God’s Word

Words

/ The Pastor

Most holy and awesome God, with simple but powerful words, you created the heavens and the earth.  
With spoken words you called your servants to prophesy and proclaim.  
With words you called forth Lazarus from bondage in a tomb.  
With words you proclaim forgiveness, life and salvation.
 And with words you create, build and maintain faith.  

How I am in awe of your Word, for your Word is lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thank you God for your holy Word through Jesus Christ our Lord and King.

But Lord, I also ask that you may bless my words.  Too often we use words to bring people down through gossip and bearing false witness.  May our witness be true as it blesses and praises your holy name.  May we defend people, speak well of them and explain their actions in the kindest way.  May people see our worship of you through our words.

Dear Lord, may your name be praised throughout the whole world and may your word go out and do what it set out to do.  Bless this day and may our worship be pleasing to your ears.  In Jesus name I pray…

Amen!

Worship the Lord with all your heart for God is worthy.

The pastor -|—

Cravings

/ The Pastor

“It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

I am trying to drop a few pounds and get ready for a triathlon that is coming up in about a month here in Jackson.  The training is going fine but it is the eating I am struggling with.

You see…I like food.  A lot 🙂 

When I get hungry I eat.
When I get bored I eat.
When I watch TV I eat.
When I…and you get the point.

I need to crave healthier foods in order to be…well…healthy.
I need to control my cravings.

My scripture reading this morning really hit home.  Food is important.  Maintaining a healthy diet is important.  Exercise is important.  But be careful not to crave those things alone…for “bread alone” is not good enough but we need “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  For no amount of healthy eating and exercise will cause us to live forever…only God can do that for us through Jesus Christ.  I have to remind myself that Jesus healed many people in scripture but in the end they all died (I mean…you don’t see them walking around today…do you?).

What brings life is forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus.  And I get that daily reminder through God’s Word.

So live healthy AND crave God’s Word…for that is the ideal diet.

edh -|—

Guard your way

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

If you haven’t spent time with Psalm 119 let me urge you to do so.  I know it is a long one (176 verses).  I know there is much to take in, but it is well worth the time.  Take it in sections (there are 22 stanzas of 8 verses each).  Meditate on a stanza at a time and then move on as the Spirit leads you.

I never cease to be amazed at how the Holy Spirit leads me to various places in Scripture.  I know it is not a random thing; that God has a plan.  All I can say is: Wow!
and
Praise be to God!

Verse 1 sets the tone:
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”

Now — before anyone thinks I am saying MY way is blameless, let me say this:
I AM FAR FROM BLAMELESS…
…but I am trying to walk in the law of the Lord.  I am trying to seek the Lord with all my heart.  I am trying to learn His precepts.  I am trying to store up His Word in my heart.

MY way is not blameless, but GOD’S way is blameless.  And that is the way I am seeking.

But I also know that in all my efforts to walk in the way of the Lord I will fall down.  I will fail.  I will let God down.  I don’t want to, but I know it will happen.  After all I am sinful (but that’s still no excuse).

What a wretched person I am…

…but through Jesus Christ, God is merciful.  Praise be to God!

So I continue my journey.  I continue my walk with God.  I continue my exploration of God’s Word. I continue to seek GOD’S way and ask God to keep me from the temptation of following MY way.

Why?

Verse 9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your (God’s) word.”

YOUR way will never be pure through your efforts.  Your way is only pure by guarding it through God’s Word.  So…

Seek the Lord.
Mediate on his precepts.
Guard your way that you may be pure and that God may be glorified in your life.

With your whole heart seek God; wander not from his commandments. [paraphrase of verse 10]

May God bless your day as you walk with Him 🙂

edh -|—

Destruction and rewards

/ The Pastor

I came across this verse in my morning Bible reading today and it caught my attention:

“Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.“
(Proverbs 13:13, ESV)

One can never go wrong by maintaining a discipline of daily Bible reading and prayer.  I have been thoroughly blessed by God through reading God’s Word each and every day.  But don’t get me wrong:
–It doesn’t keep me from pain and suffering.
–It hasn’t shown me the secret location of a pot of gold.
–It hasn’t increased my territory.
–It doesn’t give me special protection.
–It hasn’t straightened out my checkbook.
–It hasn’t done the things that the world wants to happen.

But rather…what does God’s Word do (at least for me):
–Gives me a peace like the world can not give.
–Reminds me of what God continues to do for me.
–Show me stories of God’s amazing faithfulness despite our sin.
–I feel a joy that goes beyond happiness.
–I have felt more bold in my witness.
–I have hope within this messed up world.
–It gives me guidance in my roles as pastor, husband, friend, leader, etc.

I have indeed felt rewarded…not because of MY effort in maintaining this discipline but because GOD is faithful.  This is God’s doing, not mine.  I don’t celebrate my effort.

The temptation is to think that if you are more faithful in your spiritual disciplines that God will bless you because you’re being more faithful, but it just doesn’t work that way.  We are “rewarded” because it is the nature of God’s Word.  You aren’t rewarded because of YOUR strict discipline of eating fruits and vegetables but because that is just what they do…it’s their nature to be good for you despite the kind of person you are.

The “reward” of God’s Word is there, you just need to open your eyes to what God has done FOR YOU through Jesus Christ.

The “destruction” that comes into play when we stray from God’s Word is:
–Focus on our strength ~ which is never strong enough.
–Looking to the world for happiness ~ which is always fleeting.
–Our outlook on life extends only as far as THIS life will bring you ~ death.
–Hopelessness when times get tough.

So go to God’s Word for GOD is faithful!  Seek God and He WILL be found.  Dwell in God’s presence for that is pure joy.

Hallelujah and Amen!

edh -|—

More Amos…

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Greetings and salutations…and welcome to another beautiful day.

For today’s installment/post I would like to introduce you to a guess writer…my wife.  Yesterday I preached on Amos 5:18-24 and upon telling my wife about this she read Amos devotionally for a couple days.  Yesterday, my wife wrote something about Amos that she posted on a discussion forum that we’re involved in with a number of friends of ours.  What is to follow is what she posted (with her permission of course).  I thought she had some great insights on what God is saying to us through Amos and made me think about Amos in a brand new way.  So…here it is.  I will pass on any comments to my wife, Connie:

I wanted to share something with you guys that really struck me last night as I was reading in God’s Word. I was reading in Amos because my hubby preached on the Amos text today, and I decided to just read the whole book.

Then I also was struck by Amos 6:3-6 “Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, who cause the seat of violence to come near; Who lie on beds of ivory, stretch out on your couches, eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall; Who sing idly to the sound of string instruments, and invent for yourselves musical instruments like David; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint yourselves with the best ointments, but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” Now I want to write to you what I read, here is the Connie translation of Amos 6:3-6 “Woe to you who feel that God is not going to return in your lifetime and therefore become complacent in our mission to make disciples, who have allowed a deterioration of Biblical values; who have the fancy houses and sit on the couch watching TV all day, eating the most elegant foods; who sing hymns/songs in church with absolutely no emotion and invent “new ways of worship” rather than focusing on what God has truly given us in worship; who consume alcohol instead of turning to God for guidance or use Bath & Body Works products when Suave brand is just the same, you are not searching for justice in the community or world, but rather search for the best for yourself”. Anyway, here is Amos 8:11&12 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord. But shall not find it”. I was struck by the famine, because I feel that is where some of our churches are headed or are already there. We have our “books of worship” which may contain some scripture, but we are not spending the most time in God’s Word. We don’t always openly talk about God’s Word in our workplaces or our coffee fellowship downtown. We are truly in a famine. When we do talk about God’s Word or guidance, we make it into some “grandiose” language such as “And then the Lord spoketh to me saying” or some other crazy talk. I feel that God came for the people, in their terms, in their language. We the church are in the midst of this famine and if we don’t get going, we are going to dry up!

I especially enjoy the “Connie translation” of Amos 6.

What do you think about this “famine”?

-edh-