Do You Agree?

I doubt many people take the time to carefully read each part of the terms and conditions associated with using software. I admit I have never really read each sentence to make sure I am in agreement with the user license. In my eagerness to use the program/app, I just click the "accept" button and move on. It's a good thing these companies are (mostly) ethical or we would all be in trouble.

Isn't it interesting how quickly we will acquiesce to the conditions provided to us when we are just focused on getting what we want out of it? I'm assuming there won't be any hidden clauses or tricks and am very quick to offer my acceptances. Why is it we can do that for our technology, but rebel against that same principle when dealing with our spirituality? It's almost as if we expect God to sneak in some clause we never predicted and won't want to follow. Instead of stepping forward in faith to follow His better path we hedge our bets in case something we don't like comes to light.

We probably should place a little less trust in self-serving, capitalistic entities and a little more in a selfless, caring deity who has proven His reliability.

Great I Am

I often need simple reminders of what matters most. As a Christ follower, I know the truth of the God that I follow and yet I still need to center myself on the power of who He is. This helps me to overcome any obstacles I might face and any discouragement that might come my way. It's that focus that reminds me of the big picture of who I am blessed to serve.

Every Hour

I am a fan of almost all types of music. I have widespread (and somewhat eclectic) tastes, but I always appreciate talent and the weaving of melodies and harmonies. I like finding new voices and unique approaches to old songs. 

I stumbled across a young man named Sam Robson several months ago who uses his abilities to highlight the beauty of older hymns. There is one in particular that continues to resonate with me-partly because of the message of the song and partly because of his beautiful performance. I listen to it frequently to remind myself of what I truly need.

God on the Shelf

I've discovered that I can't relegate God to certain circumstances or big moments and expect to have a relationship that means something. While God promises to always be there for us when we call on Him, He is not content with being a once-in-a-while God either. Honestly, we don't have the power to limit God's ability to work in our lives, but we do get to choose our level of attention and devotion. We fool ourselves however, if we believe we have the power to keep God on a shelf to be used at our convenience. He isn't a magic genie that exists to help us in times of trouble. He will continue to see His will fulfilled through our on-and-off devotion while waiting for us to get serious about following Him. We might think we are keeping Him at a safe distance until we need Him, but He is intimately involved in our lives whether we recognize it or not. He wouldn't be fully God if it was any other way.

Gifted

The Gift and the One who gave the Gift are the same. You cannot have one without the other. The Gift and the Gift-giver are a package deal. 

Limitless Life, Derwin Gray

You can't expect to receive all that God has to offer without accepting Him as well. We might see portions of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and purpose without having a relationship with Him. We won't ever fully experience the beauty and power of what God offers if we won't commit to following Him though. It won't be a personal journey then, but merely a secondary spirituality that only comes into contact with the purity of God through other people. That's not the depth of commitment that interests God and it's less than appealing to us. All of God's gifts are illusions without Him at the center of them. 

Fulfillment and contentment are found in all of who God is.

I Need Thee

I stumbled across an adaptation of an old hymn last week that has been resonating in my head since I found it. That might be influenced by the fact that I've listened to it at least 20 times this past week. It's an incredibly beautiful & creative acoustic version of the hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour" with one man (Sam Robson) singing nine different parts. The harmonies are gorgeous and I certainly marvel at Sam's range and ability to work this together. It's not just the musical groove that draws me in however. It's the simplicity of understanding my deep need for God in every hour of my life. I don't want to only desire Him in tough situations or circumstances, but in times of peace and confidence as well. He is my King, my Heavenly Father, and the Lover of My Soul and I desperately need Him at all times. It's not just an acknowledgement, but an impassioned plea.

Hopeful Anticipation

I don't know that many of us look ahead to our future and are filled with anxious anticipation. Instead of seeing our potential in God's plan we paint a gray, dreary picture of mundane activity and habitual drudgery. We can become easily consumed with the dim prospect of facing the same struggles we are facing today, but with a different date on the calendar and more gray hair. 

In 1 Corinthians 2:9, Paul writes that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. This is a verse of hope for our future! It's a tantalizing promise of excitement that God offers for our coming days. It means that He is excited about our future like a father that can't wait to give his children a great gift they've been anticipating. It should change our perspective as we realize what 

God is waiting to share with us-it should give us hope for something more.

What would it take for us to embrace a hopeful future that we look forward to with great anticipation of God's delivery?

Always Good

God isn't like the parent who gives praises to a child only when they make good decisions and then blasts them when they mess up. If that was the case, I'd be in God's doghouse (much) more often than I would be out of it. Fortunately, God's goodness is not determined by my obedience. He is slow to anger, abounding in love, and continues to share good things with His children even if we haven't done anything to deserve such blessings. This doesn't negate the need for me to follow His commands, but it reinforces the perfection of His Holiness. He is the God of all good things and is willing to dispense them liberally to His children.

Big Buts (one T)

It's commonly said that if you say something positive and then follow with "but," it negates whatever was said first. I don't necessarily disagree with that theory--especially in view of God's Word. The phrase "But God" carries such weight that it overpowers circumstances, devastation, devious schemes, and even death. I've had a sermon series on this phrase planned for three years & hope to have an opportunity to share it one day. 

In lieu of a sermon on this blog, however, I offer a few Scriptures to affirm the hope we have when God intervenes.

• Genesis 8:1  But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
• Genesis 50:20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
• Psalm 9:18  But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
• Jeremiah 10:12  But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
• Acts 2:24  But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
• Acts 3:15  You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
• Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
• Galatians 3:18  For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
• 1 John 5:9  We accept human testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

Just God

In Genesis 15:1, God said to Abram, "I am your shield, your very great reward." He was telling Abram that He was the true gift and not the blessings that He can give to Abram and his family.

Do we worship God more for what He does for us or just simply for who He is? Can we separate the two? His gifts are a reflection of His generous nature, but we should pursue Him more than what He can give to us. We become nothing more than spiritual blessing junkies craving the next fix if we only focus on what comes out of the God-vending-machine. We excise true joy from our relationship with Him when we only seek the blessings from His hand and neglect to simply seek His face.

Believe It or Not

In Reggie McNeal's book Missional Renaissance, he makes this statement, "To practice the blessing life, you will need to believe God, not just believe in God. There's a huge difference between the two."

There is tremendous power in understanding that declaration. If you asked most people they would probably tell you that they believed in God. Numerous Christian researchers have proven that to be true-that somewhere between 75-90% of people say that they believe in God. The dilemma lies not in an understanding that He exists, but in believing that what He says and does is true. 

If we trust that God is exactly who He says He is and will do what He says He will do, it will cause us to live our lives differently. It will determine the day-to-day decisions that we make and how we view people around us. Believing God will bring greater significance to what Christ called the two greatest commandments: Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. 

True Christ-followers cannot be content with just believing in God's existence. It's time to live with bold confidence in the truth of His promises and the purity of His character and daily do something with it.

Who Are You Hurting?

Sin is a topic we don't like to talk much about. We prefer to either ignore the things that we are doing, rationalize our behavior or belittle it to assuage our guilt and/or shame. Part of the problem is our understanding of who we are actually affecting with our sinful choices. We tend to think that unless it is a deliberate choice to hurt someone else that it can't be that bad. Looking at porn doesn't impact those around us therefore it isn't a big deal. Being prideful is really about our mindset so it won't truly cause anyone else grief. Cheating on our taxes or on a test doesn't really affect the big picture so it isn't a big deal. A small lie to make ourselves look better won't bother anyone because it's not a fallacy about them.

We have missed the point. Our sin isn't actually against the people around us or even ourselves-although the consequences of our choices can be damaging to both. We have sinned against God and it is our rebellion against Him that causes us the most grief. Even though we know it isn't right to cheat on our spouses, to get drunk every weekend, to gossip about others, to lie, to be divisive in church and to steal, it isn't until we realize that these are transgressions against God and not each other that we stand a chance of true repentance and finding forgiveness and cleansing from Him.

Psalm 51:3-4 "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what was evil in Your sight"

Face to Face

I was reading in Nehemiah this morning and in chapter 8, God's people have finished rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and have gathered to celebrate. Ezra has found a copy of God's law and is reading it to the people. It's a powerful testimony to their faith as they hear God's Word read aloud and start to weep-not just a few of them, but the entire crowd. This is not a temporary moment however, as they return to the assembly three weeks later and make a covenant with God to be His people once more.

Reading this causes me to wonder about our reaction when we come face-to-face with God-whether that is through the teaching of His Word, through worship, other people or serving those around us. The Israelites who had been in exile were desperate for God's truth and the realization of how far from Him they had gone caused them great sorrow. The people in Nehemiah were not just reacting emotionally-they came back three weeks later to make a pledge to God to strive to be His people again.

What about us and the church today? How will we react when we are face to face with God and realize where we are in relation to where He wants us to be? Have we become so jaded in our Christian lives that we cannot create that same sense of longing when we encounter God? Will it be true repentance that we commit to following up with or simply an emotional reaction that is forgotten as soon as we leave the building?

Misery Loves

I am reading in Job this morning and I am in the middle of the dialogue between Job and his friends. It is interesting how they try to give him a different perspective (not always accurately) and how he refutes everything that they say. What his friends say is not always encouraging, but they are trying to help. It is his position of refusal that allows him to keep wallowing in his pitiful emotions-at least until God answers him and gives him the right perspective.

I know that the key when we are struggling is to turn to God as He is the only one that can actually provide comfort. It was Job's example that showed me that most of the time when we are miserable, we become content with staying in that trap. It isn't so much that misery loves company. I've found that far too often (at least in my own life) that misery just loves misery. It causes us to stay in self-destructive patterns of depression, to lash out at those that are closest to us, and to become vindictive in thoughts and speech towards those that we feel have wounded us. When we don't allow God to intervene, this becomes a life-long characteristic that leads to an embittered existence that sucks the energy from other people.

The truth is that God desires more than that for us and is prepared to guide us out of that imprisonment. Can we show people the need to let Him be the solution?

"The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and have it to the full." John 10:10

Be Careful What You Wish For

I shared a quote on my Facebook & Twitter today from C.S. Lewis-"I don't want my image of God, I want God." While that quote sounds good, and it is easy to "like" it, we might want to be a little careful of what we wish for. 

When God reveals who He is to us, we cannot remain the same. God is not someone to be trifled with. He is compassionate and loving, but also great and powerful. The honest truth is that an interaction with God will ruin us for this life as we start to see the potential of life with Him. There are no stories of people coming into contact with God and remaining the same.

Scripture is clear that when we honestly seek God, He will reveal Himself to us.  Once we see ourselves in His light we can't reconcile who we once were with who we need to be. We are faced with a choice-to allow Him to change us into a new creation or to turn our back on Him and follow a path that will ultimately lead to our own destruction.