You can read today's passage by clicking here
How does it make you feel, knowing that God sees all, hears all, knows all? Nothing is hidden from him! What a big thought!
I'm not gonna lie. That's a pretty daunting realization. God knows all my dirty laundry. He knows my thoughts that no one would believe I have. He's heard the words I mutter to only myself. He sees into the darkest parts of my soul that are hidden from the public under my pious persona.
My deepest secret? He's seen it! My biggest doubt? He knows it? My most paralyzing fear? He's experienced it!
But he still loves me with reckless abandon!
God sees all, hears all, knows all-and loves us! His love is beyond unconditional. It's inconceivable!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
SOLO: Psalm 103:1-14
I was really good at math when I was younger. Computation always made good sense to me. To this day, I'm pretty quick when it comes to basic addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. So for all the math people out there, I have a few simple equations and theorems for you:
1 John 3 encourages us to do what pleases God by believing his son and doing what he commands. What are his commands?
Love God + love people
Jesus taught the entire law hung on those two things. So how do I love God and love others?
listen to him +
do what he says +
be generous +
treat others better than I treat myself
So, it could be concluded that...
Blessing God = Serving
What does God's "heart" good is living as his son lived. And Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)
The life of the servant is lived in servitude, and we're called to serve the world. This must be what gives God the most pleasure. When we seek to love as he loves, give as he gives, serve as he serves we are living out the dreams he has for us.
How's your serve? God blesses us to bless him and others. It was never for us to horde his blessings to ourselves. Because of what he's done for us and because of what he's given to us, we're called to bless him and bless others.
Well that's it for the math lesson. The test is now yours to take!
1 John 3 encourages us to do what pleases God by believing his son and doing what he commands. What are his commands?
Love God + love people
Jesus taught the entire law hung on those two things. So how do I love God and love others?
listen to him +
do what he says +
be generous +
treat others better than I treat myself
So, it could be concluded that...
Blessing God = Serving
What does God's "heart" good is living as his son lived. And Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)
The life of the servant is lived in servitude, and we're called to serve the world. This must be what gives God the most pleasure. When we seek to love as he loves, give as he gives, serve as he serves we are living out the dreams he has for us.
How's your serve? God blesses us to bless him and others. It was never for us to horde his blessings to ourselves. Because of what he's done for us and because of what he's given to us, we're called to bless him and bless others.
Well that's it for the math lesson. The test is now yours to take!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
SOLO: Psalm 62:1-2
You can read the passage by clicking here
Psalm 62 makes me think of God as the one constant in my world of ups, downs, and in-betweens. As my mind swirls with emotions, he is steady. Rock solid, in fact.
Man that's good news. Life is nothing if not changing. It is a whirlwind of emotions, circumstances, personalities, expectations-all constantly in motion. And as it spins seemingly out of control, voices become nebulous and empty.
But...
Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is consistent. He doesn't change. He's the anchor. He's the rock. He's the safe haven. He's the shelter. He's ever present, he loves unconditionally, and he remains steady when the rest of life is ravaged by storms.
Oh, and He's good!
Be encouraged. God is a rock! Solid. Strong. Consistent. In other words, he's all the things we're not but so desperately need.
Psalm 62 makes me think of God as the one constant in my world of ups, downs, and in-betweens. As my mind swirls with emotions, he is steady. Rock solid, in fact.
Man that's good news. Life is nothing if not changing. It is a whirlwind of emotions, circumstances, personalities, expectations-all constantly in motion. And as it spins seemingly out of control, voices become nebulous and empty.
But...
Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is consistent. He doesn't change. He's the anchor. He's the rock. He's the safe haven. He's the shelter. He's ever present, he loves unconditionally, and he remains steady when the rest of life is ravaged by storms.
Oh, and He's good!
Be encouraged. God is a rock! Solid. Strong. Consistent. In other words, he's all the things we're not but so desperately need.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
SOLO: Job 42:7-13 (Be careful throwing God's name around)
You can read today's passage by clicking here
I referenced this in yesterday's blog, but I wanted to dive into it a little bit more...
Let's focus on the third commandment, of “the Ten Commandments. The third one is easily misunderstood. If you don't know it, here it is: "No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name." Exodus 20:7, The Message In the King James version I learned as a child it says "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain..."
As a child I learned that the third commandment meant that if you hit your thumb with a hammer, be sure to not say Jesus' name, or God with any curse word attached to it. While I think this a good rule of thumb (rule of thumb...haha...I kill myself) it's not the heart of the third commandment.
Job's buddies are in deep with God! Why? Because they've failed to be honest about God-about who he is and what he's about. They've taken God's name in vain. They've associated him with something he's not or had nothing to do with.
This is a biggie, because you and I can be guilty of this without giving it much thought. "God wants me to...", "God said I should...", "If you want to please God...". I don't think it was Job's pals' intentions to point him in the wrong direction. I don't think they maliciously set out to torture him with their words. I just think they had an opinion, felt they were right, and tied God to it. By the way, that's a very bad idea!
Be very careful what you tie God to. Too many people are guilty of manipulating others in the name of God. This is very upsetting to the Most High, as shown in Job 42. Be careful when you speak for God. Be careful you're not affiliating with your opinion so you can be right or have leverage!
I referenced this in yesterday's blog, but I wanted to dive into it a little bit more...
Let's focus on the third commandment, of “the Ten Commandments. The third one is easily misunderstood. If you don't know it, here it is: "No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name." Exodus 20:7, The Message In the King James version I learned as a child it says "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain..."
As a child I learned that the third commandment meant that if you hit your thumb with a hammer, be sure to not say Jesus' name, or God with any curse word attached to it. While I think this a good rule of thumb (rule of thumb...haha...I kill myself) it's not the heart of the third commandment.
Job's buddies are in deep with God! Why? Because they've failed to be honest about God-about who he is and what he's about. They've taken God's name in vain. They've associated him with something he's not or had nothing to do with.
This is a biggie, because you and I can be guilty of this without giving it much thought. "God wants me to...", "God said I should...", "If you want to please God...". I don't think it was Job's pals' intentions to point him in the wrong direction. I don't think they maliciously set out to torture him with their words. I just think they had an opinion, felt they were right, and tied God to it. By the way, that's a very bad idea!
Be very careful what you tie God to. Too many people are guilty of manipulating others in the name of God. This is very upsetting to the Most High, as shown in Job 42. Be careful when you speak for God. Be careful you're not affiliating with your opinion so you can be right or have leverage!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
SOLO: Job 9:2-23
You can read the passage by clicking here
Couple of thoughts as I read this: Am I willing to be so honest as to assume my own innocence in the presence of God? I love that Job was willing to be so raw. Personally, I know I've never been able to stand before God and plead innocent. And while I know that Job wasn't sinless, I believe he understood that his circumstances weren't the outcome of his actions. In other words, I think Job had some real insight into his situation. I feel he was onto something.
That said, I also think Job was amiss. He was disillusioned by his circumstances. He wasn't completely innocent. He wasn't just and didn't even deserve to be in the room with the Almighty Judge.
I feel like everyone relates to job's story; we're all a little double-minded. Some good theology - some understanding, but still only seeing a piece of the picture. Most of us feel we're innocent when bad things start happening to us, but we're quick to forget our failures and shortcomings. It's only when our lives are exposed to the light of Christ that we're able to see the truth of who we are! May we be willing to be raw and vulnerable in the presence of God, but may we always remember our own frailty and may we choose to humble ourselves. If God is forced to humble us, it becomes humiliation!
Couple of thoughts as I read this: Am I willing to be so honest as to assume my own innocence in the presence of God? I love that Job was willing to be so raw. Personally, I know I've never been able to stand before God and plead innocent. And while I know that Job wasn't sinless, I believe he understood that his circumstances weren't the outcome of his actions. In other words, I think Job had some real insight into his situation. I feel he was onto something.
That said, I also think Job was amiss. He was disillusioned by his circumstances. He wasn't completely innocent. He wasn't just and didn't even deserve to be in the room with the Almighty Judge.
I feel like everyone relates to job's story; we're all a little double-minded. Some good theology - some understanding, but still only seeing a piece of the picture. Most of us feel we're innocent when bad things start happening to us, but we're quick to forget our failures and shortcomings. It's only when our lives are exposed to the light of Christ that we're able to see the truth of who we are! May we be willing to be raw and vulnerable in the presence of God, but may we always remember our own frailty and may we choose to humble ourselves. If God is forced to humble us, it becomes humiliation!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
SOLO: Job 1:1-21
You can read today's passage by clicking here.
Do you ever wonder if your life is the kind that would show up in the Bible, or is that just me? I've always thought it would be so cool to be in the scriptures-to live a life worthy of being written about.
That's probably a little arrogant and has a lot to do with my ego, but I can assure you my intentions are good. I really do want to be that consistent. That's why I think Job's such a stud! He's not only written about, but God even points out his faithfulness to Satan. How crazy is that?
I wonder if God were going to make a case for us in front of Satan, would he have a leg to stand on (if God even has legs – I digress)? Would it be an open and shut case? Would there be any reason that Satan would fear our success? I'm afraid I'm much too inconsistent, emotional, and even hypocritical to be able to stand up against the stuff Job did. Yet he remained consistent.
How 'bout you? Could God bring your name up as a model of righteousness and consistency? Why or why not? Is this even feasible? Just a couple of questions to get you thinking...
Do you ever wonder if your life is the kind that would show up in the Bible, or is that just me? I've always thought it would be so cool to be in the scriptures-to live a life worthy of being written about.
That's probably a little arrogant and has a lot to do with my ego, but I can assure you my intentions are good. I really do want to be that consistent. That's why I think Job's such a stud! He's not only written about, but God even points out his faithfulness to Satan. How crazy is that?
I wonder if God were going to make a case for us in front of Satan, would he have a leg to stand on (if God even has legs – I digress)? Would it be an open and shut case? Would there be any reason that Satan would fear our success? I'm afraid I'm much too inconsistent, emotional, and even hypocritical to be able to stand up against the stuff Job did. Yet he remained consistent.
How 'bout you? Could God bring your name up as a model of righteousness and consistency? Why or why not? Is this even feasible? Just a couple of questions to get you thinking...
Solo: Esther 7:3-10
You can read the passage by clicking here
I have a confession to make: there are times when I struggle to give grace and mercy. As a pastor, I should be the one out front, setting the tone, being generous and reckless in forgiveness. Often I wrestle with thoughts of judgment. I battle thoughts of "you reap what you sow" or "I knew this would happen" as I sit on my high horse of piety. In a turn of twisted irony, I will judge and evaluate other people for being arrogant and judgmental. This is a glimpse into my sometimes dark soul.
I think a lot of folks wrestle with this too. I know several who wage this war. Strangely, those far from Christ often have a better grasp on not being judgmental than those who are His followers. Somehow our being saved by His amazing grace brings thoughts of superiority and entitlement. Hopefully I'm the only person that thinks this way, but I somehow doubt it.
Reading a passage like this is tough. I have to be mindful of my emotions. My challenge in reading a passage like this is clear: Do not become a cheerleader for what's happening to Haman!
Yes, Haman did terrible things. Yes, I think Haman is getting what he deserved. No, he probably wouldn't have shown mercy in reverse. But I have to remember that justice suits me just fine when I feel like I'm the one who's been wronged or I care about the one who's been wronged. When I stand before the judge, I cry out for mercy, deserved or not!
The truth is, if we got what we deserve, we would all be eternally separated from God in Hell. Praise be to God, that he is liberal in grace, mercy, and forgiveness and that we don't have to get what we deserve. Instead, he lavishes love on us and calls us children.
Be careful not to be a cheerleader when judgment happens. Know that it is by grace you are saved, and that every step you take and every breath you breathe is granted by the Gracious God.
I have a confession to make: there are times when I struggle to give grace and mercy. As a pastor, I should be the one out front, setting the tone, being generous and reckless in forgiveness. Often I wrestle with thoughts of judgment. I battle thoughts of "you reap what you sow" or "I knew this would happen" as I sit on my high horse of piety. In a turn of twisted irony, I will judge and evaluate other people for being arrogant and judgmental. This is a glimpse into my sometimes dark soul.
I think a lot of folks wrestle with this too. I know several who wage this war. Strangely, those far from Christ often have a better grasp on not being judgmental than those who are His followers. Somehow our being saved by His amazing grace brings thoughts of superiority and entitlement. Hopefully I'm the only person that thinks this way, but I somehow doubt it.
Reading a passage like this is tough. I have to be mindful of my emotions. My challenge in reading a passage like this is clear: Do not become a cheerleader for what's happening to Haman!
Yes, Haman did terrible things. Yes, I think Haman is getting what he deserved. No, he probably wouldn't have shown mercy in reverse. But I have to remember that justice suits me just fine when I feel like I'm the one who's been wronged or I care about the one who's been wronged. When I stand before the judge, I cry out for mercy, deserved or not!
The truth is, if we got what we deserve, we would all be eternally separated from God in Hell. Praise be to God, that he is liberal in grace, mercy, and forgiveness and that we don't have to get what we deserve. Instead, he lavishes love on us and calls us children.
Be careful not to be a cheerleader when judgment happens. Know that it is by grace you are saved, and that every step you take and every breath you breathe is granted by the Gracious God.
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