Wise up!

Get wisdom, get understanding;
   do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
   love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: 
   Get wisdom.Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
   embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head 
   and present you with a glorious crown.”
Proverbs 4:5-9  (NIV)

Wow! I can't tell you how many times, growing up, someone told me to "Wise up". I definitely am one of those "foolish things" God chose to confound the wise. If there is anything in my life that is good or makes any sense it is because I have, in my own feeble way tried to follow Christ. 

As an adult, that truth, "Wise up" continues to be applicable. Every day we need the wisdom of God to deals with people, problems and shall we say "unpleasantries". I lost the chance for a promotion a few years ago simply because I didn't control my tongue. I did not act with wisdom. I've received promotions because I did control my tongue and responded with wisdom. 

Wise up. 

Faithfulness Friday

I will betroth you to me forever;
   I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
   in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
   and you will acknowledge the Lord.
Hosea 2:19-20 (NIV)

The faithfulness and forgiveness of God never cease to amaze me. The desire of God is always our repentance that leads to fellowship with him. His discipline is to never meant to estrange us from him, it is always his desire that we  would turn to him. That is why Paul encouraged Timothy saying, "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). 

See the ball, hit the ball.

Come, my children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
   and desires to see many good days,
   keep your tongue from evil 
   and your lips from telling lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.
Psalms 34:11-14 (NIV)

Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers Hall of Fame manager, said his theory of hitting was, "See the ball, hit the ball." Spiritually speaking that's sort of what David is saying in Psalm 34. If you want a good life, fear God. If you ask how you fear God he says to manage what you say and manage what you do. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Presenting without fault...you.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Jude 1:24-25  (NIV)

The good news is that our Savior is able to keep us saved. Our Savior doesn't just forgive our sins of the past. He also deals with our struggles in the present. I think sometimes when we sincerely seek to follow Christ we forget that a closer view of Christ reveals his righteousness and holiness, not ours. He is our righteousness, holiness and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30). We may feel less righteous as we struggle with trials and temptations, but he is able to not only keep us from falling but he is able to present us before his presence without fault! That is good news! 

Imagine yourself being present before God's glorious presence. Without fault...that's amazing grace.

Everybody Needs Mercy

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Jude 1:22-23 (NIV)

There is a fine line between being zealous to see people come to know the saving grace of God in Christ and acting like a blind fanatic. I once was in San Fransico and walked by a street preacher standing on a corner preaching away. He sounded pretty right on. On of my friends sincerely said, "Amen, brother. Preach it!" The street preacher turned to us, gave us the middle finger and a few obscenities, turned back and started "preaching" again. I think he kind of lost the idea of, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

I think most Christian know people who they have worked with who were or are vehemently opposed to the gospel. They still need mercy, whether they acknowledge it or not. You can't argue someone into the kingdom of God. You may have to confront (in love) arguments that oppose Christ, but, the love of God shown us all by the mercy of God in Christ is what they need. 

The Aftertaste of Peace

Taste and see that the Lord is good. 
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
   for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Psalms 34:8-10 (NIV)

Thank you, Father, that you are good. Thank you that your forgiveness, mercy and grace leave us with the sweet aftertaste of peace in your Presence. Help us to honor you and seek you with fearful and trusting  hearts. We find refuge in you and look to you to provide for all are needs in Christ Jesus. Praise be to you in us today!

From Shame to Radiance in the Chaos

I will extol the Lord at all times;
   his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
   let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
   let us exalt his name together. 
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
   he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
   their faces are never covered with shame.
Psalms 34:1-5 (NIV)

David didn't call on God from a comfortable cozy little nook in the palace. Saul was seeking to kill him because of jealousy. He was running for his life. In the midst of chaos David sought God and found him. God heard David and answered his prayer. He felt no shame and the radiant glory of the God who saves us reflected in his life. 

Father, hear our prayers from the chaos in our lives. We look to you to answer and deliver us. Change our shame to radiance. Praise be to you in us today.

Feed Your Faith

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Jude 1:20-21  (NIV)

My son watches some pretty goofy cartoons. Several of the characters have these grossly misproportioned  bodies. Kind of like guys at the gym who only do upper body sets. 

Spiritually, we need to build ourselves up. Frankly, what you feed grows. If you're reading this, the Holy Spirit is encouraging you to  trust him and grow in your faith. Continue to pray. Continue to read the Bible. Continue to fellowship. Feed your spirit.

The Apostles Told Us It Would Happen

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

Jude 1:17-19 (NIV)

I am not surprised when I read or hear an atheist discount Christianity. Maybe a bit irritated with the whole "blame a god you don't believe exists for the evils a godless society perpetuates upon itself" diatribe. Annoyed but not surprised.

But when I hear people who call themselves Christians, priests, pastor or Biblical scholars denying the authenticity and reliability of Scripture or the existence of Christ as described in the Bible that alarms and angers me. 

Whenever we try to stuff our understanding of God into the finiteness of our understanding we create a god less than the God of the Bible, the Eternal, Almighty God. Occasionally public television will produce a series on the Bible. Naturally most of the Bible scholars they consult and/or interview are liberal theologians. Liberal theologians are like modern day Sadducees. Neither believe in the miraculous so they always try to explain away anything outside of the realm of their own limited and finite understanding. What will they do when they meet the God who rose Jesus from the dead? 

Sometimes Rough Is Better Than Smooth

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body 
   and nourishment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:7-8 (NIV)

Back in the day I worked in construction. I worked for a guy who built the houses from the ground up, the foundation to the roof. I had just bought a new smooth faced hammer for things like nailing off decks. For some reason I was leaving "moons" (when you miss hit the nail and the hammer head makes a mark like a half moon in the wood) all over the beautiful redwood deck.

My boss walked up and said, "Is your hammer shaped like an egg or could it be your swing?" I laughed and told him the hammer was brand new. He asked to see the hammer, looked at the face of it, ran up to the road and started to hit the pavement with my brand new 28 oz. smoothed face hammer! He was rubbing it back and forth on the road when I grabbed it and asked "What are you doing? It's brand new!" 

He chuckled and explained, "Whenever you buy a new smoothed faced hammer, you need to rough the face up a bit to give it some grip on the nails. Otherwise it will just slide right off and you will make moons all over the wood."

Sometimes we try to keep things all smooth and nice and then God allows us to get roughed up a bit. Then we find that those trials help us get a grip on our faith just a little better. Like the marks on my hammer helping, God in his infinite wisdom, uses the marks of our trials to know him more and be useful instruments in the Kingdom of God.

God Clears a Path For You

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

   and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

   and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Every time I read these verses I am reminded of their wisdom. No matter what you are going through they always hold true. Trust in God. Remember he sees the end from the beginning. Remember he is Sovereign God and works all things out for good for those who love him. Like a parent moving toys out of the ways of a toddler learning walk, our Father makes the path before us clear. 

Thank you Father for clearing a path before us. We acknowledge you as Lord and Savior. Praise be to you in us today!

A Little Prayer for Power

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above...

Ephesians 1:19-21a (NIV)

Father, you raised Jesus from the dead, showing your incomparably great power, show that power in our lives! Resurrect our passion to follow you, our marriages and our witness in this world. Awaken your Spirit within us to love as you have loved us! Praise be to you in us today!

It's Time to Contend for Your Faith

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 

Jude 1:3 (NIV)

Amongst the intellectual elite, the press and many average citizens Christianity is considered an obsolete myth. It is also to blame, according to some, for most of the evils of the day. Somehow churches who have always fed and cared for the homeless are evil. Missionaries who seek to love the world in Jesus' name are just part of an imperialistic western world. Telling someone that Jesus loves them and can free them from the chains of sin is an evil of unspeakable terms.

Why aren't we standing up to these lies? I think we just don't really recognize that we have a president that says we aren't a Christian nation and public education is run by people who want to erase Christianity and the rid the world of its' influence. I have interacted with quite a few "atheists" on Google+. They all want to blame the god they don't believe in for the problems they have created. Mankind will shake it's fist at the God who sent his one and only Son to save them from death and sin. It's time for us to realize the world needs to hear the gospel despite it's hatred for God.   

I think most of us will naturally avoid conflict if we can. I understand that. I just don't think we can avoid this conflict any longer. It's time to contend for your faith.

Do You Just Do It?

Why is Nike's slogan, "Just do it!" so powerful? Because it reminds athletes that in order to be successful you have to set aside how you feel or other distractions and just go do what you need to do.  Like practice when no one's looking. Spiritually we need to do the same. 

Too often we look to our feelings to inspire us to act in a loving way, to put the other person first, to read the Bible, to pray, or even go to church. Just seek God and his kingdom purposes, love as you have been loved. 

Therefore let all the godly pray to you
   while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
   will not reach them.
You are my hiding place;
   you will protect me from trouble
   and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalms 32:6-7 (NIV)

Confession Is a Good For The Soul

They say that confession is good for the soul. Sometimes we just need to sit down and get things straight with God. The Spirit may be convicting you. Go to God and get things right. 

Blessed is the one
   whose transgressions are forgiven,
   whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one 
   whose sin the Lord does not count against them 
   and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
   my bones wasted away 
   through my groaning all day long.
For day and night 
   your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
   as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you 
   and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
   And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Psalms 32:1-5 (NIV) 

Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness...

Imitate What?

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 

3 John :11 (NIV)

In a sense, you are who you imitate. After I became a Christian I attended Calvary Chapels up until a few years ago. Several pastors came out of Pastor Chuck's ministry and have been very fruitful in advancing the kingdom of God. The emphasis on teaching through the Bible, the whole Bible, was definitely a common trait. And it is a very good one. The point is that imitating what is good yields good fruit. 

John, the Apostle, had just been talking about Diotrephes. Diotrephes liked to be first, rejected the apostles, gossiped maliciously, and refused to welcome those sent from John. Not only that but he stopped those who tried to welcome those sent from John, and put them out of the church. In light of this narcissistic tyrants' actions John says to not imitate what is evil. 

Just think about how people operate as leaders. Even while declaring the truth (which is opposed to sin) godly leaders are loving and welcoming. Remember, repentance is a way in, a way back to God in Christ. Imitate those who offer grace. 

Father, give us wisdom to imitate what is good. Praise be to you in us today! 

Who Might Have Joy Because of You?

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 1:2-4 (NIV)

Last week we had a Back To School night and a couple of my former students stopped by to say hello and gave me an update on how they are doing. It was great to hear that they are doing well. I told them both it was great to see them and that I was proud of them. 

When I first started teaching there was a group of guys who questioned my faith quite extensively. A few of them became Christians. Whenever I talk to one of them I am always happy to hear that they are doing well. It really is a great feeling. I believe it's joy.

Think about this: who are the leaders who shepherded you when you first came to Christ? I think of Jim and Jim, my youth pastors and Pastor Don who all encouraged me to seek God with all that I have. I think of Billy, the head of a Bible school I attended, who taught me what love and humility was (yes, I'm still working on both) by how he treated me and everyone else.  I think they would be joyfully happy to know that I and my family are walking with the Lord.

Who would it give great joy to know that you are doing well in your faith?