Livin What You Know, Hope-Part 4
“But you don’t know my past, I am angry and I have a right to be!” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard those words, or very similar words, as a pastor. Unfortunately so many of us dray the past with us everywhere we go and as a result we make very little if any progress in the present. The more we drag the past around with us the less hope we have for the present and future. There is a sign that says: “yesterday ended last night”. One of those great sayings that has merit and we should realize its truth.
The apostle Paul has a past that could have led him to anger and bitterness, he faced circumstances that were incredible; jail, shipwrecked, beaten…and the list goes on and on. Yet, he was filled with hope, the hope that comes from knowing Jesus and trusting in him: “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus , is calling us up to heaven.” Phil 3:13-14 (NLT)
Maybe you are like me; you’ve made a lot of mistakes in life or maybe had a very difficult past with a lot of obstacles. Work your way through it and move on, don’t let the past keep you from reaching your potential. Don’t let the past steal your hope of today or tomorrow.
Remember what Paul says: “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing; Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” Hope! As you spend time meditating on this verse prayerfully ask the Lord to help you live it and to have the hope for today and tomorrow that He has for you.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Overflowing With Hope
Livin What You Know, Hope-Part 3
We spend so much of our energy working on being self-reliant, but if we want to truly live in hope, the hope that Jesus Christ gives us, we need to work on becoming Holy Sprit-reliant. Read the words of Paul in Romans 15:13: “So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” I love this! Not that we barely get by with a little hope here and there but that we OVERFLOW with hope!
The person of the Holy Spirit is referred to nearly 300 times in the New Testament part of the Bible. The one word that is constantly associated with Him is the word “power”. Jesus teaches us that we need the Holy Spirit in our live. In John 16: 4-16 He clearly teaches the disciples that they need the Holy Spirit as their helper.
Imagine this for a moment. The 12 disciples had spent 3 years with Jesus as He lived His earthly life. They had listened to His teachings, watched Him perform miracles and yet He told them that they needed the Holy Spirit in their lives as a helper.
As followers of Jesus, we are to rely on the Holy Spirit as our source of power and hope. As we do setbacks become springboards, obstacles will be turned into opportunities, barriers will be turned into blessings, and cowards become courageous. When you look at that list it’s easy to see how hope will overflow.
Spend a few moments today in prayer and ask God to help you to completely rely on the Holy Spirit and to allow your life to overflow with hope.
We spend so much of our energy working on being self-reliant, but if we want to truly live in hope, the hope that Jesus Christ gives us, we need to work on becoming Holy Sprit-reliant. Read the words of Paul in Romans 15:13: “So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” I love this! Not that we barely get by with a little hope here and there but that we OVERFLOW with hope!
The person of the Holy Spirit is referred to nearly 300 times in the New Testament part of the Bible. The one word that is constantly associated with Him is the word “power”. Jesus teaches us that we need the Holy Spirit in our live. In John 16: 4-16 He clearly teaches the disciples that they need the Holy Spirit as their helper.
Imagine this for a moment. The 12 disciples had spent 3 years with Jesus as He lived His earthly life. They had listened to His teachings, watched Him perform miracles and yet He told them that they needed the Holy Spirit in their lives as a helper.
As followers of Jesus, we are to rely on the Holy Spirit as our source of power and hope. As we do setbacks become springboards, obstacles will be turned into opportunities, barriers will be turned into blessings, and cowards become courageous. When you look at that list it’s easy to see how hope will overflow.
Spend a few moments today in prayer and ask God to help you to completely rely on the Holy Spirit and to allow your life to overflow with hope.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What's Your Perspective?
Livin What You Know, Hope-Part 2
There are several things the Bible tells us to do in order to have hope in our lives. Throughout the next several days we are going to look at several of those things.
The ability to hope starts with our perspective. How do you see all the things and circumstances that are going on in life? Do you see them from your limited perspective or from God’s? We need to ask God to help us, empower us, to see things from His perspective. If we only perceive our circumstance and responsibilities from our finite perspective we will be unable to have hope.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Rom 8:28 (NLT)
Notice Paul says “all things”. This is an issue of trust and hope, that as I love God, He is going to use all things for my good. Hope may not remove the trial or circumstance, but it will sustain my faith through whatever I am going through knowing that God has a plan and is using “all things” for my good. God knows all things, He is in control, His perspective of our earthly circumstances is eternal verses our temporal perspective.
Trying to get a grasp on Perspective is much like a parent with a child. This reminds me of a story about a teenage girl was talking with her father about all of her problems. She told him of the terrible peer pressure she faced, about conflicts with friends, and difficulties with schoolwork and teachers. In an attempt to help her put everything in perspective, he told her that life was not as dark as it might seem and, in fact, much of her worry was perhaps unnecessary.“That’s easy for you to say, Dad,” she replied. “You already have all your problems over with.”
To have hope we must realize our perspectives are limited and Gods is crystal clear and all inclusive. Isa 55:8-9 (NLT) "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
If you want to receive and live in this incredible gift of hope that Jesus came to give you – you must realize God’s perspective!
There are several things the Bible tells us to do in order to have hope in our lives. Throughout the next several days we are going to look at several of those things.
The ability to hope starts with our perspective. How do you see all the things and circumstances that are going on in life? Do you see them from your limited perspective or from God’s? We need to ask God to help us, empower us, to see things from His perspective. If we only perceive our circumstance and responsibilities from our finite perspective we will be unable to have hope.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Rom 8:28 (NLT)
Notice Paul says “all things”. This is an issue of trust and hope, that as I love God, He is going to use all things for my good. Hope may not remove the trial or circumstance, but it will sustain my faith through whatever I am going through knowing that God has a plan and is using “all things” for my good. God knows all things, He is in control, His perspective of our earthly circumstances is eternal verses our temporal perspective.
Trying to get a grasp on Perspective is much like a parent with a child. This reminds me of a story about a teenage girl was talking with her father about all of her problems. She told him of the terrible peer pressure she faced, about conflicts with friends, and difficulties with schoolwork and teachers. In an attempt to help her put everything in perspective, he told her that life was not as dark as it might seem and, in fact, much of her worry was perhaps unnecessary.“That’s easy for you to say, Dad,” she replied. “You already have all your problems over with.”
To have hope we must realize our perspectives are limited and Gods is crystal clear and all inclusive. Isa 55:8-9 (NLT) "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
If you want to receive and live in this incredible gift of hope that Jesus came to give you – you must realize God’s perspective!
Monday, September 27, 2010
No Subsitutes For Hope
Livin What You Know, Hope-Part 1
Years ago a small town in Maine was proposed for the site of a great hydroelectric plant. Since a dam would be built across the river, the town would be submerged. When the project was announced, the people were given many months to arrange their affairs and relocate.
During the time before the dam was built, an interesting thing happened. All improvements ceased. No painting was done. No repairs were made on the buildings, roads and sidewalks. Day by day the whole town got shabbier and shabbier. A long time before the waters came, the town looked uncared for and abandoned, even though the people had not yet moved away. One citizen complained: “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.” That town was cursed with hopelessness because it had no future.
We need hope. God has given us hope. The apostle Peter said that the mercy of Christ has caused us to be born to “a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). In Romans Paul says that our God is the God of hope! (Rom. 15:13)
There are many things that we accept as substitutes for hope. Wishful thinking; hope does not come from our wishes. Hope comes from God. Blind optimism is another substitute we often accept for true hope. While positive thinking is good it is not the true hope that God gives us. Another substitute is ambitious dreams. We think that if we only have big enough dreams than we can have hope. There is nothing wrong with big dream, especially when God has placed them in your heart, but it cannot replace hope.
True hope is the expectation of good…I want to tell you today there is hope! Jesus came to give you hope! Take a few moments and meditate on the following verses and ask God to fill you with His hope today and throughout this week. Especially ask Him to give you hope in the areas of your life where you feel hopeless.
“In [God’s] great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:4
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19
Years ago a small town in Maine was proposed for the site of a great hydroelectric plant. Since a dam would be built across the river, the town would be submerged. When the project was announced, the people were given many months to arrange their affairs and relocate.
During the time before the dam was built, an interesting thing happened. All improvements ceased. No painting was done. No repairs were made on the buildings, roads and sidewalks. Day by day the whole town got shabbier and shabbier. A long time before the waters came, the town looked uncared for and abandoned, even though the people had not yet moved away. One citizen complained: “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.” That town was cursed with hopelessness because it had no future.
We need hope. God has given us hope. The apostle Peter said that the mercy of Christ has caused us to be born to “a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). In Romans Paul says that our God is the God of hope! (Rom. 15:13)
There are many things that we accept as substitutes for hope. Wishful thinking; hope does not come from our wishes. Hope comes from God. Blind optimism is another substitute we often accept for true hope. While positive thinking is good it is not the true hope that God gives us. Another substitute is ambitious dreams. We think that if we only have big enough dreams than we can have hope. There is nothing wrong with big dream, especially when God has placed them in your heart, but it cannot replace hope.
True hope is the expectation of good…I want to tell you today there is hope! Jesus came to give you hope! Take a few moments and meditate on the following verses and ask God to fill you with His hope today and throughout this week. Especially ask Him to give you hope in the areas of your life where you feel hopeless.
“In [God’s] great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:4
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19
Friday, September 24, 2010
Relating As God Relates - Livin What You Know; Sept. 24th
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." Philippians 2:1,2 (NIV)
According to Paul, our love relationship with Jesus will have a measurable impact on how we relate to others. Notice too, that it is very positive. It really is logical. When I am connected God, remember scriptures says God is love, His love can’t help but overflow into every area of my life. God gives us encouragement, love and comfort in every way and we pass it on to others in the same way. The same way He has given to me, I am to give to others. Notice Paul’s words: encouragement, comfort, united, love fellowship, tenderness, compassion, oneness and purpose.
So often we focus on the benefit of being free from the eternal punishment of hell. I am all over that – I am so grateful for eternal life with God in heaven. However, to cheat one another out of the rich full relationships He has for us together as His followers would be a travesty. Without Jesus we often relate to one another out of selfishness, pride, anger, greed and disharmony. But God has paved the way for us to love one another, to relate to one another, with love, His love in and through us. Because of God’s deep friendship with us we can have deep friendship in love with others.
Take a few moments to meditate on Philippians 2:1-2 today and ask God to show you how and give you the power to live out this kind of love in all of your relationships.
According to Paul, our love relationship with Jesus will have a measurable impact on how we relate to others. Notice too, that it is very positive. It really is logical. When I am connected God, remember scriptures says God is love, His love can’t help but overflow into every area of my life. God gives us encouragement, love and comfort in every way and we pass it on to others in the same way. The same way He has given to me, I am to give to others. Notice Paul’s words: encouragement, comfort, united, love fellowship, tenderness, compassion, oneness and purpose.
So often we focus on the benefit of being free from the eternal punishment of hell. I am all over that – I am so grateful for eternal life with God in heaven. However, to cheat one another out of the rich full relationships He has for us together as His followers would be a travesty. Without Jesus we often relate to one another out of selfishness, pride, anger, greed and disharmony. But God has paved the way for us to love one another, to relate to one another, with love, His love in and through us. Because of God’s deep friendship with us we can have deep friendship in love with others.
Take a few moments to meditate on Philippians 2:1-2 today and ask God to show you how and give you the power to live out this kind of love in all of your relationships.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Did Paul Get It Right In Chapter 13
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.” 1 Cor 13:1-3
Have you ever wondered if Paul got things wrong here in 1 Cor. 13? I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to travel the world and be able to speak in every language fluently? I personally would love to understand all of God’s secret plans and posses all knowledge. Move some mountains with faith? The Rocky Mountains would be moved to Tucson! But Paul says that all those things would be useless without love.
Paul shows us that a life of love, God’s love, is a life that is much more fulfilling and excellent than having all those special powers. It is a better way because it is God’s way. God is love. Paul goes on in the next few verses to describe love, take a few moments and read through these few verses and realize that this is how God loves you:
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Cor 13:4-7
Read through it one more time. This time put your name in place of love. Ask God to love this way through you to others and in your relationship with Him.
Have you ever wondered if Paul got things wrong here in 1 Cor. 13? I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to travel the world and be able to speak in every language fluently? I personally would love to understand all of God’s secret plans and posses all knowledge. Move some mountains with faith? The Rocky Mountains would be moved to Tucson! But Paul says that all those things would be useless without love.
Paul shows us that a life of love, God’s love, is a life that is much more fulfilling and excellent than having all those special powers. It is a better way because it is God’s way. God is love. Paul goes on in the next few verses to describe love, take a few moments and read through these few verses and realize that this is how God loves you:
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Cor 13:4-7
Read through it one more time. This time put your name in place of love. Ask God to love this way through you to others and in your relationship with Him.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
God's Love In Ordinary Moments - Livin What You Know
"I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Jer. 31:3 (NLT)
So let’s begin with a question: “How have you seen or experienced God in your life in recent days?” Not a few years ago, or even months ago, but in the last week? The fact is God loves you with and everlasting love, an unfailing love. That is an overwhelming truth. That truth alone should change the way we view everything that has ever happened in your life up to this point.
In every struggle you have ever had, when you have wrestled with doubt, those times when you felt like giving up…someone or something guided you through it, pointed you to God’s Word, encouraged you…that was God loving you with an everlasting love. That was Him pouring out His love on you in a lavish way. That was Him drawing you to Himself.
This verse in Jeremiah declares to us that God loves us and draws us to Himself throughout all of life, regardless of what we are going through or facing, regardless of how we stray or wander. Take a few moments today and retrace the times when God placed people or circumstances in your life that drew you to Him. Ask Him to reveal those moments of Him loving you even when you didn’t notice.
My prayer for you today is that as you reflect on His word to you in Jer. 31:3 that you will know and experience God’s love and presence in every detail of your life. The more we see His love in our past, the more we remember, the more we will see His love breaking through in the ordinary moments of our daily lives.
So how have you seen His love in the past? Have you experienced Him more in times of pain or prosperity? What is one way you see His love working in your life today?
So let’s begin with a question: “How have you seen or experienced God in your life in recent days?” Not a few years ago, or even months ago, but in the last week? The fact is God loves you with and everlasting love, an unfailing love. That is an overwhelming truth. That truth alone should change the way we view everything that has ever happened in your life up to this point.
In every struggle you have ever had, when you have wrestled with doubt, those times when you felt like giving up…someone or something guided you through it, pointed you to God’s Word, encouraged you…that was God loving you with an everlasting love. That was Him pouring out His love on you in a lavish way. That was Him drawing you to Himself.
This verse in Jeremiah declares to us that God loves us and draws us to Himself throughout all of life, regardless of what we are going through or facing, regardless of how we stray or wander. Take a few moments today and retrace the times when God placed people or circumstances in your life that drew you to Him. Ask Him to reveal those moments of Him loving you even when you didn’t notice.
My prayer for you today is that as you reflect on His word to you in Jer. 31:3 that you will know and experience God’s love and presence in every detail of your life. The more we see His love in our past, the more we remember, the more we will see His love breaking through in the ordinary moments of our daily lives.
So how have you seen His love in the past? Have you experienced Him more in times of pain or prosperity? What is one way you see His love working in your life today?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Motivation For Living A Great Life
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8
I love the ending of the movie Saving Private Ryan. You may remember the scene, an elderly man stands in front of a grave marker, the man is Private Ryan, the tombstone belongs to Captain Jim Miller. Captain Miller was the platoon leader who gave his life for the safe return of Private Ryan to his family. As the scene unfolds, Ryan, the elderly gentleman is deep in thought. His wife asks him if he is okay. His response is a passionate plea: "Tell me I am a good man. Tell me I have lived a good life."
Ryan wanted to know that he had not wasted his life. As though he could hear Millers dying words to him: "Don't waste this." The movie only indicates how Ryan lived his life, we don't get to see the details but are only given a hint that he lived with fidelity, stewardship and honor for those who paid the ultimate price for his life. He was consumed with one motivation because of the sacrifice Miller and others made.
I love how this story shows us a picture of how Jesus gave His life for ours and we are compelled to life a good life for Him, to "not waste it." The truth of what Jesus did for us is often too much for us to handle. To think about how God the Father carefully, methodically engineered the sacrifice of His son on the cross because He loves me is beyond anything else I have experienced or can grasp. This kind of love is incredible. When we embrace it and personalize it we are eternally transformed. This kind of love embraced changes our motivation in all that we do every day of our lives.
"And he died for all that those who live should not live for themselves but for him who died and rose again on their behalf." 1 Cor 5:15
Take a few moments today and ask the Lord to show you what motivates your choices? Is it the love of God? The cross?
I love the ending of the movie Saving Private Ryan. You may remember the scene, an elderly man stands in front of a grave marker, the man is Private Ryan, the tombstone belongs to Captain Jim Miller. Captain Miller was the platoon leader who gave his life for the safe return of Private Ryan to his family. As the scene unfolds, Ryan, the elderly gentleman is deep in thought. His wife asks him if he is okay. His response is a passionate plea: "Tell me I am a good man. Tell me I have lived a good life."
Ryan wanted to know that he had not wasted his life. As though he could hear Millers dying words to him: "Don't waste this." The movie only indicates how Ryan lived his life, we don't get to see the details but are only given a hint that he lived with fidelity, stewardship and honor for those who paid the ultimate price for his life. He was consumed with one motivation because of the sacrifice Miller and others made.
I love how this story shows us a picture of how Jesus gave His life for ours and we are compelled to life a good life for Him, to "not waste it." The truth of what Jesus did for us is often too much for us to handle. To think about how God the Father carefully, methodically engineered the sacrifice of His son on the cross because He loves me is beyond anything else I have experienced or can grasp. This kind of love is incredible. When we embrace it and personalize it we are eternally transformed. This kind of love embraced changes our motivation in all that we do every day of our lives.
"And he died for all that those who live should not live for themselves but for him who died and rose again on their behalf." 1 Cor 5:15
Take a few moments today and ask the Lord to show you what motivates your choices? Is it the love of God? The cross?
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Garden of Eadom
Did you get a chance to see the Bible Answer guys from this weekend? I see a theme building for these two from the last two weeks. The answer for everything seems to be 40 days and 40 nights and 70x7. Enjoy. They will be sharing some great Bible knowledge again this weekend.
Expressing Love - Livin What You Know
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:12-13 (NIV)
Can you remember a time when someone expressed love to you un-expectantly and extravagantly? A time when someone went overboard in their expression of kindness, their compliments were overwhelming, their gift so underserved? Regardless of what you have experienced from someone, it cannot compare to the perpetual expression of God’s love for you. Jesus takes it a step further in John 15 and tells us that He wants us to love each other the way that He loves us.
It is a command of God. Jesus didn’t just make it a nice polite suggestion. He commands it of us as the passion of His heart. So how do we do it? How do we love one another like Jesus has loved us? We have to look to Him as our example, He has led the way. We must depend on His Spirit living and loving in and through us. On our own, it is impossible. The first step is knowing and experiencing His love. For us to love others His love must flow through us.
The greatest expression of His love is the cross. The centrality of the cross is key for us to love others. Author Max Lucado, in his book He Choose The Nails says this: "Linger on the hill of Calvary. Rub a finger on the timber and press the nail into your hand. Taste the tinge of cheap wine and feel the scrape of a thorn on your brow. Touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God. Allow the tools of torture to tell their story, listen as they tell you what God did to win your heart" (from He Chose the Nails, Word Publishing, 2000).
Think about this for a moment. God is love, He only loves. He is not needy of our love to fulfill some narcissistic need. He is not lonely or desperate. He is love and He is eternally expressing that love to you and me.
Since we are not Love, we will never be able to love in the exact manner that God loves, but we can love as He loved us through the cross. We can live and give sacrificially, investing our lives in others for the sake His sake. We can choose to express love in un-expectant extravagant ways. We can love not based on what others can do for us but rather His love flowing through us to those who may not reiterate love.
Take a few moments today and prayerfully consider the cross and Jesus love for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love others the way He has loved us.
Can you remember a time when someone expressed love to you un-expectantly and extravagantly? A time when someone went overboard in their expression of kindness, their compliments were overwhelming, their gift so underserved? Regardless of what you have experienced from someone, it cannot compare to the perpetual expression of God’s love for you. Jesus takes it a step further in John 15 and tells us that He wants us to love each other the way that He loves us.
It is a command of God. Jesus didn’t just make it a nice polite suggestion. He commands it of us as the passion of His heart. So how do we do it? How do we love one another like Jesus has loved us? We have to look to Him as our example, He has led the way. We must depend on His Spirit living and loving in and through us. On our own, it is impossible. The first step is knowing and experiencing His love. For us to love others His love must flow through us.
The greatest expression of His love is the cross. The centrality of the cross is key for us to love others. Author Max Lucado, in his book He Choose The Nails says this: "Linger on the hill of Calvary. Rub a finger on the timber and press the nail into your hand. Taste the tinge of cheap wine and feel the scrape of a thorn on your brow. Touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God. Allow the tools of torture to tell their story, listen as they tell you what God did to win your heart" (from He Chose the Nails, Word Publishing, 2000).
Think about this for a moment. God is love, He only loves. He is not needy of our love to fulfill some narcissistic need. He is not lonely or desperate. He is love and He is eternally expressing that love to you and me.
Since we are not Love, we will never be able to love in the exact manner that God loves, but we can love as He loved us through the cross. We can live and give sacrificially, investing our lives in others for the sake His sake. We can choose to express love in un-expectant extravagant ways. We can love not based on what others can do for us but rather His love flowing through us to those who may not reiterate love.
Take a few moments today and prayerfully consider the cross and Jesus love for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love others the way He has loved us.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
God Loves Me Livin What You Know – Part 6
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” Psalm 23:5 (NLT)
Grandpa made sure that the pasture was safe for the sheep to graze on a regular basis.
Sometimes there would be poisonous plants that needed to be removed. Certain bushes and trees had sharp thorns that would cut the sheep as they grazed and needed to be trimmed back. Pieces of barbed wire layed loose that the sheep may get tangled in had to be hauled off. And the never ending task of mending fences so that the sheep would stay in the confiness of the safe pasture.
The very field that the enemy designs for our detriment, God turns into a feast. Paul says, “God cause everything to work together for the good of those who love God...” (Romans 8:28 (NLT) Things that the enemy intends for harm become a banquet!
The amazing part of being in God’s safe pasture is His overflowing blessings. In the Middle East, there is a custom when someone visits a neighbor in their home. The first thing they do is offer a glass of water or wine. When the cup is empty, if it is refilled, then the guest knows they are welcome to stay longer. When the host no longer fills the cup it is time to leave. If the host wants to show the person they are welcome to stay as long as they wish then they would fill the cup to overflowing. It is symbolic of how special the guest is to the person.
God says, “I fill your cup to overflowing.” He’s saying, “You are special to me. You matter to me. I love you.” Jesus invites you to his banquet...a banquet he prepares with you in mind to show you how much he loves you. No matter what the enemy may do to try and spoil God’s party...he can’t!
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Shepherd Is Always With Me - Livin What You Know: Part 5
Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and staff protect and comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4 (NLT)
In Israel, there is a valley that is called the “Valley of the shadow of death”. It is a canyon with steep walls on both sides and is very narrow. The sun lights the bottom of the canyon only when it is directly overhead. The rest of the time the bottom of the canyon is dark form the shadows. The Psalmist surely led his sheep through this canyon at different times.
The Bible speaks of other valleys: the valley of calamity, the valley of weeping, and the valley of trouble. Valleys are an inevitable part of life. The good news is that God is with us always! No matter what valley we are going through, He is there.
I remember Grandpa looking out the window quite frequently to see how the sheep were doing as they grazed in the pasture. His rod and staff were quite different than that of the Psalmist. Today shepherds have guns for protection. (It is interesting that in many circles guns are called a rod.) And modern shepherds build barns for the sheep's safety.
Every human being goes through valleys in life. The difference for those who know Jesus as Lord is not the absence of the shadow but the presence of the shepherd. Our God is always with us, always watching over us, and always protecting and keeping us.
Ask the Lord to help make you aware of His presence in your life throughout the day. The more we are aware of the blessing of His presence and power the more we are able to live what we know!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
God Guides Me - Livin What You Know: Part 4
“He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” Psalm 23:3b
Sheep have very poor eyesight. They cannot see more than fifteen yards in front of them. Therefore they can not tell if the path they are following leads to a cliff or a green pasture. (We often say someone is as blind as a bat...we should say they are as blind as a sheep.)
Like sheep we cannot see the future. We don’t know what is going to happen this afternoon let alone next year. But we have a shepherd who sees it all.
We face decisions everyday that will change our lives and God wants to direct us to make the right decisions. Our choices are important. We win or loose by the way we choose!
When a dog gets lost, it has an incredible ability to find its way home. Sheep, however, have no sense of direction, no instinct for finding home. They desperately need the shepherd to guide them always.
We face decisions everyday that leave us wondering which path we should take. The good shepherd will lead you in right decisions. Ask him to lead you. Listen for his voice to direct you. Believe that he is guiding you.
Today, ask the Shepherd to guide you every step of the way.
Sheep have very poor eyesight. They cannot see more than fifteen yards in front of them. Therefore they can not tell if the path they are following leads to a cliff or a green pasture. (We often say someone is as blind as a bat...we should say they are as blind as a sheep.)
Like sheep we cannot see the future. We don’t know what is going to happen this afternoon let alone next year. But we have a shepherd who sees it all.
We face decisions everyday that will change our lives and God wants to direct us to make the right decisions. Our choices are important. We win or loose by the way we choose!
When a dog gets lost, it has an incredible ability to find its way home. Sheep, however, have no sense of direction, no instinct for finding home. They desperately need the shepherd to guide them always.
We face decisions everyday that leave us wondering which path we should take. The good shepherd will lead you in right decisions. Ask him to lead you. Listen for his voice to direct you. Believe that he is guiding you.
Today, ask the Shepherd to guide you every step of the way.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Pastor Jim's Big Announcement - Did You Hear?
Some of you may have missed the big announcement about Jim Phillips last weekend and his plans to leave Alive and plant a church. Over the coming weeks we want to give you as much information as possible so that you can be praying for Jim in this new adventure and for Alive as we go forward. (I will be introducing Jim’s replacement on the weekend of Sept. 25th & 26th)
One of the big questions that I am asked is why is Jim starting a new church as opposed to an Alive campus. The answer is simple, Jim has felt God leading him to be a Lead/Teaching Pastor and start a new church. As the Lead/Teaching pastor Jim will be setting the vision, values and mission that he feels God has for him and the church he will begin.
Another question I have been asked a lot is “are we changing the direction of our strategy?” The answer is no. Alive church will continue with the strategy that God has given us to begin new campuses with our vision, values, and mission as we have done with our Continental Ranch campus. We understand that God has given Jim a call to be a lead/teaching pastor and we celebrate that in his life, we bless him in this and will continue to encourage him in this. While his work/church will not be an Alive Church ministry we will look for ways to work together to reach our community, as we do with all Bible believing churches in our community.
The last question I want to address in this article that I have been asked is this: “Is Jim going to just be out there on his own?” The answer is no. Pastor Jim is working to partner with a church planting organization/ministry. In my opinion Jim has made a wise decision to partner with these experts.
As a church we are going to bless and encourage Jim and Leslie, as they step out into this new ministry and celebrate with them as God uses them to multiply the ministry of God’s Kingdom in this area. As a pastor and friend I will miss Jim here at Alive, as I know many of you on the OV campus will. I am glad that he will be staying in the area as a comrade in Jesus mission for the greater Tucson area. Let’s all be praying for Jim and Leslie and there family as they begin this new church/ministry. Pray for Jim as he transitions to the role of lead/teaching pastor for his church and pray for Alive as we transition to our new campus pastor and continue to live out the vision of “leading people who are far from God to be followers of Jesus.”
P.S. Mark your calendars, we will be having a send off party for Pastor Jim and Leslie Saturday evening Oct. 23rd following our evening service. They will be launching out to plant their new church as of Nov. 1st.
One of the big questions that I am asked is why is Jim starting a new church as opposed to an Alive campus. The answer is simple, Jim has felt God leading him to be a Lead/Teaching Pastor and start a new church. As the Lead/Teaching pastor Jim will be setting the vision, values and mission that he feels God has for him and the church he will begin.
Another question I have been asked a lot is “are we changing the direction of our strategy?” The answer is no. Alive church will continue with the strategy that God has given us to begin new campuses with our vision, values, and mission as we have done with our Continental Ranch campus. We understand that God has given Jim a call to be a lead/teaching pastor and we celebrate that in his life, we bless him in this and will continue to encourage him in this. While his work/church will not be an Alive Church ministry we will look for ways to work together to reach our community, as we do with all Bible believing churches in our community.
The last question I want to address in this article that I have been asked is this: “Is Jim going to just be out there on his own?” The answer is no. Pastor Jim is working to partner with a church planting organization/ministry. In my opinion Jim has made a wise decision to partner with these experts.
As a church we are going to bless and encourage Jim and Leslie, as they step out into this new ministry and celebrate with them as God uses them to multiply the ministry of God’s Kingdom in this area. As a pastor and friend I will miss Jim here at Alive, as I know many of you on the OV campus will. I am glad that he will be staying in the area as a comrade in Jesus mission for the greater Tucson area. Let’s all be praying for Jim and Leslie and there family as they begin this new church/ministry. Pray for Jim as he transitions to the role of lead/teaching pastor for his church and pray for Alive as we transition to our new campus pastor and continue to live out the vision of “leading people who are far from God to be followers of Jesus.”
P.S. Mark your calendars, we will be having a send off party for Pastor Jim and Leslie Saturday evening Oct. 23rd following our evening service. They will be launching out to plant their new church as of Nov. 1st.
Healing - Livin What You Know: Day 3
“He renews my strength.” Psalm 23:3 (NLT)
While sitting in my office listening to the insurmountable problems of a couple who desperately needed help, I remember thinking, “I don’t want to be here!”. In an instance the Holy Spirit took me back to one of the most vivid memories I have of Grandpa and his sheep.
We were in the barn together and he was checking the sheep for cuts that might need doctoring. One of the sheep had run through the barbed wire fence and was cut very bad. The wool was still covering the cut. It was hanging like a flap over the wound. I watched as Grandpa pulled the wool back...the cut was down to the meat. There were what seemed like thousands of maggots. I’m sure there were only a few hundred. Then Grandpa did something that was a shocker to me...he reached in with his bare hand and scooped out the maggots and threw them to the ground. Then he applied a healing ointment to the wound.
As I continued to sit and listen to the problems of this couple, I was reminded of the maggots in my life and how a loving shepherd reached down from heaven and applied the healing ointment. And now as a shepherd to people I must follow his lead.
Today God wants to renew and restore all of your hurts...you need only to give them to him. (Oh yes - and by the way - Grandpa had to revisit that same wound many times before it was completely restored!)Spend a few moments allowing God's spirit to show you the places in your heart that need healing. Give them all to Him and ask Him to bring healing. As they come to mind throughout the day, continue to give them to Him.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Peace And Rest - Livin What You Know: Day 2
“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” Ps. 23:2 (NLT)
We tend to think that our net worth equals our self-worth, and it’s just not true. As a result, we are busy working and striving. All the while not getting the rest we need nor having time to do things we really love to do and are gifted by God to do. We are busy, busy, busy and wondering where the peace is.
I love to watch sheep graze...my grandfather grazed his sheep in a pasture next to our home. They would often start grazing in the early morning hours as the sun was beginning to rise. In the summer as the morning would heat up, they would become tired and thirsty. At about 10 a.m. they would lie down to rest.
As a wise shepherd, the Psalmist knew that sheep should not drink when it is hot, or when its stomach is full of undigested grass. So the shepherd would make the sheep lie down in a green meadow in the heat of the morning and allow it time to chew its cud. (A sheep's way of digesting.)
In the midst of our busy schedule, our God gives us peace. We must grasp the truth that we are his sheep, he loves us, he knows us...it has nothing to do with how much we do.
As a kid I would especially marvel in the winter as my grandfather would break the ice so that the sheep would have something to drink. The Psalmist states, “he leads me beside peaceful streams.”
As a timid creature, sheep are afraid of swift moving water. They are poor swimmers with their thick wool. It would be like us getting dressed to go snow skiing with all the coats and gear and jumping in the pool for a swim. Therefore the shepherd would look for still waters for the sheep to drink. If none could be found, he would dam a spot and create a still waters for the sheep to drink.
The shepherd does not laugh at the sheep's limitations or fears, he does not force them to go beyond where they could safely and happily go. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29 in the Message paraphrase: “Are you tired? Are you worn-out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Take some time today and meditate on this verse in Psalm 23. Prayerfully go to Jesus as your shepherd and seek His peace and rest for your life.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Livin What You Know: 23
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” Ps. 23:1 (NLT)
I watched my grandfather many times go to meet the needs of his sheep. Not only when it was convenient but whenever they had a need. In the cold of winter he would dress warmly and track through the snow and blowing wind to meet their needs.
Interesting to me is the fact that we are the only living creatures that worry. We worry as to whether or not our daily needs will be met...whether our future needs will be met. I never recall thinking that my grandfathers sheep were worried about whether or not he would be there to meet their needs. The sheep knew him as their shepherd and instinctively knew he had made provision for all their needs.
The Psalmist starts this great Psalm with a statement: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” Not a petition or request but a statement! It is a very personal statement at that. He does not say “our shepherd”, rather “my shepherd”.
I read a story many years ago - (The source is unknown.) - of an old man and a young man on the same stage before a great audience. As part of a special program, they were to both recite Psalm 23. The young man was well trained in speech and drama. As he began reciting Psalm 23, the audience was awed. At the conclusion, the crowd rose to their feet in applause and shouted for an encore.
The old man made his way to the microphone. Using his cane to lean on, he began to speak in a frail and broken voice...”The Lord is my shepherd...”When he finished, no one made a sound. There seemed to be a ‘holy hush’ on the crowd as though they were praying.
The young man stood and made the following statement: “Friends, I wish to give you an explanation. You asked me to come back and give you an encore, but when my friend finished you remained silent. The difference? I will tell you...I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd!”
God will meet all of your needs, but first you must answer the question,” is He Lord?” In modern day terms ‘Lord’ simply means to be the C.E.O., the Manager, the Director of your life. The one calling the shots.
It is much like when I first met my wife. We courted and developed a relationship. So
the day came when we consummated that relationship with the commitment of marriage. Many people have developed a relationship with God, have spent time getting to know him and yet have not made the commitment of Lordship. As you make that choice, you will be able to declare with confident assurance the faith statement, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need”. It is a worry free life! It is the difference between being in need and having all that you need.
As you pray today, focus on this verse and let the Lord speak to you about “Lordship”.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
New Series, Important Announcement, 5 Lives Changed
I’m really looking forward to this weekend! We begin our spiritual growth campaign; Livin What You Know. This will be a pivotal time for us here at Alive Church as we focus on three things:
1. Community: through authentic relationships with God and with others.
2. Opportunity: a time for each of us to take the next step in our spiritual growth.
3. Unity, the entire church focusing on the same thing for five weeks.
The leadership and staff have been prayerfully working hard over the last several months to see this come to fruition. We will live this out in several ways. The first part is our weekend services. During this series we are going to look at five familiar passages and talk about how to really live out what we know. Beginning this week with a message entitled “23” – The Radical Nature Of The Shepherd. The second part is through a daily blog reading to go along with each of the weekly teachings. Third, all of our groups will be sermon based during this five week session.
I want to encourage all of you to join a Grow Group for the next five weeks as we focus on Livin What You Know. It is easy to do and we have many new groups that will be launching for this campaign.
Please join me in prayer as we begin this series that God would help us reach our goals of Community, Opportunity and Unity in Him!
Also, this weekend I will be making a very important announcement that will affect our ministry in a positive way – bitter/sweet.
And last – most important – last week there were 5 new people who made commitments to follow Jesus! I love being a part of the mission and vision of Alive: “Leading People Who Are Far From God To Be Followers Of Jesus”.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Better Together
We are getting close to the beginning of “Livin’ What You Know”, our fall spiritual growth campaign. This is going to be a great time of growth and challenge for us individually and as Alive Church. God has a plan for us, and the truth is we were not created to live out that plan alone. We can only fulfill His purposes for us in the context of community in His family. We cannot be what God wants us to be without being plugged into His family.
God’s plan since the beginning of creation has always been for us to have relationship with one another. Christianity is not a lone ranger sport. We were created for family, and community. Loneliness is not something that God wants in our lives. We see that truth back in the Garden of Eden after God created Adam and declared, “It is not good for man to be alone.” So God created marriage and the church. Marriage will not last for eternity. The Bible is clear that there will not be marriage in heaven. However, God’s family is eternal.
The church of Jesus is known as a community of believers, a community of faith. We are called the family of God. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says this “Together you are the body of Christ.” Notice it says “together.” Family. Community. Relationships. Together we are the body of Jesus. Romans 12:5 “Since we are all one body in Christ we belong to each other and each of us needs all the others.” We need each other. There are things we cannot do alone, things that God does not want us to do alone. We were designed to “do life together”.
As we begin “Livin What You Know” let’s prepare for exponential growth in both our spiritual maturity and for those who are going to make first time commitments to follow Jesus. His desire is that we Live What We Know and that we do it together!
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