Paul warns to stay away from foolish arguments. These arguments often blind people to the truth. Being Empowered through Biblical Training equips us to help others discover the truth of the Good News and not the "situational" truth of man. Too often we get into discussions and try to convince others of our opinion rather than bringing out the truth. As you get involved in conversations with believers and unbelievers, listen for the truth. Wait for an opportunity to bring God's truth to any situation. Not to suit your needs, but to give life to those who need to hear it. What kind of truth? The kind that changes lives.
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, October 24, 2010
10.24..10 "WuduyaNogood?"
"WuduyaNogood?"
Jeremiah 44:24-47:7
2 Timothy 2:22 - 3:17
Psalm 94:1-2
Proverbs 26:1-2
I'm guessing you look at that title and are like... "what??" That's how I was when i heard it. My wife and I had driven down to Arkansas to visit a friend. My friends dad greeted us with, "WuduyaNogood?" We smiled and nodded acting like we knew what he said. I wasnt' sure if it was a friendly insult, a cajun greeting, or what. I finally asked him to explain. It's "what do you know that's good?" Basically "WUTSUP!" (THAT I understand!) I was telling the Wednesday night bible study about this, when i was corrected afterward by a couple from Texas they said it's Wutchaknowgood!"
So, Wutchaknowgood?
Knowledge is an incredible thing. What you know shapes what you believe. What you believe shapes how you act. So in actuality, your actions reveal what you know. So, What do you know? Our quest for knowledge needs to be based on truth, not on opinion or circumstance. In a Sunday school class, all our heads nod because we "agree" with that. However, many times our actions and the way we deal with situations bring into question whether or not we really do believe this.
Let's look at it this way: Are you a disciple of Christ? Look at the requirement of John 8:31-32 "...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Do we know the truth? How do we know it? It is EXTREMELY important that we gain truth from the Word of God. In Timothy 3 Paul is warning of how in the last days the truth will become very confusing. A lot of "gray area". Sounds like today doesn't it? Too often Christians get lured in to foolish arguments and discussions over issues that are not based on truth. And ultimately they don't lead individuals to live holy lives.
So, we need to base our lives on the Word. "You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the holy Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God's salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus. The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone." 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Knowing the Word teaches us truth, and helps us align to that truth, which in turn helps us to do right. It prepares us for everything we come up against.
You may be reading along saying, "yeah, I know all this." But here is a major connection we need to make in this: 2 Timothy 2:23-26 "Again I say, don't get involved in foolish arguments which only upset people and make them angry. God's people must not be quarrelsome; they must be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong. Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them they are more likely , with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan's trap of slavery to sin which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God."
This is a really big deal.
First, we must know the solid truth of scripture. We need to know what God says, and align our lives to that.
Secondly, we need to use this knowledge to be able to see what the root of the issue is when it comes to foolish arguments, or more importantly when it comes to dealing with someone's sin, or where they are not "aligned" with truth.
Third, a VERY important thing is that knowing the truth is not JUST about what you know, it's about having the maturity to humbly reveal the truth to others at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. Jesus says we are the light of the world. We need to be the light that people are drawn to, not one they run from. Revealing the truth to them in arrogance does not make them want to be like you.
Finally, don't get caught in the illusion that YOUR knowledge will turn people from sin. It's God. Your knowledge of truth that you gain from scripture "equips" you to bring the light of truth to any situation (in humility, of course). Then "they are more likely, with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true." (2 Tim. 2:25) When they know this truth, the truth will set them free.
Your world is desperate for you to get this. You MUST be "Empowered Through Biblical Training". Those around you need you to be. You need to show another the key to open the doors of the prison of sin they are in. So, WuduyaNogood? Hopefully you got it out of the Word today!
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 44:24-47:7
2 Timothy 2:22 - 3:17
Psalm 94:1-2
Proverbs 26:1-2
I'm guessing you look at that title and are like... "what??" That's how I was when i heard it. My wife and I had driven down to Arkansas to visit a friend. My friends dad greeted us with, "WuduyaNogood?" We smiled and nodded acting like we knew what he said. I wasnt' sure if it was a friendly insult, a cajun greeting, or what. I finally asked him to explain. It's "what do you know that's good?" Basically "WUTSUP!" (THAT I understand!) I was telling the Wednesday night bible study about this, when i was corrected afterward by a couple from Texas they said it's Wutchaknowgood!"
So, Wutchaknowgood?
Knowledge is an incredible thing. What you know shapes what you believe. What you believe shapes how you act. So in actuality, your actions reveal what you know. So, What do you know? Our quest for knowledge needs to be based on truth, not on opinion or circumstance. In a Sunday school class, all our heads nod because we "agree" with that. However, many times our actions and the way we deal with situations bring into question whether or not we really do believe this.
Let's look at it this way: Are you a disciple of Christ? Look at the requirement of John 8:31-32 "...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Do we know the truth? How do we know it? It is EXTREMELY important that we gain truth from the Word of God. In Timothy 3 Paul is warning of how in the last days the truth will become very confusing. A lot of "gray area". Sounds like today doesn't it? Too often Christians get lured in to foolish arguments and discussions over issues that are not based on truth. And ultimately they don't lead individuals to live holy lives.
So, we need to base our lives on the Word. "You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the holy Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God's salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus. The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone." 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Knowing the Word teaches us truth, and helps us align to that truth, which in turn helps us to do right. It prepares us for everything we come up against.
You may be reading along saying, "yeah, I know all this." But here is a major connection we need to make in this: 2 Timothy 2:23-26 "Again I say, don't get involved in foolish arguments which only upset people and make them angry. God's people must not be quarrelsome; they must be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong. Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them they are more likely , with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan's trap of slavery to sin which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God."
This is a really big deal.
First, we must know the solid truth of scripture. We need to know what God says, and align our lives to that.
Secondly, we need to use this knowledge to be able to see what the root of the issue is when it comes to foolish arguments, or more importantly when it comes to dealing with someone's sin, or where they are not "aligned" with truth.
Third, a VERY important thing is that knowing the truth is not JUST about what you know, it's about having the maturity to humbly reveal the truth to others at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. Jesus says we are the light of the world. We need to be the light that people are drawn to, not one they run from. Revealing the truth to them in arrogance does not make them want to be like you.
Finally, don't get caught in the illusion that YOUR knowledge will turn people from sin. It's God. Your knowledge of truth that you gain from scripture "equips" you to bring the light of truth to any situation (in humility, of course). Then "they are more likely, with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true." (2 Tim. 2:25) When they know this truth, the truth will set them free.
Your world is desperate for you to get this. You MUST be "Empowered Through Biblical Training". Those around you need you to be. You need to show another the key to open the doors of the prison of sin they are in. So, WuduyaNogood? Hopefully you got it out of the Word today!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, August 13, 2010
8.13.10 "Knowing the Voice of God"
"Knowing the Voice of God"
Nehemiah 5:14-7:60
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
Ok, so you will carry the vision. (see DEVO 8.11.5) Now more than ever, you need to know the voice of God.
In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem are out to get Nehemiah. The great vision of rebuilding the wall is near completion, so the enemies are stepping it up. They send a message to Nehemiah to meet them in a village. "But I realized they were plotting to kill me..." (6:2) The bad guys then begin to attack his character, his motives, and make a pretty good case for him meeting with them. Still he stands firm.
In Nehemiah 6:10-11, "A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah... for he said he was receiving a message from God. 'Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door,' he exclaimed, 'for they are coming tonight to kill you.'"
What would you do in this instance? This "message from God" makes sense. It seems to fit in with the way things have gone. What does Nehemiah do?
6:11-13 "But I replied, 'Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!' Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me." What discernment!
As we walk along the journey of carrying the vision God has placed on us, we have to grow past the point of knowing someone who knows the voice of God. We HAVE TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD. It's our natural reaction to go to others for advice, and Proverbs speaks of the value of many counselors, but as you carry vision, you have to KNOW GOD!
How do we get to know the voice of God? By walking in obedience. To be honest, you will learn his voice by stepping out, and finding out, "oops, that wasn't God, that was me". The next time you will know the difference. We have to be Empowered Through Biblical Training. You have to be in the word. Reading devotionals is great, but you have to get into the word and let God speak his word into your life. Nehemiah knew God's commands well enough to know that Shemaiah's "message" did not line up with God's commands.
Can you imagine the strength that comes from knowing God's voice? The wind and the waves become so small in comparison to knowing that no matter what storms arise, you are walking in obedience to the voice of God!
This next concept may be difficult for me to communicate, but here goes: The larger the vision, the greater the constraint to know the voice of God. As we mature in Christ, and he births greater vision and direction, the enemy will step up the attacks and attempts to confuse the communication lines. There will be more distractions. You may have heard the phrase, "Good is the enemy of Great". As you walk in greater intensity of obedience, you begin to realize the great danger of small compromise. The message Nehemiah received from Shemaiah appealed to his flesh. In a moment of weakness he could have done the wrong thing because it "made sense". But knowing the great call of God constrained him to avoid any level of compromise. Earlier his response to Sanballat & company was "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?" (6:3) His passion for the vision and constraint to follow God's direction kept compromise far from him.
God has a vision for you that is larger than you realize. His plans are incredible. The plan begins to be revealed to you as you walk in obedience (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). As you seek to intensify your focus on walking with God, you can see the increasing value of it. You then begin to understand that the things around that feed the flesh are not worth the cost of compromise. You begin to understand that watching something full of impurity on television begins to cloud your recognition of the voice of God. Then, when conflicting messages come, you don't know which way to turn.
Guarding the voices you allow into your life will greatly aid your recognition of God's voice. If you're willing to carry the vision, you must be willing to commit yourself to his voice. All of the elements of DREAM are necessary in this maturing process. Each element needs to grow in your life. Go through the checklist of DREAM today. How are you doing? Do you recognize what God is telling you right now? What "noise" in life is clouding his voice? How badly do you want to hear his voice?
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
Nehemiah 5:14-7:60
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
Ok, so you will carry the vision. (see DEVO 8.11.5) Now more than ever, you need to know the voice of God.
In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem are out to get Nehemiah. The great vision of rebuilding the wall is near completion, so the enemies are stepping it up. They send a message to Nehemiah to meet them in a village. "But I realized they were plotting to kill me..." (6:2) The bad guys then begin to attack his character, his motives, and make a pretty good case for him meeting with them. Still he stands firm.
In Nehemiah 6:10-11, "A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah... for he said he was receiving a message from God. 'Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door,' he exclaimed, 'for they are coming tonight to kill you.'"
What would you do in this instance? This "message from God" makes sense. It seems to fit in with the way things have gone. What does Nehemiah do?
6:11-13 "But I replied, 'Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!' Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me." What discernment!
As we walk along the journey of carrying the vision God has placed on us, we have to grow past the point of knowing someone who knows the voice of God. We HAVE TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD. It's our natural reaction to go to others for advice, and Proverbs speaks of the value of many counselors, but as you carry vision, you have to KNOW GOD!
How do we get to know the voice of God? By walking in obedience. To be honest, you will learn his voice by stepping out, and finding out, "oops, that wasn't God, that was me". The next time you will know the difference. We have to be Empowered Through Biblical Training. You have to be in the word. Reading devotionals is great, but you have to get into the word and let God speak his word into your life. Nehemiah knew God's commands well enough to know that Shemaiah's "message" did not line up with God's commands.
Can you imagine the strength that comes from knowing God's voice? The wind and the waves become so small in comparison to knowing that no matter what storms arise, you are walking in obedience to the voice of God!
This next concept may be difficult for me to communicate, but here goes: The larger the vision, the greater the constraint to know the voice of God. As we mature in Christ, and he births greater vision and direction, the enemy will step up the attacks and attempts to confuse the communication lines. There will be more distractions. You may have heard the phrase, "Good is the enemy of Great". As you walk in greater intensity of obedience, you begin to realize the great danger of small compromise. The message Nehemiah received from Shemaiah appealed to his flesh. In a moment of weakness he could have done the wrong thing because it "made sense". But knowing the great call of God constrained him to avoid any level of compromise. Earlier his response to Sanballat & company was "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?" (6:3) His passion for the vision and constraint to follow God's direction kept compromise far from him.
God has a vision for you that is larger than you realize. His plans are incredible. The plan begins to be revealed to you as you walk in obedience (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). As you seek to intensify your focus on walking with God, you can see the increasing value of it. You then begin to understand that the things around that feed the flesh are not worth the cost of compromise. You begin to understand that watching something full of impurity on television begins to cloud your recognition of the voice of God. Then, when conflicting messages come, you don't know which way to turn.
Guarding the voices you allow into your life will greatly aid your recognition of God's voice. If you're willing to carry the vision, you must be willing to commit yourself to his voice. All of the elements of DREAM are necessary in this maturing process. Each element needs to grow in your life. Go through the checklist of DREAM today. How are you doing? Do you recognize what God is telling you right now? What "noise" in life is clouding his voice? How badly do you want to hear his voice?
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, May 10, 2010
5.10.10 "Give Us What We Want"
"Give Us What We Want"
1 Samuel 8:1-9:27
John 6:22-42
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 14:34-35
"Give us a king like all the other nations have..." (I Sam. 8:5)
"Give us free bread every day..." (John 6:31)
"... their love of idols was adultery in the sight of God." (Psalm 106:39)
There seemed to be a recurring theme in the One-Year Bible today. There's incredible danger in being selfish. When we are selfish, we lose sight of all that is right. We are not living with Christ as our Lord.
In I Samuel, the people wanted to be like other nations. They were supposed to trust in the Lord for their guidance, but they determined that just wasn't working for them. When they approached the prophet Samuel with this request, he was pretty upset about it. He goes to the Lord about it.
"'Do as they say,' the Lord replied, 'for I am the one they are rejecting, not you - they don't want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but warn them about what it will be like to have a king!'" (I Sam. 8:7-9)
I find that to be a very sad scripture. It greatly saddens the Lord that the people refuse to accept his guidance, and he knows them well enough to know that their lesson may have to be learned the hard way. The people declare "give us what we want!" and they get it.
In John 6, Jesus sees through to the heart of the people. "'The truth of the matter is that you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you believe in me.'" (John 6:26)
What incredible love the Lord has for us. His patience is beyond what we can even understand. We are selfish people. Our prayer requests are more like a Christmas wish list than they are expressing a desire to know God more. We want him to give us what we want. We too easily forget that he is all we need.
Listen to the example that Christ sets for us. "For I have come here from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to have my own way." (John 6:38)
Oh that we would live THAT life. instead of petitioning for what we want we should be seeking his heart and his will. We need to know God. We need to hear his voice & walk in his ways. We need to subject our desires to him. Heaven forbid that some of our prayers are answered! When he allowed them to have a king, they found themselves given over to their own troubles. We must make sure that it's his will we want, and not earthly pleasures, or a desire to be like everyone else. We must want to know him!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 8:1-9:27
John 6:22-42
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 14:34-35
"Give us a king like all the other nations have..." (I Sam. 8:5)
"Give us free bread every day..." (John 6:31)
"... their love of idols was adultery in the sight of God." (Psalm 106:39)
There seemed to be a recurring theme in the One-Year Bible today. There's incredible danger in being selfish. When we are selfish, we lose sight of all that is right. We are not living with Christ as our Lord.
In I Samuel, the people wanted to be like other nations. They were supposed to trust in the Lord for their guidance, but they determined that just wasn't working for them. When they approached the prophet Samuel with this request, he was pretty upset about it. He goes to the Lord about it.
"'Do as they say,' the Lord replied, 'for I am the one they are rejecting, not you - they don't want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but warn them about what it will be like to have a king!'" (I Sam. 8:7-9)
I find that to be a very sad scripture. It greatly saddens the Lord that the people refuse to accept his guidance, and he knows them well enough to know that their lesson may have to be learned the hard way. The people declare "give us what we want!" and they get it.
In John 6, Jesus sees through to the heart of the people. "'The truth of the matter is that you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you believe in me.'" (John 6:26)
What incredible love the Lord has for us. His patience is beyond what we can even understand. We are selfish people. Our prayer requests are more like a Christmas wish list than they are expressing a desire to know God more. We want him to give us what we want. We too easily forget that he is all we need.
Listen to the example that Christ sets for us. "For I have come here from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to have my own way." (John 6:38)
Oh that we would live THAT life. instead of petitioning for what we want we should be seeking his heart and his will. We need to know God. We need to hear his voice & walk in his ways. We need to subject our desires to him. Heaven forbid that some of our prayers are answered! When he allowed them to have a king, they found themselves given over to their own troubles. We must make sure that it's his will we want, and not earthly pleasures, or a desire to be like everyone else. We must want to know him!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, February 14, 2010
2.14.10 "The Quest for Knowledge"
"The Quest for Knowledge"
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Matthew 28:1-20
Psalm 34:11-22
Proverbs 9:9-10
"Teach a wise man, and he will be the wiser; teach a good man, and he will learn more. For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
Mankind has such a hunger for knowledge. We want to figure things out. We want know how things work. We read, we "Google", we watch the Discovery channel. Untold billions of dollars are spent on the quest for knowledge.
On the other side, we have a God who loves us. His passion to be in relationship with us is more than we can fathom.
But for the most part, man is too busy in the quest for knowledge to spend time with God. "I must work harder... I must invest wisely... I must get rich..."
The irony is: "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
Can you imagine if the great minds of the world would invest their time in knowing God? Imagine the discoveries. Imagine the breakthroughs.
I'm just thinking about my "to-do" list today. There's a great deal to be done. I have to think through a lot of things. My flesh doesn't want to spend time with the Lord because I have to figure this stuff out. The truth is that I can't really figure any of it out UNLESS I spend time with the Lord.
This is a lesson in Empowered through Biblical Training as well as the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. Committing our lives to the study of his word reveals his greatness. Living in reverent fear of the Lord is living in true worship.
Great words come from today's Psalm: "Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord. Do you want a long, good life? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from lying. Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it."
I need to devote my life to the trust and fear of the Lord.
The Reading in Matthew ends with what we call the "Great Commission". In "DREAMese", this is our "Mission to reach our World for Christ". What I think is to often overlooked in the Great Commission is the fact that it is not a command to merely "witness" to the lost. It's much greater than that.
"Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" (Matt. 28:18-20)
Our life must be consumed with this quest for knowledge of the things of God. We must know him and pursue him, and commit ourselves to leading others to the knowledge of him. This is what it's all about!
Know him today!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Matthew 28:1-20
Psalm 34:11-22
Proverbs 9:9-10
"Teach a wise man, and he will be the wiser; teach a good man, and he will learn more. For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
Mankind has such a hunger for knowledge. We want to figure things out. We want know how things work. We read, we "Google", we watch the Discovery channel. Untold billions of dollars are spent on the quest for knowledge.
On the other side, we have a God who loves us. His passion to be in relationship with us is more than we can fathom.
But for the most part, man is too busy in the quest for knowledge to spend time with God. "I must work harder... I must invest wisely... I must get rich..."
The irony is: "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
Can you imagine if the great minds of the world would invest their time in knowing God? Imagine the discoveries. Imagine the breakthroughs.
I'm just thinking about my "to-do" list today. There's a great deal to be done. I have to think through a lot of things. My flesh doesn't want to spend time with the Lord because I have to figure this stuff out. The truth is that I can't really figure any of it out UNLESS I spend time with the Lord.
This is a lesson in Empowered through Biblical Training as well as the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. Committing our lives to the study of his word reveals his greatness. Living in reverent fear of the Lord is living in true worship.
Great words come from today's Psalm: "Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord. Do you want a long, good life? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from lying. Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it."
I need to devote my life to the trust and fear of the Lord.
The Reading in Matthew ends with what we call the "Great Commission". In "DREAMese", this is our "Mission to reach our World for Christ". What I think is to often overlooked in the Great Commission is the fact that it is not a command to merely "witness" to the lost. It's much greater than that.
"Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" (Matt. 28:18-20)
Our life must be consumed with this quest for knowledge of the things of God. We must know him and pursue him, and commit ourselves to leading others to the knowledge of him. This is what it's all about!
Know him today!
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, January 21, 2010
1.21.10 "What a God He Is!"
"What a God He Is!"
Genesis 42:18-43:34
Matthew 13:47-14:12
Psalm 18:16-36
Proverbs 4:7-10
"What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him. For who is God except our Lord? Who but he is as a rock? He fills me with strength and protects m e wherever I go. He gives me the surefootedness of a mountain goat upon the crags. He leads me safely along the top of the cliffs. He prepares me for battle and gives me strength to draw an iron bow!" Ps. 18:30-34
We need to hear this stuff every day. There are times we know this without question, but there are those other times where we really need to be reminded.
He is your shield, your defender! He will never call you to do something without giving you the strength to do it. There will be some precarious times, but he will keep you secure.
He will prepare you for battle as you spend time in his word.
Get to know God! He is is awesome! The most incredible thing about our God is that there's no way you can fathom his awesome majesty. We will never get to know him enough until the day we will really see him "as he is".
Lord, I want to know you more! I want to be in your presence. Help me to keep from making my time with you "about me". Help me to keep my eyes on you. Help me to realize that with you as my focal point, all else comes into perspective, and even the greatest trial is nothing in your presence!
What a God He is!
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
Genesis 42:18-43:34
Matthew 13:47-14:12
Psalm 18:16-36
Proverbs 4:7-10
"What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him. For who is God except our Lord? Who but he is as a rock? He fills me with strength and protects m e wherever I go. He gives me the surefootedness of a mountain goat upon the crags. He leads me safely along the top of the cliffs. He prepares me for battle and gives me strength to draw an iron bow!" Ps. 18:30-34
We need to hear this stuff every day. There are times we know this without question, but there are those other times where we really need to be reminded.
He is your shield, your defender! He will never call you to do something without giving you the strength to do it. There will be some precarious times, but he will keep you secure.
He will prepare you for battle as you spend time in his word.
Get to know God! He is is awesome! The most incredible thing about our God is that there's no way you can fathom his awesome majesty. We will never get to know him enough until the day we will really see him "as he is".
Lord, I want to know you more! I want to be in your presence. Help me to keep from making my time with you "about me". Help me to keep my eyes on you. Help me to realize that with you as my focal point, all else comes into perspective, and even the greatest trial is nothing in your presence!
What a God He is!
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, December 26, 2009
12.26.9 "Beyond Discovery!"
"Beyond Discovery!"
Zechariah 9:1-17
Revelation 17:1-18
Psalm 145:1-21
Proverbs 30:32
How great is your God? Have you ever met someone who marvels about God in a way
that makes you say, "I want to know God that way!" Today's reading in Psalm 145 has that same effect.
"I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name each day and forever.
Great is Jehovah! Greatly praise him! His greatness is beyond discovery!"
I love that line! God's greatness is beyond discovery! I think we like to "conquer"
things, "figure them out". Now matter how "advanced" our knowledge might become,
We will never be able to grasp the greatness of our God! He can't be put in a box.
He's got something fresh and new every day!
"Let each generation tell its children what glorious things he does."
As I read that verse today, my thoughts were on how I need to make sure that as I
recount my experiences to my family that I always tell them about "what God did
today". My daughter needs to hear that God is at work in my life.
"I will meditate about your glory, splendor, majesty and miracles. Your awe-
inspiring deeds shall be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone
will tell about how good you are, and sing about your righteousness."
Wouldn't it be great if you could tell a Christian a mile away because that's how
they acted? What an impact it would make on my world if proclaiming his
greatness was a part of my normal conversation.
"Jehovah is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love. He is good to
everyone, and his compassion is intertwined with everything he does."
Do you know why his compassion is intertwined with everything he does? It's
because it's a part of who he IS. I want my praise to be intwined with everything I
do because it's a part of who I am. I want to have a LIFESTYLE of worship.
"All living things shall thank you, Lord, and your people will bless you. They will
talk together about the glory of your kingdom and mention examples of your
power. They will tell about your miracles and about the majesty and glory of your
reign. For your kingdom never ends. You rule generation after generation."
Our God is "Beyond Discovery"! Our praise, prayer, thanks, and acknowledgment of His greatness
all need to be evident in our lives each and every day. He IS in an incredible God.
As we keep him the center of our focus and center of our attention, how can anything else
lead us off course? There's no circumstance that can dwarf the greatness of our God!
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
Zechariah 9:1-17
Revelation 17:1-18
Psalm 145:1-21
Proverbs 30:32
How great is your God? Have you ever met someone who marvels about God in a way
that makes you say, "I want to know God that way!" Today's reading in Psalm 145 has that same effect.
"I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name each day and forever.
Great is Jehovah! Greatly praise him! His greatness is beyond discovery!"
I love that line! God's greatness is beyond discovery! I think we like to "conquer"
things, "figure them out". Now matter how "advanced" our knowledge might become,
We will never be able to grasp the greatness of our God! He can't be put in a box.
He's got something fresh and new every day!
"Let each generation tell its children what glorious things he does."
As I read that verse today, my thoughts were on how I need to make sure that as I
recount my experiences to my family that I always tell them about "what God did
today". My daughter needs to hear that God is at work in my life.
"I will meditate about your glory, splendor, majesty and miracles. Your awe-
inspiring deeds shall be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone
will tell about how good you are, and sing about your righteousness."
Wouldn't it be great if you could tell a Christian a mile away because that's how
they acted? What an impact it would make on my world if proclaiming his
greatness was a part of my normal conversation.
"Jehovah is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love. He is good to
everyone, and his compassion is intertwined with everything he does."
Do you know why his compassion is intertwined with everything he does? It's
because it's a part of who he IS. I want my praise to be intwined with everything I
do because it's a part of who I am. I want to have a LIFESTYLE of worship.
"All living things shall thank you, Lord, and your people will bless you. They will
talk together about the glory of your kingdom and mention examples of your
power. They will tell about your miracles and about the majesty and glory of your
reign. For your kingdom never ends. You rule generation after generation."
Our God is "Beyond Discovery"! Our praise, prayer, thanks, and acknowledgment of His greatness
all need to be evident in our lives each and every day. He IS in an incredible God.
As we keep him the center of our focus and center of our attention, how can anything else
lead us off course? There's no circumstance that can dwarf the greatness of our God!
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, October 24, 2009
10.24.9 "WuduyaNogood?"
"WuduyaNogood?"
Jeremiah 44:24-47:7
2 Timothy 2:22 - 3:17
Psalm 94:1-2
Proverbs 26:1-2
I'm guessing you look at that title and are like... "what??" That's how I was when i heard it. My wife and I had driven down to Arkansas to visit a friend. My friends dad greeted us with, "WuduyaNogood?" We smiled and nodded acting like we knew what he said. I wasnt' sure if it was a friendly insult, a cajun greeting, or what. I finally asked him to explain. It's "what do you know that's good?" Basically "WUTSUP!" (THAT I understand!) I was telling the Wednesday night bible study about this, when i was corrected afterward by a couple from Texas they said it's Wutchaknowgood!"
So, Wutchaknowgood?
Knowledge is an incredible thing. What you know shapes what you believe. What you believe shapes how you act. So in actuality, your actions reveal what you know. So, What do you know? Our quest for knowledge needs to be based on truth, not on opinion or circumstance. In a Sunday school class, all our heads nod because we "agree" with that. However, many times our actions and the way we deal with situations bring into question whether or not we really do believe this.
Let's look at it this way: Are you a disciple of Christ? Look at the requirement of John 8:31-32 "...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Do we know the truth? How do we know it? It is EXTREMELY important that we gain truth from the Word of God. In Timothy 3 Paul is warning of how in the last days the truth will become very confusing. A lot of "gray area". Sounds like today doesn't it? Too often Christians get lured in to foolish arguments and discussions over issues that are not based on truth. And ultimately they don't lead individuals to live holy lives.
So, we need to base our lives on the Word. "You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the holy Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God's salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus. The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone." 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Knowing the Word teaches us truth, and helps us align to that truth, which in turn helps us to do right. It prepares us for everything we come up against.
You may be reading along saying, "yeah, I know all this." But here is a major connection we need to make in this: 2 Timothy 2:23-26 "Again I say, don't get involved in foolish arguments which only upset people and make them angry. God's people must not be quarrelsome; they must be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong. Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them they are more likely , with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan's trap of slavery to sin which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God."
This is a really big deal.
First, we must know the solid truth of scripture. We need to know what God says, and align our lives to that.
Secondly, we need to use this knowledge to be able to see what the root of the issue is when it comes to foolish arguments, or more importantly when it comes to dealing with someone's sin, or where they are not "aligned" with truth.
Third, a VERY important thing is that knowing the truth is not JUST about what you know, it's about having the maturity to humbly reveal the truth to others at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. Jesus says we are the light of the world. We need to be the light that people are drawn to, not one they run from. Revealing the truth to them in arrogance does not make them want to be like you.
Finally, don't get caught in the illusion that YOUR knowledge will turn people from sin. It's God. Your knowledge of truth that you gain from scripture "equips" you to bring the light of truth to any situation (in humility, of course). Then "they are more likely, with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true." (2 Tim. 2:25) When they know this truth, the truth will set them free.
Your world is desperate for you to get this. You MUST be "Empowered Through Biblical Training". Those around you need you to be. You need to show another the key to open the doors of the prison of sin they are in. So, WuduyaNogood? Hopefully you got it out of the Word today!
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 44:24-47:7
2 Timothy 2:22 - 3:17
Psalm 94:1-2
Proverbs 26:1-2
I'm guessing you look at that title and are like... "what??" That's how I was when i heard it. My wife and I had driven down to Arkansas to visit a friend. My friends dad greeted us with, "WuduyaNogood?" We smiled and nodded acting like we knew what he said. I wasnt' sure if it was a friendly insult, a cajun greeting, or what. I finally asked him to explain. It's "what do you know that's good?" Basically "WUTSUP!" (THAT I understand!) I was telling the Wednesday night bible study about this, when i was corrected afterward by a couple from Texas they said it's Wutchaknowgood!"
So, Wutchaknowgood?
Knowledge is an incredible thing. What you know shapes what you believe. What you believe shapes how you act. So in actuality, your actions reveal what you know. So, What do you know? Our quest for knowledge needs to be based on truth, not on opinion or circumstance. In a Sunday school class, all our heads nod because we "agree" with that. However, many times our actions and the way we deal with situations bring into question whether or not we really do believe this.
Let's look at it this way: Are you a disciple of Christ? Look at the requirement of John 8:31-32 "...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Do we know the truth? How do we know it? It is EXTREMELY important that we gain truth from the Word of God. In Timothy 3 Paul is warning of how in the last days the truth will become very confusing. A lot of "gray area". Sounds like today doesn't it? Too often Christians get lured in to foolish arguments and discussions over issues that are not based on truth. And ultimately they don't lead individuals to live holy lives.
So, we need to base our lives on the Word. "You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the holy Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God's salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus. The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone." 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Knowing the Word teaches us truth, and helps us align to that truth, which in turn helps us to do right. It prepares us for everything we come up against.
You may be reading along saying, "yeah, I know all this." But here is a major connection we need to make in this: 2 Timothy 2:23-26 "Again I say, don't get involved in foolish arguments which only upset people and make them angry. God's people must not be quarrelsome; they must be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong. Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them they are more likely , with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan's trap of slavery to sin which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God."
This is a really big deal.
First, we must know the solid truth of scripture. We need to know what God says, and align our lives to that.
Secondly, we need to use this knowledge to be able to see what the root of the issue is when it comes to foolish arguments, or more importantly when it comes to dealing with someone's sin, or where they are not "aligned" with truth.
Third, a VERY important thing is that knowing the truth is not JUST about what you know, it's about having the maturity to humbly reveal the truth to others at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. Jesus says we are the light of the world. We need to be the light that people are drawn to, not one they run from. Revealing the truth to them in arrogance does not make them want to be like you.
Finally, don't get caught in the illusion that YOUR knowledge will turn people from sin. It's God. Your knowledge of truth that you gain from scripture "equips" you to bring the light of truth to any situation (in humility, of course). Then "they are more likely, with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true." (2 Tim. 2:25) When they know this truth, the truth will set them free.
Your world is desperate for you to get this. You MUST be "Empowered Through Biblical Training". Those around you need you to be. You need to show another the key to open the doors of the prison of sin they are in. So, WuduyaNogood? Hopefully you got it out of the Word today!
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, October 22, 2009
10.22.9 "Know the One you Trust"
"Know the One you Trust"
Jeremiah 39:1-41:18
2 Timothy 1:1-18
Psalm 90:1-91:16
Proverbs 26:1-2
In Paul's second letter to Timothy he says, "And God has chosen me to be his missionary, to preach to the Gentiles and teach them. That is whey I am suffering here in jail and I am certainly not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to safely guard all that I have given him until the day of his return. Hold tightly to the pattern of truth I taught you, especially concerning the faith and love Christ Jesus offers you." 2 Timothy 1:11-13
There are several things to note, but first think of this: Paul is in jail BECAUSE he's been chosen by God. Paul understands that it's not a diversion from God's plan, it's a part of it! Oh, that we would all have that kind confidence in the midst of trials.
The main phrase to focus on today is "I know the one in whom I trust." Now THAT'S a great place to be! I'm thinking that most of the people reading this DEVO can say that with a fairly decent amount of certainty. You KNOW the one in whom you trust. But each one of us need to realize that we are surrounded by people who don't. I'm not just talking about the unbeliever. I'm talking about believers who have not grown in discipleship and have fallen into the trap of "circumstantial theology".
Little things can get in and throw the life of the believer way off course if they do not heed what Paul instructs Timothy in verse 13: "Hold tightly to the pattern of truth I taught you..." We need to understand the tremendous importance of disciplining our minds to the knowledge of God through His word. Studying his character helps us know His voice.
Wherever you are in your growth in Christ, you need to be helping those around you to know the one in whom they trust. Too many Christians are attempting to live a double life. They believe one thing in church and when they read their word. They believe it with all their heart! But that belief system is shut off when troubles and trials come. Circumstantial theology kicks in, and some of the wackiest decisions are made having nothing to do with truth. Then they are in a mess, and wonder what happened to their Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship.
If you've ever wondered why it's important to be in God's house and in Sunday School and Wednesday night activities, realize that when we are together with other believers we are strengthening our resolve to know the one we trust. We are reinforcing that which is true. Then, when the trial comes to challenge the depth of our resolve, we can say with confidence that We KNOW him and He will carry us through!
Know God. That simple instruction can bring you safely through some incredible storms. It can also equip you to help someone else weather their storm!
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 39:1-41:18
2 Timothy 1:1-18
Psalm 90:1-91:16
Proverbs 26:1-2
In Paul's second letter to Timothy he says, "And God has chosen me to be his missionary, to preach to the Gentiles and teach them. That is whey I am suffering here in jail and I am certainly not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to safely guard all that I have given him until the day of his return. Hold tightly to the pattern of truth I taught you, especially concerning the faith and love Christ Jesus offers you." 2 Timothy 1:11-13
There are several things to note, but first think of this: Paul is in jail BECAUSE he's been chosen by God. Paul understands that it's not a diversion from God's plan, it's a part of it! Oh, that we would all have that kind confidence in the midst of trials.
The main phrase to focus on today is "I know the one in whom I trust." Now THAT'S a great place to be! I'm thinking that most of the people reading this DEVO can say that with a fairly decent amount of certainty. You KNOW the one in whom you trust. But each one of us need to realize that we are surrounded by people who don't. I'm not just talking about the unbeliever. I'm talking about believers who have not grown in discipleship and have fallen into the trap of "circumstantial theology".
Little things can get in and throw the life of the believer way off course if they do not heed what Paul instructs Timothy in verse 13: "Hold tightly to the pattern of truth I taught you..." We need to understand the tremendous importance of disciplining our minds to the knowledge of God through His word. Studying his character helps us know His voice.
Wherever you are in your growth in Christ, you need to be helping those around you to know the one in whom they trust. Too many Christians are attempting to live a double life. They believe one thing in church and when they read their word. They believe it with all their heart! But that belief system is shut off when troubles and trials come. Circumstantial theology kicks in, and some of the wackiest decisions are made having nothing to do with truth. Then they are in a mess, and wonder what happened to their Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship.
If you've ever wondered why it's important to be in God's house and in Sunday School and Wednesday night activities, realize that when we are together with other believers we are strengthening our resolve to know the one we trust. We are reinforcing that which is true. Then, when the trial comes to challenge the depth of our resolve, we can say with confidence that We KNOW him and He will carry us through!
Know God. That simple instruction can bring you safely through some incredible storms. It can also equip you to help someone else weather their storm!
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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