"Distracted by Details"
Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26
Luke 10:38-11:13
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 12:15-17
It is so easy to get so caught up in doing really good things that we forget what is truly important. Martha had invited Jesus into her home. "Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.'
"But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.'" (Luke 10:39-42)
Reading the story of Mary & Martha, one can take a couple different angles on it. What should Martha have done? Gone and sat at Jesus' feet? I don't know that that is the correct message from this passage. I believe it is more of an issue of her being "worried and upset". There's also the issue of "fairness" that she brings up. There's the thought, "Look how she just sits there while I do all this work..."
The work that Martha is doing is extremely important. Hospitality is a biblical principle. Were we to take the wrong interpretation from these verses, and base our theology on it, we'd all be inviting people over & not feeding them. We'd all just be sitting around. That's not sound doctrine.
What Jesus is saying is in essence, "Don't lose sight of why you are working. You invited me into your home. This is why you did that in the first place: to experience my presence. Don't let your hard work lose it's focus. The reason you're working hard is so someone can sit at my feet."
Right now we're in the middle of a very busy season preparing and presenting our Easter Musical outreach. There are hundreds of people involved with thousands of "man-hours" put into the presentation. Doing musicals is one of our greatest opportunities to engage people in ministry while reaching our community.
Reading this scripture makes me think of the thousands who will attend the outreaches. They come and sit at Jesus' feet with no real understanding of the sacrifices that have been made by those who've been "working in the kitchen" to prepare this outreach.
But that's ok. Jesus said, "Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Whatever it is at your hand that you are working on, do not lose sight of why you do what you do. Jesus said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40) While the details may be important, don't ever forget WHY you are working.
In the course of everything you do, make sure you do take time to sit at Jesus' feet every day. You may have much work to do, but if you don't take that kind of time, you WILL lose your perspective.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label Presence of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presence of God. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
3.7.12 "Move With the Cloud"
"Move With the Cloud"
Numbers 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
Life can seem complicated. We live in a day and age where people have a great desire to know what God's will is in many different situations. There can be tough decisions regarding finances, housing, employment, schooling, the list is endless.
When the Israelites had been obedient to the Lord in the construction of the Tabernacle, the presence of the Lord dwelt there. It was represented by a cloud during the daytime, and at night it changed to the appearance of fire. The presence of the Lord was intense.
"When the Cloud lifted, the people of Israel moved on to wherever it stopped, and camped there. In this way they journeyed at the command of the Lord and stopped where he told them to, then remained there as long as the Cloud stayed. If it stayed a long time, then they stayed a long time. But if it stayed only a few days, then they remained only a few days; for so the Lord had instructed them. sometimes the fire-cloud stayed only during the night and moved on the next morning. But day or night, when it moved, the people broke camp and followed... So it was that they camped or traveled at the commandment of the Lord; and whatever the Lord told Moses they should do, they did." (Num 9:17-21,23)
There are several things to note in this scripture. The first is actually from earlier scripture, but it is that their obedience in purifying themselves, and being obedient to the smallest detail is what made a place for the Lord to dwell.
God desires to dwell among us. We need to be pure and holy before him. We need to be a place where he CAN dwell. We must be set apart. We can't "dabble" in the presence of God while "dabbling" in worldliness. It doesn't work that way. He's a holy God, and it is holy people who will know him.
The next thing to note is that the people did not move unless God did. This is a big challenge to us. In so many situations, we try to "do the math". We try to figure it out. I think sometimes I get the attitude of "hey don't worry God, I got this one..." and we move in our own strength, our own will and our own timing. We don't wait for the direction of his presence.
I'm not saying we should be a "paralyzed" people when it comes to living daily life, I'm just saying that I need to First off KNOW the presence of God. I need to prepare myself to live within the fullness his presence. Then, I must make sure that my will is totally subject to his.
This is what his desire is for my life. Psalm 50:14-17 says "What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory. But God says to evil men: Recite my laws no longer, and stop claiming my promises, for you have refused my discipline, disregarding my laws."
In times of trouble, we tend to do our own thing. "Hey, I gotta look out for ol' number one!" I NEED to trust him! I think the biggest challenge to most believers is not "when or where to go", it's the challenge to "stay". Sure, times are tough, but that doesn't mean God want's you to move. I think at times we "storm the gates of heaven" for direction about moving out of a difficult situation, and I picture God saying, "who said anything about moving?"
Ps 50:23 says, "But true praise is a worthy sacrifice; this really honors me. Those who walk in my paths will receive salvation from the Lord."
Living the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship means that I KNOW him. I grow in knowing his presence. I grow in recognizing his leading. And more importantly, I don't flirt with moving unless i know he's calling me to.
Living Empowered through Biblical Training means that we discipline (align) ourselves to his word. We KNOW his commands so that we are empowered to walk in obedience to them.
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 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
Life can seem complicated. We live in a day and age where people have a great desire to know what God's will is in many different situations. There can be tough decisions regarding finances, housing, employment, schooling, the list is endless.
When the Israelites had been obedient to the Lord in the construction of the Tabernacle, the presence of the Lord dwelt there. It was represented by a cloud during the daytime, and at night it changed to the appearance of fire. The presence of the Lord was intense.
"When the Cloud lifted, the people of Israel moved on to wherever it stopped, and camped there. In this way they journeyed at the command of the Lord and stopped where he told them to, then remained there as long as the Cloud stayed. If it stayed a long time, then they stayed a long time. But if it stayed only a few days, then they remained only a few days; for so the Lord had instructed them. sometimes the fire-cloud stayed only during the night and moved on the next morning. But day or night, when it moved, the people broke camp and followed... So it was that they camped or traveled at the commandment of the Lord; and whatever the Lord told Moses they should do, they did." (Num 9:17-21,23)
There are several things to note in this scripture. The first is actually from earlier scripture, but it is that their obedience in purifying themselves, and being obedient to the smallest detail is what made a place for the Lord to dwell.
God desires to dwell among us. We need to be pure and holy before him. We need to be a place where he CAN dwell. We must be set apart. We can't "dabble" in the presence of God while "dabbling" in worldliness. It doesn't work that way. He's a holy God, and it is holy people who will know him.
The next thing to note is that the people did not move unless God did. This is a big challenge to us. In so many situations, we try to "do the math". We try to figure it out. I think sometimes I get the attitude of "hey don't worry God, I got this one..." and we move in our own strength, our own will and our own timing. We don't wait for the direction of his presence.
I'm not saying we should be a "paralyzed" people when it comes to living daily life, I'm just saying that I need to First off KNOW the presence of God. I need to prepare myself to live within the fullness his presence. Then, I must make sure that my will is totally subject to his.
This is what his desire is for my life. Psalm 50:14-17 says "What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory. But God says to evil men: Recite my laws no longer, and stop claiming my promises, for you have refused my discipline, disregarding my laws."
In times of trouble, we tend to do our own thing. "Hey, I gotta look out for ol' number one!" I NEED to trust him! I think the biggest challenge to most believers is not "when or where to go", it's the challenge to "stay". Sure, times are tough, but that doesn't mean God want's you to move. I think at times we "storm the gates of heaven" for direction about moving out of a difficult situation, and I picture God saying, "who said anything about moving?"
Ps 50:23 says, "But true praise is a worthy sacrifice; this really honors me. Those who walk in my paths will receive salvation from the Lord."
Living the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship means that I KNOW him. I grow in knowing his presence. I grow in recognizing his leading. And more importantly, I don't flirt with moving unless i know he's calling me to.
Living Empowered through Biblical Training means that we discipline (align) ourselves to his word. We KNOW his commands so that we are empowered to walk in obedience to them.
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, February 15, 2012
2.15.12 "This 'Tedious' Job of Obedience"
"This 'Tedious' Job of Obedience"
Exodus 39:1-40:38
Mark 1:1-28
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 9:11-12
The past several chapters in Exodus expound on the details of the tabernacle construction. For much of this the majority of us have "endured" the details of the labors of Bezalel and his gang. We're thinking "why do we need to know about the thread and the poles and the lampstand?"
Here's why we need to know it. Ex. 40:16 says, "So Moses proceeded to do all as the Lord had commanded him." Verses 19,21, 23,26, and 29 all end with the phrase "... just as the Lord had commanded him."
Much of what the Lord had commanded took a lot of work. It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't prestigious. There were many details that seemed to be minor. But they were what the Lord commanded.
So what's the big deal? Ex. 40:34 "Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it."
The big deal is the result of obedience. It's the presence of the Lord. What if the story had been, "Yeah, God, we know you wanna build it that other way, but we saved money & time by just sewing together a bunch of used clothes..." How would that have brought honor to the Lord?
Remember the phrase, "Why be faithful in small things? God has big plans!" There are small things in each one of our lives. We must be obedient in ALL of these. God desires to dwell with us. He wont dwell with disobedience.
Verse 36-37 say, "Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, the people of Israel journeyed onward, following it. But if the cloud stayed, they stayed until it moved."
What a privilege to have the presence of the Lord to give such direction. Do you think the Lord desires that in our lives today? There are things that he is asking of me. There are things that at first glance seem a bit "tedious". I want his presence in my life. I need to be obedient in ALL things.
My obedience is critical to my Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. If I obey, he will dwell with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 39:1-40:38
Mark 1:1-28
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 9:11-12
The past several chapters in Exodus expound on the details of the tabernacle construction. For much of this the majority of us have "endured" the details of the labors of Bezalel and his gang. We're thinking "why do we need to know about the thread and the poles and the lampstand?"
Here's why we need to know it. Ex. 40:16 says, "So Moses proceeded to do all as the Lord had commanded him." Verses 19,21, 23,26, and 29 all end with the phrase "... just as the Lord had commanded him."
Much of what the Lord had commanded took a lot of work. It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't prestigious. There were many details that seemed to be minor. But they were what the Lord commanded.
So what's the big deal? Ex. 40:34 "Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it."
The big deal is the result of obedience. It's the presence of the Lord. What if the story had been, "Yeah, God, we know you wanna build it that other way, but we saved money & time by just sewing together a bunch of used clothes..." How would that have brought honor to the Lord?
Remember the phrase, "Why be faithful in small things? God has big plans!" There are small things in each one of our lives. We must be obedient in ALL of these. God desires to dwell with us. He wont dwell with disobedience.
Verse 36-37 say, "Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, the people of Israel journeyed onward, following it. But if the cloud stayed, they stayed until it moved."
What a privilege to have the presence of the Lord to give such direction. Do you think the Lord desires that in our lives today? There are things that he is asking of me. There are things that at first glance seem a bit "tedious". I want his presence in my life. I need to be obedient in ALL things.
My obedience is critical to my Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. If I obey, he will dwell with me.
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, February 11, 2012
2.11.12 "Don't Take Another Step"
"Don't Take Another Step"
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses has been up on Mount Saini receiving the 10 commandments. It was taking a while, so the people got impatient, and decided to create their own god in the form of an idol. Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with God. In Exodus 33:3, the Lord tells Moses, "Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If i did, I would surely destroy you along the way."
In Verse 15 it says, "For Moses had said, 'If you aren't going with us, don't let us move a step from this place. If you don't go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?'"
I love to tell the story about when my daughter was little. We would stand at the edge of the driveway and "practice" not going into the street. If she would step over the line, she would get in trouble. I wanted to train her that it was not safe to step into the street without holding my hand. She was very good at this. I'll never forget that first time on a Wednesday night she ran across the church driveway without thinking. Thankfully there were no cars coming, but I'll never forget the awful feeling I had as I watched her run out on her own into danger.
I imagine that's the way the Lord feels when we "run out" in our own strength. I'm sure his heart breaks to see our ignorance about the danger that we put ourselves in. Sure, there may not be a car coming at the moment, but that almost makes it worse. We start to think, "Hey, I can do this on my own." Our hearts become more independent, and we walk outside of the covering of God. We don't hold his hand.
Just as Moses prayed, I need to depend on the Lord. In this age of grace and blessing, it can be easy to begin to move in my own strength. The world around me needs to see me living in the favor of the Lord. They need to see that we're different.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life moving with the Lord. Staying in his Word trains us to hear his voice. Walking with him equips us to fulfill our Mission to Reach Our World for Christ. Each day we need to cry out to God to walk with us, to hold our hand.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses has been up on Mount Saini receiving the 10 commandments. It was taking a while, so the people got impatient, and decided to create their own god in the form of an idol. Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with God. In Exodus 33:3, the Lord tells Moses, "Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If i did, I would surely destroy you along the way."
In Verse 15 it says, "For Moses had said, 'If you aren't going with us, don't let us move a step from this place. If you don't go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?'"
I love to tell the story about when my daughter was little. We would stand at the edge of the driveway and "practice" not going into the street. If she would step over the line, she would get in trouble. I wanted to train her that it was not safe to step into the street without holding my hand. She was very good at this. I'll never forget that first time on a Wednesday night she ran across the church driveway without thinking. Thankfully there were no cars coming, but I'll never forget the awful feeling I had as I watched her run out on her own into danger.
I imagine that's the way the Lord feels when we "run out" in our own strength. I'm sure his heart breaks to see our ignorance about the danger that we put ourselves in. Sure, there may not be a car coming at the moment, but that almost makes it worse. We start to think, "Hey, I can do this on my own." Our hearts become more independent, and we walk outside of the covering of God. We don't hold his hand.
Just as Moses prayed, I need to depend on the Lord. In this age of grace and blessing, it can be easy to begin to move in my own strength. The world around me needs to see me living in the favor of the Lord. They need to see that we're different.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life moving with the Lord. Staying in his Word trains us to hear his voice. Walking with him equips us to fulfill our Mission to Reach Our World for Christ. Each day we need to cry out to God to walk with us, to hold our hand.
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, December 24, 2011
12.24.11 "A Present Wrapped for You"
"A Present Wrapped for You"
Zechariah 6:1-7:14
Revelation 15:1-8
Psalm 143:1-12
Proverbs 30:24-28
Christmas Eve! When my daughter was 5, Lisa & I were awakened by our daughter jumping into our bed with us the morning of Christmas Eve. The three of us just laid there talking and resting. It was really nice. Annalese was lamenting that fact that we're a family who opens presents on Christmas morning. . "Don't some people get to open their presents today?" She then proceeded to present her case for an early event.
It's fun to look at Christmas through the eyes of a child. When they look under the tree, the imaginations are limitless. There's such excitement in knowing "There's something there for me!" Kids have an incredible ability to savor the moment. I asked Annalese, "What's the best part of Christmas?" Without hesitation she held out the piece of hot carmel roll she was eating. Oh that it was that simple, right?
It's too easy for us to distracted from what this is all really about. We carry around bundles of worry of how everyone is going to get along, where they're going to sit, the schedule and so many other things. The Lord says to Zechariah in 7:6, "And even now in your holy feasts to God, you don't think of me, but only of the food and fellowship and fun." The Lord desires to be a part of every moment of our lives.
God wraps us a present each day, not just at Christmas. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and wraps it up in his word. As we get older, we see the trials of life, and can so easily forget to marvel at the present we've been given each day.
The Lord desires that we open our lives to him. To walk in his way. To trust him. Psalm 143:10 says, "Help me to do your will, for you are my God. Lead me in good paths, for your Spirit is good. "
There's no "lump of coal" in God's will for us. His "present" to us is his "Presence". Each and every morning we need to run to the "tree" (cross) ready to unwrap the infinite possibilities of His Presence. He is an AWESOME God!
Make sure you pause today & take the time to "breathe in" Christmas. Thank the Lord for what he's done for you. Take the time to Praise him. Worship him in the Christmas Eve service. Celebrate HIm in your home.
Merry Christmas!
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, September 30, 2011
9.30.11 "Jesus for Sale"
"Jesus for Sale"
Isaiah 60:1-62:6
Philippians 1:27-2:18
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 24:11-12
Isaiah 60:1-2 says, "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; might kings will come to see your radiance."
We are the light of the world. How brightly do we shine? An interesting thing is that we are a product of our environment. I once heard the story of a Russian girl Oxana Malaya. At the age of 3, her alcoholic parents left her out in the yard, and she found shelter with a pack of dogs. Five years later, the neighbors reported what was going on. When found she barked like a dog, ate like a dog and ran around on all fours. She was a product of her environment. She looks at life based on her experience.
While this illustration is quite tragic, it shows how much we exhibit the environment we are accustomed to. To be the light of the world, we must put ourselves in an environment where we become "light". In order for that to happen, we must be in the presence of God so that when we're in the world, we shine as one who's been with Jesus.
Unfortunately, the Christian culture of our nation has become a more "capitalistic" approach. We look at life with a "marketing" perspective. We buy dish soap because it makes you skinny and beautiful... at least that's what the commercial shows. We market ourselves. We sell ourself by resume and by image. "Presentation" is everything. This spills into how we attempt to be the light of the world.
We know we have a Mission to Reach our World for Christ. What happens? We often fall into the trap of "marketing" Jesus. How do we do this? With this message: Come to Jesus and all your problems will go away. Instead of being the light, we "market" the light.
I've mentioned this quote from Erwin McManus before: "Jesus didn't come to solve the world's problems. He came to change lives. Through changed lives the world's problems are solved."
In this life there WILL be trials. But as James 1 tells us, it's through these trials that Christ transforms us into who he wants us to be. Our objective is not to be problem free. Our objective is to allow Christ to work in our life and change us and mold us. Then we can handle ANY storm that comes our way. We wont live without storms.
What's the danger of the "marketing campaign"? When we present that "Jesus is the way to the easy life" those who come to Christ are confused. As soon as a trial comes they call "tech support". "Hey, I want my money back! This isn't easy!"
Philippians 2:14-16 says "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life."
We can only live that way as the Spirit transforms us. We don't have to conjure up a marketing campaign. We just have to allow him to make us into who he's created us to be.
It's dark out there? Exactly. That's the point. You're the light. I've said this before, but I get tired of Christians who complain about sinners sinning. What are they supposed to do? They have no light. As we become the people God has created us to be we're going to see the darkness fade.
If we will be who we are supposed to be, others can become who God wants them to be. Live as one responsible for the light, because you are. Let the light of Jesus shine through your life. You don't have to put Jesus on a billboard. Put his presence on you. You are the best commercial. People will come to Christ because they want what you have. They want to be like you. If they don't, it's because they don't want what you have. They don't want to be like you.
Live as Children of the Light!
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
Isaiah 60:1-62:6
Philippians 1:27-2:18
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 24:11-12
Isaiah 60:1-2 says, "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; might kings will come to see your radiance."
We are the light of the world. How brightly do we shine? An interesting thing is that we are a product of our environment. I once heard the story of a Russian girl Oxana Malaya. At the age of 3, her alcoholic parents left her out in the yard, and she found shelter with a pack of dogs. Five years later, the neighbors reported what was going on. When found she barked like a dog, ate like a dog and ran around on all fours. She was a product of her environment. She looks at life based on her experience.
While this illustration is quite tragic, it shows how much we exhibit the environment we are accustomed to. To be the light of the world, we must put ourselves in an environment where we become "light". In order for that to happen, we must be in the presence of God so that when we're in the world, we shine as one who's been with Jesus.
Unfortunately, the Christian culture of our nation has become a more "capitalistic" approach. We look at life with a "marketing" perspective. We buy dish soap because it makes you skinny and beautiful... at least that's what the commercial shows. We market ourselves. We sell ourself by resume and by image. "Presentation" is everything. This spills into how we attempt to be the light of the world.
We know we have a Mission to Reach our World for Christ. What happens? We often fall into the trap of "marketing" Jesus. How do we do this? With this message: Come to Jesus and all your problems will go away. Instead of being the light, we "market" the light.
I've mentioned this quote from Erwin McManus before: "Jesus didn't come to solve the world's problems. He came to change lives. Through changed lives the world's problems are solved."
In this life there WILL be trials. But as James 1 tells us, it's through these trials that Christ transforms us into who he wants us to be. Our objective is not to be problem free. Our objective is to allow Christ to work in our life and change us and mold us. Then we can handle ANY storm that comes our way. We wont live without storms.
What's the danger of the "marketing campaign"? When we present that "Jesus is the way to the easy life" those who come to Christ are confused. As soon as a trial comes they call "tech support". "Hey, I want my money back! This isn't easy!"
Philippians 2:14-16 says "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life."
We can only live that way as the Spirit transforms us. We don't have to conjure up a marketing campaign. We just have to allow him to make us into who he's created us to be.
It's dark out there? Exactly. That's the point. You're the light. I've said this before, but I get tired of Christians who complain about sinners sinning. What are they supposed to do? They have no light. As we become the people God has created us to be we're going to see the darkness fade.
If we will be who we are supposed to be, others can become who God wants them to be. Live as one responsible for the light, because you are. Let the light of Jesus shine through your life. You don't have to put Jesus on a billboard. Put his presence on you. You are the best commercial. People will come to Christ because they want what you have. They want to be like you. If they don't, it's because they don't want what you have. They don't want to be like you.
Live as Children of the Light!
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, September 10, 2011
9.10.11 "Experiencing the Presence of God"
"Experiencing the Presence of God"
Isaiah 6:1-7:25
2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 23:1-3
"In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord!....the Temple was filled with his glory... In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.' Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to it's foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Is. 6:1-4)
Experiencing the presence of God. When's the last time you REALLY sensed the presence of God? What was it like? Do you realize that God is omnipresent? that means he's everywhere all the time. The difference is, we don't always see him. Our eyes are not opened to HIs presence. Wherever you are right now, God is there. Depending on the circumstances of life, our eyes become clouded to that fact, and we don't see his glory.
We gather regularly for corporate worship, and we celebrate what he's done in our lives, but too many times, we are routine about the process, and don't focus in on the presence of God. He desires to reveal himself to us, but our cares and encumbrances are clouding us from what's really important. We miss the point.
At the risk of sounding cynical, too many times it's like this:
"I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne... actually I wish they hadn't built it so high... it's a little uncomfortable to look at from where I'm sitting... Hovering about him were angels.... I'm not sure choreography is appropriate here.... they sang, 'Holy, Holy, Holy'... I really think they should have picked a different song, we sing that one too much... Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations.... This music is way too loud! Somebody's going to hear about this!... and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke... this stuff makes me cough, it's totally inappropriate at this time!"
The point is lost. Too often we come into his presence to "get" something out of it, not to worship him in the splendor of his glory.
Do you wanna know what the response to seeing God is? "Then I said, 'My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race'". (Is 6:5) Looking at God in His majesty reduces us of ours. We gain a proper perspective of who we are and what we deserve. Coming into the light of his presence causes the stain of our sin to become apparent. Maybe that's why we pull back from his presence. We don't want to go there. But how else can he cleanse us? "He touched my lips with it and said, 'Now you are pronounced "Not guilty" ... Your sins are all forgiven.'" (Is 6:7) We need to experience his presence to be purified in him.
That's not all. In the presence of God, our eyes become open to the needs of those around us. "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send ME.'" (Is 6:8)
We are people who are always looking for direction. "What should I do with my life?" "What career should I have?" "I have no direction..." Those questions are all around us. People looking for purpose. For guidance. When the priority of the Presence of God is in place, the proper progression exists for God to speak. We must see his glory, respond accordingly, be purified, and respond to his call. For some reason we think that as we mature in Christ, we can bypass these steps. It ain't so!
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is all about opening our eyes to the presence of God, being purified, and obeying his direction. We need this process to live the DREAM. We need it to live a fulfilled life.
Whether you're in personal devotional time, or corporate worship, close your eyes to the distractions around (angels, etc) and look for God. He desires to reveal His presence to you more than you know. What you "get" out of worship will be life changing!
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
Isaiah 6:1-7:25
2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 23:1-3
"In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord!....the Temple was filled with his glory... In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.' Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to it's foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Is. 6:1-4)
Experiencing the presence of God. When's the last time you REALLY sensed the presence of God? What was it like? Do you realize that God is omnipresent? that means he's everywhere all the time. The difference is, we don't always see him. Our eyes are not opened to HIs presence. Wherever you are right now, God is there. Depending on the circumstances of life, our eyes become clouded to that fact, and we don't see his glory.
We gather regularly for corporate worship, and we celebrate what he's done in our lives, but too many times, we are routine about the process, and don't focus in on the presence of God. He desires to reveal himself to us, but our cares and encumbrances are clouding us from what's really important. We miss the point.
At the risk of sounding cynical, too many times it's like this:
"I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne... actually I wish they hadn't built it so high... it's a little uncomfortable to look at from where I'm sitting... Hovering about him were angels.... I'm not sure choreography is appropriate here.... they sang, 'Holy, Holy, Holy'... I really think they should have picked a different song, we sing that one too much... Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations.... This music is way too loud! Somebody's going to hear about this!... and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke... this stuff makes me cough, it's totally inappropriate at this time!"
The point is lost. Too often we come into his presence to "get" something out of it, not to worship him in the splendor of his glory.
Do you wanna know what the response to seeing God is? "Then I said, 'My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race'". (Is 6:5) Looking at God in His majesty reduces us of ours. We gain a proper perspective of who we are and what we deserve. Coming into the light of his presence causes the stain of our sin to become apparent. Maybe that's why we pull back from his presence. We don't want to go there. But how else can he cleanse us? "He touched my lips with it and said, 'Now you are pronounced "Not guilty" ... Your sins are all forgiven.'" (Is 6:7) We need to experience his presence to be purified in him.
That's not all. In the presence of God, our eyes become open to the needs of those around us. "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send ME.'" (Is 6:8)
We are people who are always looking for direction. "What should I do with my life?" "What career should I have?" "I have no direction..." Those questions are all around us. People looking for purpose. For guidance. When the priority of the Presence of God is in place, the proper progression exists for God to speak. We must see his glory, respond accordingly, be purified, and respond to his call. For some reason we think that as we mature in Christ, we can bypass these steps. It ain't so!
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is all about opening our eyes to the presence of God, being purified, and obeying his direction. We need this process to live the DREAM. We need it to live a fulfilled life.
Whether you're in personal devotional time, or corporate worship, close your eyes to the distractions around (angels, etc) and look for God. He desires to reveal His presence to you more than you know. What you "get" out of worship will be life changing!
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, July 13, 2011
7.13.11 "Preparing for His Presence"
"Preparing for His Presence"
I Chronicles 15:1-16:36
Romans 1:18-32
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 19:6-7
Some thoughts today on your DLOW. (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship)
I Chronicles 15 recounts the story of David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. David calls the high priests together, ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and gathered the whole gang to go to the home of Obed-edom to get the Ark. Verse 28 says, "so the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers." Sounds like quite an event.
But this isn't the first time David tried to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. In I Chronicles 13, David consults with all his army officers, and decides to invite all the people of israel to get the Ark of God and bring it home. They got it from the house of Abinadab. I Chron. 13:8 says, "then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets." Another great event. But this first time, something goes wrong. The oxen carrying the cart stumble. Uzza reaches out to steady the cart, and the anger of the Lord burned against him for touching the Ark, and he died.
I Chron. 13:11,12 "David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza...Now David was afraid of God and asked, 'How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?'"
The Ark of God is a representation of his presence and his power. This story stresses a major theme. The presence of God should not be approached casually. I can picture David & the gang the first time around thinking "Yes! it's all coming together! Let's go get the presence of God!" There was no ill intent, but at the same time, there was no consecration.
The second time, in I Chron. 15:12-15 David instructs the priests, "You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites," he told them. "Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly -- You were not carrying it." So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses."
What's the difference between the two occasions? It's that they were carrying the Ark "just as the Lord had instructed Moses", but also they were prepared.
How do you approach the worship service? Do you come prepared? Do you come casually? I am fully aware that we are under a new covenant. I know Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." But at the same time "we hold this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor 4:7) We have an obligation to prepare our vessel for the presence of God.
We sing, "Come Just As You Are", and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we keep on "coming as we are", and we leave as we were. We don't wait until we're changed. We "mosey in" to his presence, and we casually leave. We are in a relationship with the God of the Universe. He has not changed since the day Uzza touched the cart. The more we get to know Him and His awesome power, the more we need to be in awe of is greatness. Not to develop a fear that separates us from God, but to enter His presence in awesome wonder of who He is. What would the worship experience be like if we prepared for it? Instead of yelling at the family to get into the car because we're late, what if we really took the time to cleanse our hearts and minds of anything that would hinder us from experiencing God.
Just because we've become comfortable in our sin doesn't mean God has. It's his greatest desire to pour out his presence upon us. Many times the junk in our vessel prevents us from experiencing what he ultimately has for us.
Try it this week. Prepare for the worship experience. Prepare for the presence of God. Revisit the "lost art" of consecration. Set up an "environment of Worship" in your heart. See what happens.
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 15:1-16:36
Romans 1:18-32
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 19:6-7
Some thoughts today on your DLOW. (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship)
I Chronicles 15 recounts the story of David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. David calls the high priests together, ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and gathered the whole gang to go to the home of Obed-edom to get the Ark. Verse 28 says, "so the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers." Sounds like quite an event.
But this isn't the first time David tried to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. In I Chronicles 13, David consults with all his army officers, and decides to invite all the people of israel to get the Ark of God and bring it home. They got it from the house of Abinadab. I Chron. 13:8 says, "then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets." Another great event. But this first time, something goes wrong. The oxen carrying the cart stumble. Uzza reaches out to steady the cart, and the anger of the Lord burned against him for touching the Ark, and he died.
I Chron. 13:11,12 "David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza...Now David was afraid of God and asked, 'How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?'"
The Ark of God is a representation of his presence and his power. This story stresses a major theme. The presence of God should not be approached casually. I can picture David & the gang the first time around thinking "Yes! it's all coming together! Let's go get the presence of God!" There was no ill intent, but at the same time, there was no consecration.
The second time, in I Chron. 15:12-15 David instructs the priests, "You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites," he told them. "Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly -- You were not carrying it." So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses."
What's the difference between the two occasions? It's that they were carrying the Ark "just as the Lord had instructed Moses", but also they were prepared.
How do you approach the worship service? Do you come prepared? Do you come casually? I am fully aware that we are under a new covenant. I know Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." But at the same time "we hold this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor 4:7) We have an obligation to prepare our vessel for the presence of God.
We sing, "Come Just As You Are", and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we keep on "coming as we are", and we leave as we were. We don't wait until we're changed. We "mosey in" to his presence, and we casually leave. We are in a relationship with the God of the Universe. He has not changed since the day Uzza touched the cart. The more we get to know Him and His awesome power, the more we need to be in awe of is greatness. Not to develop a fear that separates us from God, but to enter His presence in awesome wonder of who He is. What would the worship experience be like if we prepared for it? Instead of yelling at the family to get into the car because we're late, what if we really took the time to cleanse our hearts and minds of anything that would hinder us from experiencing God.
Just because we've become comfortable in our sin doesn't mean God has. It's his greatest desire to pour out his presence upon us. Many times the junk in our vessel prevents us from experiencing what he ultimately has for us.
Try it this week. Prepare for the worship experience. Prepare for the presence of God. Revisit the "lost art" of consecration. Set up an "environment of Worship" in your heart. See what happens.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
5.17.11 "¡La Presencia!"
"¡La Presencia!"
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, April 4, 2011
4.4.11 "Distracted by Details"
"Distracted by Details"
Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26
Luke 10:38-11:13
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 12:15-17
It is so easy to get so caught up in doing really good things that we forget what is truly important. Martha had invited Jesus into her home. "Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.'
"But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.'" (Luke 10:39-42)
Reading the story of Mary & Martha, one can take a couple different angles on it. What should Martha have done? Gone and sat at Jesus' feet? I don't know that that is the correct message from this passage. I believe it is more of an issue of her being "worried and upset". There's also the issue of "fairness" that she brings up. There's the thought, "Look how she just sits there while I do all this work..."
The work that Martha is doing is extremely important. Hospitality is a biblical principle. Were we to take the wrong interpretation from these verses, and base our theology on it, we'd all be inviting people over & not feeding them. We'd all just be sitting around. That's not sound doctrine.
What Jesus is saying is in essence, "Don't lose sight of why you are working. You invited me into your home. This is why you did that in the first place: to experience my presence. Don't let your hard work lose it's focus. The reason you're working hard is so someone can sit at my feet."
Right now we're in the middle of a very busy season preparing and presenting our Easter Musical outreach. There are hundreds of people involved with thousands of "man-hours" put into the presentation. Doing musicals is one of our greatest opportunities to engage people in ministry while reaching our community.
Reading this scripture makes me think of the thousands who will attend the outreaches. They come and sit at Jesus' feet with no real understanding of the sacrifices that have been made by those who've been "working in the kitchen" to prepare this outreach.
But that's ok. Jesus said, "Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Whatever it is at your hand that you are working on, do not lose sight of why you do what you do. Jesus said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40) While the details may be important, don't ever forget WHY you are working.
In the course of everything you do, make sure you do take time to sit at Jesus' feet every day. You may have much work to do, but if you don't take that kind of time, you WILL lose your perspective.
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 26:1-27:26
Luke 10:38-11:13
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 12:15-17
It is so easy to get so caught up in doing really good things that we forget what is truly important. Martha had invited Jesus into her home. "Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.'
"But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.'" (Luke 10:39-42)
Reading the story of Mary & Martha, one can take a couple different angles on it. What should Martha have done? Gone and sat at Jesus' feet? I don't know that that is the correct message from this passage. I believe it is more of an issue of her being "worried and upset". There's also the issue of "fairness" that she brings up. There's the thought, "Look how she just sits there while I do all this work..."
The work that Martha is doing is extremely important. Hospitality is a biblical principle. Were we to take the wrong interpretation from these verses, and base our theology on it, we'd all be inviting people over & not feeding them. We'd all just be sitting around. That's not sound doctrine.
What Jesus is saying is in essence, "Don't lose sight of why you are working. You invited me into your home. This is why you did that in the first place: to experience my presence. Don't let your hard work lose it's focus. The reason you're working hard is so someone can sit at my feet."
Right now we're in the middle of a very busy season preparing and presenting our Easter Musical outreach. There are hundreds of people involved with thousands of "man-hours" put into the presentation. Doing musicals is one of our greatest opportunities to engage people in ministry while reaching our community.
Reading this scripture makes me think of the thousands who will attend the outreaches. They come and sit at Jesus' feet with no real understanding of the sacrifices that have been made by those who've been "working in the kitchen" to prepare this outreach.
But that's ok. Jesus said, "Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Whatever it is at your hand that you are working on, do not lose sight of why you do what you do. Jesus said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40) While the details may be important, don't ever forget WHY you are working.
In the course of everything you do, make sure you do take time to sit at Jesus' feet every day. You may have much work to do, but if you don't take that kind of time, you WILL lose your perspective.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, March 7, 2011
3.7.11 "Move With the Cloud"
"Move With the Cloud"
Numbers 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
Life can seem complicated. We live in a day and age where people have a great desire to know what God's will is in many different situations. There can be tough decisions regarding finances, housing, employment, schooling, the list is endless.
When the Israelites had been obedient to the Lord in the construction of the Tabernacle, the presence of the Lord dwelt there. It was represented by a cloud during the daytime, and at night it changed to the appearance of fire. The presence of the Lord was intense.
"When the Cloud lifted, the people of Israel moved on to wherever it stopped, and camped there. In this way they journeyed at the command of the Lord and stopped where he told them to, then remained there as long as the Cloud stayed. If it stayed a long time, then they stayed a long time. But if it stayed only a few days, then they remained only a few days; for so the Lord had instructed them. sometimes the fire-cloud stayed only during the night and moved on the next morning. But day or night, when it moved, the people broke camp and followed... So it was that they camped or traveled at the commandment of the Lord; and whatever the Lord told Moses they should do, they did." (Num 9:17-21,23)
There are several things to note in this scripture. The first is actually from earlier scripture, but it is that their obedience in purifying themselves, and being obedient to the smallest detail is what made a place for the Lord to dwell.
God desires to dwell among us. We need to be pure and holy before him. We need to be a place where he CAN dwell. We must be set apart. We can't "dabble" in the presence of God while "dabbling" in worldliness. It doesn't work that way. He's a holy God, and it is holy people who will know him.
The next thing to note is that the people did not move unless God did. This is a big challenge to us. In so many situations, we try to "do the math". We try to figure it out. I think sometimes I get the attitude of "hey don't worry God, I got this one..." and we move in our own strength, our own will and our own timing. We don't wait for the direction of his presence.
I'm not saying we should be a "paralyzed" people when it comes to living daily life, I'm just saying that I need to First off KNOW the presence of God. I need to prepare myself to live within the fullness his presence. Then, I must make sure that my will is totally subject to his.
This is what his desire is for my life. Psalm 50:14-17 says "What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory. But God says to evil men: Recite my laws no longer, and stop claiming my promises, for you have refused my discipline, disregarding my laws."
In times of trouble, we tend to do our own thing. "Hey, I gotta look out for ol' number one!" I NEED to trust him! I think the biggest challenge to most believers is not "when or where to go", it's the challenge to "stay". Sure, times are tough, but that doesn't mean God want's you to move. I think at times we "storm the gates of heaven" for direction about moving out of a difficult situation, and I picture God saying, "who said anything about moving?"
Ps 50:23 says, "But true praise is a worthy sacrifice; this really honors me. Those who walk in my paths will receive salvation from the Lord."
Living the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship means that I KNOW him. I grow in knowing his presence. I grow in recognizing his leading. And more importantly, I don't flirt with moving unless i know he's calling me to.
Living Empowered through Biblical Training means that we discipline (align) ourselves to his word. We KNOW his commands so that we are empowered to walk in obedience to them.
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 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
Life can seem complicated. We live in a day and age where people have a great desire to know what God's will is in many different situations. There can be tough decisions regarding finances, housing, employment, schooling, the list is endless.
When the Israelites had been obedient to the Lord in the construction of the Tabernacle, the presence of the Lord dwelt there. It was represented by a cloud during the daytime, and at night it changed to the appearance of fire. The presence of the Lord was intense.
"When the Cloud lifted, the people of Israel moved on to wherever it stopped, and camped there. In this way they journeyed at the command of the Lord and stopped where he told them to, then remained there as long as the Cloud stayed. If it stayed a long time, then they stayed a long time. But if it stayed only a few days, then they remained only a few days; for so the Lord had instructed them. sometimes the fire-cloud stayed only during the night and moved on the next morning. But day or night, when it moved, the people broke camp and followed... So it was that they camped or traveled at the commandment of the Lord; and whatever the Lord told Moses they should do, they did." (Num 9:17-21,23)
There are several things to note in this scripture. The first is actually from earlier scripture, but it is that their obedience in purifying themselves, and being obedient to the smallest detail is what made a place for the Lord to dwell.
God desires to dwell among us. We need to be pure and holy before him. We need to be a place where he CAN dwell. We must be set apart. We can't "dabble" in the presence of God while "dabbling" in worldliness. It doesn't work that way. He's a holy God, and it is holy people who will know him.
The next thing to note is that the people did not move unless God did. This is a big challenge to us. In so many situations, we try to "do the math". We try to figure it out. I think sometimes I get the attitude of "hey don't worry God, I got this one..." and we move in our own strength, our own will and our own timing. We don't wait for the direction of his presence.
I'm not saying we should be a "paralyzed" people when it comes to living daily life, I'm just saying that I need to First off KNOW the presence of God. I need to prepare myself to live within the fullness his presence. Then, I must make sure that my will is totally subject to his.
This is what his desire is for my life. Psalm 50:14-17 says "What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory. But God says to evil men: Recite my laws no longer, and stop claiming my promises, for you have refused my discipline, disregarding my laws."
In times of trouble, we tend to do our own thing. "Hey, I gotta look out for ol' number one!" I NEED to trust him! I think the biggest challenge to most believers is not "when or where to go", it's the challenge to "stay". Sure, times are tough, but that doesn't mean God want's you to move. I think at times we "storm the gates of heaven" for direction about moving out of a difficult situation, and I picture God saying, "who said anything about moving?"
Ps 50:23 says, "But true praise is a worthy sacrifice; this really honors me. Those who walk in my paths will receive salvation from the Lord."
Living the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship means that I KNOW him. I grow in knowing his presence. I grow in recognizing his leading. And more importantly, I don't flirt with moving unless i know he's calling me to.
Living Empowered through Biblical Training means that we discipline (align) ourselves to his word. We KNOW his commands so that we are empowered to walk in obedience to them.
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, February 11, 2011
2.11.11 "Don't Take Another Step"
"Don't Take Another Step"
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses has been up on Mount Saini receiving the 10 commandments. It was taking a while, so the people got impatient, and decided to create their own god in the form of an idol. Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with God. In Exodus 33:3, the Lord tells Moses, "Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If i did, I would surely destroy you along the way."
In Verse 15 it says, "For Moses had said, 'If you aren't going with us, don't let us move a step from this place. If you don't go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?'"
I love to tell the story about when my daughter was little. We would stand at the edge of the driveway and "practice" not going into the street. If she would step over the line, she would get in trouble. I wanted to train her that it was not safe to step into the street without holding my hand. She was very good at this. I'll never forget that first time on a Wednesday night she ran across the church driveway without thinking. Thankfully there were no cars coming, but I'll never forget the awful feeling I had as I watched her run out on her own into danger.
I imagine that's the way the Lord feels when we "run out" in our own strength. I'm sure his heart breaks to see our ignorance about the danger that we put ourselves in. Sure, there may not be a car coming at the moment, but that almost makes it worse. We start to think, "Hey, I can do this on my own." Our hearts become more independent, and we walk outside of the covering of God. We don't hold his hand.
Just as Moses prayed, I need to depend on the Lord. In this age of grace and blessing, it can be easy to begin to move in my own strength. The world around me needs to see me living in the favor of the Lord. They need to see that we're different.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life moving with the Lord. Staying in his Word trains us to hear his voice. Walking with him equips us to fulfill our Mission to Reach Our World for Christ. Each day we need to cry out to God to walk with us, to hold our hand.
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 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses has been up on Mount Saini receiving the 10 commandments. It was taking a while, so the people got impatient, and decided to create their own god in the form of an idol. Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with God. In Exodus 33:3, the Lord tells Moses, "Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If i did, I would surely destroy you along the way."
In Verse 15 it says, "For Moses had said, 'If you aren't going with us, don't let us move a step from this place. If you don't go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?'"
I love to tell the story about when my daughter was little. We would stand at the edge of the driveway and "practice" not going into the street. If she would step over the line, she would get in trouble. I wanted to train her that it was not safe to step into the street without holding my hand. She was very good at this. I'll never forget that first time on a Wednesday night she ran across the church driveway without thinking. Thankfully there were no cars coming, but I'll never forget the awful feeling I had as I watched her run out on her own into danger.
I imagine that's the way the Lord feels when we "run out" in our own strength. I'm sure his heart breaks to see our ignorance about the danger that we put ourselves in. Sure, there may not be a car coming at the moment, but that almost makes it worse. We start to think, "Hey, I can do this on my own." Our hearts become more independent, and we walk outside of the covering of God. We don't hold his hand.
Just as Moses prayed, I need to depend on the Lord. In this age of grace and blessing, it can be easy to begin to move in my own strength. The world around me needs to see me living in the favor of the Lord. They need to see that we're different.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life moving with the Lord. Staying in his Word trains us to hear his voice. Walking with him equips us to fulfill our Mission to Reach Our World for Christ. Each day we need to cry out to God to walk with us, to hold our hand.
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, January 2, 2011
1.2.11 "Must Be Present to Win"
"Must Be Present to Win"
Genesis 3:1-4:26
Matthew 2:13-3:6
Psalm 2:1-12
Proverbs 1:7-9
Have you ever heard that line? It's usually tied to a gimmick of some kind or another. Maybe a door prize. In the context of today's readings, there's a much more sincere application.
Genesis 3 tells the story of the fall of man. We've heard it before, tree, serpent, Eve, Adam. Prior to sin, Adam & Eve were in perfect communion with God. There was no pretension. There was vulnerability. But something happened when sin entered the picture. Man hid. God called to Adam, "Why are you hiding?" And Adam replied, "I heard you coming and didn't want you to see me naked. So I hid."
Adam instantly knew that in the presence of God, his sin would be revealed. He didn't want to go there. Have you ever had the same thought? "I'm afraid that if I open up to more of God, I'm going to have to give up..." We know that the light of his presence will shine on areas we would like to keep in darkness. It's kind of foolish isn't it?
Adam's sin removed him from the place of experiencing God.
What is keeping us from that place?
In Matthew 3, John is in the wilderness preaching, "Turn from your sins... turn to God... for the kingdom of Heaven is coming soon." in verse 5-6 it says, "People from Jerusalem and from all over the Jordan Valley, and in fact, from every section of Judea went out to the wilderness to hear him preach, and when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River."
Notice the patterns, "Turn from sin... Turn to God..." The people from the area came to hear THEN confessed, and then were baptized. There is a process of being in position to experience God. There is an aspect of physical presence, but there is also the aspect of consecration - setting aside whatever would separate us from God.
I think the most haunting phrase in the Bible is "Adam, where are you?" It reveals so much about the heart of our God. It's MY sin that separates ME from God. If I can't "find" God, it's because I've strayed. I think the Lord comes to us each and every day and says, "Where are you?" Sometimes I think we cloud our minds with the sin of the world so much, we don't even hear him walking. Each and every day is an opportunity for us to say, "Here I am, cleanse me!"
We need to be people Empowered through Biblical Training. To do this, we must PLACE ourselves in a position to receive from God. Faithfulness in the Word in the morning. Consistent attendance to the corporate teaching of the Word in services as well as bible studies are vital to being in the place where God chooses to move. We need to be there physically. I hate seeing empty pews in church services. I hate seeing empty seats in Sunday School classes. I wonder to whom God is saying, "Where are you?" We MUST be present to win. While church attendance is not the ultimate measure of spiritual maturity, it is the fruit of a passion for God.
We also need to be there spiritually. We all know we can show up to church and look like everything is ok when it's not. We can "fake it" to others. In fact, I can write these DEVO's every morning for the rest of my life and still miss out on what God has for me. It must go deeper. I must prioritize the setting aside of the "noise" of life, whether it be sin, or just busyness and distraction. I must set it all aside and say as Samuel did, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
The Lord desires to abide in my home. As a family we want to prepare it to be a place where he is welcome, recognized, and where our hearts are ready to meet him. I must be ready to meet him. I must prepare myself. I must be present to "win".
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 3:1-4:26
Matthew 2:13-3:6
Psalm 2:1-12
Proverbs 1:7-9
Have you ever heard that line? It's usually tied to a gimmick of some kind or another. Maybe a door prize. In the context of today's readings, there's a much more sincere application.
Genesis 3 tells the story of the fall of man. We've heard it before, tree, serpent, Eve, Adam. Prior to sin, Adam & Eve were in perfect communion with God. There was no pretension. There was vulnerability. But something happened when sin entered the picture. Man hid. God called to Adam, "Why are you hiding?" And Adam replied, "I heard you coming and didn't want you to see me naked. So I hid."
Adam instantly knew that in the presence of God, his sin would be revealed. He didn't want to go there. Have you ever had the same thought? "I'm afraid that if I open up to more of God, I'm going to have to give up..." We know that the light of his presence will shine on areas we would like to keep in darkness. It's kind of foolish isn't it?
Adam's sin removed him from the place of experiencing God.
What is keeping us from that place?
In Matthew 3, John is in the wilderness preaching, "Turn from your sins... turn to God... for the kingdom of Heaven is coming soon." in verse 5-6 it says, "People from Jerusalem and from all over the Jordan Valley, and in fact, from every section of Judea went out to the wilderness to hear him preach, and when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River."
Notice the patterns, "Turn from sin... Turn to God..." The people from the area came to hear THEN confessed, and then were baptized. There is a process of being in position to experience God. There is an aspect of physical presence, but there is also the aspect of consecration - setting aside whatever would separate us from God.
I think the most haunting phrase in the Bible is "Adam, where are you?" It reveals so much about the heart of our God. It's MY sin that separates ME from God. If I can't "find" God, it's because I've strayed. I think the Lord comes to us each and every day and says, "Where are you?" Sometimes I think we cloud our minds with the sin of the world so much, we don't even hear him walking. Each and every day is an opportunity for us to say, "Here I am, cleanse me!"
We need to be people Empowered through Biblical Training. To do this, we must PLACE ourselves in a position to receive from God. Faithfulness in the Word in the morning. Consistent attendance to the corporate teaching of the Word in services as well as bible studies are vital to being in the place where God chooses to move. We need to be there physically. I hate seeing empty pews in church services. I hate seeing empty seats in Sunday School classes. I wonder to whom God is saying, "Where are you?" We MUST be present to win. While church attendance is not the ultimate measure of spiritual maturity, it is the fruit of a passion for God.
We also need to be there spiritually. We all know we can show up to church and look like everything is ok when it's not. We can "fake it" to others. In fact, I can write these DEVO's every morning for the rest of my life and still miss out on what God has for me. It must go deeper. I must prioritize the setting aside of the "noise" of life, whether it be sin, or just busyness and distraction. I must set it all aside and say as Samuel did, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
The Lord desires to abide in my home. As a family we want to prepare it to be a place where he is welcome, recognized, and where our hearts are ready to meet him. I must be ready to meet him. I must prepare myself. I must be present to "win".
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, December 9, 2010
12.9.10 "Positioned to Hear"
"Positioned to Hear"
Joel 1:1-3:21
Revelation 1:1-20
Psalm 128:1-6
Proverbs 29:18
"I was on the island of Patmos, exiled for preaching the Word of God, and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. It was the Lord's Day and I was worshiping, when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast".
This is a familiar scripture. I'm sure you've heard it many times. I know I have. What struck me is something that we all need to remember. We never know when God is going to speak to us, but we need to be in a position to hear him.
John is on this prison island in exile. Yet that doesn't change the fact that he is worshiping the Lord on the Lord's Day. In fleshly reason, it's easy to say, "you know what, John, you've had it rough. You deserve to skip church today...." Yet, on the Lord's Day, he's worshiping the Lord.
Too often we create an excuse for our lack of discipline in time with the Lord. "I'm tired, I'm too busy..." We skip time in God's house, We skip our morning devotions. Of course it's for "good reason". I'm sure God understands...
And then we wonder why we don't hear from God. We wonder why there's no revelation. Empowered Through Biblical Training is a Discipline. Discipline prepares us to be where we need to be when God needs to speak to us and to use us. I'm sure it's sad from God's perspective to have something he really desires to place in our heart, and i'm too busy & I run out the door. What he wanted to show me would greatly equip me for the day. Then I struggle through the day in my own strength. Then when I get home, I blame Him for how bad it went.
When I was in college, I heard a great analogy from this little missionary lady from Napal. Her name was Pam Seward. She told of how the Napali government was given a satellite dish for communications. The way it works is that a motor on the dish moves it to follow wherever the satellite went. Well they were happy to have received this for free, but they began thinking that if they used it too much it may wear out & they would have to fix it. So they decided to turn the motor off when they weren't using it. You can guess what happened. When they'd fire it up, it spent way more energy trying to search out the satellite. It would have been so much more efficient to keep it in tune with the satellite all the time.
The same is true for us. we need to daily be in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then we can clearly recognize the still small voice whenever and wherever it speaks. He's often telling us very simple practical steps that when obeyed, have the potential to change the world.
We are more desperate for the Lord than we realize. Every day we need to take the time to hear from God. It shouldn't be optional. It's vital to do this to discover and become who God created us to be. The "revelation" may not happen the first day, the first week, or when we want it. But, regardless, we need to be in position to hear him no matter the circumstance.
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
Joel 1:1-3:21
Revelation 1:1-20
Psalm 128:1-6
Proverbs 29:18
"I was on the island of Patmos, exiled for preaching the Word of God, and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. It was the Lord's Day and I was worshiping, when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast".
This is a familiar scripture. I'm sure you've heard it many times. I know I have. What struck me is something that we all need to remember. We never know when God is going to speak to us, but we need to be in a position to hear him.
John is on this prison island in exile. Yet that doesn't change the fact that he is worshiping the Lord on the Lord's Day. In fleshly reason, it's easy to say, "you know what, John, you've had it rough. You deserve to skip church today...." Yet, on the Lord's Day, he's worshiping the Lord.
Too often we create an excuse for our lack of discipline in time with the Lord. "I'm tired, I'm too busy..." We skip time in God's house, We skip our morning devotions. Of course it's for "good reason". I'm sure God understands...
And then we wonder why we don't hear from God. We wonder why there's no revelation. Empowered Through Biblical Training is a Discipline. Discipline prepares us to be where we need to be when God needs to speak to us and to use us. I'm sure it's sad from God's perspective to have something he really desires to place in our heart, and i'm too busy & I run out the door. What he wanted to show me would greatly equip me for the day. Then I struggle through the day in my own strength. Then when I get home, I blame Him for how bad it went.
When I was in college, I heard a great analogy from this little missionary lady from Napal. Her name was Pam Seward. She told of how the Napali government was given a satellite dish for communications. The way it works is that a motor on the dish moves it to follow wherever the satellite went. Well they were happy to have received this for free, but they began thinking that if they used it too much it may wear out & they would have to fix it. So they decided to turn the motor off when they weren't using it. You can guess what happened. When they'd fire it up, it spent way more energy trying to search out the satellite. It would have been so much more efficient to keep it in tune with the satellite all the time.
The same is true for us. we need to daily be in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then we can clearly recognize the still small voice whenever and wherever it speaks. He's often telling us very simple practical steps that when obeyed, have the potential to change the world.
We are more desperate for the Lord than we realize. Every day we need to take the time to hear from God. It shouldn't be optional. It's vital to do this to discover and become who God created us to be. The "revelation" may not happen the first day, the first week, or when we want it. But, regardless, we need to be in position to hear him no matter the circumstance.
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, September 30, 2010
9.30.10 "Jesus for Sale"
"Jesus for Sale"
Isaiah 60:1-62:6
Philippians 1:27-2:18
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 24:11-12
Isaiah 60:1-2 says, "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; might kings will come to see your radiance."
We are the light of the world. How brightly do we shine? An interesting thing is that we are a product of our environment. I once heard the story of a Russian girl Oxana Malaya. At the age of 3, her alcoholic parents left her out in the yard, and she found shelter with a pack of dogs. Five years later, the neighbors reported what was going on. When found she barked like a dog, ate like a dog and ran around on all fours. She was a product of her environment. She looks at life based on her experience.
While this illustration is quite tragic, it shows how much we exhibit the environment we are accustomed to. To be the light of the world, we must put ourselves in an environment where we become "light". In order for that to happen, we must be in the presence of God so that when we're in the world, we shine as one who's been with Jesus.
Unfortunately, the Christian culture of our nation has become a more "capitalistic" approach. We look at life with a "marketing" perspective. We buy dish soap because it makes you skinny and beautiful... at least that's what the commercial shows. We market ourselves. We sell ourself by resume and by image. "Presentation" is everything. This spills into how we attempt to be the light of the world.
We know we have a Mission to Reach our World for Christ. What happens? We often fall into the trap of "marketing" Jesus. How do we do this? With this message: Come to Jesus and all your problems will go away. Instead of being the light, we "market" the light.
I've mentioned this quote from Erwin McManus before: "Jesus didn't come to solve the world's problems. He came to change lives. Through changed lives the world's problems are solved."
In this life there WILL be trials. But as James 1 tells us, it's through these trials that Christ transforms us into who he wants us to be. Our objective is not to be problem free. Our objective is to allow Christ to work in our life and change us and mold us. Then we can handle ANY storm that comes our way. We wont live without storms.
What's the danger of the "marketing campaign"? When we present that "Jesus is the way to the easy life" those who come to Christ are confused. As soon as a trial comes they call "tech support". "Hey, I want my money back! This isn't easy!"
Philippians 2:14-16 says "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life."
We can only live that way as the Spirit transforms us. We don't have to conjure up a marketing campaign. We just have to allow him to make us into who he's created us to be.
It's dark out there? Exactly. That's the point. You're the light. I've said this before, but I get tired of Christians who complain about sinners sinning. What are they supposed to do? They have no light. As we become the people God has created us to be we're going to see the darkness fade.
If we will be who we are supposed to be, others can become who God wants them to be. Live as one responsible for the light, because you are. Let the light of Jesus shine through your life. You don't have to put Jesus on a billboard. Put his presence on you. You are the best commercial. People will come to Christ because they want what you have. They want to be like you. If they don't, it's because they don't want what you have. They don't want to be like you.
Live as Children of the Light!
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
Isaiah 60:1-62:6
Philippians 1:27-2:18
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 24:11-12
Isaiah 60:1-2 says, "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; might kings will come to see your radiance."
We are the light of the world. How brightly do we shine? An interesting thing is that we are a product of our environment. I once heard the story of a Russian girl Oxana Malaya. At the age of 3, her alcoholic parents left her out in the yard, and she found shelter with a pack of dogs. Five years later, the neighbors reported what was going on. When found she barked like a dog, ate like a dog and ran around on all fours. She was a product of her environment. She looks at life based on her experience.
While this illustration is quite tragic, it shows how much we exhibit the environment we are accustomed to. To be the light of the world, we must put ourselves in an environment where we become "light". In order for that to happen, we must be in the presence of God so that when we're in the world, we shine as one who's been with Jesus.
Unfortunately, the Christian culture of our nation has become a more "capitalistic" approach. We look at life with a "marketing" perspective. We buy dish soap because it makes you skinny and beautiful... at least that's what the commercial shows. We market ourselves. We sell ourself by resume and by image. "Presentation" is everything. This spills into how we attempt to be the light of the world.
We know we have a Mission to Reach our World for Christ. What happens? We often fall into the trap of "marketing" Jesus. How do we do this? With this message: Come to Jesus and all your problems will go away. Instead of being the light, we "market" the light.
I've mentioned this quote from Erwin McManus before: "Jesus didn't come to solve the world's problems. He came to change lives. Through changed lives the world's problems are solved."
In this life there WILL be trials. But as James 1 tells us, it's through these trials that Christ transforms us into who he wants us to be. Our objective is not to be problem free. Our objective is to allow Christ to work in our life and change us and mold us. Then we can handle ANY storm that comes our way. We wont live without storms.
What's the danger of the "marketing campaign"? When we present that "Jesus is the way to the easy life" those who come to Christ are confused. As soon as a trial comes they call "tech support". "Hey, I want my money back! This isn't easy!"
Philippians 2:14-16 says "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life."
We can only live that way as the Spirit transforms us. We don't have to conjure up a marketing campaign. We just have to allow him to make us into who he's created us to be.
It's dark out there? Exactly. That's the point. You're the light. I've said this before, but I get tired of Christians who complain about sinners sinning. What are they supposed to do? They have no light. As we become the people God has created us to be we're going to see the darkness fade.
If we will be who we are supposed to be, others can become who God wants them to be. Live as one responsible for the light, because you are. Let the light of Jesus shine through your life. You don't have to put Jesus on a billboard. Put his presence on you. You are the best commercial. People will come to Christ because they want what you have. They want to be like you. If they don't, it's because they don't want what you have. They don't want to be like you.
Live as Children of the Light!
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, September 10, 2010
9.10.10 "Experiencing the Presence of God"
"Experiencing the Presence of God"
Isaiah 6:1-7:25
2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 23:1-3
"In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord!....the Temple was filled with his glory... In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.' Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to it's foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Is. 6:1-4)
Experiencing the presence of God. When's the last time you REALLY sensed the presence of God? What was it like? Do you realize that God is omnipresent? that means he's everywhere all the time. The difference is, we don't always see him. Our eyes are not opened to HIs presence. Wherever you are right now, God is there. Depending on the circumstances of life, our eyes become clouded to that fact, and we don't see his glory.
We gather regularly for corporate worship, and we celebrate what he's done in our lives, but too many times, we are routine about the process, and don't focus in on the presence of God. He desires to reveal himself to us, but our cares and encumbrances are clouding us from what's really important. We miss the point.
At the risk of sounding cynical, too many times it's like this:
"I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne... actually I wish they hadn't built it so high... it's a little uncomfortable to look at from where I'm sitting... Hovering about him were angels.... I'm not sure choreography is appropriate here.... they sang, 'Holy, Holy, Holy'... I really think they should have picked a different song, we sing that one too much... Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations.... This music is way too loud! Somebody's going to hear about this!... and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke... this stuff makes me cough, it's totally inappropriate at this time!"
The point is lost. Too often we come into his presence to "get" something out of it, not to worship him in the splendor of his glory.
Do you wanna know what the response to seeing God is? "Then I said, 'My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race'". (Is 6:5) Looking at God in His majesty reduces us of ours. We gain a proper perspective of who we are and what we deserve. Coming into the light of his presence causes the stain of our sin to become apparent. Maybe that's why we pull back from his presence. We don't want to go there. But how else can he cleanse us? "He touched my lips with it and said, 'Now you are pronounced "Not guilty" ... Your sins are all forgiven.'" (Is 6:7) We need to experience his presence to be purified in him.
That's not all. In the presence of God, our eyes become open to the needs of those around us. "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send ME.'" (Is 6:8)
We are people who are always looking for direction. "What should I do with my life?" "What career should I have?" "I have no direction..." Those questions are all around us. People looking for purpose. For guidance. When the priority of the Presence of God is in place, the proper progression exists for God to speak. We must see his glory, respond accordingly, be purified, and respond to his call. For some reason we think that as we mature in Christ, we can bypass these steps. It ain't so!
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is all about opening our eyes to the presence of God, being purified, and obeying his direction. We need this formula to live the DREAM. We need it to live a fulfilled life.
Whether you're in personal devotional time, or corporate worship, close your eyes to the distractions around (angels, etc) and look for God. He desires to reveal His presence to you more than you know. What you "get" out of worship will be life changing!
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
Isaiah 6:1-7:25
2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 23:1-3
"In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord!....the Temple was filled with his glory... In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.' Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to it's foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Is. 6:1-4)
Experiencing the presence of God. When's the last time you REALLY sensed the presence of God? What was it like? Do you realize that God is omnipresent? that means he's everywhere all the time. The difference is, we don't always see him. Our eyes are not opened to HIs presence. Wherever you are right now, God is there. Depending on the circumstances of life, our eyes become clouded to that fact, and we don't see his glory.
We gather regularly for corporate worship, and we celebrate what he's done in our lives, but too many times, we are routine about the process, and don't focus in on the presence of God. He desires to reveal himself to us, but our cares and encumbrances are clouding us from what's really important. We miss the point.
At the risk of sounding cynical, too many times it's like this:
"I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne... actually I wish they hadn't built it so high... it's a little uncomfortable to look at from where I'm sitting... Hovering about him were angels.... I'm not sure choreography is appropriate here.... they sang, 'Holy, Holy, Holy'... I really think they should have picked a different song, we sing that one too much... Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations.... This music is way too loud! Somebody's going to hear about this!... and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke... this stuff makes me cough, it's totally inappropriate at this time!"
The point is lost. Too often we come into his presence to "get" something out of it, not to worship him in the splendor of his glory.
Do you wanna know what the response to seeing God is? "Then I said, 'My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race'". (Is 6:5) Looking at God in His majesty reduces us of ours. We gain a proper perspective of who we are and what we deserve. Coming into the light of his presence causes the stain of our sin to become apparent. Maybe that's why we pull back from his presence. We don't want to go there. But how else can he cleanse us? "He touched my lips with it and said, 'Now you are pronounced "Not guilty" ... Your sins are all forgiven.'" (Is 6:7) We need to experience his presence to be purified in him.
That's not all. In the presence of God, our eyes become open to the needs of those around us. "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send ME.'" (Is 6:8)
We are people who are always looking for direction. "What should I do with my life?" "What career should I have?" "I have no direction..." Those questions are all around us. People looking for purpose. For guidance. When the priority of the Presence of God is in place, the proper progression exists for God to speak. We must see his glory, respond accordingly, be purified, and respond to his call. For some reason we think that as we mature in Christ, we can bypass these steps. It ain't so!
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is all about opening our eyes to the presence of God, being purified, and obeying his direction. We need this formula to live the DREAM. We need it to live a fulfilled life.
Whether you're in personal devotional time, or corporate worship, close your eyes to the distractions around (angels, etc) and look for God. He desires to reveal His presence to you more than you know. What you "get" out of worship will be life changing!
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, August 5, 2010
8.5.10
"Who's Making You Who You Are?"
Ezra 1:1-2:70
I Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Psalm 27:7-14
Proverbs 20:22-23
"For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God's plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation. As it says in the Scriptures, "If anyone is going to boast, let him boast only of what the Lord has done."" I Cor. 1:30-31
Can you remember this past January's New Year's resolution? How are you doing on that? It's not often we're asked that in August. Why do resolutions rarely work? I think it's because at some level, Our resolutions are our attempt to mold our character. Yes, most of them have to do with our conduct, but most of the time that conduct is a result of a character issue. Changing our character is not something we can do in our own strength.
Are you maturing in Christ? If you're not, why not? If you are, how are you doing it?
If we're not maturing in Christ, it may be a result of trying to do it in our own strength. We're trying to fix ourselves before coming to God. As we mature in Christ, sometimes we can too easily and unintentionally slip into thinking that it's something we've done. We don't mean for this to happen, it's just natural for our human nature to be bent that way. There is a sense of accomplishment in the steps of maturity, and it's difficult at times to keep the progress in perspective.
It's like we've got the spiritual equivalent of our Girl Scout sashes & Boy Scout uniforms on, and we get these patches, these steps of accomplishment. (don't worry, I support the badges!) And we forget where the progress comes from.
As verse 30 says, "...it is from God alone that you have your life..." We need to consistently acknowledge the source of our strength and progress in the Christian walk. It is only through the power of the Spirit. The personal stake in this process is getting out of the way to let the Spirit do his work. The "bragging" is in doing nothing, which is of course, nothing to brag about.
I'm a person who enjoys puzzles, so I like to "solve" things. When situations arise, and even when I sense God working in my life, I want to "figure it out". I want to "find the solution", and sometimes I find myself attempting to manipulate the hand of God. When the Spirit convicts me, I try to fix myself before allowing him to change me. In essence, I'm trying to "get cleaned up before taking a bath". Sometimes I think that that's how we "grow weary in doing good." We try to work the plan of God in our own strength.
The formula should be this simple: The Spirit moves, we get out of the way, God completes his work.
This habit of getting out of the way, this posture of humility, this life of dependance.... THAT'S maturing in Christ. Then, what do we have to boast about? "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Todays Psalm 27:8 says, "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me, O my people.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'" That's what it's all about.
We must have an encounter with God. Sitting in His presence will change us. He's not desiring to sit us down and scold us, He wants to love on us.
Lord, I feel your Spirit calling me. Forgive me for trying to fix things in my own strength. My heart hears you, and it responds by saying "do your work in me!"
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
Ezra 1:1-2:70
I Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Psalm 27:7-14
Proverbs 20:22-23
"For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God's plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation. As it says in the Scriptures, "If anyone is going to boast, let him boast only of what the Lord has done."" I Cor. 1:30-31
Can you remember this past January's New Year's resolution? How are you doing on that? It's not often we're asked that in August. Why do resolutions rarely work? I think it's because at some level, Our resolutions are our attempt to mold our character. Yes, most of them have to do with our conduct, but most of the time that conduct is a result of a character issue. Changing our character is not something we can do in our own strength.
Are you maturing in Christ? If you're not, why not? If you are, how are you doing it?
If we're not maturing in Christ, it may be a result of trying to do it in our own strength. We're trying to fix ourselves before coming to God. As we mature in Christ, sometimes we can too easily and unintentionally slip into thinking that it's something we've done. We don't mean for this to happen, it's just natural for our human nature to be bent that way. There is a sense of accomplishment in the steps of maturity, and it's difficult at times to keep the progress in perspective.
It's like we've got the spiritual equivalent of our Girl Scout sashes & Boy Scout uniforms on, and we get these patches, these steps of accomplishment. (don't worry, I support the badges!) And we forget where the progress comes from.
As verse 30 says, "...it is from God alone that you have your life..." We need to consistently acknowledge the source of our strength and progress in the Christian walk. It is only through the power of the Spirit. The personal stake in this process is getting out of the way to let the Spirit do his work. The "bragging" is in doing nothing, which is of course, nothing to brag about.
I'm a person who enjoys puzzles, so I like to "solve" things. When situations arise, and even when I sense God working in my life, I want to "figure it out". I want to "find the solution", and sometimes I find myself attempting to manipulate the hand of God. When the Spirit convicts me, I try to fix myself before allowing him to change me. In essence, I'm trying to "get cleaned up before taking a bath". Sometimes I think that that's how we "grow weary in doing good." We try to work the plan of God in our own strength.
The formula should be this simple: The Spirit moves, we get out of the way, God completes his work.
This habit of getting out of the way, this posture of humility, this life of dependance.... THAT'S maturing in Christ. Then, what do we have to boast about? "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Todays Psalm 27:8 says, "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me, O my people.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'" That's what it's all about.
We must have an encounter with God. Sitting in His presence will change us. He's not desiring to sit us down and scold us, He wants to love on us.
Lord, I feel your Spirit calling me. Forgive me for trying to fix things in my own strength. My heart hears you, and it responds by saying "do your work in me!"
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, June 18, 2010
6.18.10 "Discouragement at your Door"
"Discouragement at your Door"
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
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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