Expectant Living - Devotion for 5/31/07

Expectant Living – Devotion for 5/31/07

Most of the time when we pray and give thanks or praise to God, we do so for things that have already happened, don’t we? I know that’s the way it usually seems in my prayers – I give thanks for God giving me such a wonderful family, a wonderful church family, wonderful friends, etc. And in church when we have a chance to share celebrations usually it is for something special that has happened within that past week – such as so-and-so came home from the hospital, or so-and-so had a birthday. Most weeks someone will have an upcoming celebration of a birthday or anniversary in the coming week, or something like school is going to be out soon. But by and large the praises that we give to God is past-tense – what God has already done.

Why is that? Well, it is difficult to praise God for what He hasn’t done yet. It is far easier to praise God for what we know He has already done. And I believe that we feel it would be a bit presumptuous if we were to praise God in anticipation of what He was going to do. The Psalm that I am reading this week is Psalm 150 – the last Psalm in the book. You may be familiar with this Psalm, but if not virtually every line includes the words “praise Him.” Many of the lines are words of instruction of how to praise Him – “Praise God in His sanctuary;” “Praise Him with trumpet sound;” “Praise Him with loud cymbals.” (parts of v. 1, 3, 5) Verse 2 is a little different, as it explains why to praise God – “Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.” So instead of telling us where or how to praise God, we are given more of an indication as to why we should praise God.

Now I recognize that this is a bit of leap, but if we are to praise God for “His mighty deeds” and “according to His excellent greatness,” nowhere is that limited to just what God has already done. Because I can look back over the course of my life and understand that even in the most difficult moments God was there, I can look ahead and understand that in the most difficult moments ahead God will be there as well. Because I am aware of the mighty deeds he has done in the past, I wouldn’t fully be trusting God if I didn’t expect He’s going to be doing some mighty deeds again in the future. I think that we can have a certain peace in life when we live in a way expecting God’s mighty deeds and excellent greatness. I get excited in the morning (it’s true!) and I praise God for whatever He is going to do that day, because I expect that whoever He brings across my path is an opportunity to see God work. I guess expectant living is really trusting living – trusting God with the course and direction of your life. And when you truly trust Him to direct your paths, you can praise God for His mighty deeds – those that He has already done, and those you just can’t wait to experience. Praise God expectantly today. Expect to see and witness His excellent greatness today. Trust me – if you expect to see it you will. If you are only looking back at what He has already done, you just might miss what He is doing in 5 minutes.

Comic book theology - Devotion for 5/30/07

Comic book theology – Devotion for 5/30/07

Growing up I wasn’t as much of a comic book fan as some people I know (and you know who you are!), but I certainly had a fair share of them, and I certainly watched a plenty of “Super friends” on Saturday mornings. I for one have particularly enjoyed watching so many of the comic book heroes be turned into movies, and I now have enjoyed sharing these movies and experiences with my sons. A couple of weeks ago we were able to go see Spiderman 3, and although I wasn’t as pleased with the movie in general, I will not give away any details in the event that you have not yet seen it.

One of the things that I got to thinking about as far as the comic book heroes (and many bad guys) is that something happens to them, and then they become something different. I’m sure some of my comic book expert friends could correct me on this, but even characters like Batman who in his own right has no specific powers other than his utility belt and other assorted tools and weapons, there was an event or events that set him in motion to fight crime. Spiderman was bit by the spider and developed his special powers. The Fantastic Four were transformed after being exposed to cosmic rays during an outer space mission. The Hulk was exposed to gamma rays to change him into the green monster. Green Goblin under went the experiment that transformed him. Doctor Octopus was a part of another experiment gone wrong. Superman didn’t necessary have something happen to him that made him different than the way he was born, but he did come to realize that on earth he had “super” powers. In each situation something happened, and they became different – a transformation took place. And in each situation then individual had to figure out what they were going to do with that power. As Uncle Ben said, “Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”

How have you been made different? Once you become a believer in God something happens. As 1 Corinthians 12:7 states, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit . . .” That means that when you become a believer in God you have a manifestation of the Spirit within you. Just like Spiderman, your DNA changes (or something like that) and you now have something different within you – you have a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit gives you new powers – not that you’ll be able to climb walls or suddenly burst into flames and fly. But with the manifestation of the Spirit within you, you will be given a new “power.” Paul talks about some of those powers in 1 Corinthians 12 – wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, etc. So to restate, when you become a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord, you become different. You are transformed. Something is taken away (sin), and in it’s place you have the manifestation of the Spirit that now enables you to do something that you couldn’t do before.

The difficult thing is twofold: one, trying to figure out what your new superpower is; and two, trying to figure out how to use it. This struggle is evident early in the life of all superheroes, trying to determine exactly what the transformation is, and then how to use it. We have that same struggle. Each one of us must determine what our superpower is – what is it that we now have the ability to do now that we are believers in God. And then once we have determined what that superpower is, we have to decide how we are going to use it. Remember again what Uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Paul sort of says the same thing. Remember when he said that thing about the “manifestation of the Spirit”? That verse continues on: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” For the good of all of us together. For the good of everyone. For the common good.

Today maybe you already know how you are different. Today maybe you already know what the transformation is, and maybe you already know what your superpower is. Or maybe you are in the midst of your transformation and your superpowers are still developing. Today you need to be thinking about what your superpower is and how you are going to use it. Don’t forget what Uncle Ben said.

Only - Devotion for 5/29/07

Only – Devotion for 5/29/07

Have you ever done any rock climbing? I’ve not done any real rock climbing, but I have gone to one of those climbing walls where you get all strapped up and then you get to scurry up the wall. A year or so ago I went with the youth group from the church as we went to one of those climbing walls, and I was not so sure that I wanted to actually participate, but I eventually caved in to the peer pressure and got the harness on so that I could give it a shot. One of the youth had belaying experience, and so that assured me that once I got hooked in that I would not fall. Well I looked at this teenager with a great deal of skepticism as I weighed quite a bit more than she did, but she assured me that I would not fall. So up I went, climbing from one point to the next. As I got about halfway up (which was probably something like 100 feet . . . or so it seemed), I began to get a little anxious. I looked down, which is something that I should not have done, and I called out, “Are you sure you’ve got me?” After my call finished echoing (echoing, echoing, echoing, echoing), I heard her yell (because I was so high up, we had to communicate by yelling . . . either that or she had to yell so that I could hear her over my whimpers), “I’ve got you – you’ll be just fine.” So I pressed on, continuing my journey to the top, all the time questioning whether or not she could actually keep me from falling. I got to a difficult spot where I felt I had nothing else that I could reach, and way, way, way down below she was calling out instructions telling me to go to my right and step up. I kept yelling down to her that I didn’t think I could make it without falling, and she insisted that even if I slipped that I would not fall because she had me. You could hear the frustration in the echoes of her voice that I didn’t trust that she would not let me fall. In the end, my fear of heights and my lack of trust in her being able to keep me from falling led to my failure to reach the top. If I had fully trusted that I would not fall then I could have gotten to the top. However, I didn’t trust, and my fears won out.

This morning I was reading from Deuteronomy 6:4-25, and as God is giving these commands to love God, one of the things God says really stands out to me: “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name” (Deuteronomy 6:13). In the Bible that I was reading from, one word in particular out of that verse was in italics – only, as in “You shall fear only the Lord your God.” I got to thinking about that only this morning. If we take that only seriously, then the only thing we should fear is God, and nothing else. And then I got to thinking about how frustrated God must get when we fear something else. Our fear of the future is truly a fear that God is not going to take care of us. Our fear of what comes next is really a fear that God doesn’t know what is best for us. Our fear of anything else is getting away from the full trust in God that He expects. I remember how my sons would get scared sometimes when I would put them up on my shoulders. I would reassure them, “I’m not going to let you fall,” but they would still want to get down. Sometimes I just couldn’t believe that they actually thought I would let them fall. I wonder if that is how God feels when we fear something else and not only Him?

Powerful winds - Devotion for 5/24/07

Powerful winds – Devotion for 5/24/07

On the night of November 28, 1988, a powerful F4 tornado (on the Fujita scale that goes from F0 to F5) struck Raleigh, NC. At that time I was a high school senior in Raleigh, and my father was the pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church in north Raleigh. I’ll never forget that night as the phone rang late in the evening as we were all in bed. Living in the home of a minister, I was somewhat accustomed to phone calls that came in the night informing my dad that someone had died, someone was taken to the emergency room, or someone had been arrested. Whenever I heard the phone ring in the night there was always that uncomfortable feeling that something bad had happened, and this night was no different. The phone call that my dad received was from a church member who lived directly beside the church. The member called to tell dad that a tornado or something had just come through, and when he looked out his window the church was no longer there. My dad, my mom, and myself got into the car and tried to drive through the downed power lines and trees and ultimately we could not believe our eyes as we saw first hand the devastation. The sanctuary was almost completely leveled. What once was a huge brick building was now a scattered mess of bricks.

When the sun was finally up we were able to truly begin to get an understanding of the power of the wind that night. Two of the mobile units the church had used were completely gone – nowhere to be found. The tornado hit the sanctuary at the front wall, and on that wall was a wooden cross. As the twisting storm winds hit that wall, the wall appeared to have just crumbled over. Yet in the midst of all the mess, the wooden cross that was up on that front wall had not fallen “face down.” Instead, somehow the wind twist the cross and it fell “face up” – and in the light of the day, not one of us could find a mark on that cross. As we explored the ruins, at the back of the sanctuary was a kitchen. The back wall had also crumbled, yet amazingly the shelving remained standing – it was as if the tornado had said “this far, and no further” – leaving the coffee cups stacked up in the cupboard with no back to it due to the wind. Later the rest of the building ultimately had to be torn down, finishing the work that the tornado began.

I guess what struck me as so interesting was how long it took just to finish what the tornado had begun. Bulldozers and other heavy equipment had to come out just to knock down the back wall. It took at least a day or two to finish what took the storm on a few seconds to do. In Zechariah 4:1-14, the Lord is giving encouragement to Zerubabbel. This vision is addressing the completion of the temple, and in a time of uncertainty whether or not it would be completed, God gives this word: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubabbel saying ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubabbel you will become a plain, and he will bring for the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’” I really love that line “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.” It makes me think of how hard the workers had to work just to finish what had been done by the wind – they had to use all their might and powerful machinery to accomplish just part of what had already been done in an instant. I also love the part about how the mountain will be flattened and become a plain before Zerubabbel. In line with the image of the tornado, it just reminds us of the mighty power of God.

I guess the reason I’m talking about tornados and Zerubabbel (say that name real fast) is that I believe so many times we still try to stop the wind and live by our might and power. Fear of the wind seems to be a constant (see Psalm 107:27-32; see disciples on the boat; see Peter walking on water until he noticed the wind). We fear the wind because we don’t know what it will do, and we don’t know where it will blow us. And so we try to build up barriers to resist the wind, and stay safe where we want to be. The thing is, if God wants you to be somewhere, He will bring a storm to get you there if you won’t go there on your own. As we approach Pentecost, tear down the barriers to the wind – experience the power of the Spirit, and let it empower you to tear down mountains. Use the power of the wind, and we will see God’s glory. It is not by our might, not by our power, but by His Holy Spirit.

I've got the power! - Devotion for 5/23/07

I’ve got the power! – Devotion for 5/23/07

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think about a particular scene in the movie “Bruce Almighty” and think how cool it might be to have that kind of power. The scene I’m talking about is when Bruce really begins to realize what he is capable of doing, and as he walks down the street he makes different things happen: fire hydrant begin to spray water, he get a new set of clothes, and a “mysterious” wind blows up a womans . . . umm, you get the picture. Sometimes I think about how cool it might be to be able to make things happen with just a “snap” of the fingers. Sometimes just for fun, when my sons and I are sitting at a stoplight, I will say “boom, shaka-laka, boom” and point my fingers at the stoplight trying to get it to change from red to green . . . and again, maybe that’s just me. I just think it would be so cool do be able to have that kind of power and ability to just make something happen.

The thing is we do have that kind of power available. OK – maybe we will not be able to create “mysterious” winds, but I do believe that we have the power to make unnatural things occur. Need proof? The Book of Acts. In the Book of Acts we hear about the early Christian community there in Jerusalem were sharing their things, and even selling property and things to ensure that the needs of everyone was met. Acts 4:34-35 says, “For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.” Selling things? Giving proceeds to the apostles? Not a needy person among them? Dude, that’s seriously unnatural. That is water spraying from a fire hydrant unnatural. That is wind blowing up a skirt unnatural. If that kind of thing happened today people would be freaked out and start calling it a cult.

What kind of power would make someone do these kind of things? “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). All they were doing was testifying to what God had done through Jesus Christ, and the people were filled with the abundant grace and power of the Holy Spirit. As the apostles were teaching how Jesus gave His all, the people began to live this out by giving all that they had to benefit others. You and I have access to this same kind of power. No, we might not be able to change a stoplight from red to green, but I believe that we can change the world – you tell me which one takes more power. I believe that if today each one of us would claim hold of that power, and begin to tell someone about what God has done for you, and if we would begin to live that out by doing things for others, then we will see unnatural things. We have the power to change the world. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “Go forth today and proclaim the Gospel; and if you must, use words.”

Dream big - Devotion for 5/22/07

Dream Big – Devotion for 5/22/07

One thing that my boys truly inherited from me is their love of sweet nectar of the gods – Mountain Dew. Oh how I love the tingle of the carbonation as I pour a freshly opened bottle into my mouth! That, and the caffeine (especially in the morning). Almost always at supper time when we ask our boys what they want to drink one of them will reply, “Can I have Mountain Dew?” Some nights we will be the bad parents that we are and we allow them to have some, and hopefully it is the caffeine variety (that I only buy for their sake). However, most of the time when they ask for Mountain Dew they are given a swift kick of “no” (after all, we’ve got to save some for Daddy!). I guess after getting the “no” response so many times they are conditioned to not even ask if they can have Mountain Dew.

One night a while back we went through the normal routine of asking them what they wanted to drink with supper. I immediately got one reply of “milk” from one, but the other one asked the usual question – “Can I have Mountain Dew?” One this particular night I was feel exceptionally generous, and without their mother’s agreement, I allowed him to have some Mountain Dew. His brother got so ticked when he sat down at the table and saw that while he was drinking milk, his brother was drinking Mountain Dew! He cried out to me, “That’s not fair! How come he gets to drink Mountain Dew and I have to drink milk?” And I answered him, “Because you asked for milk, and he asked for Mountain Dew.”

I wonder how many times we actually miss out on getting something better out of life because we are so focused on something else. Just because he didn’t always get Mountain Dew didn’t mean that he couldn’t keep asking for it. And just because things don’t always go as we expect or hope for doesn’t mean we can’t keep asking and praying for it. In the book of Acts, there is a story of a man that was lame from birth. In Acts 3, we learn about how this many was carried each day to the gate of the temple where he would beg for alms from everyone who was entering the temple. Each day he was asking for money, but money wasn’t what he really needed, nor even what he truly wanted. However somewhere along the way of life he had become conditioned to the fact that he was lame, and so he just settled for asking for money instead of healing. Do we ever find our selves becoming conditioned and just settling for certain things in life instead of seeking what we truly want or need?

So one day Peter and John are out strolling to the temple and they pass by this lame man. As he asked them for alms, he had probably become so conditioned to rejection that he didn’t even look at them when he asked. Peter instructed him “Look at us!”(v. 4) And then something amazing happened. Peter explained that although he didn’t have the silver or gold that the lame man was asking for, he did have something better – “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!” Taking the man’s hand, the once-lame man was lifted up, and then he began walking and leaping and praising God! He may have been asking for alms, but what he truly wanted and what he truly needed was something far greater – but it was something beyond what he thought was possible. Do we ever ask God for one thing, when what we really need and want is something far greater? In other words, do we limit how much we think God can do?

Just because you haven’t gotten that which you are seeking doesn’t mean it won’t come. Don’t give up – just keep dreaming the big dream. Don’t settle for the smaller dream – the easier dream. Don’t limit what God can do for you – go ahead and ask Him and tell Him, no matter how impossible it may seem. My one son had simply settled to drink milk (which probably isn’t as good of an image as I had hoped, because milk truly is what he needed instead of the Mountain Dew), instead of asking for what he really wanted. But the other son was exceedingly pleased when his request was granted. If he had not asked for the Mountain Dew, I would not have given it to him. What is it that you really and truly need from God but you have maybe grown so frustrated from the wait that you have quit asking? You know what the awesome thing is? God still knows what it is, and sometimes He steps in and gives us what we truly want and need in His own time, just as He did for the lame man, who had probably quit asking for healing years before. But that shouldn’t be reason for you to stop dreaming. Dream big so that you can see how big God truly is.

Say so - Devotion for 5/21/07

Say so – Devotion for 5/21/07

Over past year I have developed a new appreciation for the Psalms. More and more as I have read different ones (I the same Psalm every day for a week, and then get a new one), I have just realized that many times the Psalms are just heartfelt prayers being uttered in praise, and sometimes in desperation. Some Psalms you can easily see how they were used in early worship – some as songs, some as responses, some as reminders of what God has done throughout history.

My Psalm for this week is Psalm 107, and this morning I was captivated by its storytelling. The Psalm seems to have four different images or stories, but all conveying how the people in each situation should give thanks to God for His loving kindness. The first image is of travelers who maybe lost their way (v. 4-9), but when they cried out to God, “He delivered them out of their distress. He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city”(v. 6-7). The second image is of prisoners in a dungeon (v. 10-16), but when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, “He saved them out of their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart”(v.13-14). The third image is people who have become sick and afflicted (v. 17-22), but when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, “He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” And the last image is of sailors on a boat in the midst of stormy waters (v.23-32), but when they cried to the Lord in their trouble, “He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed” (v.28-29).

I love the way as these four images/stories are told, as we find out how God came in and saved the day there is this verse: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!”(v. 8, 15, 21, 31) I think it is truly imperative that every time God answers our cries that we ought to be giving thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness. But the next part becomes a little more difficult for us. You see, the next part that the Psalm instructs is that we would tell others:
Verse 22 – “Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.
Verse 32 – “Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders.”

All of this goes back to the way the whole Psalm 107 began – first by telling people to give thanks to the Lord, and “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (v.2). I think that each day we need to try to live up to this. Acknowledge the things we have to be thankful for, and tell God how grateful we are. But then there is a burden upon us that we would “say so” to others – let someone else know what God has done. When you are willing, God will give you opportunities for you to “say so.” Sometimes He gives you those opportunities even when you aren’t so willing. So what will it be? Will you “say so”? What has God done for you?