Lessons in Mercy - Part 4

Intro:
Floor passes to the U2 concert, a government facility, a construction site. What do these things have in common? You cannot get access to these places unless you have a pass or know someone.

In my job I often get through security because I am on site at the request of the owner or am actually with the owner. The owner has the ultimate authority. It is his project. His site. His money. The people on site are there at his request and are working for him. Knowing I am allowed access to the site gives me confidence. I have an answer to one that might call me into account.

Read:
Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Think:
Let's begin with the end in mind. Let's start at the end of this amazing section of Scripture and work backwards.

Followers of Jesus Christ are invited to approach God's throne with confidence ... we are invited to come into his presence and speak freely, not conceal things, not experience fear. That is a far different picture than the one painted in the Old Testament. The OT images of temple worship often included: fear, fire, calculated movements, specific sacrifices and no guarantee of acceptance.

Not so with Christ! He is the God-Man. He is the One that can reach out and touch a holy God and an unholy people at the same time. He is the bridge.

Why do we come to Jesus' throne? We come for help! Look back at the passage. We clearly are those that require mercy, grace and help. We clearly are those that have times of need. We clearly are those that can come with confidence to Jesus and find a Lord and also friend. We will find mercy.

How is this possible?

v. 14 = Because of WHO Jesus was. Jesus Christ was (and remains) the "Son of God". He is God elect. God's choice. God's solution for our problem. God's answer to our greatest need. We are accepted by God because of HIM. We receive mercy because of HIM. We can speak of our weakness and declare our need because of HIM.

The 12 Step folks got this right. The first step in getting help is by declaring that you have a problem and are powerless to fix it. That is what it means to come to Jesus with confidence. To speak with boldness the real state of our lives (hiding nothing), admitting that we are unable to help ourselves and finding mercy, grace and help.

v. 15 - Because of WHAT Jesus did. He was really human. He was really tempted. Like Adam and Eve of old, Jesus was tempted. The big difference is that Jesus remained clean before God in all His temptations ... He was without sin. He never missed the mark.

When we have an area of strength we tend to become proud about it. If you do not struggle with cussing, it might be hard to not judge another believer who struggles with it. But when our cussing brother takes his broken heart and tongue to Jesus he finds mercy, grace and help.

Jesus Christ is God's answer for our sin and the answer for our struggles. We can come to Him with confidence and find mercy.

Do:
Do you find it difficult to be real honest with God about your shortcomings? Do you find it hard to admit your sin? Do you find it hard to ask for help?

If so, why? Do you fear His judgment? Are you afraid you will be rejected?

No, I say, drop what you are doing and fly to Jesus. Run to Him. Find in Him the mercy and grace and help you need to grow. This might be a key to spiritual growth that is lacking in our lives ... the fear of coming to Jesus for help. Coming to Him in prayer.

Don't wait until you have it all together. You are invited to come to the throne of grace with confidence ... without hiding ... with freedom in speaking what is going on.

Will you do that now?

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Lessons in Mercy - Part 3

Intro:
Overwhelmed by mercy .... is that your battle cry? Is that the whisper of your heart? Is that the response you have to God for His kindness shown to you?

I am often reminded of how my heart still needs to change when I look at the behavior of my kids and remember what I was like and still am like. Kids can be so merciless at times. From ridicule on the bus to sibling rivalry, mercy is in short demand!

How hard it is for a person, wrongly treated, to show mercy to others. So often the kids (and adults) who have experienced this have difficulty showing grace and mercy to others.

This is the stuff of superhero comics. The villain is the abused, neglected kid that grows up to wreak havoc on the world. They cannot and will not forgive. Mercy is replaced by vengeance. Think Spiderman 3: Harry and the Sandman are good examples.

Read:
Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Think:
How would you summarize this story? There are many things that you could emphasize:
1. Forgiveness
2. God's compassion
3. The need to be careful how we treat others
4. How God is going to treat me if I refuse to express the mercy I have received to others.

It is a shocking story. The Jewish children listening to this story would have gasped at a couple of key places:
1. v.27! The debt owed was ginormous! Huge and unpayable. This would be like you owing your employer over $1,000,000 and being called to pay it tomorrow. Good luck with that! The forgiveness of the King is astounding.

You know, this is a lot like the level of mercy we have seen from the Lord toward us ... only His is greater! Our sin debt was far deeper than this man's money problem. We deserved an eternal debtor's prison but got mercy instead.

2. v.28! This guy, who just won the lottery, proceeds to choke and threaten a guy that owes him $10 bucks! It was probably more like a week's worth of work but still! Compared to what he had been forgiven he should have had mercy on the guy that owed him so little.

Aren't we like this? We can get so wound up over the smallest of slights. We are so easily offended by an unkind word, a slight, being overlooked, etc. But, being treated unfairly is the stuff of life. How we respond is the stuff of God! It is the working of mercy in our lives.

Do:
How much mercy have you received? How deep was the debt that Jesus paid for YOU? He did not die for some nebulous cloud of world sins .... He died for YOUR sins. He paid the price for YOUR iniquities. It was laid on Him. All of them for all people. He bore everything you have ever done (and the things you have neglected to do!). He bore everything you have done since and everything you will ever do in the future.

How much mercy have you received? Do you reflect on that? Those that are in touch with the sin debt that was forgiven for them will find a reservoir of mercy to show others.

Are you patient with others when they wrong you? Are you slow to speak and slow to anger? Do you find yourself going to God in prayer and finding a merciful partner that understands how you feel but wants you to show mercy any way? Oh, by the way, the mercy He wants you to show He will supply.

There is a warning at the end of this passage ... those that show no mercy will lose what mercy was already shown them. Take that for what you will. It is difficult. Some might deduce that you can lose salvation in that case. Others might deduce that the man never really got it and thus lost what he never really possessed. Regardless, we can tell that God takes mercy seriously and expects us to share the wealth of mercy with others.

Show mercy to others in the same measure you have received. Have a blessed day!

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Lessons in Mercy - Part 2

Intro:
Mercy is different than grace. Grace is about giving. Mercy is about NOT giving. Grace is giving someone something they have not earned and don't deserve. Mercy is NOT giving someone something they have earned and do deserve.

So, we have received grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been given a gift that is unearned and undeserved .... and very needed!!! This Good Friday we will celebrate the remembrance of that gift!

But, we have also received mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have not been given what we deserve in judgment and death. We, in fact, experience the mercy of God on a daily basis! It is because of HIS mercy that we are not consumed. It is because of HIS mercy that we woke up today. It is because of HIS mercy that we get to start new again today. Great is His faithfulness.

As you walk this week, think about your strong Savior and what that cross means. It is the meeting place of grace and mercy. It is the place where the Son of God takes our place, meets our obligation, pays our debt ..... It is the place of mercy.

Read:
Luke 23:32-46; 24:1-7

The Crucifixion
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus
44 By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.

The Resurrection of Jesus
1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

Do:
Take time this week to reflect on the mercy of God seen in the dying Savior. He is the one that makes a way and a home for us. He is the one that says, "You are forgiven". He is the one that shows mercy and forgives.

Praise the Lord!!!

Happy Easter!!!

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Jesus’ Prayer – Influencing Outcomes

Intro:
On a hill a long time ago some guys asked their Master how to pray. It was clear to them that He himself had a dependence on God in heaven and that this God worked mightily through Him. He was able to influece things on earth by talking to God in heaven!

Now, some 2000 years later we stand in a place where God invites us to partner with him in prayer and to influence outcomes on earth.

We have sought to look at this in parts so to understand how to pray. My vision for you is to be able to talk with God in a way that is honoring to Him and effective for you.

"Praying for particular things," said I, "always seems to me like advising God how to run the world. Wouldn't it be wiser to assume that He knows best?" "On the same principle", said he, "I suppose you never ask a man next to you to pass the salt, because God knows whether you ought to have salt or not. And I suppose you never take an umbrella, because God knows best whether you ought to be wet or dry." "That's quite different", I protested. "I don't see why", said he. "The odd thing is that He should let us influence the course of events at all. But since He let's us do it in one way I don;t see why He shouldn't let us do it in the other."

CS Lewis

Jesus is inviting us to partner with the Father to influence the outcome of things in life. Let's make sure we are praying!

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
Let’s go right to the “DO” section and spend time in prayer this day.

Do:
Pray through Jesus’ Prayer. Stop at each main idea and talk with God about that idea. Labor with God in prayer. Seek to partner with Him for the outcomes on earth.

When I come to God in prayer I want to pray the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray. I want to come boldly but carefully. So, when we pray, let’s remember to say:
1. Our Father – take time to worship God for being a Father. Take time to acknowledge that He is in heaven and above you and your circumstances. Take time to recognize that He is worthy of your praise. Let’s enter his courts with praise!
2. In Heaven – reflect on where God dwells and where you are heading when you die. Is he big enough to take care of your needs today?
3. Holy – take time to reflect to Him how awesome and holy He is. Think through His character and His names. This is a worship time for sure. Ask Him to help you reflect His holiness in your life today.
4. Kingdom – pray for His will to be done in your life, pray for the lost and pray for Jesus to return to earth – these are the components of His kingdom.
5. Needs: pray for your needs and the needs to others. Do you know anyone that is sick or in financial trouble? Do you know anyone that needs God’s mercy or help? Pray for them. Bring the list. Now is the time.
6. Forgive: take time to confess sin and forgive others. Ask God to reveal any sin in your life. It might be an attitude or something you said, it might also be something you neglected to do. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you. Be careful not to make something up. God will communicate if you will listen. You will find He is far more gracious in His rebuke/challenge of you then you would even be to yourself.
7. Temptation: pray to be protected from the evil one. Be aware of that is going on around you. Do not be tricked or naive.
8. Glory: close in a time of praise to God’s glory.

I trust this has been helpful to you as you learn to pray Jesus’ Prayer. I trust you will see the work of God around you as you pray.

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Jesus' Prayer - God's Glory

Intro:
How big is your view of God? How does he capture your imagination? Isaiah was a pretty good guy ….. from a morals perspective. Isaiah was a prophet of the Lord, he was not doing the bad things the other Israelites were doing and he sought the Lord during the dark days of Israel. He probably even had a big view of God …. though not big enough!

In Isaiah 6, Isaiah sees the LORD sitting on his throne with his kingly robe filling the temple. Imagine that. Isaiah is having a quiet time in the Israeli wilderness and all of a sudden finds himself looking at the LORD. That’s wild. What we learn from this is very instructive:

1. Seeing God made Isaiah fall down as if dead. This happens to most OT folks that see God or his angels. They usually have to be touched and brought back to life. Kind of like the paddles an ambulance crew would use to revive a heart attack victim.
2. The angels had special protection from God’s glory. The angels in the presence of God had 3 sets of wings. 1 set to keep them off the ground, 1 set to cover their feet and 1 set to cover their eyes. They could not stand to look at his glory!
3. The train of God’s robe filled the temple. In the ancient world, the length of a king’s robe indicated how righteous and honored the king was. Isaiah says that God’s robe “filled the temple”. That would be overwhelming.
4. Isaiah was convicted of sin. Really, he was a good guy! Just not compared to a great King. He had to have his mouth burned with a hot coal to cleanse his lips from sin.

How big is your view of God?

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Think:
In this section of the prayer we are back where we began … with God! We close our prayer time praising him while reminding ourselves of who he is.

He is the God that is a King! He has a kingdom that will never end!

He is the God of power! He has dominion that will never end!

He is the God of glory! He has splendor that will never end!

The OT word for glory, kavod, means heavy or weighty. It refers to a “weighty” person in society, someone who is honorable, impressive, worthy of respect. Usually a warrior or a wealthy or prominent individual was considered to have kavod. When used of God it speaks of his weighty presence and impressive worth. One good definition for glory is, “that reputation for greatness which God alone deserves.” The key word is alone.

This is the God we claim to know and get to pray to! How big is your view of God?

Do:
Take time to praise God for who he is. Thank him for being YOUR king, YOUR power and YOUR glory. He is your protector and the one who lifts your head.

As you pray, take time to tell him how marvelous he is.

Make a commitment to tell someone today how awesome your God is.

If you have time, listen to some of the new songs in the Worship Center below.

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Jesus' Prayer - Forgiveness

Intro:
God wants us to come to Him and ask forgiveness. My prayers need to include some form of confession. This is a difficult thing to remember to do in prayer since most of us do not come from a church background where confession is regularly practiced.

One Korean theologian made the comment, “As goes mother church so go her children.” In other words, we will recognize the activities of the Christians by the church they attend. Our approach to worship, evangelism, discipleship, etc. will reflect what we see at church on a weekly basis. So, if we see very little confession in our corporate worship services, it stands to reason that we will find very little confession in our personal worship times with the Lord.

So, we come to this area with the understanding that it is unfamiliar and possibly uncomfortable. And yet, important.  How important it is to confess our sin before God! It keeps us humble and broken before Him and humble before others as we stay aware of our own weaknesses. It opens us up to the relationship restoring forgiveness of God on a daily basis.

Think about your children and confession. We seem to have a home where things break on their own. It is not uncommon to enter a room and find a busted lamp … the victim of indoor football. How nice it would be to have our children come and confess to us BEFORE we find the busted lamp!

Jesus here invites us to confess our sin to God whenever we pray.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Think:
There are 2 main reasons we are to confess our sins before God and seek His forgiveness:
1. Because He has forgiven us – in Christ on the cross, leading to salvation
2. So He will continue to forgive us – in daily living, leading to increased communion

There is a risk here. We are asking God to daily forgive us based on our forgiveness of others. This is not related to our salvation but our daily communion with God. So, if I harbor bitterness and unforgivenss toward another person I run the risk of not knowing God’s peace in a practical sense.

GO DEEPER: the word confess (homologia in the Greek) means to “say the same thing” as God already has said (homo = same, logia = word). This word is found in 1 John 1:9 where we are told to confess our sins to experience the daily cleansing of God. So, what is confession? It really is sort of simple, when we are praying and God reminds us of something we are guilty of we simply agree with Him. Say the same thing back to Him.

Do:
Do you know God’s ultimate forgiveness for your sins? Have you been “released” by His claims on your life? Have you been set free? If you want to know for sure, read the post: http://devolink.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-know-jesus-personally.html

When you come before God this day and you hit this section on forgiveness/confession, slow down and ask God if there is anything that needs forgiveness from Him. Any attitudes, behaviors, neglected discipline, missed opportunities, brazen rebellion, etc. If you are convicted or hear Him on an issue take time to agree with Him and ask Him to forgive you.

If in prayer you realize there is someone you need to forgive then take care of that immediately. Leave your prayer at the altar and go be right with your neighbor, then come back and finish your prayer time (Matthew 5:24).

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Jesus’ Prayer – Spiritual Warfare II

Intro:
Is there a real enemy of your soul? Does the devil exist?

We live in a culture where we do not see much of the activity of evil spirits. We seem to be so easily led astray by materialism or sensuality or hedonism (self absorption) that there is little need for evil spirits to manifest themselves.

I have heard many, many stories of those that serve the Lord in foreign cultures of the exact opposite. For them, the existence and manifestation of evil spirits is common. If I did not know these people personally, or at least know them as sane people by reputation, I would be suspect. Regardless, the stories of demons are manifest and sometimes scary.

As we read v. 13 again, Jesus tells us to pray for deliverance from the evil one! He himself was tempted by the devil in the desert (Luke 4:1ff.). Peter warns us to be self-controlled and alert because our enemy the devil prowls around seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). That is not nice language. Devour? Surely that sounds like an overstatement to my Western cultured, overly educated, overly medicated, overly cynical, overly materialistic ears!

Could it be that we are not as smart or aware as we should be? At our missions conference this past week, one of the foreign missionaries, with 40 years in Papua New Guinea, said he could see the spiritual darkness and influence of demons all over America. What do you do with that data? We can mark him as a psycho in need of meds or we can humble ourselves and pay attention to our surroundings and pray for deliverance from the evil one. Either Jesus and these missionaries have it right or we do. Take your pick.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
The bible describes the devil as an angel of light. The bible also says he is a liar and the father of lies (or the source of all lying). So, if we combine light and lies how should you expect to be tempted? Wouldn’t it look like normal life? Very subtle.

This is a command. The prayer is a command for God to protect us. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that God is to participate with us in the deliverance (middle voice). This would line up with 1 Corinthians 10:13 …

“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”

New Living Translation

Temptation management is a partnership with God. He plays a part in protecting you but you play a part in staying under the load and not giving in to it. It is like being stranded in a foxhole during a war. You are tempted to run for it and risk getting killed in the process. Meanwhile the army is coming in full force. If you will wait, not give in, stay under the load, you will survive the foxhole.

So, we are to pray to God for partnership and protection in temptation. He alone sees light and dark, He alone sees the lies and the truth. Makes sense then to pray and ask God for help in temptation.

Do:
Take time to ask God for help in temptation. Ask Him to reveal anywhere you are on the edge and at risk. Ask Him to reveal the lies and deceit of your enemy.

Are you struggling with a specific area today? Do you feel bogged down in a foxhole of temptation? Jesus asks you to talk with your Father about it. Take it upstairs to Him.

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Jesus' Prayer - Spiritual Warfare I

Intro:
According to the 1992 World Almanac, tourists were being encouraged to visit Chernobyl just 6 years after the nuclear accident that released deadly radiation throughout the area. In 1986, the Russian tourist bureau invited travelers to tour the city of Chernobyl, the radioactive waste dump at Kopachi and the concrete vault that is built around the reactor. All visitors would be given a free radiation test at the beginning and end of the tour. If medical treatment was needed, it would be provided “at no extra charge.”

Sounds like a trip to start planning for! Let’s review our vacation packages for this summer: Turks and Caicos, Cancun, Alaska, Chernobyl. Hard choice. All look appealing, right?

Most of us would think twice before taking advantage of this last vacation package … even if it was with free medical benefits, free accommodations and free food. We value our lives too much to go to a place that would expose us to nuclear danger. And yet, how often do we allow ourselves to go to places that could do us great spiritual harm? It doesn't make any sense.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
When was that last time you asked God the Father to help you handle temptation? Is your view of God actively involved with you in your temptation? In other words, where do you picture God when you are being tempted? Is he there with you cheering you on? Is he looking down expecting you to fail? Is he busy somewhere and trusting you to take care of business alone? What is your view of God in your temptation?

James makes it very clear that God does not tempt us to sin but that he allows trials in our lives which will have choices of will attached to them. In fact, the word for temptation and the word for trial are the same exact word. Only the context can tell you which is meant. And so, as is often the case, our trials can become temptations.

A temptation is a test of will for us. How we handle the trial/temptation tells a lot about our spiritual condition.

In this part of the prayer Jesus is encouraging us to talk to God about our temptations and trials. To ask Him for help. To give us discernment and wisdom. If we are not wise we might stroll right into Chernobyl without knowing it.

Do:
Stop and ask God for wisdom in trials. Ask him for mercy to not give you more than you can handle. Ask him for the strength equal to the task vs. an easy road.

Do you have any Chernobyl’s in your life? Are you slowly poisoning yourself? The above picture is of a boy and his mom that were part of the Chernobyl fallout. Look at it again! It is a sad picture. Very sobering. I picked it hoping for a reaction. Does your soul look like that boy from the fallout of temptation and sin? Do you need some "no extra charge" medical treatment? Take it to God in prayer. Surrender these to God.

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Jesus' Prayer - Forgiveness

Intro:
If you think through the major seasons of life (early home life, elementary school, jr. high, high school, college, marriage, work, children, etc.) there are many memories. Some good, some bad. Maybe you remember a particular Christmas or a special friend or a great vacation to the beach.
However, when you look back at the major seasons there might also be key events that require us to forgive someone else: a particular argument, a broken friendship, a harmful word spoken or a trust violated. Can you remember any of these?

I had a really good friend for a number of years. We did many things together and made a lot of cool memories … until something happened. We had a disagreement that seemed really big at the time. It separated us. Shortly after that my parents moved us away. My friend and I never reconciled, never asked each other’s forgiveness. That relationship was locked up right there …. 30 years ago in 1979.

Many times I wondered what happened to him. There was an unclosed chapter in our lives. Do you have any unclosed chapters in your past? Do you have anyone you might need to forgive?

Last week I found him on Facebook and sent him a “friend request”. It was risky but I wanted to know what happened in his life and what happened to our friendship. He not only accepted my friend request, he wrote me the following:

“Oddly enough, I tell my girls about you from time-to-time. I tell them of my old friend Kevin who I got mad at one day and lost contact when he moved to Irvine. I tell them that I regret being stubborn over some small & silly slight that I imagined at the time. I try to teach them to cut their friends some slack, and don't worry if their best friend pisses them off one day. To not say things that would make a good friendship sour beyond saving, for good friends can be hard to come by.. and are greatly appreciated later.

So, although it was long ago, I am sorry for getting mad and being such a thick-headed jerk.”

Itfeels good to be forgiven and to forgive! I am released! He is released! That chpater is closed and a new one is beginning. We are not made to live in tension with one another. Do you have any unclosed chapters in your past? Do you have anyone you need to forgive?

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
To “forgive” means to set free, to release. This is a prayer of mercy to God. It is a time to confess our sins and ask His forgiveness and restoration. This is a command. Jesus expects us to forgive and to be forgiven.

This is the only conditional part of the prayer, “forgive … as we forgive”. In other words, if I choose to not forgive someone I will not experience the forgiveness of God requested in my prayers. He takes this seriously.

Forgive is not forget! Forgive is not pretend it didn’t hurt! Forgive is not saying what they did was ok! Forgive is releasing the person to God! Forgive is letting go of your right to seek revenge or to get even!

Forgiveness in the New Testament is never measured in terms of what happened to me but what God did for me in Christ. Consider the words of the old hymn,

“My sins, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought--my sins, not in part, but the whole, are nailed to the cross and I bear them no more. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul!"

Do:
Do you know God’s forgiveness for your sins? Have you been “released” from His claims on your life? Have you been set free? If you want to know for sure, read the post: http://devolink.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-know-jesus-personally.html

Do you have any sins that need to be confessed? Take them to the Father but know that He is expecting you to forgive others and He just might bring someone to mind and ask you to forgive them. Are you willing? Release them! Be free from your cage of unforgivenss and experience the release of God in new ways!

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Jesus' Prayer - Daily Needs

Intro:
Are you going through a difficult time right now? Talk to God about it!

Are you concerned how you are going to pay the bills this month? Talk to God about it!

Do you have a friend in need? Talk to God about it!

Do you know someone with cancer? Talk to God about it!

Do you know someone who does not know Christ? Talk to God about it!

God is not only available, He is interested. He desires to meet our needs on a daily basis. This is cool for two reasons:
1. It shows He cares about our needs
2. It shows that He is active in our lives every single day!

Let’s think through what we have said so far about prayer. I am not sure it is as clear as what I have written below … sorry about that!

When I come to God in prayer I want to pray the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray. I want to come boldly but carefully. So, pray:
1. Our Father – take time to worship God for being a Father. Take time to acknowledge that He is in heaven and above you and your circumstances. Take time to recognize that He is worthy of your praise. Let’s enter his courts with praise!
2. Holy – take time to reflect to Him how awesome and holy He is. Think through His character and His names. This is a worship time for sure.
3. Kingdom – pray for His will to be done in your life, pray for the lost and pray for Jesus to return soon.
4. Pray for your needs and the needs to others (this is today's focus!).

Read: Matthew 6:5-14

NLT
NASB

Think:
Today: the focus of this verse is our needs for TODAY. The words make clear that God wants us to talk with Him about what
concerns us each day. Truly there is a key to handling worry here. If I bring to God my daily needs and concerns I invite His help and find His peace (Phil. 4:3-6).

Daily: God is aware of our needs on a daily basis and so He is active in our lives DAILY. If we will pray, if we will take the time to ask Him to meet our needs, we put ourselves in the stream He is moving in. It allows us to see Him work.

Bread: the words tell us that God gives us just what we need - daily bread. The word would indicate this is the bread I need for today and maybe for the following day. There is clearly a reference to how God fed Israel manna in the desert. He supplied what they needed and they did not have to worry.

Do:
Pray to your caring Father in heaven. He desires to prove His love and grace on a daily basis.

Bring your laundry list of prayers to God. Bring the needs of others to Him. Pray for your spouse, children, parents, friends, neighbors, the poor, the sick, the President, your pastors, co-workers, enemies, etc.

Listen to Hillsong: "None But Jesus" In the DevoLink Worship Center below.

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Jesus' Prayer - God's Plan

Intro:
Have you ever been involved in a building project? Have you ever built a home or worked for a company that built commercial buildings? If you have ever been around the construction process then you know that one of the most important parts of the process are the blueprints.

This document tells everyone on the project what the finished product looks like. This document keeps people accountable to the outcome. This document allows plumbers and electricians and many other disciplines to work together for a common purpose. Blueprints.

The blueprint is the final document of the architect. He is the master designer of the project. He is the one that gathers all the data, envisions the end product and produces a document that everyone can use to complete that building.

In this section of the Jesus’ prayer we are introduced to God as Architect. He has a plan for our lives, a purpose He wants us to complete (Eph. 2:10). He has a blueprint in heaven that He is using to build His kingdom from. We are part of that plan. We are laborers building the house with the Architect (Hebrews 11:10).

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Think:
God has a plan, a will. He has a blueprint in heaven that he wants done on earth. In verse 10, Jesus tells his listeners to tell God to bring His plan … to allow His plan to work on earth.

The Greek literally reads like this: “Come the kingdom of You, allow to come into being the will of You.” We pray authoritatively that God’s kingdom comes and invades the earth and that His will is thereby brought to bear on the earth. We seek to remove all things that might keep Him from having full reign on earth.

God’s kingdom is bigger than a church or a denomination. God’s kingdom is both here and not yet. It is here: when a person gets saved, when demonic spirits are thwarted, when God takes back some ground in someone’s life, when Jesus Christ is made visible to the world through His Church. It is not yet: one Day Jesus will burst through the clouds and the kingdom of God will have come indeed!

So, how do you know what God wants? Clearly Jesus expected God to answer this in prayer. When we pray God will let us know what he wants.

Do:
Someone once said, “For God’s kingdom to come, my kingdom must go.” Think through that. How do you start your day? How dominant is your schedule? How open are you to change in your routine? Ask God to make His kingdom real through you and in you this day!

I’ve heard many Christians ask, “How can I know what God wants?
1. Pray and ask Him (Matthew 6:10)
2. Surrender to Him (Hebrews 12:1)
3. Have your mind transformed by the Word of God (Hebrews 12:2)
4. Seek godly counsel

When you pray today through this portion of Jesus’ prayer, ask God boldly to return. Ask for His kingdom to come today. If He chooses that it is “not yet” then ask Him to bring His kingdom to the lives of the people you meet today.

To close, listen to “Kingdom Come” in the Worship Center below.

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Jesus’ Prayer – Who are we talking to?

Intro:
Remember the days of the “photomat”? You know, the place you had to take your pictures to get developed? Yes, that’s right, there was a day that you HAD to get your pictures done at a store. Cost a small fortune too!

Anyway, the coolest part was picking up that stuffed package and looking inside to see how well your pictures turned out. Most were blurry but usually 4 pictures in a pack of 24 were good. So there you are holding a picture of you and your friends and who is the first person you look for? YOU! Come on, be honest. We all do it. We tend to look for ourselves first and might even get irritated when everyone else is not as interested in us as we are!

Now, when it comes to prayer, are we tempted to do the same exact thing? We come to God full of burdens and full of ourselves. Yet when Jesus teaches us how to pray He starts by looking at Who else is in the picture! He starts with God and His greatness, His glory and His honor. Think of that next time you get "tagged" in an online picture. There are many other people in that picture including the One you cannot see if you only see with your eyes not through your eyes.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’


Think:

“Pray like this!”
Jesus expects His followers to pray and so commands us to pray continually (present tense verb). The use of the “middle voice” means we are to participate actively but also to receive benefit from that time in prayer.

“Our Father”
How awesome that Jesus invites us to call God “Father”. He doesn’t call him our benefactor or our police officer or even our boss …. He is our Father! Please note also that he is “OUR” Father. This is a personal thing but it is also a community thing. There are many others in the picture than just ourselves.

"Make holy your name!”
Jesus expects His followers to allow God to use them in ways that make clear to others that He is different. Like a military officer in his best uniform, God is the officer and we are the uniform! This passive command tells us that God wants us to allow Him to show off who He is. And so Jesus tells us to pray that God will have control of us and use us to make Him the famous one.

Do:
Spend some time in prayer now and thank God for being an awesome Father. Reflect on His character and His names and tell Him how awesome He is. He is:
Adonai-Jehovah -- The Lord our Sovereign
El-Elyon -- The Lord Most High
El-Olam -- The Everlasting God
El-Shaddai -- The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People
Jehovah-Elohim -- The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh -- The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi -- The Lord our Banner
Jehovah-Ropheka -- The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom -- The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu -- The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem -- The Lord our Sanctifier
Jehovah-Sabaoth -- The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-Shammah -- The Lord is Present
Jehovah-Rohi -- The Lord our Shepherd
Jehovah-Hoseenu -- The Lord our Maker
Jehovah-Eloheenu -- The Lord our God

Ask this God to live through you today. Surrender to Him and let Him fill you with life.

Pay attention to the music that you sing in church and on Christian radio. It seems our self love can be in full display there as well. Be sensitive. Pay attention to the references to “me” and “I”. Be warned: it can be distracting. We seem to sing more about our experience with God then to lift up God Himself. It is as if we are looking at the picture and singing our own praises. If it bothers you enough talk with your pastors or local radio stations to consider a little less of “me” and a lot more of He, a little less of me and a lot more of us.

To close, listen to "Indescribable” in the Worship Center below.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Jesus' Prayer - Intro

Intro:
Hammy is one of my favorite characters in Over the Hedge. He is full of life, not so bright and a lot like me. I don’t know about you, but when I pray to God I often feel like Hammy. Trying to stay focused without looking at email (probably shouldn’t be praying at the computer!) or without rehearsing my things to do list for the day.

One of my youth pastors, apparently aware of my Hammy tendencies, taught me to pray through the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. This helps me think through what is important to God in prayer. It helps me not only to focus but to focus specifically on what matters to God.

Think through your prayers. What do they sound like? Who is the focus? How often do you pray for God’s kingdom or for your enemies? How often do you take time to confess sin or pray against Satan’s attacks? My guess is most of us do not pray for many of these things and yet they were on Jesus’ mind when He prayed!

We will spend this week learning about and practicing prayer.

Read: Matthew 6:5-13
 ⁵"When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
 ⁶"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
 ⁷"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
 ⁸"So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
 ⁹"Pray, then, in this way:
         'Our Father who is in heaven,
         Hallowed be Your name.
    ¹⁰'Your kingdom come
         Your will be done,
         On earth as it is in heaven.
    ¹¹'Give us this day our daily bread.
    ¹²'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    ¹³'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'

Think:
Context: this whole section of Matthew is dedicated to exposing outward religion vs. inward reality. Repeatedly Jesus warns His listeners to practice their faith to be seen by the Father not “to be seen by men”.  Our motivation for giving (v. 1-4), praying (v. 5-13) and fasting (v. 16-18) is to be examined.  Like going through the security line at the airport, we are to examine the baggage we are trying to take with us.

There was a real risk in public ministry to give, pray or fast for the benefits gained from others. The Pharisees made a business out of it.  Christ followers were to be different.  Jesus warns His followers to check their baggage.  Make sure they were motivated to give the Father glory.  He didn't want them to miss the joy and filling of the Father.

Notice how far Jesus goes to make sure their prayers are not said so others think highly of them. He commands His listeners to get into an “inner room”, oh and don't forget to shut the door! This is first of all a private matter between us and God ... a secret thing (v.6). Now Jesus is NOT saying it is bad to pray in public! He is saying it is bad to pray to be seen by others. This speaks to motive.  He was concerned with why they did what we did.

 Jesus also warns His listeners to not pray repeating the same stuff over and over (v. 7,8). The unusual Greek word used here means to speak idly or to speak in a meaningless way with mechanically repeated phrases. This is to chant like the pagans did in that day. God is personal and does not need us to coax Him into blessing us.  Mechanical repetition does not reach the heart of God.  I know when my kids do it to me they usually do NOT get what they are asking for.

Do:
Have you ever stopped to evaluate your motives for praying in public, serving in a church ministry, giving a meal, visiting someone who is sick, sending a spiritually oriented email? Be sensitive to motive.  Why do you do what you do?

Do you have a place you can go to be alone and pray? Can you identify where that might be before you go to bed tonight?  Pick a quiet place and time where you can be uninterrupted for 30 minutes or more.  Jesus used to have to wake up while it was still dark to get alone with the Father.

Pray through Jesus’ prayer today. Pray it out loud to God. Think through each main idea. Work it through in your mind. Ask what it means. We will grow together in prayer this series.

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Do I have a choice?

Let's be honest, Calvin and Hobbs is more fun than the views of Calvin the theologian!  Calvin and Hobbs is full of color and childlike imagination. 

Not so Calvin the theologian!  Have you ever read Calvin's Institutes? They are very heavy and do not have any cartoons in it!  Not a lot of fun.

Jesus said we must become "like children" if we are to understand the Kingdon.  If this is true then is it possible He likes Calvin and Hobbs better than the Institutes?  Maybe this is an unfair question but it makes a point ... the Calvin arguments are for a very limited group of high-intellect folks that are not very often child-like.

  

I fell in with this camp for years.  I read many of the "Reformed" writers of the 17th century forward.  I went to the conferences and bought the books (Piper, Sproul, Boice, etc.) but many of the nagging questions (see previous post) and the inability to marry the "reformed" view with Scripture and life were too much to ignore.

Is it not possible that we need another reformation?  Maybe we need to reform ourselves again.  Maybe we need a childlike response to these things again.  Maybe we need to add some pictures to our limited worldview. 

Is there a way to acknowledge God's sovereignty and yet allow people to make choices?  Do people have a will in salvation?  Can these work together?

What if we have interpreted the Bible wrong?  What if God did elect some folks to maintain the Kingdom message through time?  What if God chose and even predestined key individuals for the purpose of proclaiming salvation to the nations?

What if the highest election was His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom He would choose to follow Him?  What if we are wrong on the whole deal and miss the fact that people are saved by hearing the message (Romand 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:13) of the Kingdom proclaimed by those the King had chosen?

Can any of this be supported by Scripture?  Yes, and yes again!

Stay tuned for more.

 

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Calvinism: The Questions

I want to hear from you this week. I've been processing the Calvinism vs. Free Will stuff for some time now.

I was saved. Then I met some "reformed" friends who introduced me to the thinking of Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Whyte, Edwards, Rutherford and some of the newer kids on the block (Sproul, Boice, etc). These were great men with great thoughts about God.

The reformed writers brought an intellectual, vertical approach to Christianity that appears to be lacking in so many circles. They elevate Christ. They emphasize God's sovereignty. They bring the gospel back to it's proper starting place ... God.

Yet, as I grew in appreciation I also grew in apprehension. Very few things in the modern Christian Church create as much division than the issues raised by the folks that believe only a select few are chosen by God.

So, I want to pose some questions about this. I want to hear from you. I want to see comments on your opinions. I'd like to see Scripture to back it up if you are able.

Questions:
1. Do we have a choice in salvation? Does our will play a part in the salvation process?

2. Does God choose some and reject others? If so, on what basis? Is this equally seen in the NT as in the OT?

3. Does God control each and every decision we make? Does God cause a loved one to die in a car accident or get cancer? Does God cause some to gain wealth while others he causes to remain poor? Are there other circumstances involved (hard work, timing, effort, "luck", inheritance, genetics, etc.). How do these work together?

4. If all is set in stone, why are we commanded to ask, seek knock? Why are we told by Jesus to be persistent with God in prayer that we might get what we request? What is that about?

5. Is it possible that God's election of a select few and free will of many others can coexist without confusion? In other words, can some be called by God to salvation and others get there by choice? Can both exist without issue?

Welcome to the deep end of the pool folks! Welcome to theology 301. Welcome to reflection on Scripture and life.

Here are the ground rules:
1. Share what you think and feel ... God made both.
2. Share without fear.
3. State facts supported by Scripture.
4. Do not attack another person, deal with views (no argumentum ad hominem)

God's richest blessing on you as we journey together.

Kevin

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Consider His Benefits - Part 4

Read:
1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Think:
The benefits of the Lord are great and wonderful. It is often easy to forget what life was like before we came to know the Lord Jesus. The Scriptures say we were without God and without hope in the world.

I read some comments that Pat Robertson, of the 700 Club fame, made regarding the tragedy in Haiti. He believes it is God's curse on the nation for turning to satanism 20 years ago. I do not pretend to know what God does or does not do or why but I thought it was interesting that Mr. Robertson feels he knows the counsel of God in matters like this.

Regardless, what struck me most were the sheer number of comments that followed the article. The anger and vitriol in the comments were amazing. Some were calling for Robertson to die! Some were blaming God. Most, however, dismissed Robertson as a lunatic that still believes there is a God that does things like this. All could be answered by nature and science and God is just a leftover myth of the middle ages.

Yet, this day we read that God is active and blesses people. We read that He is a God of grace and loves to bless. This day we hear that we serve a God that gives new beginnings, adoption with all the rewards that come with it and protection.

Think through those things. A God of new beginnings. The God whose mercy is new every morning. A God that offers hope that cannot die through the resurrection of Jesus. A God that can take our deadness and make it alive. A God that welcomes our brokenness and our longings so He can fill them through Christ.

He is also runs an adoption agency. He knows the importance of having a home. He offers an inheritance to those that call Him dad. How do you get an inheritance? You have to be in the will. How do you get in the will? Usually you have to be family. This inheritance is different than anything we might get on earth. This inheritance never runs out or rusts out. That is a huge benefit for those of us that are accustomed to living paycheck to paycheck!

He is also like a big brother that instinctively protects. He is able and willing to shield us. He is actively preserving and protecting our trust in Him until we make it home. That's an often unseen benefit!

Take time to reflect on these great benefits that are yours because of the death and resurrection of Christ. Give Him praise, like Peter did, for all these benefits.

Pray that the survivors in Haiti will meet the God of new beginnings, adoption and protection.

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Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room - Part 6

Intro:
What does it mean to let my heart "prepare Him room"? How does that happen?

Christmas is a good time to think through God's desire to live IN people. Jesus was the God Man. He was 100% God and 100% Man co-mingling without confusion.

As Christains, we believe that God is able to live inside of us because of the work of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus comes to take place in our hearts. He is Lord of the heart and desires to have room to grow in there.

How does that happen?

First by Awareness - I must be aware that I NEED to give Him room. I must be conscious of my need of His grace and forgiveness TODAY. I must be conscious of the spaces that He still does not occupy.

Second by Willingness - I must be willing to give Him room. I must act on the grace and forgiveness He offers TODAY. I must be willing to give him the space He desires in my life as Savior AND Lord.

Read:
2 Chronicles 16:1-10

1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
2 Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 3 "Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me."

4 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.

7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen ? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."

10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

Think:
I'll bet most of us would not choose the Book of Chronicles as "one of our favorites" in the Bible. It doesn't seem as practical as the Book of Corinthians. Yet there are nuggets on every page in Chronicles. God speaks in the OT and the NT!

Asa was stuck in a tight spot. He was being attacked by his brother in law. Israel was related to Judah but at odds. They were brothers at war. When Asa had finally had enough he took matters into his own hands. He struck up a bargain with a neighboring king. He made a treaty.

Asa was a man of action. He was not going to be denied. But, he made a fatal flaw, he turned to the King of Aram not to the Lord. The test revealed that he his heart was not near the Lord.

I see myself in King Asa. He's not a bad guy. He wants to do what it right most of the time. But when the pressure was on he turned to other sources than the Lord for help! Too easy to do. It is really easy to get angry or turn inward. Too easy to turn to others to find relief. Too easy be practical.

It sounds like this: "The Lord does not care about this small issue. The Lord is not able to help here. I will act and see what happens. I cannot wait. I must find help now."

When the Lord caught up with Asa He challenged his heart. He revealed that he had to prepare some room.

The Lord gave me this passage early Sunday morning after a relational squabble with my brother in law at the Christmas cabin. God wanted tested to see what was in my heart. I still have a lot of growing up to do. I still have to prepare Him room.

Do:
Pride is such a heart killer. It makes us turn to wrong things and turn on people. The Lord wants to examine our hearts today to see if we will give in and trust Him.

We need Awareness and we need Willingness. So, now you are aware that God wants all of your heart ... are you willing to give it?

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Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room - Part 5

Intro:
Merry Christmas!!! This is not a celebration of Winter ... though many are getting more than their share of cold this year! This is the time we celebrate the Light that came into the world.

Without light, seeing is meaningless. Without light, color is meaningless.

Read:
John 1:1-9, 14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overtaken it.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Think:
490 years before Jesus was born, Socrates was talking about our need for light. I think there are many interesting things here worth considering.

Inside the cave
Socrates begins by describing a scenario where what people take to be real would in fact be an illusion. He asks Glaucon to imagine a cave inhabited by prisoners who have been chained and held immobile since childhood: not only are their arms and legs held in place, but their heads are also fixed, compelled to gaze at a wall in front of them. Behind the prisoners is an enormous fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway, along which people walk carrying things on their heads "including figures of men and animals made of wood, stone and other materials". The prisoners can only watch the shadows cast by the men, not knowing they are shadows. There are also echoes off the wall from the noise produced from the walkway.

Socrates asks if it is not reasonable that the prisoners would take the shadows to be real things and the echoes to be real sounds, not just reflections of reality, since they are all they had ever seen or heard. Wouldn't they praise as clever whoever could best guess which shadow would come next, as someone who understood the nature of the world? And wouldn't the whole of their society depend on the shadows on the wall?

Release from the cave
Socrates next introduces something new to this scenario. Suppose that a prisoner is freed and permitted to stand up. If someone were to show him the things that had cast the shadows, he would not recognize them for what they were and could not name them; he would believe the shadows on the wall to be more real than what he sees.

"Suppose further," Socrates says, "that the man was compelled to look at the fire: wouldn't he be struck blind and try to turn his gaze back toward the shadows, as toward what he can see clearly and hold to be real? What if someone forcibly dragged such a man upward, out of the cave: wouldn't the man be angry at the one doing this to him? And if dragged all the way out into the sunlight, wouldn't he be distressed and unable to see "even one of the things now said to be true," viz. the shadows on the wall?

After some time on the surface, however, Socrates suggests that the freed prisoner would acclimate. He would see more and more things around him, until he could look upon the Sun. He would understand that the Sun is the "source of the seasons and the years, and is the steward of all things in the visible place, and is in a certain way the cause of all those things he and his companions had been seeing"

Return to the cave
Socrates next asks Glaucon to consider the condition of this man. "Wouldn't he remember his first home, what passed for wisdom there, and his fellow prisoners, and consider himself happy and them pitiable? And wouldn't he disdain whatever honors, praises, and prizes were awarded there to the ones who guessed best which shadows followed which? Moreover, were he to return there, wouldn't he be rather bad at their game, no longer being accustomed to the darkness? "Wouldn't it be said of him that he went up and came back with his eyes corrupted, and that it's not even worth trying to go up? And if they were somehow able to get their hands on and kill the man who attempts to release and lead up, wouldn't they kill him?"

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave

Do:
Let me make 3 points:
1. People need to escape the cave, climb to the surface and see the light of the Son!
2. Seeing the Light changes our desire for the praise and awards of those that still live in the cave. Why would you want to receive the awards and recognition of those that only see shadows cast on a wall?
3. Folks don't like thinking they are in the dark. 490 years before Jesus was born Socrates noted that some of the cave dwellers would seek to kill the Light messenger. That is exactly what they did 30 years after He was born in a manager.

Praise! We get to celebrate the Light that came into the world!!!

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room - Part 4

Read:

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Think:
That is the best Christmas present we will ever receive!!!

Do:
Praise the Lord for this incredible Christmas Gift!

Identify one highlighted benefit above, write it on a piece of paper and carry it with you all day today.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room - Part 3

Intro:
I've had all sorts of pets: cats, dogs, turtles, guinea pigs, birds, hermit crabs, blue-bellied lizards, ants and a few more.

I remember getting an ant farm in the 70s. For some reason they were the rage back them. I remember being fascinated for the first ... oh ... 30 seconds! Boring!

It was awesome to look at these little insects for a short period of time. But seriously! Who thought this up? Who'd spend money on such a thing? Clearly my parents!

Read:
Isaiah 9:1-7

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.

4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

5 Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Think:
This is Christmas! God came to earth. God came as a baby. He entered our world to save us from it! The Creator became a creature.

Try to imagine owning an ant farm as a kid and wanting to warn the ants that little brother was about to pour water in the farm and many would die. Imagine choosing to become an ant, enter the ant farm just so you could save them from drowning.

All analogies limp ... and the ant analogy is limping ... but think it through. Would you take the place of an ant to save ants? Would you limit yourself to such a degree to save one of them?

God did!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

He came in love to restore us to Himself. He did not come in malice or anger. He came to rescue the dark dwellers. He came to rescue to hurting. He came to rescue those who realize the world has nothing to offer.

What a wonderful counselor and a mighty God. What a peace-loving Father.

Do:
Take time to meditate on the titles for the Son of God, born in Bethlehem:
*Wonderful Counselor
*Mighty God
*Everlasting Father
*Prince of Peace

Is God speaking to you about any of these qualities today? How can you focus on one of these qualities during your Christmas celebration this month?

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.