Wednesday, December 31, 2014

For Those Who Have Had A Tough Year

For many, 2014 has been a tough year. A few years ago, I came across a quote by Andrew Murray that I have found helpful to those who are in a hard place. Andrew Murray was a pastor/missionary in South Africa in the late 1800s. He was a prolific writer on the exchanged Life and prayer.

Here is the quote:
"God brought me here, it is by His will that I am in this difficult place. In that fact I will rest. He will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child. He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn and working in me the grace He means to bestow. In His good time He can bring me out again; how and when, He knows. Until then....

I am here by God's appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time."

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Making 2015 the Year of Worship

God created you for a personal relationship with Him and for worship to be your primary characteristic. Worship is the single fruit of knowing God more and more through personal faith in Jesus Christ. There are many expressions, flavors of worship, but worship is the sole result of God's revelation of Himself to you through His Son, Jesus Christ.

King David was the worshipping king. He united the nation of Israel in worshipping God. He was after God's heart, as in pursuing God with a passion. He wrote more of the Bible than anyone and he only wrote one thing, worship songs to God, about God, for God! The book of Psalms is his book, the worship book of the Bible. It is the longest book of the Bible and is quoted more in the New Testament than any other Old Testament book.

Every occasion in David's life was an occasion to see the greatness, the power, the goodness of God. When the lion and the bear threatened his life and the life of the sheep he cared for, David as a young shepherd boy, was filled with courageous rage, fueled by his love for God, and attacked them, and killed them. His passion for God was greater than his fear of physical harm. When King Saul and the army of Israel were overcome with fear by the ranting and raving of Goliath, David was offended that God's Name was being defiled and was filled with contempt for the Philistine champion. His love for God was greater than his fear of the giant and the armies of the Philistines. Attacking Goliath was a worship experience for David. He came against the enemies of God in the Name of the Lord of hosts and wrote songs about it!

On his best days, like when he brought the Ark into Jerusalem, David worshipped God. On his worst days, like when he and his men returned to Ziklag and found everything destroyed and all of their families gone (his own men broke down and wept and plotted to kill David), David worshipped God. Worship was the chief characteristic of his life. Worship was greater than anything else in his life.

The Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ based His whole Life on glorifying (worshipping) the Father in Spirit and in Truth. He said that the Father was looking for true worshippers. He taught us to pray with the priority of worship. He worshipped the Father on the Mount of Transfiguration as well as the hill called Calvary.

So how can you make 2015 the year of worship, the priority of your day, the chief characteristic of your life? Glad you asked. First, know that this is something to pray earnestly for. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and to lead you into worshipping the Father and the Son with His burning passion of love for the Father and the Son. Choose to become and desire to become a true worshipper.

Know that if the Holy Spirit is to be your teacher and guide, it will be His Word, the Bible, that you will learn from and be shaped by in worshipping each day.

Make time at the beginning of your day (for some this is early in the morning, for others it is late at night) to sit before the Lord, to present yourself before the Lord, and worship Him. This is done with an open Bible, an open ear, a focused mind, a learning spirit, a loving heart for God.

Begin your time with God each day with a Psalm. This is the worship book of the Bible. Begin your daily Bible reading (if you don't have a Bible reading plan for 2015, get one before Thursday!) with a Psalm. There are 150 of them, one for each day in a five-month cycle. Let that Psalm and worshipping God set the thermostat of your time in God's presence. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is in its entirety a song of worship for God's Word. It is divided up into twenty-two, eight-verse sections. Each day, supplement the Psalm for the day with a section from Psalm 119. Take one verse from that prayer, memorize it and pray it throughout the day, that day.

The months that have 31 days, you will repeat the Psalm on the next day in order to stay with the five-month cycle. On February 28, (Psalm 58), include Psalm 59, and then on March 1 begin with Psalm 60 and 61. On March 2 (Psalm 62) you will be back on track.

I have prayed the Psalms in this fashion as the beginning of my time with God for several years and have decided to (led to) begin writing a book on what I am sharing with you today. Look for it this time next year! In the mean time, allow God's Word to teach you to become a true worshipper in Spirit and in Truth.


Monday, December 29, 2014

How To End 2014 and Begin 2015; An Exercise

One of the most powerful and comprehensive paragraphs in the Bible is found in Romans 3:21-31. These eleven verses spell out our faith in clear and concise phrases. They are worth memorizing so that you can meditate upon them.

Here is the exercise:

  • Read Romans 3:21 ten times, out loud. Cover it up and quote it by memory. If you can't, read it out loud another ten times. Then today, December 29, meditate upon what God is saying. Ask two questions: What is the meaning? What are the implications (application) of that meaning to my daily life? You may want to write down your impressions.
  • Tomorrow, December 30, begin the day by reviewing Romans 3:21 by saying it by memory, out loud. Now read Romans 3:22, out loud, ten times, cover it up and quote it by memory. Do the same drill as you did yesterday. Know that the phrase, "For there is no distinction..." goes with verse 23-25.
  • Continue this exercise each day until you have memorized Romans 3:21-31. You may want to break these phrases up into smaller bites, or you may be able to take on more than one verse at a time. Either way, repetition is the key, and meditation is the goal. Ask the two questions over and over and write down your impressions. 
This exercise is the best way I know to end a year and to begin a new one. 

Friday, December 26, 2014

What Happened On The Day Jesus Was Born; Part 2

The angel gave the shepherds a sign; "You will find the Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12. The sign was not unusual. All babies were wrapped up tight in pieces of cloth. And most shepherd babies were laid in mangers because that's where shepherds live. Probably most of those shepherds had laid their newborns in mangers. The sign pointed them to look for Jesus right where they lived their lives.

When God reveals Himself to you it will be right where you are living. He comes to you with a Word to lead you in a new direction. They could find Him because they knew where the mangers were. But would they go and see what they had heard?

"Lets go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that The Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste..." It wasn't something an angel had made known to them. They knew it was a Word from God. And they went "with haste." The Greek word for "haste" is speedo. Sound like any English words you know? We get our word "speed" and of course the racing bathing suit company used this Greek word. Not really a Christmas image, but none the less... The point is they did not hang around wondering about the angel army or discussing the theology of what " peace on earth good will toward men with whom His favor rests." means. They just went quickly to see what they had heard!

Faith comes by hearing. But hearing is more than just hearing something. Hearing involves both ears and eyes. We "hear" with our eyes as much as we do our ears and we "see" with our ears as much as we do with our eyes. The point is that when God reveals Himself with a Word, you must "go and see...," which means to obey. Understanding follows obedience, not the other way around.

Many want to know God's Will so they can do it. God will not reveal His Will to you so you can do it. He is not the least bit interested in you trying to do His Will. God desires for you to trust Him and choose His Will for your life, by faith. God grants wisdom concerning His Will to those who trust Him. Understanding follows the obedience of faith. God gives wisdom to those who trust Him. As you trust Him, He opens your eyes and ears to see what He is doing (His Will) and has included you and invited you in on. You get great joy and He gets great glory. That's how it ended up in Luke with the shepherds. It also says that some heard the announcement of the shepherds and just wondered about it. They did not go and see, with speedo, like the shepherds did.

Don't wonder all your life about what God has said...go and see!!!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

What Happened On The Day That Jesus Was Born?

Luke records for us what happened on the day that Jesus was born in Luke 2:1-20. Luke was a physician, which meant that he used the scientific approach to investigation of observation and gathering as many of the facts as possible for developing an opinion.

Luke is the writer that gives us so many of the geographic and political details of the events of Jesus' life and ministry as well as of the early church. For example, in the account of the birth of Jesus, Luke tells us it was when Quirinius was governor of Syria and when Ceasar Augustus had made the executive order that the world should be registered from the place of birth. There would also be a tax, of course.

Dr. Luke probably gathered his facts about the birth of Jesus while Paul was in prison in Caesarea. We read that account in Acts 23-26. He was in the palace prison, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea for a coupe of years. If you go to Israel you can visit the ruins of that palace and actually stand in the place where they believe the dungeon was located. I shared a Bible study from Paul's prison letters from that place the last time we took a group to Israel.

As Dr. Luke began his investigations and interviews with the eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus in and around Jerusalem, he no doubt came across some of those who were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.

He tells us that there were shepherds guarding the sheep in the fields at night. This was unusual. Sheep were taken out to the fields in the day and then brought into sheep pens at night. But there were so many people in Bethlehem because of the census, all of the sheep pens had been rented out. It was a miracle that Joseph and Mary found a place in one of the stable-caves in Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

Shepherds took care of sheep for the owners of the sheep. Owners would sometimes pay shepherds with sheep to keep in their flocks, which would give a personal interest for the flock for the shepherds. But shepherds were responsible with sheep. This was their number one characteristic, along with being poor and smelling like a sheep. When you are with sheep all day you will smell like one.

When the angel of The Lord came with the good news, the shepherds must have wondered why the angel would come to them. But in the Old Testament, God referred to His people as His sheep and the kings of His people as shepherds (Ezekiel 34). The kings were responsible to God for leading His people, caring for their safety and health by following God's Word, and for protecting His people by trusting in God's presence and power. Israel's second King, King David, was a shepherd before he was King and became the standard by which God judged all of the other kings.

Jesus would call Himself the Good Shepherd, and Peter would refer to the servants of the early church as shepherds (1Peter 5). All of this to say that God sending His angel to shepherds to become the first evangelists is right in line with His view of His servants from the very beginning. The shepherds in Luke's gospel were the first pastors/evangelists of God's people, entrusted with the gospel of great joy; Christ The Lord has arrived. He is here, among us, with us. He is one of us! God is now with us!

Part 2, tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A Christmas Eve Story

It was Christmas Eve and little Tommy was finally old enough to have a part in the Christmas Eve pageant at church. He had been begging to be a shepherd and since he was now four, he was promised a part.

Tommy had rehearsed with the drama team for weeks. His part as the little shepherd boy was to walk up to the manger, look in and say,"Behold, the Child is here." He practiced and practiced his line. He attended every rehearsal. He thought the doll they were using for baby Jesus during the rehearsals looked so real.

Christmas Eve finally arrived and Tommy was almost more excited about the play as he was about all of the presents under the tree. His parents made sure their phones and camera were charged but were held up in traffic and got to the church late, only minutes before the play was to begin; but they made it.

The delay made Tommy a bit nervous, but he quickly got his shepherd robe and staff and got in place ready to walk out and up to the manger for his line. Since he was late, no one had time to tell him, or they didn't think it mattered, that for the drama night they had replaced the doll with a real baby boy for baby Jesus.

Tommy walked up to the manger, phones and cameras on, looked into the manger and said, "Behold..." then looked up to the crowd with his eyes wide opened and exclaimed, "He's alive!!!"

Jesus was born in a small cave in Bethlehem because of the crowd for the census. Shepherds came to see Him because the angel of The Lord had told them that Christ The Lord had been born and they would find Him in a manger. Within 30 years Jesus would be placed in another small cave only six miles away outside Jerusalem following His death on the cross to provide salvation for all of mankind. On the first day of the week, on Sunday, the women went to the tomb only to find the angels (maybe the same ones who announced to the shepherds), with the announcement "He's alive!"

Tommy may not have realized it, but he told the whole story of Christmas that night at the church. Jesus Christ The Lord is alive!!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Psalm 23 for December 23

Psalm 23 is a prayer without asking for anything. When you study the prayers of the Bible you will learn to pray that way. It is a conversation with God, about God, and all that He has provided for you in relationship with you.

The first phrase, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." is unpacked in the rest of the psalm. It is because of who God is in your life that you begin to know all that He has provided for you in life. Since the LORD is his shepherd, he makes the bold declaration, "I have everything I will ever need!"

During the New Testament times, the Stoic philosophers taught something similar. They developed a philosophy around one word. In Greek it was the word "autarkes," which they understood to mean a mental state of total contentment and strength, regardless of the surroundings. This idea was based (for them) around a disciplined mental strength of self- sufficiency. It was the epitome of independence. They too declared, "I have everything I need for any occasion."

The Apostle Paul uses this word, "autarkes," which was their word, one time in the New Testament, in Philippians 4:11. He says, "I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content...the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." But the next statement, which many people have adopted as their favorite verse, completely insulted the Stoic teachers. He says in 4:13, "Through Christ who strengthens me, I can do all things." A total dependence upon The Lord Jesus Christ! In essence he said, "The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I will ever need for any occasion."

During the frantic glut of accumulating more and more, God offers us everything we could ever imagine, in abundance, in Himself, that's all. And in Him, He is all you will ever need for any occasion.


Monday, December 22, 2014

Humility and Boldness Are Twins

When Pharaoh had his disturbing dreams in Genesis 41, he called Joseph out of prison for help. Pharaoh was considered to be a god. Here was a "god" asking for help from a condemned prisoner! Pharaoh told Joseph what he had heard about him and wanted to know if it was true. Joseph's answer reveals much about him and what God had been doing in his life.

Joseph told Pharaoh that what he had heard was misleading. He said, "I can't interpret dreams, but God will give Pharaoh the interpretation." This reveals a learned humility which leads to a fearless witness. Humility is the result of learning to live under the authority of God. A person under authority is one who is in authority and will come across with calm boldness and assurance; some would even say arrogance. David, the shepherd King, was accused of this on several occasions. Their word is not their own, it is from above and has the ring of eternity and therefore, truth. It reveals God and God's Will.

Being a bold witness is not something you learn to do; being under God's authority is something you learn to do, which results in being confident, bold, fearless in any and every situation, knowing that what you say will be the truth because it is from God, of God, and for God's glory.