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.”