"Seek Me and Live"
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
"The Lord says to the people of Israel, 'Seek me - and live. don't seek the idols of Bethel, Gilgal, or Beer-sheeba; for the people of Gilgal will be carried off to exile, and those of Bethel shall surely come to grief."
This portion of scripture may seem unassuming, but it was one of the most impacting scriptures in my Christian growth. It was 19 years ago. I was a student at North Central Bible College. (now NCU). It was a morning that I was going to skip chapel service because I was tired. For some reason, I ended up going, and the guest speaker was Pam Seward. She was a tiny lady who was (and still is, I believe) a missionary to the country of Nepal. She had an unbelievable testimony that I wish I had time to pass on to you. I feel like I just heard it yesterday. I truly believe that in heaven she will be mentioned in the ranks of those as the apostle Paul.
Beside Pam's incredible testimony, she challenged us with this same scripture. The challenge rings true for all of us today. We need to seek God and Live!
Don't seek the idols of Bethel. Bethel represents the house of God. It's where Abraham built his second altar, it's where Jacob had his vision. How does that apply to us? We need to make sure that we seek God, and not "church". Your relationship with the Lord is not about the ritual of Christian actions. It's about seeking God. When you seek God, your commitment to church will be a natural result. The fruit of the healthy relationship is that commitment. But too often many try to make it "look" like the relationship is healthy by pursuing the busyness of the Christian life.
Don't seek the idols of Gilgal. Gilgal was the Israelites' first camping place after crossing the Jordan. It represents what God has done in the past. I'm sure everyone reading this DEVO has a testimony of what God has done. If we look back, there are great things that we can testify about. As great as those testimonies can be, our relationship with God can't be only about what he's done in the past. We can't be constantly looking back at the past hoping God will "do it again." We need to seek him for who he is.
Don't seek the idols of Beer-sheeba. Beer-sheeba is a place of promises. Abraham made an oath there. Our love for God can't be based only on what he has promised us. "ok, God, i'll serve you if you come through like you said you would..." God's promises are awesome, but we don't seek him for his hand. We need to seek his face. It's not about what he can do for us. It's about who he is.
You wanna live? Seek God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label Seek God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seek God. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
10.16.11 "With All your Heart"
"With All your Heart"
Jeremiah 28:1-29:32
I Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 25:17
"I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) This is one of my favorite scriptures because it's such an encouraging scripture. It's awesome to know that the God of the universe knows my name. He is concerned with my path. He's concerned with where I am.
It is extremely important to always remember the context of this verse, however. In Jeremiah 28 there is a "battle" of two prophetic messages. In Jer. 27, God instructed Jeremiah to wear a yoke on his neck as a symbol, and bring the message that God's people are headed into captivity. Things are going to be hard. This is a result of disobedience, and there will be consequence. In chapter 28, Hananiah, the son of the prophet Gibeon speaks to Jeremiah in front of everyone and says, in essence, "No THIS is the word of the Lord..." and breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and declares God's people free, and basically tells the people what they want to hear. Even Jeremiah responded, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say." (Jer. 28:6)
But, as great as Hananiah's message was, it wasn't the word of the Lord. God's plan was that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. He told them Babylon would rule the world. He told them to submit to the process. He told them to build homes and plant trees. They're going to be in captivity for a while.
My personality is the type that wants to please people. It's in my nature to want to tell people what they want to hear. I want to be an encouragement. Because of that tendency, when someone comes with a trial, I WANT to say, "this will be over before you know it! Victory will come today!" While there may be times where that IS the word of the Lord, there are many times that is NOT the word of the Lord. It may be that the Lord is using this trial for a purpose that is far greater than we could understand.
So the question is: Is it worth it?
The Israelites would much more love to align themselves with Hananiah's message, but what good would that do them? Would their hearts change? No. The Lord commanded them to submit to their captivity, and to prosper where he had placed them.
The fact that they're in captivity doesn't change the fact that God has a plan for their life. In fact, the captivity serves to GIVE a future and a hope, not to be in the way of it. I think that's an important message to always remember, but the purpose of the captivity is found in verse 13: "You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." The NIV says, "... when you seek me with all of your heart."
In the midst of the trial, God is found IF we seek him with all our heart. Sometimes we fall short because, "my boss isn't fair!... My spouse wont change... This hurts too bad..." We want the circumstance to show change before we're willing to allow our heart to change. What the Lord is saying is, the circumstance isn't changing anytime soon, so allow me to change your heart. Produce fruit where you are.
The objective is not rosy circumstances, it's a pure heart.
In I Timothy 1:5, Paul says, "What I am eager for is that all the Christians there will be filled with love that comes from pure hearts, and that their minds will be clean and their faith strong." in verse 19 he says, "cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right."
What's tying these all together? "... seek me with all your heart." "... love that comes from pure hearts... Minds clean..." "... conscience clear..."
We need to be giving God our all, all the time. What is the highest form of worship? Obedience. Ps. 86:11 says, "Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name."
"May every fiber of my being..." That is the intensity in which we will truly experience the "Dynamics" of the Lifestyle of Worship. Too often worship is an event. It's a sunday morning service. What a tragedy when our obedience is an "event". Just a moment where we were aligned to God's direction.
Give your all to him today. Serve Him with all of your heart. Give Him a pure mind. Choose to do right. Worship Him with every fiber of your being so that wherever He says to go, you will go there.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
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
Jeremiah 28:1-29:32
I Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 25:17
"I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) This is one of my favorite scriptures because it's such an encouraging scripture. It's awesome to know that the God of the universe knows my name. He is concerned with my path. He's concerned with where I am.
It is extremely important to always remember the context of this verse, however. In Jeremiah 28 there is a "battle" of two prophetic messages. In Jer. 27, God instructed Jeremiah to wear a yoke on his neck as a symbol, and bring the message that God's people are headed into captivity. Things are going to be hard. This is a result of disobedience, and there will be consequence. In chapter 28, Hananiah, the son of the prophet Gibeon speaks to Jeremiah in front of everyone and says, in essence, "No THIS is the word of the Lord..." and breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and declares God's people free, and basically tells the people what they want to hear. Even Jeremiah responded, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say." (Jer. 28:6)
But, as great as Hananiah's message was, it wasn't the word of the Lord. God's plan was that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. He told them Babylon would rule the world. He told them to submit to the process. He told them to build homes and plant trees. They're going to be in captivity for a while.
My personality is the type that wants to please people. It's in my nature to want to tell people what they want to hear. I want to be an encouragement. Because of that tendency, when someone comes with a trial, I WANT to say, "this will be over before you know it! Victory will come today!" While there may be times where that IS the word of the Lord, there are many times that is NOT the word of the Lord. It may be that the Lord is using this trial for a purpose that is far greater than we could understand.
So the question is: Is it worth it?
The Israelites would much more love to align themselves with Hananiah's message, but what good would that do them? Would their hearts change? No. The Lord commanded them to submit to their captivity, and to prosper where he had placed them.
The fact that they're in captivity doesn't change the fact that God has a plan for their life. In fact, the captivity serves to GIVE a future and a hope, not to be in the way of it. I think that's an important message to always remember, but the purpose of the captivity is found in verse 13: "You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." The NIV says, "... when you seek me with all of your heart."
In the midst of the trial, God is found IF we seek him with all our heart. Sometimes we fall short because, "my boss isn't fair!... My spouse wont change... This hurts too bad..." We want the circumstance to show change before we're willing to allow our heart to change. What the Lord is saying is, the circumstance isn't changing anytime soon, so allow me to change your heart. Produce fruit where you are.
The objective is not rosy circumstances, it's a pure heart.
In I Timothy 1:5, Paul says, "What I am eager for is that all the Christians there will be filled with love that comes from pure hearts, and that their minds will be clean and their faith strong." in verse 19 he says, "cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right."
What's tying these all together? "... seek me with all your heart." "... love that comes from pure hearts... Minds clean..." "... conscience clear..."
We need to be giving God our all, all the time. What is the highest form of worship? Obedience. Ps. 86:11 says, "Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name."
"May every fiber of my being..." That is the intensity in which we will truly experience the "Dynamics" of the Lifestyle of Worship. Too often worship is an event. It's a sunday morning service. What a tragedy when our obedience is an "event". Just a moment where we were aligned to God's direction.
Give your all to him today. Serve Him with all of your heart. Give Him a pure mind. Choose to do right. Worship Him with every fiber of your being so that wherever He says to go, you will go there.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
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, July 25, 2011
7.25.11 "The Power of being Powerless"
"The Power of being Powerless"
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 20:1
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them."
I just had a picture in my mind of the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" show. As the Lord is looking across the earth, I'd be Horshack waving my arms franticly "ooh, ooh, ooh" Pick me! Show your power in helping me!
So, what's the context of this scripture? King Asa of Judah is doing a great job. He's been real careful to live a life of obedience, and lead the country to do the same. In chapter 14 the Lord helps him defeat an army of 1 million Ethiopians. In Chapter 15 Azariah had a word from the Lord telling King Asa that the Lord would be with him as long as he stayed with the Lord. King Asa listened to this, and cleansed the country of idols, even to the point of ousting his mother because she built an idol.
So, Asa's doing good! Then comes chapter 16. Asa learns that Israel is preparing for battle against Judah. He responds with a plan of his own making. Syria has an alliance with Judah, so Asa takes the silver & Gold from the temple, and sends it to the King of Syria with a message. "Here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
It worked. Sort of. It got him out of the potential war with Israel, but God wasn't happy.
This is the message that came to him through the prophet in 2 Chron. 16:7-8. "Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and he delivered them all into your hand." The end of verse 9 says, "What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars."
In 2 Chron. 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians."
Bring this home. It's easy to disconnect from the message of this story about the kings of long ago. How does it apply to us? The Lord desires to use our situations to deliver us and make his name great. How does that happen? It happens when we rely on him to give us direction in our problems and come through with answers that bring glory to his name.
When we fix things without consulting God, we rob ourselves of a victory that is greater than we could imagine. Sure, we may deflect the immediate battle, but as the word came to King Asa, the bigger plan was to defeat the Syrians, too.
We must discipline ourselves to seek God in EVERYTHING. You don't know what God wants to ultimately do through your struggle. You may be looking for a simple victory, but God is looking to do miraculous things.
Make your heart "perfect toward him" by walking in obedience. Walk in DEPENDENCE on him. When we lay our "power" down, and constantly rely on him, we will experience some incredible things.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 20:1
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them."
I just had a picture in my mind of the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" show. As the Lord is looking across the earth, I'd be Horshack waving my arms franticly "ooh, ooh, ooh" Pick me! Show your power in helping me!
So, what's the context of this scripture? King Asa of Judah is doing a great job. He's been real careful to live a life of obedience, and lead the country to do the same. In chapter 14 the Lord helps him defeat an army of 1 million Ethiopians. In Chapter 15 Azariah had a word from the Lord telling King Asa that the Lord would be with him as long as he stayed with the Lord. King Asa listened to this, and cleansed the country of idols, even to the point of ousting his mother because she built an idol.
So, Asa's doing good! Then comes chapter 16. Asa learns that Israel is preparing for battle against Judah. He responds with a plan of his own making. Syria has an alliance with Judah, so Asa takes the silver & Gold from the temple, and sends it to the King of Syria with a message. "Here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
It worked. Sort of. It got him out of the potential war with Israel, but God wasn't happy.
This is the message that came to him through the prophet in 2 Chron. 16:7-8. "Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and he delivered them all into your hand." The end of verse 9 says, "What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars."
In 2 Chron. 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians."
Bring this home. It's easy to disconnect from the message of this story about the kings of long ago. How does it apply to us? The Lord desires to use our situations to deliver us and make his name great. How does that happen? It happens when we rely on him to give us direction in our problems and come through with answers that bring glory to his name.
When we fix things without consulting God, we rob ourselves of a victory that is greater than we could imagine. Sure, we may deflect the immediate battle, but as the word came to King Asa, the bigger plan was to defeat the Syrians, too.
We must discipline ourselves to seek God in EVERYTHING. You don't know what God wants to ultimately do through your struggle. You may be looking for a simple victory, but God is looking to do miraculous things.
Make your heart "perfect toward him" by walking in obedience. Walk in DEPENDENCE on him. When we lay our "power" down, and constantly rely on him, we will experience some incredible things.
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 11, 2010
12.11.10 "Seek Me and Live"
"Seek Me and Live"
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
"The Lord says to the people of Israel, 'Seek me - and live. don't seek the idols of Bethel, Gilgal, or Beer-sheeba; for the people of Gilgal will be carried off to exile, and those of Bethel shall surely come to grief."
This portion of scripture may seem unassuming, but it was one of the most impacting scriptures in my Christian growth. It was 19 years ago. I was a student at North Central Bible College. (now NCU). It was a morning that I was going to skip chapel service because I was tired. For some reason, I ended up going, and the guest speaker was Pam Seward. She was a tiny lady who was (and still is, I believe) a missionary to the country of Nepal. She had an unbelievable testimony that I wish I had time to pass on to you. I feel like I just heard it yesterday. I truly believe that in heaven she will be mentioned in the ranks of those as the apostle Paul.
Beside Pam's incredible testimony, she challenged us with this scripture. The challenge rings true for all of us today. We need to seek God and Live!
Don't seek the idols of Bethel. Bethel represents the house of God. It's where Abraham built his second altar, it's where Jacob had his vision. How does that apply to us? We need to make sure that we seek God, and not "church". Your relationship with the Lord is not about the ritual of Christian actions. It's about seeking God. When you seek God, your commitment to church will be a natural result. The fruit of the healthy relationship is that commitment. But too often many try to make it "look" like the relationship is healthy by pursuing the busyness of the Christian life.
Don't seek the idols of Gilgal. Gilgal was the Israelites' first camping place after crossing the Jordan. It represents what God has done in the past. I'm sure everyone reading this DEVO has a testimony of what God has done. If we look back, there are great things that we can testify about. As great as those testimonies can be, our relationship with God can't be only about what he's done in the past. We can't be constantly looking back at the past hoping God will "do it again." We need to seek him for who he is.
Don't seek the idols of Beer-sheeba. Beer-sheeba is a place of promises. Abraham made an oath there. Our love for God can't be based only on what he has promised us. "ok, God, i'll serve you if you come through like you said you would..." God's promises are awesome, but we don't seek him for his hand. We need to seek his face. It's not about what he can do for us. It's about who he is.
You wanna live? Seek God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
"The Lord says to the people of Israel, 'Seek me - and live. don't seek the idols of Bethel, Gilgal, or Beer-sheeba; for the people of Gilgal will be carried off to exile, and those of Bethel shall surely come to grief."
This portion of scripture may seem unassuming, but it was one of the most impacting scriptures in my Christian growth. It was 19 years ago. I was a student at North Central Bible College. (now NCU). It was a morning that I was going to skip chapel service because I was tired. For some reason, I ended up going, and the guest speaker was Pam Seward. She was a tiny lady who was (and still is, I believe) a missionary to the country of Nepal. She had an unbelievable testimony that I wish I had time to pass on to you. I feel like I just heard it yesterday. I truly believe that in heaven she will be mentioned in the ranks of those as the apostle Paul.
Beside Pam's incredible testimony, she challenged us with this scripture. The challenge rings true for all of us today. We need to seek God and Live!
Don't seek the idols of Bethel. Bethel represents the house of God. It's where Abraham built his second altar, it's where Jacob had his vision. How does that apply to us? We need to make sure that we seek God, and not "church". Your relationship with the Lord is not about the ritual of Christian actions. It's about seeking God. When you seek God, your commitment to church will be a natural result. The fruit of the healthy relationship is that commitment. But too often many try to make it "look" like the relationship is healthy by pursuing the busyness of the Christian life.
Don't seek the idols of Gilgal. Gilgal was the Israelites' first camping place after crossing the Jordan. It represents what God has done in the past. I'm sure everyone reading this DEVO has a testimony of what God has done. If we look back, there are great things that we can testify about. As great as those testimonies can be, our relationship with God can't be only about what he's done in the past. We can't be constantly looking back at the past hoping God will "do it again." We need to seek him for who he is.
Don't seek the idols of Beer-sheeba. Beer-sheeba is a place of promises. Abraham made an oath there. Our love for God can't be based only on what he has promised us. "ok, God, i'll serve you if you come through like you said you would..." God's promises are awesome, but we don't seek him for his hand. We need to seek his face. It's not about what he can do for us. It's about who he is.
You wanna live? Seek God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, July 25, 2010
7.25.10 "The Power of being Powerless"
"The Power of being Powerless"
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 20:1
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them."
I just had a picture in my mind of the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" show. As the Lord is looking across the earth, I'd be Horshack waving my arms franticly "ooh, ooh, ooh" Pick me! Show your power in helping me!
So, what's the context of this scripture? King Asa of Judah is doing a great job. He's been real careful to live a life of obedience, and lead the country to do the same. In chapter 14 the Lord helps him defeat an army of 1 million Ethiopians. In Chapter 15 Azariah had a word from the Lord telling King Asa that the Lord would be with him as long as he stayed with the Lord. King Asa listened to this, and cleansed the country of idols, even to the point of ousting his mother because she built an idol.
So, Asa's doing good! Then comes chapter 16. Asa learns that Israel is preparing for battle against Judah. He responds with a plan of his own making. Syria has an alliance with Judah, so Asa takes the silver & Gold from the temple, and sends it to the King of Syria with a message. "Here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
It worked. Sort of. It got him out of the potential war with Israel, but God wasn't happy.
This is the message that came to him through the prophet in 2 Chron. 16:7-8. "Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and he delivered them all into your hand." The end of verse 9 says, "What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars."
In 2 Chron. 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians."
Bring this home. It's easy to disconnect from the message of this story about the kings of long ago. How does it apply to us? The Lord desires to use our situations to deliver us and make his name great. How does that happen? It happens when we rely on him to give us direction in our problems and come through with answers that bring glory to his name.
When we fix things without consulting God, we rob ourselves of a victory that is greater than we could imagine. Sure, we may deflect the immediate battle, but as the word came to King Asa, the bigger plan was to defeat the Syrians, too.
We must discipline ourselves to seek God in EVERYTHING. You don't know what God wants to ultimately do through your struggle. You may be looking for a simple victory, but God is looking to do miraculous things.
Make your heart "perfect toward him" by walking in obedience. Walk in DEPENDENCE on him. When we lay our "power" down, and constantly rely on him, we will experience some incredible things.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 20:1
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them."
I just had a picture in my mind of the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" show. As the Lord is looking across the earth, I'd be Horshack waving my arms franticly "ooh, ooh, ooh" Pick me! Show your power in helping me!
So, what's the context of this scripture? King Asa of Judah is doing a great job. He's been real careful to live a life of obedience, and lead the country to do the same. In chapter 14 the Lord helps him defeat an army of 1 million Ethiopians. In Chapter 15 Azariah had a word from the Lord telling King Asa that the Lord would be with him as long as he stayed with the Lord. King Asa listened to this, and cleansed the country of idols, even to the point of ousting his mother because she built an idol.
So, Asa's doing good! Then comes chapter 16. Asa learns that Israel is preparing for battle against Judah. He responds with a plan of his own making. Syria has an alliance with Judah, so Asa takes the silver & Gold from the temple, and sends it to the King of Syria with a message. "Here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
It worked. Sort of. It got him out of the potential war with Israel, but God wasn't happy.
This is the message that came to him through the prophet in 2 Chron. 16:7-8. "Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and he delivered them all into your hand." The end of verse 9 says, "What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars."
In 2 Chron. 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians."
Bring this home. It's easy to disconnect from the message of this story about the kings of long ago. How does it apply to us? The Lord desires to use our situations to deliver us and make his name great. How does that happen? It happens when we rely on him to give us direction in our problems and come through with answers that bring glory to his name.
When we fix things without consulting God, we rob ourselves of a victory that is greater than we could imagine. Sure, we may deflect the immediate battle, but as the word came to King Asa, the bigger plan was to defeat the Syrians, too.
We must discipline ourselves to seek God in EVERYTHING. You don't know what God wants to ultimately do through your struggle. You may be looking for a simple victory, but God is looking to do miraculous things.
Make your heart "perfect toward him" by walking in obedience. Walk in DEPENDENCE on him. When we lay our "power" down, and constantly rely on him, we will experience some incredible things.
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, December 11, 2009
12.11.9 "Seek Me and Live"
"Seek Me and Live"
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
"The Lord says to the people of Israel, 'Seek me - and live. don't seek the idols of Bethel, Gilgal, or Beer-sheeba; for the people of Gilgal will be carried off to exile, and those of Bethel shall surely come to grief."
This portion of scripture may seem unassuming, but it was one of the most impacting scriptures in my Christian growth. It was 19 years ago. I was a student at North Central Bible College. (now NCU). It was a morning that I was going to skip chapel service because I was tired. For some reason, I ended up going, and the guest speaker was Pam Seward. She was a tiny lady who was (and still is, I believe) a missionary to the country of Nepal. She had an unbelievable testimony that I wish I had time to pass on to you. I feel like I just heard it yesterday. I truly believe that in heaven she will be mentioned in the ranks of those as the apostle Paul.
Beside Pam's incredible testimony, she challenged us with this scripture. The challenge rings true for all of us today. We need to seek God and Live!
Don't seek the idols of Bethel. Bethel represents the house of God. It's where Abraham built his second altar, it's where Jacob had his vision. How does that apply to us? We need to make sure that we seek God, and not "church". Your relationship with the Lord is not about the ritual of Christian actions. It's about seeking God. When you seek God, your commitment to church will be a natural result. The fruit of the healthy relationship is that commitment. But too often many try to make it "look" like the relationship is healthy by pursuing the busyness of the Christian life.
Don't seek the idols of Gilgal. Gilgal was the Israelites' first camping place after crossing the Jordan. It represents what God has done in the past. I'm sure everyone reading this DEVO has a testimony of what God has done. If we look back, there are great things that we can testify about. As great as those testimonies can be, our relationship with God can't be only about what he's done in the past. We can't be constantly looking back at the past hoping God will "do it again." We need to seek him for who he is.
Don't seek the idols of Beer-sheeba. Beer-sheeba is a place of promises. Abraham made an oath there. Our love for God can't be based only on what he has promised us. "ok, God, i'll serve you if you come through like you said you would..." God's promises are awesome, but we don't seek him for his hand. We need to seek his face. It's not about what he can do for us. It's about who he is.
You wanna live? Seek God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
"The Lord says to the people of Israel, 'Seek me - and live. don't seek the idols of Bethel, Gilgal, or Beer-sheeba; for the people of Gilgal will be carried off to exile, and those of Bethel shall surely come to grief."
This portion of scripture may seem unassuming, but it was one of the most impacting scriptures in my Christian growth. It was 19 years ago. I was a student at North Central Bible College. (now NCU). It was a morning that I was going to skip chapel service because I was tired. For some reason, I ended up going, and the guest speaker was Pam Seward. She was a tiny lady who was (and still is, I believe) a missionary to the country of Nepal. She had an unbelievable testimony that I wish I had time to pass on to you. I feel like I just heard it yesterday. I truly believe that in heaven she will be mentioned in the ranks of those as the apostle Paul.
Beside Pam's incredible testimony, she challenged us with this scripture. The challenge rings true for all of us today. We need to seek God and Live!
Don't seek the idols of Bethel. Bethel represents the house of God. It's where Abraham built his second altar, it's where Jacob had his vision. How does that apply to us? We need to make sure that we seek God, and not "church". Your relationship with the Lord is not about the ritual of Christian actions. It's about seeking God. When you seek God, your commitment to church will be a natural result. The fruit of the healthy relationship is that commitment. But too often many try to make it "look" like the relationship is healthy by pursuing the busyness of the Christian life.
Don't seek the idols of Gilgal. Gilgal was the Israelites' first camping place after crossing the Jordan. It represents what God has done in the past. I'm sure everyone reading this DEVO has a testimony of what God has done. If we look back, there are great things that we can testify about. As great as those testimonies can be, our relationship with God can't be only about what he's done in the past. We can't be constantly looking back at the past hoping God will "do it again." We need to seek him for who he is.
Don't seek the idols of Beer-sheeba. Beer-sheeba is a place of promises. Abraham made an oath there. Our love for God can't be based only on what he has promised us. "ok, God, i'll serve you if you come through like you said you would..." God's promises are awesome, but we don't seek him for his hand. We need to seek his face. It's not about what he can do for us. It's about who he is.
You wanna live? Seek God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, November 20, 2009
11.20.9 "The Peace of Proper Perspective"
"The Peace of Proper Perspective"
Ezekiel 40:28-41:26
James 4:1-17
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 28:3-5
It's human nature to celebrate individuals who have vision. We love to hear the success stories of people who have forged their own way. Those who have been driven to create a new invention or discover new territory. Everyone is different. Some people are very driven and goal oriented. Others are frustrated because they feel like they have no goals.
It's important to have dreams. God places desires in our heart for a purpose. But it's extremely important to realize that those dreams are subject to God's direction at all times. Sometimes it's easy to get so goal focused and caught up in figuring things out on our own that we leave God out of the picture.
"Look here, you people who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.' How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog - now you see it; soon it is gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.' Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God." James 4:13-16
There's a part of us that wants to get everything figured out. We want to know the plan. We want to force it through at times. Sometimes we wrestle through difficult decisions, and in all of this we forget about the will and direction of the Lord.
There's a discipline of thought that needs to happen in the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. In 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat approaches a difficult situation with the phrase, "we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." The Lord would desire that to be our position in all circumstances. Complete dependence on Him. This does not mean that we are an indecisive people, but we are constantly subjecting our plans to his will. "If the Lord allows, we're doing this."
Why is it so important to take this posture? It's because is brings about humility. We truly subject ourselves to the Lord's leading. Too often what happens is I make a decision on my own, and you know what, things seem to work out. Then the next time I have more confidence in myself, then I make another decision... it doesn't take long before inquiring of the Lord is not even a part of the equation.
People don't necessarily "plan" on growing farther from the Lord, but it can easily happen because of this problem. Reliance on self. "...and such self-confidence never pleases God."
It's stressful trying to pave your own way. But think of the peace that comes with complete reliance on the Lord. There's a calm assurance in all things that He is in control. He will work things out. This perspective is the way we should live as we mature in Christ.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Ezekiel 40:28-41:26
James 4:1-17
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 28:3-5
It's human nature to celebrate individuals who have vision. We love to hear the success stories of people who have forged their own way. Those who have been driven to create a new invention or discover new territory. Everyone is different. Some people are very driven and goal oriented. Others are frustrated because they feel like they have no goals.
It's important to have dreams. God places desires in our heart for a purpose. But it's extremely important to realize that those dreams are subject to God's direction at all times. Sometimes it's easy to get so goal focused and caught up in figuring things out on our own that we leave God out of the picture.
"Look here, you people who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.' How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog - now you see it; soon it is gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.' Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God." James 4:13-16
There's a part of us that wants to get everything figured out. We want to know the plan. We want to force it through at times. Sometimes we wrestle through difficult decisions, and in all of this we forget about the will and direction of the Lord.
There's a discipline of thought that needs to happen in the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. In 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat approaches a difficult situation with the phrase, "we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." The Lord would desire that to be our position in all circumstances. Complete dependence on Him. This does not mean that we are an indecisive people, but we are constantly subjecting our plans to his will. "If the Lord allows, we're doing this."
Why is it so important to take this posture? It's because is brings about humility. We truly subject ourselves to the Lord's leading. Too often what happens is I make a decision on my own, and you know what, things seem to work out. Then the next time I have more confidence in myself, then I make another decision... it doesn't take long before inquiring of the Lord is not even a part of the equation.
People don't necessarily "plan" on growing farther from the Lord, but it can easily happen because of this problem. Reliance on self. "...and such self-confidence never pleases God."
It's stressful trying to pave your own way. But think of the peace that comes with complete reliance on the Lord. There's a calm assurance in all things that He is in control. He will work things out. This perspective is the way we should live as we mature in Christ.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, July 25, 2009
7.25.9 "The Power of being Powerless"
"The Power of being Powerless"
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 20:1
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them."
I just had a picture in my mind of the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" show. As the Lord is looking across the earth, I'd be Horshack waving my arms franticly "ooh, ooh, ooh" Pick me! Show your power in helping me!
So, what's the context of this scripture? King Asa of Judah is doing a great job. He's been real careful to live a life of obedience, and lead the country to do the same. In chapter 14 the Lord helps him defeat an army of 1 million Ethiopians. In Chapter 15 Azariah had a word from the Lord telling King Asa that the Lord would be with him as long as he stayed with the Lord. King Asa listened to this, and cleansed the country of idols, even to the point of ousting his mother because she built an idol.
So, Asa's doing good! Then comes chapter 16. Asa learns that Israel is preparing for battle against Judah. He responds with a plan of his own making. Syria has an alliance with Judah, so Asa takes the silver & Gold from the temple, and sends it to the King of Syria with a message. "Here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
It worked. Sort of. It got him out of the potential war with Israel, but God wasn't happy.
This is the message that came to him through the prophet in 2 Chron. 16:7-8. "Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and he delivered them all into your hand." The end of verse 9 says, "What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars."
In 2 Chron. 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians."
Bring this home. It's easy to disconnect from the message of this story about the kings of long ago. How does it apply to us? The Lord desires to use us to make his name great. How does that happen? It happens when we rely on him to give us direction in our problems and come through with answers that bring glory to his name.
When we fix things without consulting God, we rob ourselves of a victory that is greater than we could imagine. Sure, we may deflect the immediate battle, but as the word came to King Asa, the bigger plan was to defeat the Syrians, too.
We must discipline ourselves to seek God in EVERYTHING. You don't know what God wants to ultimately do through your struggle. You may be looking for a simple victory, but God is looking to do miraculous things.
Make your heart "perfect toward him" by walking in obedience. Walk in DEPENDENCE on him. When we lay our "power" down, and constantly rely on him, we will experience some incredible things.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 20:1
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them."
I just had a picture in my mind of the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" show. As the Lord is looking across the earth, I'd be Horshack waving my arms franticly "ooh, ooh, ooh" Pick me! Show your power in helping me!
So, what's the context of this scripture? King Asa of Judah is doing a great job. He's been real careful to live a life of obedience, and lead the country to do the same. In chapter 14 the Lord helps him defeat an army of 1 million Ethiopians. In Chapter 15 Azariah had a word from the Lord telling King Asa that the Lord would be with him as long as he stayed with the Lord. King Asa listened to this, and cleansed the country of idols, even to the point of ousting his mother because she built an idol.
So, Asa's doing good! Then comes chapter 16. Asa learns that Israel is preparing for battle against Judah. He responds with a plan of his own making. Syria has an alliance with Judah, so Asa takes the silver & Gold from the temple, and sends it to the King of Syria with a message. "Here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
It worked. Sort of. It got him out of the potential war with Israel, but God wasn't happy.
This is the message that came to him through the prophet in 2 Chron. 16:7-8. "Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and he delivered them all into your hand." The end of verse 9 says, "What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars."
In 2 Chron. 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians."
Bring this home. It's easy to disconnect from the message of this story about the kings of long ago. How does it apply to us? The Lord desires to use us to make his name great. How does that happen? It happens when we rely on him to give us direction in our problems and come through with answers that bring glory to his name.
When we fix things without consulting God, we rob ourselves of a victory that is greater than we could imagine. Sure, we may deflect the immediate battle, but as the word came to King Asa, the bigger plan was to defeat the Syrians, too.
We must discipline ourselves to seek God in EVERYTHING. You don't know what God wants to ultimately do through your struggle. You may be looking for a simple victory, but God is looking to do miraculous things.
Make your heart "perfect toward him" by walking in obedience. Walk in DEPENDENCE on him. When we lay our "power" down, and constantly rely on him, we will experience some incredible things.
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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