Ryan's Blog

Wisdom

2010-10-19T07:55:00.001-04:00

Proverbs 1:7 NIV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Based on what we know about God, fearing Him should almost be a given. The fear that I believe the verse is referring isn't horror movie fear, well at least not completely. The reality of Hell can just about get you there. But the fear in this verse is a healthy fear like a child has of his parents. The child knows (at least they should) that doing anything against the parents' desires will result in punishment and sometimes that fear is enough to cause them to take the right path. That fear can lead to wise decisions.

Shouldn't our fear of God be all the more intensified? Well the truth is, too often it isn't. Maybe its because we take his grace for granted or maybe because He's chosen to Klein himself invisible to us, but for whatever reason we don't consider the consequences of our actions great enough to change them. Even more, we fail to see the benefits! We miss out on the wisdom that cones from trusting Him.

Is it possible that we fear God but just in the wrong context? I believe part of this fear is understanding the nature of the one you're fearing. He's a loving God, bot seeking to punish us but to bless us, if we'd only obey. Children often sneak behind their parents back so they can do the wrong thing. They obviously fear the consequences but the benefits of doing what's right doesn't outweigh the temptation of doing what is wrong.

God, help us to fear You and to know wisdom. Give us a healthy fear of you that leads to righteous living, not paranoia. Lead us, in Your word, to understand the benefits of obedience. The peace it brings and the blessing we can be to others. Let us not be foolish in trusting our own desires. When we fall away, cause us to learn from Your discipline. Illuminate within us the right perspective of you - a loving Father who wants what's best for his children.

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1 Chronicles 29:10-15

2010-10-06T07:46:00.001-04:00

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, O Lord,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

God, everything comes from you. Every blessing, every lesson, every good thing comes from you and we thank you for it. Help us remember that. Help us to understand that our money is not ours nor is our time. Every dollar and minute spent is all possible because of your grace. Let all of our works bring you glory. Help us to gain the perspective that David had in verse 15 - we are pilgrims in this land and our time on earth is very short. Let us place our hope in things that have eternal value.

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Isaiah 45:9-13

2010-10-05T08:31:00.001-04:00

“Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘He has no hands’? http://read.ly/Isa45.9.NIV

Too often we get caught up in our own thing & the work God set out for us to do becomes an inconvenience or down-played as a "nice to do". Our priorities become our focus rather than God & His work. Just like Adam, we want to lead instead of follow. Knowing intellectually that we are clay, we would never say - "God, what are you making?" - our actions show it.

God, teach us to trust & follow you. We know your ways are perfect but we don't always show it. Help us believe this truth & live it out.

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Psalm 103:11-16

2010-10-01T08:04:00.001-04:00

Psalm 103:11-16 NIV

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

God is merciful. He knows who we are & how we behave yet he still loves us. He has compassion on those who fear Him; those who sin yet are humble enough to repent.

Our days here are short. Let them be filled with praise toward our merciful maker. Thank you Lord for another day.

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Comfort Zone - 2/22

2010-02-22T06:56:00.002-05:00

Our greatest call as believers is to share the gospel. Most of us would characterize the day we were saved as the most significant day in our lives. If we were to sit back and consider the implications of that moment - our eternal destiny, our new-found purpose, the new direction in our lives, the freedom we attained - it wouldn't compare to any other moment in our lives. In that instant where we surrendered our lives to Jesus, our report card in heaven changed from condemned to forgiven. We became eligible for God's greatest promises (John 5:24, Matthew 28:20, James 1:5, John 15:7, Matthew 11:28-29, etc.)

I found a great deal on some Bengals gear at the mall a few weeks ago, I mean items were marked down 60% (happens a lot when your team loses). So I couldn't wait to get to work & tell a couple of my friends about it. News as good as this just gets better once you share it with people...you see where I'm going here. The people I shared my great deal with - not once have I shared with them the best deal I ever received. I know that sharing about Jesus is way more risky and uncomfortable than sharing about Jesus - my own fears confirm it. But isn't it worth it? Isn't a little discomfort, maybe a little awkward conversation worth it to please the One who did all that stuff in the first paragraph?

In our Bible study we've been discussing how we need to depend more on the Holy Spirit in order to get the results we desire in our spiritual lives. The thing is, we rarely put ourselves in situations where we even need God. We want our finances to be perfect before we give to others. We want our careers in perfect position before we take any risks. We want our words to be perfectly crafted and scriptures memorized before we talk to anyone about Jesus. What we really want is a backup plan just in case God doesn't come through.

Instead of living lives so we don't need God or his Holy Spirit, let's instead look for uncomfortable situations - where you don't know exactly what to say or do - and allow the Holy Spirit to work. So when something supernatural happens you'll know it had nothing to do with you and all the glory will be God's alone.

Matthew 10:19-20

1/12- A Good Conscience

2010-01-12T07:21:00.002-05:00

Reading 2 Timothy 1 today and stopped on verse 3:

"I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day."

Paul urges Timothy to serve God in a similar way in 1 Timothy 1:5. It can be safely assumed that in order to serve God with a pure conscience that one must live a certain way to attain that sort of security, namely, by the will of God. When we simply do what God asks of us, it frees us to serve Him in a much more effective way and thereby be led to further live out His will. It's almost like a never-ending cycle - serve God, He honors you, by the Holy Spirit you're compelled to serve more, He honors you, repeat....

The notes in my Johnny Mac (John MacArthur Study Bible) lay this principle out pretty well:

"The Greek word for "good" refers to that which is perfect and produces pleasure and satisfaction. God created man with a "conscience" as his self-judging faculty. Because God has written His law on man's heart (Romans 2:15), man knows the basic standard of right and wrong. When he violates that standard, his conscience produces guilt, which acts as the mind's security system that produces fear, guilt, shame and doubt as warnings of threats to the soul's well-being. On the other hand, when a believer does God's will, he enjoys the affirmation, assurance, peace and joy of a good conscience. "

1/1 - Happy New Year

2010-01-01T09:20:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone had a safe & fun night. I know we did - got to finally hang out with our neighbors of 3 years that somehow we still hadn't spoken to yet. Cool stuff & I'm looking forward to experiencing why God put them in our lives. As for the new year, I think I had given up on resolutions a while ago. Instead I wanted to make a resolution just for that day, and it's the same one I'll make today: to be more faithful. A year long resolution is easy to lose sight of but one for today makes things more defined and clear. I'm not even sure how to gauge how faithful I was in 2009, but it's a little more defined if I consider how I did yesterday.

So I'm still in 1 Timothy, chapter 4 this time. Verse 6 points out something really cool. Paul explains to Timothy that if he'll instruct believers in truth that he'd be a good minister for Christ, "nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which [he has] carefully followed." In recent weeks, I must admit I've been a pretty slack in my devotional time and now I realize that I've been malnourished. Proper nourishment happens on a regular basis. Any healthy person would know that they didn't get where they are by a few healthy choices here and there but rather by a lifestyle of healthy eating. Every day, consistent, almost second nature. Spiritual nourishment is no different. Consistent time with God & investment into that relationship will produce the results of a well-fed individual.

So choosing the right diet is key, I think, to this whole being faithful thing. What I've learned in this time of malnutrition is that I didn't go hungry. I just replaced the good stuff with stuff that wasn't good for me and the benefits, well, didn't turn out to be benefits at all. Logically it makes sense - do what God says and you can be satisfied. Don't do what He says and end up in the midst of confusion and chaos. I think Romans 6:21 put it best, "What fruit did you have in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death."

So here I am in a place of rededicating myself and Lord knows this ain't the first time. So often, in fact, that sometimes I wonder if God is bored with the whole act. In any case, I'm still resolved to press on.

12/16 - 1 Timothy 2

2009-12-16T06:35:00.003-05:00

"¹ Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

The promise involved with this passage is pretty amazing. These verses provide hope in that it reveals a connectedness between prayer and life's circumstances. It reveals that our prayers are more than just lip service to God but have the power to actually change things. In this example it shows that if we'll dedicate ourselves to prayer and intercession for men, particularly those in leadership, that things can go well for us and that we can live peacefully. For those of us who pray, this isn't anything new but a biblical reassurance of what we've always hoped to be true - that our prayers matter. It is one of many biblical examples that prayer changes things.

Verse 4 can be a little tough to deal with. God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. The one problem with that verse is that we know that this just won't happen. In fact, most men likely won't be saved (Matthew 7:13-14). So if God is in control of everything (1 Chronicles 29:11) and everyone won't be saved, despite His desires, doesn't that present a problem? Well, not necessarily. That which God wants from us He won't force out of us. If He did, we might as well be robots. The good news is that He at least wants us to abide in Him in spite of our sin. The difficulty is that it requires a decision on our part. This decision God may influence but the final call is up to us.

12/14 - We Play To Win The Game

2009-12-14T06:12:00.004-05:00

Sometimes its the most simple statements that can have a profound impact. Herm Edwards, former NFL head coach, understands this. As NFL experts opine on the philosophical aspects of the game and make complex theories on what teams need to do to become successful, Herm's philosophy has really been quite simple - "we play to win the game." Right now there's discussion among NFL analysts about whether the Saints and Colts, two undefeated teams, should rest their starters and prevent them from getting injured for the playoffs. In another example, there has historically been a philosophy that when you're ahead on a team during a game that you never ease up but instead keep trying to score to ensure your victory. As a Bengals fan, I've seen it countless times. We'll have a lead and instead of trying to put our opponent away, we play conservative and scared and the outcome is very predictable - we lose. In both of these examples the risk taken is that instead of playing to win, you start playing not to lose. Instead of fixing your eyes on the goal, your focus becomes the very thing opposite of your goal - failure.

I think the apostle Paul & Coach Edwards had similar philosophies. In 1 Corinthians 9: 24 Paul says,

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

Or quite simply - run to win the race. Everything about the word of God doesn't have to be deep. Some things right on the surface can be life changing. We would all be well served to heed this advice and run this race, our Christian race, with the goal of winning. It sounds simple, but the truth is most of us don't run this way. Many of us are playing not to lose.

We don't strive for heaven, we try to avoid hell. We don't seek God desperately, we try to get just enough of Him. We don't engage ourselves in worship at church service, we just show up. We don't crucify our flesh daily, we hope we don't get caught in tempting situations. We don't speak words of encouragement, we try not to curse. This is what I mean by "playing not to lose." It almost sounds like "playing to win" but in light of these examples, it's clear they are diametrically different. Very recently I've been guilty of doing this very thing. Instead of trying to do what's right I tried with all my might not to do what's wrong and believe me it's a vicious cycle.

In the 1 Cor 9:24 verse, Paul described this phenomenon so well. All the runners run. We're all running, all trying to win the race. But not everyone has the right mindset. "Run in such a way as to get the prize" instead of running so you don't lose it. We should be living our lives focused on what God wants us to do rather than what we shouldn't do. The simple truth found in that would be a relief to you as well as the NFL teams I mentioned before - by playing to win, you need not fear losing.

11/22 - Where Are You Going?

2009-11-23T07:46:00.004-05:00

I saw a wreck on I-75 the other day and this one was was really bad. The scene didn't leave one with much hope for a favorable outcome for those involved. The odd thing was that there was just one car involved and it lay on its side with smoke pouring out of the car as if it would just blow up at any moment. Now I was able to observe this because, like everyone else, I slowed down to see what was happening. Normally, I try to continue at my normal speed and shoot up a quick prayer for the accident victims because I don't want to be that guy I always talk about who slows down traffic for something they can't do anything about. But this accident was a little different.

I began to think about why people slow down to watch accidents. Is it because we're nosy? Is it our undying concern for our fellow man? Or is it because some part of us that knows that accident could have easily been us? The most likely answer is because the car in front of us slowed down too, but I think there is something to that third reason - we know it could have been us. We're all so distracted when we drive - text messages, phone calls, meals, make-up, music, etc - we're really just seconds away from being on the side of the road with everyone slowing down to look at us. Now we don't intend to get into an accident and most certainly don't intend to harm anyone else but our good intentions aren't good enough are they?

In a book I'm reading (The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley) the author points out that our intentions are not necessarily (and in most cases if we're honest) connected to our actual direction. We intend to be faithful believers, good parents, conscientious drivers, good cooks, etc. but if our lives have no evidence that we're on a path to becoming these things the outcome is quite predictable - we won't become them. I have dreams of one day being a decent cook. That one day I'll be able to throw something on the grill that will change the way people feel about food. However, one look at the path I'm on would clue you in to the inevitable truth that I'll never get there. My once-a-year attempt at grilling out might not get me there (until I'm 90 yrs old).

Thinking back to the accident analogy, we've all looked across at other distracted drivers and thought "You're going to get someone in an accident!" or "Let me get away from this person before they cause me to wreck." For many of us (me) this is very hypocritical but it points out something very critical about this principle. we often know where a particular path might lead...when viewing someone else's life. It's when we apply it to our own life that we can experience change and begin to ask God to help us align our intentions with our actions. The author would say that we ought to align our actions with our path (which consists of our actions).

Thought for the day: what are the discrepancies in my life between what I desire and what I'm actually doing?

11/6 - New Life

2009-11-06T11:52:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted but be patient with me. I'm trying to get back into some sort of routine but 3-4 hours of sleep doesn't allow one to be in his best state of mind.

Wow. What an amazing couple of weeks it has been. That's probably an understatement but I'm not sure how else to describe it. Having a child has been yet another opportunity for me to experience God. The changes a woman's body goes through leading up to delivery - how the baby knows how to position himself, the body's impulse to push, the umbilical cord (which is pretty amazing when you think about it), the healing process afterward - who could think of this stuff but God? In everything that's happening it's tough not to see the hand of God in it. I thank God for that. I thank Him for opening my eyes because thousands of babies are born each day an still people aren't convinced of Him. He didn't have to reveal Himself to me but He did. Incredible.

So I have this new life now that my wife and I have been entrusted to and as expected a heightened sense of responsibility. However, it's a tough thing for me to get my head around now. I don't know, maybe because it's so early in Joshua's life. I know it's not possible but feel the burden to do everything right now. I don't use that term burden in a negative sense but in the sense that the call to righteousness now seems higher. Maybe it's unrealistic but still a noble concept I suppose. God did say Be holy because I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). I guess it takes something like this before I take that seriously.

I feel the call to be a godly example for him. One of my prayers has been that Joshua can get a glimpse, or even a quick peek, of God the Father through me, his earthly father.

I'm excited about Joshua's life. All the mystery behind what sort of man he'll be, what hobbies he'll have, what gifts he'll have. Many of you who know me also know that some things have already been established - he will be a Bengals/Reds fan, he will play infield and be a switch hitter and he won't endorse the activities of PETA. I'm kidding (but again, those of you who know me also know that I'm not kidding at all). But beyond that, it's all a mystery and that's pretty exciting.

The less exciting but equally true mystery of Joshua's life is his salvation. I don't think it's ever too early to start thinking about this even though he's only 12 days old now. He's new, innocent and in my eyes can do no wrong but he still was born in depravity. The other of my prayers these first days of his life have been for that one soul - whether it be me, Kendra or whoever - who will share the gospel with Joshua and he will come to accept it and live his life for Jesus. Pray that with me if you don't mind. I'm also excited about Joshua's ministry- but this must happen first.

http://joshuachristopherscott.shutterfly.com

Joshua Christopher Scott

2009-10-26T23:47:00.003-04:00

Haven't posted for a while but I have an excuse this time....my son was born yesterday October 25. Check here for info & pictures

http://joshuachristopherscott.shutterfly.com

Will post more on this soon Lord willing. Gotta feed the baby now

10/22 - Tough Promises

2009-10-22T06:47:00.002-04:00

Read John 14-16.

It's two chapters full of some amazing promises for our lives that we may not always take advantage of. There's a lot in this passage so for all of you who read it, you'll get something different out of it (don't worry, thats the Holy Spirit working). The thing that stood out to me is that about 4 times in Jesus' monologue he offers this promise, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it." (John 14:14, 15:7, 15:16, 16:24).

In the study that led me to this passage, I was challenged to take these promises literally. However, I think we all know this isn't an open ATM. We can't just ask for and get whatever we want right? Isn't that the literal translation? The reason we know this isn't true is the same reason we have difficulty in putting our confidence in these promises - we've tried them and they don't work. Well, at least they don't work how we think they should work. We've asked God for things that are noble & spiritual things yet we haven't seen the results we desired. We've asked God to heal loved ones, deliver us from financial problems, mend relationships but sometimes these things don't happen. How does that line up with "You may ask anything in my name and I will give it to you"?

Well, let me confess - I'm not here to answer that question. I'm not qualified. This is one of those tough passages that quite honestly is hard to deal with. God is mysterious and doesn't necessarily require that we figure Him out. We can, however, begin to deal with this issue by understanding some very fundamental truths.

God's will is perfect. It's perfect because it's His. We cannot receive anything from Him that is also not subject to His will. (1 John 2:17)

God is good and worthy of our trust. No matter the circumstance, He has our best interest at heart. (John 14:1)

If we don't get what we want, it's probably for our good. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Today, let's be encouraged by what God has promised. Although it may be difficult to understand His reasoning, let's worship Him for that instead of causing it to draw us away from Him. Let the fact that He's mysterious, that His ways aren't our ways, that He's unsearchable, His way unfathomable....let these facts cause us to worship Him and seek to learn more about Him. It's issues like these that ought to drive us further into study and learning about this wonderful God.

10/20 - Rejoice!

2009-10-20T06:24:00.003-04:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). Today is an encouragement for us to do just that. I know we can get bogged down with the pressures of life but this verse doesn't seem to offer us any exemption in these times. It says to rejoice always. The ability to rejoice requires a little faith & a little trust in God.

There are certain people who, if I loan something of value to, I can be confident that I'll receive my stuff back. Then there are those other ones. Though they say things like "I'll get it to you next week," I have little confidence in it actually happening. I may even have to check up on them every once in a while just to make sure they don't forget because I'm concerned that they won't keep their word. When we worry about all the stuff in our life, aren't we treating God like I treat these people? We're worried He won't keep His word so we stress out trying to do it on our own.

God has made promises like Philippians 4:4 and here in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." So what does it say about us when we worry? Francis Chan described worry and stress this way:

Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of whats happening in our lives.

Stress says the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.

One of the things that Christians ought to be wary of is justifying our stress. We can fool ourselves into thinking that our anxieties are OK because they're ministry related. Again, God's promises make no provision for "how important" the issue we stress about are. If we believe 1 Corinthians 10:13, "...God is faithful; he will not tempt you beyond what you can bear" - then our only adequate response is to trust Him and carry on with life, rejoicing.

10/18 - How Good is Good Enough?

2009-10-18T07:30:00.007-04:00

Bear with me today, this may get lengthy. At the same time I don't think I can do this subject justice in one blog post.

What does it take to get in to heaven? I asked a few people this question this weekend and the answers varied greatly. Some of the answers I got were: "Well, I pray everyday, " "If you live a good life," "I go to church sometimes," "My parents used to take us to church," and "I'm not sure." Besides the last answer, the majority of responses hinged on the popular belief that good people go to heaven. It's a theory many subscribe to regardless of religion. If this is what you believe, I'd ask you to consider a few points today. Not asking you to agree but if your eternity hinges on this belief, it's at least worth a second look to be sure.

I just read a book called "How Good is Good Enough" by Andy Stanley and he outlines a few problems with the "good people go to heaven" theory. Consider:

1. We don't know exactly what good is. Most religious leaders can't agree on this and they're supposed to be leading us to this truth. Ask several people as I tried and you'll get as many answers.

2. Our internal "goodness" gauges aren't good enough. White Americans in times past primarily believed that whites & blacks weren't on equal footing. Nazi Germany thought similarly about the Jews. I believe they were sincere in their convictions but it's generally believed now that they were sincerely wrong. As time passes, our definition of right and wrong tends to change.

3. We have no clear scoring system from God for good deeds. If the "good people go" theory is true, how much good will get you in? If 90% of your deeds are good? How about 51% just so the good outweighs the bad? Could you really end up one good deed shy of heaven?

4. This theory isn't as fair as we make it to be. Under this theory, you could simply run out of time. What if you plan on doing a ton of good deeds but die very young? What is the standard for good? What if Mother Theresa bumped the curve up so high that now it takes 60% good deed to get in?

Some of these questions may seem silly but when you go by this theory, they are some things that seriously should be considered. The Bible is one religious book that doesn't support this theory:

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23

"There is no one righteous, not even one." - Romans 6:23

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in [God's] sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin" - Romans 3:20

Basically the Bible isn't giving much credibility to people's goodness. It does speak to a theory in direct opposition to today's subject: bad people go to heaven. The above verses indicate that no one is good, but somebody has to go to heaven right? The key is that the Bible doesn't use goodness as a measure, but forgiveness.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16

"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man" - Romans 8:3

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" -John 14:6

Say what you will about God's fairness (topic for another blog perhaps) but the layout is plain: there's one method into heaven - forgiveness; one who can give it - God; one way it's received - Jesus Christ. No back doors, no VIP passes.

10/15 - Will You Go?

2009-10-15T06:40:00.003-04:00

While reading Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 this morning this song that's been in my head (and is now in my itunes playlist) came to mind. Take a moment and listen.

If you were able to listen, it's hard not to be moved to worship. In these chapters we read about the four creatures who surround the throne of God crying these same lyrics, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" It's their only adequate response to such a marvelous God.

Let's look at Isaiah's response. He became immediately aware of how unholy he was (verse 6). Then one of the four seraphim flew to him, touched his lips with a burning coal and declared his sins forgiven. Then the Lord asks the question, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" As you could imagine, Isaiah, being surrounded by God's glory and in awe-struck wonder, boldly says, "Here I am. Send me." Isn't the same question before us today? Whom shall He send? What is your response?

The very easy and obvious answer to the question is "yes" but before we dive head first into this call, it's important that we consider the cost. I may have mentioned this in a previous post but many believers jump into ministry very enthusiastically (and rightfully so) but haven't considered the cost. So when the storms come they are unprepared, the delusions of "everything being easier with God" fade away and they experience disappointment. After Isaiah volunteers, God responds with what will be a very uncomfortable task - Go tell your people, the Israelites who have always been God's people, that they'll never understand the truth. Their hearts, already turned from Me, will remain that way.

So who shall God send? Who of us will go for Him? Will we accept the call even if it's uncomfortable? Considering yesterday's question, will you "go" for a God who isn't required to explain His reasoning to us?

10/14 - Because He's God

2009-10-14T06:53:00.003-04:00

The curse of man has put us in a very peculiar position. Since the Fall, our natural inclination is not toward God but away from Him. So it makes sense, then, that we often find ourselves at odds with His will. We question whether or not He's good, why our financial situations are so bleak, why we have to suffer, why we don't have what others have why so many people are starving and so much more. So here we stand, with some level of our thoughts and deeds in opposition to the very God who created us and can help us.

I do believe it's natural for us to ask these sort of questions. However, contrary to what we've been led to believe, what's natural isn't always right. We sometimes let ourselves off the hook when we say things like "Nobody's perfect" or "everybody struggles with [fill in the sin here]". When we say these things, we shift our focus off a holy God, who is the only true standard, to ourselves, by whom we probably stack up very well against. This isn't a call to perfection, but a call to proper perspective. We can't achieve perfection but we are definitely called to strive toward it. In Leviticus God commands us multiple times, "Be holy because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 19:24, 20:7, 20:26, etc)

Colossians 1:16 says, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

Yet we live as though He was created for us. "God give me this," "God let my plans work out," "God if you'll do this just once..." There's nothing wrong with laying our request before God but we should never lose sight of the prayer that keeps everything in perspective - "God let your will be done." So many of our prayers are about our will. The verse says that all things were created by Him and for Him so it then becomes our responsibility to learn to trust in Him. Trust in His justice, trust in His decisions, trust Him in your circumstances.

When we find ourselves at odds with God and question His reasoning, it's our trust in Him that will allow us to come to grips with the fact that the answer is simply: because He is God. It's our faith that will allow this answer be more than just a euphemism and something we use to cope with our disappointment with God. By faith we can embrace this truth and know that God always has our best interests at heart, even when we don't know any better.

Question for the day: Can you worship a God who isn't obligated to explain his actions to you?

God, we know you are all-knowing & all-powerful. Teach us to trust in You for these truths in our actions. Teach us to understand that even in our worst circumstances, even in our worst sin, You still know what's best for us.

*Credit to the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan for the topic and some of the subject matter of this post.

10/13 - Spiritual Amnesia

2009-10-13T06:36:00.002-04:00

Please take a moment and read Psalm 19:1-4.

God is eternal. He is Holy. There is none and will never be one like Him. He is the Great I Am, the One who was and is and is to come. The angels & elders in heaven bow before Him so overwhelmed by His presence the only words they can utter are "Holy, Holy, Holy!" He reigns victorious over the earth and anything that attempts to exalt itself above Him.

I haven't said anything you haven't heard before. These are simply facts about God. Facts that ought to cause us to worship but if we were being honest, they don't always have that effect on us do they? As believers, we have what may be considered spiritual amnesia. No matter what God does for us, how many situations He brings us through, how many times He has undeniably shown Himself to us, we still forget. A. W. Tozer writes,

"What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us...Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like?"

If we weren't prone to forget, why would the Bible warn us so many times to do the things that remind of Him: daily study of the Word (Psalm 1:1-2), fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), tell others about Him (Ezekiel 33:8-10), adore His creation (Romans 1:20), etc. When we do these things, we keep in perspective why and Who we are serving. I believe what Tozer was getting at in that quote was that even more than our actions, the important thing is the motive behind them - our appreciation and adoration of a Holy God.

So as we strive to become more disciplined and more serious about living for God, we can guard ourselves from becoming "religious" by intentionally reminding ourselves of the holy & eternal Savior we serve. So instead of just doing through our day "doing stuff," we can take pause for a moment and reflect on Who we are "doing stuff" for and be guided by the Holy Spirit to accomplish it. I completely believe that if we'll do this, we'll find much more peace and confidence in our activities and vocation (John 14:25-27).

10/12 - Just My Daily Bread

2009-10-11T20:56:00.002-04:00

Think about this scripture (Proverbs 30:7-9) & Francis Chan's comments. I'd really like to hear your comments.

10/11 - Just Stop and Think

2009-10-11T09:01:00.003-04:00

Recently our Bible study went through a series called Crazy Love and it featured a video entitled Just Stop and Think. I revisited this video this morning because sometimes it's easy to lose perspective on just how awesome God is. When we lose sight of how big and how holy our Creator is, our acts of service for Him can become religion instead of acts of appreciation for who He is.

Take 15 minutes and watch this video. I know 15 minutes is a long time these days, but what you hear could have tremendous impact on your life.

10/7 - The Little Things

2009-10-07T07:59:00.002-04:00

"His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness" (Matthew 25:23)

A little double feature today I suppose. I was reminded of this scripture this morning while comtemplating cheating a little on my fast. There are certain foods I said I wouldn't eat for a certain period of time and one of those items made itself readily available. And free at that! I rationalized that just a little bite wouldn't be a big deal, especially considering how far I had come. And maybe it wasn't a big deal. Then it hit me, if I can't be faithful in this small thing, how can I be trusted with the great work God has purposed me for? Needless to say, I didn't eat. Thank God for His word & the Holy Spirit for the remembrance of it. What little things can we be faithful in today?

10/7 - A. W. Tozer

2009-10-07T06:37:00.003-04:00

We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone....[We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

- A. W. Tozer

God is our only adquate measuring rod. We tend to compare ourselves to others and conclude that either "I need to do what they're doing" or, more likely, "At least I'm not doing what they're doing." With this moral standard not only do we rob ourselves of joy but we miss the mark for our purpose in life, which is totally unique from everyone else's purpose. We forfeit the pleasure of God for the pleasure of men. And in the end, despite our best efforts, we still fall short of the true mark, Jesus Christ.

My goal for today, and each day forward, is to live for and by the Holy Spirit, letting Him be my guide, Christ my model & God my judge. No longer worrying about the "foolishness" of the gospel and how many won't understand it, but pressing on for the One I aim to please.

10/5 - 2 Thessalonians 3

2009-10-05T06:24:00.003-04:00

This chapter includes a familiar verse:

"But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good" (v. 13).

I thought this morning about how why I am so prone to doing this very thing - growing weary in good works. In my experience, its almost as if I get satisfied. I'll be pleased with the work I've done and maybe even convinced that God is just as pleased. Now I don't deny that God is pleased when we do what He asks us to, but this sort of thinking tends to lead me toward stagnation rather than growth. It leads me toward thinking that God wants more of the same (even if it's good) instead of a higher place in Him. And even when I do fall away, this sort of attempt at pleasing God can cause me to desire "the relationship I used to have with God" instead of "a much closer relationship I've never had with God before."

I think the bottom line is a attaining the right perspective of God, who He is and what He really wants. He doesn't want us setting our own standard (reflecting on when we thought we were "more spiritual") and then trying to live up to it. The danger there is that we can easily meet our own standard and in doing so no longer be required to grow. God wants our hearts, not our works. When we confuse this, it can become easy to grow weary in our good works because we've lost the purpose behind them. David confesses to God in Psalm 51: 16-17:

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure
in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

10/3 - Lay Aside The Weight

2009-10-03T07:32:00.003-04:00

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Ill be brief on this post this morning. All of us are carrying the weight of something with us, whether its our past, addictions, unforgiveness, sorrow or all of the above. The message today is to, with all diligence, lay the weight aside. Im not offering the simple advice of "just stop what youre doing." If it were that easy we would all do it. Laying aside the weight isnt even necessarily forgetting about the weight. It is a conscious decision not to allow the weight to hinder you. How can one run a race well when he carries extra weight? The process, as indicated by the scripture, is one of patience ("let us run with endurance"). One day may not provide true deliverance from the weight and the sin that ensnares us, but each day we can make the conscious decision not to let it inhibit us in our journey closer to God. And each day we grow stronger and the weight gets lighter.

10/1 - Cherish Each Moment

2009-10-01T06:47:00.003-04:00

The Holy Spirit spoke these words to me this morning: Cherish each moment. There are some very good applications of this in my life now - our pregnancy, designing the nursery, dramatic changes in our family, employment, etc. I need to pause sometimes and just cherish the blessings I have because these moments don't last forever. With less than 2 months to go before Joshua comes, I'll cherish what I have because soon, there will be a whole new set of moments to cherish. In the case of employment, clearly there's no guarantees. It's easy to get caught up with my fellow employees in complaining about how our health care costs are increasing and job stability isn't what it used to be, but if we miss the fact that we're yet having these conversations at work, we miss the blessing God has for us.

When these words were given to me, it actually had nothing to do with any of that stuff. They came as I prayed for the lost souls in my circle of family & friends. I pray often that God would use me to present the gospel to them in a relevant manner that they may be moved toward a decision for Christ & no longer persist on their present path. However, when I'm with them, I can so easy become susceptible to that deceitful voice that says, "Now isn't a good time," "Everybodys happy now, just wait until later," or "It'd be awkward to bring that up now." So as I prayed the question became, when is the right time? The right time has to be anytime before that person leaves this earth. And since we can't guarantee that we or anyone else will live beyond any given moment, the obvious answer became that the time is now. Cherish each moment because there may not be a next.

Now I'm not saying that every moment of everyday is to be spent evangelizing. That would be ridiculous. The way this applies to me (and this maybe different for you) is that I no longer need to delay having conversations with people about Christ whom I know God has led me to talk to. Once the conversation has been had, maybe a decision is made, maybe it's not. Maybe I'll talk to that person about God again, maybe I wont. The key is that I become obedient to the Spirit of God and no longer sin in my procrastination.

Read Matthew 24:36-51, or even the whole chapter. It could really bless you today.