My thoughts drift towards You, oh God, as I seemly gaze into another world. To others I look distant, disconnected and lost, but I know I’m found in You.
Through Jesus I am found in You.
You capture my attention as I leave the world behind. The world is persistent, though, as it continues to beckon for me to return, but it’s You for whom I long.
Only You.
The world moves and shouts but I stare right through it –
not noticing,
not paying attention,
lost in my found-ness
The world wants me but I want You more.
The world says its beautiful but it can not compare in the slightest to You.
Some call this daydreaming but You are not a dream. You are my reality. Some call this wasting time, but no time is wasted with You.
Oh God, the world is loud, so please hold my gaze that I may get lost in being found in You.
Devotion
Peace and Division
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. [Luke 12:51 ESV]
Seems like a strange thing for Jesus to say. After all, isn’t he the Prince of Peace? Doesn’t he give peace that surpasses all understanding? When the disciples see him after his resurrection Jesus says, “Peace be with you“. So why would Jesus say something like this? Well, look carefully at what he says, Do you think that I have come to give peace ON EARTH? That’s the distinction. Here on earth, there will be division on account of the Gospel. Jesus didn’t come with the intent to divide people but rather knowing that the Gospel would do just that because people are sinners. In John 15, Jesus warned his disciples that if the world hates him they will hate them. And isn’t that the truth. Yet, many people are so afraid of division. Can’t we all just get along? I am all for getting along with people, but when it comes to the Gospel, we must stand firm. We must respect people. We must love people. We must listen to people. But when it comes to the Gospel, if division occurs, then so be it. It is better to be at odds with the world than with God. Amen? The Gospel will produce division. That we have seen, but don’t mistake what Jesus says. He IS still the Prince of Peace and he DOES give a peace that surpasses all understanding. Standing firm on God’s Word in Jesus name, you can have peace in the midst of division. May your witness then, bring peace to people who are at odds with the Gospel. Amen!
Fight
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
[Jude 1:3-4 ESV]
My Twitter handle is “Feisty Pastor”. I don’t know where that came from; whether from me or someone else, but I think it is pretty descriptive. I have been known to be a little feisty from time to time; especially when I see the faith being attacked, watered-down, twisted, or perverted as the author of Jude alluded. It especially bothers me when people from within the Church are perverting the Word of God. They do this because they have been seduced by the world to conform – violating Paul’s admonition in Romans 12. They have crept in unnoticed and have lead many people astray. As a Christian and pastor/feisty pastor, I will not stand idly by and watch the perversion happen. I will contend for the faith, because the Word of God is Life and to water it down saves no one. Christian, will you contend for the faith? Will you fight for that which is of utmost importance? How do we fight you may ask? By staying true to the Word of God in the face of opposition; serving as an example to the world. Stand firm then – to contend for the faith is a hill worth dying on. Jesus did — all for you.
Amen.
Light and Dark
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:9-11 ESV
A person who says they are a Christian and yet shows hatred towards someone is a person residing in darkness with nothing more than a burning wooden match. They see what is in their immediate vicinity but can’t see the whole picture. Eventually their match burns out and they have nothing left but darkness; walking and stumbling to their destruction. A person who truly follows Jesus; who has the Light of the Holy Spirit residing in them sees the bigger picture. Instead of shadows and outlines, they see their neighbor as a child of God. The one who truly walks with Jesus, the Light of the world, walks in the light where darkness has been scattered. Their destination is Life eternal.
Beware what your source of light is, the wooden match of worldly pride, selfishness and self-righteousness or the Light of Christ. One will be extinguished and the other is eternal.
Amen.
Winning Side
God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!
Psalms 68:1 ESV
When you are in Christ, you are on the winning side. God’s victory and reign is not a yet-to-be-decided type of thing. It has been determined and settled. God has triumphed over the world through the cross and the empty tomb. Jesus’ resurrection means sin, death and the power of Satan have been defeated. And thus, those who oppose God will go by the way of Satan and his minions. They will flee defeated and eventually be judged and condemned. Those who are in Christ are victorious by virtue of Jesus’ love and grace. So stand firm in Christ and rest in the fact that as Christ was raised so you shall be also. Nothing can oppose those take refuge in God our Father. Spread the Good News. Jesus lives. God reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Babble
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,”
[2 Timothy 2:15-16 ESV]
There is a lot of babble out there; rhetoric that makes one shake their head and roll their eyes. For me, I am grieved when I hear some of the talk. It’s polluting young minds, transforming experienced minds, threatening those who resist, coercing those who speak otherwise. The babble insists on tolerance but the babblers don’t understand their own babble as they act contrary to their talk.
The babblers call God-fearing, Bible-believing, Jesus-following Christians out of touch, intolerant, bigoted and racist – all because they stand for the truth of God. The babblers pressure them into submission and guilt them into compliance with the babble. And in doing so, God-fearing people have been transformed into man-fearing people and into ungodiness. I just sit here and shake my head.
But as God-fearing, Bible-believing, Jesus-following Christians, you have nothing and no one to fear. Present yourself to this world as approved by God through Jesus Christ. Present yourself as someone who doesn’t need the approval of man. Present yourself as one steeped, not in the babble, but in the Word of God – but be sure you handle the Word in a way that glorifies God and not yourself. And lastly, never be ashamed to stand for the truth of God.
Avoid babbling and don’t be influenced or seduced by the babble. Stand approved by God and God willing, the babblers themselves will be transformed into God-approved, God-fearing witnesses to the Truth.
To God be the glory. Amen.
Not Beaten Down
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
[Psalm 42:11]
Isn’t this something we need to hear each and every day?
Isn’t this something we need to remember?
Isn’t this something we need to lift up our soul?
Isn’t this something we need to encourage us along the way?
I don’t know about you, but I can feel discouraged from time to time. I can get frustrated with what I see around me. I can feel beaten down by the forces of the evil one. I can feel defeated.
But…
…the psalmist reminds us of our hope. Though you may feel discouraged or frustrated or beaten down or defeated, we have a hope to which to cling. He says, “…for I SHALL again praise him…” Did you see that? Read it again, We SHALL praise him again; for our salvation is a sure and certain thing in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Satan rejoices when we feel discouraged or frustrated or beaten down or defeated, but instead of allowing Satan to rejoice, let us rejoice in our Lord; who has already beaten down Satan through the cross and the empty tomb.
So take courage and praise GOD; our salvation through Jesus; for Satan has nothing on you.
Oh God, when Satan comes at me and beats me down, remind me of your Son, Jesus Christ, who has already beaten down Satan. May I not wallow in defeat but rather in the victory I have through faith. All praise and worship be unto You, oh God, through Christ Jesus my Lord, Amen.
The Pastor -|—
Waiting for the Lord
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
[Psalm 130:5-6]
These watchmen have the night shift; standing watch on the city wall. They stand watch looking out for those who would want to harm the city, but as they watch, they are also looking for the rising sun. Why the rising sun? The rising sun meant morning and that meant they get to go home and be with their family. And so they waited for the morning; confident that the sun would rise. And they had every reason to be confident. I mean, from the beginning of time, the sun has risen in the morning as it was designed by God to do. And so these men wait; they wait for the rising sun. Confident.
Now consider what the psalmist is saying. His soul is waiting for the Lord and he is more confident in the coming of the Lord than the watchmen who wait for the sun to rise. The sun rises like clock work and even more reliable is the Lord and so his soul waits in hopeful expectation.
Oh weary soul, the Lord is coming, so wait in joyful expectation; being more confident than the rising morning sun. Oh weary soul, wait for the Lord, for He is coming for you.
The Pastor -|—
Don’t be like a demon
“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” [James 2:18-19]
It is one thing to sit in worship on Sunday morning; singing, confessing, listening and the like but quite another to practice what you say you believe outside the walls of the church building. Complacent and apathetic Christians are not what God has called us to. Sitting on our butts as spectators watching a sporting event is not the Christian life. I love that phrase “even the demons believe” that God in Jesus exists. The difference is that they do not reflect God’s glory on their actions.
So the real question is this:
Are you like a demon?
Ouch!
It’s a harsh truth to face but it is one we need to see. Live your faith…don’t just talk about it.
edh -|—
Morning routine – Morning fuel
It’s amazing what happens when you shut off the TV in the morning. It is amazing what you hear, notice and feel. It’s amazing how peaceful it is. It’s amazing how different your outlook can be. And…it’s amazing how much I don’t miss my old, usual routine…which was (after I showered and got dressed in the morning):
–Make coffee and breakfast
–Turn on ESPN
–Boot up the computer and log into Facebook
–Multitask
That was the routine ~ each and every morning ~ but not anymore 🙂
Everything has changed…
I’m on the computer now and I have been on Facebook this morning, but I didn’t start my day that way. And…the TV is still off, except for a 5 minute blurb earlier to watch a news story with my wife.
Lately I have found a new morning routine. And it might surprise you that this is “new” for me considering I am a pastor for crying out loud. Now, the routine is this (after I shower and get dressed of course):
–Make coffee and breakfast
–Boot up my Kindle Fire
–Read my Bible and other devotional readings
–Post scripture and devotional highlights straight to Facebook and Twitter
–Pray
And I do this while multitasking (eating and drinking coffee).
I like this routine.
I like starting my day like this.
I like filling my head and heart with God in the morning instead of sports.
I like sharing my God insights with people in the morning.
You see…how you start your day will go a long way in dictating how you approach each and everyday. Do you start and approach your day from a worldly point of view?
OR…
Do you start and approach your day filled with God?
Trust me…it makes a huge difference. But don’t get me wrong here. I am not trying to give you some steps in having your best life now, but rather how to have a better relationship with God NOW for that is what is important. I still have bad days from time to time but the difference is that I am more aware of God’s presence and promises. How the Timberwolves did last night is not going to help me during the day.
BUT…
Hearing stories of God’s faithfulness…well…that is just AWESOME.
What’s your morning routine? Is God involved? Let’s fuel up correctly in the morning and praise God along the way 🙂
edh -|—
The Heart of a Pastor 