ListenDaily

Do you realize who He was?

2011-12-03T02:18:00.001-08:00

This is the time of year when we think of the birth of Jesus.

What type of image of Jesus does Christmas bring to mind? For most of us it is the image of the Baby Jesus, born in Bethlehem, born to the Virgin Mary in a cattle stall, tended to by His adoptive father Joseph, and placed gently into a manger, surrounded by the livestock and visited by the shepherds.

And this is all true; these images are accurate, this little vulnerable Baby, a gift from God, in His swaddling clothes.

But what other images might we have?

Hold that thought for a moment and tell - me how do you imagine God? The One who is "mighty to save"? How do you picture the Almighty? He who opened the Red Sea? Who led the Israelites with the pillar of fire? Who's words rumbled to Moses?

He who created all existence by the mighty word of His mouth? For in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth....and God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light...and God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” ...and God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” [1]

And on and on throughout creation, God - God Almighty - fashioned the world with a power, a might, an authority over nature that we cannot begin to understand...in the beginning...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.[2]

Yes, this same little Baby was God Almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, suddenly, willingly, confined inside one of Earth's most fragile creatures - a human baby. God the Father, yes, gave us the gift of His Son; but, please remember, God the Son gave up all of Heaven for us as well.

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And beyond what happened in the world that Mary and Joseph and the shepherds could see, amazing and wondrous and horrific things were happening in the spiritual realms.

The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,

because the devil has gone down to you!

He is filled with fury,

because he knows that his time is short.”

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child...then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. [3]

The Christmas story we all know and love, the one from the Peanuts' Special and thousands of children's pageants is true. But there is more, much more, to the height, breadth, and depth of the love God displayed on that first Christmas. There was a battle that began, that still rages, but with victory assured!

The Reminders have this incredible song about that night, When the Baby Cried.

[1] from Genesis 1
[2]John 1:1-2
[3] from Revelation 12
Unless other wise noted, all Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible; New International Version - 1984, Zondervan

The Armor - the Conclusion

2011-10-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Armor - the Conclusion

Hi friends, today we conclude our study on Ephesians 6:10-18. Jim
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Paul is reminding us hear that prayer is also part of the armor -- a great part -- of what keeps us safe.

I think that there are, among the many messages, three great thoughts in this passage to remember:

1. Satan and his cohorts are ever looking for opportunities to do us wrong.

2. We must be ever ready to stand our ground.

3. God provides us with all we need to do just that.

What new perspectives has God given you, concerning this passage?

Has it caused a change?

Has it given you any confidence or comfort?

May we be aware and prepared to glorify Him. Pastor Jim

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"This much is sure in all churches, forgetting party labels; the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer- meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere."

Leonard Ravenhill

A good offense; part II

2011-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

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Take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Now then, there are two schools of thought on what this 'sword' represents. One is, that it is the the Bible, which is the perspective we looked at yesterday. There is another perspective...

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth...what is the belt? The belt is truth...

...with the breastplate of righteousness in place...what is the breastplate? The breastplate is righteousness...

...the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace...what is the readiness? The readiness is gospel...

...the shield of faith...what is the shield? The shield is faith...

...the helmet of salvation...what is the helmet? The helmet is salvation...

OK, sorry for the repetition, but necessary to make the point; following this same logic, and

from what I have read, this is grammatically true in the original Greek, then...the sword of the Spirit...what is the sword? The sword is the Spirit...

When we see the phrase "word of God" we nearly always assume it means the Scriptures...but John 1:1 also calls Jesus 'the Word'.

The phrase is also associated with the Holy Spirit in the fourth chapter of Acts, where we are told that the believers were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 1 John 1 says that Word of God lives in you.

And consider this image from the Revelation of John: His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

So is the sword the Bible or is it the Spirit? There are good arguments on both sides...that talk about linguistics, the original Greek, antecedents, verb/noun agreement and the like...but I don't want to argue.

To be honest, I do not see where there can be a separation. Jesus himself quoted Scripture while dealing with Satan, and was accompanied by the Spirit also. We need to know the written Word...we need to be empowered by the Spirit...we need the full armor. Father, Son, Spirit, distinct yet one. The believers make up a single Body. One message of the Gospel is that we are not, and cannot be, separate in Christ, but one with Him, in the Spirit.

Questions:

1. What do you think of the sword is?

2. Are you confident in using this sword?

3. Are we able to pick and choose from God's armory?

May we use His Word to the fullest. Pastor Jim

A good offense...

2011-10-06T03:57:00.000-07:00

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:17-18
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Take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Now then, there are two schools of thought on what this 'sword' represents. One is, that it is the words of God, as in the Bible, which is the perspective we will take today.

Today's discussion is quite different from the other parts of this passage. The other items mentioned, the full armor, the belt of truth, the breastplate, the gospel of peace and the shield of faith are all defensive items.

A sword however, is an offensive weapon, and this sword is the word of God.

This passage has been misrepresented at times, I think, to turn the Scriptures into a weapon with which to batter other people. We must remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. While the Word of God may be used for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training people, it is always to love and never to harm.

How then, is this sword to be used? Consider the story in Jude, about Michael the Archangel, invoking God's Word to rebuke Satan...or consider Jesus dealing with Satan in the wilderness.

The idea is, that we are not, of our own accord, equipped to deal any damage to the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms...but the Word of God is more than adequate.

Consider a few of these tools:

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Questions:

1. What do you think of this perspective?

2. Are you confident in using this sword?

3. What else might the sword be?

May we use His Word as He sees fit. Pastor Jim

"There is no better evangelist in the world than the Holy Spirit."

D.L. Moody

So, what's on YOUR mind?

2011-10-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today we continue our study on Ephesians 6:10-18. Jim

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

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Take the helmet of salvation...

We have talked about protection for the heart, the feet, and the whole body in general...now we have the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects the head, right? What then, are we to make out of this idea, the helmet of salvation?

This is one of my favorite images.

In physical battle we would think about the head itself...in a spiritual sense, we are to consider the mind...the intellect.

Take the helmet of salvation...in other words, take the knowledge of your salvation...it will save you!

When you find yourself in the midst of sin, all is not lost...you can know you are saved!

When illness or even death is near...you can know you are saved!

When the rest of the world seems to be against you...you can know you are saved!

It is this knowledge of salvation that allows us to think straight through these and all spiritually challenging situations.

Knowing...knowing...that you are saved, forever through the blood of Christ.

Knowing...knowing...that your eternal home is already prepared and waiting for you.

Knowing...knowing...that your name is written, permanently, in the Lamb's Book of Life.

This knowledge is a protecting, saving knowledge.

Questions:

1. What do you think of this perspective?

2. Are you confident in your salvation?

3. How can this knowledge help you in dealing with the world?

May we be confident in the knowledge of our salvation. Jim

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"The Gospel that represents Jesus Christ, not as a system of truth to be received, into the mind, as I should receive a system of philosophy, or astronomy, but it represents Him as a real, living, mighty Savior, able to save me now." Catherine Booth

Keep it up; part II

2011-09-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

In addition to all this, take up theshield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of theevil one. Ephesians 6:16

Let’shover over this verse for another day, shall we?

Isaid the following yesterday:

“Theshield. Body armor defends particularparts of the body against personal assault, and provides one type ofdefense. A shield is different. It can be moved, it can defend against broad,sweeping attack, such as flaming arrows...”

Let’sthink about that a little more. Otherparts of the armor, the parts we wear, stay on us, stay in place, guardingparticular areas. We put it on, and we move on. The helmet goes where the headgoes, the shoes with our feet, and so on.

Butthe shield requires intentional decisions and actions. One must face the enemy, determine the modeof attack and its trajectory, and move the shield into the proper defensiveposture.

Sothen, when we know we are about to be attacked, whether days in advance orsplit seconds before, we must then lift up our faith! We must take our faith in Christ Jesus andput it in between the enemy’s launch and ourselves.

Whenwe sense an imminent attack, we must lift up our shields, lifting up bypraying, studying the Word, seeking wise counsel, etc., and then hold up ourfaith to the onslaught that will come. The arrows of temptation or attackson the integrity of Scripture or…whatever… Properly positioned, the shield willprotect us!

Questions:

1.How do you see faith as a shield?

2.What arrows are the most dangerous to you?

3. Howdo you position your shield?

Maywe lead with our shield. Jim

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"Faith is to believe what we do notsee, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe."

Augustine

"Faith never knows where it isbeing led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."

Oswald Chambers

"Faith is the art of holding on tothings your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods."

C.S.Lewis

Keep it up!

2011-09-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, withwhich you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16

The shield. Bodyarmor defends particular parts of the body against personal assault, andprovides one type of defense. A shieldis different. It can be moved, it candefend against broad, sweeping attack, such as flaming arrows...

Add caption

The shield of faith provides that type of spiritualdefense. Philosophy, logic, intellect,scientific 'facts', political correctness...and more...are all flaming arrowslaunched at Christians today.

We may be smart enough, we may have learned enough, and wemay have read enough to deflect some of those arrows. However, if we do not start the battle with our faith strongbefore us, then some of those arrows will get through...and how many does ittake?

But if we lead with our faith...if we start with ourultimate faith in Christ Jesus...that He is Lord of all...the one and only pathto salvation...that God's word is indeed the Word of God...that we are forgiventhrough and saved by the blood of the Lamb...then we can move forward,deflecting those arrows of doubt, disbelief, guilt, and more. Amen!

Questions:

1. How do you see faith as a shield?

2. What arrows are the most dangerous to you?

3. Are you able to move through this world, confident in theGospel?

May we lead with our shield. Jim

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"Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the rewardof this faith is to see what we believe."

Augustine

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it lovesand knows the One who is leading."

Oswald Chambers

"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason hasonce accepted in spite of your changing moods."

C.S. Lewis

Put Your Shoes On!

2011-09-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you cantake your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not againstflesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against thepowers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in theheavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the dayof evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have doneeverything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled aroundyour waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feetfitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to allthis, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all theflaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword ofthe Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasionswith all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and alwayskeep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18(NIV)

Stand firm then...with your feet fitted with thereadiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (v. 15)

What made a soldier'sfootwear different than everyone else's? During that time, many went barefoot or wore simple sandals. A warrior's footwear, however, had to be abit more durable, heavier duty. Awarrior had to walk on city streets and country roads, soft green meadows andcreek beds full of stone, level ground and rocky crags. If the ground was hot, and the battle ragedon, he could not wait for the cool of the evening to press on. He had to be able to move forward regardlessof what the earth lay in front of him.

Whenever, wherever thebattle cry sounded, his feet were properly fitted and he was ready to go.

So then, are we to beready.

The footing before us maybe rough, hard, sharp, or slippery. Butit matters not! We are able to walkwherever, whenever we are called.

We have this capabilitybecause of the gospel of peace which protects us, regardless of what the worldlays in front of us. The knowledge ofour salvation, and that salvation is available to all we encounter, gives usthe peace needed to move to and fro through this world with confidence.

Questions:

1. What is your take onthis verse?

2. How do you protectyour 'feet'?

3. Are you able to movethrough this world, confident in the Gospel?

Guarding Your Heart

2011-09-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Stand firm then...withthe breastplate of righteousness in place... Ephesians 6:14

The next piece of armorPaul mentions, is the breastplate. Theitem that protected the vital organs, protected the heart, protected what wason the inside.

So, what then, is thepurpose of the breastplate ofrighteousness?

Paul is speaking to thechurch here...we do not expect righteous behavior from the world. However, once we become a saved we aredirected to live righteously. To livethe life that God would have us live. To live right. To do rightthings. To see right things. To read right words. To listen to right words. To yoke ourselves with right-thinkingpeople.

Living a righteous lifethen, protects our hearts. Living arighteous life protects what is on the inside.

Seeking out theworld...watching, reading, and listening to wrong things...seeking out thecompany (and I don't mean for evangelistic purposes) of nonbelievers...exposesour hearts to danger. What danger? Sin, shame, being an ineffective witness...

God expects us to liverighteously. The Body of Christ needsus to live righteously. The Holy Spiritequips us to live righteously.

And to protect our hearts.

After all...that's whereJesus lives.

Questions:

1. What do you think?

2. How do you protectyour heart?

3. How has righteousliving helped you in a time of spiritual battle? How has unrighteous living hurt you as a Christian?

May we protect ourhearts. Jim

"He who has a pureheart will never cease to pray, and he who will beconstant in prayer shall know what it is to have a pure heart." Pere la Combe

Keeping it Together

2011-09-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled aroundyour waist…

Ephesians 6:14

You have probably heardsomeone say that a story 'unraveled', or 'fell apart', or 'came undone', once alie was revealed.

Conversely, the truth is'ironclad'.

Picture multiple layersof clothing and equipment. Once donned,it needed something to hold it all together.

It needed a belt.

The belt, once buckled inplace, kept everything else in its place and allowed everything else tofunction properly.

...the belt of truth...

And so it is with thebelt of truth. When preparing ourselvesfor the Christian life, to do battle in His Name, it is the truth thatmotivates us, is it not? Will a manoffer up his life for a lie? No! But knowing the truth, and knowing theTruth, moves us forward into battle. It is the truth that keeps it all together. It is the truth that allows all the other components of our armorto function properly.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Life."

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you anotherCounselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accepthim, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he liveswith you and will be in you.”

Questions: What is the truth? Why is the truth listed first among all thesecomponents? Have you gone through abattle in your life, relying wholly on God? How did the truth help?

"Truth is soobscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love thetruth, we cannot know it." Blaise Pascal

Still standing...

2011-09-21T03:17:00.000-07:00

Continuing our study onEphesians 6:10-18. Jim

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when theday of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you havedone everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

Brothers and sisters,this is a call to arms! The battle is raging around us! We are expected not to fall; youare expected not to fall -- but to stand your ground!

In the verses we willstudy in the next few days, we will see what our weapons are. For now sufficeit to say that they will enable us to have done everything.

Everything.

Avoid temptation.

Rebuke its'deliverer.

Be kind.

Share.

Serve.

Proclaim the Savior.

Fight injustice.

Forgive and ask forforgiveness.

So that it can be saidthat we have done everything.

Then, when thatparticular battle has ended and the enemy has retreated, when the alarms havebeen silenced and the roar of the battle has ebbed, then you can look around inamazement that you have been able, through the power of His Spirit to standyour ground, and are still able to stand.

Amen!

What do you think of thispassage? Is this overly dramatic, or isthe battle that real? Have you gonethrough a battle in your life, relying wholly on God, and come throughstanding? How did that feel?

Are You Ready for the Day Ahead?

2011-09-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ready for the Day

Today we continue our study on Ephesians 6:10-18, “The Armor of God”.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

"Therefore put on the full armor of God"...once again, we are admonished to put on the full armor..."so that when the day of evil comes"...

What then, is this day of evil? Some have interpreted it to be the last day -- the day of Armageddon, and this certainly sounds like appropriate preparation. But I believe there is also a day-to-day use for this advice.

I think Job faced his day of evil.

As did Peter when he denied Jesus.

Judas when he was offered the bribe.

Stephen at his trial.

Jesus, His forty days in the desert.

Jesus, when confronted with the adulterous woman.

Jesus, on Good Friday.

When a loved one dies unexpectedly. When your spouse leaves you. When you lose your job. When you are faced with pronouncing or renouncing your Savior. When an old addiction awakens. When your strongest temptation finds you alone…

We all face days of evil...

But we do not have to face them unarmed and we do not have to face them alone!

Questions:

What do you think of this perspective? What do you see as your personal days of evil? Do you feel prepared?

Whose side are you on?

2011-09-16T03:21:00.000-07:00

Whose side are you on?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

This verse bears looking at a bit further.

We can certainly get into struggles with other “flesh and blood” people, from wars, to fistfights, from border disputes between nations to yard disputes between neighbors. We can get awfully angry with our parents, our kids, our bosses, and our pastors.

So what exactly is Paul saying here?

God is a God of unity and peace, He offers freedom from fear and anxiety. Satan is the opposite (importantly, not an equal opposite!) and he is the author of division, fear, anger, and anxiety. Christians, particularly those who actively seek to share the Gospel, will come under attack, and often from those neighbors, friends, parents, kids, bosses, pastors, etc… Our first response to an attack in the flesh may be a response in the flesh but we must soon fall to our knees, in recognition of the forces behind the attack and call upon our God.

This is not to say that the people on the ‘other side’ are evil.

In fact, they may think you are!

The truth is, however, that evil forces in the spiritual realm are at work. Christians must lock arms, cry out to our God, and fight – but not each other, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This I know, for the Bible tells me so!

"When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less." C.S. Lewis

"Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so. He does not care what we do if he can do that. We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayers until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don't wake anybody up. But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth. This is our work - to wake people up." Catherine Booth

Is seeing believing?

2011-09-14T02:50:00.000-07:00

Today we continue our study on Ephesians 6:10-18. Jim

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

Look around you...right now as you read this...what do you see? Our physical senses limit us to what we can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. But there is so much more to the world than what our senses can detect. Consider all that you can see with a microscope that is invisible to the naked eye. Spiritual beings are just as real; our inability to see them makes them no less real than sub-atomic particles.

The spiritual realm does not consist of an 'up there' Heaven and a 'down there' Hell. It goes on, in and around us, all the time. The good and evil forces intermingle. The Scriptures describe the Archangel Michael in direct dispute with Satan (Jude 1), and Satan sitting down in council with God (Job 1). We also know that Jesus, while here on Earth in the flesh, was able to see demons, and they knew who He was.

We must remember...Satan studies us, he knows our weaknesses, the things that tempt us the most. His desire is to make Christians fall...to make us look hypocritical and make our witness ineffective.

Ignoring this battle will not make it disappear.

Questions:

1. What images does this verse bring to your mind?

2. How do you see this in terms of your every day life?

3. Do you feel yourself as part of this struggle?

May we not underestimate, or overestimate, our enemy. Jim

Quote of the Day
"One may be theologically knowing but spiritually ignorant." Stephen Charnock

The Full Armor

2011-09-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11(NIV)

Wow...when we look at single phrases and verses, the power of the message really jumps out, does it not?

Put on the full armor...Paul has not yet described the armor, that is in the verses that follow...but do we see the importance here? Put on the full armor...part of the armor won't do! We cannot pick or choose what we will 'wear' and what we will not. To succeed, we need the full armor.

...of God... We cannot rely on our own talents, strengths, ideas, or capabilities. We are fighting in the spiritual realm and need the full armor of God.

...so that you can take your stand...Though we are using His weapons, with His strength, we each have our own place on the front lines. We are each a vital warrior in His battle plan.

...against the devil's schemes. This is so important to remember! It is no mere mortal who plots against each of us, but that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.

Questions:

1. What images does this passage bring to your mind?

2. How do you see this in terms of your everyday life?

3. Is this helpful to you, breaking down passages this way?

May we prepare daily. Jim

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Quote of the Day: "A light glow began to shine and a warming sensation filled the cell and enveloped my weakened, starved frame. I felt strong arms around me, cradling me in the arms of Christ Himself." Haralan Popov

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

2011-09-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Scripture reading: “The Armor of God”

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-11(NIV)

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Paul is giving instruction for war, laying out the battle plan...for spiritual warfare.

It is the nature of human beings to be afraid in battle, and particularly afraid of things in the spiritual realm. Devils, demons, Satan! How can we stand, how can we fight an enemy we cannot even see? Our muscles…our weapons…of what use are they?

But it is not our strength that we need. The physically strongest has no advantage over the physically weakest in this battle, for we are merely vessels for the power of the Almighty. As II Chronicles 20 says: "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."

So then, yes, we must be strong...but it is the strength of the Lord beating in our hearts, pumping up our muscles, coursing through our veins...making us strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. May we accept His strength.

Questions
1. How do we find this strength?

2. How do we know we can rely on it?

3. What images does the term 'spiritual warfare' bring to mind?

Draw your sword!

2011-07-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

Please watch the attached video message/invitation from Pastor Jim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGwQZaxSqAI

No Condemnation

2011-07-07T20:27:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eeDl68b1s

"As you are going..."

2011-06-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

"As you are going..."

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

"As you are going..." is the title of my sermon for this coming Sunday, and an accurate translation of the "go" in the above passage. When we hear about Jesus' Great Commission - "go and make disciples" - we often think that the imperative is "go", but it is not! The "go" here is similar to the "break" shouted as a basketball team ends its huddle and heads out to play the game.

That they must "go" is obvious. The imperative is "make disciples"!

Jesus gathered His Eleven and gave them these instructions. That they had to "go", that is to leave the gathering place was obvious.

A basketball team receives instructions from the coach, that are necessary to be followed if they are to succeed. Jesus' followers, including us, are given instructions, that are necessary to be followed if we are to succeed.

However and wherever we are going, we must make disciples. Jesus didn’t say, “Get converts”. He never said, “Make church members”.

He said, “Make disciples”.

You can change the world.

Make disciples.

Check out this video concerning this Sunday's message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoUbodEpPY4&feature=share

Afraid?

2011-05-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Are you feeling anxious? Nervous? Afraid? Have you been upset by the events in the world, in your church, or in your life? Fear and anxiety are not of God. He is a God of peace and power and His promise is that He gives those things to you. "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

First, realize ("realize" to understand that something is real) that God has already given something to you, if you are a believer: God gave us a spirit...

If there is fear in your life, it is not from God: God gave us a spirit not of fear...

Instead, He has given you a great gift, ...a spirit...of power, and the power of God is limitless! It is the power of creation, of resurrection, of eternity!

In addition, He has given you a spirit...of...love, and nothing, nothing, can separate us from the love of God.

And we have a part in this, for God has given us a spirit of self-control. Self-control is a gift from God - it says so right here, but it is a gift that we must choose to employ.

Are you feeling anxious? Nervous? Afraid? Have you been upset by the events in the world, in your church, or in your life? Fear and anxiety are not of God. God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Call upon the Lord, cry out to Him in your pain, ask Him to reveal His gifts to you, then use them. Feel the fear and anxiety washed away. Nothing is too hard for God.

I love you with the love of the Lord, Pastor Jim

ListenDaily: Why May 21st is bad for the church

2011-05-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I am taking a pause from our look at Ephesians 6: 10-20; I just can't ignore Harold Camping any longer. If you haven't heard, Mr. Camping is the guy that is saying tomorrow is judgment day. I've talked in a couple of groups this week, and the people I've talked to range from amusement to anger, concerning this issue. Many folks say that "at least his heart is in the right place' or "maybe some good will come of it".

No.

So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name. They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.

When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 1 Chronicles 13: 5-10

The first time I read this, many years ago; I could not understand why God would strike down this well-intentioned man; all he wanted to do was keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling. Further study and explanation brought me to understanding. God was specific about how, where, in what manner, and by whom the Ark could be touched. All those things were being violated here.

Poles were to be used to carry the Ark (Exodus 37). The ark had to be covered (Numbers 4). Specific families were set aside to carry the ark (Numbers 4). In other words, it was to be carried upon men's shoulders, only by Levites – only by the family of Kohath, and using the specified poles.

The process was important; Uzzah was in the midst of sinful disobedience. Once we are in that state, our intentions, no matter how good, will not bring us to righteousness – only a return to obedience.

Clearly the Scriptures tell us that no one knows the hour or day of God’s return. No one.

Clearly, the Scriptures tell us that we are not to add to God’s word.

Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to “decode” secret meanings or mathematic formulas. Plenty of places we are given instructions to love each other, take care of each other, spread the Gospel, and make disciples.

The folks in Chronicles were to take care of the Ark, in the manner prescribed by God. Once outside that, their ‘good intentions’ were for naught, as they were being done outside His will.

Yes, we are called to spread the Gospel and make disciples, but anyone who is in violation of God’s basic tenets, as clearly prescribed in Scripture, can not make up for them with ‘good intentions’. They must obediently return to the Truth of the Word.

So must we all.

Lord willing, see you tomorrow.

And the day after, Pastor Jim

ListenDaily: Feeling strong?

2011-05-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

As we begin to discuss "The Full Armor of God", I am struck by Ephesians 6:10, which says:

"Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. "

Can you imagine?

What do you think about when you imagine "His mighty power"?

The parting of the Red Sea?

The bringing of the flood?

The creation of everything out of nothing with His spoken Word?

The defeat of death itself in the flesh and blood of Christ?

That is the "mighty power" we have to be "strong in"!

What do you think of, when you imagine God's power?
Are there examples of it in your own life?
Do you feel strong?

Until tomorrow, shalom, Pastor Jim

Are you aware?

2011-05-16T17:25:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Over the next few days we are going to take a look at Ephesians 6: 10-20, the passage often entitled The Armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Some things to consider as we move forward:

- We are told to be strong.

- We are given the armor.

- We do have an ongoing struggle in the spirit world.

Thoughts? Questions?

See you tomorrow, Pastor Jim

ListenDaily: An interesting morning

2011-05-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting morning.

God summoned me.

No, really. I woke up a little after four and felt the call to go downstairs and pray. I was sleepy and rolled over. Call it “Scripture” or call it a “Bible verse”, but remember it’s God’s Word, and the Word that exploded into my mind was “Couldn’t you keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak… He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. Are you still sleeping and resting?”

So, downstairs I went and submitted myself in prayer. I felt the Holy Spirit moving, asking – no – telling me not to love God only when I felt that He had done something in my best interest. He reminded me, that while circumstances are often brought about by people with other than the best interests of the world (the nation, the city, me, the church, whatever) in mind, that He is indeed sovereign. And He spoke to me through His Word again, reminding me of my own teaching that “love”, as in loving God and others, is not a feeling but a verb, an action. He also reminded me that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Some of those “all things” are good things, some neutral, some are bad things, the result of living in a fallen world. The good, bad, or neutral nature of the circumstance has no bearing on God’s ability. And it is He who calls me. My role in this “all things” affair is to love Him.

I protested. Once again, the Word spoke, but this time He placed Peter’s words in my mouth: “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” But the response was not “feed my sheep” it was “this is love for God: to keep his commands.”

I had some question about time; the Spirit told me “I own time.” I stayed there on the floor and listened for what seemed like a few minutes, but ended up to be an hour and a half. I had a 6 a.m. meeting for which I was ten minutes late. It was OK, because, like I said…

…it was an interesting morning.

ListenDaily: Help me keep the rocks quiet

2011-04-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

In the church year, this is Holy Week. After a few weeks of writing (somewhat sporadically, I know) about what’s been going on with us, and with me, let’s talk about Jesus, shall we? Yesterday was Palm Sunday.

Jesus was riding into town. He was not on some great and mighty steed, which would have symbolized a king coming to make war, but rather He came riding a donkey, symbolizing a king who comes in peace.

But still a king.

As the crow shouted their praises, the church officials got upset. Funny, they talked about God all the time, and yet in the face of Truth, they still considered their own positions to be most important. We have to always watch out for that, still, leaders who talk about God, but whose actions place themselves on their own thrones. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19: 39-40

Some would suggest this was a little hyperbole on Jesus’ part. I don’t know about that, I don’t see a lot of hyperbole in His demeanor. I think this news was so great that the earth itself would respond if the people didn’t. We’ll talk about this more when we get to Good Friday, when the earth did cry out.

But for today, let us remember this; the Gospel is such an explosive story that a lid cannot be kept on it for long.

Satan tried to keep it quiet.

He had Herod try to kill it off by slaughtering babies.

He tried to talk Jesus out of it.

He thought the crucifixion would kill it.

But the Gospel cannot die.

My prayer for myself, and for you, is that Satan would not be able to use us as a lid to cover up the Gospel. May it swell up so much within us, may it vibrate within us. May we not be able to keep our mouths quiet. Psalm 8:2 says that even as children we were ordained to praise God. May we do what we were called to do!

Shalom, Pastor Jim

Too weak to work

2011-04-11T10:11:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily: Too weak to work
Rest & Recuperation, Rehab & Therapy
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

Sometimes our post-surgery time includes physical therapy. A therapist will prescribe a certain routine to help return the injured and repaired part of your body back to optimum strength. On occasions, you might show up at therapy, just plain worn out, weak, and unable to perform the routine. On some of those occasions, the therapist will put you in a relaxed position and, in his capable hands and move your arm or leg or shoulder through specific movements, strengthening you even when you are too weak to do so on your own.

If you have ever read any of my emails, blog, or Facebook posts, you might have seen me quote Hudson Taylor, who said; ” I am so weak. I can't read my Bible. I can't even pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust." I have felt that way for a few days. Between my physical ailments and some other (nothing life-threatening) circumstances, I felt what the great missionary was saying. I started this a few times, without being able to complete it. I guess I’d have to add, “I can’t even write.”

But the Word of God cries out to me.

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is a common thread through my preaching. Rejoicing for always, whatever else is going on, always are we in the hand of God. Praying without ceasing; not always on my knees but always being aware of His presence. These two things help keep me from forsaking God. And while God does not promise to change my circumstances, but He has promised to never leave or forsake me in any of them.

His response to my circumstance is always the best thing for me, whether I can see that or not.

And in the midst of my weakness, God is never weak. As the prophet Isaiah said, God is never weak or weary, but gives strength to those who are and who wait upon him, then we can walk, run, and soar on wings like eagles’!

” I am so weak. I can't read my Bible. I can't even pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust."
And in His capable hands, I find peace, rest, and strength!

Shalom, Pastor Jim

Calesthenics

2011-04-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily: Calesthenics
Rest & Recuperation, Rehab & Therapy

Remember, throughout this study, that I am neither trying to slow you down or speed you up; these are daily readings but not one day at a time instructions. Some of them might be one time events, some must be revisited on occasion, others, like the principle of rest, must be made a constant in your life.

The principles today are like that. They are the basics. Like a healthy diet and exercise, you can’t live well without them. And, like physical exercise, which, once begun, strengthens you and enables you to do more, so these spiritual exercises strengthen and enable you...and their results are eternal.

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

Our bodies have to be fed or they die. Our bodies have to move or our muscles atrophy. So it is in the spirit.

The Bible is the very Word of God. We have to read, study, learn, continue to learn, and share the Scriptures. The more we learn, the more we are able to

learn. We move from milk to meat! If not we stagnate, worse than stagnate, we atrophy. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. Hebrews 5:13

We must pray.

We must grow in our ability to pray. Throughout Paul’s letters, he encourages us to be faithful in prayer, to be devoted to prayer, to pray with mind and spirit, to pray without ceasing, How does our prayer life match up to that?

And consider these words from James 5:

Have you ever been in trouble? “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.”

Ever been sick? “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him…”

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Do your prayers have power?

“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.”

Life is hard. Really hard.

But God is your provider, of peace, joy, rest, and strength.

But you have to engage with Him. And you know what? He sees and listens! “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer….” (1 Peter 3:12). Not only does He listen, He delights in our prayers, they are sweet and wonderful to Him! “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8) That’s you that’s me.

Like physical therapy, or any other sort of exercise, there is much beyond the basics; but you can’t skip the basics, and they are always the foundation of the program.

Read your Bible. Pray. See what happens.

Shalom, Pastor Jim

Tired?

2011-04-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

Rest & Recuperation, Rehab & Therapy
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

I am moving on from talking about rest but, please, do not move away from the idea. Resting in God is not something we do once then are done with. We must always go back to Him, always seeking Sabbath, always finding time and place to be still, to know. I have been sharing about my own medical problems, and I hope it hasn’t sounded whiny or self-absorbed, I really feel God is using this time and wants me to speak about it. A right shoulder labrum repair, hernia surgery, followed by this basal cell carcinoma removal. I know a lot of people who are suffering much worse, none of these were very traumatic or life threatening, but I’m tired of it.

I had the stitches out of my neck yesterday. Finally, a step forward. Then came this morning, when I found out I had developed an infection at the incision site.

But God says “be still and know”. Be still and know; know that “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40: 28-31

Can you imagine a more beautiful image or promise of recuperation?

We all get tired, and we all get weak.

People outside the faith have no idea of the toll this world is taking on them, and we need to do all we can to lead them to the source of peace, rest, hope, and strength. But it is an entirely different story when those of us who follow Christ, ignore or refuse or just don’t pay any attention to the fact that we are in such great need and that God is calling out to us with an offer of strength and power.

We are all prone to stumbling.

Life is hard. Really hard. We wade, every day through the morass of this world; on the best days we are surrounded by a world refusing Christ. From atheism to addiction. From Sunday sports schedules for our kids to war around the globe.

On the worst days we find out someone we love has cancer, a friend’s teenager is cutting herself, our children can’t raise their children.

Life is hard. Really hard.

And oh, my, we’re getting older every day. And if “even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall” what about us?

Life is hard. Really hard. But…but…”but those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

No matter how tired, how weak, how depressed, how devastated we are, God’s strength never fails, and He is offering His strength to you.

Be still. Know Him. Then walk…run…soar!

Peace be with you, Pastor Jim

Ahhhhh....

2011-04-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Rest & Recuperation, Rehab & Therapy
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
"I am so weak. I can't read my Bible. I can't even pray.
I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust."
Hudson Taylor

Often, when one has been through some sort of surgical procedure, it is followed by a period of rest and recuperation, then rehab and therapy.

Let’s talks about rest first.

God gave us the gift of rest and called it “Sabbath”.

In Mark 2:27 Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man.” The church folks of that time had gotten so wrapped up in their own rules and activities, that Sabbath had become just another oppression; it was not used for the God-given gift that it was.

Without rest we, of course, become tired. Without rest we become stressed. Without rest anxiety builds and peace is diminished. God says too much about peace and rest for this to be His plan.

Without rest, we can forget who God really is. Oh, we still go to church, we sing, we might even pray. But without rest, without being still, we are in danger in losing a right perspective of Him.

Psalm 46:10 records God’s direction to “Be still and know that I am God.”

Centuries ago God told His people to “Be still”.

Today He tells us “Be still”.

You may have heard me say this before. I look at this verse as a mathematical equation:

“being still” = “knowing God”

Do you remember the rule from algebra class? In an equation, whatever you do on one side you have to do to the other. If you make one side negative, the other side becomes negative. So then, if

“being still” = “knowing God”,

and we make one side negative, such as:

“not being still”

then by rule, we end up with:

“not knowing God”

“not being still” = “not knowing God”,

Have you been working hard at the things we have been discussing these past few weeks? Have you allowed God in to do some work?

Then take some time, be still. God has commanded it. But it is not a labor and it will not make your life more difficult. It is a gift. From God.

Be still.

Pastor Jim

He came to call on you...

2011-04-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Surgical Repair

I have asked a question twice during this study, and now will again.

How has sin hurt you?

This week we have talked about different ways of turning oneself over to God in the same we would to a surgeon, so that we might feel better, be healed, and live.

Jesus referred to himself as physician twice:

"But when He heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, I desire compassion, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matt. 9:12-13

Jesus came to call on me, for I have been, as the old hymn says, a “sin-sick soul”.

But, I’m getting better. How about you? Please consider, again, some of the Scriptures from this week and reflect over the closing questions. Lord willing, we’ll begin talking about the next steps starting Monday. Shalom, Pastor Jim

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13

“Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:7-8

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27

How has sin hurt you? During this season of Lent will you look for that damage, and look to God for repair?

Stuff you don't know...

2011-04-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

Let it go – there’s stuff you don’t know
Lent as Surgical Repair
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
Patient: “My neck hurts.” Surgeon: “You have two completely ruptured discs.”

Patient: “My side hurts.” Surgeon: “You have appendicitis.”

Patient: “My elbow hurts.” Surgeon: “You have a nerve that’s exposed.”

Patient: “My wrist hurts.” Surgeon: “You have an entrapped nerve.”

Patient: “My shoulder hurts.” Surgeon: “You have some torn cartilage.”

Et cetera…

We have pain. Sometimes we know what is wrong, sometimes we don’t. We go see a doc, who through x-rays and MRIs, ultrasounds and the like, comes back with a picture of the problem, a diagnoses, and, hopefully, a plan for repair.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Paul was not disregarding the pain and suffering in this world, in our bodies. He was just saying how much better life will be in Glory. But what about now? What about the aches and pains and suffering we have right now? Sometimes we know the cause, but other times we don’t. We just know it hurts.

Let it go. Turn it over. Cry out to God.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

Can you imagine? When you cry out, the very Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit who hovered over the waters of creation, the Spirit who freed Christ from the tomb, listens to you! Listens to me! The Spirit who, as a mother knows a baby, knows us better than we know ourselves, then carries our wants, needs, pains, and desires to the throne room of Heaven.

Let it go. Turn it over. Cry out to God.

God willing, see you tomorrow. Pastor Jim

Don't get caught!

2011-03-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Let it go - so you won’t get trapped

I have been led to these topics that we’ve been studying for Lent. Yesterday we talked about “letting go”. I was in my room, about five this morning, praying, asking God for the next “surgery” topic. It became apparent that the idea of “letting go” might need a little more discussion.

Have you ever been monkey trapping? Nah, me either. But I’ve read about it and seen videos. I’m sure there are other ways, but the one I always remember is when the trappers had a big jar with a rather narrow neck. (Sometimes they create a trap in a dirt mound, same principle). The jar was attached to a big board; inside something that a monkey would want, peanuts or something shiny like marbles. Left where the monkey can find it, he puts his hand into the jar, grabs a fistful of goodies, but cannot get his hand out.

And he refuses to let go.

Even as the trapper carries him off, the monkey screaming in rebellion, yet he won’t let go. The monkey is caught between; on one side - freedom and life, on the other – captivity and death. The key to his freedom is letting go.

“Evildoers are snared by their own sin...” Proverbs 29:5

Satan may be out to trap us, but it is our own thoughts, desires, and actions that allow us to be caught.

“Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

What’s in your hand? What are you clinging to so tightly that it’s allowing Satan access to your heart? Your mind? Your body? Well, unlike the monkey, we have someone on our side.

“The LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.” Proverbs 3:26

“My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:15

So then, what are we to do?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

How?

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.”
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:7-8

A good thing to be thinking about; letting go and drawing near. And watch, just watch, how God draws near to you.

God willing, see you tomorrow. Pastor Jim

Let it go...

2011-03-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

Let it go…
Lent as Surgical Repair
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
I’ve heard people say that submitting to God was difficult because they are

“control freaks”, or some other phrase that explains their difficulty in releasing control.

Part of me gets that, part of me say’s “baloney”,

The part of me that gets it does so because I have some of those tendencies myself, from time to time, but the part that says “baloney” wins. I don’t know anyone who really tries to control everything in their lives. We put our lives in other peoples hands all the time. Pilots. Politicians. Other drivers.

Surgeons.

I’ve spent a lot of time with surgeons lately. What God spoke to me yesterday as I lay down on the table was how completely I was surrendering; how completely I was giving up any control. One may opt in or out of many things in order to maintain a sense of control. However, refusing a necessary operation is to one’s own detriment. And so, you strip down, take the IV, and go to sleep, knowing that your body and your life is in someone else’s hands, and you have zero control. But, you do it to feel better, or to be healed, or maybe even to live. And so it is with ourselves and God. If we want to feel better, if we want to be healed, if we want to live, we submit ourselves, wholly, to Him.

I’ll shut up now and let the Scriptures speak:

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 13:4

Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you that it may go well with you. Jeremiah 7:23

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4: 7- 8

In the flesh, even Jesus turned it over to His Father:

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2: 21 - 25

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

Until tomorrow, God willing, Pastor Jim

P.S.
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13

Cancer treatment

2011-03-28T02:39:00.000-07:00

Surgical Repair
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
So far we have looked at Lent as “road repair” and as “corrected vision”.

As a Christian, I do not believe in coincidences. Coincidences are like Bigfoot and unicorns, fun to talk about, but they don’t exist in the real world. On Friday March 11th, I wrote the following in this space: “As soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery. Nothing life threatening; I have a tear in a muscle that the surgeon is going to, Lord willing, repair. Left unattended, this tear would get worse, longer, wider, and making the surrounding tissue, and me as a whole, weaker.” Today, as we go back to look at this topic for the week, as soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery, again. Again, nothing life threatening; I have a skin cancer, a basal cell carcinoma, on the back of my neck and am undergoing Mohs procedure to have it removed.

I have appreciated all your emails, cards, visits, and prayers and covet them for this as well, but that’s not why I’m mentioning it. God is working all things together for good as He promises He will do. Cancer, left untreated, will ruin the body. It cannot be treated with a cream or an ointment. It must be irradiated or cut out.

Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:30

Sin is like cancer, left untreated, will ruin the body. It cannot be treated with a cream or an ointment. It must be cut out. “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

Unlike cancer treatment, the treatment for sin will always work, and though it might be tough, the treatment won’t make you sick.

Sin = damage.
Righteousness = repair.

The righteousness of Christ enabled Him to be the One that is the eternal cure for sin, for the sin of the world. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” Romans 6: 9-10
His righteousness is also our cure.
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11

Have no doubt, sin has attacked your person, as Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. “All”. We cannot ignore that.

How has sin hurt you? This season of Lent let us each look for that damage, and look to God for repair.

Until tomorrow, God willing, Pastor Jim

Take it - it's yours

2011-03-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

So, what do I do with this necklace?
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

What do you think when you hear the word “cross”?

Christians know the importance of the cross. But sometimes I think that the abundance of crosses, on altars, desktops, necklaces, and t-shirts, might make it so commonplace that it loses some of its…impact. Some non-Catholic folks will comment on the crucifixes used by Catholics, depicting Christ on the cross (as opposed to an empty cross) saying, “they want to keep Christ on the cross”. In other words inferring that they are missing the point of the resurrection. I don’t really think that’s true, but I’m not writing to stir up any debate. The resurrection is the focal point of Christian faith and I believe all Christians, Catholic, Protestant, whatever, denominations understand that. However, it is important that we understand, and try to ever increase our understanding, of the purpose of the cross.

Sometimes we forget until we stop and think about it, that the cross was an implement of torture and death; and long before Jesus’ crucifixion. Josephus recorded one single instance of eight hundred Jews being crucified.

How horrifying it must have been to hear the Man you adored and desired to follow say: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24)

But how important that we look at the cross. I would never compare myself, in any way (except in his confession to being chief among sinners), to the Apostle Paul, but how I love and relate to his declaration “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Cor. 1:17)

And how I appreciate the words of C.S. Lewis:

When He died in the Wounded World He died not for men, but for each man.
If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.

And those of John Stott*:

“Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us,
we have to see it as something done by us.”

We all agree, I believe, that Jesus did not deserve to die on the cross; but do we see that we do? And that we are, each and every one of us, the cause of His crucifixion?

If it was horrifying for His followers to hear His call to take up their crosses, how much more terrifying for Simon the Cyrene?! As they were leading Jesus to Golgotha, á certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” As far as we know, Simon was innocent, and I wonder if in the middle of this madness he thought he was about to be unjustly crucified.

Innocent? Unjustly? It’s almost as if God yelled, “Stop! My Son is the only one innocent here! Any of you are more deserving that He!” It’s like they all got a moment, and we should take the same opportunity, to pause and consider our role in His death.

Then we should fall on our knees and thank and praise and worship our Savior.

May your weekend be blessed, see you Monday, Lord willing, Pastor Jim
*If interested, more about John Stott
http://www.lausanne.org/covenant
http://www.johnstott.org/

More than metaphor

2011-03-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

So, Lent as Vision Correction – Sight as a Metaphor…right?

(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

I use metaphors a lot. I know. But God uses things of nature, things of His natural creation, to teach us about parallel truths of His spiritual creation. We know that Jesus healed many people, including the blind. (This makes me think that it would be good to study Jesus’ miracles in light of what He might have been teaching us about the spiritual nature of things. Hmm…well that’s for another season. )

Besides Jesus healing of the blind, He also taught using the idea of blindness as a spiritual shortcoming:

““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Woe to you, blind guides…You blind fools…You blind men… You blind guides…Blind Pharisee!" Selected verses from Matthew 23: 13 - 26

Jesus was talking, of course, not about physical blindness but about an inability, of leaders of the church by the way, to see as God intended them to.

Saul was a Pharisee and God had a great work intended for him. But Saul was so spiritually blinded that he was overseeing the persecution and murder of early Christians. So spiritually blind was he that when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus that Saul lost his physical sight.

God changed his name.

God changed his heart.

God restored his physical sight.

God gave him a new way to see and it caused an immediate* change:

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. Immediately he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

We may not be extreme cases like Saul/Paul or the other Pharisees but there is no reason to think God would expect less from us. Remember the warning to the church in Laodecia inRevelation 3 for being neither hot nor cold,

Jesus chastised the Pharisees. He struck Paul down. He wants us to get it,

For this day of Lent, let’s not worry too much about the how. Let’s just remember the words to the old hymn (based on Psalm 119) and sing or say them as a prayer:

Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Amen. Should the Lord tarry another day, and if it His will, see you tomorrow Pastor Jim

*You may have heard that Paul spent some fourteen years before beginning his ministry; that is the time before his missionary trips started, he preached in Damascus “immediately” upon recovering.

Jesus can help us see too...

2011-03-24T12:56:00.001-07:00

How can I possibly see that?
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

We have been discussing our shortcomings all week; our inability to see things – to see situations, circumstances, other people, even ourselves, the way that God sees. Indeed, God has said as much for centuries! He told the prophet Isaiah:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

So what are we to do? Is there any hope that we can ever see God or see as He sees? Sure there is. In the same passage God tells us:

“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live…Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near…my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Likewise: But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)

And Jesus promised that the pure in heart will see God, and God inspired Paul to teach us that we can do all things, through Christ who gives us strength.

I say all that to say this; it is important, whether during Lent or any other time, to recognize how weak we are, how sinful we are, and how desperately lost we are – on our own. The purpose of such a realization is to see our need for the Father who created us, His Son who saves us, and His Spirit that works in and through us. But it is not just to make us see our need, but the amazing ways in which God fulfils our needs – how He will fill to overflowing with a mercy and grace and unending love.

If you received ashes on Ash Wednesday (if you didn’t, for a moment, pretend you did), go take a look in the mirror. Are they still there? Of course not. You have washed since then. Brothers and sisters, so it is with your ‘spiritual face’. You’ve been washed by the blood of the Lamb! You are clean, free, and forgiven!

For the rest of this season, try this little exercise, every time you wash your face, then raise it to look in the mirror, take a moment to recall where the ashes were, and how they are now gone. Then praise God for what He has taken from you. And what He has given to you, including this new way to see. Proclaim like the man in John, blind from birth, “I was blind, but now I see!”

Yes you can! Pastor Jim

On the outside looking in...

2011-03-23T11:45:00.001-07:00

On the Outside Looking In
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16: 6-7

This passage is drawn from the story told in I Samuel where God, having rejected Saul as king, sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse, to anoint one of his sons as the next king. Jesse had eight sons, and all but the youngest were brought before Samuel. Human judgment would have picked the eldest, or the strongest, or the most renown. One by one the seven passed by Samuel without receiving affirmation from God. Only when Samuel asks if there are any more, does Samuel sent for the one God had already chosen, the youngest, the smallest, David.

Why didn’t God just tell Samuel to go anoint David? I don’t know. But I do know that the process Samuel went through has provided a lesson for us all.

Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

We look at other people and make decisions. Sometimes, like Samuel, our decisions are based on appearance, physical appearance. Sometimes, they are based upon the clothes they wear, especially if that’s a reflection of their income. It could be the color of their skin, their accent, or the car they drive.

We make decisions about others based upon a multitude of things that we see.

But God says “no”. He tells us that we can’t see the truth; our perspective is not as His. We cannot see in people what God has in store for them. “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

But, here’s the problem; we tell people they are not rich enough, not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not athletic enough, and they believe us. We see a shepherd – God sees a king!

Samuel so clearly heard the voice of God that his inability to see well did not keep David from the throne. May our inaccurate view of someone’s potential never prevent them from being what God is calling them to be!

During this season of Lent may we sense our own visual shortcomings, and turn our ears, tune our ears, to the truth – to the wonder that God has in store for those around us.

In times when we are shaken, hurting, and afraid, faith is holding, with all we have, with heart, soul, mind, and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Lord willing; see you tomorrow, Pastor Jim

Faith is Not Blind!

2011-03-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Faith is not blind
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5: 6-7

There is a phrase, often used in Christian circles, which I find woefully inaccurate. That phrase is “blind faith”.

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. Matthew 20:29-30

Why did these men want their sight? Experts say that when someone is deprived of their sight, then their other senses become heightened, allowing them to get by in the world. But they knew, they knew, that there was another way, a better way, to move through this world. And they knew that this Jesus was the One who could provide.

Blindness to sight is like sight to faith. It’s not that we are blindly jumping off a cliff (Indiana Jones notwithstanding) with some vague hope that God will catch us. No! Faith is a sense better than sight! Without faith, we are blindly stumbling through this world.

Further, even though we say things like “seeing is believing”, we really know that our vision is limited and flawed. We know that microscopes can show us things that are right in front of our eyes that we cannot see with the naked eye. Hold up a prism and see the color bands unseen otherwise. Likewise, the world of angels and demons and principalities, of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, exists all around us, unseen by the naked eye.

But, seen by faith.

Faith is not blind. Faith is better than sight.

A child walking in a crowd, unable to see anything past a few inches in front of him, so as not to get lost, clings tightly, with all he has, to his father’s hand, for his father can see above and beyond the crowd, and will always safely lead his child.

In times when we are shaken, hurting, and afraid, faith is holding, with all we have, with heart, soul, mind, and strength, to the hand of the Father, who sees all, and will always safely lead his child.

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Lord willing; see you tomorrow, Pastor Jim

Limited vision

2011-03-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Limited Vision
(Lent as vision correction)

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13: 9-12

You’ve seen them, haven’t you? Those mirrors in school or park restrooms not made out of glass, but a (sort of) shiny metal. You can see yourself, enough to know it’s you, but the details are blurry at best. You’d never see one used as a ladies’ makeup mirror!

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. [You may have heard this translated as “glass” instead of mirror, which simply has to do with the vernacular at the time – when a mirror was called a “looking glass”; mirror is accurate. Mirrors at the time this was written were metal.]

The idea is that what we see of ourselves is not an accurate reflection of who we are as God sees us. 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “Love Chapter” for it is all about perfect love. Paul goes on to write that there are many imperfections in the world, and we do not see ourselves as God sees us. For that matter, we don’t see others, or the world, or God, as God does.

But, just like combing our hair or adjusting a necktie in one of those ‘metal mirrors’ we do have to focus on the truth that we can see, and rely upon other truths to fill in the gaps. (More on that tomorrow, Lord willing.)

This season of Lent, let us recognize that what we see is not perfect. Let us focus on what we can see that God says is real and true. And let us seek with all we have, the truth that is God.

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Shalom, Pastor Jim

What is church for?

2011-03-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

The church exists for three purposes; the primary one is…
(Road Repair concluded)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

The final thing I’d like to discuss (though certainly not the final word on the subject) about road repair, about making the path straight, is worship.

Although this could be worded in many ways, and one could come up with another number; church exists for three basic purposes:

- To bring people to Christ

- To disciple believers

- To worship God

The first two are directed, commanded, by Jesus. These are two of the basic purposes of the church, each local church, the community churches, and the worldwide church. And they are two of the basic purposes for the lives of each individual believer.

Critical to the life of each believer, in and out of church, and the primary purpose for gathering in church is worship.

This is why Satan tried all he could to get Jesus to worship him; if worship is deflected from God, all else goes awry.

Worship, true worship, transcends everything else, all traditions, all rules, everything. As God said to Isaiah and Jesus repeated to church people; “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” (Matthew 15:19)

Worship, true worship, transcends everything else, everything we say and sing and repeat and read; it must come from and go to a deeper place than the flesh can take us. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

Worship, true worship, must come from and go to a deeper place than the flesh can take us. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” True worship changes who we are; “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” True worship is the path to His path for us. “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is; His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-3)

Worship will be central to our eternity, as John saw; Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. (Revelation 4:9-10)

Worship takes place in grand cathedrals and little country churches; in living rooms and in alleys. It happens with organs and praise bands and with no instruments at all. It can be loud and it can be silent. Worship happens in Manhattan and Mumbai, on the beach and in the desert. It is protected by some governments and prohibited by others. Worshipers have been lifted up as community leaders and lifted up on crosses.

Worship, true worship, transcends everything else, everything we say and sing and repeat and read, it must come from and go to a deeper place than the flesh can take us. True worship changes who we are. True worship is the path to His path for us; it prepares the way for Him to us, it makes the path straight.
Is this what worship is for you? Is this what worship does for you? May it be so.

I pray your hour of worship tomorrow is this kind of worship; and I pray that one hour tomorrow morning is not your only time of worship for the week to come.
Until Monday, peace be with you, Pastor Jim

But my hands are full!

2011-03-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

But my hands are full!
(Road Repair continued)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Yesterday we talked about picking up our crosses and following Jesus down the road He has marked out for us. But what if our hands are full with other stuff? What if we have reached into, and grabbed a handful of, a bunch of the world’s sticky, messy, nasty stuff, and now we are completely overcome with it?

Some recent statistics, concerning regular church attendees, from barna.org:

- Over 50% of the men have been involved with pornography within the last week

- Over half of evangelical pastors admit viewing pornography in the last year.

- 34% of female readers of Today's Christian Woman's online newsletter intentionally access Internet porn

- 1 out of every 6 women, including Christians, struggles with an addiction to pornography

- Born again Christians and non-Christians have essentially the same probability of divorce.

- Mormons are more likely to read the Bible during the week than are Protestants or Catholics.

- 12% of Senior Pastors say they have the spiritual gift of leadership; 8% say they have the gift of evangelism

- Three out of ten born again adults say that co-habitation, gay sex, sexual fantasies, breaking the speed limit or watching sexually-explicit movies are morally acceptable behaviors.

And this is just a random sampling; there is less and less a behavioral difference between adults in church and adults not in church. A good part of that is the lack of emphasis on the Word of God in church! Consider these words from Paul: Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

“…they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God…”

“…they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them….”

Friends, may it not be so! Instead, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews12:1-3)

May we, indeed, fix our eyes on Jesus! Again, this comes through prayer and the reading and studying of His Word. Then, with our eyes firmly on Him, and our hands unencumbered, we can take up our crosses and follow Him.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, “The Only Three Reasons for Church”, until then, Shalom! Pastor Jim

P.S. If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following: Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five-minute exercise:

1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder. 2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever. 3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things). 4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him. 5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.

This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper.

Go ahead, pick it up...

2011-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Go ahead,pick it up
(Road Repair continued)

(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

As we continue to look for ways to clear debris out of the road between God and us, today we will look at an oft-unconsidered obstacle – the cross. No, not “The Cross”, your cross, my cross.

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark.8:34-38)

His cross stands, or once stood, between you and salvation. If you are reading this, I hope you’ve already accepted the work of that cross, if not, may today be the day, and call or write me if I can help. But for believers, there is another cross, your cross, and it stands between you and discipleship. We don’t want to just accept Jesus, we are called to follow Him. But as we have seen all week, there is stuff, lots of stuff, which gets in the way. One of those things, a big one, a universal one facing all believers, is our own, personal cross. Thyis passage may be looked at in many ways, but for our purposes here, let us consider the following:

“If anyone would come after me…” First, is this the decision you’ve made? Are you willing to go after Him?

“…he must deny himself…” Are you willing to put aside everything you want for what He calls you to have?

“…and take up his cross and follow me.” This has more than one meaning.

Are you willing, am I willing, to bear the burdens of the Lord? 1 John 5:3-4 – “This is love for
God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born
of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our
faith.”

Are we willing to die for Him, spiritually? Romans 6:6 – “We know that the old self was

crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing.”

And, are we willing to die for Him? Hebrews 13:6 - So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
God’s call holds different details for each person who responds; but it always shares this: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

I cannot tell you what your cross is. But I can tell you that you have one.

Get it out of the road.

Pick it up.

Follow.

Lord willing, see you tomorrow, Pastor Jim

P.S. If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following: Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five-minute exercise:

1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder. 2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever. 3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things). 4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him. 5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.

This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper.

Is worry in the way?

2011-03-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Is Worry in the Way?
(Road Repair continued)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

As we continue to look for ways to clear debris out of the road between us and God, today we will look at this command from Jesus:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matt.6:25-27)

Jesus commands us here; “do not worry”. He does not say ‘try not to worry’. He does not say ‘only worry when things are really bad’. He says, plainly, “do not worry”. And I can say it too; to you and to myself. So can you. It’s easy; “Do not worry”. Well, it is easy to say. But most of us find it difficult to accomplish. And yet, we do want to be obedient to Jesus, and we do realize that what He calls us to do is better for us, right? Thankfully, God’s Word does not leave it there:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4: 1-7)

We hear that God has peace that transcends our understanding, but what are we to do with that? You may well have heard me say this before; this, this passage, is God’s recipe for peace:

Rejoice in the Lord…

Do not be anxious about anything…

But in everything… present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

First, we must rejoice. Regardless of our circumstance, we must rejoice.

We must be willing to be obedient, to continue the steps to not be anxious.

I think this next step is key; we must present “everything” to God. We are prone to asking for help with a particular issue, while we run everything else. But God is neither our co-pilot nor our assistant. If we want to take control of part of our circumstances we must be prepared to take them all. If we want God’s help, we must be willing to turn everything over to Him. Everything. If we do, then we can receive the promise of peace, peace greater than we can understand. And that peace, which will come to us, is peace that dwells in the heart of Christ, will guard our hearts and minds, guard what we think and guard what we love. And then…peace.

Until tomorrow…peace. Pastor Jim

P.S. If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following: Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five-minute exercise:

1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder. 2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever. 3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things). 4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him. 5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.

This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper.

Anorexia

2011-03-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

Anorexia

(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

If you are just joining this study, this portion is called “Road Repair”, and is inspired by John the Baptist’s call to clear the road and make way for the King. And so, we are looking at things in the “road” between God and us.

I heard a story once about a pastor of a big church somewhere. Every morning, he spent the first hour of his time at the church office in prayer.

Drove his secretary crazy.

There were papers to sign, calls to respond to, meetings, people wanting appointments, and so on. Regardless, the first hour was blocked out of his schedule for prayer. One day, in an effort to get him to realize the importance of his ‘priorities’, she caught him coming in the door with a list, twice as long as usual, of all he needed to do that day, hoping he would skip, or at least shorten his prayer time. His response was priceless.

“Goodness,” he said, looking over the list, “I’ll need two hours to pray today!”

We can giggle at this, but there is a reality of need in his response. Skipping prayer is like going without food. Imagine a runner, preparing to run a marathon, saying, “It will take me a long time to run this, I don’t have time to eat.” Or, imagine you are riding shotgun with a friend, on a three-day drive across the country, brought about by some family emergency that required you to be there as soon as possible. What would you think if your friend said, “We’re in a real hurry here, I’m not stopping for gas”?

Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength… (Isaiah 40:31)

Jesus (as related in Mark 8) spent the night in prayer the day prior to contesting with the Pharisees for the life of an adulterous woman. Jesus! If Jesus spent the night in prayer prior to a trial, how can we hope to get by? When God said, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps.46:10) he was not playing some kind of game with us, or testing us. Like a car needs fuel, like our bodies need food, our souls must have prayer.

If we choose to hurry to work, school, church or anywhere else without time in prayer, we are going underfed and undernourished and we will fall.

I guess the issue for many of us is to truly believe that our need is that real. We know what will happen if we run out of gas. And we know what will happen if we do not eat for a long period of time. But most of us have been starving ourselves from prayer for so long that we have developed a sort of spiritual anorexia; our perspective is so skewed that we think we’re ok.

Lent. Reflect. Reach out and clear some space between you and God. Be still. Know God. Be renewed.

That’s what I’m going to go do. Until tomorrow, Pastor Jim

P.S. If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following: Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five-minute exercise:

1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder. 2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever. 3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things). 4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him. 5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.

This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper.

Road Repair Revisited

2011-03-14T08:23:00.001-07:00

Road Repair

(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)

We have established these topics: Road Repair, Vision Correction, Surgical Repair, and Rehab and Therapy. By no means are these the only ways, or is this the only perspective, to look at Lent. However, as we now spend a few days in each one, what we look at will be based on Scripture.

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

God said it first, as a matter of fact; He made it the first Law of Laws. Centuries later there seems to have been some confusion as a Pharisee asked Jesus: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.’” (Matthew 22:37-37)

Jesus was quoting the words we find given to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6, and in the fifth chapter of that book we find the Ten Commandments, which God began with “Have no other gods before me.” The Old Testament lists several other gods that people made up and convinced others to pursue, from Ashtaroth and Baal to Kiyyun and Bel. Today, this conversation could go in the direction of non-Christian religions; however there is another problem we need to address.

When the Old Testament peoples ran after other gods, they were looking for connection, security, power, and protection in some form or another. Likewise, modern day people have created a whole slew of gods: careers, money, activities, etc. They may not worship them in a church/temple setting; but do they not make sacrifices for them?

God detested the Baals and other false Gods, but it seemed no surprise that heathens sought them. He seemed to suffer particular pain, however, when His chosen people ran after the other gods. And so it is today. It is no surprise that those outside the faith seek fulfillment in something other than God. But it causes Him particular pain when we, Christian believers, allow anything to come between Him and us. But we do.

Wealth. Poverty. Stuff. Activities. Sports. Schedules. TV. Church. Anything that gets between Him and us.

What is more important to us than God? We want to say “nothing” but can we? Does anything distract us from worship or must we get to some other event? Do we spend time worshiping Him other than Sunday morning or is ‘my show’ on? Do we “pray without ceasing”? Have we prayed today? Did we spend time listening in prayer? Do we know much more of His Word than we did a year ago?

What is more important to us than God? Anything that causes us to answer those questions in a way other than the way we should.

What is more important to us than God? Let’s make a list. Let’s start getting that stuff, that debris, out of the road. Let us prepare the way, clear the way, between us and God.

Lord willing, see you tomorrow. Pastor Jim,

P.S. If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following: Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five-minute exercise:

1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder. 2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever. 3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things). 4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him. 5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.

This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper.

Rehab and Therapy

2011-03-12T08:01:00.001-08:00

Rehab and Therapy

First I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and checking in on me. My surgery went as expected, and I am, as my doctor ordered, staying in my recliner, with an ice pack, and lifting nothing heavier than the remote!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lent as rehab and therapy.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14 (ESV)

OK, I am just sitting around for a few days, but after that I will need to begin a regimen of some sort to strengthen that which Dr. Domenick repaired, muscles would begin to atrophy. With some surgical repairs, the lack of follow up therapy can actually cause the situation to be worse than before; at a minimum, it would prevent one from receiving the maximum benefit of the repair.

And so it is spiritually: “… this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Matthew 13: 20-22

We can receive from God, but we can also atrophy spiritually if we do not develop roots. Simply stated: prayer, reading, and study*, with other actions added as faith takes root and grows. So, as we clear things out of the road between us and God, reflect on our lives using His Word for perspective, allow Him to do the repairs inside us, let us also commit to getting ourselves into, or back into, the kind of shape for which we were made.

Sabbath rest tomorrow, see you Monday, Lord willing, Pastor Jim

*If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following 5 minute exercise:

Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five minute exercise:

1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder.

2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever.

3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things).

4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him.

5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.

This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper

Surgical Repair

2011-03-11T03:37:00.001-08:00

Surgical Repair

So far we have looked at Lent as “road repair” and as “corrected vision”. I have a couple more comparisons, and then we’ll use those as sort of sub-topics for the rest of Lent.

As soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery. Nothing life threatening; I have a tear in a muscle that the surgeon is going to, Lord willing, repair. Left unattended, this tear would get worse, longer, wider, and making the surrounding tissue, and me as a whole, weaker.

That is what sin has done to the human race and that’s what it does to us as individuals. Sin tears away at who we are, and it is, indeed, life threatening. Left unattended, this it gets worse, it gets longer, wider, and makes us weaker, and eventually kills us; “…sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:15)

But Jesus is not called the Great Physician simply as some sort of metaphor. Nor is that term restricted to physical healing that He absolutely supplies. It also applies, even more importantly, to the healing from sin, that only He can provide.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

Sin = damage.
Righteousness = repair.

How has sin hurt you? This season of Lent let us each look for that damage, and look to God for repair.

Until tomorrow, Pastor Jim

Corrected Vision

2011-03-10T09:11:00.001-08:00

Greetings!

So, here we are in Lent, a season, it is often said, of ‘self-reflection’. I think that is a good thing, we should always be doing that somewhat, but it is good to take a season and really focus on it. But we need to be careful when looking at ourselves; our eyesight just isn’t all that good. That’s why "we walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7) What we see is a misrepresentation of reality. Oh sure, we talk about “20 20 vision”, “seeing is believing” and the like. But what else have we learned?

We can only see so far, unaided. But a telescope shows us things about the moon and stars invisible to the naked eye.

And there’s stuff on our skin and in our water that we are blissfully ignorant about until we look into a microscope.

Hold a prism to the sunlight and see bands of light, always present, but otherwise unseen.

Our very lives depend upon the oxygen we breathe but never see.

They say dogs are colorblind, how different their vision is from ours, right in the same world.

Likewise is our vision; far short of what God sees.

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. “ 1 Cor. 13:12 (Remembering that first century mirrors were little more than polished metal.)

So certainly, please, spend some time reflecting this season. But do not rely on your own perception of righteousness – and for God’s sake, do not use the world’s standards.

Instead, use His Word as a sort of spiritual lens. If you need a place to start, read the book of James.

And pray. Pray by speaking, and pray, pray, pray by listening.

Sure, you’ll see a few more of the warts, the mistakes, the sin. But you know what? You will also see that when God looks at you He loves you more than you love yourself. Sure, your sins will beexposed but so will a greater measure of His love.

God’s vision is not impaired; He sees the you that you can be. “Man looks at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

See you tomorrow, Pastor Jim

Road repair

2011-03-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Shrove Tuesday.

Ash Wednesday.

Lent.

Easter.

What is this stuff all about? It’s interesting – if you do a little research there is a lot about traditions and how different denominations practice these things differently, if at all. So, it’s not like there are any hard and fast rules – good.

“Shrovetide” used to be the three days when Christians would confess their sins and seek absolution before “Ash Wednesday” when they would go to church and receive ashes on their foreheads recalling the Biblical references to ashes as a sign of repentance. Thus began Lent a time of self reflection, especially concerning one’s relationship to God.

OK? Sounds OK to me. Last night I was privileged to speak at Wyoming Church’s Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner (OK, the pancakes are another whole discussion!). In preparation, the Holy Spirit led me to the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
"Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

So John came, the people confessed, got baptized, the process of ‘making the paths straight’ was begun. (In ancient times, people would go out ahead of a king and clear brush, rocks, etc. from the roadways, cleaning the path – making it straight – for the king.)

So, I’m going to say that ‘shroving’ is like coming to John, confessing our sins and our ashes are our repentance. (This can be true whether you ate pancakes and got ashes or not.) But John was not the goal! Jesus was the goal. John was a signpost to Him; John was clearing the way for Him.

So, join me if you will, in confession, repentance, and jumping into Lent; where we will do a little path straightening. Let us spend some time clearing out the debris – the junk that has fallen and grown into the road between us and Jesus.

Lent – like John – is not the goal. Easter - the resurrected, living, saving Jesus Christ is the goal!

Let’s spend a little time making the path straight for Him.

Read, Pray, Tell; how bright was David’s lamp?

2011-01-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 12 January 2011: Read, Pray, Tell; how bright was David’s lamp?

Scripture:
Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:97-105
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How bright was David’s lamp? Not spiritually, I mean his literal lamp.
My guess is that in the middle of a pitch black Israeli night, an ancient type of lamp would have shone just enough to show its carrier a few feet ahead of where they were. The lamp would not have been needed in daylight hours, but would have been constantly needed when traveling in the dark.

One could not light the lamp, set it down, and go on down the road.
Jesus said that when He left this Earth we would be living in darkness. We are in constant need of the light, and The Lamp (God’s Word) is a source of The Light.
We need it with us constantly, to see where to go, how to go safely, when to stop, and to illuminate the obstacles in our way.

So, how are you doing with making God’s Word part of your daily life? There are so many options! The written Word, internet, email, and Facebook devotionals. Don’t overload yourself with some commitment that you cannot keep, but don’t let yourself off the hook too easily either.

In parts of the world people are dying, literally, to receive Scripture. Many of us have multiple Bibles at our fingertips – but untouched by them.

Questions:
How often do you read Scripture?
What is your relationship with the Bible?
Will you try to use this gift from God to come closer to Him?

"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems. I’ll tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible, they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing." Jim Elliot

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119: 105

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…1 Peter 3:12

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19

New Year’s Resolved?

2011-01-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 11 January 2011: New Year’s Resolved?

Scripture: Psalm 119:105, 1 Peter 3:12, Matthew 28:19

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…1 Peter 3:12

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19

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Christmas 2010 has come and gone; likewise New Year’s Eve 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011, and life is returning to normal.

How about our New Year’s resolutions? Did you make any? How are you doing with them?

Certainly there are all sorts of good physically-related resolutions, like eating less and exercising more. But as Paul wrote to Timothy, “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8)

I asked the congregation at Wyoming UMC, where I am the associate pastor, to consider “resolving” in three areas of their spiritual lives, and use the three verses above as reference points. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” How much time do you spend in and with God’s Word? Will you try to spend a little more? It is OK to commit to some reading program, but even if you don’t you can take a step closer. Do you read only in church on Sunday mornings? Try reading a little each day. Do you read a verse a day? How about moving up to a chapter? The point here is not “how much”, but “how close”. God reveals Himself through the Scriptures; let us look to see more of Him!

The second verse reads “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…” The great Jehovah God, the Creator and King of the universe, pays attention to you. Won’t you take a little more time to talk to and listen to Him?

The final verse says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” How are you doing when it comes to telling someone, anyone, about Jesus? What can you do to more closely follow this command?

For the next few days we will look at these resolutions. Ready?

A specific time, all people, a great concert, and peace

2010-12-24T03:13:00.000-08:00

24 December 2010 – Christmas Eve, a look at Luke 2:8-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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“…keeping watch over their flock by night…"

We do not know, of course, what time of day Jesus was born. We do know, however, that the angelic announcement to the shepherds came at night.

How fitting!

For as the Isaiah prophesied, "the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

And as it was said of John the Baptist, "He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light."

And as Jesus Himself said "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

And so, the angel came, in the middle of the night, dispelling the darkness with Heavenly light -- a foretelling of the Heavenly Light

that had been born into the world -- praise God!

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Questions:

1. Do you think it was with intent that the angel appeared at night?

2. Is there a significance to the 'glory' that shone around them?

3. What other passages about light does this remind you of?

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“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

“… all people.”

The ancient prophecies of the coming Messiah were held in Hebrew texts -- from Hebrew prophets -- and was believed by many to be only for the Hebrews. He was after all to be the "King of the Jews".

But there is Gospel, there is Good News for the rest of us --

Listen brothers and sisters -- all brothers and sisters, be ye Jewish or not. Regardless of race -- regardless of your race, your heritage, your parents, your past religious beliefs, the color of your skin, where you were born or where you live -- these good tidings -- this great joy -- this Savior is for you all people -- this Savior is for you!
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Questions:

1. Do you think that this was with intent of the angel's message?

2. Might this have been the first inkling that the Messiah was for all?

3. What other passages confirm this idea?

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"Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

The physical presence of the angel and the glory of God was so overwhelming -- that I wonder if they thought it odd, at first, that this newly arrived King was a baby -- and was in a feeding trough in barn. I'm sure that Jesus looked different and was in a different place than anyone expected.

Hmmm -- methinks there is a lesson there.

Are we not often guilty of looking back at the shepherds and the Pharisees and everyone else, and clucking our tongues that they did not recognize this Messiah?

And yet, doesn't Jesus still look different than we think He should and show up in places that we don't expect? Pierced, tattooed teenagers praising God with confidence, one hundred million believers in China, Orthodox Messianic Jews, priests with collars and pastors in Hawaiian shirts -- pews full of three-piece suits and folding chairs filled with blue jeans and t-shirts. Beautifully adorned cathedrals, little frame churches in the middle of cotton fields, soup kitchens, with the homeless huddled under the freeway overpass.

That was not just a baby -- Jesus is never just anything.

He came in a way that was totally unexpected.

He still does.

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Questions:

1. Why do you think God decided that Jesus would arrive as a baby?

2. In what ways do you see Jesus today that surprise you?

3. In what places?

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"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God."

The shepherds were a walk into town away from seeing the Savior, the Messiah, Christ the King.

But imagine the sight before their eyes at this moment! First, the angel and the Glory of God -- then joining the angel was a multitude of the heavenly host praising God! Can you imagine? These blessed shepherds got a glimpse into the Heavenly realms -- as it says in John's Revelation, "Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty… "

We often talk about the blessing they received by being among the first to see Jesus -- and I do not want to take away from that at all -- but imagine this scene -- as the Heavens opened and God's choir momentarily turned away from the throne to announce the arrival of the Son -- to herald the birth to these blessed few.

God bless the day when we shall all see what the shepherds saw!

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Questions:

1. Can you think of anyone else who saw a similar sight ?

2. Why, do you think, did God send the Heavenly Hosts along with the angel?

3. Beyond the obvious shock, what do you think was the shepherds response to this?

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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

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There is much talk during this season, and this year it seems, in particular, about 'keeping Christ in Christmas'. Debates over nativity scenes on public property, Christian songs sung in public schools, store clerks being instructed to say "Happy Holidays" or some other generic greeting. Freedom of speech vs. not being offensive -- my rights vs. your rights. As with many issues, it looks simple from “my” side…

There is a place for public debate, and we as Christians certainly have rights, but,"…on earth peace, good will toward men."

Our ultimate goal as Christians is to bring as many people to Jesus as we can.

Jesus was pretty rough on the established church leaders, but kind and loving to those outside the body -- the tax collectors -- the prostitutes.

I'm not suggesting, ever, that we as believers roll over and let the world squash the church. There is a time to stand and fight. We must just make sure that we are fighting His battle and fulfilling His desires, His will, not our own egos. I do believe some of us are called to debate in the public arena. I also believe that the goal of such debate must be kingdom oriented -- centered, not on achieving civil rights, but bringing people to Jesus. We certainly don't want to be 'right', and drive people away from Him in the process.

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Questions:

1. How can we lovingly work at keeping Christ in Christmas?

2. What are specific ways we can do this, using Jesus' life as a model?

3. Does this perspective apply to the rest of the year?

Remember, as much as for anyone else in all of history, Jesus came for you. Merry Christmas, Pastor Jim

A Culmination of Amazment

2010-12-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Luke 2:18a

...All who heard it were amazed...
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Is this entire story not amazing? And just as amazing today as ever.

Who in the Christmas story touches you?

The shepherds, called by the Lord from their work to see something more important than their work.

The wise men, the Magi, called by the Lord to travel a great distance, away from their home.

Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John, called by the Lord to prepare the way for Jesus' ministry.

Herod, called by the Lord with the opportunity to open the doors for the Messiah.

Joseph, called by the Lord to protect Mary and the Babe, to be a guardian of the Word.

Mary, called by the Lord to give her very self as a vessel, and to carry and nurture Jesus until His time.

All of these characters in the Christmas story had vital roles to play, as we have seen. I find it interesting that the lowly, the humble, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, faithfully followed their instructions. The one individual with the most Earthly power and authority, Herod, succumbed to evil.

With which one of these individuals do you relate to the most?
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Questions:

1. (The shepherd question)
Do you ever have to decide between your work and the Lord's calling?

2. (The Magi question)
Has God ever called you out of where you are in order to see Him?

3. (The John the Baptist question)
Have you ever felt that your ministry was strictly in support of another?

4. (The Herod question)
Have you ever let your own personal desires get in the way of God's calling?

5. (The Joseph question)
Have you ever found yourself in a position to protect the Word?

6. (The Mary question)
Have you ever felt that your role was to nurture the Body, such as your church?

Merry Christmas! Blessed Christmas! Pastor Jim

ListenDaily – 22 December 2010: Christmas Surprise #10;The king's choice; everybody's choice

2010-12-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-16

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

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Was Herod called by God to play a part in the Christmas story?

Certainly, if God led them from a far off land all the way to Bethlehem, He could have led them without a visit to Herod. Could it be, that Herod was given an opportunity to open great doors for the new Messiah? Might this have been a chance to bring Gentiles to an earlier understanding of this Jewish Savior? There were, after all, those in his courts who were aware of Hebrew prophecy.

But it was not to be.

Herod's goals were no loftier than his palace walls. The thought of this King, though only a Baby, was a threat -- a threat so great in his perception that it took him to murder.

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Questions:

1. Do you think Herod had a choice in His actions?

2. How might things have turned out, if Herod had accepted Jesus and followed through on his promise to worship Him?

3. What effect might that have had on Jesus' later ministry?

May we understand the exponential implications of not accepting Jesus. Pastor Jim

ListenDaily – 21 December 2010: Christmas Surprise #9; Now and Later

2010-12-21T06:32:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 21 December 2010: Christmas Surprise #9; Now and Later

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-2, 9-11

The Visit of the Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."…

…After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

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We discussed last time that the Magi were important, not only to the Christmas story, but to Jesus' early ministry as well. Did you wonder how? Some have speculated that the gifts they provided were saved by His family, and later used to finance His later endeavors. Makes sense to me, but I don't know.

That is not what I wanted to talk about though.

God provided the wise men a star to follow, which led them from their home to Bethlehem, and eventually “stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” Does that not make it sound like the star was not visible to them for a time, prompting them to stop and ask “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”

Why would they lose track and regain sight of the star?

Could it be that God wanted that interaction? Maybe He wanted to create a stir, a buzz -- get people talking. Here were three non-Jews, strangers in town, talking about the fulfillment of the ancient Hebrew prophecies. How would those who heard them have responded? It had been four hundred years since God's last utterances through the prophets -- now this -- the King of the Jews is here? Now?

I believe, that much like our earlier discussion about the shepherds, that this talk would have spread. Others might have followed these strangers, if only out of curiosity. Would these people not have kept their eye on this family? Then, thirty years or so later, when Jesus proclaimed His Messiah-ship, would those same folks not have remembered their encounter with these men from the East?

If so -- would it not have given credence to His claims?

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Questions:

1. Who do you think these men talked to in Bethlehem?

2. Do you think news of who they were and why they were there would have spread?

3. What effect might that have had on Jesus' later ministry?

May we appreciate His vision. Pastor Jim

When did the Magic Men Arrive?

2010-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17

The Visit of the Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: " `But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape

to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
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A year or two ago, a national magazine, proclaimed one of the 'discrepancies ‘between the Gospels, is where Jesus was born. Their logic is that Luke tells of the shepherds visiting the manger scene, while Matthew brings the Magi to a house where the Baby was.

There is no discrepancy here.

In spite of our traditional Nativity scenes, with sheep, shepherds, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and the Three Wise Men -- the Magi probably did not visit Jesus and His family for some time. Note verse 16:

"When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."

Verse 1 tells is that the Magi came after Jesus was born -- how long after we do not know. The jealous Herod, however, used the time the

Magi gave him and slaughtered all boys two years old and under. So it seems that, even if Herod was giving himself a wide margin of error, that a significant amount of time had passed since the birth.

In addition, if the start appeared the night Jesus was born, and they made the long trek from 'the East' (most scholars believe it was ancient Persia), then they certainly did not arrive in a single day -- more likely several months later.

Now, I would never be the Scrooge to take the Wise Men off the mantle or out of the children's Christmas play -- after all, they are a vital component of Jesus' arrival, and as we'll see tomorrow, of His early ministry. But when the world attacks the Word -- as in the case of this magazine article. --we must be prepared to faithfully, and intelligently, defend it.

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Questions:
1. When do you think the Magi arrived?

2. Is it important?

3. In what ways have you heard the Word attacked recently?

May we learn what He would have us say. Jim

A Poem by Susan Stone

O Lord,

You who lift us up in our time of need,

holding us tenderly in the palm of your hand like a parent cradling his newborn child,

teach us to remember your love,

to feel the joy of your presence,

to express the gratitude of our hearts at your faithfulness,

and may we remember you all the days of our lives.

Amen.

Aunt Ruth???

2010-12-15T04:59:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-16

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab…

…Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.

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Are you familiar with the story of Ruth? If not, you should go read this short, but beautiful story, only four chapters long. In short, Ruth was a Moabite woman married to a Hebrew man, whose mother was a widow named Naomi. (click here to read Ruth online: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth&version=NIV)

Ruth's husband and his brother both died, leaving Naomi in a very unenviable position, having no men left in her family to care for her. She instructed Naomi and Orpah(her other daughter-in-law) to go back to their people. Ruth refused to abandon Naomi, and instead returned with her to Bethlehem.

Through a series of events, guided by Naomi, guided by God (!), Ruth met Boaz, who became their kinsman redeemer. What does this have to do with the Christmas story?

Ruth and Boaz married and had a son, Obed, whose son was Jesse, father of David. Yes that David -- as in 'from the house and lineage of David'; and so we get the “genealogy of Jesus”.

It may have looked, at times, as if the Jewish nation might never survive to bring the Messiah. But remember; while we make our way through the tall grass and can, at times, see only what is in front of us, the Lord God's perspective is from the mountaintop, where He sees all.

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Questions:

1. Have you ever read the story of Ruth?

2. Do you find it incredible that the line to Jesus actually made it?

3. In what other ways have you recently allowed yourself to be amazed by God?

May we trust His plans and perspective above our own. Pastor Jim

ListenDaily – 14 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #7 s

2010-12-14T05:02:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 14 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #7

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17

The Genealogy of Jesus

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ

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There is another miraculous story concerning Isaac -- not only his birth, but also the prevention of his death. We know the story from Genesis 17, Abraham taking Isaac up on the mountain, directed by God. He binds Isaac to the altar, and as he prepares to sacrifice his only son, and angel calls out and stops him:

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.

One thing that happened here -- the line we spoke of yesterday, the creation of the Hebrew nation, and the lineage to the Messiah was created.

There is another picture in this story.

The world becomes blessed because Abraham did not withhold his son, his only son, and his son was spared. God did not require of Abraham, what he would later require of Himself.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son --

God did not withhold his Son, His only Son either -- and the world was saved.

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Questions:

1. Do you ever consider the faith of Abraham as part of the Christmas story?

2. Do you think that God was providing an everlasting perspective; His sacrifice would be ever greater than what He asks of us?

3. Do you ever consider how your individual acts of obedience (or disobedience) may affect the world?

ListenDaily – 13 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #6

2010-12-13T07:31:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 13 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #6

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17

The Genealogy of Jesus
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ
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Generations before -- fourteen generations before -- the birth of Christ, came another miraculous birth.

Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

As with John the Baptist, as with our Lord, we have here a heavenly message, an unexpected child, a name bestowed by God Himself.

The first blessing, a son of a man and a woman, but made possible only by the hand of God. Not only was Isaac born...the nation of Israel was born -- and the lineage to the Messiah was begun. As this child was born, Abraham and Sarah must have looked with such love at this miraculous child, with a promised, but impossible to understand the miracle within him.

God must have also looked with love upon this child -- and on down through the centuries -- through Boaz -- and David -- past Solomon – to another miraculous Child, a second blessing -- a child of a woman, yet the Son of God -- the birth of a new people -- a new church – and on even further to the New Heaven and New Earth.

Questions:

1. Do you ever consider the faith of Abraham and Sarah as part of the Christmas story?

2. Is it important, as we mature in the faith, to look for these connections?

3. Do you ever consider how your individual acts of obedience (or disobedience) may affect the world?

May we obey and trust Him. Jim

"It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself."
Charles Dickens

ListenDaily – 10 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #5

2010-12-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 10 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #5

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-2,16; Mark 1:1-3; Luke 1:26-28; John 1:1-5

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers...the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Matthew 1:1-2,16

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" "a voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' Mark 1:1-3

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:26-28

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5

All four Gospels do not tell the Christmas story. This 'Christmas surprise' may not be a surprise at all to many of you, but it may to some. After reading a hack job on the Gospels written in a popular weekly news magazine, I felt this is important.

Imagine four books on a table in front of you. One is the actual engineering diagrams for the construction of the vehicle. One is

a 'do-it-yourself' book for shade tree mechanics. One describes complete vehicle overhaul for professionals. And the last is the

user's manual.

Which book is correct? Which one is wrong?

Silly questions, right? They are all correct, they just have a different readership in mind.

And so it is with the four Gospels.

Matthew was written to the Jews. Note the genealogy. It's as if to say. 'Look, this Baby, this Man, fits in exactly with the teachings of the prophets, he fulfills all that we have been looking for!'

Mark, in contrast, was written to a largely Roman audience. The Romans of the time were interested in action -- think of the gladiators -- the games. The old Jewish prophecies meant little if anything to them. So Mark jumps straight in. They didn't want to know about babies and cattle stalls, they wanted action!

Luke's writing, which includes the book of Acts, was a contracted piece. He was commissioned to find the details of this Christianity business. His audience was primarily the philosophy discussing, logic seeking Greek pepole. As with the Romans, the prophecies meant little. But the details -- the details were the story.

John is a completely different story all together. John's audience knew the story. They were the early church...John was a 'how to live' book for new believers.

So these four books, all written about Jesus, are all true, all accurate, and without the so-called contradictions that so much of the academic and popular media world would put on them.

We, however -- we who are 'in the world but not of the world', have a responsibility to gain knowledge -- to know when the world is trying to dupe us, to weaken our faith, and to make unbelievers less open to the Gospel.

Questions:

1. Any new news for you here today?

2. What do you think of this perspective?

3. Why does the world treat the Word off God this way?

May we know what we should know. Jim

Christmas Surprise #3

2010-12-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 08 December 2010: Christmas Surprise #3

Scripture: Luke 1:35-46, 56

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another very familiar part of this beloved story, is that of the shepherds. We know that the angels appeared to them and they rushed off to see the Babe in the manger.

Okay...but what then?

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

And what is the significant 'Christmas surprise' here?

It seems to me, that we have the idea that when Jesus began His ministry, some thirty years later, that He kind of came out of nowhere. Wild man John was preaching that the Messiah's time was near, but did anyone have any reason to believe him?

Well, maybe. You see, thirty years earlier, as much younger men, these shepherds had seen this glorious sight, and had been told, by angels, that this was the 'Savior...Christ the Lord'. And they saw that Baby with their own eyes. And 'they spread the word'.

So maybe, just maybe, they had spent the next thirty years waiting for Him. They had met Mary. They had met Joseph. So when Jesus revealed His identity, there was a group of old shepherds, and those whom they had told, who must have said "Yes! Finally! His time is here!"

Among a sea of doubters and unbelievers was a core of those who knew -- and their friends that they told, and their children that they told – and who were a gift to Jesus, from His Father.

Questions:

1. Have you ever thought about what these shepherds thought and did in the years following Jesus' birth?

2. What do you think of the perspective presented here?

3. Do you think Jesus began His ministry with a core group of believers?

May we continue to appreciate His plans and preparations for us. Pastor Jim

ListenDaily – 06 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #1

2010-12-06T15:07:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 06 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #1

Hi friends,

While reading and rereading the 'Christmas' story, it strikes me that there are many interesting stories within the story. So, let's take a few days and see what we can find. Jim

Scripture: Luke 1:35-46,56 (Highlight verse: 56)

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed:

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We know this story, right? Two miraculous pregnancies. Elizabeth's, miraculous because of her advanced age, and her cousin Mary's, miraculous for her child's conception was from the Holy Spirit.

But was Mary there at the birth of John the Baptizer? Let's look at the time line; Gabriel appears to Mary, and among the wondrous things he tells her, is the fact that Elizabeth -- is in her sixth month -- then, Mary -- hurried to -- Zechariah's home -- where she stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. This time frame would have put Mary with Elizabeth at the time of John's birth.

Now, this is not amazing unto itself -- it would be common for a relative to help in the last stages of pregnancy, especially with an older mother-to-be. But what else happened here that might have significance? Consider this:

1. Mary saw, for herself, the miracle of Elizabeth's pregnancy and John's birth. Would that not give some confidence to a young girl facing such a tremendous miracle herself?

2. She received affirmation -- as soon as she entered the house and Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" So then, came a blessing, and a blessed response to lingering doubts Mary might have been experiencing.

3. She was able to spend those first difficult three months with family, and away from the accusing stares and whispers of her neighbors. Not that they would not come, but she had three months to prepare herself. Elizabeth knew the miracle surrounding Mary's condition and would have treated her with love and respect. She would have returned strengthened.

God was putting a tremendous blessing and a tremendous burden on the small shoulders of this remarkable girl.

Surely this time spent with Elizabeth and Zechariah was part of His plan to prepare her -- and prepare the world.

Questions:

1. Have you ever considered Mary being present at John's birth?

2. What do you think of the perspective presented here?

3. What other benefits might there have been in this visit?

May we appreciate His plans and preparations for us. Jim

God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life, that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus." -Jim Elliot

"I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust."

2010-12-03T15:44:00.001-08:00

"I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust."

ListenDaily – 03 December 2010: Trust = joy, peace, hope

Joy, peace, and hope -- do you have all you need of these?

Are you as joyful as you can be -- as you want to be? As peaceful? As full of hope?

You can be.

This Sunday, Lord willing, I will be presenting a message based partially on Romans 15:4-13. Each day this week we will look at a portion of that passage, today, verse 13:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“

As you trust in Him, God stands waiting to fill you with joy; fill you with peace; overflow you with hope.

Filled to overflowing with joy, peace, and hope. Could you stand a little more of these?
Trust Him.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS
"Believe in Him and not trust in Him? You might as well say, the Jews did love Him when they nailed Him to the cross." Anthony Farindon

"I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust." Hudson Taylor

ListenDaily – 02 December 2010: Your King

2010-12-02T16:20:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 02 December 2010: Your King

This Sunday, Lord willing, I will be presenting a message based partially on Romans 15:4-13 (entire passage below). Each day this week we will look at a portion of that passage, today, verses 10-12:

As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”

Again, it says,
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

This is written to and about almost everyone reading this; if you are not Jewish - you are Gentile.

And, this is good news indeed! Look at the progression of this passage:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles...” First, members of God's chosen people have come among the rest of us, praising God. This happened in Old Testament times, and again in the time of the early church.
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” Then have been invited to join His chosen ones. The OT Israelites were called to this; the disciples of Christ's early church, all Jewish, and especially Paul. carried out the invitation.

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles..." Joined together, we are to begin praising Him.

"...let all the peoples extol him.” In perfection, Jews and Gentiles together!

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” The King who has come and is to come again will rule over all and He is our Savior!

In Him we have hope! And, "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

INTERESTING THOUGHT
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” from The 1646 Westminster Confession

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”
Again, it says,
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Glory!

2010-12-01T17:23:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 01 December 2010:Done any glorifying lately?

This Sunday, Lord willing, I will be presenting a message at my church, based partially on Romans 15:4-13 (entire passage below). Each day this week we will look at a portion of that passage, today, verses 7-9:

"For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy."

What a pre-Christmas message this is for us! Just look at these steps:

"For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews..." Jesus, the Son of God, ruling in Heaven, stepped down out of Heaven, willingly took on human form, first as a physically helpless newborn, then as a servant.

"...on behalf of God’s truth..." Because all God had ever said must come true.

"...so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed..." And all the prophecies fulfilled.

"... moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." And that you and I might receive His salvation and glorify His Father.

I am overwhelmed at how often we take this word for granted; I am not sure the last time I glorified God. I have prayed to Him, preached about Him, and sung about Him. Have I glorified Him? Have you?

The 1646 Westminster confession stated: “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Have we seen to our "chief end"?

Paul repeats in this passage that we are to glorify God; what does that mean to you?

INTERESTING THOUGHT
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”
Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

ListenDaily – 30 November 2010: Osama bin Laden?

2010-11-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 30 November 2010: Osama bin Laden?

This Sunday, Lord willing, I will be presenting a message at my church, based partially on Romans 15:4-13 (entire passage below). Each day this week we will look at a portion of that passage, today, verses 5-6:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As I said yesterday, the Scriptures are a gift from God. In this season we think often about gifts, as we celebrate the greatest Gift ever given, may we remember that God has a storehouse of gifts for us! Paul hoped here that those reading his letter would receive this other gift, this "same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had".

Can you imagine?

God has this gift for us -- do we want it? Do we want to see others as Christ sees them? It sounds great in theory, looks great on paper, but are we anxious to see others that way? Are we ready to look at Billy Graham as a worthless sinner only worthy through the precious blood of Christ? Are we ready to see Osama bin Laden as just as worthy as Billy to receive grace?

Or a bit closer to home; are we ready to see the lady who knocked us out of the way to grab the last sale item at Wal Mart as Jesus sees her? How about the guy that just cut us off on the highway?

I don't see these people the way Christ does, but I think I want to. Because, beyond all that stuff, I want them to join me, join you, so that together we may "glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
INTERESTING THOUGHT
"The Bible is either absolute, or it's obsolete." Leonard Ravenhill

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”
Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A gift

2010-11-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 29 November 2010: From the cradle to the cross; before and after
This Sunday, Lord willing, I will be presenting a message at my church, based partially on Romans 15:4-13 (entire passage below). Each day this week we will look at a portion of that passage, today, verse 4:

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

Paul gave this encouragement to the church he was writing to; the Scriptures (what we know as the Old Testament), the Law Books, the history books, the books of wisdom, and the books of the Prophets, were a gift, not only to the people of the past, but to the people of his day as well.

To you today, I can say with all confidence, that everything contained in our Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, were a gift to the people of the day in which they were written, and to us. A gift to teach and encourage us.

Be thankful friends, for that gift.

INTERESTING THOUGHT
"The Bible is either absolute, or it's obsolete." Leonard Ravenhill

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”

Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

ListenDaily – 26 November 2010: Days of thanks, part 3

2010-11-26T15:45:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 26 November 2010: Days of thanks, part 3

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God's. "
James 1:17 & Luke 20:25

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have you ever heard Tony Evans preach? Man! Not only does he really deliver, but what he delivers is good stuff. On my way to my wife's parent's house for turkey and all yesterday, we caught part of Dr. Evans on the radio. He talked about those situations, familiar to many parents, when your child asks you for some money -- in order to buy you a birthday or Christmas present. While my wife and I giggled, along with thousands of other listeners I am sure, he went on to make a good point, no, a great point.

It is the thought that counts, right? If our child has the right thought, the right heart, but not the means - then by giving them that money, we are providing them the means to bless us. We are enabling them to do what is right. When they take what is ours and return a gift, it is less the gift that we appreciate, than the act of giving. And we want them to give. Not because we are greedy and want our kids to give us stuff, but because cheerful, honest, loving giving draws us closer.

And so it is between our Father and us; we have nothing that we did not receive from Him.

He doesn't need the stuff we have; He wants us to give. It is our act of giving that draws us closer to Him.

May we be thankful to God for what He gives us, and be thankful for opportunities, not obligations, to give back. May we be thankful that we come closer to Him when we give that way.

Thanks Dr. Evans.

INTERESTING THOUGHT
"When you get stubborn on God, you start going backwards.
When you tell God "I am going to have my own way."
God says "Fine. You are on your way back to Egypt."

From Time to Get Serious: Daily Devotions to Keep You Close to God By Tony Evans

Days of thanks, part 2

2010-11-25T03:59:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 5 November 2010: Days of thanks, part 2

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.
I Thessalonians 5:16-19

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rejoice always - "Rejoice" means to feel great joy and delight. If the Scriptures call us to do this, it means God will provide us with what we need to feel great delight!

Pray without ceasing - Does not mean constantly on your knees, with your eyes closed and hands folded. Prayer is conversation, talking and listening to God. To "pray without ceasing" means to always be aware of that the Spirit is always - without ceasing - with you; always - without ceasing - bringing God's Word to you; and always - without ceasing - carrying your cares to the ears of the Father.

Give thanks in all circumstances - Thank God for the good in the good circumstances; and thank Him that you don't have to face the bad circumstances alone.

This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. "This" = always giving thanks, always rejoicing, always praying. Oh, and this is God's will. For you.

That and this: Do not quench the Spirit. Don't put out the fire!

-- Don't let the flame die out in your own life by refusing to rejoice and be thankful. Ever-awareness of the Spirit fans the flames!

-- Don't let anger and resentment in your home douse the flames. Strive to rejoice, give thanks, and pray, and lead your family to it.

-- And oh friends, don't quench the Spirit in your church. Don't choke the fire out of the Body by suffocating it by pleasing man instead of God in worship. Don't let the life get sucked out of the fire in committee meetings by leaning on human wisdom and understanding and not completely trusting God. Don't drown His power by staying out of the world - or by letting church become a worldly place.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pastor Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT
Mac and Cheese thanks:
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9B021NNU

A confession

2010-11-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 24 November 2010: Days of thanks

Here is hoping you will indulge me in a little Thanksgiving break. Writing ListenDaily means a lot to me. I learn from my preparation, both study and time spent hearing God. I learn from your responses and I learn while answering your questions. "You", the readers, include members of my family, my church family, some of my closest friends, some acquaintances, and as this has spread and is forwarded daily, most of you I don't even know. It will be a blessing to meet you in Glory!

As we are one day before Thanksgiving holiday, I really wanted to say the following to you, from Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus:

"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers."

If it were only true.

I do give thanks for you, but I cannot say, truthfully, that "I have not stopped". And to be honest, I often forget you in my prayers.

I am going to spend the next few days asking God to help me with that, to help me remember to be thankful for the blessing that is you. And to remember that "you" are youth dealing with bullies, college applications, crazy schedules and absent parents. "You" are Moms and Dads raising children in the craziness of this world. "You" are sick, "you" are grieving over loved ones who have died, "you" are grieving because someone you love up and left. "You" are trying, along with me, to figure out what God wants you to do. "You" are hurting. "You" are rejoicing.

"You" need my prayers.

And I need yours.

"You" are trying; me too. And I will try keep giving thanks for you and to not forget you in my prayers.

I hope you can give thanks tomorrow, and be happy while doing it! (Happy Thanksgiving!) Pastor Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT (THANKS to Don Moen!): http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=ZKD6LNNX

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son

And now let the weak say "I am strong"
Let the poor say "I am rich" because of what the Lord has done for us

ListenDaily – 22 November 2010: Developing Understanding; Evangelism = Love

2010-11-22T13:47:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 22 November 2010: Developing Understanding; Evangelism = Love

OK, so we have it in mind to obey the "Great Commission":

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

Good. Jesus said it, we should do it.

Period.

Well, not really "period" - more like we should do it "comma". You see, everything Jesus taught was important, and we cannot grab one thing and run without some understanding of the entirety of His teaching. We can't go forward with the Great Commission without taking whole of the Great Commandment. My friend and spiritual brother, Randy Chambers, uses the term "GC squared" (GC2) when teaching his Fellowship of Christian Athletes charges.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

1 John 5:3 tells us that to love God is to obey His commands.

His most important command? Love Him with all we have.

Right beside it is to love others all we can.

So then, if we are to respond to the Great Commission, it must be in response to love of God, and love of His people.

And we must love them while we are doing it.

Period.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Questions:
1. Have you ever seen some one acting mean or nasty while evangelizing "in Jesus' Name"?
2. How effective were they?
3. How do you think we should do it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we say and do as God wants us to. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT:

We are the Bibles the world is reading;
We are the creeds the world is needing;
We are the sermons the world is heeding.
Billy Graham

Shhhhhh....listen....

2010-11-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 18 November 2010: Wisdom from a friend

Hello friends,

We continue our look at how Jesus talked about the Gospel with an outsider, today, from John 4:10-15:

In response to this passage:

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) "Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

I replied:

I know I keep repeating this -- but it is so important; I am not showing you this to get you to memorize some principles used by the Rabbi, the Teacher. So far, these Divine principles look something like this:

Go where people are.
Talk to them.
Be nice.
Let them talk.
Don't be offended by natural questions.
Tell them that once you got something good, and there's plenty to share.
You will never be able to make a decision for someone else.
God is God.
You're not, but you can plant.
I'm not either, but I can water.
God will still be in charge of making it grow.

My dear friend Sharon responded:

When you say "let them talk" I think it is so important that We REALLY listen-- I feel that very few people are what I would call GOOD listeners-- this includes Christians-- people are always so much more interested in talking it seems then being quiet and just listening-blessings, Sharon

Anyone besides me feeling convicted?

Does God take time to listen to us? Or is He too busy, too much in a hurry, or consider us not as important as His agenda?

The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. 2 Chronicles 30:27

And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea. 2 Chronicles 33:13

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2

God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Psalm 66:19

God, who knows what we are going to say before we speak, yet listens, really listens, because He knows how important it is for us to speak and be heard.

How important, when we are sharing who God is, that we reflect this attribute...by listening.

More tomorrow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. What do you think about this perspective?
2. It is always important to listen, how could being a good listener help in sharing Christ? How about NOT listening?
3. Any thoughts on this so far?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we try to listen like God. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT:

"No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument." Philip Yancey

ListenDaily – 16 November 2010: 4th in the series...be a gardener

2010-11-16T11:18:00.001-08:00

ListenDaily – 16 November 2010: 4th in the series...be a gardener

Hello friends,

We continue our look at how Jesus talked about the Gospel with an outsider, today, from John 4:10-15:

Other than the whole "why is a Jewish guy talking to a Samaritan woman" thing, and without stopping to pay strict attention; I think this would appear to be a fairly benign conversation If you were a passerby. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Jesus just offered up the Great Gift -- the Living Water. Notice how He doesn't follow that with a sermon. He simply pauses and lets her speak; it's a bit confusing and she, understandably, has questions. "Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

Now in words she will not completely understand, but that will cause desire, He continues, just two sentences. Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

And....The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

I know I keep repeating this -- but it is so important; I am not showing you this to get you to memorize some principles used by the Rabbi, the Teacher. So far, these Divine principles look something like this:

Go where people are.
Talk to them.
Be nice.
Let them talk.
Don't be offended by natural questions.
Tell them that once you got something good, and there's plenty to share.

Maybe they will jump right in. Maybe they will jump in later with someone else; maybe they never will. What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3: 5-9

A few more principles:

You will never be able to make a decision for someone else.
God is God.
You're not, but you can plant.
I'm not either, but I can water.
God will still be in charge of making it grow.

More tomorrow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Questions? Comments?
2. What do you think of this approach?
3. Are you willing to try?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we trust God to be God. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT:

"No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument." Philip Yancey

ListenDaily – 12 November 2010: Love or death?

2010-11-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 12 November 2010: Love or death?

Hello friends,

"If you died today, do you know where you would spend eternity?"

This question is often used in programs that teach evangelism methods. I am not saying there is never a place for this question; but if asked to someone cold, that is, without any relationship, or having built a context in some way for the question, I wonder what effect this has on non-believers?

Most people do not like to discuss death.

Most people are interested in getting something that benefits them, receiving a gift.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:9-10

The greatest power that we have available to us is the love of God. It is my humble opinion that we should lead with our best, we should lead with His love.

I am not attacking other evangelism teaching or methods, just suggesting we consider different tools for different people.

And I really like using the tools Jesus used.

More tomorrow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. I hope I have not, but if I have offended you, will you please reply?
2. What do you think of this approach?
3. Are you willing to try?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we trust God's love. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT:

"No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument." Philip Yancey
[Copy selction]

ListenDaily – 10 November 2010: Closing the deal

2010-11-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 10 November 2010: Closing the deal

Hello friends,

Today we continue our discussion about how we share Jesus with others, while looking at one way Jesus did it. Please -- please -- remember, this is not about a formula, where we would try to copy a specific sequence or specific words. This is simply a look at one event, and to see how we could look for similarities in our world, and try to act in a similar manner, in a similar situation. It is also to see just how ordinary the situation was, and how something extraordinary came out of it.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:9-10

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reflecting on yesterday's reading, we saw that Jesus stopped to get a drink of water, at a place that was on His way, and he began a polite, kind conversation.

What do we see in this passage? We see that once she was gently engaged, this woman continued the conversation, with an objection and a question. Jesus saw and seized this opportunity to share something amazing, and then waited for her response. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

What might happen if we were in a similar situation, and if we had followed the principles from yesterday's reading (been constantly in prayer, spoke kindly, and were not pushy) and then, after the other person engages in the conversation, we told them something amazing -- then stopped?

Well, as many people as you might meet, there are that many possibilities. Some might not engage with you. Some might ignore you. Some might respond...

We must trust the Scriptures and trust the work the Spirit is doing. Trust that the Holy Spirit has been wooing this other person since birth, and wants to help you talk to them. Trust that "one plants, one waters, but only God makes it grow".

We don't have to 'close the deal'.

Think about it.

More tomorrow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Will you ask God, right now, for an opportunity to share Jesus today?
2. Does this make you anxious or nervous?
3. Are you willing to try?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we trust God to do His work. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHT:

"No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument." Philip Yancey

"No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument."

2010-11-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

ListenDaily – 09 November 2010: “No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument.”
Hello friends,

You know, it’s a very important thing, that we share Jesus with others; Jesus commanded that we do so. (He also commanded that we disciple them, but that’s for another time). And yet, I don’t think the church does a very good job of it, and I don’t think the church does a great job of teaching people to do it. (When I say “the church” I am referring to the worldwide church, not a particular local church or denomination.) Further, I think many of the “evangelism programs”, well meaning though they be, do more harm than good. Author Philip Yancey once said “No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument.”

All that being said, let’s take a look at how Jesus shared himself with a non-believer.

One way to tell someone about Jesus – the way Jesus did (from John 4:1-26)

We must remember a few things:

Jesus, being the Son of God, had a clearer discernment than we have
That being said, the same Holy Spirit that provided for Jesus, provides for us
Jesus did not doubt who He was
Not all people will respond as this woman did

Still—I think there is much to learn about sharing Christ by studying how Christ did it.

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) John 4:1-8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first notable thing that jumps out to me is the ‘when and where’ Jesus evangelized to this woman. He took the opportunity when and where He was.

“So he came to a town in Samaria...Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.”

In Samaria, by the well, at noon.

He did not avoid Samaria as was the Jewish practice, He simply stopped along the way.

He sat down by the well. A gathering place, a meeting place. A coffee shop? Wal Mart? The mall?

He was there at noon. He was there when others were likely to come.

“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” “

He spoke—He was kind.

The very act of a man, especially a Jewish man, speaking to a Samaritan woman, was an act of kindness.

He spoke—period.

How else to begin a conversation about Jesus, than to begin a conversation.

He spoke—and spoke neutral words.

No accusatory questions to open the dialogue. No damnation. No holier-than-thou (though He was the one guy that was!). He wasn’t pushy.

He waited for her response.

Friends, Jesus has commanded you and I to go, spread the Good News. Have you ever told anyone, any non-believer, about Jesus? I do not believe in formulas, but this is one way, and Jesus ought to be a pretty good example.

We know that Jesus stayed in contact with the Father, and we should do all we do as people of prayer.
Go where you usually go.
Stop where it makes sense to stop.
Go to a place when and where someone will likely be there.
Be kind.
Talk to someone, continuing to be kind. Don’t be pushy. Wait for their response, just to this.

More tomorrow!

Questions:
1. Where is our Samaria? Why do we avoid it?
2. Have you ever introduced someone to Christ?
3. Are you willing to try?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we hear Jesus calling us out to the world. Jim
INTERESTING THOUGHT:
“No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument.” Philip Yancey

ListenDaily – 05 November 2010: Know!

2010-11-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 05 November 2010: Know!

Hello friends,

Greetings! Today we will look at the fifth and last verse of Be Thou My Vision. I appreciate your indulgence as I strayed from the usual focus on Scripture, but I was led to do this, this week.

If you are unfamiliar with this song, here is a nice version by Selah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FOBdoNIEk8

The fourth verse:

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm going to look at these lines out of order - it won't rhyme - but we'll put it back before we sing it!

O bright Heaven’s Sun!

"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." Revelation 21:23

Heart of my own heart,

"This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." 1 John 3:19-23

whatever befall, still be my Vision,

Lord, be my vision, still, no matter what happens, Lord still, still be all that I see and may I still see all as You see it. "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:13

O Ruler of all. High King of Heaven,

“As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me..." Romans 14:11 "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords..." 1 Timothy 6:15 "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." Revelation 17:14

my victory won,

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” "He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:54 & 57) "Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world." (1 John 5:4) Friends, this victory, your victory, is already won! Which is why...

May I reach Heaven’s joys,

Which is why I must say this. And this is not a criticism, I understand these words, and the time in which they were written. But - and I only say this because it is so very important - there is no "may". One is either saved or not. And you can know! "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13) I don't want to make too much of this, but I hear this kind of talk regularly, from people in the church. Scripture after Scripture tells us how to be saved and that we can be assured that we are. Be assured! And if, right now, you are not absolutely sure of your eternity, call or write me, let's talk about it.

Questions:
1. So, what do you think?
2. Find a quiet place, read and maybe even sing this entire hymn( lyrics below). Any new thoughts after this week's readings?
3. Are you sure of your salvation?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we listen and pray as we sing. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

ListenDaily – 04 November 2010: Treasure

2010-11-04T11:26:00.002-07:00

ListenDaily – 04 November 2010: Treasure

Hello friends,

Greetings! Today we will look at the fourth verse of Be Thou My Vision.

If you are unfamiliar with this song, here is a nice version by Selah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FOBdoNIEk8

The fourth verse:

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may have heard me say this before; I divide hymns into two types. There are those sung about God, in the third person ("He lives! He lives"), and those sung in the second person, sung to God, using "You", or "Thou", or "Thee", these are more than hymns, they are prayers. Consider that while you look at this fourth verse. Consider saying or singing it as a prayer. What are you saying to God? I struggle with this sometimes, because I know I am not singing, praying, words that are completely true. Is God always first in my heart?

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Roughly translated:

I will not be swayed or turned away from You for any worldly wealth, or anything anone has to say.
All I need to receive, in Eternity, and presently, is You.
You are first to me, there is nothing between You and I.
You God, are the only Treasure.

Questions:
1. Does it change the way you think of this or any other prayer-type hymn?
2. I struggle with being able to sing this and be completely true. How about you?
3. Mine is not a definitive interpretation, what does this hymn say to you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we pray. Jim

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

ListenDaily – 03 November 2010: Be Thou my Battle Shield

2010-11-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 03 November 2010: Be Thou my Battle Shield

Hello friends,

Greetings! Today we will look at the third verse of Be Thou My Vision.

If you are unfamiliar with this song, here is a nice version by Selah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FOBdoNIEk8

The third verse:

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For this verse, let us consider the following Scriptures:

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. from Ephesians 6

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. Revelation 21:1-7

Questions:
1. Have you ever taken the time to 'decipher' this hymn?
2. Have you done it with others?
3. Mine is not a definitive interpretation, what does this hymn say to you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we recognize the power He brings within us. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

ListenDaily – 02 November 2010: Be Thou my Wisdom h

2010-11-02T05:23:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily – 02 November 2010: Be Thou my Wisdom
Hello friends,

As you may have read yesterday, one of our choirs did a beautiful rendition of Be Thou my Vision, and it inspired me to wrote about that hymn.

If you are unfamiliar with this song, here is a nice version by Selah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FOBdoNIEk8

The second verse:
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Paraphrased and Scripture-ized:
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; As the Scriptures tell us, and as we know, at least intellectually, God is far wiser than we are, and He desires to lead us. When we sing “Be Thou my Wisdom” I think we are pledging to live out that which we believe. To acknowledge Him and His wisdom in our every day lives. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Again, when we sing this, are we not declaring to believe what Jesus said? “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.“* And are we not agreeing to follow Paul’s instruction to “Pray without ceasing“**? For if God is ever with us, are we not in constant communication with Him? (*Matthew 28:20, **1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. What an amazing statement this is! Let us not just say or sing it lightly! We are saying that the almighty, all-knowing, omnipotent, omniscient, Creator, Jehovah God has taken up residence with us, inside us. This is true for us as individuals, if we have accepted it. And, oh my, to sing this in a group, a choir or a congregation, and to say in one voice that the Holy Spirit of God makes us one in Him.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

Questions:
1. Have you ever taken the time to ‘decipher’ this hymn?
2. Have you done it with others?
3. Mine is not a definitive interpretation, what does this hymn say to you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we recognize the power He brings within us. Jim.
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

ListenDaily – 01 November 2010: Be Thou my Vision

2010-11-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 01 November 2010: Be Thou my Vision
Hello friends,

I decided to take a short break from writing this summer, as my family was involved in buying a house. Buying turned into moving, then came the summer mission trip, a visit to my parents, back to school for my kids and myself, and shoulder surgery, and oh, so many other lame excuses.
I was so moved by one of our choir’s anthems yesterday that I had to write about it—so here we go. They did a beautiful rendition of Be Thou my Vision, with a wonderful piano and brass accompaniment. If you are unfamiliar with this song, here is a nice version by Selah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FOBdoNIEk8
There are five verses to this hymn, and though they are not taken from a particular piece of Scripture, the Scripture is rife throughout. We will look at one verse each day this week.

“The Story Behind ‘Be Thou My Vision’ is a very touching one. For St. Patrick’s Day, read the story behind this very moving song and consider how the pure, authentic worship of God can, does, and will move anyone who beholds it. “Be Thou My Vision” is a hymn derived from an 8th century Irish folk song. It expresses a desire for God’s hand in our lives and a longing to be in His presence. The first words are credited to Dallan Forgaill in a work entitled, Rob tu mo bhoile, a Comdi cride. Mary Bryne, in Dublin, Ireland, first translated the entire Irish folk song into English in 1905. Eleanor H. Hull converted the lyrics to “Be Thou My Vision” into verse in 1905. The folk song got its start in Ireland around 433 AD, when on the night before Easter; St. Patrick defied a royal decree by lighting candles. High King Logaire of Tara had traditionally lit a fire beginning a pagan spring festival. It was his order that no one could light a fire before him on this night. When Logaire learned of St. Patrick’s arrogance and beheld the singing of ‘Be Thou My Vision’, he was so impressed he let him continue services. Because of St. Patrick’s bravery, or perhaps ignorance, ” Be Thou My Vision” has come from being a simple folk song to a hymn that is known for its gentleness. It is through tales such as these, time seems to disappear when we are confronted with the work of an Almighty God.” (from http://vesselproject.com/2010/03/05/be-thou-my-vision/)

The first verse:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Let us paraphrase and draw meaning from plainer if less poetic words:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Lord, be my vision, be all that I see and may I see all as You see it.
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. You are everything to me, may everything else be as nothing.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, All day long, of all the things. that enter my mind, You are the absolute best.
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. Whether awake or asleep, You are the Light of my world.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Revelation 21:23

Questions:
1. Have you ever taken the time to ‘decipher’ this hymn?
2. Have you done it with others?
3. Mine is not a definitive interpretation, what does this hymn say to you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

ListenDaily – 28 June 2010: Covenant?

2010-06-28T07:05:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily – 28 June 2010: Covenant?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Good morning friends! Lord willing, my wife and I will be closing on a new home today at 1 p.m., and will be moving and cleaning and cleaning and painting and painting and...well, you get the picture. I am not sure when our internet service will be connected at the new house, hopefully soon. Until then, I will be taking a short break from writing, but not from praying. May I ask you to pray for my family, during this time of stress, change, and upheaval, that we keep a 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 covenant with God and each other? Maybe you would like to consider doing it too:

1 - Be joyful always
2 - Pray continually
3 - Give thanks in all circumstances
4 - Remember that this is God's will for us

Thank you, Pastor Jim

ListenDaily – 23 June 2010: Is it ever like this?

2010-06-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 23 June 2010: Is it ever like this?

"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Luke 22:39-46

I'm not sure what else to say about "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" but I feel like something else should be said. I mean, this whole idea of honest communication with God is huge. Jesus went on to pray "more earnestly", so much so that He was sweating -- like He was bleeding. That makes me stop and think, do I pray earnestly? I have never gone through anything like what Jesus was preparing to do, but do my prayers even have a fraction of that intensity?

I am not saying every time we talk to God should be like this, nor do I mean that we should try to work up some kind of prayer frenzy, or compare our prayers and circumstances exactly with His. But to have honest prayer. Earnest prayer. Intense prayer. Fervent prayer. ("The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.") So focused going in that we insist upon privacy. So intense that it affects us physically. So incredibly honest that we are saying exactly what is on our mind, without holding back.

And so completely submitted that we are ready to, with all our being, move in the direction that God sends us.

Run to God.

Pour out your heart, all the good, bad, everything.

How He loves you!

Questions:
1. What do the terms "fervent prayer" and "earnest prayer" mean to you?
2. Have you ever prayed in such a way?
3. Should there be times when you do? When?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness."
William Carey

"You must pray with all your might. That does not mean saying your prayers, or sitting gazing about in church or chapel with eyes wide open while someone else says them for you. It means fervent, effectual, untiring wrestling with God...This kind of prayer be sure the devil and the world and your own indolent, unbelieving nature will oppose. They will pour water on this flame." William Booth

ListenDaily – 22 June 2010: A question of honesty

2010-06-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 22 June 2010: A question of honesty

"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Luke 22:39-46

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

My very good friend Randy responded to yesterday's reading with the following: "I believe the whole of scripture directs us to pray confidently (even boldly) for both our needs and our desires. But our desires must always be subject to pleasing God. Psalm 37 says "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." If we focus on the desire, then we are not delighting in the LORD. Jesus' heartfelt desire to avoid the coming imputation of sin and separation from the Godhead is indeed understandable ... and it is not sin. Neither is it sin on our part if we find obedience to God to be a fearful thing. And when we pray "yet not my will, but yours be done", it establishes the relationship that God seeks."

Thanks, Randy, and I could not agree more. Further, what else can we say to God but the honest truth? Even if we question whether or not we are in His will. God knows out thoughts, we must go honestly before Him in order to have a meaningful exchange with Him. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was being less than honest with you? How frustrating! Even if our desire is sinful, God knows, and it is good to tell Him. Not that we should be asking for what we know to be a sinful object/event/activity, but confessing to Him that we are struggling with an improper desire.

You might wonder why we confess something to God if He knows it anyway. We do not pray to God to give Him information, but rather to open the line of communication for us to be informed (and encouraged, strengthened, inspired, relieved, etc...) by Him. If you are a parent, you know how it feels to have your child come running to pour out their heart to you.

Run to God.

Pour out your heart, all the good, bad, everything.

How He loves you!

Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you?
2. What do you think about telling God what He already knows?
3. Is it a concern for you to 'get right' before you pray?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

Better Than A Hallelujah
(Songwriters: Hart, Sarah;Hartford, Chapin)
(See Amy Grant performing this song: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6360145n)

God loves a lullaby in a mother's tears in the dead of night, better than a Hallelujah sometimes
God loves the drunkard's cry; the soldier's plea not to let him die, better than a Hallelujah sometimes
We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

The woman holding on for life, the dying man giving up the fight, better than a Hallelujah sometimes
The tears of shame for what's been done; the silence when the words won't come, better than a Hallelujah sometimes

We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

Better than a church bell ringing, better than a choir singing out, singing out

We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

(Better than a Hallelujah sometimes)
Better than a Hallelujah
(Better than a Hallelujah sometimes)

ListenDaily – 21 June 2010: Which is better?

2010-06-21T12:07:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily – 21 June 2010: Which is better?

"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Luke 22:39-46

This is a tough passage to read over and over, since it's as much my fault as anyone's that Jesus had to go through this. And there are so many things we could discuss; but we will stick with Jesus and prayer. The next verse:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

There are two things in particular, that I would like to take away from this today; one concerns our wishes, the other concerns God's will. This may actually take a few days to discuss as I think this is a sticking point for many of us in prayer -- how do we know if it's OK to pray for a certain thing.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus wanted out. For reasons we, as fellow human beings, can certainly understand for He was preparing to go through a horrific physical ordeal. My guess is, the horror in the flesh was only part of it. I believe things were getting ready to happen in the spiritual realm that we could not begin to comprehend. And Jesus wanted to be relieved from the events of the coming days.

But He had a greater desire -- to please God. He also had the knowledge that the final will of the Father would be the absolute best thing that could possibly happen, and so He completely trusted God and moved forward into His will,

Is it OK to pray for healing, recovery, a relationship, a job, or whatever? Of course. It is absolutely the right thing to do to pray for a desire of your heart, that you do not know to be against the will of God. We should obviously never pray for something we know to be sinful, or purely out of greed. But we must have a desire for the will of God to be accomplished above all else, an understanding that His will is the absolute best thing, and a willingness to move forward into His will.

Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you?
2. What do you think of Jesus' request?
3. How does His prayer in this passage (and the next day's response compare) to your own?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards.
Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him."

"I have seen many men work without praying,
though I have never seen any good come out of it;
but I have never seen a man pray without working."

Hudson Taylor

ListenDaily – 15 June 2010: Don't stop...

2010-06-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 15 June 2010: Don't stop...

HWJHUP? How Would Jesus Have Us Pray?

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8

There is much to this parable, but for the purpose of this discussion I would like to focus on the purpose of the parable: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

"...always pray..."

Hmmm...what did Jesus mean by "always pray? Maybe it's along the lines of Paul's "pray without ceasing", and it certainly applies. I think the "pray without ceasing" idea has to do with a constant awareness of God's presence, as many of you have heard me say. But looking at the context of this parable, I also think there is a teaching here that the answer to everything comes through prayer. It may be that you get a response in prayer, or that praying prepares you for a situation, but "...always pray..." and therefore, always hear.

"...and not give up." Not give up? Not give what up?

Are you being oppressed? Pray and do not give up. God may change the situation; but you will definitely become aware of His presence and His help through your constant prayer.

Do you have a loved one who is not saved? Pray and do not give up. The decision is ultimately theirs to make, but constant prayer will bring you to the place to know what to say, or other people to direct into their lives. My Grandmother spent decades praying for her husband, and he accepted Christ just days before his death.

These are just a couple of examples, the real-life instances for which we need to pray and do not give up are innumerable. The message is just SO vital. We need to pray, pray, pray -- plead to God, cry out to Him, laugh with Him, listen to Him.

We need to "always pray...and not give up."

Questions:
1. How do you feel about 'always praying'?
2. Is there a situation or person for which you have given up praying?
3. Are you ready to start again?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards.
Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him."

"I have seen many men work without praying,
though I have never seen any good come out of it;
but I have never seen a man pray without working."

Hudson Taylor

ListenDaily – 14 June 2010: Pray for who?

2010-06-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily – 14 June 2010: Pray for who?

WWJPF? Who Would Jesus Pray For?
(FWWJP? For my English professors...)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" Matthew 5:43-46

If getting up early and finding a quiet place seems like a challenge -- then how about this teaching; "pray for those who persecute you"? I was privileged to be in prayer with a friend recently, who prayed for someone who had caused him to lose his job. What a humbling experience that was for me -- and yet, it is something Jesus commanded us to do. So, make a list of your persecutors:

A supervisor?

A coworker?

A neighbor?

Can you do, as Jesus commanded, and pray for them? It might be tough, but I bet you can.

On another level, this would cause believers to pray for racists, hate groups, terrorists, persecutors of the faith...

Wow. Really tough -- but still commanded. We might ask ourselves, or you might ask me, do I think it would make a difference to pray for Osama Bin Laden? Absolutely! Oh, I cannot promise that he would find Christ, but what a blessing that would be. However, Jesus never promised that a prayed-for enemy would cease to be an enemy. The change may come for Bin Laden and it may come for me. But, regardless (and I mean 'regardless' in the strongest sense, without any regard!) of the outcome, I will pray for my enemies because Jesus said to. I don't need further explanation; remember, success = obedience.

Questions:
1. Who is on your list of personal persecutors? Are you willing to pray for them?
2. How about those on the 'bigger' list?
3. How might this affect your own prayer?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"Enemy-occupied territory-----that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign in sabotage." C.S. Lewis

"Does loving your enemy mean not punishing him? No, for loving myself does not mean that I ought not subject myself to punishment----even to death. If you had committed a murder, the right Christian thing to do would be to give yourself up to the police and be hanged." C.S. Lewis

ListenDaily – 10 June 2010: Still quiet

2010-06-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 10 June 2010: Still quiet

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:35

WWJP? Where Would Jesus Pray?

Jesus sometimes went off to a "solitary place" to pray.

How important was it to Jesus to have a time and place with just Him and God?

Very important. Important enough that even though it was "very early in the morning", and even though it was "still dark", Jesus "got up", He "left the house", and then He "went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Jesus got up early, probably before everyone else, but that wasn't guarantee enough that He could be alone with the Father. So He left and went to a place that took others some time and effort to find Him. It was that important that He be alone with God.

O.K., so I've used the excuses too. My kids get up early, I need more sleep, the dog has to go out, whatever and whatever.

Jesus got up and did what it took to be alone with God because it was necessary.

It still is.

Questions:
1. Do you have a solitary place in which you can pray?
2. Are you willing to make the effort to find one?
3. How might this affect your own prayer?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do.
Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time, before you Intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory.
Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!"
Andrew Murray

"All the troubles of life come upon us because we refuse to sit quietly for a while each day in our rooms."
Blaise Pascal

ListenDaily – 09 June 2010: More capable?

2010-06-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily – 09 June 2010: More capable?

"They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons."
Mark 1: 21-39

WWJP? Where Would Jesus Pray?

Jesus sometimes went off to a "solitary place" to pray.

Why?

Let's look at the order of events:

- Jesus taught and people were amazed
- He got read of some demons
- News about Him spread
- He healed Simon's mother-in-law
- He also drove out many more demons
- He went to the solitary place to pray
- Simon and his companions look for Him, tell Him "Everyone is looking for you!"
- Jesus tells them:
- "Let us go somewhere else..."
- "...so I can preach there also..."
- and, "...that is why I have come."
-He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Sometimes we think of going off to that "solitary place" because of sadness, failure, or loss - when we are in a dark place. There will be a time later when we see Jesus go off to the garden to pray in a very dark time, but this instance is different. Things appear to be going very well. Maybe He was tired. Maybe He needed direction; He did leave for other areas at this point. The point is this -- it was necessary that Jesus go to the solitary place to talk and listen to God. For whatever reason, He went off alone. If Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of the Most High God, He who came from Heaven...if He needed to spend time alone, just Him and God -- can I expect to need less?

Am I more capable than Jesus of escaping distractions?

Am I more able to hear God's voice than own His begotten Son?

Are you?

Jesus did not always go to the solitary place to pray, but He made a practice of doing it regularly.

We must as well.

Questions:
1. Do you have a solitary place in which you can pray?
2. Is it important that you find one?
3. How might this affect your own prayer?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do.
Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time, before you Intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory.
Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!"
Andrew Murray

"All the troubles of life come upon us because we refuse to sit quietly for a while each day in our rooms."
Blaise Pascal

ListenDaily – 07 June 2010: An interlude; giving and taking away, in memory of Steven Lausier

2010-06-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 07 June 2010: An interlude; giving and taking away, in memory of Steven Lausier

We have been, and will continue tomorrow, studying how to listen to God. But, in listening to Him, I have been given a message I feel compelled to share.

This past Saturday, I attended a funeral, a celebration of life, which is sometimes a trite phrase, but in this case, it really was a celebration. I so appreciate the pastors of Grace Church in Dover, Delaware, as well as the young men and women who shared in the service for making it so. Steven Lausier was the 22 year-young man who had just a few days before left his family and a group of devoted friends, including my son Thomas, after a long battle with cancer.

During the service we sang Matt Redman's "Blessed Your Name", a beautiful song with great lyrics (below), with the singer choosing to bless God's Name, regardless of current circumstances. The song includes the lyrics: "You give and take away, You give and take away, my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name", which is taken from Job 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

It struck me during the service, perhaps a nudge from the Holy Spirit, that we often hear "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" concerning death, inferring that God has just taken someone away.

It made me think. It could be easy to be angry with God for taking Steven, if that is how we perceive it.

But, all the evil in this world, all the illnesses, all the bad stuff comes from the fact the we live in a fallen world, where man by choice, stepped away from the paradise God created for him. I am not trying to debate, or create a semantic argument here; I am just trying to offer a perspective that maybe, just maybe, we could see that God was giving here, not taking away. Or maybe, that He was taking away, but taking away something bad. Steven, like anyone who endured a long illness, was given a new life the day he left this one. He was given health, freedom from pain, and an eternity with his Savior. All the bad in his life was , in the twinkling of an eye, taken away.

That he was taken away from those who love him is due to the evil in the world, which causes death here to occur at all. God's initial perfect will would have been for us to have always lived with Him. It is vital that we remember that all God's gives is, perfect and anything He takes away is something we shouldn't have. That is not to say that you shouldn't have had Steven, but that you should no longer have him the way he was being forced to live. And in fact, you still have him, he has just relocated, and is waiting for you to join him. He is living now with all the good that the Lord "giveth", and without any of the bad stuff at all, for God has "taketh away" all the bad.

Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you?
2. Do you see death as God giving or taking away?
3. Will you pray, right now and in the days to come, for Steven's family?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redmond
Blessed Be Your Name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name when the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be, blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name

ListenDaily – 28 May 2010: A look at two...

2010-05-28T08:55:00.001-07:00

ListenDaily – 28 May 2010: A look at two...

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

Two verses, powerful verses, and in line with our recent discussions.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."

The plain, painful, but simple truth is that we are not as smart as we think we are. Some people will say, "But God gave us brains..." And certainly, I agree; and I agree that God wants us to use them.

But...our understanding is always incomplete. Without God, our brains are useless. Period.

We can read all the books, talk to the experts, and on and on and on.

But a lot of me and a little of God isn't much. But less of me and more of God is everything.

In our relationship with God, success = obedience.

And, according to His Word, obedience = love.
Questions:

1. How does this perspective strike you?
2. Can you make wise decisions without listening to God?
3. Now what?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain:
this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey,
in the absence, or in the teeth of inclination".
C.S. Lewis

ListenDaily – 26 May 2010: Judging success; the remix

2010-05-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

ListenDaily – 26 May 2010: Judging success; the remix

I said yesterday, that when it comes to our relationship with God, we must hone our definition of success, and that success = obedience. I referred to the following verse:

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands." (1 John 5:1-3)

I received some hearty "amens". I also know that some folks probably can't help but say "yeah, but..." as in:

"Yeah but -- I didn't see the person come to Christ."
"Yeah but -- there is no change in the people I work with."
"Yeah but -- everything is still the same."
"Yeah but -- the church isn't growing ("won't grow", "growing too fast/too slow)."

This is why we must listen before we act, and be prepared to act, and for the results, before we act on what we are called to do.
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled;
set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." (1 Peter 1:13-14).

One of those desires, one of those evil desires, is to insist on success on our terms over God's. We must trust that God is God and we are not. We must "trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5:)

We must stop demanding success on our terms, success that can be measured with earthly measuring devices. We will always rely on those when we are not in harmony with God. Please, don't get me wrong, we may well see things that are successfully earthly standards while meeting God's call -- but we must never seek the former over the latter. Seeking earthly success, using earthly wisdom and logic over what God is calling for would leave the ark un-built, Isaac off the altar, the Israelites in Egypt, Peter in the boat, and me a sinner unsaved.

But -- in our relationship with God, success = obedience.

And, according to His Word, obedience = love.
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you?
2. Do you find it frustrating to be a "planter" and not a "reaper"?
3. Now what?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May we keep listening. Jim.

INTERESTING THOUGHTS:

"The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain:
this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey,
in the absence, or in the teeth of inclination".
C.S. Lewis