Long way to go (short time to get there) - Devotion for 6/28/07

Long way to go (short time to get there) – Devotion for 6/28/07

I have a confession to make. When I was a child, one of my favorite movies was “Smokey and the Bandit.” In 1977, that was a huge hit. Who couldn’t love that movie? You had the cool car (black Trans Am with the eagle on the hood), you had the hot girl (hey, Sally Fields was da bomb back then), and you had a great soundtrack. OK – maybe the soundtrack wasn’t that great, but if you’ve ever seen the movie, I’ll be you at least remember one song – “We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there . . .” Jerry Reed’s Eastbound and Down (I had to look up the title to the song – I had not idea that is what it is called!), was a memorable hit that just sort of sticks in my head whenever I am driving somewhere.

In reading 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, I get the feeling that that song was stuck in Paul’s head too (yeah – Jerry Reed is that old). “For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are not seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”(2 Cor. 4:17-18). We really do only have a short time here on earth in the grand scheme of things. Recognizing the brevity of our own existence motivates us in a few different ways. One, it lets us know we better get going – working to fulfill whatever purpose God has placed us here on this earth for. Two, it lets us know that the suffering and struggles that we have hear on this earth will only last a short while. Today, let’s get moving. We’ve got a Smokey (the devil) on our tail trying to keep us from reaching our goal. We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there – I’m eastbound, watch ole’ Bandit run!

Grace under fire - Devotion for 6/27/07

Grace under fire – Devotion for 6/27/07

How do you react when someone is confronting you? I recognize that some of the people that read this carry around machine guns everyday, and you are probably well too acquainted with how you react when someone confronts you. But how do we react when we are being questioned about something, or being accused of something wrong? Usually our blood pressure goes up, and that natural “fight or flight” instinct kicks in as the adrenaline starts pumping. I remember that when I was going through the ordination interviews, which consisted of 4 back-to-back interviews in front of 4 different committees of 8-12 people for 45 minutes each. During these interviews, you would be interrogated regarding papers you had written answering certain questions on theology, worship, call and disciplined life, and preaching (actually, in the preaching one, they critiqued a sermon video we had to send it). For those 3 hours the mental stress would begin to get to some. And it always seemed that in each one of the interviews you needed to be ready for a curveball. I don’t know if it was planned that way or not, but it seemed that in each committee, someone would really put you on the hot spot, and begin to attack you somehow. I was told by others that this was done intentionally, as a way to see how the pastor would handle being put under pressure, especially since there might be one or two (or 300) occasions where a church member might put pressure on the pastor. Although I passed all my interviews first time through, it certainly was not without sweating a few bullets from all the questioning.

Even in that environment where I was surrounded by faithful Christian disciples who were there to support me, I certainly didn’t handle the pressure the way Stephen did in Acts. In Acts 7:54-60 we hear about the stoning of Stephen, who had been preaching and teaching the gospel. As Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin, he answered their questions with an amazing sermon explaining Jesus through the ages. As the anger became more intense, Stephens cool seemed to grow. As the people are “gnashing their teeth at him,” Stephen looks up and proclaims, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). The people totally freak out, rush him, take him out of the city and stone him. Literally as the stones are being hurled upon him, the last thing that Stephen says is, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”(Acts 7:60) And then he dies. Dude, if that was me, I’m pretty sure I’d be praying something like, “God, don’t ever forget what they are doing to me! Let them have kidney stones this big!” But that wasn’t Stephen. Stephen had this amazing grace under fire. As far fetching as this may sound, we can have that same amazing grace under fire. The next time you feel you are being attacked (and it may be today) or questioned, pray that God will give you that same grace.

Paying Attention - Devotion for 6/26/07

Paying Attention – Devotion for 6/26/07

I can walk in my house and tell what kind of mood everyone is in just by looking at them. I call tell if I have done (or not done) something that has upset my wife simply by the way she will look at me. I can tell if my boys are happy, upset, in the midst of mischief, or whatever just by looking at them. I can even tell if my dog has gotten into something he shouldn’t have just by the way he will put his head down and look up at me with those sad eyes. All of these things are just a part of non-verbal communication, and we are all masters at it. If someone lets you in on a busy highway, you offer them the non-verbal hand wave letting them know you are grateful for their generosity. If you end up cutting someone off on said highway, they have their own non-verbal communication gesture that they are ready to demonstrate to you – and no, they don’t think you’re number 1. Guys and gals searching for potential mates have their own non-verbal communication, something that must be mastered to be able to pick up that fine dude/lady and the local watering hole. There are tons of non-verbal communication signs out there, but sometimes we miss them. And what happens when we miss them? The non-verbal signs usually become a little more verbal. If I walk in and don’t realize that my wife is angry, she will eventually let me know. If the boys are upset, and I haven’t picked up on it, they will eventually let me know. But truth be told, if I was not so focused on myself, then I would have had to be told – I would have paid attention to the non-verbal signs they were giving.

I believe that God everyday sends us plenty of non-verbal communication, and I think that we send God plenty of non-verbal signs as well. Proverbs 20:12 states, “Ears that hear and eyes that see – the Lord has made them both.” As the Lord made both eyes and ears, you can be assured He expects us to use both. Today, I believe that God will try to sends us all sorts of non-verbal communication – will we pay attention? Today, I believe that we will give God all sorts of non-verbal communication – what will we be saying?

Consider the Cost - Devotion for 6/25/07

Consider the Cost – Devotion for 6/25/07

For quite a while Jennifer had been telling me that she wanted us to get a cat. We had a cat when we first got married, and although I enjoyed having the cat, I got tired of all the hair that would eventually wind up all over everything. So for some time, I resisted Jennifer’s suggestions. However last year for Mother’s Day, she brought it up again, and the boys loved the idea, so we got to looking in the newspaper to see if anyone had any kittens to give away. We found several listings, made a few calls, and we finally settled on getting not one, but two kittens. These kittens came to us for the total cost of FREE! So, there I was thinking I made out like a bandit for Mother’s Day. And then we went to the vet. In hindsight, it would have been much cheaper for me to have given her some beautiful jewelry to wear, considering what we had to spend to have them spayed and neutered, get there shots, and receive wellness check-ups. Add in the food, the food and water dish, the litter box (that everyone in the family agreed to clean up . . . yeah, you can guess how that one turned out), the play toys, the kitty bed, and the kitty treats. If at that time we had considered the total cost of having those two cats, I’m not too sure that we would have gotten those “free” cats. But knowing what we now, and how much we love those cats, we’d probably pay twice that if we had to.

In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus is describing the cost of following him. According to that passage, to follow Jesus you have to be willing to hate your father, mother, wife, children, and even yourself. You have to be willing to carry your own cross, which was an expression the disciples knew, but not to the extent of what it would mean to them. You know, when I consider those costs, those are steep – but I think I understand them. There are times that if you are going to truly be a follower of Jesus that you are going to go against the will or wishes of your family, and there are going to be times that if you are faithful to Jesus, you will suffer as if you were carrying your own cross. But Jesus brings up one other cost that I am not sure that we are always willing to pay: “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33). That, my friends, seems harsh. Give up all my possessions? How can my possessions really be a part of the cost of following Christ?

This weekend I saw an example of how our possessions can hold us back. This past weekend my youngest son Aaron was the starting first baseman on his All Star team in a tournament. Friday night and Saturday we got to watch him and the rest of team play great, only to lose both games by the other team scoring in their final at bat. In the game Saturday morning, one of our players got up to bat, and he hit the ball hard to left field. As he was rounding his way past first on his way to an easy stand-up double, his helmet fell off. This young man panicked, not knowing what to do. He stopped running, came back for the helmet, and put it back on as he attempted to run to second. Before he got to second, the helmet started coming off again so he ran with his hands on his head, which slowed him down considerably. He was able to slide (which was impressive with both hands on his head!), and beat the tag as the other team had had time to get the ball in. Because he was so concerned about the thing, he almost missed the point of what he was doing. When we follow Christ, we cannot let our “things” get in the way of us fully committing to following Him. I think about all of our soldiers who leave behind all their things and families because they have been given orders to go serve overseas. I can’t imagine what it would be like if they showed up to board the plane with all their possessions, plus the kitchen sink. The same is true in following Christ – we must be a willing soldier if need be, willing to leave behind everything – father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, possessions – for the sake of the call.

Bad Attitude - Devotion for 6/22/07

Bad Attitude – Devotion for 6/22/07

Being the father of two boys ages 9 and 7, occasionally I have to put up with a bad attitude (I know, shocking, isn’t it?). Sometimes as we are preparing to go somewhere one of them will just not want to go and they will get a royal sullen attitude –something that I am confident will not get worse as they get older. As that attitude continues, it usually makes me just want to tell them, “You are going to have a good time whether you like it or not!” However, I have tried that tactic, and surprisingly it did not work too well. I have attempted many tactics to get them out of the bad attitude as we are going somewhere or doing something, and usually almost nothing works. However, the one thing that does seem to work with my 2 boys (at least for now) is when I tell them that if they have a miserable attitude about it, they will have a miserable time. But if they change their attitude and bring a good attitude, they will have a good time. I let them know that they are the ones who will determine whether or not it is a good day or a bad day by what they put into it. Sometimes that works – sometimes it doesn’t.

I thought about our attitudes as I read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. This passage states, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously”(2 Corinthians 9:6). The author is in the middle of writing about how he and others have been testifying to the generosity of the people of Corinth, and that he is hoping that they will continue to give in the generous way that they have been giving. However, the passage continues that the sowing that we do should be done with a good attitude, not doing it because they have to, but because they want to – “for God loves a cheerful giver”(2 Cor. 9:7). Again, it really seems like it is about our attitude, not just our actions. Our actions mean nothing if our attitude about them reflect something different. Have you ever said something sarcastically? I have spoken sarcastically maybe once or twice (hey – no comment!). You may say one thing, but by the tone and the way you say it, it is very obvious that is not what you really meant. If the attitude we have about giving is that we are giving “because I have to,” then we may be giving, but not with a good attitude. You will get out of it whatever you put into it. Same thing for every day of our life.

Are you "called" or "owned" - Devotion for 6/21/07

Are you “owned” or “called”? – Devotion for 6/21/07

When I was preparing for ordination, as is standard in the United Methodist Church, I was placed into a covenant group with others who were preparing for the same task as I was. The group I was a part of was a wonderful group – I had gone to seminary with 4 of them, 1 of them and I were in the same youth group as teens, and another 1 of them knew my father. On top of what a great group we had, we were assigned a minister who would help guide us and prepare us for the ordination papers and interviews. I recall one particular conversation that we had where we were talking about how many hours a week a minister should “work.”

Rev. Banks spoke up to us and make the proclamation, “If you are fully devoted to your calling, then you should not work at all.” Confused, we all looked around the room as if Rev. Banks had just blasphemed God somehow. He began to explain that recently his congregation had hired a full-time youth minister, and this youth minister had come into his office and asked him how many hours a week he was expected to work. Rev. Banks explained to him that he was being paid so that he would not have to work, so that all of his life could be devoted to the ministry of the church. Still not getting it (either the youth minister, or us as he told us about the encounter), he went on to explain that Paul was a tentmaker by occupation. To earn his living and provide for life’s essentials, Paul would make and fix tents. However, through his work with the church, eventually the churches he helped establish began to give him gifts and contributions as a sign of their gratitude, but also as a way of providing for Paul so that he would not have to go back to his occupation – tent making. As long as his needs were being met, Paul did not have to work (his occupation making tents). He could devote all of his life to his vocation (his calling to serve God).

Finally it began to sink in – both the youth minister that Rev. Banks first explained this to, and then to the group he was now telling the story to. You can see evidence of what Rev. Banks was talking about throughout many of Paul’s writings. This morning I was reading from Philippians 4:10-20, and as Paul is writing while imprisoned (either in Caesarea, Ephesus, or most likely Rome), he speaks of being content in whatever circumstances he was in. Verses 16-17 read, “For even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” As he gives thanks for the gift, he even sees the giving of the gift as a blessing for the ones who gave it.

I got to thinking about Paul today, because not everyone is able to just drop their occupation to follow a vocation. I believe that we are all called (vocare – Latin meaning “to call”; root word for vocation) to serve God in some way, but not all are called to leave their occupation. Many can live up to their calling (vocation) within their occupation. God has a purpose and calling for each and every one of us. Do you let your job possess you? The root word for “occupation” is “occupy.” The word occupy comes from a latin word which meant to possess. So does your job possess you, or are you able to live up to a calling within your occupation?

Hercules! Hercules! - Devotion for 6/20/07

Hercules! Hercules! – Devotion for 6/20/07

I remember learning and being intrigued by some of the Greek mythology back when I was in school. Some of the stories that are a part of the classical tradition really are neat stories. One of the stories that I was fond of was the story of Hercules and Antaeus. Hercules was the immortal son of the all-powerful Zeus; Antaeus was the son of Gaia, mother earth. You may be readily familiar with the notoriety of the strength of Hercules, but Antaeus was a giant known as a vicious conquerer whose strength made him appear invincible. Antaeus had a routine of challenging all travelers who came his way to a wrestling match, and upon defeating them he would slaughter them. One day Hercules passed his way, and Hercules accepted Antaeus’ challenge to wrestle. Time and time again Hercules threw Antaeus down on the ground, and time and time again Antaeus would get right back up, almost stronger than before he had been thrown to the ground. Eventually Hercules came to realize that each time Antaeus was thrown onto the ground he was being rejuvenated by his mother, Gaia, the earth. So Hercules devised a new tactic – he held Antaeus high above the ground until all of his power drained away, and then he killed him.

I think in life we find ourselves in a similar battle every day. Although we do not gain strength from the earth, we do gain our strength from being contact/communion with our God. Many times in our life we get knocked down from our struggles, but through God we are truly made stronger through them. And there are many enemies that try to keep us from our strength – work, play, schedules, money, etc. My devotion reading today was in Isaiah 40:12-31, and I particularly love verses 28-31:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tied. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, the will walk and not become weary.

Today if you find yourself knocked down, trust and pray that your strength will be renewed. As your enemy trying to take you away from your source of strength, come back down to earth and gain new strength through time with God.

Rock on - Devotion for 6/19/07

Rock on – Devotion for 6/19/07

Have you ever noticed how many times words like “rock” or “stone” are used within the scriptures? Back in Genesis you had the stone that Jacob used as a pillow (ouch!), and while sleeping on that rock he had the “Jacob’s ladder” dream, and then he used the rock to build a monument called “Bethel” (Genesis 28:11-19). Stones are used to cover wells, stones were used to build monuments, rocks were used to build altars. Rocks were even used to produce water in Exodus, which led to a great deal of confusion for me as a little boy, because I thought there was water inside of all rocks – yet no matter how hard I hit them, water never came out. Rocks and stones were used in the unfortunate matters such as stoning, covering of tombs, and setting up monuments celebrating the life of individuals. You may even recall that in the temptation of Jesus, after Jesus had fasted for 40 days, the devil tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread.

But I have to admit that my favorite use of the word “rock” or “stone” within the context of the scriptures is when God is referenced as “my rock.” I grew up every Sunday hearing my daddy preach, and before every sermon he would pray this prayer from Psalm 19:14 – “May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, truly be acceptable unto you, O Lord my God, my Rock and my Redeemer.” I love that image of God as our rock – the solid ground upon which we stand. I was reminded of the rock image today as I began my devotion time reading Psalm 28, which begins, “To You, O Lord, I call; My rock do not be deaf to me, for if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.” When we are in those times of desperation for a word from God, we know how slippery life can seem. We know that when we have full faith and trust in God how solid life can seem. Today, call out to the rock, the stronghold, the fortress in our life.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

- “My Hope is Built,” by Edward Mote

Hand of God - Devotion for 6/18/07

Hand of God – Devotion for 6/18/07

As I have mentioned before, my family and I have a beautiful Golden Retriever named Riley. As Riley has gotten older, it seems that he has become more and more afraid of thunderstorms. Riley is a better weatherman than the dudes on TV because you can seem him start pacing around back and forth, and you know a storm is coming. Riley is usually an outside dog, however over the past year, whenever a storm comes up Riley has just taken off running through the radio fence that we use, and he just runs. So after having Riley cleaned and groomed a few weeks ago, we decided to bring him into the house for a bit to see how he could potentially adjust to being an indoors dog. He loved it, and he was so good – he would lay right on a blanket that we had set out for him. He was perfectly behaved, and even though the cats would come up and give him a punch, he would not bite them at all. The only problem we had with him was keeping him from eating the cat food.

That first night that we had him in, the weatherman was calling for thunderstorms. So we got Riley to come into the bedroom and shut the door so he wouldn’t be roaming the house in the middle of the night. Hours into our restful, peaceful night we were awoken by the rumble of the predicted storm. Riley was so nervous – panting, pacing, and trying to crawl under the bed – which is a very difficult thing for a 90 lb. Golden Retriever to do. Riley would not stop pacing and walking around as he was so frightened by the storm outside. We would gently call his name and tell him to lie down, and he would for a moment, but then he would be right back up. Finally I called Riley to my side of the bed, and I got him to lie down on the floor right beside me. I dropped my hand over the side of the bed, and I placed it upon Riley, and something happened. Riley stilled. As long as my hand was upon him he would actually put his head down on the floor and rest. I thought he was asleep, so I pulled my hand up and rolled over, and within a minute Riley was back up panting and pacing. So I had him come over again and I placed my hand upon him, and I fell back asleep with my hand on him – and Riley fell asleep in the peace that I was with him.

This morning in my devotion time I read Psalm 46, and this particular verse stood out to me: “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). I do recognize that in the context of the entire psalm, this verse is actually a direction to quit fighting with one another, but today it just stood out to me because we all fight many kinds of battles. We fight battles with our fears, our sins, our temptations, and all other sort of predicaments. In the midst of those battles, we too should hear the voice of God and feel His hand as He says to us, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” In the midst of you battle today, call out to God, seeking to feel His hand that will give you the peace in the midst of your storm.

Regrets - Devotion for 6/12/07

Regrets – Devotion for 6/12/07

Do you have any regrets? As I look back over my life, I can think of very few. There are many things that if I could do things over I might would do them differently, but I wouldn’t necessarily call that a regret, because each experience I have had has shaped me into the person I am now. Now day to day I may have small regrets, such as regretting that I maybe said something to someone that I shouldn’t have or what not, but those regrets usually pass by pretty quickly. But for me, the type of regret that sticks in my crawl is the regret over not doing something that I just felt that I should have.

One day recently I was on my way into the hospital to visit with someone, and as I was walking past the emergency entrance, a SUV came squealing into the parking lot, and came to a screeching halt right behind the ambulances. I suddenly heard shouting and screaming as I presume a mother and father got out the SUV and the dad carrying what appeared to be about a 10 year old girl, and the mom was screaming, “Look at her, she’s getting pale!” As the dad was carrying the girl into the ER, security guards were coming out and yelling at the mom and dad about needing to move their car. One of the guards physically got in front of the mom ordering her to move the car, and mom was just beside herself that as her child was being carried into the ER, she was actually going to have to move the car. I kept walking. The mom moved the car, and was able to get back into the ER. But I felt such incredible regret that I did not go over to them, hand them my card, and ask if I could move her car for her. At that moment, I was feeling that pull telling me I should do something, but I just kept walking. I knew I was supposed to at least try to help, but I did nothing. I believe that it is those “do nothing/keep walking” moments that create the most difficult regrets.

My devotional reading time today came from Galatians 5:16-26, and years ago I memorized one of those verses. Galatians 5:25 states, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” If we as Christians profess Jesus Christ as Lord, then the Spirit is with us, guiding us and strengthening us. But the Spirit is guiding and strengthening us for something, and the Spirit is leading us into those moments where our strength will be utilized. If we live by the Spirit, we can’t pick and choose the situations that we will be guided to. If we live by the Spirit, we can’t simply plan out our course. If we live by the Spirit, the Spirit will put us into situations that we would not have chosen on our own. And in those moments, we will be faced with a potential regret. If we live by the Spirit, will we also walk by the Spirit? To walk by the Spirit means to take each step of the Christian life under the strength and guidance of the Spirit. If we live by the Spirit, then when we feel those nudges or those pullings as I did that day at the hospital, then we will not keep walking on our path, but we will walk in the Spirit. Don’t live your life with regrets. Trust and obey the guidance of the Spirit.

Strength is the weakness - Devotion for 6/11/07

Strength is the weakness – Devotion for 6/11/07

Back when I was in seminary at Duke I served as a Student Pastor, and in the midst of my studies, and in the midst of my serving the church, my wife and I also became parents – twice. Needless to say, my time was very, very limited as I had many things to always do. Having to come up with a sermon each week was something new for me, but I found it was something that was not very difficult for me to do. After all, I grew up hearing my dad preach every Sunday, I pretty much knew what to do. I felt I had a real knack for public speaking, and whenever I did one of those spiritual gifts inventory tests it showed that preaching was one of my strong suits. So when time became crunched between visiting members, writing papers, changing diapers, and writing sermons, I would usually sacrifice time spent on writing sermons. I bragged to my colleagues at school that I had developed the “Adam Seate 5/15 Rule” – 5 minutes of preparation would result in 15 minutes of speaking. Now I knew that the 5/15 rule was truly an exaggeration (who me?), but I felt pretty confident in my own ability. Eventually, however, I had the opportunity to go back and listen to some of those 5/15 sermons, and I found the notes that I had made for them, and I came to realize something – they were terrible! I was so embarrassed by what I had been doing and saying, and yet all along I had thought I was doing a splendid job. What I eventually realized was that I had begun to rely on my own ability and I had actually left God out of the whole process. What was my strength had turned into my weakness, because I no longer felt I had to rely on God to give me the words. I soon learned it was more important to rely on God as my strength.

I was reminded of this personal struggle this morning as I read from Luke 18:18-30, where the rich man asks Jesus “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus reminds him of the commandments, and the man replies that he has done all of those things since he was a child, and you sort of get the impression that he might have replied to Jesus with a little bit of a pompous attitude. So then Jesus hits him with this bombshell: “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). We are then told that the dude became quite sad, because he was very rich. We all the time hear this passage talked about in the sense of the love of money, and we hear about the need to be generous with our gifts, and (insert sermon subject here that you have heard before on this passage). But this morning it sort of hit me in a different way. This guy seems to have led a decent life. This guy seems to have succeeded in whatever he did as he was a ruler, magistrate, or some kind of authority figure (translation of the word is most often “ruler,” but also means magistrate, authority, or prince – so what he actually did is uncertain). By all accounts, he probably could have been a worthy and respected representative of Christ. But the one thing he lacked was a need. He had everything he needed, so he didn’t really have a “need” for Jesus. So to create that need/trust relationship, Jesus told him to sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him.

Sometimes we forget how much we need Jesus. We surely remember when a need arises, such as a loved one who is deathly ill, or such as at time where we are awaiting some important news. Those moments we remember how much we need Jesus. But when we are strong and things are going the way we want, we forget that need. We rely on our strength, and do not even think about having to trust Jesus. The problem is our strength can become our weakness. Today, remember that no matter how strong we may be, Christ calls us to acknowledge our weakness before Him. The things Christ can do with our strengths and our weaknesses will amaze, for “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

Whole lotta love - Devotion for 6/8/07

Whole Lotta Love – Devotion for 6/8/07

This morning I was reading from Luke 7 and the story about Jesus eating at the home of a Pharisee and a “sinful woman” came up and “washed his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair” (Luke 7:38). We are told she continues on kissing his feet and anointing them with ointment. Well, the Pharisees seem to have an issue with this, thinking that if Jesus was any kind of a prophet, he would have known what kind of woman was touching him. Jesus uses this moment as a teaching moment, as he usually does, and goes on to give the parable of the creditor with 2 debtors – one owing 500 denarii, and the other 50. He asks them if the creditor forgave the debt of the 2 who would love the creditor more? The answer is obvious – the one owing 500. Jesus goes on and talks about what the woman has done, and yet the host of the house has not yet offered to wash his feet, which was customary hospitality. “Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little” (Luke 7:47).

I know that based on this passage, I am one who must truly give Jesus a whole lotta love. I know I have much that has been forgiven, and I know that I should show my gratitude to him every day. Every day I need to say “thank you” for that forgiveness both with my prayers and my deeds. Think about it – when you let someone into your lane on a crowded road, don’t you at least want a little hand wave of gratitude. When I let someone in and they don’t offer at least that little “thank you” wave, it makes me mad, and it makes me want to go around them and then cut them off . . . which is another reason I have a whole lotta love for Jesus, because I don’t always do the right thing. But I can try – and so can you. Let’s show Jesus a lotta love.

"Father, forgive me" - Devotion for 6/7/07

“Father, forgive me” – Devotion for 6/07/07

Being a PK (preacher’s kid), people always had certain expectations of you before they even got to know you. One of those stereotypes was that you were a “goody two shoes.” I’m not really sure where that expression came from since we all wear 2 shoes (assuming you have 2 feet), but growing up we sure heard that expression a lot. The other stereotype for PK’s was that you were a “hell raiser.” I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been called a “goody two shoes” (although I usually did wear 2 shoes), but I’m not sure I’d always be called a “hell raiser” either. However, I certainly did have more than a few moments where I certainly was not referred to as a “goody.” One time as we were riding the school bus, someone said something to me about being a PK, and so I cussed right back at them. “Oooooh” was the sound that all the kids made as they were amazed that a preacher’s kid would say such a thing. Immediately, I bowed my head and prayed out loud, “Father, forgive me.” For some reason this quick, audible prayer made the others laugh, and never being one to discourage laughter, I decided I would have some fun with it. Repeatedly I would say a cuss word, and immediately I would bow my head and say, “Father, forgive me,” much to the amusement of my bus-mates. However one child turned to me and said, “You know you shouldn’t be saying that stuff,” and I replied to her, “Its OK – I’m a Christian, and God forgives me.”

In the book of Romans, Paul talks about how a Christian should live, and he talks also about how we should handle sin. He begins chapter 6 by saying, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Although he is asking a rhetorical question, the basis of it has some merit. If grace (God’s gift of forgiveness) abounds in the presence of sin, then why shouldn’t we continue in sin so that grace may increase? That seemed to be my understanding back in 4^th grade – I could sin, and the more I sinned, the more forgiveness and grace I received. However, Paul answers his own rhetorical question in the next verse – “May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” A few verses later he says, “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him” (Romans 6:8-9). When we have accepted a new life through Christ, then we should by all means make every effort to avoid sinning. I guess what I’m saying is that we can’t say that we have a new life in Christ if we are still living the old life we had before. Something has to change.

When I entered into a serious relationship with Jennifer (my wife), no longer did I want to go out and try to meet other girls. No longer did I call up old girlfriends just to see how they were doing. I was in a new relationship, and that meant that I could not exist as I had previously existed – it wouldn’t be right for the new relationship I was in. We should approach our relationship with Christ the same way. Leaving behind the old ways - living in the new. We should live a life knowing that although the reality is that we will sin, we should do all that we can to avoid sinning. The good news is that God does offer forgiveness for true repentance. My little “Father, forgive me” prayers were not true repentance, because I knew that the second that I said “Amen,” I was going to say another cuss word. Confess, repent, and live in the new life God freely gives.

My drill - Devotion for 6/6/07

My drill – Devotion for 6/6/07

I own a drill. I’m not really sure why I own a drill. I’ve not used said drill very much, maybe twice. But I own a drill. I have a drill because I asked for a drill for Christmas one year, and so it was given to me. Because I was given a drill, I decided that I needed to also own a set of drill bits and other assorted attachments. After all, what’s the point of having a drill if you don’t have the attachments to be able to utilize the drill. Yet, I own a drill, and it really is of no use to me. Maybe one day something will need to be drilled . . . maybe.

Sometimes I think that we as Christians forget why we are saved. Some of us from the time that we were children we were taught about the love of Jesus Christ, and that he gave himself up for us, that “whosoever believeth in Him shall have eternal life.” At some point in our lives we have come to a true belief and understanding that we are sinners, and we accept that Christ died for our sins, and only through our belief in Him may we enter the gates of Heaven. But sometimes, it seems as though we think the journey ends there. Think about it – God paid the price for your life with the life of His son. Like my drill, do we think that God received our souls and then just wants them to sit on a shelf collecting dust?

Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are all saved by grace, not by our works. Ephesians 2:8-10 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that wee would walk in them.” I love that part “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” It reminds us that it is not enough just for us to become a possession of God, but we must then be ready to be used by God. Today, look for the ways you can be a “drill” that gets used for God. Trust me – it’s a “hole-y” thing.

Refreshments - Devotion for 6/5/07

Refreshments – Devotion for 6/5/07

It has really been quite dry here in Fayetteville recently. Last week it was becoming painfully obvious how dry as you looked at my yard. My neighbors have a sprinkler system that waters their yard to help keep it nice and green. I don’t. So you could clearly see the dividing line between my yard and theirs, as my yard was brown, and theirs was green. If you had not been watering your yard, everything was brown. But then Saturday afternoon came. Rains from a tropical storm that was heading north fell, and you could almost hear the sighing of relief from the grass – even the weeds seemed happier. That inch of rain that we got brought such relief and refreshment to the yard that by Sunday morning, it was already starting to look green again – and the weds were already blooming L .

Sometimes we get into a spiritual dry spell. Sometimes we just sort of get away from God, and it is not always on purpose, just sometimes it happens. We may fall away from a prayer time because of so many other time commitments. We may ignore the opportunities our churches may offer for us to learn more about God because we are simple so worn out from the rigors of life. We may even want that extra hour or two (or three) of sleep on Sunday morning just so that we might have the energy to get through the week. And before we know it, our spirit has become dried up. And it becomes quite apparent to us and our neighbors just how dry we are. We aren’t satisfied with anything. We are angry at everybody. We don’t have the motivation to do anything for anyone. We even start to wonder about this whole God thing.

In Acts 3, Peter and John have just healed a lame man, and people are crowding around because they are amazed at what they have seen. They have witnessed a power that they had not seen before. Peter begins instructing them where the power had come from, and he helps them begin to see how dry their spirits had become. He tells them, “therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that time of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). I think those are words we need to hear every now and then – especially when we are in one of those dry spells. Return to God’s presence to be refreshed by His Spirit. Become revived by being washed in His Spirit.

Lost dog - Devotion for 6/4/07

Lost Dog – Devotion for 6/4/07

As I have mentioned a time or two, my family and I have a 6 year old Golden Retriever named Riley. Riley is an outdoor dog, and we have one of those underground radio fences and he wear a special collar that beeps, buzzes, and finally gives him a small shock if he crosses the line out of the yard. I say a “small shock,” but I really wouldn’t know what it feels like because I am frankly too scared to try it myself. The collar is powered by a 9 volt battery, and as batteries have a tendency to do, sometimes that battery goes dead. When Riley does not hear the beep, feel the buzz, or have his teeth rattle from the shock, he knows that he is free to go where he wants, and it seems he loves to explore the neighborhood. He doesn’t get out all that often, and now it is mainly during thunderstorms, so when a storm is coming up, we get him in the garage or the house – depending on how recently he had a bath. However, due to the times that Riley has gotten out, we got a tag for his collar that has his name, address, and phone number on it.

That dog is truly a part of the family, and when he does get out it creates a panic within the house. We get out in the yard calling out and whistling trying to get him to come. I’ll get in the car and drive through the neighborhood looking for him and asking anyone I see if they have seen a great big Golden Retriever. The boys will ride with me, sticking their heads out the window (kinda like Riley does) and yelling “RIIIIIIIII-LEEEEEEY!” I cannot explain the sense of joy and relief that I have when someone calls and lets us know that they have found Riley, and because of the tag on his collar they know who he belongs to. As they tell us where they live, I race to the house, and I cannot wait to be reunited with my dog. And although there is that brief temptation to kick the dog for running off, I am much too happy just to have him back.

This morning I got to thinking that must sort of be what it is like for God when one of us is lost and then is found. Luke 15:1-10 tells us something about the love that God has for sinners, and Jesus gives us a couple of parables – the man who has a 100 sheep and loses one, so he goes looking for it; the woman who has 10 silver coins and loses one. When the man finds the lost sheep, he puts it on his shoulders, calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”(Luke 15:6) **(Side note – I’ve wondered that when he got everyone together like that, did he perhaps have a feast as a celebration? If so, wonder what the main course was? Surely it wouldn’t have been that lost sheep, would it? That would be baaaaad.)** Same deal with the woman who finds the lost coin – she lets her friends and neighbors know that she found the coin and she rejoices with them. Jesus explains, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(Luke 15:10)

One thing I want to add here is the intense appreciation and gratitude that I feel towards the person who finds Riley when he is lost. I am so thankful for them, and to this day every time I pass by one of the houses where he was found (and yes, there are several) and I say a prayer of thanksgiving for the kindness of that person who helped me be reunited with my dog. I’ve got a pretty good notion that God not only celebrates the lost being found, but He also celebrates the one who helped the lost be reunited with God. There are plenty of “lost dogs” out there in the world. God is looking for them, and He needs us to help Him find them.

Take root - Devotion for 6/1/07

Take root – Devotion for 6/1/07

In Colossians 2, Paul addresses what the fullness of life is like in Christ – “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”(v. 6-7). He goes on to talk about how we need to be on guard against things that might “take you captive” (v.8) such as philosophy and empty deceit. I think that we all know that we need to stay “rooted” in Christ, but sometimes that is something that is easier said than done. Using that plant image of being rooted, we know that we are being told to keep our roots in the soil of God, who will provide us with all nourishment.

In our backyard we have a rose bush. It is not a bush that I planted, and that is why it is still living. There is another bush out back that I really like because it has the little white flowers that really have a nice fragrance (listen to me sounding all girly-girly). Sometimes when I just step out into the backyard I like to just take in a deep breath, and after I detect the scent of my dog Riley, the next scent that I can detect is those 2 bushes. Sometimes when I am feeling romantic, I will go out there and I will cut a rose or two off of the bush, and then I will cut a few of the unnamed white flowers, and I will put them in a vase for my wife. When we bring those flowers in the scent fills the room for a few days. Sometimes I think it’s neat to cut one of the flowers just before it begins to bloom, and then when we put it in the water, it is cool to watch it bloom. If I don’t put the flowers in the water, they die very, very quickly.

You and I are like flowers. We need to stay rooted always in Christ to thrive and blossom. Idle things of this world may “take us captive,” and distract us from what we are to be rooted in. We may be so consumed with the promises of success and glory in this world that we may not even realize that those promises are merely the “empty deceit” that Paul talked about. Just as the flower will still bloom in the water, we too may actually blossom in different ways apart from Christ. However, just like the flower in the vase, the water is not a real substitute for the nourishment that is received from the root. Take root in Christ. Do not allow other distractions to take you away from the mindset that Christ is always with you. Always stay rooted in the thing that will truly sustain you. “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”