Jesus is the answer to your searching

 

 



John 1:14 announces, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The phrase "became flesh and dwelt among us" literally means that He tabernacled among us, or, He pitched His tent among us.  All the glory that is God became a human being.  There is no greater truth in all the universe than the fact that we stand in the presence of both the full humanity and the full deity of Jesus.  He is the God-man.  He shows us what God is like.  He is the One who heals, loves, serves, waits, blesses, dies, and rises again-- this is the ultimate human being, and this is God.

Near the end of the gospel of John, John writes in chapter 20:31 "but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."  Jesus is the key to life.  We all want to live -- old and young alike.  We all seek the key to life.  We seek fulfillment.  These are the deepest yearnings in peoples lives.  And when we come to the end of our search (as Solomon did), we find Jesus waiting for us with open arms.  He is the goal of all our searching, all our desiring.  He makes us to be all we were designed to be.

How can you stand in the presence of this divine mystery, in the shadow of the God-man who made the universe, then died upon a lonely hill, and not feel your heart drawn to worship Him?  The great hymn of the faith says:

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in my Savior's blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love, how can it be

That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

 

That is true worship--a recognition that Jesus is God, and that God has submitted Himself to death on our behalf!  And true worship leads us to action, to service, to obedience. As in the words of the hymn, "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."



When the stuggles come, seek the Lord first

We all have struggles and battles in life.  Some are small and some are big, but no matter what the size or shape there is a course that we need to take.  In 2 Chronicles 20 there is a story about King Jehoshaphat and a battle he is about the face.  In fact the battle that Jehoshaphat faces will determine the possibility of his future existence. 

We read in 2 Chronicles 20:1-4 these words: It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. ² Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). ³ And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord

The text emphasizes the sheer size of opposition Jehoshaphat faces.  The Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites have banned together against Judah.  Any one of these would have been a sizeable opponent.  But together they represent an impossible obstacle to remove.  So this is the nature of Judahs dilemma.  Judah faces this possibility: 'you may not be here tomorrow.' 'the enemy means busness'.   You know some problems we have are in a class of their own.  There are problems and then there are problems.  There are problems that leave you reeling and in disbelief and you don’t know what to do.  It might be a marriage that’s falling apart, perhaps a great financial difficulty, a personal relationship problem, illness, job or continual attacks from Satan on your spiritual life. 

Now think of this.  Jehoshaphat is a King, a military leader, a soldier from the ground up.  His first natural instinct, his trained instinct would be the organizational and administrative response.  The enemy is coming, so sound the alarm, round up the troops, hide the women and children, put the sandbags at the gate, get the horses and chariots ready, prepare for battle.  But that is not what he does.  He pushes back the natural and human instincts and instead seeks the Lord in prayer.  And not just seeking the Lord in prayer himself, but he calls all the people to come together and seek and pray to the Lord for help.  That's so hard for us to do isn't it?  We want to make plan A, B and C and then ask God to bless it.  What we need to do is go to Him first, seek Him and ask Him for help and direction.

The first response of Jehoshaphat should be our response as well.  Nothing shows how a life is oriented, or what it’s basically all about like what we do first when confronted by a crises, battle or problem, no matter what the size. 

There is a great old Hymn that has these words

I must tell Jesus, all of my trials,

I cannot bear these burdens alone;

In my distress He kindly will help me

He ever loves and cares for His own.

I must tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus

I cannot bear these burdens alone

I must tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus

Jesus can help me, Jesus alone

Focal Point is more than a blog. It's purpose is to help us stay focused on Christ through Gods Word as we navigate through life and today's culture.

Almost six years ago I added the title 'Focal Point' and picture to my blog. In fact, I had set up this blog for my thoughts and comments, on various topics that related to the Christian life.  At the same time I created a separate 'Focal Point' Facebook page to post encouraging devotional insights.  I realized there were other ministries that were called focal point at that time and others have started up since.  But, I really like the title because we all need that point of focus in our life to keep us on the right track, and Jesus is just that.   Now I don't consider myself a great or even good blogger, my gift is more teaching, preaching and sharing devotional insights.  So, I decided to combine my blog and devotional thoughts into one.  Thus, my blog is more than just a blog.  It's purpose as stated above is to help us stay focused on Christ through Gods Word as we navigate through life and today's culture. With this purpose more defined for me I believe I will be posting more often and I trust the words you read will be a help and encouragement to you as we stay focused on Christ.  So welcome to my re-focused Focal Point devotional 'blog'. I hope you will visit it often and if you get something out of it pass it on to a friend, or send them to my link.  May the Lord encourage us as we travel this road of life together.

What's in a name?

I have seven grandchildren. For the months that lead up to their birth, my wife and I wondered what their name would be. My children and their spouse went through a variety of names for a variety of reasons until they settled on a name they both liked. For some parents they search through a baby book trying to find a name that has a good meaning to it.

But what is it about the name ‘Jesus’ that is so significant? What is it about His Name that is so profound and so inspiring that even today, 2,000 years removed from the events of Bethlehem that we are singing, preaching and praising His name? 

When God sent His messenger to Mary declaring that she had found favor in the eyes of the Lord and she would give birth to the Son of God, God also gave instructions as to what name He was to be given. "You are to give Him the name Jesus."

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, Jeshua or Jehoshua. Each means "God (Yahweh) will save" or "God is salvation." Now that's some name. If that didn't convey to Mary the overarching purpose and fundamental reason for Jesus to be born, her husband-to-be had no doubts. As Joseph wrestled with what to do after finding out Mary was with child, and we are told in scripture that a angel appeared to him in a dream. Joseph was instructed to take Mary as his wife. Then, almost as if to insure both understood the importance of naming Him Jesus, the angel tells Joseph, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

The entire purpose of His coming was that He might save His people from their sins. Separated from God, mankind needed a Savior. We needed someone able to remove our sin once and for all. Jesus Christ was on a mission to save all of humanity by offering Himself on the cross for our sin. The manger may seem sweet and innocent, but the cross was in clear view from that barn on that first Christmas night. He came to us and for us. He loved us so much He gave Himself. He is the most expensive gift and the perfect gift. He's the gift for all people. You might buy me a crossbow for Christmas and that wouldn't quite fit me. For someone else it would be perfect. But Jesus is perfect for all because He died for all. And His name carries that message. He is called Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

Christmas is a celebration of Jesus. His name is wonderful. His name is great. His name is matchless. His name is above every human philosophy. His name is good. His name is great. His name is majestic. His name is glorious. His name is holy. His name is near. His name is Jesus. "God will save" because God sent His Son Jesus to save us. He was born, lived a perfect life, died for our sin and rose again. And all who "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" will know the salvation and peace of God. 

What should be our response to His name? We should praise His name, honor His name, proclaim his name, trust His name and love His name.

There truly is something about that name. His Name shall be called 'Jesus' for Hwe will save His people from their sins.

Merry Christmas

What is below the waterline of your life?

 

 

When building a ship it is very important as to what goes below the waterline.  A ship builder that has put a lot of time, money and design into what can be seen will probably get a lot of praise from those looking at it.  They might want to have their picture taken by it, throw parties on it and enjoy an afternoon boat ride around the harbor.  But if the builder has not put much importance on what is below the waterline, what can’t be seen, then it might mean possible disaster for the passengers.  As long as the sun is shining, there is a light breeze, and the waters are calm, the ride can be enjoyable and carry with it a measure of security and safety.  But when the waves pick up, the winds begin to blow and the storm rages, look out.  That ship that looked so good above the water when all is calm, is not looking so safe now in those stormy seas.  It is at this point that the owner is wishing he would have spent more time, money and design on what really matters for a ships safety and that is on what is below the waterline.

 

So it is in our life.  So many times we spend the major amount of emphasis on what is above the waterline of our life.  Our looks, image, clothing, house and car, how people view us and what they think of us.  And while the sun is shining, and the seas of our life are calm, all is good.  But when we begin to go through the storms of life, when Satan comes at us (and he will) like a roaring lion, when life struggles begin to surface it is very important what is below the waterline of our life.  What we built into our life that is not easily seen or even praised by onlookers becomes very important.  The discipline of being in God’s Word, faithful church attendance, prayer, worship, character, integrity, and the discipline to do what is right regardless of the situation is what builds strength for the storms of life, no matter where they come from.

 

So, on what part of your life are you spending most of your time and energy?

Growing into spiritual maturity

 

 

Have you ever went to bed at night and wished you could wake up mature? Wouldn't it be great to wake up in the morning not as a new infant believer but as a spiritually mature adult?  That in the morning everything would be different about your life?  I think any Christian who is really walking in the Spirit would say to themself:  "I want to be spiritually mature" "I want to be spiritually effective" "I want to be all that God wants me to be."  And that is fine to have that wish and to have that kind of desire but it only comes to pass when you build your life on certain fundamentals and basics. 

 

If you study sports you will find that the best coaches will drill their athletes on certain basic fundamentals. There are certain athletic type events that demand proper foundational principles.  Any good team and any good athlete have either mastered or will at least continue to focus on the fundamentals of their sport.

 

Well that is true also in the spiritual dimension.  No one is going to wake up profound, wake up skilled in ministry, spiritually acute, wise, or able to apply all spiritual truth to all dimensions of ones life.  How great would that be if it could happen? Well it doesn't.  But we can put ourself on the road to where we see that take place more and more in our Christian life.  We must learn at some point in our Christian experience that we must apply ourself to certain spiritual fundaments.  To the basics of Christian living if we are going to be mature, if we are going to be effective, if we are going to be all that God wants us to be.

 

Some might say that the basics/fundamentals are prayer and bible study. But I would say that having an attitude of submission is the foundation and basic to all.  Not only living with an attitude of submission to one another as Paul points out in Ephesians, and to the Christian and church leadership in your life as is pointed out in I Peter and Hebrews.  But also having an attitude of submission to the Lord in regards to prayer and bible study.  Because if you dont have the fundamental attitude of submission when you read Gods Word then you are going to question it, fight against, and rebel against it rather than submit to what God is telling you.  If you do not have an attitude of submission when it comes to prayer then you will not pray as Jesus did, "not my will but Thine be done" and then be willing to obey and do it.

 

Yes, no one wants to stay a baby or even act like a new born believer all their life.  We all want to grow and become what God wants us to be.  The way to do that is build into our lives the basics of Christian living and it all begins with the fundamental attitude of submission

There is Freedom in Jesus

Unfortunately many are bound by past failures, and as a result feel that they can never succeed.  There are those today bound by sin and think their situation is hopeless - so why try?  I am reminded of the experiment done with the Great Northern  Pike where the fish was placed into a tank with its favorite food..minnows.  The problem was that a glass divider was inserted into the tank between the Pike and the minnows.  Every time the Pike went for the minnows he bumped his nose into the glass divider.  Finally, convinced that the minnows were beyond his reach, he gave up.  When the divider was removed, the Pike did not go for even one minnow.  Sometimes, we are like that Pike.  We've been convinced that we could never break free from the patterns of defeat and failure that have bound us.  But that is not true! There is freedom and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  Jesus came to break the chains of sin that bind us, to set us free and give us new life in Him.

Are you wearing a mask?



There are alot of deep needs that we have, but to be loved hits at a very basic human need.  Your greatest need is not money, success, fame or to get another job.  Your greatest need is to be loved.  Not with sentimental love, not sexual love, but Gods love.  And because we so desperately want to be loved we are willing to do desperate things to get love.  Infact, many put on what I call 'love masks'. What love masks are, are things we put on to disguise our real need for love.  I grant you when we wear these we do get a little bit of love but nothing that really lasts.

 

 

Recently my wife and I went to San Francisco and attended the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera. What a fantastic production. One of my favorite songs in the musical is the song 'Masquerade'. The lyrics are:

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade . . .

Masquerade!

Hide your face,

so the world will

never find you!

Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!

How true are those words. So many people today wearing a mask, hiding who they really are and never letting the world see the real person. But not only do we wear masks to hide behind, but we also hide behind the ‘love masks’ so desperately trying to find something to fulfill the love we seek and need.  ‘Look around, there’s another mask behind you’ yes look around and you will see another person seeking real love but hiding behind a mask that doesn’t satisfy.

 

Some of the Masks we hide behind might be:

 

The mask of performance: When we achieve and perform there are some people in our lives that will say, "look at what they achieved and we get a little bit of love and value from that.

 

The mask of people: Oftentimes we get love, affirmation and value from people. It might be from our own children when they accomplish good grades and we proudly display the bumper sticker that says, 'proud parent of a student at __name of school _____'

 

The mask of pity: Sometimes people will put themselves down only to have another pat them on the back and say, "poor you"...we get a little bit of love and affirmation that way.

 

The mask of position: Some feel that if they can just get to the next position on the job that will give them the value and love they need.

 

The mask of physical attention: A lot of times we equat physical contact with real love.

 

The mask of pleasure: If I could just have that next vacation, that next high, that experience.

 

The mask of Possesions: If I could live in that house, in that neighborhood, drive that car.

 

The problem with these masks is that they are temporary forms of love, pleasure, value, acceptance and appreciation. The problem also is that when we wear them, it creates a thirst for more love. But there is a love far deeper than any human love and what any of the ‘love masks’ can produce.  It is God’s amazing love.  So take off those paper masks of various shades, that fade away and don’t satisfy.  Take off the masks you are hiding behind that pretend to fulfill you.  And find real love that is found in the Love of God through Jesus Christ.



God knows your name and He cares

Does God really care? Does he really care about the small things going on in my life? In fact does he really know my name? Well, yes he cares and not only does he care, he even knows your name. As it says in Isaiah he even has your name written on the palm of his hands. Think of that, God knows your name and cares about you and wants you to pray.

The Lord has been teaching me and convicting me so much in the matter of prayer and to pray in faith. Recently we concluded  a prayer series in our small group and will preach on it at church soon.  Through this I hope our church will grow to a greater level of prayer.  It is my prayer that we will see the vast importance and blessing that comes through prayer.

Now, sometimes God wants us to pray and go, to act and cooperate with His plan. But that takes the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives to realize exactly what it is He wants us to do as we pray. Then there are other times we are to simply pray and wait on the Lord. This too takes prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit if that is what we are to simply do.

But most importantly God wants us to remember that He cares about every aspect of our life. That we can put all our troubles and cares into His Almighty Hand knowing that He has the power to help us. I love what 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” why? Because through prayer God can and will help.

I think about Moses as he was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. In Exodus 14:13 he instructs them to “do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Are you kidding? Stand still? Moses, the enemy is approaching, they are behind us and there is a body of water we can’t cross in front of us. It was an impossible situation from man’s point of view, but not for God. May I remind you that nothing is impossible with God.

As Moses spoke to the people to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. I am also reminded of the Psalmist words in Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” And that is exactly what God wants us to do when we go through difficulties, trials and valleys. He wants us to pray and turn to Him. He wants us to cast all our cares at His feet. He wants us to be still and know He is God.

I came across this writing from the ‘Angels were Silent’

He’s waiting for you. God is standing on the porch of heaven, expectantly hoping, searching the horizon for a glimpse of his child. You’re the one God is seeking. God is the waiting Father, the caring Shepherd in search of his lamb. His legs are scratched, his feet are sore, and his eyes are burning. He scales the cliffs and traverses the fields. He explores the caves. He cups his hands to his mouth and calls into the canyons. And the name he calls is yours. The message is simple; God gave up His Son in order to rescue all his sons and daughters. To bring his children home. He’s listening for your answer.”

God wants us to pray to Him and trust Him

Are you living in fear because of Boston?

 

 

Once again our nation has been attacked and this time in Boston at the Boston Marathon. The terrorist attack was not aimed at bringing down a building, or a plane.  It was not aimed at some prominent politician but rather at innocent citizens watching a race, a race that for some included their family and friends.  As a result of these kinds of attacks, whether it be at a mall, theater, school, bus, building or athletic competition it causes people to obviously react.  For some, it is easy to over react however over reacting can be dangerous.  One way to over react is to begin to live in fear.  That might be natural, but fear leads to phobias and phobias tend to keep us indoors, isolated and basically stop living.  And soon, we become afraid to do anything or go anywhere.

This week a friend of mine named Ben (who Pastors in the Boston area) wrote an opening paragraph to us pastors on a pastors email list that I am on and then included a letter he had written to his church and community. I want to share the introductory paragraph and then the letter he wrote.  His words are great words of encouragement that surely will speak to all of us.

Men,

After speaking with a friend from the church who was 30 yards from the first bomb explosion, hugging his daughter over a crowd barrier as she finished the race I wrote down a few thoughts. He and I had spent the past few weeks talking about kids, travel, and safety (My oldest is traveling to teach in Turkey this summer)...you quickly realize safety anywhere is an illusion outside of Christ.

Ben

Now here is the well written letter to his church and community.

Boston, Bombs, & Belief

 Dear Church, friends, and community,

 

We live in world that is not right...moments like this are painful reminders that our world needs what Jesus Christ brought. Better intelligence, safer cities, more laws, and stronger armies are no substitute for a renovation of the heart. When the reality of a moment like this has finally settled, in our thoughts turn to “what next?” and “how do we respond?”.  Here are three ways we can begin:

 

 Pray for justice

 

The aftermath of moments like this one can bring out the best and worst in all of us. We speak of justice but our spirit craves vengeance. Vengeance is justice gone wild - justice laced with hatred. Justice is right, righteous, and fearsome…and it belongs to God and to the governments He has established.

 

The Apostle Paul directs us to give our vengeance to God in one chapter - apparently He is good at it - (Rom 12:17-21), and then moments later he speaks of God directing governments to bring the righteous consequences of justice to evildoers (Rom 13:1-7).  

 

Pray for justice, pray for our leaders, and pray for our country as we seek justice.

 

Live without fear

Terrorism has a singular goal:  terror…to exchange our peace and confidence for fear and dread.  Our natural reaction is to limit risk, to run from life and living to a safer place…but where is this mythical safe place?  A tranquil elementary school, a celebratory finish line, an office tower built of steel and concrete?

While we seek safe places, God reminds us that confidence comes from within:  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (1 Timothy 1:7).

If the safest place to be is in the center of God's plan, then the question we should be asking is, “Am I where God wants me?”  If  you are…stay there, serve others, and spread His love in small acts and bold reminders of the unconditional love of God - love proven once and for all in Jesus Christ.

Resolve to love

Hatred can feel empowering in moments like this.  Water cooler moments, Facebook walls, and Twitter feeds are full of bold declarations of resolve. Resolve is good, but let us resolve to love…the rarest of emotions in moments like this.

Jesus famously said “Love your enemies” (Mt 5:44) - a declaration not faded one bit by an enemy's tactics or hatred. Justice and love are not enemies but allies. They validate each other in ways that  capitulation and hatred only hope to.

Pray, Live, Love.

As I read Bens article I thought of the video of Francis Chan that speaks to this subject as well.

A video well worth your time to watch

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FE29CFNU

Are you hindering the cause of Christ?



 



In the film, ‘Remember the Titans’, you see the true story of two coaches, one white and one black who are asked to coach a newly integrated team.  The head coach (played by Denzel Washington) has to try to get this team to put aside their differences and focus on their common goal.  As they begin to do this they not only begin to play good football, but they begin to change individually as well.  And this change that begins within themselves and the team, begins to change the entire community.

 

In the same manner we come from different backgrounds.  We have different tastes, styles and interests.  And we can let our differences divide us or we can let our common experience of grace in Christ unite us.  Yes, in our quest for truth we may still debate issues..but our goal will not be to be focused on self or my way, but to know Christ better.  Our differences will not be the cause for division they will provide opportunities to grow.

 

I’ve said it before and will say it again, Christians fighting Christians only causes the world to turn away.  But when Christians work together, the world takes notice. In the early church many people didn’t understand the gospel, but what they did understand was that these people loved each other.  If we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel we will gladly set aside our ego for the purpose of advancing the gospel.  We will overlook minor differences and discuss bigger differences in a spirit of love. 

 

Let me ask you a straight forward question.  What fellow believer are you figthting with or at odds with right now?  It doesn't matter if they are within your church or not, someone is watching and it will effect the cause of Christ.

I thirst

Right now as I am writing it is pouring down rain outside.  It is not one of those days that is hot and dry and where you are craving for a glass of water.  Believe me, like many of you I have had those days when living in Redding where the temperature in the summertime can soar to 115 for several days in a row.  But today: that is definitely not the case.

At Smith River Baptist Church   http://smithriverbaptist.org/ we are in the middle of a series that deals with the final words of Christ on the cross that can be heard at http://smithriverbaptist.org/sermons/ 

This Sunday we are looking at the passage where Jesus said “I thirst”.  It is the only statement in which our Lord referred to His body and His physical suffering.  Perhaps you have wondered why he would say that.  I mean after all He was Jesus, He was God and yet He thirst?  You mean He suffered and got thirsty just like we do?  Well, as a matter of fact He did and as a result He is able to sympathize with our needs.  You see, while Jesus was 100% divine, He was also 100% human. Because He walked upon this earth as a man, though He knew no sin, He did become very much acquainted with the difficulties of life here below. When He was a child, He probably skinned His knee a time or two. As a teenager, it is likely that He knew what it was like to not be part of the "in" crowd. Learning the carpenter’s trade in His father’s shop, He possibly had a splinter or two, and He also could very well have smashed His finger on occasion with a hammer. As a man, He knew what it was to grow tired, to be cold, to sweat, to be hungry, and, of course, He knew what it was like to be thirsty.

During an airline flight, concern over the heavy turbulence mounted until the soothing voice of the pilot came over the inter¬com: “No need to worry, folks,” he said cheerfully, “Just remember: these bumps are made of air!” We may wish the bumps we face in life were made of air, but they are not. Life is difficult; adversities are real. Physical trials sting and smart. Emotional trials leave us with unresolved baggage. Spiritual trials drain our souls.

Jesus felt the "bumps" as He lived here among men. Because this is so, we know that He understands where we are and what we are going through in our struggles in this life. 

“We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” - Hebrews 4:15-16 (The Message)

One of Denmark’s leading sculptors had a burning ambition to create the greatest statue of Jesus ever made. He began by shaping a clay model of a triumphant, regal figure. The head was thrown back and the arms were upraised in a gesture of great majesty. It was his conception of Christ the King: Strong, Dominant. "This will be my masterpiece," he said, on the day the model was completed. But, during the night a heavy fog rolled into the area and sea-spray seeped through a partially opened window of the artist’s ocean-side studio. The moisture affected the shape of the model so that when the artist returned to the studio in the morning, he was shocked to find a wounded figure. The droplets of moisture that had formed on the statue created the illusion of bleeding. The head had drooped. The facial expression had been transformed from one of strength to compassion. And the arms had dropped into an attitude of welcome. The artist stared at the figure, agonizing over the time wasted and the need to begin all over again. But something came over him to change his mood. He began to see that this image of Christ was the truer one. Then he wrote at the base of the newly-shaped figure: "Come unto Me!"

God told me to do it part 2

 

 

So…..God told you to do that?  Really? Seriously? How do you know that?

 

For those of us who lived back in the 70s there was a CB phrase that truckers used.  Remember it?  It was this:  “Got your ears on?”  What did that mean?  It meant, are you listening? Are you tuned in to the same frequency, the same CB channel, are you listening to me?  Well actually Jesus said something of the same thing over 2,000 years ago when He said in Luke 8:8 “He who has ears to hear let him hear”.  He is talking about if you have the equipment needed to tune in, then tune in..listen.  And the truth of the matter is that we do have the equipment needed, God has given you the ability to hear from Him.

 

There are times when you are traveling on the freeway and about to enter a city that you might see a billboard with a message and a radio station call number on it.  The message on the billboard reads, “for updated traffic conditions tune in to _______ on your AM dial. But you don’t do it, you ignore the advice just like I often do.. I mean really, how many of us turn off the music and turn on the traffic report?  But then comes the time you wish you had because you come upon construction or unfortunately an accident that is causing hours of delay.  If you had just tuned in and heard the message you could have taken a different route and saved yourself all that time.  But no, the information line was ignored and we are stuck suffering the consequences of not tuning in and listening.

 

So this leads me to think of a very important reason to tune in, put my ears on, and hear from the Lord.  And it is this: ‘It protects me from mistakes’.  If you will listen, God will warn you in advance of the delays, and traps of life.  Proverbs 3:5 & 6 is very real when it says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.”  Proverbs is saying, “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere go. He’s the one who will keep you on track.”  God is trying to say to us, “Watch out for this today”.  Because His warnings and directives will at some point during the day protect me and keep me from making a stupid mistake.  God will do that for you if you will listen to Him.

 

God told me to do it....

 

Probably one of the most dangerous phrases in the English language is this phrase:  ‘God told me to do it’.  This could be one of the most misunderstood phrases, most misused, most abused phrases and it could be one of the manipulating phrases when somebody says that.  Because how do you argue with God when someone says, “God told me to do it”?

 

A lot of bad decisions have been blamed on God because people think that it was God who told them to do a certain thing.  I have to admit, even as a pastor when someone tells me “God told me to do this” I get a little skeptical at times.  Because I want to know, how do you know it was from God. 

 

Perhaps you have said that yourself at some point, or you have even heard someone said it only to scratch your head and think, “what?…no, I don’t think so.”  I heard it twice recently on television. Once on Restaurant Impossible when Chef Robert Irvine asked a restaurant owner where he came up with his terrible tasting spaghetti sauce?  The owner replied by saying, “it was divine, God told him how to make it.”  Hm….The second time was when one of the American Idol contestants, (who was only seen during the audition segments and never did sing the right note) was asked by the judges, “who suggested you tryout for this”? The contestant said,  “God told me to tryout”.  Well, how do we know when God is truly speaking to us?  How do we know when it is not our own self talking to us, satan talking to us or simply some bad spaghetti sauce we ate late one night?  Because knowing where this ‘voice’ is coming from is very important in making the proper decisions in our life.  We better make sure the voice we are hearing and the instructions we are receiving is in fact coming from God and His Word.  And there are some ways to know this….

 

Stay tuned..to be continued

Thought for the Day - God loves you

 

This is one of my favorite stories that makes a great point.  A young preacher had installed a weather vane on top of his church with the words 'God is Love" on it.  He was then asked if that meant Gods love changes with the wind?  His reponse was "no,  it means which ever way the wind is blowing God still loves".   And you know, he was right because no matter which way the wind is blowing in your life and no matter what the circumstances you find yourself in right now or tomorrow or next week, God loves you.

Make Yourself at Home

 

Where do you find you are most at home in this world? 

Have you ever gone on a trip for a length of time and when you finally got home, you walked into your house and said,"its good to be home".  You dropped your suitcases on the floor, felt the security of your house, sat down in your favorite chair, kicked off your shoes, cranked up the fireplace, made a bowl of popcorn, leaned back in the recliner and said "home" and took a peaceful breath. 

Or, have you ever gone to someones house and heared them say, "just make yourself at home?"  That's a nice offer but do they really mean that?  Can you really do that?  I mean, do you have the freedom to start going through their closet, cupboards, desk?  Do you really feel comfortable taking your shoes off (or leaving your shoes on) and putting them on top of the coffee table?  Can you open the frig, get out some food and start cooking it?  One night my son came over and he said to his mother,  what have you got to eat?  Well I had some leftover pizza wrapped in foil and hidden in the back of the frig for this very reason, I knew he might come over and I didnt want him to see it :)...Well Karen said to him, "sure, dad has some pizza in the frig, to which he did not hesitate in finding it and then reheating it.  Agh !! :)   That is making yourself at home.  Well, that might work in your parents home, but does making yourself at home work like that in someone elses home?..Does it really work that way?  Well no it doesn't. 

So ...where do you find you really are most at home in this world?  What does being "at home" mean to you? Well, aren't you at home where you are most free to be yourself, where you are most comfortable, where you are most secure, and where you have the most freedom to be honest about who you really are? We are at home where our roots are the deepest, where we know we belong and where we can most be ourselves and where we don't have to try to impress anyone to be ourself. And, where you can go to the frig and help yourself without being invited or having to ask.

I think that is what David is asking in Psalm 27:4 when he says:

One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple

David is saying the place he wanted to be most at home, most comfortable, most real, most secure, the place he knew he would be certain he belonged was in the presence of the Lord.  There is an old gospel song that says:

Feeling at home in the presence of Jesus,

Hearing Him call me His own
Feeling at home,

Feeling at home

Putting my feet right under His table

Knowing I won't be alone
Just feeling at home

Feeling at home

For the Christian when we are in the presence of Jesus as we spend time in worship, prayer, His Word, in church and walking in obedience is when feel most at home.

 

 







Choices

Recently our family just got back from a great trip to Disneyland.  We had an amazing time, riding rides, eating, watching parades and shows and most of all watching my granddaughter get to see the Disney Princesses ...like Belle...

But one thing we found to be true not only every morning, but all through the day was that we had choices to make. Choices of what rides to ride and at what time and on what day so that we were not standing in long lines.  And one piece of technology that really helped us make the wisest decisions was a Disney App on my daughters Iphone. 

Well each day and all through the day we have choices to make concerning areas that are far more important and eternal than what disney rides to ride on at what time.  And..we have something far greater to help us with those decisions than an App.  We have Gods Word and His Holy Spirit to instruct us and guide us. 

See, life is all about choices.  We have choices to make concerning our lifestyle or how we are going to live.  We also have choices to make concerning our allegiance or what we are going to be committed to.  Questions like:

How are we going to live?
What is going to be the object of our affections?
Are we going to live for ourselves, for someone else or for the Lord?
Will you let God be God in your life or will you let other things crowd Him out?

These questions are extremely important.  You see, to put Him first in our life (as Scripture commands) is to know the blessing of His peace, His love, His provision and His life.  But to put other things first is to know the ultimate emptiness of things that simply does not satisfy.  When we say that Jesus Christ is Lord, we are saying that God is top priority.

Mark 12: 30 says "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

Then in
Exodus 20:3 says "You shall have no other gods before me"

Now while we are to Love the Lord with all that is within us and then allow His Word and Spirit to guide us...The answer to our choices in life isn't to 'just love God'.. The trick is to love Him exclusively.."You shall have no other gods before me".  When we love like that it helps tremendously with the choices we have to make in life. 

While a Disney App on your phone may guide you through Disneyland.. Gods Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path..and the more I love God exclusively the more I allow His word to do just that

When you need Help: Look Up

Where do you go when you need help?  I guess we can look in the want ads, call our parents or a close friend.  Perhaps even call your Pastor, go to your spouse and you might even go to your boss.  Sometimes however we talk to the wrong people about our needs.  We go to a person who either gives us bad advice or they really can not do anything tangible for us at all. 

Not only who do we go to for help but where do we go when going through the valleys?  I don't mean the valleys of death, I mean just the deep dark valleys of life, valleys that so many of us travel through.  You might say, "well its pretty shallow right now, its not that deep, and I can make it myself"  Well I have news for you, unless you begin to look in the right direction even when it is shallow you just might sink to despair when it gets deep simply from lack of practice.  Too many people wait until its a 911 call to heaven before they start talking to God about the valleys of their life.

Psalm 121 has been a tremendous help to so many people.  I know it was to me just three years ago when Karen was in the hospital and I was going through that dark valley.  It is a passage that has been memorized, quoted and sung about.. It is a reminder that God was and is a great source of help and strength to those of us in need. 

Psalm 121 says I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night

⁷ The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
⁸ The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore

 

When your mountain seems too big to climb, look up and remember who gives you the help you need.

 

 

 

Handling Discouragement

Do you ever get discouraged?  I do, and most often it is in relationship to Ministry.  I love our church, I love our families, I love being in the ministry, but I get discouraged at times.  Why? Because I love our church, I love our families and I love being in the ministry.  You see, because I love them I want to see them grow, be faithful, see God do a work in their families and in their personal lives.  I want to see God do something marvelous in His church and the family of God.  I want to see Husbands grow, wives grow, teenagers and children grow in Christ, and go deeper in their faith.  So, when I see families not attending, not putting their families in the one place that can have eternal value in their life (and that is regular systematic Sunday worship), I get concerned for them and at times it can lead to discouragement.  Because, as we all know, one thing leads to another, and it doesn’t take long where a one Sunday absentee becomes a month absenteeism  and then months of being not in Gods house.  Then bad things begin to take place and we wonder : how did we or I ever get to this point in my life? 

 

Then there are times when I get discouraged over the opposition, resistance and criticism one faces in the ministry when you are simply trying to do something for God.  I am reminded of a letter William Carey wrote to a group of Christians who was opposing him on his missionary desires.  Carey wrote, “do great things for God, expect great things from God.”  Carey faced opposition, Nehemiah faced Opposition to rebuilding the wall, I face opposition and so will you.  You will face opposition in your life when you decide to become what God wants you to be.  When you decide to grow in Christ, go deeper with him, or attempt to serve Him in a deeper way, you will face opposition as well.  And that opposition may come from family, friends, nonbelievers and of course the one who is behind it all ..Satan himself.

 

So, what do we do with our discouragement?  How do we handle it?  Do we even know where it is coming from?  Let me give you some thoughts on this that comes from my series on Nehemiah that can be heard in its entirety at   www.smithriverbaptist.org/sermons/   

 

First, why do we get discouraged and where does it start?  Well its starts with fatigue, with being tired.  Often times being physically, spiritually, emotionally and/or mentally tired leads to discouragement.   This is why we need times of rest for all four of those areas.  We need to do as Jesus did and that is to get away and rest and pray.  Another place that discouragement comes from is fear. Perhaps it’s the fear of the unknown, fear of the enemy.  Perhaps we get tired of the spiritual opposition that we face in our life and that leads to the fear of that opposition and what they might say or do.  And because of those two elements it leads to discouragement.

 

Now there is a danger in discouragement.  The danger is that it can very easily distort reality.  For instance in the Book of Nehemiah the people are tired, fearful and they see all the rubbish and basically tell Nehemiah they can’t go on because of all the rubbish.  Well the truth of the matter is that the rubbish was half gone.  It was not as bad as thought.  We at times get so discouraged that we look at the rubbish around us, or the situation we find ourselves in and think it is worse than it really is.  We look at the seemingly lack of progress we are making in our Christian life and think there is still “too much rubbish” and we say as the people of Nehemiah did, “I cant go on, I am discouraged, I quit.”

 

Well, what did Nehemiah do with his opposition and what did he tell the people to do with their discouragement.  The answer is twofold – One is to pray, stay on our knees before the Lord.  This is what Nehemiah did.  When faced with opposition he prayed, he was a man of prayer.  But the second thing he did was stay focused on what God had called him to do.  That is what you and I must do as well.  We must stay focused on Gods plan and will for our lives and not let ourselves get distracted with all ‘rubbish”. 

 

But there was something else Nehemiah encouraged the people to do in relationship to their discouragement.  They were not only to stay focused on the task at hand, but also focused on who God is.  And that is what we are to do as well.  Stay focused on who God is in our lives.  Nehemiah says to the people “remember the Lord, great and awesome” ( chpt 4:14)  Let us also remember that God is a personal God, God is a caring God (we can cast all our care on Him), God is a powerful God, God is an awesome God, God is a sovereign God, God is a Victorious God, and God is a God who is on your side.  He is always on the side of His people.  Never forget that.

 

Psalm 56:1-4 and vs 8-9 says.  Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. ² My enemies would hound me all day, For there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. ⁴ In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? ⁹ When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me

Passion: Do you have one?

Passion, is one of the most important ingredients one can have in their life. It can mean the difference between success or failure, joy and contentment or discouragement, fulfillment and satisfaction or emptiness.

"So what is your passion?”

I love to be around people who are passionate about something.

School teachers who are passionate about teaching.

Coaches who are passionate about seeing players excel.

Business people who are passionate about their service or the product they sell.

People who are passionate to find a cure for a disease.

Christians passionate about those who need Jesus.

Christians passionate about loving Jesus and serving him.

And people passionate about being right with God.

And there of course are far more good things to be passionate about.

My passion is to see men and women change. Nothing gets me more excited and makes me feel more alive than to see average ordinary people discover Jesus and begin to seriously follow him. That is why I enjoy outreach, missions, Sundays and ministry in general.

I have always had a heart for people who have made some “detours” along the way and now are desperately seeking God.

Do you know your passion? Is there something about God and his mission that just causes you to come alive? Is there something about the kingdom of God that really does get you excited?

I really believe that one of the ways that Satan has impacted the church is by convincing us that the things of God are actually pretty boring. When we buy that, the result is deadly. First we lose any sense of a passion for God. Second, we begin to believe that the world offers us real excitement. Third, we become a people who go through the motions while our hearts are elsewhere.

It doesn’t have to be that way…