Wednesday, September 19, 2012
9.19.12 "Getting rid of 'That Thing'"
"Getting rid of 'That Thing'"
Isaiah 30:12-33:12
Galatians 5:1-12
Psalm 63:1-11
Proverbs 23:22
We all have "That Thing". It was Achan's desire for "That Thing" that caused defeat for Israel and ultimately the destruction of Achan & his entire family. For each of us, it's a different "Thing". There's something in our life we know shouldn't be there. It may be a bad habit, a "comfort sin", a pattern of unhealthy thought, bitterness, selfishness, lust, the list can go on. If you think you don't have a "That Thing", spend a little more time in prayer. God will show it to you.
I heard a testimony from a friend who was finally free from YEARS of sinful addiction. It was a great testimony! One thing he said was how he would in essence "resolve" to never sin again. and yet, he would find himself in the middle of it over and over. So many times we try to get rid of "That Thing", only to return. Why is that? Why can we try and try, but not shake free?
Isaiah 31:7-8 says, "I know the glorious day will come when every one of you will throw away his gold idols and silver images - which in your sinfulness you have made. And the Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by sword of men. The "sword of God" will smite them."
The biggest problem we have with "that Thing" is that we are usually trying to get rid of it by the sword of men. We read self-help books, talk to friends, make resolutions, but we don't completely surrender our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit and allow God to do his thing in us. Yes, we will go to an altar, or sense the conviction, and we'll even cry. But a broken surrender is a whole different thing. It's getting out of the way to let God do his deep work. It's waiting for God to break us.
Isaiah 30:18 says, "Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him, so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them."
We can't win any battle in our own strength. I don't know why we fool ourselves into thinking we can. Isaiah 32:2 says, "But to us, O Lord, be merciful, for we have waited for you. Be our strength each day and our salvation in the time of trouble. The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee."
Remember a couple days ago talking about the shelter in the time of storm? Isaiah 31:2 says, "He will shelter Israel from the storm and wind. He will refresh her as a river in the desert and as the cooling shadow of a might rock within a hot and weary land." It is in running to this shelter that we find our strength.
There is a discipline to this. Most of the time when we fail, it's because we are living in the flesh. We are serving the flesh, or relaxing our thought process, or even feeling like we "deserve" the indulgence. That sets us up for bringing "That thing" back.
Galatians 5:1 says, "So Christ has made us free. Now make sure that you stay free and don't get all tied up again in the chains of slavery..." Yes, we are set free through the blood of Jesus, but we must discipline ourselves to not go there again. John Bevere says, "He brought us out of Egypt, but we have to be faithful to get Egypt out of us."
We must be intentional about rejoicing in and remaining in this freedom. Psalm 63:5-8 says, "At last I shall be fully satisfied; I will praise you with great joy. I lie awake at night thinking of you - of how much you have helped me - and how I rejoice through the night beneath the protecting shadow of your wings. I follow close behind you, protected by your strong right arm." Think about that discipline of thought. Think about that habit of worship. Many times we create room for "that thing" through laziness of thought, and lack of discipline in worship.
God will be faithful. He is constantly trying to direct us in his path. Isaiah 30:21 says, "And if you leave God's paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, 'No, this is the way; walk here.' And you will destroy all your silver idols and gold images and cast them out like filthy things you hate to touch. 'Ugh!' you'll say to them. 'Be gone!'"
Get rid of the things that are holding you back from being who God has created you to be. Allow him to purify you. Keep your thoughts on him. Let him set you free. Be disciplined to stay free.
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, September 18, 2012
9.18.12 "The Plans We Make"
"The Plans We Make"
Isaiah 28:14-30:11
Galatians 3:23-4:31
Psalms 62:1-12
Proverbs 23:19-21
"Number 5 Alive!" If you're a product of the 80's you remember the line from Short Circuit. It's where a robot short circuits & develops a mind and personality of it's own. Many a movie have been made about man's creation coming to life. Frankenstein and many others. Most of the time, it's with disastrous results.
Isaiah 29:15 says, "Woe to those who try to hide their plans from God, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! 'God can't see us,' they say to themselves. 'He doesn't know what is going on!'"
Doesn't that sound like the way many people live? Unfortunately, that's how some Christians live. We make moves to get close to God, but then we still make OUR plans. Want to know how God feels about this? Look how Isaiah describes it in verse 16: "How stupid can they be! Isn't he, the Potter, greater than you, the jars he makes? Will you say to him, 'He didn't make us'? Does a machine call its inventor dumb?"
How simple we are sometimes to think that we can make our own way without God being a part of the process. Why do we do that? Sometimes we feel God directing us to do something, and we agree on our terms. Ok, I'll obey, but first I'm going to do this, and get this, and buy this, or wait until this.... We have all these plans that we've made on our own, and we've not let the Lord be a part of the process.
Lisa and I have always had busy lives, but there was a time years ago when Lisa and I were working 4 jobs between us. We were having a good time, and things were going well, but everyone was saying, "You guys are crazy! How can you do this?" etc. Well one night we sat down and decided we were going to determine what direction we were going to take. We had lists of pros & cons, and were going to work it all out. Good plan, right? Actually, we became very frustrated in the process. What God spoke to us during that moment was, "Are you saying I can't give you the strength to do what I've called you to do?" Needless to say, we knew the answer: Do His plan, not ours. We had one more year of that unbelievable schedule, but we knew we were in God's hands, and in his plan, and a year later he gave us clear direction.
When it comes to finding direction from the Lord, often we like to talk to a bunch of people before waiting on God. Isaiah 30:1-2 addresses that. "Woe to my rebellious children, says the Lord; you ask advice from everyone but me, and decide to do what I don't want you to do. You yoke yourselves with unbelievers, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me you have gone down to Egypt to find aid and have put your trust in Pharaoh for his protection."
WE know & love Jeremiah 29:11 - "for I know the plans I have for you..." We know that there is a plan and direction for our lives. Why then do we try to figure it out on our own? We need to rest in him, trust in him, rely on him, wait for him, and obey him. There's no other way to live in peace.
If you're sensing frustration in your life regarding direction, make sure you are not trying to make plans on your own. Make sure you are moving in a direction God has pointed you toward. "Hey, this looks like a good idea..." leads to trouble most of the time. Instead of saying, "I'm going to head out in this direction unless God tells me different...", maybe we should say like Jehosaphat, "We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you." (2 Chr. 20:12)
We need to live God-directed lives. Obedience is the focus of a Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. To be obedient, we need to hear his voice. To hear his voice, we need to stop talking and planning, and wait on him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, September 17, 2012
9.17.12 "A Shelter in the Time of Storm"
"A Shelter in the Time of Storm"
Isaiah 25:1-28:13
Galatians 3:8-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 23:17-18
Isaiah 25:4 "But to the poor, O Lord, you are a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, a shelter from merciless men"
Psalm 61:3-4 "For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me. I shall live forever in your tabernacle; oh, to be safe beneath the shelter of your wings!"
Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
The title of today's DEVO is the name of one of my favorite hymns. The first verse and chorus are as follows:
The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land,
Oh, Jesus is a Rock, in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of Storm.
Shelter is one of man's basic needs. We are not animals that were created to lay in the yard during a snow storm. God created us with a need for shelter. I believe this physical need is a representation of our spiritual need. We need shelter. My daughter has a devotional that talks about being under the umbrella of your parents and of God. This is a God-ordained shelter.
Isaiah 25:1-28:13
Galatians 3:8-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 23:17-18
Isaiah 25:4 "But to the poor, O Lord, you are a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, a shelter from merciless men"
Psalm 61:3-4 "For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me. I shall live forever in your tabernacle; oh, to be safe beneath the shelter of your wings!"
Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
The title of today's DEVO is the name of one of my favorite hymns. The first verse and chorus are as follows:
The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land,
Oh, Jesus is a Rock, in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of Storm.
Shelter is one of man's basic needs. We are not animals that were created to lay in the yard during a snow storm. God created us with a need for shelter. I believe this physical need is a representation of our spiritual need. We need shelter. My daughter has a devotional that talks about being under the umbrella of your parents and of God. This is a God-ordained shelter.
We find shelter by being "Empowered through Biblical Training". We find shelter and safety in the Word of God. It is the Rock in the weary land.
This might not be where you're at right now, but there may be someone in your circle of influence that needs to hear this from you. There are people all around us struggling through the storms of life. They can't find the Rock. I'm not just talking about those who don't know God. I'm talking about individuals who may have been Christians a long time.
A shelter does you no good if you do not come under it. In Annalese's devotional, it was talking about a parent walking with an umbrella during the rain, and the child stepped out from under it. The result? Well it's a simple concept. The child got wet. The safety was found in keeping in step with the parent.
As we walk with God through life, sometimes we are in a season of peace where the sun is shining, and all is well. We see God, know where he is, but we don't get into the Word, and don't realize we've wandered outside the safety of his principles and commands. I'm not talking about backsliding, I'm just talking about intimacy with Him & time in the word.
When a storm comes up, we find ourselves getting wet. At this point, many different things happen. You've seen it. The complaining. The feeling sorry for yourself. The anger at God.
Where is the shelter found? Under his wings. What are his wings? The covering of his Word and safety of His commands.
In today's reading from the One Year Bible, it seems like Isaiah, Galatians & Psalms are all talking about this. Even Proverbs applies. Proverbs 23:17-18 says, "Don't envy evil men but continue to reverence the Lord all the time, for surely you have a wonderful future ahead of you. There is hope for you yet!" What does it mean to reverence the Lord, but to be in the covering of His word.
Once we realize this, it's frustrating to watch people swimming around in circles in the storm when the Rock is so close. It's right there in the Word. Quit your whining and get to it!
Sometimes the purpose of the storm is to get the "kids" under the umbrella! Isaiah 27:8 says, "...he has punished Israel but a little, exiling her far from her own land as though blown away in a storm from the east. And why did God do it? It was to purge away her sins..." In other words, To bring her under the umbrella!
The principle of Empowered Through Biblical Training is Discipline. Many times we have separate definitions of discipline with punishment being one with a negative connotation. If we think of the definition of Discipline as "to bring into alignment", Punishment itself is not a negative thing, but just a part of the process to get us under the umbrella, under the shadow of His wings.
Galatians 3:11 says, "the man who finds life will find it through trusting God." Trust is a discipline. Sometimes trust isn't the first thought in our head. We have to be disciplined to review the greatness of God and remember all that he has done and will do. We must discipline ourselves to trust the promises of his word.
You may or may not be in a storm right now, but someone around you is. Go to the Rock. Go to the shelter. Show someone where safety is found. It's found in the Word of God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
This might not be where you're at right now, but there may be someone in your circle of influence that needs to hear this from you. There are people all around us struggling through the storms of life. They can't find the Rock. I'm not just talking about those who don't know God. I'm talking about individuals who may have been Christians a long time.
A shelter does you no good if you do not come under it. In Annalese's devotional, it was talking about a parent walking with an umbrella during the rain, and the child stepped out from under it. The result? Well it's a simple concept. The child got wet. The safety was found in keeping in step with the parent.
As we walk with God through life, sometimes we are in a season of peace where the sun is shining, and all is well. We see God, know where he is, but we don't get into the Word, and don't realize we've wandered outside the safety of his principles and commands. I'm not talking about backsliding, I'm just talking about intimacy with Him & time in the word.
When a storm comes up, we find ourselves getting wet. At this point, many different things happen. You've seen it. The complaining. The feeling sorry for yourself. The anger at God.
Where is the shelter found? Under his wings. What are his wings? The covering of his Word and safety of His commands.
In today's reading from the One Year Bible, it seems like Isaiah, Galatians & Psalms are all talking about this. Even Proverbs applies. Proverbs 23:17-18 says, "Don't envy evil men but continue to reverence the Lord all the time, for surely you have a wonderful future ahead of you. There is hope for you yet!" What does it mean to reverence the Lord, but to be in the covering of His word.
Once we realize this, it's frustrating to watch people swimming around in circles in the storm when the Rock is so close. It's right there in the Word. Quit your whining and get to it!
Sometimes the purpose of the storm is to get the "kids" under the umbrella! Isaiah 27:8 says, "...he has punished Israel but a little, exiling her far from her own land as though blown away in a storm from the east. And why did God do it? It was to purge away her sins..." In other words, To bring her under the umbrella!
The principle of Empowered Through Biblical Training is Discipline. Many times we have separate definitions of discipline with punishment being one with a negative connotation. If we think of the definition of Discipline as "to bring into alignment", Punishment itself is not a negative thing, but just a part of the process to get us under the umbrella, under the shadow of His wings.
Galatians 3:11 says, "the man who finds life will find it through trusting God." Trust is a discipline. Sometimes trust isn't the first thought in our head. We have to be disciplined to review the greatness of God and remember all that he has done and will do. We must discipline ourselves to trust the promises of his word.
You may or may not be in a storm right now, but someone around you is. Go to the Rock. Go to the shelter. Show someone where safety is found. It's found in the Word of God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, September 16, 2012
9.16.12 "The Goal of Christian Maturity"
"The Goal of Christian Maturity"
Isaiah 22:1 - 24:23
Galatians 2:17-3:7
Psalm 60:1-12
Proverbs 23:15-16
As we grow in the Balanced Christian Life, our objective is maturity. When you start out on any journey, it's a good idea to know where you are headed. So, what is your objective in maturity?
We'll start with a quiz. I'm going to give you two scriptures and you have to pick which of the two is our goal. Now, you might have to think about this!
Ok, Here's door number 1:
"I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Here's door number 2:
"Then have you gone completely crazy? For if trying to obey the Jewish laws never gave you spiritual life in the first place, why do you think that trying to obey them now will make you stronger Christians?" Galatians 3:3
Well, which one did you pick?
Here's the thing. Paul is talking to the Galatians this way because they started to get real legalistic about issues of the Jewish law, and were equating their Christian walk with these external actions. Basically, they had lost sight of what it's all about. Paul says in 3:1 "... you USED to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had waved a placard before you with a picture on it of Christ dying on the cross." They had lost sight.
Glad that never happens to us, right? Well, here's how we get lured into that trap: We each have certain areas of conduct in which the Lord is leading us to change. As we draw closer to Christ, we sense his Spirit drawing us to "clean up!" Where we can easily get into trouble is when we start to place our cleaning list on other people. "God is dealing with me that this is wrong, so if anyone who is doing this is wrong..." We place our burdens on others. Another mistake is that we start to clean up our act, and we get so hung up in the cleaning process that we become prideful about what we no longer do.
The reality is that becoming "crucified with Christ" is what our goal must be. When one begins to live this way, it naturally reflects in that individual's conduct. There are certain things that individual will not do. However, changing your conduct will not automatically make you crucified with Christ. Don't get me wrong, we do need to be set apart from the filth of the world, but it doesn't end with being set apart. We must set ourselves apart for the purpose of experiencing his presence.
This may be hard to follow, but I'll keep plowing away. Let me use this example. There is a lot of junk on TV. When you develop maturity in Christ, there are things you will not watch. Your character and Christ in you will not allow you to do it. it just doesn't feel right. However, just because you stop watching things that are inappropriate does not make you mature in Christ. Proper conduct is the FRUIT of the Spirit purifying us.
Paul says in 3:2 "Let me ask you this one question: did you receive the Holy Spirit by trying to keep the Jewish laws? Of course not, for the Holy spirit came upon you only after you heard about Christ and trusted him to save you."
The life of holiness is a result of drawing close to Christ. Trying to be pious does not make you closer to Christ. Too often our human nature wants to take the path of "fixing things" before drawing close to Christ. We forget that drawing close to Christ "fixes things."
This is a tough message to properly communicate so I hope it makes sense. I'll use another example: I remember one big mistake I made when I was in high school. I was witnessing to a friend who was feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit very strongly. He was smoking as we were walking down the street. It got to the point where he was ready to say the sinner's prayer. He finally said, "ok, I'm ready to do it." I told him, "alright, but first put that out." It took some convincing, but he did, and we prayed. The unfortunate and unintended picture he had in his mind was that if he smoked, he wasn't Good enough for Christ. Consequently, he really struggled as an early Christian because he had such difficulty with the smoking issue. He felt he couldn't "measure up".
What I didn't understand fully at that stage in my life is that my only job was to lead him to Christ. I needed to let the Lord take care of the rest. We all need to remember that we catch the fish, and HE cleans them. We don't need to get cleaned up BEFORE taking the bath!
When dealing with others, we don't realize that God's cleaning list may very well be in a different order than ours. What we want God to take out of another person's life may not be the next item on God's agenda. In fact, when we spend to much time worrying about what God's agenda is for someone else, it can too easily distract us from the next thing he wants to take out of our own life.
Draw close to Christ, and everything else will take care of itself. That should be the goal of your maturity. To be crucified with Christ, so that it's not you living, but him living in you!
Even as we work at living the DREAM, we must remember that it's through the power of the Spirit, not our own strength that we grow in Christ.
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 22:1 - 24:23
Galatians 2:17-3:7
Psalm 60:1-12
Proverbs 23:15-16
As we grow in the Balanced Christian Life, our objective is maturity. When you start out on any journey, it's a good idea to know where you are headed. So, what is your objective in maturity?
We'll start with a quiz. I'm going to give you two scriptures and you have to pick which of the two is our goal. Now, you might have to think about this!
Ok, Here's door number 1:
"I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Here's door number 2:
"Then have you gone completely crazy? For if trying to obey the Jewish laws never gave you spiritual life in the first place, why do you think that trying to obey them now will make you stronger Christians?" Galatians 3:3
Well, which one did you pick?
Here's the thing. Paul is talking to the Galatians this way because they started to get real legalistic about issues of the Jewish law, and were equating their Christian walk with these external actions. Basically, they had lost sight of what it's all about. Paul says in 3:1 "... you USED to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had waved a placard before you with a picture on it of Christ dying on the cross." They had lost sight.
Glad that never happens to us, right? Well, here's how we get lured into that trap: We each have certain areas of conduct in which the Lord is leading us to change. As we draw closer to Christ, we sense his Spirit drawing us to "clean up!" Where we can easily get into trouble is when we start to place our cleaning list on other people. "God is dealing with me that this is wrong, so if anyone who is doing this is wrong..." We place our burdens on others. Another mistake is that we start to clean up our act, and we get so hung up in the cleaning process that we become prideful about what we no longer do.
The reality is that becoming "crucified with Christ" is what our goal must be. When one begins to live this way, it naturally reflects in that individual's conduct. There are certain things that individual will not do. However, changing your conduct will not automatically make you crucified with Christ. Don't get me wrong, we do need to be set apart from the filth of the world, but it doesn't end with being set apart. We must set ourselves apart for the purpose of experiencing his presence.
This may be hard to follow, but I'll keep plowing away. Let me use this example. There is a lot of junk on TV. When you develop maturity in Christ, there are things you will not watch. Your character and Christ in you will not allow you to do it. it just doesn't feel right. However, just because you stop watching things that are inappropriate does not make you mature in Christ. Proper conduct is the FRUIT of the Spirit purifying us.
Paul says in 3:2 "Let me ask you this one question: did you receive the Holy Spirit by trying to keep the Jewish laws? Of course not, for the Holy spirit came upon you only after you heard about Christ and trusted him to save you."
The life of holiness is a result of drawing close to Christ. Trying to be pious does not make you closer to Christ. Too often our human nature wants to take the path of "fixing things" before drawing close to Christ. We forget that drawing close to Christ "fixes things."
This is a tough message to properly communicate so I hope it makes sense. I'll use another example: I remember one big mistake I made when I was in high school. I was witnessing to a friend who was feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit very strongly. He was smoking as we were walking down the street. It got to the point where he was ready to say the sinner's prayer. He finally said, "ok, I'm ready to do it." I told him, "alright, but first put that out." It took some convincing, but he did, and we prayed. The unfortunate and unintended picture he had in his mind was that if he smoked, he wasn't Good enough for Christ. Consequently, he really struggled as an early Christian because he had such difficulty with the smoking issue. He felt he couldn't "measure up".
What I didn't understand fully at that stage in my life is that my only job was to lead him to Christ. I needed to let the Lord take care of the rest. We all need to remember that we catch the fish, and HE cleans them. We don't need to get cleaned up BEFORE taking the bath!
When dealing with others, we don't realize that God's cleaning list may very well be in a different order than ours. What we want God to take out of another person's life may not be the next item on God's agenda. In fact, when we spend to much time worrying about what God's agenda is for someone else, it can too easily distract us from the next thing he wants to take out of our own life.
Draw close to Christ, and everything else will take care of itself. That should be the goal of your maturity. To be crucified with Christ, so that it's not you living, but him living in you!
Even as we work at living the DREAM, we must remember that it's through the power of the Spirit, not our own strength that we grow in Christ.
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 15, 2012
9.15.12 "But as for Me..."
"But as for Me..."
Isaiah 19:1-21:17
Galatians 2:1-16
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 23:13-14
Psalm 59:16 "But as for me, I will sing each morning about your power and mercy."
Notice the power in this little phrase: But as for me... The context of this Psalm is found by looking at the verses prior: "Let these evil men slink back at evening, and prowl the city all night before they are satisfied, howling like dogs and searching for food." (vs. 14-15) That's followed up with "But as for me..."
There are a lot of reasons out there to do the wrong thing. You may have been mistreated. "my dad beat me so therefore I..." You may indulge in sinful activity because you feel you've earned the "indulgence". "Hey, I've been working hard lately, I deserve this." "I gotta do this for me." It could be something else. "I've been up too late, so there's no way I'm getting up early to read the Word." "You know, we've been out too much let's not go to church." "I would get into worship, but they don't do my favorite songs."
I don't know if the recurring theme is obvious, but all of those statements are made from a "victim mentality". Each one of them represent an underlying thought process that an individual can't do the right thing because of external circumstances. Using a word a pastor friend of mine would say: "HOOEY!" Enough with the whining!
If you can picture the Iwo Jima memorial. It's time that every member of the army of God "takes the hill" of free will and says, "It doesn't make a difference what is happening around me. I will take this territory!" Most of the time the territory we need to take is within us. It's today's verse. "I will sing each morning about your power and mercy."
As I'm writing this it is pitch black out right now. In a little while the sun will come over the trees in the horizon. There will be "light" before the sun shows up, but when it comes into view, it will "take the territory". It will be bright! What a huge opportunity to "sing about your power and mercy."
We can come up with pages of reasons on why we think we can't worship. It's all deception. There's a reason we call it a "DYNAMIC Lifestyle of Worship". The word Dynamic implies change and growth. It means that in EVERY circumstance of life you can say, "But as for me..."
I did a quick online Bible search of that phrase, "But as for me..." Depending on the version you use, it shows up numerous times. One of the most familiar occurrences is in Joshua 24:15: "Choose ye this day whom you will serve, BUT AS FOR ME and my house, we will serve the Lord."
It's time we took a little responsibility for our choices. We can justify compromise, laziness, lack of discipline, lack of productivity, etc. all we we want. We can even occasionally feel good about ourselves when we're done, but it's all junk. It's not based on Godly principles. You don't have your DLOW! (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship)
CHOOSE to worship the Lord each morning, no matter the circumstance. CHOOSE to do the right thing when everything around you is setting you up for compromise and failure. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:23, "'Everything is permissible' - but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible' - but not everything is constructive." Basically, he's saying, "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD."
For every one of us, God has laid something on our heart that we need to be doing. It may be getting up to read the Word, it may be a certain action. The circumstances around us may be lined up for us to easily continue on the way things have always been, and never leave the rut. The Lord is waiting for someone to say like the Psalmist did, "But as for 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
Isaiah 19:1-21:17
Galatians 2:1-16
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 23:13-14
Psalm 59:16 "But as for me, I will sing each morning about your power and mercy."
Notice the power in this little phrase: But as for me... The context of this Psalm is found by looking at the verses prior: "Let these evil men slink back at evening, and prowl the city all night before they are satisfied, howling like dogs and searching for food." (vs. 14-15) That's followed up with "But as for me..."
There are a lot of reasons out there to do the wrong thing. You may have been mistreated. "my dad beat me so therefore I..." You may indulge in sinful activity because you feel you've earned the "indulgence". "Hey, I've been working hard lately, I deserve this." "I gotta do this for me." It could be something else. "I've been up too late, so there's no way I'm getting up early to read the Word." "You know, we've been out too much let's not go to church." "I would get into worship, but they don't do my favorite songs."
I don't know if the recurring theme is obvious, but all of those statements are made from a "victim mentality". Each one of them represent an underlying thought process that an individual can't do the right thing because of external circumstances. Using a word a pastor friend of mine would say: "HOOEY!" Enough with the whining!
If you can picture the Iwo Jima memorial. It's time that every member of the army of God "takes the hill" of free will and says, "It doesn't make a difference what is happening around me. I will take this territory!" Most of the time the territory we need to take is within us. It's today's verse. "I will sing each morning about your power and mercy."
As I'm writing this it is pitch black out right now. In a little while the sun will come over the trees in the horizon. There will be "light" before the sun shows up, but when it comes into view, it will "take the territory". It will be bright! What a huge opportunity to "sing about your power and mercy."
We can come up with pages of reasons on why we think we can't worship. It's all deception. There's a reason we call it a "DYNAMIC Lifestyle of Worship". The word Dynamic implies change and growth. It means that in EVERY circumstance of life you can say, "But as for me..."
I did a quick online Bible search of that phrase, "But as for me..." Depending on the version you use, it shows up numerous times. One of the most familiar occurrences is in Joshua 24:15: "Choose ye this day whom you will serve, BUT AS FOR ME and my house, we will serve the Lord."
It's time we took a little responsibility for our choices. We can justify compromise, laziness, lack of discipline, lack of productivity, etc. all we we want. We can even occasionally feel good about ourselves when we're done, but it's all junk. It's not based on Godly principles. You don't have your DLOW! (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship)
CHOOSE to worship the Lord each morning, no matter the circumstance. CHOOSE to do the right thing when everything around you is setting you up for compromise and failure. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:23, "'Everything is permissible' - but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible' - but not everything is constructive." Basically, he's saying, "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD."
For every one of us, God has laid something on our heart that we need to be doing. It may be getting up to read the Word, it may be a certain action. The circumstances around us may be lined up for us to easily continue on the way things have always been, and never leave the rut. The Lord is waiting for someone to say like the Psalmist did, "But as for 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
Friday, September 14, 2012
9.14.12 "The Season of Preparation"
"The Season of Preparation"
Isaiah 15:1-18:7
Galatians 1:1-24
Psalm 58:1-11
Proverbs 23:12
God has big plans for your life! Each of us has varying levels of understanding of that statement. We're all aware of Jer. 29:11, and know that God wants to do a great work in us and through us. So, now what?
There have been times of my life where I've been waiting for God's plans to "happen" to me. I get a big dream or vision, and then sit around and wait for it to occur. I wouldn't really recommend that as a course of action. At least not if you want to see the dream come about. Rarely, if ever, does God complete his work in us as we sit around and wait. One of my wife's middle school teachers always told her: "Nothing of value is ever obtained in an atmosphere of comfort." In other words, "No DREAM is free!"
In this opening chapter of Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul addresses the purity of the message of Jesus Christ. He's recounting to them that the plan of salvation is, and needs to remain unaltered. It is through Jesus Christ alone.
In verse 13-14, Paul is talking about his old life & how he tried so hard to be religious and was persecuting Christians. In verse 15 he says, "But then something happened! For even before I was born God had chosen me to be his, and called, me - what kindness and grace - to reveal his Son within me so that I could go to the Gentiles and show them the Good News about Jesus." You know the story - Damascus, light, etc.
You can remember from reading in Acts what happened next. He got hooked up with Ananias, etc. We probably think that after such a dramatic conversion, Paul was thrust right into his dream - This "calling" that was ordained from before he was born. Not so.
"When all this happened to me I didn't go at once and talk it over with anyone else; I didn't go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. No, I went away into the deserts of Arabia, and then came back to the city of Damascus. It was not until three years later that I finally went to Jerusalem for a visit with Peter, and stayed there with him for fifteen days." (Gal 1:16-18) In verse 22 he says, "And still the Christians in Judea didn't even know what I looked like."
When God moves on our hearts, and gives us a glimpse of His plan, we wanna get moving! We want to jump into victory and change the world. Right now. Why not? It's from God, right? Let's go! What are we waiting for?
It's easy to forget that God needs to bring us through a season of preparation. This is a season of becoming Empowered Through Biblical Training. It may involve a desert or wilderness, but it's not without purpose. It is a necessary part of the refining process. We need to understand that this is not a "holding pattern". It is a "proving ground". During these seasons of preparation, we need to be picking fruit that is necessary for the journey God has laid out for us. God needs to complete is work in you before he can complete his work through you.
When we built our house we had some major challenges. One of them was a grading problem between our neighbors driveway and our house. The slope was so intense, we were at risk of their driveway washing into our house. We had to build a huge retaining wall. It felt so good to place the last of the Four Hundred Six 75lb blocks! We were THRILLED to be done with this. It took us over 2 months to do this wall. What takes most of the time is the preparation work. It takes forever to lay down the foundation for the first course of block. We backfilled with 125 tons of stone laid down 8 inches at a time then packed down. An incredibly long process. Why? Why does the preparation take longer? My neighbors put a little 3 foot lanon stone wall in and it only took 2 days. Why the difference? It's because of the function it is to serve. Their wall isn't holding back much dirt. Mine is keeping my neighbor's driveway from washing into my house. We want it to last. We want to make sure to do it right. Because of it's purpose, it must take much longer in preparation.
Sometimes the season of preparation you are in is taking longer because of the great purpose God has created you for. He is laying a foundation that needs to be firmly established so that you wont be washed away in the storms to come. We need to understand the importance of this. During what we call "holding patterns", we too often relax, and lose our intensity for the preparation process. We don't understand that this is our chance for being Empowered Through Biblical Training and we MUST make the most of this opportunity. If we don't give it that focus, then we risk never seeing God's purpose accomplished in us or through us.
I'm not sure where you're at right now, but I do know that the discipline of getting into the Word needs to be one of your highest priorities. You may be in the "deserts of Arabia", but understand that you can't just sit on a sand dune and feel sorry for yourself cuz your dream hasn't "happened" to you. You need to prepare for what is to come, because it is coming! And you will be able to say like Paul does in Gal 1:24 "And they gave glory to God because of 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
Isaiah 15:1-18:7
Galatians 1:1-24
Psalm 58:1-11
Proverbs 23:12
God has big plans for your life! Each of us has varying levels of understanding of that statement. We're all aware of Jer. 29:11, and know that God wants to do a great work in us and through us. So, now what?
There have been times of my life where I've been waiting for God's plans to "happen" to me. I get a big dream or vision, and then sit around and wait for it to occur. I wouldn't really recommend that as a course of action. At least not if you want to see the dream come about. Rarely, if ever, does God complete his work in us as we sit around and wait. One of my wife's middle school teachers always told her: "Nothing of value is ever obtained in an atmosphere of comfort." In other words, "No DREAM is free!"
In this opening chapter of Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul addresses the purity of the message of Jesus Christ. He's recounting to them that the plan of salvation is, and needs to remain unaltered. It is through Jesus Christ alone.
In verse 13-14, Paul is talking about his old life & how he tried so hard to be religious and was persecuting Christians. In verse 15 he says, "But then something happened! For even before I was born God had chosen me to be his, and called, me - what kindness and grace - to reveal his Son within me so that I could go to the Gentiles and show them the Good News about Jesus." You know the story - Damascus, light, etc.
You can remember from reading in Acts what happened next. He got hooked up with Ananias, etc. We probably think that after such a dramatic conversion, Paul was thrust right into his dream - This "calling" that was ordained from before he was born. Not so.
"When all this happened to me I didn't go at once and talk it over with anyone else; I didn't go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. No, I went away into the deserts of Arabia, and then came back to the city of Damascus. It was not until three years later that I finally went to Jerusalem for a visit with Peter, and stayed there with him for fifteen days." (Gal 1:16-18) In verse 22 he says, "And still the Christians in Judea didn't even know what I looked like."
When God moves on our hearts, and gives us a glimpse of His plan, we wanna get moving! We want to jump into victory and change the world. Right now. Why not? It's from God, right? Let's go! What are we waiting for?
It's easy to forget that God needs to bring us through a season of preparation. This is a season of becoming Empowered Through Biblical Training. It may involve a desert or wilderness, but it's not without purpose. It is a necessary part of the refining process. We need to understand that this is not a "holding pattern". It is a "proving ground". During these seasons of preparation, we need to be picking fruit that is necessary for the journey God has laid out for us. God needs to complete is work in you before he can complete his work through you.
When we built our house we had some major challenges. One of them was a grading problem between our neighbors driveway and our house. The slope was so intense, we were at risk of their driveway washing into our house. We had to build a huge retaining wall. It felt so good to place the last of the Four Hundred Six 75lb blocks! We were THRILLED to be done with this. It took us over 2 months to do this wall. What takes most of the time is the preparation work. It takes forever to lay down the foundation for the first course of block. We backfilled with 125 tons of stone laid down 8 inches at a time then packed down. An incredibly long process. Why? Why does the preparation take longer? My neighbors put a little 3 foot lanon stone wall in and it only took 2 days. Why the difference? It's because of the function it is to serve. Their wall isn't holding back much dirt. Mine is keeping my neighbor's driveway from washing into my house. We want it to last. We want to make sure to do it right. Because of it's purpose, it must take much longer in preparation.
Sometimes the season of preparation you are in is taking longer because of the great purpose God has created you for. He is laying a foundation that needs to be firmly established so that you wont be washed away in the storms to come. We need to understand the importance of this. During what we call "holding patterns", we too often relax, and lose our intensity for the preparation process. We don't understand that this is our chance for being Empowered Through Biblical Training and we MUST make the most of this opportunity. If we don't give it that focus, then we risk never seeing God's purpose accomplished in us or through us.
I'm not sure where you're at right now, but I do know that the discipline of getting into the Word needs to be one of your highest priorities. You may be in the "deserts of Arabia", but understand that you can't just sit on a sand dune and feel sorry for yourself cuz your dream hasn't "happened" to you. You need to prepare for what is to come, because it is coming! And you will be able to say like Paul does in Gal 1:24 "And they gave glory to God because of 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
Thursday, September 13, 2012
9.13.11 "Who's Discipling You?"
"Who's Discipling You?"
Isaiah 12:1-14:32
2 Corinthians 13:1-14
Psalm 57:1-11
Proverbs 23:9-11
Are you a disciple of Christ? What is a disciple? The dictionary says a follower of Jesus, or a student of a leader. We're commanded in Matthew 28:19 to "Go and make disciples..." Jesus had a lot of people around him, but not all of them were considered disciples. Why is that? The disciples were the ones who experienced changes in their behavior, redirection in their lives, and committed themselves to the path.
So "Who's discipling you?" I've asked that question to quite a few people. Some are new in the faith, others have been serving the Lord for years. The reactions to that question are pretty interesting. In fact, there have only been a few times when someone has been able to answer. What does that indicate?
If we are to "go into all the world and make disciples...", that should mean there are many disciples around everywhere right? To some extent, it could be argued that there are, based on our definition. What is a disciple? A follower? a learner? Most Christians would qualify for that definition. So if they're all disciples, who's discipling them?
I'm kind of taking a long way around a point I'm trying to make. There seems to be the feeling that the longer you've been a Christian, the less you need to be discipled. We get the feeling that our growth is just between us and God. This could not be further from the truth.
Empowered through Biblical Training is the element of DREAM that represents discipleship. There are many facets to this, including group bible study, church attendance, personal discipline in the word, but we forget the necessity of personal mentorship that comes through a close discipling relationship.
In today's reading, Paul makes a tough statement: "Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test? Do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren't at all?" (2 Cor. 13:5) That's a pretty strong, but it shows something. There needs to be an expectation to feel Christ's presence "more and more". There is a progression, a growth that is necessary to the Christian life.
Paul says at the end of verse 9 " Our greatest wish and prayer is that you will become mature Christians." This is the objective for all of us. How do we become mature? Of course it comes through getting into the word in greater ways, but a major element is being a part of an "iron sharpens iron" discipling relationship.
The root of discipleship is discipline which means "to bring into alignment." We need people we trust to help us stay the course, not grow weary, and to challenge our actions and decisions. This is a vital part of helping us become mature.
Another question to ask is "who are you discipling?" Your friends are not there to make you feel good. Remember, "it's not about you!" We need to be looking at every relationship as a discipling opportunity. A chance to help another come into alignment with the Word of God. It's interesting that we'd be more inclined to stop a friend from buying the wrong car than we would to help them out spiritually. We'll help them with a home improvement project, but we wont ask if they're getting in the Word each day.
We can't Live the DREAM without this. I need it, you need it, your world needs it.
2 Cor. 13:11 "I close my letter with these last words: Be happy. Grow in Christ. Pay attention to what I have said. Live in harmony and peace. And may the God of love and peace be with you."
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Isaiah 12:1-14:32
2 Corinthians 13:1-14
Psalm 57:1-11
Proverbs 23:9-11
Are you a disciple of Christ? What is a disciple? The dictionary says a follower of Jesus, or a student of a leader. We're commanded in Matthew 28:19 to "Go and make disciples..." Jesus had a lot of people around him, but not all of them were considered disciples. Why is that? The disciples were the ones who experienced changes in their behavior, redirection in their lives, and committed themselves to the path.
So "Who's discipling you?" I've asked that question to quite a few people. Some are new in the faith, others have been serving the Lord for years. The reactions to that question are pretty interesting. In fact, there have only been a few times when someone has been able to answer. What does that indicate?
If we are to "go into all the world and make disciples...", that should mean there are many disciples around everywhere right? To some extent, it could be argued that there are, based on our definition. What is a disciple? A follower? a learner? Most Christians would qualify for that definition. So if they're all disciples, who's discipling them?
I'm kind of taking a long way around a point I'm trying to make. There seems to be the feeling that the longer you've been a Christian, the less you need to be discipled. We get the feeling that our growth is just between us and God. This could not be further from the truth.
Empowered through Biblical Training is the element of DREAM that represents discipleship. There are many facets to this, including group bible study, church attendance, personal discipline in the word, but we forget the necessity of personal mentorship that comes through a close discipling relationship.
In today's reading, Paul makes a tough statement: "Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test? Do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren't at all?" (2 Cor. 13:5) That's a pretty strong, but it shows something. There needs to be an expectation to feel Christ's presence "more and more". There is a progression, a growth that is necessary to the Christian life.
Paul says at the end of verse 9 " Our greatest wish and prayer is that you will become mature Christians." This is the objective for all of us. How do we become mature? Of course it comes through getting into the word in greater ways, but a major element is being a part of an "iron sharpens iron" discipling relationship.
The root of discipleship is discipline which means "to bring into alignment." We need people we trust to help us stay the course, not grow weary, and to challenge our actions and decisions. This is a vital part of helping us become mature.
Another question to ask is "who are you discipling?" Your friends are not there to make you feel good. Remember, "it's not about you!" We need to be looking at every relationship as a discipling opportunity. A chance to help another come into alignment with the Word of God. It's interesting that we'd be more inclined to stop a friend from buying the wrong car than we would to help them out spiritually. We'll help them with a home improvement project, but we wont ask if they're getting in the Word each day.
We can't Live the DREAM without this. I need it, you need it, your world needs it.
2 Cor. 13:11 "I close my letter with these last words: Be happy. Grow in Christ. Pay attention to what I have said. Live in harmony and peace. And may the God of love and peace be with you."
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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