Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Exciting Advent(ure) - Devotion for 12/3/08

Exciting Advent(ure) – Devotion for 12/3/08

I came across a quote in one of my books this week that has really had me thinking. The quote is from Abbie Jane Wells, and the quote is attributed to her book, The Gospel According to Abbie Jane Wells. I was reading an excerpt from her book, and she was reminding us that “it took a ‘yes’ from Mary before God could ‘send forth his Son.’” I buy that part hook, line, and sinker, because I have always loved how God calls on people to do his miraculous work (such as Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt, the prophets delivering God’s word, even the men who had to roll away the stone for Lazarus to come forth). But the part that has really had me thinking this week is this:
For all I know – for all anybody knows – God may have proposed (or propositioned). . . through the ages but, as far as we know, Mary was the first one to say an unqualified “yes.”

When you think through the Biblical tradition, many times when God calls someone, the initial reaction at least is an unqualified “no.” Moses tried to weasel out of his call by proclaiming that he couldn’t talk well; Isaiah explains to God that he has “unclean lips”; Jeremiah posits that he is “just a child.” But Mary, when called upon by the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:38 proclaims, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” Mary said “yes.” Which makes me wonder – just as it seems that Abbie Jane Wells wondered – were there others who were approached and propositioned before Mary, but Mary was only the first one to say yes? No one actually knows the answer to that question, but it is the kind of thing I love to think about. Could there possibly have been someone to have turned down such an amazing journey?

The answer to my last question is simple really. Of course there is the possibility that someone could have said “no” to such a thing. By virtue of us having complete freewill, we freely choose whether we will or will not do the things God proposes us to do. So I guess now the question becomes, What is God proposing to us? Will we, like Mary, be the first to say an unqualified “yes”? What exciting adventure is God calling us to that our first impulse is to say “no”?

Monday, November 17, 2008

Debbie Downer - Devotion for 11/17/08

Debbie Downer – Devotion for 11/17/08

A few years ago there was a skit on Saturday Night Live that was called “Debbie Downer.” In these skits, there would be a gathering of family or friends who were having a great time, and then the title character would add share some horrible news which would completely bring down the whole mood, subsequently followed by the comedic “Wah-wah.” For example in one skit, Debbie was with family at a Disney World theme restaurant, and when Pluto comes and visits at their table, Debbie remarks, “Oh, hey Pluto. Boy, it must be fun to work here ... although, the biggest drawback to working at a theme park is that you must live under constant fear of deathly terrorist attacks." Pluto responds by immediately storming off, leaving the family trying to call him back to cheer him up again. “Wah-wah.”

Have you ever known a “Debbie Downer?” Sometimes there are people around us who just seem to have something negative to say, and sometimes we really just don’t want to hear the negativity. I thought about that this morning as I was reading Matthew 16:21-28. Just before this particular passage, Jesus had asked his disciples who other people said he was, and then he asked who they said he was, and Simon had answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”(Matt. 16:16) Jesus seemed to be thrilled with his answer, and basically said, “Simon – you Rock!” That’s really just the Adam Seate paraphrase, but Jesus did say that his name would be Peter (rock), and on that rock he would build his church. Everything seemed great – everyone seemed happy. But then verse 21 comes along – “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” Can’t you almost hear the “wah-wah?” As you can imagine, that’s not exactly the kind of happy, good-feelings stuff that some of them wanted to hear, so Peter took Jesus to the side and began to rebuke him, saying “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” In one way, I sort of feel like he was trying to tell Jesus to quit being a “Debbie Downer.” Jesus then says, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your might on God’s interests, but man’s.”

We all may have known a “Debbie Downer.” Maybe it is someone who always says something that you ultimately know, but you really just didn’t want to hear it. For me it’s kind of like enjoying a piece of pizza, only to have someone mention how many calories are in that one piece. “Wah-wah.” However, as much as we don’t want to hear these types of things, sometimes I think that if we don’t hear them we might miss something. Jesus was able to go on and explain that as great as life was, there is something better. Without his rebuke of Peter we might not have learned how necessary it is for each of us to sacrifice, to take up our cross and follow Him. Next time you have a “Debbie Downer,” before we so quickly dismiss them or ignore them completely, maybe we need to recognize that it might be something we need to hear – even if we don’t want to. Wah-wah.

Debbie Downer video clip: http://media.putfile.com/SNL-Debbie-Downer-WDW

Thursday, November 13, 2008

My right hand man - Devotion for 11/13/08

My right hand man – Devotion for 11/13/08

Last month my family and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. Exciting carnival games, fried food, fried food that was then subsequently fried again – and then covered with sugar, sideshows (although some of the best were the free ones where you got to watch the natives eat some of the fried food), all the animals (no – I don’t mean the natives), and last but not least – the rides! I did not ride too many of the rides this time, but the boys had a blast. There was one particular ride that one of the boys wanted to go on, however the other did not want to ride it, and he absolutely would not ride it. Neither Jenn nor I had any real interest in riding it either. But the thing was that as bad as he wanted to ride it, he didn’t want to ride it alone.

We take great comfort in knowing that we are not alone. We want someone to be with us when we ride the scary rides, and we want someone to ride with us to the doctor. We want someone to be with us when we go to eat at a restaurant, and we want someone to be with us when we are driving in the car (if you don’t believe me, pay attention to how many people are driving alone yet are talking on the cell phone). We want to be with someone. Being with someone make the experience more complete. Being with someone makes the experience more real. Being with someone makes the experience more bearable. Being with someone makes everything more.

I referenced Psalm 16 earlier this week, but as I’ve read that Psalm each day this week, I continue to be drawn to two particular verses – verses 8-9: “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.” We need to be reminded that we are not alone in any of our endeavors. We need to be reminded to “set the Lord before us.” And we need to be reminded to rejoice that we have one who desires to be our “right hand man.”

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Call on me! - Devotion for 11/12/08

Call on me! – Devotion for 11/12/08

There seems to be a natural instinct in us that when we are in a class and the teacher asks a question, almost everyone does everything they can to avoid eye contact with the teacher. I’ve seen this even when I’m teaching Bible Study, and I’m not even giving grades! We have this built in fear of embarrassment, and answering the question incorrectly in front of the whole class would be embarrassing, so we do what we can to avoid having to even try. I always had a fear that maybe I somehow misheard the question, and so if I answered the question that I thought I heard then I would be completely wrong. I eventually developed a tactic that never quite worked: I would initiate eye contact with the teacher when the teacher asked the question, and then I would suddenly glance at someone else as if that person had the answer. Yes this tactic actually worked a time or two, but not nearly enough for my liking (however, it was more than enough for the poor saps that the teacher did call on).

Christians know that we are called to share our faith with others; however we don’t always know how to do it. So sometimes we live as though we are trying to avoid being called on by God to share what we have. Truthfully, there are a lot of so-called Christians that I wish would try to avoid their sharing tactics a little bit more, as it seems they almost do more harm than good. However, this morning in my devotion time I read from Colossians 4:2-6, and I was reminded that we need to earnestly devote ourselves to prayer, and pray that “God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:3). We need to pray for the opportunities to be called on, and when we are, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”(Colossians 4:6)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

What am I going to say? - Devotion for 11/11/08

What am I going to say? – Devotion for 11/11/08

Do you ever find yourself worrying about what you are going to say before you even have to say something? So many times before I have a meeting I tell myself, “I am not going to say anything other than what I have to.” I say that because I know how I am, and I have a tendency to say more than I should, or begin to get passionate about something and say something that I probably shouldn’t. So I go into a meeting just constantly reminding myself, “I’m not going to say anything – I’m going to keep quiet – I’m only going to say what I have prepared to say.” Unfortunately, that plan doesn’t always work, and I’m not sure that is always a bad thing.

This morning in my devotion time I read Luke 12:1-12, and in particular this passage Jesus is talking about hypocrisy. As the passage reminds us to live a life of integrity and not concealing who or what we actually are, verses 11-12 read, “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” As I read that I believe that although it is a good and safe plan to be prepared when I go into a meeting, there will be times that the Holy Spirit is truly guiding me to speak what has been laid upon my heart. Just like the passage from yesterday said regarding God instructing us in the night, He can also guide and instruct us in the day, and instead of going in with a plan to silence what He lays upon my heart, maybe I need to listen a little more closely to what He is saying.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Restless night - Devotion for 11/10/08

Restless night – Devotion for 11/10/08

You ever have one of those nights that you simply can’t get any rest at all? Maybe it is that you are filled with anxiety and worry over something going on in your life. Or maybe it is that you can’t sleep because you don’t feel well. Or maybe even it is that your spouse is snoring a bit much. Saturday night was one of those restless nights for me. It had nothing at all to do with worry or anxiety, because I was pretty much at peace with the world. It had nothing to do with not feeling well, because frankly I felt pretty darn good. It didn’t even have anything to do with my spouse snoring (on this occasion). No instead it had to do with constant interruptions. Somewhere around 1:00, my youngest son came in to tell me he really needed to show me something, and when I asked him what, he replied, “I don’t know, but I really gotta show you this thing.” Aaron went on to explain that it was this “thing” that did all these awesome and amazing things, and I finally in my sleepy haze began to realize that Aaron was sleepwalking-and-talking, as he has been known to do from time to time. Though I found our conversation tremendously amusing, I also was completely exhausted so I was finally able to get him back to bed. Then around 3:00, my other son came into the room telling us that he thought he was going to throw up, and so with all the love that father could manage at 3AM, I told him “Well, go to the bathroom!” Jacob did not throw up, which I was tremendously grateful for, however by the time I got him settled back down into bed, and then by the time I got settled back down into bed, our crazy dog Oscar was deciding that 3:30 was a perfect time to play! Between all of these interruptions, something kept hitting me about the message for Sunday morning, and even though I had thought previously I was going in one direction, I was beginning to see and understand something much different, which I subsequently got up and incorporated into the message. I felt this complete peace with the new message, and I actually became grateful for the middle of the night interruptions.

I thought about that experience this afternoon as I read Psalm 16. Verse 7 of that psalm reads, “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.” I think that many times God does speak to us in those long sleepless nights, and those long restless nights provide ample opportunity for God to instruct and help us to face hard facts. And though I tend to be one who gripes and complains about such restless nights, truthfully I should bless the Lord because it is those nights that I usually find clarity. Maybe when we all have those kinds of nights we need to listen a little more closely to what God is saying as He counsels and instructs us.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Is this really working? - Devotion for 11/3/08

Is this really working? – Devotion for 11/3/08

Do you ever feel like you’re doing something and you’re not quite sure it’s working or not? Maybe you’re following an exercise and diet plan and not quite seeing the results you were hoping for. Maybe you’re taking medicine for a medical condition and you’re just not sure if it is working or not. Many times we can think of situations such as these where we are taking a certain course of action, hoping and praying to see some sort of confirmation that what we are doing is actually working, and yet we are left wondering, “Is this really working?”

I can only imagine how many times someone like Moses must have wondered if what he was doing was really working or not. As he led God’s people through the wilderness, hearing complaint after complaint, I wonder if Moses every wondered if God had him deliver the right people or not. Frustration was apparent several times in the life of Moses, as it seemed he simply wanted to see some of the fruits of his labor. That is a legitimate desire I believe, and a completely natural one, to want to get to see just some of the fruits of our labors – to have confirmed that what we are doing actually is working and making a difference.

The oldest psalm that we have is Psalm 90, and it is a prayer of Moses. In this psalm, Moses acknowledges the eternal nature of God, the frailty and sinfulness of man, and he prays for God’s grace on His people. In verse 17, Moses prays “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.” As Moses prayed such a prayer, let us join with him today in praying that God would confirm the work of our hands, showing us in the places of our frustration what is really working. May God reveal to each of us today what He is really doing through our work.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Cleaning up others mess - Devotion for 10/30/08

Cleaning up others mess – Devotion for 10/30/08

Last night we had a fall festival and “Trunk-or-treat” at the church, and it was crazy! There were people everywhere, and believe it or not, all the kids actually made a lot of noise (I know, shocking, right?). In the chaos of getting set up for everything I had a guy randomly show up who needed some assistance so off I went to try to help him. As soon as I finished with the dude, I found out it was time for the “trunk-or-treat” to begin, and I had missed supper (or dinner if you prefer). I thought maybe I was going to get to eat after the outside festivities, however then we all went in for the costume contests (I won – I was “Batman” – I simply stood holding a baseball bat – nice, right?). At the end of the evening, all the food had been eaten and put away, and I never got a bite to eat – other than 1 or 20 packs of SweeTarts. As the fellowship hall was a complete mess, I felt the need to help the youth clean up, so we proceeded to clean off all of the tables and pick up the trash. As hungry as I was, I have to admit my thorough disgust at the mess that everyone else had left. Half-eaten hot dogs, chewed on cookies, and spilled drinks – it was really quite gross. All I kept thinking as I was picking up the mess with everyone else was, “I didn’t even get to eat, and here I am cleaning up other people’s mess.”

With that in mind, this morning I came in for my devotion time, and the passage I was supposed to read for today was 1 Peter 2:21-25. Verse 24 in particular stood out for me: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Sometimes I think I forget how much of my mess Christ had to clean up for me. As I felt disgust at having to clean up other people’s mess when I didn’t even get to eat, I can only imagine what it was like to suffer for something I didn’t even do. Today I want to try to set out with a purpose of living in that way – will to take on other people’s mess so that they may be free.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Be bold - Devotion for 10/28/08

Be bold – Devotion for 10/28/08

If you are the fan of any sports team, you have no problem letting that be known. Even if you are in the midst of fans of different teams, once again, you still don’t have a difficult time showing your support. About the only time that we become a little quiet about the teams that we root for is when our team is doing horribly. Well, there may be another time – such as when we actually at an away game for our team, and we are completely surrounded by the threatening home fans. In that type of situation it may be best for our own personal safety to be a bit quiet. It is in such a context that Paul wrote to Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”(2 Timothy 1:7)

The author of 2 Timothy is imprisoned and it is not a good time to be a follower of the Way. Greatly outnumbered by every other religion of the day, followers of Christ were being persecuted and imprisoned, much in the way that Paul had done earlier in his life. And now the author is writing a letter of encouragement to Timothy, and instead of telling Timothy “lay low and keep quiet,” he instead tells him to be bold, and as he continues in verse 8, to “not be afraid of the testimony of our Lord.”

We all have moments when it would be much easier for us to just “lay low and keep quiet” about our faith. We all have those moments where we are almost “afraid of the testimony of our Lord.” I honestly don’t think I need to spell those out, because I truly believe you can easily think of one or two of those moments right now. I do believe that today we have an opportunity to be bold with our faith, and that when those moments arise that instead of being timid, fearful, or quiet, we will instead be bold.

Monday, October 27, 2008

For God's sake - Devotion for 10/27/08

For God’s Sake – Devotion for 10/27/08

When I was growing up, one of my favorite foods was pizza, and particularly pizza from a certain pizza establishment. I just knew that my parents loved me because we would get to eat almost every week. When your parents keep doing something for you like that you truly know that they love you. The problem was that when I got older I found something out: we didn’t eat pizza almost every week because l loved it; we ate pizza almost every week because my dad loved it! There I was all that time thinking that it was about me, when it really wasn’t about me at all – I just got to be the beneficiary of it! That’s probably what it’s going to be when my boys eventually find out how much I love Outback!

In Ezekiel 36:22-32, God is explaining to Israel all the things He is about to do: He will gather Israel together in her own land; He will make them clean; He will given them a new heart and put a new spirit within them; He will even bring forth extra grain, fruit, and produce so that they may not suffer from another famine. Why is He doing all these wonderful things for them? We can find the answer to that at the very first part of this particular passage: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.”(verse 22)

Sometimes we pray to God asking for something that really is of no benefit to anyone else. Sometimes we live a life that is so self-interested we can’t even begin to see why God does some of the things He does. Living a life full of faith means entrusting all things to Him, accepting God’s will, and trying to live a life for God’s sake. Who knows? We may even get to reap the benefits.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

You know better - Devotion for 10/23/08

You know better – Devotion for 10/23/08

Do you remember what it was like as a teenager to think that your parents were complete idiots? OK – maybe idiots is a bit of a strong word, but I think you know what I’m talking about. We all went through a period of time where we thought we knew more than our parents about many things, such as what we should eat, what kind of allowance we should get, why we shouldn’t have a curfew, etc. One of the things my Dad used to drive me crazy about when I first got my driver’s license was that whenever I would get ready to leave the house, he would ask me “Do you have your wallet?” Every single time I would have my wallet, and I would fuss at him, “Why do you always ask me if I have my wallet?” And he would explain that he knew me and he knew I tended to forget things (who me?), and so he wanted to make sure I had my wallet with my license and any money just in case I needed it. I remember one evening blowing up at him about always asking me if I had my wallet, telling him that I was old enough to take care of myself. Funny how those things come back to haunt you sometimes.

There I was on a date at Rock-Ola Café in Raleigh. After a lovely dining experience (if such a thing is possible at Rock-Ola), when the waitress brought the bill, and I reached back for my wallet, I realized in terror that my wallet was not there! This was back in the dark ages when we didn’t have cell phones (well, some people might have, but they were about the size of a suit case), and so I was panicking! I couldn’t ask my date to pay the bill – I had at least learned that from my Dad. The only thing I knew to do was to go to the payphone, which fortunately was near the bathrooms, and call home. Tail tucked down, I called my Dad and had to confess that I had forgotten my wallet, and sure enough just a few short minutes later there he was. That was the first of many lessons that I received demonstrating to me how truly smart my father actually was and is.

This morning I was reading in Acts 9, specifically verses 10-18, and in that passage, God speaks to a follower of the way named “Ananias.” God tells Ananias to go and find Saul because Saul has had a vision that a man named Ananias would come and lay hands on him. Ananias knows this name Saul, and he knows all about Saul’s exploits, terrorizing any and all of the followers of Christ, so Ananias decides he needs to explain a thing or two to God, telling him all about all the harm Saul has done, and how he even has the authority to bind all of call on the name of Christ. What I love is Ananias is telling God that God’s plan just doesn’t make sense. God says to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine . . .” And Ananias goes. So many times we want God to give us an answer to a prayer, and when He gives it we don’t like it because it doesn’t make sense to us, and so we try to argue with God about His plans and purposes. I believe that God does the same thing to us that He did to Ananias – bringing certain people into our lives for a purpose. Even though in our heads it is easy to try to argue with God about why it wouldn’t make sense, sometimes we just have to trust that He knows what He is doing.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

It's already done - Devotion for 10/22/08

It’s already done – Devotion for 10/22/08

Like it or not, almost all of us get to go through the experience of having our wisdom teeth removed. Most of us have it done around our late teens or maybe even early twenties, and I think I had mine done back when I was 19. I remember when I had mine done I went in that day prepared for anything. I remember sitting in the chair and having a delightful conversation with the cute dental assistant, I remember them putting the mask over my mouth and nose, and I remember the doctor telling me, “Ok, we’re done.” I was stunned that it had already been done, because I knew I didn’t hurt at that moment (yes – the pain was yet to come), and I just knew it had only been a second before that I was still chatting with the cute dental assistant (did I mention she was cute?). As my Dad helped me walk to the car, I was still filled with utter and complete amazement that my wisdom teeth had already been removed. Truly, it was done before I knew it.

This morning as I read during my devotion time, I read from Matthew 9, and at the first part of this chapter, some people bring to Jesus a paralytic who is lying on a bed. Jesus sees the faith of the ones who brought the man to him, and Jesus says, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”(Matthew 9:2) Suddenly some of the scribes who were nearby and overheard what Jesus said started freaking out, saying to each other that Jesus had blasphemed God because he had forgiven the man’s sins, and that was only something God alone could do. So Jesus turns to these skeptics and says, “Which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgive,’ or to say ‘Get up and walk’?” And then to show them who He truly is, he then turns to the paralytic and says, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And the dude gets up and goes home!

I wonder when the paralyzed man was healed. You’ve got to know that ever since he had become paralyzed, whether it was from birth or later, he had prayed to be made complete. You can only imagine how many times he had doubted God, and you can only imagine the jealousy and even hatred that had built up within his heart. But when Jesus said to him, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven,” do you think only his sins were removed, or his complete condition? I don’t have the answer to that question, but the next time Jesus addresses the dude all he says is essentially “Get up and go home.” I tend to lean towards the possibility that the man was healed the moment Jesus told him his sins were forgiven, and he just didn’t yet know that his prayers had been answered. I think he didn’t yet know that he was healed because his mind was still conditioned to the limitations life had put on him.

I once read about the training of elephants begins when they are infants. As an infant, a rope is put around their neck and they will be tied to a stake in the ground, and the infant elephant will pull, tug, and struggle against the rope trying to break free, however eventually the elephant will accept his condition and quit fighting. From that point on in the life of the elephant, the trainer only has to use the exact same size rope, because in the mind of the elephant, it still has accepted the condition of bondage. I’ve read that in some cases a trainer can even quit tying the rope to a stake because the elephant accepts the condition of bondage the moment the rope is put on his neck. I believe that we have been set from all of our limitations. I believe that Jesus came to remove us from bondage to sin and death, yet I believe we still keep sitting as if we are still in that bondage. Not only are our sins forgiven, but many of the things we’ve been praying for has already been done. The strength to face the battles ahead of us? It’s already done. The patience to endure the difficulties? It’s already done. The ability to reach out and help a friend? It’s already done. Today, look for the ways we still are living tied to the stake of bondage, and know that we’ve already been set free.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I can't stay - Devotion for 10/21/08

I can’t stay – Devotion for 10/21/08

My family and I visited the NC State Fair this past Saturday, and we had a great time. The boys got to ride some fun rides, we got to see the animals, we got to eat some wonderful food, and I even got to witness the magic show called “My Disappearing Money” – AKA the ridiculous fair games. As much fun as we had, we knew that eventually we would need to leave. That thought is always with me when I am somewhere and I am experiencing a real “mountain top” type experience. Whether it is a spiritual retreat, a vacation, or even a quick day trip to the State Fair, even in the midst of the joy of the moment is the hint of sorrow that I must leave that mountain top. And I can only imagine what that felt like to “Legion.”

In Mark 5:1-20, we learn about the man who was possessed by many demons, and when Jesus asked him his name, he replied “We are Legion; for we are many.” You know the story – Jesus casts out the demons into a herd of swine who are nearby, and then all 2,000 swine go running and jump off a cliff into the sea and drown. What is really remarkable to me is what takes place after that. Verse 15 tells us that Jesus and “Legion” were sitting down together, and I can only imagine what they were talking about. After people came out to see what had been going on, they became scared Jesus may hurt their own line of work and they implored him to leave. As Jesus is getting into the boat, we are told that “Legion” was begging Jesus that he might be able to go with him. Imagine that – Legion had not had peace for years. For year he had been untamed, breaking the chains every time they tried to control him, harming himself with stones, and constantly screaming night and day. And now Jesus had brought him peace. If I was Legion, I would have wanted to go with Jesus as well just to ensure that I wouldn’t have to suffer like that again. But Jesus did not let him stay with him, saying “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”(Mark 5:19)

I think Jesus says the same thing to us when we have those special moments and experiences. Though we would love to stay in the moment, we know that we can’t stay in that moment. We have a responsibility to go and report what God has done. Enjoy those mountain top moments, but know we can’t stay at the mountain, and we’ve got to go and report “what great things the Lord has done.”

Monday, October 20, 2008

Stumbling and Bumbling - Devotion for 10/20/08

Stumbling bumbling – Devotion for 10/20/08

Our family has two dogs, Riley and Oscar. Riley is a HUGE Golden Retriever, and Oscar is a little yellow lab mix. These two dogs are indoor pets, and they seem to enjoy the life of luxury, and each night they sleep in the room with us. Oscar has his favorite place (which is under the bed), while Riley sprawls out wherever he desires. This is all well and good until I have to get up in the middle of the night. You see in the middle of the night our room is quite dark. And Riley is quite large. More than once I have found myself desperately reaching out for the bed post as I am falling from having tripped upon that huge dog on the floor. And more than once I have found myself sprawled out on the floor. It’s moments like that that I wish I had the capability of having night vision.

There are a lot of moments like that in my life that sometimes we feel like we are walking in the darkness. Uncertainty clouds our perspective of things, and our vision becomes greatly inhibited. As we make our way through the darkness, we know that there are going to be obstacles in our way, and we just try to shuffle-step our way through. So many times as I am stumbling and bumbling through the darkness of life, I would just wish so bad I could see what was next.

This morning I read Psalm 139 to begin my day. This happens to be one of my favorite Psalms, but I got to thinking about it from the perspective of the author, David. David is one who knew what it was like to be stumbling and bumbling through the darkness before him. As many wonderful and great accomplishments as David had, he also truly expressed a great deal of darkness and despair. I believe he took great comfort and solace that there was One who searched him and knew him. Having fled so many times from his enemies, I think David found sanctuary that there was One who he could not flee from. In verse 12, David states, “Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.” I have to believe that David found great strength that in the midst of his stumbling and bumbling in the darkness, there was One who knew the path. As we find ourselves stumbling and bumbling in the darkness of life, find strength in the fact that there is One who came to pierce the darkness, who helps us to see those difficulties ahead of us, and ways around (or over).

Thursday, October 16, 2008

What do you think? - Devotional for 10/16/08

What do you think? – Devotion for 10/16/08

Have you ever offered your opinion to someone whether they wanted your opinion or not? No? Really? Because I know I’ve shared mine more than a time or two, and I know people have shared their opinion with me more than a time or two. Whether it was something completely random about something I was wearing, such as “You know, that tie really doesn’t go well with that suit”; or maybe it was something about my personality like, “You know, you’d make a really good kindergarten teacher.” Sometimes the opinions people share with you creates an awkward space that you get to temporarily dwell in, and it is all because someone gave you an opinion that you didn’t ask for. But just because you didn’t ask for it doesn’t stop them, does it? Nor does it stop you from giving you opinion. We give our unsolicited opinions all the time regarding politics (got a bumper sticker on your car?), sports affiliations (got a decal or license plate cover anywhere on your vehicle?), or even how good of a driver someone is (that 1 finger means you think they are #1, right?). We do those things with our cars, and we wear the t-shirts, but do we speak of the things we truly believe? Of course we do! All the time!

2 Corinthians 4:13 states, “Having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak.” If we truly believe something, then it is not something we can keep quiet. People that believe strongly in something will refuse to keep silent. I heard Andy Stanley talking recently about how ridiculous it was for people to say that they can’t talk about their faith to other people because they don’t want to alienate them. We don’t mind alienating people about hundreds of other things, why wouldn’t we alienate them about something we truly believe in? Something that truly matters? I’m not saying to go beat people over the head with the Bible (trust me – I tried that once – if you do it, don’t use a soft cover!), but what I am saying is that in conversations where it is relevant, do not hide what you believe.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Running with a smile - Devotion for 10/15/08

Running with a smile – Devotion for 10/15/08

Do you ever notice those crazy folks running on the side of the road? I noticed one guy this morning as I took my boys to school that was running, and seriously you would have thought he was wearing a Halloween mask already. I’m not saying he was that ugly, it’s just the look on his face was one of horror. You could see he was struggling with his run, and his eyes looked crazy desperate to stop, yet he pressed on. I can relate to that, because not too long ago I started running again. One of the places that I run is on a sidewalk beside a very busy road here in town, and as I run up the road I watch all the cars go by. About a week or so ago I started to try to run with a little bit of a smile on my face. Why would I do that, especially when I obviously feel like crap from running? I’m not too sure, other than one day as I was running I got to wondering if I was somehow portraying the love of Christ even through my running. I knew that hanging my head low and having that desperation look upon my face certainly wouldn’t convey anything about Christ, so I decided to try to smile. Now I’m not saying that I smile all the time when I run, but I do make an effort to smile with the hopes that somehow in the midst of my suffering I can portray just some of the joy found in the Christ.

My attempts to share the joy of Christ in the midst of suffering reminds me of the apostles. In no way could I compare my sufferings with theirs, but I think their sufferings still teach us how we are to live. Paul speaks to this in 2 Corinthians 6:4-6: “but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love . . .” Paul goes on and on as this passage continues, but I believe his words of encouragement to the early apostles can also encourage us today. In the midst of whatever we are suffering or enduring, we can do it with a Spirit that portrays the love, grace, and peace and Christ. So maybe you should try running with a smile (even if it means having to pick bugs out of your teeth afterwards) – you never know who might be watching you.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What are you good at? - Devotion for 10/14/08

What are you good at? – Devotion for 10/14/08

A funny thing happened on the way to the office . . . This morning as I was trying to head out of the house to go to the office, I had to take something back to my boys room, and just when I turned the handle I heard a “crunch.” I thought to myself, “That didn’t sound good.” And it wasn’t. I tried to turn the handle again, and I had nothing – it wouldn’t turn at all. So I applied some of my Herculean strength, got the knob to turn again, and I got some more really cool “snap, crackle, pop” type sounds as well. I knew something was wrong with the door knob, and I had to get a handle on things (get it?). So I got out my trusty screwdriver, and proceeded to thoroughly and effectively destroy the complete handle mechanism, unintentionally of course. As I looked at what remained of the door knob to my sons room, and I saw all the tiny pieces that once were a part of something that was able to keep Mom and Dad out when they wanted us out, I knew I had messed up. Fortunately, every Tuesday some of the Trustees of the church come and walk through the building to see if there is any maintenance that needs to be taken care of, and since the house we live in is owned by the church, I went across the street to get one of those guys to take a look. Sure enough, I broke the knob. But also sure enough, they are getting a new one to replace it. And on top of that, they are installing it for me!

So I thought it was kind of funny to finally sit down for my devotion time, and to begin by reading these words from Romans 15:1 – “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.” Today I proved that I am quite inept at being a handyman. However, though that may be a weakness of mine, I was able to rely on the strength of another. It was a good reminder to me how we all have certain strengths, and those strengths are to be used in such as way that they can help someone else. So today, what are you good at? What is your area of expertise? How may you bear the weakness of someone else, instead of just pleasing yourself?

Monday, October 13, 2008

Pass the Plate - Devotion for 10/13/08

Pass the plate – Devotion for 10/13/08

How many of you had the delightful opportunity of sitting at the kid’s table when you would visit family? When we would go to my grandparents and visit, my cousins, my sister, and I would get to sit at a little card table they would set up over to the side, and we would be quite content with that. We would be content with that because when we were sitting at the kids table, we could get away with the goofy things that kids like to do (like getting your spoon to stick on your nose!). The unfortunate thing about sitting at the kids table is that our table was never big enough to have any food sitting on it, so for us to get food on our plates, we had to be completely dependant upon someone passing the plates of food our way. My Grandma was always so good about making sure that all of the plates got to the kids table. While everyone at the adults table would already be eating, Grandma would not take her seat until all of the grandkids had exactly what they wanted and needed to eat – especially for me to have her Macaroni and Cheese! That woman always wanted to make sure everyone else had something before she herself would even sit down and begin to eat.

I thought about my Grandma as I read Psalm 71 this morning. Verse 17-18 state: “O God, You have taught me form my youth, and I still declare your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.” The psalmist remembers what God taught him in his youth, and now as he has aged, he still feels the need to pass along to the next generation the power and strength of who God is. He feels the need (dare I say burden?) to pass along to the youth what He knows. Just as my Grandma wanted to make sure that we got the food, her actions also passed along to us love. Today, give thanks for those who passed down the love, hope, and faith to you, and begin to look for the ways that we may pass the plate to the next generation.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Gotta go - Devotion for 10/9/08

Gotta go – Devotion for 10/9/08

Everybody wants something for nothing, right? Who doesn’t like getting some kind of a free coupon? I have a friend who was employed by a certain fast food establishment, and every now and then he’d give the church free ice cream coupons, and I’d get one of those and go so fast you could hear the sonic boom! Every body loves a freebie! But how often do we actually get freebies? You may occasionally get that free ice cream cone, and maybe occasionally you’ll BOGO (buy one, get one free), but it is not too often in life that we get too many freebies. Yet somehow we seem to expect God to fill our lives with all kinds of freebies.

Last night as I was teaching Bible Study, I was really reminded of something powerful. In Genesis 12, God calls out to Abram, and He tells him to “Go forth from your country . . . to the land which I will show you.” (verse 1) Now once Abram goes, then God will do many great things: He will make him a great nation, and he will be blessed. What’s awesome to me is that God is willing to do these amazing things for Abram – but Abram first has to go. To receive these abundant blessings, Abram has to first go. This is not a freebie offer by God to Abram – there is a cost – Abram has gotta go.

So many times in the church we pray for this and we pray for that, and we expect God to pour out all these blessings upon us. What makes us think that God works like that? To receive a blessing from God we’ve got to be willing to go. Go where? Well, look again at Genesis 12, particularly the end of verse 2: “And so you shall be a blessing.” You see, if Abram goes he will be blessed, but he will be blessed so that he will be a blessing “to all the families of the earth” as verse 3 states. So many churches in this day and time seem to think that if they just offer a wonderful worship service that they will grow because God will bless them. Maybe God will, but the way I understand how God works, He intends us to use some of the gifts and energy He has provided to go out into the world to be a blessing to the world. Though God freely offers his love and forgiveness, if we want the abundant blessings in this life, we can’t sit and wait for them to come to us – we’ve gotta go just like Abram. Where is God calling you to go?

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Priming the Pump - Devotion for 10/8/08

Priming the Pump – Devotion for 10/8/08

Maybe you’re familiar with the old legend about someone being out in a desert, and stumbling upon a water pump in the sand. With an empty canteen in hand, the water pump is truly a welcome sight, but when lost soul finally gets to the pump he finds a hand written sign put there by some other wandering traveler. The sign reads: “I have buried a bottle of water to prime the pump – don’t drink any of it! Pour in half of it to wet the leather, and wait. Then pour in the rest. Then you may pump. The well has never gone dry, but the pump must be primed to bring the water up. Have faith and believe. When you are through drawing water, fill the bottle and bury it in the sand for the next traveler.” What would you do? Would you dig up the water bottle and drink it yourself? Or would you risk it all to prime the pump, so that you may actually have more than you would even need?

I thought about that legend this morning when I read Isaiah 40:29-31: “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, they will walk and not become weary.” I guess it just reminded me of the business principle that you’ve got to spend money to make money. We understand that principle easy enough: you’ve got to spend money on overhead and advertising, hiring excellent employees and maintaining an excellent product in order to be able to make money. Same with the water pump legend: you’ve got to use what water you’ve got to be able to get an abundant supply.

How does that translate to Isaiah? To get strength from God, you’ve got to use what strength He has already given. The passage doesn’t say that He gives strength to the strong, does it? Why would He do that? That’s kind of like recharging a fully charged battery – what’s the point? The passage is very clear that He gives strength to the weary, which completely implies that one has used all the strength they had to begin with. We live in a day and time where we are greedy not only with our resources, but also with the gifts and strengths that God has given to us. Today, let’s look for all the ways we can go ahead and use the strength we have already been given, and then see how we are restored when we become weary.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

What are you worried about? - Devotion for 10/7/08

What are you worried about? – Devotion for 10/7/08

Have you ever felt like your prayers haven’t been answered? Maybe you pray and you pray and you pray for something to happen, and yet it never does. Or maybe you pray and you pray and you pray for something to happen, and yet the opposite actually happens. I think we all can relate to the frustration that comes with God answering our prayers in ways that we don’t quite think to be satisfactory. Jeremiah went through something like that a few times. Jeremiah was a prophet (and you thought I was going to say a bullfrog!), and in Jeremiah 32, though the Babylonian armies are advancing, he feels that God has led him to purchase land – a field of a relative. Now common sense told him and everyone else that when you are getting ready to be attacked and laid siege, it is not a good time to buy land. Jeremiah went through with it; however he quickly seems to question why God had him do it. He goes on and talks to God, praising God for how He made the heavens and the earth, His lovingkindness, His great counsel, and His leading the people of Israel, but then He seems to express His concern that the Babylonians are encroaching and preparing to attack the land God had given to His people. Especially, Jeremiah is a little concerned about his recent purchase, and he reminds God that he bought it because God told him to buy it, even though the armies were approaching the city. And God’s answer? “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”(Jeremiah 32:27)

God was allowing them to suffer the defeat because the people of Israel, because “they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do,” according to Jeremiah 32:23. However, God goes on to reassure him that after the captivity, He would cause His people to prosper again. I’m guessing the people of Israel were praying to prosper, they just didn’t know they would prosper after the defeat.

I read something yesterday that has really stuck with me, and then feel it confirmed in my reading today. So, below I’m sharing a passage from Meditations of a Hermit, by Charles de Foucauld:

We can do anything by prayer. If our prayers are not answered it is either because we are wanting in faith, or because we have not prayed enough, or else that it would be bad for us if our request were granted, or perhaps God gives us something better than what we ask. But never do we not get what we ask because it is too difficult to get. We need never hesitate to ask God for the most difficult things, such as the conversion of great sinners or of whole nations. The more difficult things are to grant the more we must ask for them, believing that God loves us passionately. But we ask with Faith, constantly, instantly, willingly, and with great love. We may be sure that if we ask thus and with enough persistence we shall be answered and be given the grace we ask or something even better. Let us then ask bravely from God things that seem impossibilities, if they are for God’s glory.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Who cares? - Devotion for 10/6/08

Who cares? – Devotion for 10/6/08

This morning I was reading from Exodus 3, and in this chapter, God speaks to Moses through the infamous burning bush. As things are heating up in the discussion (pun intended), I really like one of the things God says to Moses. In verse 16, God tells Moses to go and get all the elders of Israel together and to tell them that “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying ‘I am concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.’” What I think is cool about that is that instead of God telling all the elders personally that He is concerned about them, He tells Moses who is then supposed to tell the elders.

I think God still does that kind of thing today in the world. I think God may speak to us, wanting us to tell certain people we encounter that He is concerned about them. I know first hand that there are those moments that you really begin to wonder if anyone in the world cares about the difficulties you face in your life. I believe that the people of Israel had probably gotten to that point – where they began to feel that all hope was lost, and that God truly did not care about them any more. So God spoke to Moses, a reluctant servant, and made him a messenger boy.

I’d be willing to bet that as you read this right now, you can probably think of somebody in your life that God has already told you that you need to speak to them. I’d be willing to bet that you can easily picture that person who is going through some type of struggle, some struggles you may not even be aware of. That individual has probably begun to wonder, “Does anyone even care? Does God even care?” This message today may very well be used by God to tell you the same kind of thing He told Moses. So go and tell them, and demonstrate that someone does care.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

I'm with the band - 10/2/08

I’m with the band – Devotion for 10/2/08

Back when I was in high school, I was in a bad (very bad) rock band named “Dead End.” We came up with that name because it was the only street sign we could “borrow.” In reality, we wanted to be called “Handicapped Parking,” and we thought it would be cool to wheel out the drummer in a wheel chair, but we were not able to “borrow” one of those. Anyway, in this so-called-band, we had one dude that started “playing” with us. Supposedly he played keyboards, but I could never hear him play, and I could never actually tell that he was doing much of anything. However, this particular fellow had no problems telling all kinds of people that he was a part of the band. I know how annoyed it would make me feel to hear him talking about the contributions that he made to the band and our songs, and yet I would be amazed because I truly didn’t even know what he brought to the group. In other words, he said he was something, but to me he was nothing.

You probably know people like that. Maybe you were a part of a group assignment at school, and though the whole group got the same grade, you knew that only 1 or 2 people actually did all the work. Maybe you were a part of a team, and yet you knew that there were a few people who said they were a part of that team, but you knew they were really not bringing anything to the table. Good thing we don’t have people like that in the church!

This morning I read from Matthew 21:28-32, and in this passage Jesus tells a parable about a father who had 2 sons, and he asked both of them to go out and work in the vineyard. The first one said, “Um, no thanks,” however, he eventually did do as he had been asked. The second one said, “Sure thing, Pops,” however, he never found his way to the vineyard. Jesus then asks the question, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” The answer was as obvious to them as it is to us: the first one. Even though the first one may have resisted at first, he eventually did the right thing. The second one said the right thing, but ended up doing the wrong thing.

Just like the guy who said he was in the band and yet he actually did nothing, sometimes people may say they are followers of Christ, but instead follow the devices and desires of their own hearts. Today, instead of us just saying that we are followers, let us actually bring something to “the band.”

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Productivity - Devotion for 10/1/08

Productivity – Devotion for 10/1/08

Some days just seem to be completely unproductive. Yesterday was one of those days. From the moment I walked into the office it seemed like a tropical storm was blowing through the building. Phone call after phone call, visitor after visitor, visitor while on a phone call, visitor sitting down in my office uninvited while I’m on a phone call. You ever have one of those days? I felt like the most productive thing I did was I eventually went and ate lunch. From my own personal goofiness, I’ve learned that God truly does use all things to His glory, but I couldn’t help but think, “Even this day God?”

So in the quiet of my office this morning (ahhhh!), I was doing some reading and I came across a prayer by John Baillie that was originally a part of A Diary of Private Prayer. One line in particular of that prayer really jumped out at me: “Have I today done anything to fulfill the purpose which Thou didst cause me to be born?” As I read that question in the prayer, I immediately thought of yesterday. And I began to wonder, “God, did I actually do anything to fulfill the purpose you made me for yesterday?” Though yesterday still seems to be an incredible blur (except for the lady walking in my office and sitting down while I was on the phone), I can not honestly answer that question in the positive. I’m not exactly sure that I did anything yesterday to fulfill the purpose for which God allowed me to be born. But just because I can’t recall that for yesterday doesn’t mean that it can’t be something I focus on today.

Our lives will always be filled with unproductive days. But we can still be productive in our lives. Psalm 92:12-15 states, “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Each day we can try to “grow like a cedar” – growing in God’s grace. Each day we can still bear fruit – even in old age. Even when things seem unproductive in our work lives, let us still try to keep in mind that we can still attempt to be productive in fulfilling our reason for being – even if that means enduring the unproductive interruptions that sometimes God brings in – even into our office while we’re on the phone.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Wrong when right - Devotion for 9/30/08

Wrong when right – Devotion for 9/30/08

This morning I was reading from the book of Acts, and I specifically was reading the passage regarding the first martyr – Stephen. After Stephen was killed, we’re told that Saul went on a rampage, and that a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, which caused many followers of the Way to scatter in fear throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. However, today the thing that hit me is found in Acts 8:2 – “Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.”

In the ancient Mediterranean world, dying unburied was one of the greatest dishonors that someone could suffer. Usually the adult sons or those closest to the deceased would bury the dead, and it was considered honorable and even heroic for them to honor the dead through the burial. However, the snag came in the fact that Jewish law absolutely forbade public mourning for a condemned criminal, and burying the deceased criminal was definitely not permitted.

So in the face of the great persecution that is going on in the community – in the face of the ruling of the highest Jewish court naming Stephen a criminal – in the face of the Jewish law prohibiting public mourning of criminals – in the face of the law prohibiting the burial of criminals – “some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.” I hope we all can be as strong in the face of everything we deal with to remain faithful to what’s right – even when it may be considered wrong by the world.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Walked with God - Devotion for 9/29/08

Walked with God – Devotion for 9/29/08

Recently I’ve been leading a Bible Study on the book of Genesis, and like many books of the Bible, there are parts that can sort of lull us to just skip right over some stuff. For example, Genesis 5 is basically a chapter that simply gives us part of the family tree from Adam to Noah, and through out the chapter it tells us the name of someone, who they fathered, and how long they lived. Each verse seems to be following a formula, and so it would be easy to just skip over a bunch of it (take a look for yourself – other than the remarkable ages which leads to a whole host of other questions, you’ll see what I mean). However, at verse 21 we get to a dude with the delightful name Enoch (why did my parents choose Adam instead of that!). In verse 22 we find out Enoch because the father of Methuselah (as in “old as Methuselah”), but then we learn some actually quite remarkable about Enoch: “Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.”(Emphasis added) Even more stunning is that in verse 24 we learn that not only did Enoch walk with God, but he also never died: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”

What does it mean to be defined as one who “walked with God?” We really don’t know anything else about Enoch, but I would love to know what that means. I think we all believe that God walks with us, as in the well known poem “Footprints.” But what does it mean to walk with God?

The family and I went walking the dogs on Saturday. We have 2 completely different dogs. Riley is an 8 year old Golden Retriever; Oscar is a 1 year old lab mix. Oscar is so excited about the whole world when we walk that we constantly have to pull him back on the leash. Meanwhile, Riley is completely content walking right by my side. In fact, I don’t think that I’d even need to have Riley on a leash, because he is so obedient most of the time (yes – this is the same dog that knocked me unconscious once, but that’s a different story!). In the sense of the dogs, I feel like we are walking with Oscar, because as he runs from one side to the next, sniffing anything and everything, you can tell he barely recognizes we are there. On the other hand, I feel like Riley is walking with us, because he strides along happily right there with us the whole time. Now I take joy in both dogs, but there is something special about a dog that chooses to walk with me while I walk with him.

I hope on my tombstone one day it will read “Adam walked with God.” I want to walk each day enjoying His presence, knowing He is always there with me as I am with Him. That may mean I have to walk with Him to places I don’t want to go, I may have to walk further than I want to walk, and I may have to rest with Him when I want to keep going – but through it all, I want to be one who “walked with God.” He’s strolling – care to join Him?

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Finding Faith - Devotion for 9/25/07

Finding faith – Devotion for 9/25/08

My sons Jacob and Aaron have learned how to get their way. If one of them wants a snack after they get home from school, they know exactly what to say, and exactly how many times they have to say it, because I can only take but so much whining, moaning, and groaning from Hungry and Starving (their new names) before I cave in and let them have something. Same with my wife and same with my pets (not that I am in any way saying there is a similarity between these two separate things). If I am asked enough times, I will eventually cave in because I can only take but so much pestering.

I’m pretty sure God knows what I’m talking about here, even if you don’t. In Luke 18, Jesus is talking about prayer, and he relates it to a judge in a city who neither feared God nor respected man. However, there was a widow who kept pestering him for legal protection against her adversary. At first the judge stood his ground and was unwilling to approve her petition, however he finally gave in because, “otherwise by continually come she will wear me out.”(Luke 18:5) Jesus goes on to relate this parable to God, who will grant just to those who cry out day and night. But then Jesus asks a VERY interesting question: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”(Luke 18:8)

Why I find that so interesting is that my sons know that if they ask me enough times for something (within reason), they will get it. Same with my wife. And all my dogs have to do is follow me around with those sad eyes, and of course I’ll give them a treat. Each one of them knows this with a certainty, and they are not surprised at all when I cave in – because they have faith that I will give them what they want. Why does it surprise us when God answers our prayers? Do we truly not have faith that He hears us? Find what your hearts desire/need is right now, cry out to God “day and night,” and believe that the answer will come.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Brotherly love - Devotion for 9/24/08

Brotherly love – Devotion for 9/24/08

As you may know, I am the father of two boys who love to fight with each other. Sometimes I truly believe that they wake up with the expressed purpose and intent on beating each other up. One minute these two can be getting along fine, and the next thing you know shoes are being thrown across the room and headlocks quickly ensue. However, when they are on the soccer field it is a completely different story. Monday night at soccer practice we had a scrimmage with another team, and one kid on the other team slammed in and kinda shoved Aaron down in an attempt to keep possession of the ball (which Aaron had already taken away from him, by the way). Once Aaron hit the ground, I noticed his brother Jacob, and I saw Jacob quickly marking which kid had just slammed his brother. Jacob promptly left his position, swooped in and stole the ball back – along with a pretty decent forearm to the chest. Now the thing that was funny about it to me was that earlier there had been a couple of rough plays, and Jacob certainly did not react in the same way when the other players had been roughed up. He came in to his brother’s defense, I guess because he thinks he is the only one who is allowed to knock down his brother!

So this morning when I read from Matthew 12:46-50, I got to thinking about my boys. In this passage, Jesus has been talking to the masses, and the scripture tells us that his mom and his brothers were at the back of the crowd, but they wanted to speak to Jesus. So someone got the word to Jesus that the family was there and wanted to speak to him, and Jesus responds, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” Then He stretched out his hands towards those around him and said, “Behold, My mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Jesus saw beyond the typical familial relationships, and he created a new one – one with all who serve God the father. Granted we don’t know what happened after that, but I’m guessing Mary gave him THE look that only a mother can give, and Jesus probably then said, “Yes ma’am, I’m coming.”

What would happen if we truly looked at the world as our brother or sister? If your brother was hungry, wouldn’t you want to give him something to eat? If your sister was hurting, wouldn’t you want to comfort her? If we saw injustice happening to your mother, wouldn’t you want to stand up and fight for her? Let’s look today at the world in a different way – looking at it as Jesus looked at it.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Be afraid, be very afraid - Devotion for 9/22/08

Be afraid, be very afraid – Devotion for 9/22/08

I must admit, one of my favorite messages in the Bible is the whole “fear not” theme that is found through out. In my mind I am drawn to Joshua when he first took over as the leader of Israel, and all the times in the first chapter of Joshua that God had to tell him, “fear not.” I am drawn to the story of Gideon in the book of Judges, and the way the angel of the Lord had to console him telling him not to fear. And still I am always pulled toward the passage where Jesus walks out on the water, and when the disciples are filled with terror believing him to be a ghost, Jesus reassures them, “Fear not, for it is me.” Being the “fraidy” cat that I tend to be, I need to hear those words quite often to maintain a posture of strength in the midst of the storms.

But this morning in my devotion time I read from Psalm 33. We do not know who actually wrote Psalm 33, but this anonymous hymn of praise calls on the righteous to praise God because the dependability of his words and works. All of that is well and good, but the part that gets to me today is verses 16-18: “The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness.”

What hits me about that today is that so many of these “fear not” passages found in the scripture are said to mighty men of valor – Joshua the warrior, Gideon who would lead a rebellion, the disciples who would lead a revolution. And while they are being told to “fear not,” it certainly has nothing to do with their physical stature. As the Psalm says, the king isn’t saved by a great army, nor a warrior by his strength. The fear we have is a very real demonstration that we recognize how dependant we are upon God. The fear the Psalmist speaks of is the fear that comes with knowing there are some things that we cannot control by our own strength and might.

So many times in life we live things the “safe” way, where we stay in control and where we think we don’t have to fear anything. I guess what’s really hitting me today is that if we don’t have some fear in our lives right now, maybe we aren’t living as courageously and dependently upon God as we should

Thursday, September 18, 2008

On your own - Devotion for 9/18/08

On your own – Devotion for 9/18/08

I love the book of Genesis. I love the story of Abram, and I love Sarai’s laughter. I love the story of Jacob, and who in the world couldn’t love Joseph – the comeback kid. Of course, we all “noah” about the flood as well. But as I’ve been teaching this book the past couple of weeks, one particular verse has really stuck with me – “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”(Genesis 2:18) What that says to me is that God never intended for us to be alone. Granted, I do think it is kind of funny that after God said he would make a suitable helper, the very first things He creates as that suitable helper are every beast of the field and every bird of the sky. I’m all about animal rights, and I love my pets, but I can see where Adam wasn’t exactly pleased with these animals as a suitable helper. So ultimately, God made woman – who led all of humanity down the path to sin (just kidding!).

We are not intended to be alone in this world. God intends for us to be connected with others. Too many times we try to tackle difficulties in our lives on our own. Too many times we try to make a drastic change in our lifestyle on our own. Too many times we think of prayer as something we do on our own. Too many times we think of . . . well, just about everything - on our own. But God knew that “on our own” was not good. I think it is interesting that when Jesus was asked to basically sum up the Law, he did so not just by emphasizing the love of God, but he also brought in the love of neighbor. If we learn anything from the book of Genesis, let us know that God does not intend for us to be alone in this world. Whatever struggles, whatever burdens, whatever worries or fears – God has always wanted us to be in community. What are you keeping to yourself, on your own?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Looking for trouble - Devotion for 9/17/08

Looking for trouble – Devotion for 9/17/08

I remember quite vividly hearing my parents and grandparents talking about certain people who were always “looking for trouble.” Maybe it was a cousin or another distant relative, but these trouble hunters were always described in negative terms. Maybe they were always getting into bad relationships, going from one job after another, or even actually getting to know the community law enforcement folks a little bit better (frequently), I early on got the understanding that you do NOT want to be someone who is “looking for trouble.”

As I became a teenager, I began to wonder why someone wouldn’t want to look for at least a little bit of trouble. I mean, some kinds of “trouble” seemed quite intriguing, and who wasn’t at least a little bit curious about what kinds of trouble you might could find? Not looking for trouble seemed almost too stable, too much the “same old, same old,” and to be frank (even if I am Adam), too boring.

That’s why I think the mischievous part of me truly loved finding trouble in new ways! In Eugene Peterson’s The Message, he words 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6 like this: “You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit! – taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.”(emphasis added) Paul is commending the new Christian servants for the way they have handled receiving the word, which truly does not come without trouble. And I feel like that same commendation needs to be offered to each one of us.

I don’t believe that the church is always supposed to be a place of peace. To paraphrase Michael Slaughter, lead pastor of Ginghamsburg UMC, I believe that in the church we need to “comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.” To paraphrase many of the writings of John Wesley, Christianity when rightly practiced will always be met with resistance. So if everything is comfortable, if there is no resistance to what is going on, then maybe the right things aren’t going on. A church where everyone agrees all the time is a church that probably is not truly living the Word. So I encourage you today to look for trouble. Look for trouble with joy as you live in the Word, and find the ways that we can continue to imitate the Master “troublemaker.”

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Blanket of Protection - Devotion for 9/16/08

Blanket of Protection – Devotion for 9/16/08

I remember when I was little how I would sometimes get afraid at night. I will never forget one night when I was there in my bed, already somewhat fearful from some of the noises I was hearing. Apparently I did eventually drift off to sleep, but in the midst of my sleep I rolled over. When I did roll over my hand must have knocked a picture that was hanging on the wall above my bed. I awoke to the sounds of this big picture frame swinging back and forth on the wood paneling wall, and all I could do was scream and hide under my blanket! Since I’m so “manly” now, I’m sure that is difficult for you to imagine, but it is true. After all, would you think it is a pretty scary thing to have a picture swinging up above your head? Yes – I was 23 . . . but still!

I still think it is funny that I would take refuge under my blanket, as if my blanket was made of steel or iron that would protect me. But I also know that I am not alone as one who would hide under a blanket (admit it – you know you did). Somehow we could hide under the blanket and hope and pray that it would provide us with protection in our desperate time of need. Sometimes I still want to hide under the blanket . . . it always felt safe there.

This morning as I read Psalm 3, I think about some of the troubles David was going through at the time he wrote this Psalm. David’s son Absalom had killed his brother Amnon (deservedly so, but that’s a different story), and then he had fled for 3 years. When Absalom finally returned, he began to set up plans to overthrow his father, which he ultimately did, which caused David to become the one who flees. In Psalm 3, David is lamenting his troubles, but in the midst of acknowledging how his adversaries have increased, David proclaims this: “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.”(Psalm 3:3) David has taken refuge under his “blanket of protection” – the Lord God. Maybe you are facing attacks – maybe you are facing storms – maybe you are facing fear – draw near and be covered up by the blanket of protection that is the Lord God. Cry out to Him, and recognize His presence.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Where did I set my mind? - Devotion for 9/11/08

Where did I set my mind? - Devotion for 9/11/08

A few weeks ago I found myself sitting at the pharmacy waiting to pick up some prescriptions. As I sat there and waited, I decided to make use of my time and started checking email on my BlackBerry (yes – it is an addiction), and then when I was finished checking, I started surfing the net. As I was being pretty self-absorbed in my own world, I did notice out that I was not sitting and waiting alone. To my right was a young guy who obviously was a member of the United States Air Force. Instead of checking his email or checking the scores from the games the night before, he was simply sitting there staring off into space. As I turned to back check the scores from the games the night before, the thought crossed my mind that I should talk to this guy. Why would I talk to him when I could instead be checking my scores, I thought to myself. But I kept having this feeling that I should talk to him, so I took my mind away from my own preoccupation, and I turned my attention to him. I turned to him and I asked, “Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” OK – no, I didn’t ask that (but that’s probably where you thought it was going, right?). I simply asked him about what he did in the Air Force. From there it went to where were all the different locations he had served, where he was originally from, what does he want to do when he gets out, and so on. Only after we had been talking about 10 minutes (and I was really getting curious what in the world was taking so long for my prescriptions to get filled), did I casually mention that I am a minister. That’s not usually one of the first things out of my mouth, because as soon as I mention it, many people begin to get this scared look on their face like, “Oh no, he’s going to ask me if I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior!” It wasn’t too much later that finally my name was called and my meds were filled, but before I left, this young airman asked me for my card and what church I was a minister at. We shook hands (which probably wasn’t a wise thing since we were both sick), and I left.

I began that time waiting on my prescriptions focusing on me – Adam-centric. I left that time focusing of the people of God – God-centric. Sometimes we need those reminders to wake up and realize that not everything is about us. Instead of setting our minds always on us and our own needs, we need to remember Romans 8:5, which states, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Today, set your minds on the things of the Spirit – the people of God. Find at least one way we can take the focus off of ourselves, and set our minds somewhere else. Now, where did I set my mind?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Transformers - Devotion for 9/10/08

Transformers – Devotion for 9/10/08

I have a confession. No, it is nothing juicy or gossipy, but still it is my confession. It is something that I usually keep in secret out of shame, but here it is: I once was a UNC fan. Yes – I know – I’m shocked as well. You ask, “What were you thinking?” I’m still not sure. All I know is that I had Carolina Fever, and I bled Carolina Blue. Not even drinking from the cool springs of Buies Creek (what creek?) and Campbell University could change my devotion to the Tar Heels. So what happened? When I was accepted into the Divinity School at Duke University I made a determination that if my money was going there, so was my loyalty. For a while I actually tried to pull for both schools. At first I didn’t really see the conflict. Slowly (not so slowly) but surely (definitely surely) I began to realize that I was no longer a UNC fan – I was a Blue Devil. I began to see all the negatives of that school in Chapel Hill, and I saw all the positives of Duke. When I threw away my UNC shirts and began to stock my drawers with Blue Devil shirts, I knew the transformation was complete.

We are called to go through a similar transformation in our lives and in our relationship with God. We are born in sin, and we live in sin, but we are offered acceptance into the Kingdom of God. Though our nature is to remain devoted and committed to the life of sin, if we act upon our acceptance into the Kingdom, then a transformation is to take place. In much the same way we can’t be fans of both UNC and Duke, we also are called to not be a part of the kingdom of sin AND the Kingdom of God. This morning in my devotion time I was reading from Romans 6, and verses 1-2 reminded me of this principle: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” If we have entered into God’s Kingdom, then we can no longer demonstrate our devotion to the kingdom of sin. Now I am not saying that we will not ever sin again, nor am I fully defining what sin is, but I am saying that sin will not govern our lives. Today, how can we recognize the ways that God truly rules in our life, and how can we see that we have let sin still have a grasp?

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Unmerited - Devotion for 9/9/08

Unmerited – Devotion for 9/9/08

We all want to get what we deserve in life. I know I do. I remember having a job back in high school as a “sandwich artist” at a particular fast food place, and I always worked extra hard because I wanted to get what I deserve – which was more money. When I was in grad school, I would do all my readings (OK – most of them!) and study extra hard, because I wanted to get what I deserved for a grade, which was obviously an “A.” When I’m driving in traffic, I’m always willing to let someone merge into my lane, and then I feel like I deserve the opportunity to merge when I am in need. I want what I deserve.

This morning in my devotion time I read Ephesians 2:1-10, and I was convicted once again. In particular vv. 4-5 spoke to me today: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” Even when I didn’t deserve it, He made me alive in Christ. Even though I still don’t deserve it, He has saved me by grace. I’m grateful to receive that which is completely unmerited. Thus God continues the pattern of turning my life upside down.

In my conviction, I am drawn to the prayer entitled “An Evening Prayer,” by C. Maude Battersby:

If I have wounded any soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,Dear Lord, forgive!

If I have uttered idle words or vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I myself shall suffer through the strain,Dear Lord, forgive!

If I have been perverse or hard,
or cold,If I have longed for shelter in Thy fold,
When Thou hast given me some fort to hold,Dear Lord, forgive!

Forgive the sins I have confessed to Thee;
Forgive the secret sins I do not see;
O guide me, love me and my keeper be,Dear Lord, Amen.

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I am a minister in North Carolina.