You can’t replace scripture

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

As I was browsing Twitter this morning, I came across an account I follow that had a picture of two theology books and a cup of coffee. The caption of their photo was this:

“Pretty much the perfect way to start the day.”

I get the coffee part and even a good dose of theological reading but immediately I noticed something missing.

Do you see it?

For me the perfect start to my day is prayer and then some Bible reading along with my cup of coffee and then later on, maybe some theological reading. So I responded to that Twitter account saying that the Bible was missing. The response I just received (as I am typing this post) was:

“There is so much Scripture in these books we could probably repiece the original manuscript together!”

Really? To which I responded:

“I get what you’re saying but these still can’t replace scripture itself.”

What I believe they are trying to say is that those books were excellent resources but they are only excellent resources because of what makes them excellent resources. So therefore, without the Bible, that picture is lacking.

Maybe I am being too picky but I just don’t want the Bible minimized and hopefully I didn’t come off as judgmental. Maybe it was an innocent mistake but if it was an oversight, does that say something? Am I over analyzing?

So now, as I get ready to hit “post” I received this response from that account:

“Definitely. I have my ESV on my phone…”

Praise be to God for that. Then let’s highlight, promote and put it out there:

The perfect start to your day?
~ Prayer
~ Scripture
~ (and of course) coffee 🙂

Rant done…have a great day.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Prevailing

/ The Pastor

So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. [Acts 19:20]

Sometimes I get the feeling that the Word of God is taking steps back. I watch the news (and that might be my first problem right there) and read the paper online and I see this world continuing to sink deeper into depravity. I see chaos all around and therefore plead with God, “Come, Lord Jesus and end it all.”

Here are just a few of the things I have been noticing:
~ With the rise of ISIS one wonders if this war can even be won. It’s scary.
~ Racism seems to be on the front burner again. Not that it ever left but it seems to be garnering more headlines now.
~ With continued court battles over marriage, it seems that traditional, biblical marriage is gone forever and families seem to be falling apart.
~ The prosperity gospel seems to be taking a stronger hold among many people as they strive for happiness now instead of eternal joy.
~ The holiness of God seems to be slipping into only a theological concept for many.

And I could go on, but that would get too depressing. Looking around; how does one not wonder what God is up to.

So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

But then I read the book of Acts. I am also reminded of Isaiah where he says that God’s Word WILL NOT return to Him empty. But more importantly, I am reminded of the cross. You see, God’s Word has already prevailed. Jesus has already won. The forces of evil and darkness have already been defeated. ISIS and racism and hatred and war and Satan may have their day, but that’s it.  God’s Word has prevailed and will continue to prevail.

And so I pray, “Come, Lord Jesus” so that those who do not know may find their hope in the Lord. Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.(Psalm 30:4-5 ESV) Morning is coming, my friends. Hold on and know that the Word of the Lord has prevailed through Jesus Christ.

Praise be to God!

The Pastor -|—

Food for the dogs

/ The Pastor

The sermon text for this morning is Mark 7:24-30 (The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith) and the following is the prayer I wrote to precede the message. Let us pray together…

God of glory and wonder, we seek you this morning as dogs unworthy of even a morsel of your grace from your holy banquet table.

We scavenge this life for self-fulfilling food while ignoring the fact that you have sent Jesus to give us the bread of life. We ravage others of dignity through selfish pursuits.

But holy God, you don’t turn your backs on us. You don’t withhold the glorious morsels of your grace. You don’t treat us as the dogs we are.

Rather, you wait for us and offer your forgiveness.

Loving God, may we curl up in the arms of your grace and bask in the glow of your love. May we be filled with the Bread of Life and may we find all we desire in you. Heal us of pride. Restore us to Life. Strengthen us to live a life of repentance.

All glory to you, holy Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May this Lord’s Day bring glory to God as you offer your worship and praise; and while doing so, I pray that the Word take root in your hearts. May faith be created or strengthened. May you be send forth to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. And may you be at peace as you cling to the hope of the resurrection.

God bless you this Lord’s Day and beyond.

Praise be to God!

The Pastor  -|—

Morning devotions ~ Be still

/ The Pastor

This pastor so needed the devotion from yesterday; to be still and know that God is God. To be still and listen to the voice of God. To be still and be at peace. I so needed that, but that is not what happened.

———————

My little girl woke up this morning at 5:30 a.m. crying,

“I want my daddy! I want my daddy!”

Tired, and a little cranky that I was getting up earlier than planned, I acquiesced to my little girl’s cry. We rocked for a while and then I laid her back down when she seemed to be sleeping, but immediately she started crying for me again. I returned to her room and sat in the rocking chair next to her crib. I then reached my hand through the crib and caressed her head; and she calmed down. Whenever I tried to leave she would cry. Eventually I fell asleep in the rocking chair…

[I’m not sure why she wanted this snoring beast next to her]

…and woke up just after 8 a.m. (I had a 9 a.m.baptism meeting). This was not how my morning was supposed to start. I bolted out of her room: showered, made coffee, ate (all the while my little girl is screaming for me) and got dressed. My wife woke up and help her but she still wanted daddy.

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

All I wanted was to be still and know that God is God.
All I wanted was time alone with God before I started my day.
All I wanted was to hear God’s voice.
All I wanted was some encouragement as I prepared to finish two sermons today.
All I wanted was God.

And God did acquiesce to my request. God gave me a beautiful moment this morning and all I could think about was that it wasn’t what I planned. As a pastor friend of mine told me yesterday in a blog post comment,

“God made the time and gave it to you”

God definitely made the time for me this morning but I missed it.
Oh God, please forgive me for being so selfish and short-sighted.

Definitely carve out moments to get away and enjoy the fact that God is God, but don’t miss the moments that God carves out for you. Don’t be so short-sighted and selfish like I was this morning but rather…

Be still and know that God is God.

…and then actually pay attention and listen.

Holy Father, thank you for the holy moments that you create. May I have the eyes of faith to see them.

Praise be to God and Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Off and Pondering

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Another day off for this pastor; drinking coffee, enjoying the laughter of my children and now some quiet time as my wife bathes the oldest and the youngest sleeps on my chest. A beautiful morning to enjoy the wonderful blessings in my life. God is indeed great.

And in the quietness of my living room now, I’m reminded of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” What a wonderful reminder to take advantage of every quiet moment to listen for God and to reflect on His promises. Sometimes we get so busy that we forget about God but God will not be denied. God will be exalted. God will be glorified. If not by us then the rocks will cry out.

So remember to create quiet time throughout your day and don’t just wait for it because it may never come otherwise. Carve out moments to get away and don’t feel guilty about it, thinking you’re being lazy. Reflecting and “day dreaming” about God is time well spent. So listen for and to the voice of God. Worship His Holy name and reflect on his promises.

May God bless your day and happy day dreaming 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ No distinctions

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” [Acts 15:11]

In the early years of the church, they were struggling with how to deal with Gentile converts. There were many disagreements among the Jews on what the Gentiles needed to do to be saved. For them, faith wasn’t enough but you needed to be circumcised as well. So finally, the elders in Jerusalem were discussing this when Peter chimed in (he was the one called by God to preach to Cornelius, a Gentile, in Acts 10. There, Peter realized that salvation is for all people through faith).

So why make distinctions?
Why place requirements on some for salvation?
Why place a greater burden on some to enjoy the gifts of God?

I believe the simple answer was, and still is in some cases, that many in the church want to maintain a sense of power and control. And maybe even to help maintain appearances. You can’t have just any person off the street in here. If so, then live like we live and dress like we dress.

What a shame that some believe this. But Jesus says:

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
(Luke 15:7 ESV)

Salvation is through faith alone in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ; that through his death and resurrection you have forgiveness of sins and thus will live forever. And therefore the church needs to be a place for messed up sinners, not a museum for saints. And in case you haven’t figured it out, YOU are a messed up sinner.

Jesus didn’t make distinctions and neither should we. Celebrate and give thanks that you are saved through faith ALONE and that you are welcomed even though you are still a messed up sinner.

What an awesome God we have. Praise be to God through our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ “Poison” people

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [Acts 14:2]

Paul and his associates were preaching the Gospel in Iconium where many hearts were being turned to the Lord. The church was growing and people were turning away from their previous ways of life. But there were many who opposed Paul and the others; opposing the Good New of Jesus. So they tried to “poison the minds” of those who believed. Eventually, those who opposed the message tried to stone Paul and his crew but when they learned of the plot they fled to Lystra. At Lystra Paul proclaimed the Gospel but people from Iconium came and stirred up the people and this time they stoned Paul to “death”. But of course Paul did not die. Instead he continued proclaiming the Good News and then moved on.

There are many today who oppose the Good News of Jesus by trying to “poison the minds” of those who believe AND don’t believe. There are many who are going to try to steer you away from serving Christ. There are going to be many who are going to try to convince you that regular Sunday worship is not important. The media will continue to “poison” minds through inaccurate and biased reporting of Christians. The government and other groups will “poison” minds through oppressive rhetoric and legislation. And believe it or not, there are and will be many within the church or those who claim to be Christians that will “poison” minds through false teaching.

So many detractors out there. So much poison.

But what should our response be to those who would oppose the Gospel? Paul did not fight or argue or fire unsavory words at his detractors. When people oppose the message of Jesus; when people try to “poison your mind”; fire back in kind; “poison” their mind and heart with the Gospel.

Continue to live your faith.
Continue to announce forgiveness.
Continue to show love.
Continue to be bold.
Continue to walk in the Way and don’t not bend to popular opinion.

Your determination (the Holy Spirit working in your life) will give power to your words and actions but don’t stoop to the level of those who would “poison” you. Instead, rise up and boldly proclaim the name of Jesus. Don’t let detractors dictate your message. Don’t let opposition steer your path. Don’t let the fear of man control you but rather the fear of God.

The Good News is that God can not be opposed. Actually, God has already won through Jesus Christ. The enemy has already been defeated. Opposition is irrelevant.

So choose your “poison”, but choose wisely; for only one leads to eternal life.

Praise be to God and Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Don’t wait to be asked

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” [Acts 13:15]

After reading from the Law and the Prophets, the ruler of the synagogue urges Paul to share words of encouragement with all those gathered. No doubt they had heard of Paul and his ministry, now they want to hear for themselves. And so Paul goes on to talk about Jesus, who was crucified and raised from the dead. Paul shares that through this man (Jesus) there is forgiveness of sins and freedom from that which the Law of Moses could not free you.

Upon hearing Paul’s words of encouragement and the Good News they begged him to stay and say these things again the next day. And why wouldn’t they? When you hear Good News you just can’t get enough of it.

Christian, do you really know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you believe that your sins have been forgiven through faith in Jesus? Do you cling to the hope of the resurrection? I mean, do you really? Does this excite you and give you encouragement? Then don’t wait for people to find you and ask you to share words of encouragement, because chances are they won’t. If the Good News is really Good News then share words of encouragement without being asked.

And sometimes you don’t need to start out saying words. Sometimes your life is enough to get people’s attention. But don’t let that be enough for you. Don’t simply do things for others but also say words. Paul writes in Romans that faith comes through hearing (not seeing alone). Faith comes through words (not actions alone). Faith comes through YOU speaking words so therefore, do so without being asked.

But what am I saying, if Jesus is the Word of Life; I mean really the Word of Life for you, then you are probably already doing what I have said. If Jesus is not the Word of Life for you then I pray that the Holy Spirit infects your hearts with hope and leads you to faith in Jesus as your Savior.

And once you have said these words of encouragement, say them again and again because if people are anything like me, you just can’t get enough of the good stuff.

So in the words of TobyMac from his hit song Speak Life:

So speak Life, speak Life.
To the deadest darkest night.
Speak life, speak Life.
When the sun won’t shine and you don’t know why.
Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted;
Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope,
You speak love, you speak…
You speak Life

Speak life and praise God always and forever. Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Glory to God

/ The Pastor

On my desk I have a picture frame that houses our family’s 2014 Christmas card. The card proudly shows off six pictures. Five of the pictures are of my two beautiful children and the sixth picture is a shot of our family of four. I find myself staring at this picture often; in awe that that is my family.

But as I stare at that beautiful arrangement of pictures; my eyes drift to the bottom left side of the card. There, in that corner are the words:

Glory to God

The words are meant to be a Christmas greeting and proclamation to our family and friends but they also remind me of God’s grace and faithfulness in our lives.

You see, about two years ago, my wife and I were wondering if we would ever be parents (especially after our painful failed adoption in March 2013), but now we are the parents of two beautiful children (both under the age of two, crazy, I know). Life has definitely changed for us, and in more ways than one:

~ Our house is now chaotic as our living room has turned into one big toy room.
~ Our Schedules are more complex.
~ Sleep is a premium.
~ Children’s songs now ring in my head.
~ Packing and traveling is stressful.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂

But also, our faith in God through Jesus has been strengthened (and I definitely wouldn’t have THAT any other way).

Glory to God

You see, I was a Christian before the failed adoption, but afterwards, something “more”. And that’s the best way I can describe it. My wife and I became so much closer to each other and especially to God. We began to look at God differently (and in a good way). We began to lean more on God, especially during the healing process following the failed adoption. God was great before, we just noticed it better after we thought our lives were falling apart. God never deserted us; He was just doing something amazing.

Glory to God

Now I wonder how people do it. How do they navigate life without God? How do they deal with loss without God? How to they deal with tragedy without God? How do they face death without God? All of these questions perplex me and drive me to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. I don’t want anyone to deal with the crap of this world on their own.

I want people to lean on God through faith in Jesus.
I want people to know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
I want people to see their sinfulness and need for a Savior.
I want people to see their need to confess their sins.
I want people to hear God’s forgiveness through Jesus.
I want people to know the hope of the resurrection.
I want people to know Jesus.
I want people to give…

Glory to God

So in case you wanted to know what drives this pastor to serve and minister and write all these blog posts, well, there you go. It’s about Jesus. It’s about the Gospel. It’s about Life. It’s about giving…

Glory to God

…always and forever; for He is worthy.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Dare to believe

/ The Pastor

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. [Acts 12:5]

King Herod has Peter thrown into prison and the Church begins earnest prayer for Peter. What we are NOT told is what they were praying for. Reading what happens next; that an angel rescued Peter and returned him to his church, one can surmise that they were praying for his release, but we don’t know.

The church might have been praying for his well being. They might have been praying for God to strengthen his faith to stand strong before Herod. They might have been praying for God’s will to be done. And maybe, they were praying for his release. Who knows. But when Peter knocks on the door of the house and it is reported that he is there, they don’t believe. The church is praying for Peter but don’t believe that he could possibly be there.

What a shame.

Yesterday before worship I got a report about a man that we have been praying for. He had a brain tumor (notice the tense of that last verb) but after 30 radiation treatments there is no sign of the tumor. The doctors at one time did not have much hope for this man but apparently God has other plans. He still has chemo to go through, but the tumor appears to be gone.

I just love giving the congregation reports like this. We had been praying for him to be healed in anyway that God sees he needs to be healed but deep down inside we were still hoping for a miracle.

Praise be to God!!!

It is OK to dare to pray for miracles. It is OK to dare to believe that God will do something amazing. But also:
~ Dare to believe that God is God and that His will, will always be done.
~ Dare to believe that God’s will is always perfect (even though it may not seem perfect at the time).
~ Dare to believe that God sees the big picture and knows what is best.
~ Dare to believe that God is in control.
~ Dare to believe that God is your Father and that you are His child.
~ Dare to believe that God will give you what you NEED, not necessarily what you WANT.

But also, dare to believe the miracle of all miracles:
Jesus Christ dying on a cross and then rising from the dead that you may be forgiven and thus live forever with him.

If nothing else, dare to believe that.

Holy Father, grant us the faith to believe and trust in your wisdom and mercy. Help us to see that as a loving father provides for his children, that YOU do so and more. May we dare to believe that you can do the miraculous and may we praise and worship you always and forever, Amen.

The Pastor -|—