Open Wide

Psalm 81:10 (English Standard Version)

"I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."

Lord, Help me to not be afraid to ask for big things. After all you are the giver of all that is good. Help me trust you have a better plan when I don't get what I think I need. Thank you, Lord for always knowing better than me.

Amen

Acts 28

Acts 28 in the New Testament is a great testimony about the sovereignty of God. The Apostle Paul is a prisoner on a ship. The ship is wrecked. They make it to land. While stoking a fire to get warm a venomous snake bites Paul's hand. Then because of the bite the people around assume Paul is a murderer.

This is a bad day!!!

Yet as things progress Paul meets a government official named Publius. Heals his father. Performs many healings and revival breaks out all over the land of Malta.

So Paul goes through a REALLY bad day and in the end people are praising God and glorifying Him.

So if God can do this great turn around with Paul's day like this what can He do when I simply did not get enough sleep the night before?
Or we run out of my favorite cereal?
Or traffic is thick and I can't get to work?
Or...?
I mean seriously...what have you whined about lately?
Read Acts 28 and praise your sovereign God today!!!!

Moses and Aaron and Pharaoh

So I'm reading Exodus 5 & 6 this morning and here's the scene.

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people of Israel go into the wilderness so they may celebrate a feast to God.

Pharaoh not only says no but then makes the work load of the people more difficult than it was before. He does then on top of calling the people lazy.

Which brings me to my question of the day. Would it have been more productive for Pharaoh if he had granted a short break for the people and required the same amount of work to be done or to withdraw resources (which he did) and then require the same work to be done?

Some things just seem silly to me.

Art of Imagination

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a National Church Leaders conference in Dowling Park, FL. It was a great conference full of challenges that I took a lot from.

Throughout the conference we enjoyed an artist that came in and painted beautiful pictures during the general sessions and main seminars. The subject of these paintings were the topics the speakers were addressing.

During our breaks I had several conversations with other pastors and leaders about the paintings. Here are some of the statements I heard.

"What does that painting mean?"
"Just tell me what it means."
"What does he think it means?"

I found myself becoming somewhat irritated by some of these statements and questions. At first I couldn't explain why but then it hit me. Everyone seemed to what to be given the meaning that one person had rather than stretching their imaginations to interpret each painting.

I find myself in the same predicament sometimes as a pastor. At times people are merely satisfied with whatever the pastor thinks about God rather than seeking, searching, and experiencing God for themselves.

This is not a statement to lessen the role of pastor in the local church. However, if the pastor is always spoon feeding who HE knows God to be and people are not searching the scriptures for themselves then they are missing out on a lot of the adventure and experience of God in their own walk with Him.

So here is a simple exercise to try and get your imagination jump started this morning.
I John 4:8 tells us that "God is Love."
How many ways can you describe God's love?
Take a moment and write down as many things as you can.
Then take a break. Come back to it later and see if you can add anything.
Then ask a friend to do the same thing and compare notes.

I'd be very curious to see if God doesn't spark your imagination some.

Psalm 33:11

Just a glimpse into one of my devotional times recently.

"The counsel of the Lord stands forever.
The plans of His heart from generation to generation."

What God accomplishes lasts for an eternity. If God does it then it will last. His plans pass through generations of lives.

One of the greatest things I can do is remind the next generation of God's plans. Remind them that if they want to see something last forever then learn to rely on and trust God's plans, not our own.

Lord,
Please help me be a part of passing the news of Your greatness on to the next generation.
Amen.

Psalm 85:2

Psalm 85:2 (English Standard Version)
2You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin.
Selah

I read a verse like this and I am amazed at how complete God's Forgiveness and Grace really is. As a pastor I am always wandering how my words and actions are making an impact in the body of Christ. However, we should all be wandering what influence we have no matter our position. The church is a unique force in that it is a body. What happens to one part affects the whole in one way or the other.

So knowing that God has covered our sin and has forgiven we can have the assurance that we can live and move and have our being as free people. Free from guilt. Free from condemnation. Free from that stupid thing that is weighing us down because we have been trying to handle it instead of surrendering it to the capable hands of Jesus.

So in thinking about all of this here's the questions of the day.
Have I added to others' guilt or reminded others' of their freedom in Christ today?

Is my attitude that of a victim of circumstances or a victor in my position in Christ?

What kind of picture do my words and actions paint about the Christian life to nonbelievers?

If you are reading this and you do not know Jesus personally I invite you to ask this question.
Is there really freedom available in this Jesus? If so what am I waiting for?

relationships

Ministry is all about relationships. Just in the past week I've encountered numerous times when relationship is either talked about or experienced in one way or the other.

There are some who think relationships are good but not essential to spreading the Gospel. While I admire their focus on the Gospel I have to question the lack of relationships being a necessity. After all anyone you come in contact with you have some type of relationship to. It may just be a total stranger but the way you "relate" to them will determine how you communicate the Gospel of Jesus.

Now, as we build the relationships around us we have more and more opportunities to communicate God's love and grace and mercy. What a privilege God allows us to invest time and energy into others for the sake of HIS Gospel, HIS Kingdom, HIS church.

Here's my encouragement for you today. Use whatever relationship God places in front of you today to communicate His Gospel so that someone may draw closer to a living Savior.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (New International Version)
"8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

God's love

I read this quote the other day by C.H. Spurgeon...

“I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love“

My first thought was...
1 John 4:19 (New American Standard Bible)
"We love, because He first loved us. "

At the moment I can not even put into words how overwhelming all of this is. We talk about love. We teach and preach about love. We do our best to love our families and friends. We are even commanded to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

With all of this talk about love, none of it would even be remotely possible without a God and Savior that first loved us. Who introduced the very concept of love to us. God is love. (I John 4:8) He wants to have a relationship with us so much that He has introduced His very essence to us in love so that we may know Him and experience who He really is. LOVE!

What does all of this mean? I am spending a lifetime learning that. However, I do know this...I can not truly love anything or anyone apart from God Himself. It would be foolish and pitiful at best.

Advent-Christmas Eve

The final Advent devotion this year was not one that I wrote out but is one we talked about at our Christmas Eve service.

Luke 2:41-52
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." 49And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?"
50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

At a very early age Jesus showed that His life was all about ministry. To Him ministry was listening to the Father and doing what He said. Jesus gives us some simple commands. Love God and others. Make disciples. Sometimes we try to make life waaaaay too complicated. Everything boils down to those simple things. Life is ministry. You may not be in a paid position somewhere but as a believer in Jesus Christ you are a minister. Listen to Him and do what He says.

The Promise-Advent #4

The Promise

Luke 2:25-33 (English Standard Version)
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;30for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

Devotion
God is the keeper of His promises. If God says it then it must be true. It may be hard for some people to wrap their minds around those statements. After many disappointments in life it becomes easy to not trust anyone. Broken promises can harden our hearts towards people and even toward God.
Simeon lived a long time with only a promise to hang on to. The promise was he would one day see with his own eyes the salvation of the Lord. We don’t know how long he waited but we do know that eventually God fulfilled His promise.
No matter what anyone else says, we serve a perfect, all-knowing, faithful God. He always keeps His promises. He always has and He always will. He is not like anyone else.
Jesus said, “I am with you always.”
Jesus said, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”
This advent season we celebrate a God who refuses to leave us by ourselves and who promises that one day we will see Him face to face. We can believe these promises and because of this we can celebrate with hope, joy, peace, and love.
Let us listen to the promises of Jesus this season and know they are true.

Prayer:
Dear Father, Help me to be like Simeon, a person who is so excited about seeing you that no matter how long it takes for You to return, I can wait with a sense of eager anticipation. I pray that You will help me to wait in such a way that I don't ever become ho-hum, callused, or just give lip service to Your return. I also pray that You will use me as you did Simeon, to be an example to others. I ask that You give me the desire to be a "righteous" and "devout" person, and that others will recognize those qualities, benefit by my actions, and as a result come to a saving knowledge of Your Son, Jesus. Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness, Your promises, for loving me unconditionally, and always being with me. Help me to be a "light" for You as I eagerly wait for Your return.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.
(prayer written by Rev. Jim Crouse)

The Community-Advent #3

Luke 2:8-20 (English Standard Version)
The Shepherds and the Angels

"8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Devotion
One angel’s announcement made way for a host of angels praising God together. The news they shared that night was given to a group of individuals. Shepherds knew what it meant to be together. They worked together and ate together. They lived life, one day at a time, together. So when they received the good news that a Savior was born they immediately went to find Him and worship Him…together.

The Bible calls the church “the Body of Christ.” We can only be a body if we have many, multi-varied members. Raising our different voices together is to follow the example of the angels in a Holy Activity.

Together God uses us to bring glory to Himself. It may be in song, in corporate prayer, or even through lending a helping hand. Together we can celebrate this advent season by encouraging each other towards our Lord and Savior just as the shepherds did that starry night long ago.

Prayer-

Father God,

During this Christmas season may you instill in us a spirit of oneness that speaks to our love for you and bring glory to your name. As the body of Christ may you give us the vision to look beyond our personal needs, problems and opinions in order to see into the hearts and lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Show us how to encourage one another on towards love and good deeds, and may we do it as long as it's called today. Help us to remember that how we love and encourage one another is our greatest testimony to an unbelieving world.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.
(prayer by Rev. Ken Latimore)

Way too many...

Romans 10:14-17 (New American Standard Bible)

"14How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

15How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

16However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"

17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

There are way too many people dying without knowing Christ. Sometimes we don't say anything because we label ourselves by what we think we are NOT.

Not a preacher.
Not an evangelist.
Not outgoing.
Not good in front of people.
Not one to intrude into other people's lives.

There are way too many people dying without knowing Christ.

We do our best every week to present the Word of God in a way that people can come to know Him or know Him better. Who have you invited to church lately? You may not be any of the things listed above but you can invited someone.
You CAN encourage someone.
You CAN point towards Christ.
You CAN bring someone to church.
You CAN overcome the excuses.
You CAN make disciples of those around you that God has placed there.

There are way too many people dying without knowing Christ!

Is Zechariah 4:6 really true?

I like to think of myself as a fairly competent person. If a problem arises I can think through it and come up with a course of action to solve it. I love information and learning new things. If there is something I don't know I can usually find someone who does so they can educate me in the matter.

I have put together enough furniture in our house to have a sense of accomplishment in that area. I am also certain this Christmas will provide several opportunities to install batteries, open difficult toy packaging, and simply "make it work Daddy".

In thinking through all of the above the word "I" keeps jumping out at me...reminding me of Zechariah 4:6...

Zechariah 4:6 (English Standard Version)
6"Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."

Some times I realize that I have WAY too much confidence in myself and pay WAY too little attention to the real power of the universe...GOD's SPIRIT!!!!

What are you trying to accomplish today? What are you surrendering to the Holy Spirit today?
Notice a difference?

Leadership check

Just this morning God brought up two thoughts that compliment each other as I had some very needed quiet time.

As I was reading Isaiah 58 I found these words, "They delight in the nearness of God." (vs.2) This, to me, describes a life that is flowing in the waves of the Holy Spirit. God is always with us. God is always at work around us. A submitted life will see this and delight in it while a life that is in rebellion will resent it and even fight against it. One who delights in the nearness of God is one who has nothing to hide and doesn't want to hide anything because they know that God is love and grace and does not reject His own.

The other moment that connected with this was when a friend talked about pastors/leaders wanting accountability. His thoughts were that any pastor or leader with any decency about him/her would welcome accountability. This is especially true when the goal is not our own personal glory but the glory of God and the betterment of the organization/church.

Here's my encouragement today. Just take a few moments and "delight in the nearness of God". Then write down what He is telling you today. God is good and that never changes.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13 ESV)

Monday morning thoughts

• Great service yesterday! We walked through Psalm 30 yesterday and talked about different things to be thankful for.
• My Bible has this Psalm labeled as one used in the dedication of the temple.
• 2 Corinthians 6:16 say that "we are the temple of the living God."
• So is it far to say that this Psalm is not only "for" the temple but also "to" the temple?
• God never ceases to amaze me at how He sets things up some times. It's almost like He really is in control like He says He is....mmmmmm :-)
• It's that time of year where budgets are being combed through for the next year and people are getting more and more stressed about money...personally, corporately, and otherwise.
• Lord, help us to live and move and have our being as if You really are sovereign...Lord thank you for having a plan long before we realize we need one.
• Pastors and church leaders...it would benefit you greatly to read this post from Perry Noble...click here.

Darkness

I just finished reading Matthew 26-28. I don't know that I have ever read those three chapters straight through together...without stopping. Although, I have to admit, I was tempted several times to stop...take a break...it's so much to take in...really you can come back to it.

The story is dark. To say that it is difficult to read is an understatement. The emotions. The betrayal. The neglect. The abuse. The lies. The mocking. The isolation. The hopelessness. The Crucifixion. The pain. The bitterness. The punishment. The suffering.

The obedience. The grace. The love. The victory. The resurrection. The celebration. The good news. The commission. The promise. The King. The Lord. The Savior.

My description can not even begin to accurately describe all that Jesus went through and accomplished because He loved us and still loves us that much today.

It overwhelms me. I don't deserve it. I never have. Yet He generously pours out His love and grace even today. Wow!!!!!!

I encourage you to read Matthew 26-28 today. Don't stop. Keep reading it. It will be hard to read. It will be difficult to watch as Jesus is punished. However, when you reach the end you will witness a hope and joy victory that is like nothing else. The eternal. The everlasting. Amen and amen.

The Journey of Giving-3/3

So God woke me up in the middle of the night with a question. I had been working and studying the concept of giving, especially as it relates to our giving to God and His ministry. Most of my thinking up to this point had centered around how much I should give or with what type of attitude I should give. However, here is the question that God brought to mind that really rocked my world.

"What if it's not about you?"

What???? At first I was a little stumped. Of course it's not about me. However, I soon realized that while I agreed that it was not about "me" it was only "me" that I was thinking about. How do I give? How much should I give? What's the best way for ME to give?

I was dumbfounded by my own selfishness.

What if it's really about a Holy and Almighty God who is always giving and refuses to stop giving? What if He is the best at giving and pours out generously based on His love and not our efforts? What if He is simply inviting us to be open to Him so that He may not only pours in us but through us as well?

Then I began to read familiar passage of scripture in a new way as God's giving jumped off the pages.
Read Romans 8:28-39.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
Notice how God gives. Notice what He gives. Notice who He gives. Notice and recognize the giving God.

When I realized that it is actually God who is the true giver and... when I recognized what a holy activity giving was and...when I admitted that my efforts were not adequate to be considered sufficient and...when I confessed and submitted to my Almighty God...He opened a whole new world of giving that I had not known before.

I'm not saying that I have this perfected today but I am saying that God is at work in me, molding me into His image...the image of a giving God.

The Journey of Giving-2/3

Many people take Malachi 3:10 to heart when it comes to their giving. They faithful give their 10% every week or every month or every year. They give it out of obligation, duty, fear, or maybe even worship and love. However, recently there has been a thread of teaching that sees giving a little differently.

People are beginning to point out that Malachi is actually in the Old Testament and we are living in a post-cross, post-resurrection world that is not bound strictly to the letter of the law and the 10% that Malachi speaks of.

At first this line of thinking made me nervous...until God took me a step further in my journey of giving.

In 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 the Apostle Paul is relaying what has been happening in the Macedonia churches. They have been giving what they can and then giving even more! They are so consumed with the idea of giving that they can not even stop themselves. Paul sees this and it is his desire to see that same passion flow through all the believers. In verse 8 he even tells them that he's not commanding them to give but wants to see the desire flow out of their hearts.

Don't give because you HAVE to. Give because you WANT to! Don't be so consumed with the idea of giving 10% to the point where if you don't have it you don't give anything. Give out of your love for Jesus Christ no matter the amount. Give what some would call a "love gift" to God.

Wow! That is so freeing in some ways. To not be consumed with the logistics and calculations figuring up 10% every week. That is awesome! That sounds so much easier to me.

Then in the middle of the night God asked me a question about my giving that rocked my world and I still can not shake. This question took me yet another step forward in my journey of giving...

The Journey of Giving-1/3

When it comes to giving, especially in the context of church, I believe my earliest understandings came from Malachi 3:10. God instructs his people to bring their tithe (or a tenth) into the storehouse. It's the only place that I have seen where God tells the people to test Him and see if He doesn't open up the very windows of heaven and pour out blessing.

Ever since I became serious about tithing I kind of took the approach of "why not". Why wouldn't I give a tenth of my money. After all if God really is almighty and can do anything then let's see what He can do with just 10%. What do I have to lose? I still have 90% to work with.

Even though God has always supplied for my needs I have to admit that I am tempted sometimes to give God less than a tithe. I start to think..."I could make more progress in paying off ______ bill." "I could make an extra car payment." "I could put that much more towards the house payment." The funny thing is that even while all of that is true God brings me back to the fact that He tells me to "test" Him with the tithe and He has never, ever failed any test before and never will. Do I really trust Him to do what He says? Do I really trust that God can do far more above and beyond all that I can imagine?

Sometimes I don't want to give to God. Sometimes I do it out of habit. Sometimes I do it out of obligation. Sometimes I just do it because I'm afraid not to. Sometimes it really is an act of trust and worship. But this is where I started the journey of giving.

Then God took me a step further...

Who's growing what?

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."

1 Corinthians 3:7 (English Standard Version)

We get so caught up a lot of times on what we are producing. "I have to do this or it won't get done." "If I don't do it no one will." It can become as if we don't think God is actually at work. It's almost as if He has left everything up to us to accomplish here on earth. However, I keep being reminded in God's Word that it is not about me.

God is the one who makes things grow (physically, spiritually, mentally, etc.). He invites me to play a part in it. I may get to water or plant a seed or maybe even be present for the harvest but it is God that does the actual growing. If I don't play a part God will use some one else in the process. He does NOT need me. He wants me. So that we walk in this process NOT out of obligation but out of the privilege of being used by the Almighty God of the Universe.

What is God inviting you to be a part of today?