Welcome to Real-ity Based Blogging

The Price (Exodus 12; Exodus 13; Psalm 21; Acts 1)

2008-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

Scripture:The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)

Observation: The blood of the lambs slaughtered for passover was a foreshadowing of Jesus as the Lamb of God whose blood allows his followers to be exempted from the penalty of death that is the price of sin.

Application: In our psalm it says in v.2 that God has given the king the joy of his heart. While there are many things I could want, the thing that I need to want most is what I have already recieved: pardon for sin and eternal life that was granted by Christ's death on the cross. And from that to be Christ's witness in American Canyon, our larger community, and to the world.(Acts 1:8)

Prayer: Lord help me to keep asking you for the things that are worthy, the things that you want for me and for us. Give me peace in the midst of times that are difficult. Help me to wait on you for deliverance once again. May You be glorified in all that I do with my family today.

From the American Canyon Eagle Jan 22

2008-01-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

AmCan churches make plans for the coming year
By ANNA ABBOTT, Special to the Eagle
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Local pastors hope to make 2008 an eventful year for their congregations.At Open Door Bible Church, there are new programs including a women's Bible study on Tuesday nights. There will also be new activities for kids according to Open Door's Pastor Alan Brazell."We will have a Boys and Girls Club activity once a month after church with different activities." Some are games, some are outdoor activities, or learning minor electrical or automotive skills," he said.Brazell summed up his church's goals for the year.

"Our desire is to build a loving Christian fellowship where people can grow in the knowledge of the Lord, where there are friendships and people can support one another."Marshall Stevens, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, said his goal for this year is to "do better at what we've been doing." Two revivals are scheduled this year, with one in late January and another in late October."We are going back to basics in spreading the gospel," Stevens said. "Our goal for 2008 is to be what we ought to be, according to Peter's epistle."

At American Canyon Baptist Church, 2008 will be lively according to Pastor Matt Real."The big thing we're doing is the Love Revolution Feb. 8-10. We will show how much we love the American Canyon community. We'll be contacting the mayor and discuss serving the community. We'll send 10 to 12 teams into civic projects."

American Canyon Baptist Church will also host the kick-off for the Relay For Life. Real said that the preschool will partner with the church to do another "Trike For Life," raising money for cancer research.

On Aug. 24, the church plans to hold a worship service in a city park.

Real voiced the church's goals for this year."We're about building relationships for Jesus in 2008. It drives everything we do this year."

Bread of Life Ministries' goals are "helping people get from day-to-day" according to Pastor Stuart Welch."Urgent needs have outpaced general maintenance," Welch said. "There's the economic crunch. Families are facing urgent needs in housing and food. We have to help people make it tomorrow."In February, the church will address a very real problem: real estate."We'll have a mortgage workshop for families in crisis. It's an immediate need," said Welch.The church will be increasing its food distribution to four times a year. It will also be increasing its grocery giveaway in April.Welch also wants to help promote higher education."We're going to institute a college incentive program," he said. We'll encourage people in the congregation to go to the next level. We'll pay for the books and help with the tuition. We'll encourage them to go to Heald College and Napa Valley Junior College."

Hardened Hearts (Exodus 9; Exodus 10; Exodus 11; Luke 24)

2008-01-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

Scripture:When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. (Exodus 9:34)

Observation: God was speaking powerfully in both sets of scriptures- one through plagues and the other through resurrection. The common theme was that many in both scripture sets could not or would not see that God was working. Once calm had been restored Pharoah snapped back to his previous position. The disciples on the road to Emmaus could not see Jesus walking with them. The disciples He appeared to could not believe it.

Application: Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, God is still in our midst. We need to see what God is doing and saying in order to respond correctly to him. I need to see what God is doing in my family, in my church, and in my world.

Prayer: Lord, help me be sensitive to your ways. Help me to see that my choices, even ones that seem fairly insignificant, effect how I am positioned to respond to you. Give me your vision for the day.

(Exodus 6; Exodus 7; Exodus 8; Luke 23)

2008-01-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (Luke 23:42)

Observation: We want miracles, we want God to perform for us as though he was a magician that we are paying. We can very easily miss what God's message is because we are waiting for an "experience" of God. Pharoah saw miracles and still resisted God. So did the people of Jesus' day. God meets our needs daily and still we are not willing to be obedient to Him.

Application: I need to be conscious of all the ways that God has worked in my life and in the world. It is not my role to ask God to produce miracles upon command, but to be seeking His leading in the world.

Prayer: Lord, give me the courage to keep my eyes on the important things and not to get distracted by anything less. Help me to confront when needed and to love at all times. Thank you for your faithfulness when I am not.

God's Will(Exodus 3; Exodus 4; Exodus 5; Luke 22)

2008-01-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

Scripture: 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." (Exodus 4:13)

Observation: Moses, Jesus, and Peter did not want to follow through. Moses was reprimended, Peter denied Christ, but Jesus said, not my will, but yours. Often in life we have to do things that we don't want to do. But the mission of Christ must be more important than our fears or discomfort.

Application: I need to be more relationally and emotionally willing to do God's work when it would be easier just to let things lie. Tomorrow I need to make two phone calls that I don't want to make.

Prayer: Lord, help me to make these phone calls, help me to be willing to uncomfortable to accomplish that which I don't want to do. Give me the courage and the willingness to persever when its easier just to capitulate.

(Exodus 1; Exodus 2; Psalm 88; Luke 21)

2008-01-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Scripture: "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36)

Observation: Death is one of the themes in these verses. A subject we like talking about even less than money. How we live in the shadow of death makes a great deal of difference. We must trust in Jesus both for our life and in our deaths. In trusting in Jesus we have faith that allows us to live unafraid in life.

Application: I need to remember that I have a limited number of days to live. Whether it is my death or Christ's return, the time is short. I will do well to live remembering that Christ will return and sharing that Good News with others.

Prayer: Lord, help me to not be afraid. Strengthen my ability to make hard decisions, give me the ability to trust in you in times when it will be difficult. Lord I thank you for the hope that I have.

(Genesis 49; Genesis 50; Psalm 8; Luke 20)

2008-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

Scripture:But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? (Genesis 50:10)

Observation: Joseph refused to vengence for what his brothers had done to him. The psalm reminds us of it. And the teachers of the law put themselves in the place of it. All of these things are God's place as the center of the universe. God is the one to avenge, God is worthy of our praise, God is the one who creates the rules for how we are to live.

Application:Remembering my place in God's created order. God is the one who has created the rules. He is the one who will see that justice is done. He is the one worthy of worship and praise.

Prayer: Lord I praise you for all that you have done. I praise you for you love, your faithfulness, you boundries, your holiness. Help me to walk in the boundries you set, help me to trust that you will take care of me and my family. Help me to see your work around me.

(Genesis 47; Genesis 48; Psalm 10; Luke 19)

2008-01-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

Scripture:For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10

Observation: Salvation comes in unlikely places. The people of egypt experienced temporal salvation by selling themselves, their land, and their possession into slavery- yet because they did that they were saved. Zaccheus experienced salvation by his giving up much of his wealth to follow Jesus. Perhaps we need to have are hands empty to experience salvation that Jesus desires us to have.

Application: I get swept up, like most, in to what's mine is mine. I need to have open hands to give to God's service my possessions, my time, my money. While I do this well at times, I need to be willing to trust God more fully.

Prayer:Lord, help me to place everything I have and am into Your hands. Help me be willing to give up everything to follow you. Help me to trust you with the things most precious; keep them safe and well.

Fairness (Genesis 44; Genesis 45; Genesis 46; Luke 18)

2008-01-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" Genesis 45:24

Observation: Joseph's attitude was not about fairness. God's plan or not, he had much to be angry at his brothers for. Also, the story of the persistent widow is not fair at all. How to enter the Kingdom of God seems unfair as well. The phrase that comes to mind is that God is generous in ways we don't like and also that God never promised that the world would be fair. Grace is better than fair, but sometimes its hard to give up our "rights".

Application: Often I feel as though I get tasked with things that aren't particularly fair. I need to remember that I was never promised fair. I also need to give not 50% in my family but 100%. I need to not insist on my rights, but be willing to serve.

Prayer: Lord, help me be willing to keep going even when it feels unfair. Help me to rely on your grace and not on my "rights". Let me see you in front of me in each person that I serve.

With Open Hands (Genesis 42; Genesis 43; Psalm 5; Luke 17)

2008-01-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." -Luke 17:17-19

Observation: Several people found themselves in need in these passages. David needed God to hear his prayer. The brothers needed grain from Egypt. The ten lepers needed to be healed. It is hard to ask others and hard to recieve from others. But our response is very telling about our hearts. Nine lepers did not return, one foreigner did. Perhaps what we do after we have been helped expresses how pure our motivation is.

Application: I need to allow people to help me. I need to be not just take for granted those who have helped. I need to show gratitude toward those who have helped me.

Prayer: Lord help me to recieve with open hands. Help me to express gratitude toward those who have blessed my life. Help me to live a life of gratitude, particularly to You.

Fidelity (Genesis 39; Genesis 40; Genesis 41; Luke 16)

2008-01-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

Scripture: ...and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"

But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:7-9)

Observation: Fidelity to God means fidelity to others. Joseph rejected Potipher’s wife and interpreted visions faithfully, even when it could have gotten him into more trouble. The parable of the rich man also underscores this point. The counter example of the shrewd manager still underscores the importance of securing our eternal inheritance that comes from Jesus.

Application: I need to be “steadfast, true, and faithful” in my relationship, in my commitments and in my time with God.

Prayer: Father God, I do not have the strength to do this. Help me Lord, give me the strength to continue in faithfulness even when I am overwhelmed. Thank you for renewing my spirit.

Judgmental Attitudes (Genesis 37; Genesis 38; Psalm 7; Luke 15)

2008-01-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

Scripture: About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant."
Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!" (Genesis 38:24)

Observation: After having slept with a prostitute (who happened to be Tamar) he had the temerity to call for Tamar to be burned to death! I know that women were viewed as property, but the hypocrisy is startling.

Yet, one of the biggest complaints against follower of Jesus is that we, too, are hypocrites. Some of this is just because in our society if you stand for any sort of higher moral ground, other feel the need to attack. But part of it is that we do often project ourselves as smug holder and do-ers of the truth. Humility is a much better witness!

Application: I would do well to stay away from the judgmental nature that occurs when I am tired and frustrated. I need to remember that those who are far from God are precious to Him. Help me to be one who seeks the lost rather than disdains them for being lost.

Prayer: Father God, you have saved me. Help me to be one who points others to your grace, not one who erects barriers from grace. Help me to accept grace, even though it means I don’t have to be better than others to deserve it. Give me a sense of peace in the midst of trying times and be grateful for what is rather than be frustrated with what is not yet.

High Cost (Genesis 34; Genesis 35; Genesis 36; Luke 14)

2008-01-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

Scripture: "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. (Luke 14:23)

Observation: Jesus tells a parable about sending his servants out to make the banquet full. The good people will not come, so he invites the poor, the disenfranchised, everyone. And yet there is still more room.

God invites us to take him seriously, and to take ourselves less seriously. We very often find our identity in the company we keep- we are not very keen on associating with the down and out in our world. Yet these are the ones who respond to the master’s invitation. We need to know that our preferences are not of paramount importance in the kingdom of God. We must be willing to count the cost of what it will mean to follow Jesus.

Application: I took Josiah out to the playground today and saw a truly out of control kid. Maybe eight years old, swearing and threatening other children, threatening to kill with a gun. My first protective instinct was to take Josiah away. Probably the right thing to do. But is God calling me to invite him to the banquet, to a new way of life?

Prayer: Lord, help me to understand the cost of being a disciple. Help me be willing to love the unlovable, to be willing to reach out to those who are difficult. Help me to see that you have the power to change lives and change destinies. Thank you for changing me,

Conflict (Genesis 31; Genesis 32; Genesis 33; Luke 13)

2008-01-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."(Genesis 32:28)

Observation: Jacob had an army chase him when he left, an army waiting for him where he was going, and in the middle had to wrestle an angel! The journey will be filled with conflict if we are to go toward what God calls us to. I greatly admire Jacob wrestling with God and refusing to leave until he is blessed.

Application: I want to wrestle with God until I wrest every bit of blessing that He has for my life, whether it is in circumstances or prayer. I want to not be afraid of the conflict coming or going, but to be intent on going where God has for me.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the One who is willing to wrestle with me until I come to the place where I need to be. Help me to be willing to go where you call me. I pray that I would not be like the religious leader who puts restrictions on the people, but rather one like Jesus who sets people free.

Love, Jealousy, and Fear (Genesis 29,30 Luke 12)

2008-01-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Scripture: So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. (Genesis 29:20)

Observation: Love is an incredibly powerful experience. It is in action in itself, but it evokes powerful emotion. The darker side is what we will do to be loved and/or accepted. Jacob loved Rachel so much that in essence he was willing to work fourteen years to marry her. On the other side you see the hurt and pain of Rachel and Leah who were desperate for the love, affection, and importance from Jacob. In a sense, much of the conflict Jesus reminds us in the Luke passage that if we count on the love that God has for us we will be taken care of well.

Application: I do well when I remember that I am loved and accepted by God. When I get into places of fear or jealousy I can think and do remarkably dumb things. I more than Rachel or Leah have been bought at a great price; Jesus himself paid the price so that I could be His.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to seek your blessing in my life, in my family and in your church. Help me to wait for your blessing. Help me to not compare, but be satisfied with either the blessing of Jacob or Esau.

Seeking Blessing (Genesis 27; Genesis 28; Psalm 4; Luke 11)

2008-01-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God. Genesis 28:20-21

Observation: The theme here is seeking blessing. Jacob sought Isaac’s blessings. So did Esau. Jacob in his dream choose to seek God’s blessing (note: It was Isaac’s God that he refer to until the dream). We seek God’s blessing when we choose where our eyes look, when we choose to be diligent in prayer. When we seek God’s blessings He shows himself to be real and to have power.

Application: It is not wrong, in fact it is right, to seek God’s blessing. When I place my complete trust in God I will experience the blessings that God wants to give me. I do not need to compare them to others.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to seek your blessing in my life, in my family and in your church. Help me to wait for your blessing.

Opposition (Genesis 25; Genesis 26; Psalm 6; Luke 10)

2008-01-10T22:12:00.000-08:00

Scripture: But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' (Luke 10:10-11)

Observation: When we follow through on what God plans for us to do, it does not mean that it will be easy. How many times in these chapters was Isaac forced to move? Sometimes we think that we will know God’s will by the sign of it being the easiest path. I do not think that is true.

What’s also interesting is that Jesus teaches us how we are to treat those who are in opposition. We are never to back off from the statement that the Kingdom of God is coming (and is here), but we also must act with great compassion. The Good Samaritan reminds us of what it means to be a neighbor, even to those who oppose us.

Application: I need to remember that opposition and struggle is part of the path that we take when we follow Jesus. That things will not always be easy and smooth; that we won’t always go from strength to strength. And that in the midst of opposition not to give in to frustration with the way that things are going.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to be patient. Help me to love and forgive and serve, even when I want to move people and things faster than they are capable of going. Give me a sense of your peace and a knowledge that you are working to build your kingdom in my life and in the world.

Life Journeys (Genesis 23; Genesis 24; Luke 9)

2008-01-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Luke 9:58)

Observation: The first thing that caught my attention was the nose ring given to Rebekah. May no be proper in some churches today, but that was a pre-engagement gift to one of the mothers of Jesus. But what I was really struck was the theme of journeys. Sarah’s death and the negotiation for a burial plot for her and her descendents, the servants journey to find Rebekah, the journey out of the disciples to do missions work, the journey of years that led to Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, Jesus statement that he had no home. There was an anthem that I sang in a choir many years ago, “The Journey is Our Home”. We may want to settle down, but I think that the following Christ is more of a journey than a homestead.

Application: If the journey is my home, am I getting too comfortable, to self-satisfied? There was a time when I would have gone anywhere at a moments notice. I need to be willing to go, not foolishly, but with abandon as the Lord leads. I suspect that the biggest need is not for external movement, but a will that’s willing to be led more into conformity to Christ’s will.

Prayer: Lord, there are ways in which I want to stop growing. I want to direct others to grow closer to you and at the same time stay lazy. Help me to be willing to follow you in the journey ahead. You are gracious and have allowed me to say no in the past and still loved me. Lord I want to become who you want me to be; help me to be willing to walk another path with you that will lead to deeper discipleship.

Faith is Risky (Genesis 20,21,22, Luke 8)

2008-01-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

Scripture:
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

Observation: God desires us to be fully committed to Him. In these passages we see that real faith, faith that puts God first, will take us up to the edge of what we think we can do (Abraham and the woman) but it will be greatly rewarded. God is faithful, but it doesn’t mean that we will not have to go into uncomfortable/fearful places.

Application: I need to remember that being a follower of Jesus does not always mean following the converntional, safe path. I need to see that Christ may call me to take what seem to be risks but are really opportunities for faith to take firm hold of my heart.

Prayer: Lord, help me in the places where I am afraid. Help me be willing to allow you to have my son, to trust you with everything. Lord, establish that faith in my heart and actions.

Jan 7- The Right Side of God's Judgment (Genesis 18-19, Psalm 3, Luke 7)

2008-01-06T16:56:00.001-08:00

Scripture: Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. (Genesis 19:17)

Observation: We see in these passages that God is both merciful and forgiving, but also judging. We see Jesus commending the centurion for his faith and healing of widow’s son. But we see Jesus warning the people of judgment because they can not or will not see God’s will being acted out in front of them. And then the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is powerful and there is definitely doing and believing right that he rewards and failing to do right and not believing that risk punishment. One of the keys seems to the outright or implicit arrogance of those who have lined themselves up for God's judgment.

Application: It’s important to be on the right side of God. It's not that He's capricious, but God is just and their will be punishment for evil. God is incredibly gracious to those who seek him, those who seek his protection, and listen to His truth. I need to be one who comes before Jesus to have him change my heart rather than get hard-hearted like the people of Sodom, those of Gomorrah, those who rejected John the Baptist, and those who rejected Jesus. I think the key is a seeking heart that desires to do God’s will.

Prayer: Lord, help me from becoming hard hearted. Help me to change the parts of my life that are in rebellion to your perfect will. Father, help me to see that you do not desire to punish, but that you desire to correct. Help me to turn rather than experience disaster. Thank you for rescuing me.

Where We Come From (Genesis 15-17, Luke 6)

2008-01-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

Scripture: He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." (Genesis 15:7)

Observation: Abraham was doubting God’s promise and providence and began complaining. God reminds him of where he began, and how much God has done for him. By looking at what God has done, and more important being made new by the Spirit, we can then live the life that Jesus explains in the sermon on the plain. If we had had to fend for ourselves this new way of life might be impossible, but we, like Abraham, are looking forward to a destiny and an eternity that is more important than our current wants.

Application: I need to remember from where God called me, from where God has called my church, and yet to keep looking forward to the promises that God has. It helps to remember how God has rescued me to believe that God is going to do even greater things in the future.

Prayer: Lord, when I get frustrated or overwhelmed, help me to see all that you have already done for me and all that you are going to do. Help me to believe that you are in the process of transforming me to become who you created me to be.

Trust

2008-01-05T20:07:00.001-08:00

Scripture: Then Melchizedek king of Salembrought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. (Genesis 14:18)

Observation: Blessing always begins with God. God moves and is active in the world, and we need to be cognizant of Him and His ways. All the stories of Jesus’ healing in Luke require the person to respond to God’s gracious offer of blessing. But they had the choice to receive it or not.

Application: Would I be willing to face ridicule for trusting God to do the miraculous or would I rather wait for God to the just above ordinary? Would I be content as a paraplegic to just trust God for enough food and not really trust Him for complete healing? I need to willing to trust God to do miracles big and small, and also trust Him to answer no, as He decides. I guess I just need to be willing to step out and follow God in whatever road He chooses to point me in.
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Prayer: Lord, help me to trust you with the big things and the little things and in the time when it doesn’t seem that you are working. Thank you for bringing me this far; please don’t let me miss your blessing because I am unwilling to totally trust in you. Thank you Jesus.

Pride and Temptation (Gen 9-11, Luke 4)

2008-01-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4)

Observation: The people of Babel exhibited arrogance in their great building project. Pride was a major player in their destruction. At the same time our Savior rejected the shortcut of having all of the kingdoms of the world worship him by bowing to Satan. This is the destiny of all men, and Jesus could have had it without the agony of the cross. But instead he overcame the temptations of pride and refused

Application: I long for success, for accomplishments. Would I have been one of the building planners at Babel? I would like to believe I would have been able to turn down the offer of all the kingdoms of the world, but sometimes I have trouble even turning down another piece of cake. This enemy, pride, is very dangerous to me and I must ask Christ to give me victory over it.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please give me the strength to reject all the world in order to follow you. I pray that you would keep me from temptation, but that you might also give me the power to overcome the temptations that do come my way. Help me to believe always that your way is better and that shortcuts never really are shorter. .

When God Says Enough...

2008-01-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

Scripture: John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. (Luke 3:7-8)

Observation: God is incredibly patient, more patient than we can imagine. But there comes a sure point where God decides that he must allow what is to be destroyed in order for something new to come about. Whether it was God restarting humanity with Noah’s family or John announcing that we must repent, the time comes when we must either choose to be faithful or watch calamity occur in our lives. And I also see that the Jewish people expected God to be lenient with them because they were “Children of Abraham” that they special and expected special treatment

Application: I wonder if I as a Christian don’t take living a holy life as seriously as I ought to because I think I can claim special dispensation like these Children of Abraham. I have been given God’s empowering Spirit, not as a license to sin, but as the power to break sin in my life.

Prayer: Father God, forgive me when I think that the price you paid to forgive my sin gives me license to continue in that sin. Help me to see that I may not see a flood or prophet warning me if I choose the path of sin, but that I will experience less of your transforming grace if I do. Help me to want your kingdom and righteousness more than anything else.

Temptation (Genesis 3-5, Luke 2)

2008-01-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Scripture: If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7)

Observation: Shaw once said that things that were bad for him never tempted him- basically he had given into every sort of temptation and embraced gluttony as a way of live. Some times this seems easier. Temptation can be subtle. Or overt. Often I invite it in. Rick Warren says that every time we give in to temptation its because we believe that it’s a belief; that I believe that cheating, etc., will benefit me.

Application: I need to understand that temptation is common to all (even Jesus!) and that it (or the enemy) seeks to break the fellowship that God wants to have with me by being distracted and distanced from God as I pursue it.

Prayer: Lord help me to believe that your ways are the best ways. That I do not have to try to cut corners or give in to what’s easy or comfortable. Thank you for loving me even through failure and forgiving me when I fall. Help me to want to do right. Help me to trust you as my strength and comforter. Thank you for the birth of Jesus!

Beginnings (Genesis 1-2, Luke 1)

2008-01-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. (Luke 1:1-2)

Observation: It’s the beginning of the year- and we are beginning at the beginning- like Julie Andrews taught us- a very good place to start. In both passages we see that God is showing his incredible love for us, creating the universe, breathing life into man, giving him a job, creating woman, sending John the Baptist, and most centrally, preparing the way for Jesus to be born.

Application: God has put us first in His creation and action. This year as I go about living, working, and serving- whether it be my self, my family, my church, community- I need to place God in first place.

Prayer: Thank you God for loving us so much that you gave me life, gave me meaningful work, gave me a family, gave me a savior. Lord help me to place you first and trust you to work out the protection, strengthening, and future of those things with which you have blessed me.

New Year, New Post, New Devotional

2008-01-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

We are using the Life Journal from New Hope Fellowship. I hope to record my journal directly here to help any who are struggling with it.

From American Canyon Eagle Today

2006-09-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

Back to (Sunday) School for American Canyon Churches
By ANNA ABBOTT, Eagle CorrespondentTuesday, September 5, 2006 1:06 AM PDT
As summer comes to an end and the school year resumes, American Canyon churches offer a variety of activities for children and youth. While most churches resume Sunday school, some also see their academic year offerings as outreach to the community.At Calvary Baptist Church, for the school year, Stevens said, "We order a curriculum; we'll have Bible lessons. We're planning on having an American Canyon Appreciation Day in October, with appreciation for public workers."

The academic year won't be all study and books."We'll have a youth rafting trip on the American River in early September," Matt Real, pastor of American Canyon Baptist Church, said.

The church will also offer special programs."We'll have major outreach to the middle schools," said Real. "We'll have popcorn, an Xbox, a television, and basketball hoops starting Sept. 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays. From 6 to 8 p.m. there will be high school students and we'll use couches and cool things. We open up to the community. Our building is in use all the time. We'll use our remodeled room for community events."Real concluded, "We have a comprehensive Sunday school program. We have a fabulous nursery school; we'll have two youth groups this academic year."

Hosanna Life Renewal Fellowship differs from other churches since it does not have special programs for children and youth on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings."We make up our calendar in October," said Pastor Morris Curry. Most churches do their calendar in October. We will have a youth concert in October at Open Door; there will be churches from all over American Canyon."

"In September," Curry said, "the Napa Valley Foundation will give a grant for youth to perform."True Vine Community Church is a storefront sanctuary on the west side of Highway 29. This summer, it had a Vacation Bible School during the first week of July. Teenagers went to the annual conference of Church of God in Christ in Houston, Tex. There were also fundraisers such as car washes.The church's pastor, E.G. Williams, discussed the coming academic year. He said that there would be a free picnic in Benicia on Sept. 2."We'll have tutoring in the fall for all ages free of charge," Williams observed, "We'll have special Bible study sessions on Tuesday nights. On Sunday evenings, young people have a special series. We'll have one free recreation outing a month. One doesn't necessarily have to be a member -- we go bowling, or ice-skating."

Wow, More Than A Month Went By!

2006-08-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged, after not missing very many days for the first 6 months of the year. The vast majority of my blogs have been my personal reflections on scripture, done in the evening after my boy Josiah, now almost 2, would go to bed.

Two things have changed since I began the regime. The first is that Josiah's sleeping patterns have changed and to sneak away to write this is taking time away from him Secondly, on my vacation I had the sense that God wanted me to invest my time in people, not in structure or programming unless it directly served people. It is hard for me to evaluate how many people were encouraged by this blogsite, particulalry in light of the fact that I had often written both the devotional and the blog! I suspect I might have been fairly repetitious.

I am still in the process of trying to refine what I need to do, what would be good to do, and what can be dropped. In the mean time, I will try to use this to post times for events at American Canyon Baptist Church and to do updates on whats going on in the life of the church. I would appreciate any feedback about the nature or direction of the blog either here, by email to matthewreal@yahoo.com or in person. Thanks for reading here and I know the fact that I am supported by many of you in prayer.

Matt

Denomnational News- Good News!

2006-07-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow our national denominational stuff, a very encouraging letter from our head honcho (not quite the same as pope) Dr. Roy Medley.

Dear American Baptist:

The following call is being issued as a continuing part of our implementation of policies adopted by the General Board. I call it to your prayerful attention.

A Call for American Baptists to Live Lives of High Moral and Ethical Responsibility

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called… (Ephesians 4:1)

A life centered in Christ makes Christ the model and is worthy of replication (Philippians 3:10). There are many dimensions to the Christ-centered life including—but not limited to—integrity, stewardship, compassion, spiritual practices, and sexual discipline (Ephesians 6:13). In various times and ways American Baptists have spoken to these aspects of the life of discipleship.

While not the most important discipleship issue in the New Testament, nor our highest priority of ministry lest we focus on one set of sins above others that afflict us such as racism, greed, sexism and gluttony, nonetheless, sexual concerns increasingly dominate our attention (Romans 1:28). We live in a culture obsessed with sex. We see evidence of sexual abuse every day. We are stunned at the reports of sexual impropriety by persons in caring professions (1Corinthians 6:18). Many persons have been victims of these abuses. The result is an environment of deep suspicion regarding the sexual integrity of persons in authority. In this context, the matter of homosexual practices continues to divide American Baptists.

The official position of American Baptist Churches USA is that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” and that marriage is intended to be “between a woman and a man” (Ephesians 5:31). This is my personal belief, as the General Secretary of ABCUSA, but more so, it is my responsibility to uphold this as the official position of the General Board of ABCUSA. This has been implemented in the admission of official exhibitors at the ABCUSA Biennial, chaplain endorsements, and in the staffing practices of the staff accountable to me.

Not only do I strive to live a life centered in Christ with moral integrity, I expect the same from my staff, and I call upon all American Baptists to live exemplary lives of the highest ethical responsibility in all matters, including matters of sexuality.

Further, I call upon all American Baptists to practice Christ-like compassion (Colossians 3:12) and care for all of God’s people in our families, our communities, and our churches. The redeeming love of Jesus Christ must be extended to all persons, and there is no place for hate, violence, or injustice (Philippians 4:8).

Finally, I call upon all American Baptists to practice a life of prayer, purpose (Philippians 1:21) and passion (Philippians 3:13) in our lives together. We must pray with and for one another, share our purpose in Christ, and practice passionate care and regard for one another. In this way we bear witness to Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:1-11).

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley

General Secretary

Vacation II

2006-07-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

Its been a good week. We were at Redwood Glen this week. We used it as our base of operations for forays down to the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, tidepools, elephant seals, Half Moon Bay and on. Amy did a fabulous job leading. Also, at camp were Daniel and Laura counseling and Richard playing with the band. It seemded to go really well, but I cant testify to it. I was sleeping well in a cabin far, far away.

I also learned about molting from Elephant Seals. They spend 4-6 weeks every year lying on the beach. They don't hunt or swim, they just lay on the beach shedding their winter coat getting ready for the next season. I'm thinking of asking for a re-name on my vacation to molting.

Went to Napa FBC today. They were doing one service this Sunday and it was a full sanctuary. It was a good place to worship God. They are now doing "emergent" worship, which is very different. Basically (and this will be a gross oversimplification) they have taken the traditional elements of church worship (like 3rd century, not 1950's) and reinterpretted them. There is a credo they recite, there recited the Lord's prayer, they played pretty oldish hymns (stuff that I didn't know) and rearranged them with electric guitar, drums, etc. Their pastor, Pete, is multi-talented and lead the music, preached, sang a solo and lead the whole worship expereince. His confidence I think put people at ease and allowed us to worship. There were visual elements as well as the spoken word when he preached. As I said, it was a very positive place to worship Jesus.

I suspect this next week will be a great deal slower. You are in my prayers. God is speaking, but I'm not quite sure I understand yet where He is moving. Keep us in prayer

Vacation

2006-07-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

It is time for me to spend more time with my family, to take some time off, to spend more time with God and to step back for a while. I will not be writing on Mark this month as our church looks at this Gospel.

You can pray for me for two things this month that I will be seeking after God about. One, what are God's priorities for how I spend my time. I need God to re-focus my energies on the things of eternal importance. Two, pray that God will reveal his will for our our church in whom and how he wants us to work this fall and into next year.

In a sense, for me, this is the end of the year. It has been a very, very good year. I think I may post to this blog on vacation, but it will be unstructured and just what I am thinking about. May God bless you and the church as we are apart for a few weeks.

Matt

July 4th Philippians 4

2006-07-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Philippians 4 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Philippians 4:4-5

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Title: Rejoice

Observation: In all things rejoice in the Lord. The command of Paul, and because it is scripture, we must also see it as the command of God.

Tomorrow I leave for a funeral. On a logistical note, I will not blog for a few days as I travel. His name was Darrell. Darrell was a success in the first half of his life. He was one of the first 30 nurseryman ever licensed by the state of California. He was owned and operated a large family Nursery business. If I remember the story right, he was married to a former Playboy model. He had it all.

Then his marriage imploded. He was lost and lonely. In the midst of his searching and trying to repair his life, he found two things. The first was his wonderful second wife, Jackie, and two, he found Jesus as his savior. Not that he was a bad man before, or an unethical one, but he had a radical conversion to Christ, where Christ became alive and real in his life. He was passionate about Jesus.

He was so passionate about Jesus, that he volunteered to teach the High School Sunday school class at his church. New to the faith, he knew that he loved teenagers and wanted them to know the love of Jesus. And who was the first student to come into his class? A 14 year old Matt Real. And I was not the spiritual giant you see before you today. I was a prickly, angry, difficult teenager who was very much out for himself.

But Darrell loved me. He loved me through the times I was angry, difficult, and distant. He consistently shared the love of Jesus when I was over my head in things I had no business in. He consistently showed the love of Christ to me when I was consciously not taking the teaching of Christ and walking a very different path. He loved me through all of that.

And later, he encouraged me as an even more prickly and difficult late adolescent to join a small group of men who got together very early for prayer. And then as I moved closer to Christ, I became a radical who attacked the established church at most every opportunity. He was patient and loved me through that too. He helped me grow from a boy into a man. When I got called into ministry, he was a huge supporter. And when I felt picked on and abused he told me, in mostly kind words, to get over it and get on with the work that God called me to do. I can’t remember a time when he was not encouraging and love.

I will miss him greatly. Only a third of his life was one where he followed Jesus. Yet he had an enormous impact on my life and the lives of hundreds and hundreds of others. And the truth is that I can rejoice in his life, because he is now with God, and has laid down the burden of life to enter paradise with Christ. I can rejoice because of him and his life and all that he did here.

Application: I want to be a model to people like Darrell was. I want to love and encourage other, to rejoice like he did in the life he was given.

Prayer: Lord, help me to love, encourage, and become a mentor to others. Allow me to enjoy life and rejoice in my young wife and my little boy. Thank you for all that you have given to me.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

July 3 Philippians 3

2006-07-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Philippians 3 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Philippians 3

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Title: Brokenness Is OK, Sitting Down and Giving Up is Not

Observation: There was a 7-11 commercial a number of years ago. An adult man in a jogging suit is sitting on the curb eating ice cream and drinking a soda in front of the store. Up pulls a station wagon and a window rolls down. Its his wife. She says, “I thought You were out running?” heavily dripping with accusation.

His responds defensively, “I got hot.”

She responds, “We only live two blocks away.”

I’m sure I’m remembering this story wrong, but I do understand the temptation to do something good and to give up and eat ice cream. Some days I realize how broken I am more than others. There’s a lot about me, my mindset, and my heart that need to become crucified so that I might become more like Christ. My failures are many, but they really don’t discourage me all that much, usually. What really discourages me are the habits and mindsets that I have that are wrong that I am not particularly interested in changing. I can accept Jesus forgiveness for physical errors and mental blanks. But the wayward part of my soul that wants to be fed and nurtured in rebellion to God and what God wants from me can make me want to give up.

And yet, Christ calls us onward. There are days I think I should lay my leadership burden down, work at a 9-5 job, and believe that I was never called or gifted for leadership. Yet this scripture encourages me. It reminds me that even Paul did not have it all together and that ‘he does the things he does not want to do’ like the rest of us. What he doesn’t do, and what I can be guilty of, is self-pity. He never cries, poor me, and huddles on the ground somewhere, or retires to a make the best tents in all of Ephesus. He presses onward to live the Christian faith more fully, and to assume the mantle of leadership given by Christ.

Application: I need to fully embrace that I am where I am because of Christ’s calling, not because I’m holy enough or smart enough for the tasks I have been given. I need to not be anxious. Nor believe the fallacy that I will get better by sitting down and licking my wounds. I will become more transformed into the person Christ wants to be the more I fully give myself to the tasks to which he has called me.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see that I am not worthy of the honor that you have given me, to lead a family and a church, but that you are. And that your Holy Spirit is what will enable me to faithfully discharge my duty, until I lay it all down when you call me to my eternal home. May your love propel me forward and encourage me with your great love as I go forward.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

June 29 Philippians 2

2006-06-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Philippians 2 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Philippians 2:5-6

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped

Title: The Christ Hymn

Observation: Jesus took the form of a servant. And he left the infinite space of eternity for the almost inconceivably small space of a human body. It’s a kind of claustrophobia I can’t imagine.

But even among humans Jesus took the role of the servant. And that at the appointed time, allowed himself to be led to the slaughter like a lamb. Jesus trusted God with all that he had, and God raised him up, and gave him the name that is above every other name.

In our own limited way, we need to follow the example of Christ. Take the form of a servant. Be vulnerable enough to allow others to hurt us. And trust that God will validate a life of service.

Application: Its mostly my insecurity that keeps me from serving others when I fail to come alongside others. Sometimes its because I just don’t want to deal with others with need. But mostly I in my insecurity I want to prop myself up so that others know how important I am.

Instead I need to serve with humility and trust that as I honor God he will take pleasure in my doings. That my identity rests with him. And know that he will forget the little things that I can do to help those around me.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be humble, trusting you for my identity. Let me be strengthened in service so that I might yet be more vulnerable. Allow me to come before your presence as one who has followed the instructions of Christ.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

June 28 Philippians 1

2006-06-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Philippians 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Philippians 1:4-5

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now

Title: A Partnership for the Sake of the Gospel

Observation: Church can be about a lot of things. We can make it about friendship. We can believe it’s about family. We can think it’s transactional, that God tolerates us for another week because we made it to church. We can pretend that its about making us feel good, a source a mild entertainment.

But the truth is, the ecclesia, the called out community, was designed to be a partnership for the sake of bringing the gospel to the world. I long for this kind of partnership. I am willing to make major sacrifices to a part of a partnership for the sake of the gospel. But the other, too small identifications of a church, are less and less palatable.

Application: I need to be willing to communicate this truth. I must be willing to pay the cost for a real partnership with those who are sincerely trying to share the gospel with a hungry world. I want to live with this clear focus. I need to present this clarity of focus.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be clear as I lead about the reason we gather. Help me to love those who are not ready for it not to be about them. Help me present a better future that would attract those who need to hear this truth. Help me to put this into practice.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

June 27 Galatians 6

2006-06-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Galatians 6 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Galatians 6:4

Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,

Title: Comparisons are Odious

Observation: For many of us its hard to know where level is. And the way we find “sea level” is by comparing ourselves to others. Yet, we are not made by God like anyone else. Each one of us should rise to the level that God has gifted us, not merely surpassing someone in an area that you have been gifted by God in. Nor should we be devastated because God has uniquely gifted someone else to do something that we simply will never be able to do.

I love music. And I have a little bit of talent. But I am not gifted. And every so often I go overboard and try to lead with music instead of my giftedness of teaching and preaching. And I inevitably fall flat on my face. It’s hard for me to let it go, but it is not where God has called me to do.

Application: I need to accept what I have been gifted to do. And do it to the best of my ability, growing in the gifts that I have been given. And leave alone the things that I have not been given and enjoy those who are gifted in these ways.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gifts that you have given me. Keep developing in me the gifts you have given, that I might hone them for your glory. And allow me to leave comparisons behind, and only seek identity in You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

June 26 Galatians 5

2006-06-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Galatians 5 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Title: The Good Stuff

Observation: The Fruits of the Spirit. These are the things that we want to demonstrate. Yet its not that we set out to live them, they should be the results of our living.

Yet am I loving? No? Time for a check up. If we are not living this way, we may need to how we have missed the goodness of God. I think that I can be so busy doing the work of God, that I miss the experience of being with God. And then I will exhibit the love patience, peace joy, goodness, etc.

We will fall sometimes. But the key is not to stay down, but to get back contact with the Spirit and to let the Spirit lead us. It is in the context of our relationship that we will bear fruit.

Application: I need to trust God, slow down, spend time with Him. I need to less concerned with accomplishing my purposes than spending time with God and experiencing His goodness.

Prayer: Lord, help me to enjoy being with you, and not being too busy looking behind or looking ahead to stay present with you. Help me to not be too busy to live in love with You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

June 25 Ephesians 6

2006-06-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 6 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Title: Morale

Observation: No, this isn’t another one of those crazy English spellings of the word moral. Morale is the mental/emotional/spiritual state of a group of people and the intensity with which they pursue their purpose. Often applied to armies, this is the intangible quality that often serves as a beacon of success or failure.

The reason that an army’s morale can be crushed is when they think they’re out there alone. And our morale as Christians takes a beating when we are not refreshed by the awesome power of God’s love. We need to be reminded by ourselves and others about the awesome power of God that is available to us.

Sometimes in our attempts to be compassionate, we do not refer our fellow believers to the awesome power of Christ. We meet them with the tenderness that Christ has placed in us- that in itself is very, very good. And there are times when that’s how we need to minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ. But there are times we need to focus instead of the victorious message of the cross, and the awesome power we have through the Spirit to overcome. Living less than that is not where God wants us for long.

Collectively, we too need to believe that God can do great things. Sure the obstacles are great, but God and his power is greater than any of our difficulties. We need to know the truth of God’s power and plan.

Application: I need to believe that God has the power to overcome through me, around me, and for me more than what I could possibly do or imagine.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be willing to believe you. That you are with me. And that you will do great things in my life, in the life of my family, and the church. Lord, help me to encouraged by your great presence and power.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

June 21 Ephesians 5

2006-06-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 5 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Ephesians 5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ.

Title: Mutual Submission

Observation: This is the core of Christian community life. Everything else is commentary.

Application: I need to be willing to submit to the weak, to wash the feet of the poor and diseased, to be the servant of the pagan, to love the unlovable. I need to be willing to lay down my pride and be willing to be like Jesus and serve, love, and submit to everyone. Not to accommodate them, but to love them sacrificially.

Prayer: Lord, I don’t want to do this. Help me to want to be willing to submit to others, to give sacrificially of myself to those who in no way can pay me back. Help me to desire to be this self-less.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

Ephesians 4* June 20th

2006-06-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 4 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

* I was pointed to the fact I skipped Galatians 5-6. While I have all sorts of "good excuses" for that, I will simply accept your gift of grace in advance and work on those last chapters of Galatians once we have finished Ephesians.

Key Verse(s): Ephesians 4:14-15

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Title: Growing Up

Observation: I hate fads. I like to think I always have, though you could probably go through my historical closet and music collection and come to the conclusion that I have been just as much a part of the herd as anyone else. Still, the idea that we have to re-decorate our worlds to keep up with some arbitrary trend every few years to satisfy the whimsy of some multi-national companies corporate shill does make me a little crazy. Does that sound bitter and curmudgeonly? I hope so.

And yes, the Christian world has our own fads. Some of them are at bottom quite good, the message re-enforcing the truth we have already learned, bringing us back to the basics of our faith and explaining them in a new and fresh way. I think that the Purpose Driven Life was one such example.

But, as Rick Warren would point out, there is nothing new in that book that has not been a part of orthodox Christianity for 2000 years. The foolish idea that Dr. Warren had come up with something new, when he wrote that your life was, “not about you” but rather pleasing God is simply re-stating the Apostle Paul saying, ‘to live is Christ, to die is gain’.

One of the reasons why this book, and other books I like far less, was so successful is that we do not have the fundamentals of faith down. The church has not communicated well, nor have we lived up, to the commands of Christ, to love God, love on another, and preach the gospel to all people. A life dedicated to following Jesus should be challenged and encouraged by a basic primer like The Purpose Driven Life but it should not be new information. For those of us who have followed Jesus for a decade or more, we should already be mature enough, grown up enough, not to be pushed off our spiritual foundations by this good theology, much less some of the other much more suspect books about living out the Christian life. Otherwise we will move from one spiritual high to another, never really knowing Jesus except second hand.

Application: I need to grow up in faith. I must challenge others to grow up, and not be as infants. I need to encourage healthy and strong believers. I must be willing to sacrifice so that I might find space for my own growth.

Prayer: Lord God, help me create the space I need to experience your love and to grow up into your headship. Help me to lead others to grow into your great love, that they might become strong in knowing you.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 19 Ephesians 3

2006-06-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 3 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Title: Growing Together in Power and Love

Observation: God desires those who call upon Him to lead there lives to have power. He wants His followers to impact the world in which they live. He wants to give us His authority to go and tell the world about a new way of living.

Yet He does not give authority, from how I read scripture, to individuals outside of community. He gives authority within the correcting influence of the church body. If we are to exercise authority we must be accountable. Or we may very well end up as one of those who have brought shame on the gospel.

But God’s ultimate gift of power, is not to move mountains or expel demons, but rather that we might more firmly grasp the greatest of mysteries- the infinite God who loves us. This truly does surpass what we can comprehend. And out of the fullness of understanding of God’s great love, out of the overflow of what we can handle, comes the love we need to have for the world in which we are placed.

Application: I must immerse myself in the mystery of God’s love. I need to experience his love daily, so that I might truly love others. I need to love out of the overflow of God’s first love for me.

Prayer: Lord God, help me create the space I need to experience your love. Help me to see you in others. Help me to love them with your love.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 15 Ephesian 2

2006-06-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 2 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Ephesians 2:4b-5

God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Title: Grace

Observation: Grace. We are so tempted to add things to grace, like grace + works, grace + obedience, grace + Bible reading, grace + attending church regularly as our key to salvation. The truth is that grace + anything is always less than grace alone. Grace is unmerited favor which we enjoy, and should richly enjoy, through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Every so often I get selfish. Or self-centered. In my own little cosmic scheme I begin to believer that I am the only true believer, the only one that really sees what needs to be done, the only one faithful enough to see a work of God through. How foolish and narcissistic of me!

I do not want to be a Pharisaical, yet the temptation, particularly in pastoral ministry, is great. We like to draw lines well short of the line of sin. One, it keeps people from falling into sin in our imagination (in actuality it make exactly the opposite way). It also makes church discipline a whole lot easier. If we erect a large fence of righteousness around our little clan of believers it can bring the unity and strength of a mini-“cult”. But in exchange we would have to give up our greatest gift from God, grace. We would no longer be free. And Jesus came to earth so that we might have life, real life, life to the fullest measure.

Application: I need to be free. I need to love more freely. I need to not be defensive about my weaknesses and allow people to know me better. I need to be willing to handle rebuke, Lord, give me the grace to do this!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to live in grace and not try to put myself or others under the law. Your grace is sufficient. Help me believe that and communicate that and be willing to trust you for the results.

8

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 14 Ephesians 1

2006-06-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Ephesians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Title: The Inheritance

Observation: I once worked at a Presbyterian church. Their doctrine is that humans are entirely wicked, ‘total depravity’ is there phrase, and the only thing that allows people to be saved is the grace of God. Fair enough. But they take it further and argue that humans are so depraved that they can not even choose to follow Jesus. Those who are saved are saved regardless of their will and that is the sovereign choice of God. I could not and can not believe that because Jesus came to offer all the gift of salvation who would call upon His name. But they used this doctrine to explain infant baptism.

Infant baptism does not bring salvation. But infant baptism is a symbol of grace, something like an enormous trust fund for a child, the mark that God has saved them. Clearly an infant or a child cannot write a check on this bank. But as the grow older they will learn how to access the riches of God’s grace in covenant relationship with God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

While I obviously disagree with this approach to baptism (I believe that all examples of baptism in the New Testament were done by believers), I do agree that we have an enormous inheritance that most of us have not tapped into. We can live our lives on the economy of God’s grace or we can scrounge on the pocket money of our schemes. When we try to be independent from God, instead of dependent on him, we live in spiritual poverty and live lives that are less than the fullness and richness that God desires. We need to allow the cross of Jesus to count for more than overdraft protection- we need to live off the riches of forgiveness, mercy, hope, faith and love that we have inherited as co-heirs with Christ. We have an embarrassing amount of riches that we too often do not tap as we walk around in lives that are the spiritual equivalent of lrags.

Application: I need to give God room to do miracles around me and in me instead of trying to muscle up and do the heavy lifting of transforming my life, my family, and the church on my own strength. Jesus did not come so that I could be His hero; He came to be my Savior.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to trust you for miracles, to believe that you can do the impossible, that you can do far better through me than I could ever do for you. Help me to let you lead and be willing to be a simple servant who carries out the details of the plans that you have for eternity. Help me to be humble enough to gratefully seek out your help in all things.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 13 Galatians 4

2006-06-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Galatians 4 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Galatians 4:3-4
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Title: Prayer for the Messenger

Observation: I am never sure how much prayer to ask for. I understand it is prayer that somehow participates in moving the Spirit into action. In a way that I don’t fully understand, prayer, fervent and often, affects the nature of how God works on earth. So obviously this is of primary importance.

Yet prayer and calling people to prayer can also be a power play. I have seen it. Prayer teams can be used as a tool of egocentric pastors to make them themselves the message and not the Gospel itself. It can be played upon to build a false sense of intimacy and caring for a group. It can be a nice hiding place for those who have no intention of living sacrificial lives to speak of failure as “God’s will”.

But asking for prayer, sincerely, is allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Asking for prayer admits weakness. And while it may be easy to acknowledge weakness in the abstract, calling for prayer for very human failings is much harder. And a true prayer community demands time and nurture, intimacy to flourish and grow.

I need prayer. I want, like Paul, to proclaim the message clearly. And without God’s intervention I will not be used in the way I need to be.

A story I once heard about the great Baptist preacher Spurgeon is that a young reporter came to him and asked him where his “power” to preach came from. Spurgeon was known to make remarkably accurate statements about people he had never met. So the young reporter followed the 300lb Spurgeon down a rickety staircase to the basement, expecting to see some of the tricks common at the séances of the time displayed before him. Instead he saw a circle of men on their knees in prayer. Spurgeon said very simply, This is where my power to preach comes from.

Application: I need to invite more people into my circle to pray for me, to acknowledge my weakness and failures so that they can lift me before the Father in heaven. I need to nurture these relationships so that they might grow us together and closer to Jesus.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be honest and vulnerable. Allow me to build relationships with real intimacy. Help me to not be afraid of them. Allow me to build permanent relationships that allow me to be loved and hurt by those who will come to prayer on my behalf.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 12 Galatians 3

2006-06-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Galatians 3 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Galatians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Title: Deep Peace of Christ

Observation: There’s a Christmas anthem arranged by John Rutter, called The Gaelic Blessing. Here are the lyrics

Deep peace of the running wave to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.

Deep peace of the shining stars to you.

Deep peace of the gentle night to you;

Moon and stars pour their healing light on you.

Deep peace of Christ,
Of Christ, the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you.

You can listen to it at here for a couple of days, then I’m going to pull it down. Its easy to be peaceful and thankful when everything is going well. But that does not require the help of Jesus. Our faith shines when we are peaceful in the midst of stressful times, when we are thankful when we have lost everything. As The Message translates Jesus’ speaking in Matthew 5:3

"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”

It has been a hard couple of weeks for me. It has been harder for others. Still, I have the option to mope and say, “why me?” Or I can be joyful and thankful in the midst of troubled times. I must choose to follow Jesus.

Application: I will choose to be joyful when I speak to the insurance adjusters, I will chose to be at peace when I answer the subpoena to testify, I will let the peace of Christ rule in my heart when I have I enter a conflicted situation tomorrow. I will trust God to be present and I will allow Him to be my shield and defender.

Prayer: Lord God, help me. In the words of the old Latin mass, Kyrie Eleison , Lord Have Mercy, on the thing that I must do. Christ, you before me, behind me, around me, before my path and behind my path, leading and guiding, being my guide and friend. Lord help me and help me to sing songs of praise in the midst of difficult times. Allow me be embraced by your love as I am stripped of things that are like crutches. Adonai Elohim, Lord God, be my protector and defender. Jehovah Jireh, provide my needs.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 8 Galatians 2

2006-06-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Galatians 2 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Galatians 2:20-21

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Title: Grace

Observation: I like to work and accomplish things. I like to succeed, and like even more to take credit for the success in my life. And yet I am constantly reminded the truth in scirputre- I am unable to effect salvation for anyone, not even myself. It is only through the grace of God that I am His child. I did not earn it; I could not earn it. I must accept as a gift that which I could never earn.

Recently I forgot an appointment with my pastoral coach. This for me is a frightening moment. I hate forgetting things I promised to do. And even worse, this was my third miss in the last couple months. I have not missed this many in a series of appointments since I was a college student more than a decade ago. I was deeply humiliated. I wrote a longish email of apology, citing the situations going on in my life, but giving him the freedom and permission to terminate our professional relationship. He does not deserve to be stood up like I have three times over the last few months.

Instead, I get an email back from him- and the words he uses are words like, grace, forgiveness, and trust. Instead of making me feel bad for something I cannot go back in time and fix, he has extended forgiveness and has offered me the opportunity to continue this mentoring relationship. This was not what I deserved; this was an act of grace.

Application: I hold myself up to a fairly high standard and I like to hold others up to high standards too. But I must also extend the grace of Jesus. I want to be a person of grace. I want to love people and encourage them unconditionally.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be loving and forgiving. Help me to forgive myself and others. Help me to model grace. Lord, I am unworthy of your Goodness, but help me to accept this gift unconditionally. Allow me to live a grace-filled life.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 7 Galatians 1

2006-06-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Galatians 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Galatians 1:8

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

Title: The Importance of Doctrine

Observation: Paul is furious with the Galatians. We will see him call them “foolish” in the next chapter. In every other letter written to a church he knew he would write at the beginning of the letter a paragraph or two of thanksgiving for them continuing in the faith. He can’t do that here. Even in highly flawed Corinth, he begins the letter with kind words. Here, he must confront.

And the issue that he confronts is the most serious one that can occur in a church. Its not evil behavior; we have a savior who died to bring healing and wholeness through repentance for that. No, the issue is trying to amalgamate the truth of God with human wisdom. These cults leave behind the truth of Jesus and worship a lie. They have no place in the Kingdom of God.

And this is what can kill the spirit, what can separate from God eternally. This is why Paul must be so stern. Their very souls, and those they share their misguided attempt at religion, are at stake. There were many things on which Paul was willing to compromise; on the person and truth of Jesus he was not.

Many churches have been on the slipper slope for along time. In an effort not to be Pharisaical, they rehabilitated those who had lived lives of sin and embraced them into the church. That’s exactly what we are called to do. But when a church then goes further and begins to say that what the New Testament calls sin isn’t sin, they have lost their way. And once you begin to question the authority of scripture you move toward universalism. In another denomination I was in, at their regional meeting they recently had scripture readings from both the Bible and the Quar’ran. And prayed to the God of Muhammad. I can’t imagine how Paul would have reacted to that in a denomination that still gives lip service to calling itself follower of Jesus Christ.

Application: We must never walk away from the truth of Christ or add or subtract from the teaching of the New Testament. We have a precious treasure, but as Jesus said, a little yeast works through the whole loaf. We need to be a people of redemption and forgiveness, but never lose sight of the teachings of Jesus and the gravitas of sin.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be loving and forgiving. Help me to show the love of Christ to those who are struggling. But let me call sin sin and give me the courage and wisdom to be a defender of orthodox Christianity and to teach the authentic truth of New Testament scripture and not amalgamate it with human wisdom.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 6 Acts 28

2006-06-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 28 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 28:31

Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Title: A Fairy Tale Ending

Observation: Most fairy tales end “…and they lived happily ever after.” We don’t get that with Paul here at the end of Acts. In fact, we might have suspected it, with something along the lines of “… and Paul was killed by the Romans and was taken up into heaven.” Paul was clear that that’s what he was looking forward to. Instead, we get this last glimpse of Paul preaching.

But preaching the gospel unhindered was what Paul longed to do as long as he had life and breath. So in a sense, we do find the happy ending. And far more for the people who accepted the truth about Jesus from the preaching of Paul!

Application: Things don’t always work out like I planned. I may envision completion of a project very differently than what God has in mind. I need to be willing to accept the results that God gives. And to continue in my mission to serve others and love them with the love of Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be willing to allow you to determine what success is, allow you to grow your church. Help me be willing to hang in there with all the twists and turns my son must go through. Allow me to be faithful even when I don’t like the direction I’m being directed toward.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 5 Acts 27

2006-06-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 27 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 27:12

Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

Title: Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Observation: Sometimes, whether it’s our own fault or not, we end up in place we cannot stay. The harbor they were in would not shelter them from the winter storms. So they set out of what Paul told them would be a disastrous journey

As a lifeguard I learned that if a small child who can’t swim well falls into the water, he will try to swim across the pool to the other side. Some of them can’t make it that far. However, if they turned 180 degrees once the fell in they could reach the wall and safety. But in panic the instinct is not to think but to try to reach what we perceive as safety.

We may be in a situation which we ought not to stay in. It could be financial. It could be a relationship. It could be a job. But instead of blindly rushing for what we perceive as the closest form of safety, we need to relax, try to float a bit, and ask God for help. Very often the solution he will offer will be outside your thinking. Sometimes, the difference will be in the long swim ahead you will find supernatural support the God of the Universe. We need not to be confident in our own strength or wisdom, but to be enmeshed in God’s leading and direction.

Application: I need to not rely on my own thinking. And trust God. He may have a better plan for me.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be willing to allow you to direct my path. I need you to help me to know how to lead others, ways that you want them to go and grow. Help me to trust you for my family’s safety and security. Help me not to panic when the crisis happens, but instead to truly trust you.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

June 1 Acts 26

2006-05-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 26 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 26:25

I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable”.

Title: Virtual Insanity

Observation: There comes a time when we examine what the world holds to be true- such as the expectation that more money will make you happier. Certainly a large mass of people are constantly striving for more money, so they can purchase things that will make them happy. Many of us have already seen that this is a dead end trap.

In the same way, when we understand the economy of God, and begin to act like it, people will think we are crazy. Recently a friend of mine came into some unexpected money. She is not a wealthy woman. But to my knowledge she gave every bit of it a way. This makes no sense if you believe more money makes you happier. But the sense that I got was that this was how she got the most joy out of what she had been given.

Its not merely money- time also is crucial. We are always in a panic and rushed in our culture. Giving our time away may even seem more foolish than our money. Yet it is in the time we spend serving others that we fully develop our own identity and our reason for being at this time and at this place.

Application: I need to be “insane” to understand the sane life that Jesus calls me to.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be willing to follow you, no matter where you call me or what you call me to. Let me be willing to leave “rationality” behind in order to follow you where you lead.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Post #100! May 31 Acts 25

2006-05-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 25 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 25:11a

If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.

Title: Being willing to pay the price

Observation: When we err, we often want others to be forgiving, for others to extend grace rather than have us pay the debt we have incurred (if it’s a debt that can even be paid). Certainly, that’s the basis of our faith- Jesus paid the price for our sins that we could in no way afford to pay. We are blessed with living in the era of grace.

Still, I admire those who can admit that they are wrong. And I am even more impressed by those who are willing to take responsibility for their actions, good or bad. In fact this may be the secret that guru’s are selling in their $99 package to a whole new you (along with a $2 “exercise” rubber band “strength trainer”)- you have to take responsibility for you actions or the world is just a collection of cruel and random events.

Actually I have noticed that the truly gifted rarely succeed. I have seen many truly gifted in ministry. What I have noticed is that things come so easily for these truly gifted ones, they generally are unable to see or unwilling to admit their mistakes. Most of them flicker and burn out in the first 5 years. Some return after failing in another career. Being able to own you mistakes, being willing to face God with all of who you are good and bad, allows Him to bring healing and wholeness into our lives.

I have let someone down I have a working relationship with. After forgetting a meeting the second time in two months, I was tempted just to close down the relationship, rather than own my failure. Yet I know that running from it will not help me to grow. Admitting that I was wrong and that I need to hold up my end of the bargain will make me better, allow us to work together better, and position me in a better place to serve God.

Application: I need to be able to admit my mistakes, my weaknesses, and my failings. And be willing to the work necessary to make things right.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be honest with you and honest with myself about my strengths and my weaknesses. Allow me to be teachable, and leadable by your spirit. Give me a heart that desires correction. And help me to lead well those whom you have placed under my leadership. Help me, by the gift of the Spirit, to be worthy of their trust.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 30 Acts 24

2006-05-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 24 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 24:16

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Title: Simple, Easy Truth on the Layaway Plan

Observation: Paul is speaking before a powerful leader in front of his accusers, some of the Jewish leaders. And he acknowledges both the truth of their faith, in his belief in the Law and the Prophets, as well as explaining that he is a follower of the Way, which was an early shorthand for following Jesus.

It might have been easier for him to shade the truth. To either claim he had no connection with the Jewish way or to omit some facts about his following of Jesus. It might have been easier to tell less than the full truth, some convenient almost truth, so that it would go easier for him.

Too often we are tempted to tell less than the truth in much less perilous situations than this. We are in a culture that expects us to lie, live under a legal system which encourages us to at best conceal the truth, to not testify fully for fear of incriminating ourselves. The desire to avoid hassle or conflict can cause us to be less that forthright, less than truthful, in certain circumstances. The truth can be painful- but far less painful than losing your credibility.

Application: I need be direct in my speech. I need to be willing to pay the consequences for being forthright- whether that’s in time or in difficult conversation- rather than just skim along the surface of a conversation, nodding without agreeing with the speaker, just avoiding a confrontation I don’t want to have. I must be forthright in a difficult conversation I need to have tomorrow.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be willing to pay the price of honesty. Lord, I long to have a clear conscience before everyone, as Paul did. Help me to be transparent in both word, motive, and action.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 29 Acts 23

2006-05-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 23 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 23:11

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."

Title: God’s Plan From the Middle

Observation: Paul goes through many dangerous situations in this chapter. There is a mob of people who want to hurt him. Then there is a group who take an oath to kill Paul. He has been arrested and is now being taken to a military camp of the Romans. None of these things seem particularly promising.

Yet Paul is encouraged by God Himself. He tells Paul that he is right where he is supposed to be and on track and on mission. This is what we need. But if you just took this chapter in isolation it might seem that God had abandoned Paul. Instead, seen from a distance we can see all these things were used to God for the mission that He had put Paul on.

Application: I need to have a bigger perspective. I need to be willing to trust God in the midst of circumstances that don’t make a lot of sense. I need to encourage those in the middle parts, that they might see what God is doing in the midst of the storm.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to have a sense of what you are doing, when my feelings get hurt, when I don’t understand the situation, when I can’t see you in the circumstances, to trust you and to love you. You are faithful. Thank you God.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 25 Acts 22

2006-05-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 22 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 22:19-20

" 'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'

Title: It Isn’t Where You Are, It’s Where You’re Going

Observation: Paul raises an objection before God. You can’t use me, he says. You can’t use me because of what I once did, of who I once was.

And God did not listen. God gave him a life of purpose and meaning, commissioning him to go the non-Jewish people and tell them of the love of Jesus

Application: I can’t let my past, mistakes and insecurities, limit what God can do with me now. I need to be willing to be moved to wherever God wants me to be.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to not put preconditions on what I will or won’t or can or can’t do. Give me your eyes to see what you have created me to be, and where you want me to go and who you want me to be.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 24 Acts 21

2006-05-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 21 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 21:13

Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

Title: Heart Break

Observation: Our hearts break when we think of loss. When we will not see and touch those whom we love. Our mind rebels, we try to clutch on to those we love, to protect them, to shelter them, to keep them with us. I can not help but feel empathy for those to whom Paul was mentor, teacher, co-worker, and friend. I, too, probably would have tried to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem, where he would be arrested and would lead to his eventual martyrdom.

Saying goodbye hurts. It’s hard to let go. The thread that binds us to God and to His gift of eternal life can feel tenuous compared to the presence of another person we love. While we believe in the resurrection and that we will be united again with those who die in the Lord, it seems flimsier at times then the presence of the actual person. And we grieve.

Yet what would be sadder than Paul moving toward his own death is if Paul had nothing worth dying for. He had experience the love of Jesus Christ, the One who had shaken him out of his self-appointed life direction. One who had loved him, healed him, commissioned him, and sustained him through times good and bad. The love and salvation of Jesus Christ were enough; he was willing to die to bring others the news of God’s great love. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died.

We grieve in our loss. But we are not without hope. We have not been left orphans. We will see God and see our loved ones who die in the Lord once again.

Application: I need to trust God in His promise of resurrection, and not fear death or separation. I also need to be willing to die to promote the Gospel.

Prayer: Lord God, give me a reason to live and a reason to die. Help me to echo the words of Paul, To Live is Christ, to die is gain. And yet Lord I plead for life, that I might discharge the duty you have given me to teach my young son your ways, that I might see more people come to know you, that I might enjoy more of the goodness in the world in which you have placed me. Still, Lord, I submit to your sovereign will. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

In the Name of Jesus,
Amen.

May 23 Acts 20

2006-05-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 20 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 20:35

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

Title: Finishing Well

Observation: I used to play basketball on the playground in the inner city with the teenagers in my youth group. Old age and treachery were an even match for youth and skill. The thing that I noticed was that a lot of the young players on the court had beautiful, graceful, quick, athletic moves to take the ball toward the basket. But few of them actually made the shot after leaping and pirouetting. And all the strength, agility, leaping ability was to no avail if the ball didn’t actually go through the chain link net.

If we model the Christian life for a while, and by our words and actions get people interested in finding out about Jesus, that is a good thing. But it is a far better thing to be consistent, and finish our service, ministry, and life well. I have seen too many spiritual leaders abuse the trust of those who have followed their lead.

Paul here not only had lived this kind of life, he commended the life to any other who wanted to follow Jesus. He gave us words of Jesus unrecorded in any of the gospels, “It is better to give than receive.” Certainly he had given his life in service, but he also said that this was the better way of living. And we have been given the ultimate example in Jesus who gave his life so that we might be brought into personal relationship with Jesus.

Application: I want to finish well. I know it’s early in my ministry, but I don’t think its ever too early to think about finishing well. I need to build relationship with others and with Jesus that will bring glory to the father. I want to be consistent in my following of Him. I want to practice what Jesus taught, that it is better to give than receive.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to give my life selflessly. Help me to be willing to sacrifice so that others might flourish in your love. Father, help me teach this truth to my son. Lord, help him as he asserts his independence to witness my model of service and love to him that you have shown me.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 22 Acts 19

2006-05-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 19 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 19:15-16

(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Title: Playing With Fire

Observation: Challenging the power of a demon, ultimately the power of Satan. In our society, we mostly scoff at the idea of personification of evil. If anything we see Satan as a symbol. Yet, to quote Hal Lindsey, Satan is alive and well on planet earth.

I once worked with a pastor who once held this position. Fresh out of Yale seminary at the time, he told the adult Sunday school class he was teaching that Satan was merely the symbol of sin and the fall of man. One of the wiser members gently inquired, “Didn’t Jesus say he saw Satan fall like lightning? (Luke 10:18)”

Flustered, my pastor friend said, “Jesus must have been mistaken.”

He decades later greatly regretted those words. He had seen the power of evil up close and personal. When we challenge Satan, we find ourselves playing with power that we don’t understand. Instead of playing around with the power of evil, we need to turn away from focusing on Satan so that we can focus on the Almighty. As we try and seek and follow Jesus, we may face spiritual attack, but in that moment we will be on the safer ground of an obedient follower of Jesus.

Application: We are not to obsess or marvel at the power of evil. We need to acknowledge that the world we live in is currently under the authority of Satan. And yet we need to not fear demons. As Romans 8:38-39 reminds us

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[ neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to not seek out power for the sake of power. Allow my actions to flow out of my love for you. Help me avoid the idolatry of power and control, and follow the wind of the Spirit. Help me never to be afraid, but to constantly live in the knowledge of your unbreakable love.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

If You Wanna Touch the Sky, Better Learn How to Kneel

2006-05-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

I am in a pondering mood. My mother, the mother of my child, and my son are all fast asleep in my home. It is good for us to be together. This fragile fragment of a fractured family has resurged, resillient and strengthened. And with the joy of our little child, and my brother's three children, we have hope and joy for the future that comes out of a clouded past. With God's help, we will avoid the disasterous personal tectonics that shifted the ground underfoot in the 90's. My little family is trying to find new ways to live and relate and to find more fully our new identity enrobed by the Holy Spirit to model and share. We have not arrived; but the journey is probably the only home we will have until we see Jesus face to face.

Our little church is on a journey. My walk with you has only been the last lap of a forty year marathon. Some have run from the beginning, others of us have joined later. But in the last year, our lap together, we have so much for which to be thankful. When I arrived, I was initially unaware of the five families who had left our little fellowship just weeks before I arrived. I was aware of the financial predicament that we were in. Attendance slumped in the later summer and early fall. Jim and Terrie announced they were moving, two key staff members as well as church members. And yet God has made a way, like he always has. Attendance is up now. Giving is up from last year. We have baptized five new believers. We have added two new staff members since the beginning of the year. April was our best giving month in my tenure. Attendance in April and the first half of May, excluding Easter, averaged 120 which as far as I can tell is about as good as attendance in our church has ever been over a comparable period. The temptation might be to push even harder, to work harder, to capitalize on the good work that God has done through us and among us.

But I do not believe that's the next step. I do not believe that God's work is done by humans trying harder to accomplish things for Him. One of the truths that I have come to realize, once again, is that we must live the words God Almighty gave to the Psalmist (46:10)- "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the nations, I will be exalted on the earth!" Without stillness, without reflection, without rest, I will revert to the insticts and training that left me emotionally stranded, spiritually hopeless, and intellectually defeated. While the perimeter, the walls and boundries of my life, are now patrolled by two and not merely one, it does not mean that I cannot bring destructive behavior into my life. I must resolve to reflect on both my life and God's grace in order to discover who I am and what I am called to accomplish.

In the month of June we will collectively endeavor to rest. I have directed staff to reduce their workload and to rest from some of their duties from June 5 to the end of the month. Already, there have been both request for, and successful attempts to, go around these boundries. I have compromised already on a few dates and times. Still, I believe that we need to rest and reflect on who God is in our lives individually and corporately. We will not become all that we were created to be by our own devising or merely trying to work harder.

Actually, rest may be harder than you imagine. Sometimes we keep busy so we don't have to face God, be open to Jesus about our work and relationships, or even have time to listen to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. We like to fly around, create hobbies, do anything but be still and come before the Lord of the Universe. While God is all-loving, and all-forgiving, coming before his Presence with our lives can be frightening. Even though we are assured of His forgiveness and Grace, rejoicing in our giftedness for service well used and humbly accepting our failures to do so is daunting.

I want to encourage you to spend time with Him in the coming month. I know that when there are fewer activities at church, you will be tempted to fill your schedule with other things. I also know that as we merge down to one servie in latter June, it would be easy to not go at all. Yet, what we need, both for ourselves and for our families is not more activities- we already do too many of those- but a new sense of God's transferable holiness to us and a renewed sense of life mission. If we string our activities end to end we might find purpose in them, but only in intentionally seeking out God's will for our lives will we find the fulfilment and purpose that he wants to grant out of His love. We need to model for our children the priority of our relationship with Jesus, even if it means there is less time to be with them. They may not understand now, but they will not forget our example.

So come along on this scary adventure of meeting Jesus in rest. Read scripture. Meditate on it. Pray. Examine your life. Sense the wind of the Spirit encouraging you and leading you. Coil yourself for the next leap that God has for you individually and collectively in the ministry of the church. He is faithful to do more than we can ask, or even imagine, in our lives and in our community. May Jesus Christ be praised in both our work and in our stillness.

In His Name,

Amen.

May 18th Acts 18

2006-05-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 18 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 18:9-10

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

Title: God’s Encouragement

Observation: God encourages us in many ways. Sometimes we experience a sense of confidence or boldness that God gives us. Other times it’s an unexpected sense of peace. Sometimes we are moved by worship or study or prayer to the point of tears, being drawn into the presence of God. Sometimes it’s through other believers who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we live out the gospel.

Our God is an encourager. In fact, part of the Holy Spirit’s mission is to encourage the saints, to give us the ability to continue when we don’t want to. The Spirit of God is alive and active, but we do have to listen to the Spirit.

If we are struggling, we need to stop, turn, and face God. To acknowledge that we are sinners and to accept forgiveness. Metaphorically, we need to kneel in apology to God for our sin or lack of belief and rise in the knowledge and experience of his forgiveness.

God has many in this city. In American Canyon alone there are 21 churches. There are Christians who we can partner together with. God has not left us comfortless. He will pick up and heal the brokenhearted

Application: When I am discouraged I need to remember to look to God. To see Him. To let Him tell me who I am, to let Him be the one who judges me, to let Him be the one to decide my worth.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to seek you when I am discouraged, not the variety of crutches that I usually use. Help me to find my sense of self and worth in you. Allow me to be willing to be whoever you want me to be, wherever you what me to be, for whyever reason You decide.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 17th Acts 17

2006-05-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 17 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 17:13

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Title: Examining the Scriptures

Observation: Preachers can get into to trouble when they are given too much unquestioned authority. There is always the temptation is to twist the text to say what you want it to say, to make it fit more neatly into the three point outline. Or perhaps we are tempted to use the scripture as a launching point to pontificate on something that we want to say. Instead, we need to be held to account to allow the scripture to speak, that human philosophy would not be preached, but the manifest wisdom of God would be presented.

The Bereans seemed to understand that. While Paul was probably accredited to them as a reliable preacher from the Jews in other cities in Greece, they were only willing to follow Paul as far as scripture allowed. They were insistent that everything being spoken must align with scripture.

We would do well to do the same. We need to not get caught up in the latest fads or “winds of doctrine [eph 4]” but try out everything in accordance with God’s word. Only then will we be on the bedrock of faith that we can legitimately build a life on.

Application: I need to be faithful to allow the text of the scripture to speak, to not read into the text things that I want to say. I need to be faithful in study so that I don’t merely get the cursory or surface level, but understand deeply the words that God has given me to speak on. I need to be accountable for what I preach- to God and to the church.

Prayer: Lord God, give me the patience, time, and humility to slog through the texts that I preach on. Help me to see the value in study, and give me your peace in understanding that that time spent in research is time well spent. Re-kindle my love for studying your word deeply and delighting in the nuance of text. Help me to be faithful as I render them in speech.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 16 Acts 16

2006-05-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 16 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 16:25

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Title: Vigilant

Observation: Paul and Silas were up and praying and singing hymns at midnight! After being mobbed, arrested, and beaten they were up late at night, singing praise to God. No wonder the rest of the prisoners were silent, listening to their testimony.

And I think this vigilance paid off. In the moments after the earthquake they could have done the reasonable thing and run away. Paul had made many escapes before. Instead, awake and alert, they were attentive to the Spirit and saw the jailer and his desperate attempt to end his life.

And instead of saying, “Good, he deserves it”, Paul intervenes to save his life. And then uses this teachable moment to share with the Jailer the Good News of Jesus Christ. The great miracle that takes place is not the earthquake, it’s the salvation of this family. And Paul is vigilant enough to be used by God in this manner.

Application: I need to be vigilant. To be aware of the moments that are available to me to speak the words of Jesus into a hurting life, into a compromised life, into my own life and the collective life of my family. To insert into the mundane the extraordinary power of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see your working and join you in the work. Allow me to not give into my selfish needs, but keep me humble so that I might take the greatest of titles, Servant of the Most High.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 15 Acts 15

2006-05-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 15 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 15:13-18

13When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. 14Simon^[a] has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16" 'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things'^[b]
18that have been known for ages.^[c]

Title: Another Mother to Celebrate

Observation: Scholars debate who this James is. But most believe it is the brother of Jesus, James. While the brothers of Jesus did not believe during his ministry (in fact they came with Mary to collect him because they thought Jesus was out of his mind), they did come to faith. And here we see a brother of Jesus with a deep knowledge of the OT scripture and the wisdom to lead the council at Jerusalem. Mary did not merely teach Jesus well, she led and taught her other children thoroughly about God.

Application: I need to encourage my wife, to continue to lead her as she leads my son. While I have an important role in educating Josiah, she is with him all the hours that I am at work. The more I love, encourage, and teach her, the more she will be able to love, teach and encourage Josiah.

Prayer: Lord God, help me love my wife. Help me to choose not to be too busy to care for my family. Bless Lori’s teaching of Josiah and her modeling of Jesus’ love and in time give her the words to communicate that Jesus wants to be Josiah’s best friend.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 11 Acts 14

2006-05-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 14 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 14:8-10

In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

Title: Courage to Believe God

Observation: Paul was speaking and God inspired him to tell the crippled man to stand up and walk. Its amazing! What if he couldn’t walk after that. What if he fell. What if Paul had gotten God wrong.

I am amazed by Paul’s courage. When the Holy Spirit gave him prompting to say the impossible, he did not shy away but spoke the miraculous word. And the man was healed.

Healing takes faith. Faith to believe that God will do a miracle, that God will give a messenger the word, and for the person who God is working with. We have to cooperate with God for him to do the things he wants in our lives.

It may be that God never prompts me to heal someone. But it may be that God wants me to speak to someone in line at the store, to talk with a homeless person, to go to a powerful, wealthy person and unapologetically speak about their need for Christ.

Application: I need to believe that God does miracles, God prompts me to speak, and follow through. I need to know Jesus well enough to know when the Spirit is thinking and then be unafraid to announce what God’s blessing is.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see your working and believe you for great things. Lord help me to walk by faith and not sight. Allow me to be willing to look foolish as I cling to you. Help me not to want to win credibility with anyone but you

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 10 Acts 13

2006-05-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 13 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 13:13

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

Title: Friends on the Journey

Observation: Friendship, partners in the ministry, can be an incredible source of encouragement on a mission trip. And here Paul and Barnabas are out on a major mission and John leaves them to go back to Jerusalem. They could have been very discouraged that their mission partner had left them. We learn later that this was a major issue of John leaving, to the point that Paul wouldn’t take him along on the next missionary journey he would take. It would so upset Paul that it would break up his very successful partnership with Barnabas in sharing the gospel.

Yet, these two do not lose sight of their mission here. Even though John (sometimes called John Mark) would leave them, the story goes on from their, without missing a beat, to a time of fruitful ministry. They did not lose their focus despite their friend leaving them. They were clear on their mission and the One whom they served.

Application: I need to remember that that the circumstances of the ministry to which I am called are not the arbiters of my being faithful. I have the ability to follow the leading of Christ in difficult or easy circumstance. I need to praise God in either situation.

Prayer: Lord God, give me the ability to praise you when things are going well (like now, praise God!) and when things are going poorly. Help me to give you all the credit and to point to you in all circumstances.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 9 Acts 12

2006-05-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 12 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 12:5

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Title: A Leader is Nothing, THE LEADER is everything

Observation: The disciples are still in trouble. They are being persecuted. Their leader, the Apostle Peter has been arrested. Perhaps its time to fulfill the destiny to which Jesus prophesied, that Peter would be killed.

The amazing thing about these disciples is that the realized that their human leader, Peter, was not their real leader, nor the source of their strength. It was, and is, found in the Lord Jesus Christ. SO instead of panicking or feeling, they relied on their True Leader, Jesus, and spent time in prayer, for their earthly leader and for God’s blessing and leadership. And they were so earnest in prayer they almost missed the miracle that God did!

Application: I need to remind and remember that I may be called to lead, but I am in no irreplaceable. God is the leader of all things that will stand the test of time. It is my role not to concentrate power in my hands, but to diffuse it to those who are ready to lead. It’s my role to give away as much as I can, so that the work of God will not be stifled if I become incapable of leading.

Prayer: Lord God, give me the wisdom to know whom to entrust leadership. Help me not to be defensive or guard “power” to make myself feel important. Help me to find a way to build a team that works both independently and interdependently to Your glory.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 8 Acts 11

2006-05-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 11 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 11:21-23

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Title: Their Finest Hour

Observation: I always loved history. When I was a child I would take my history book home and read the years worth of study in a week or two. I remember reading an excerpt from Winston Churchill’s speech as a fairly young adolescent and being greatly puzzled by his phrase that if the British Empire should continue a thousand more years, that this would be remembered as their finest hour. At the time England was hopelessly outclassed by the power of Nazi Germany, without allies and without much hope of survival, not even success. Things looked incredibly bleak.

I later read about the Diamond Jubilee. This worldwide event celebrated Queen Victoria’s sixtieth year of reigning over the British Empire. At the time England was unquestionably the world’s greatest empire, in terms of land held, the greatest empire that ever existed. Naval ships came from all over the world to celebrate this the greatest of monarchs in the greatest reign of any sovereign. Surely, Churchill should have known that this was the British Empire’s finest hour.

But of course Churchill was right. It is our character, our perseverance in turmoil, that tests the fabric of our being. These Christians had been scattered by persecution. It could easily have caused them to turn their back on their faith. Instead as refugees in the world, they carried the gospel with them, reached beyond their culture to an alien culture, to bring the good news about Jesus, for whom they were suffering. They could not promise these new converts anything better that what they had received. And yet they were both unwavering and effective in sharing the good news. This was their finest hour.

Application: I need to be faithful in good times and bad times. And know that Jesus is glorified when I serve Him even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see that circumstances are not the determiner of my effectiveness for you. Help me to bear fruit, both in and out of season. Allow me to become fully devoted to you.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 4 Acts 10

2006-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 10 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 10:4

Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.

The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God…”

Title: Holy is Holy

Observation: God honors those who do things that are right, he delights in those who care for the poor, for the orphan, for the widow, for the aged. Cornelius did not know the One True God when he gave generously, but he did know that there was a God to be worshipped, and accordingly he gave.

America still does this well. Our nation gives generously to those in need. The money and manpower that has flowed over the last several years to those struck in tragedy from 9/11 to the Tsunami disaster, to New Orleans has been outstanding. I think God is honored by the generosity of our nation.

But let us be inspired all the more, we who know Jesus, to take care of those in need around us. Today I was given a lead into doing a ministry among the aged. Our church will not see benefit from taking on this ministry. Yet, I believe that God may very well be calling us to care for these people. We must be self-less so that God can lift us up.

Application: I personally need to be generous toward the poor. I need to find a way to give what I have, the most profound of which is the knowledge of the God of the Universe. I need to not merely look around “practically”, but to give of my money, time, skill, and faith generously to those who are in need.

Prayer: Lord God, give me a heart to see those who are struggling, those to whom I can offer a helping hand. Help me to exceed the generosity of Cornelius, because I know You and I know what you have called me to do. Let me encourage others, and teach my son, that this is a core value of my life and is worthy of emulation.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 3 Acts 9

2006-05-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 9 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 9:13-15

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

Title: We Don’t Get To Decide

Observation: Paul hurt people. Paul persecuted, encouraged the killing of Stephen. Paul had gone out to attack the followers of Jesus. Paul was an enemy of the fledgling church.

But God decided to call Paul into His service. God in his sovereign wisdom decided that this would be the man he would use to take the gospel in to Greece and beyond. God decided that this man, who had been a violent man (1 Tim 1) should be his instrument of bringing peace with God to others.

We don’t get to choose who God uses and calls into his service. Some of the people who find Jesus have been bad. Some may have hurt us. Some we might be very skeptical of their motivation or commitment. But we don’t get to chose. We are to be like Ananias and go and bless and equip those who have hated us for service of Jesus, regardless of our feelings. It is God who calls his servants.

Application: I need to have my eyes opened to the people that God wants to call into His family and into His service. I must not judge the exterior, but trust God to see the interior of the heart. I need to use the power I have in the body to bring the broken to restoration and service to Jesus. I need to allow those who have hurt others, those who make me furious by their past behavior, to be co-laborer with me for the sake of Christ. Because he is the Master, not me.

Prayer: Lord God, help me see people the way you do. Give me more grace with which to view others. Teach me how to be wise in leadership without limiting the ministry of those you have called to serve. Allow to me supernatural wisdom so that I might give a second chance to someone who doesn’t deserve it, but to whom you have extended grace and calling (a lot like me if I’m honest.)

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

May 2 Acts 8

2006-05-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 8 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 8:18-19
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Title: Power Plays
Observation: Power. We like power. I like power. And we as Christians are not immune. Simon had already accepted Jesus as his savior, but he wanted the spiritual power that Peter and John possessed. He wanted to buy with money the power of God.

God gives authority (I think that’s a better word than power for what the Apostles did) to those who can be trusted with it. And he has a very stern warning for those who want this authority for their own benefit, so that they might be seen as “great”.

Application: I am in tremendous pain tonight. I wish I could heal myself. I wish I could heal others miraculously, that they might be removed from sickness, disability, or pain. Yet God does not lend out his power for “magic tricks”. God’s miracles are for His purposes.

Prayer: Lord God, help me in my pain. Heal me if its your will. Send someone to heal me, the dentist, doctor, or faith healer that is in your plan. Allow me have patience and dedicate my suffering to you, so that I might not be afraid of pain in the future. Help me to be transformed through this experience.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

May 1 Acts 7

2006-04-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 7 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 7:60

Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Title: Revisionist History

Observation: Stephen is giving the people a review of “their glorious heritage” and reminds them of how often their fathers and grandfathers had failed to follow God’s lead. We tend to mythologize the past, even own personal history, in order to both please ourselves and also to construct a reason for where we are.

Stephen challenged their beliefs, particularly about Jesus being the long promised messiah. He laid the blame on them for the crucifixion of Jesus (though in truth it was their fault and ours as well- sinners in need of a savior). Their response was a childish covering of their ears to block out the truth of what Stephen was saying and the ultimate form of censorship- assassination. This first martyr of Jesus’ followers would be God positioned well enough to ask God to forgive them for their sin of murdering him. Awesome testimony

I think that if we can help others see what God has done and encourage them to re-think their suppositions, we might help them to see that the only true rock is Jesus Christ. And seeing clearly may or may not make us popular with them.

Application: I need to be willing to hold up a mirror to others and particularly to myself.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to with grace be willing to stand for the truth and help me to give people honest feedback. Help me to do the same to myself. And be willing to suffer for the Truth.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 27th -Happy Birthday Lori- Acts 6

2006-04-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 6 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 6:2-4

So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

Title: Identifying Your Calling, Encouraging Leaders, and Blessing and Releasing Them

Observation: We see here that the twelve realized that their ministry was to preach the Word and pray. It did not mean that they were too haughty to serve- rather they had a different calling. Understanding what we should be doing is rare and one of the great gifts from God when he reveals it us.

And once it is revealed what ministry we need to let go, we need to encourage other leaders to come alongside. Admitting that we are not God is key. Admitting we need help is key.

And then not just handing them the keys and move on, but to bless them and let them know that they are “ordained” for that ministry. Releasing them to run the ministry the best way they know how. And trusting them to do it as they would to the Lord

Application: I need to identify what exactly my role is, encourage others to rise to leadership, bless and equip them, and then release them into fruitful ministry.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to allow others to come alongside and help in the church. Help me to be crystal clear on the things I should and shouldn’t do. Enable me to Call, Equip, and Bless those who you have placed in the church and then release them to use their own individual giftedness in ways that I can’t imagine.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 26th Acts 5

2006-04-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 5 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 5:38-39

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Title: Boxing With God

Observation: As one James Weldon Jones once said, “Young man, young man, your arms are too short to box with God.” We too often forget that. We think its our place to pass judgment on other people, other Christian ministries, really anything that we don’t agree with.

And yet God will sort out what He will bless, and the endeavors He will allow to flourish. This does not mean that everything that’s a success is God’s plan or that anything that fails is cursed by God, but we must remember that while we may not understand or approve of someone else’s approach to Jesus, we should not assume that it isn’t God’s plan

Also, when we move together as a church, we need to move where God wants us to be. We will fail on without the intervention of the Spirit. We are too weak and frail to push things through in our humanness. We need God’s leading to reach the community in which we have been placed.

Application: I need not pass snap judgments on other people and ministries. I must wait to see what bears fruit for Jesus, what new thing that God wants to do.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to wait and see what you want. Lord, help me to have courage to take the steps in which you lead and avoid the “easier” steps of pleasing myself or others.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 24th Acts 4

2006-04-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 4 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 4:19-21

But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.

Title: Crazy in a Good Way

Observation: A favorite Christian song of mine from the 90’s

the kind of light
that might persuade
a strict dictator to retire
fire the army
teach the poor origami

This crazy thing we become when we stop playing by our culture’s rules and live extravagantly in the love of Jesus. To gleefully disobey the rules of men when the clash with the imperatives of God. To be joyful in persecution, to praise God for the opportunity to suffer for Christ. Lord may we be given this intoxicating faith.

Application: I can trust Jesus. I can believe in Him against opposition. And I can be eccentric for the Kingdom

Prayer: Lord God, help me to have this kind of faith. The kind that puzzles and confuses the world, like the person who gives up there place in line at Safeway. Help me to live this way.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 23 Acts 3

2006-04-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 3 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 3:19

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…

Title: The Experience of Refreshment

Observation: Christians are often the most run down people you meet. They are running from here to there, no time to talk, no time to see and observe, no time for anyone- because they are busy. Busy being good. At its best, tunnel visioned and busy because of a hurting world they want to serve. Worst case, killing themselves trying to worship two masters, Jesus and the unwritten prosperity gospel that has invaded just about every church.

And the very worst part for me is that this can be a fairly accurate portrait of my life. I can be so focused on doing ministry, that I stop caring for people in the process. I am so “heavenly minded” I’m no earthly good. I either trample or ignore those whom I am called to serve. An ambulance at top speed with lights blaring is unlikely to see those who are most in need of aid.

And I need to repent of this action. For a lot of reasons. Firstly, its idolatry to believe that I have to take the place of God in running around fixing all the things that I try to fix. Secondly, when I am weary I am ineffective in the limited role that I have been given. And thirdly, God has given me a family to be present with, to love and care for.

I have experienced the refreshment of asking Jesus to forgive my sins. I can remember many time the feelings of load being lifted from me. I need again to turn to God and ask forgiveness for trying to usurp his role. I need to experience the freedom that comes from not being responsible for the outcomes of peoples’ lives, but rather just to play the part that God has given me. I need to relax and trust God to be God. Getting in God’s way is foolish for me and damaging for those I come in contact with.

Application: I need to seek God’s forgiveness for trying to be in charge of His church and experience the refreshment of knowing that I don’t have to carry this too heavy burden.

Prayer: Lord God, forgive me for not trusting your sovereign will and love. Allow me to experience the refreshment of your goodness and to trust in your love for me, my family and the church. Allow me to trust you to accomplish your purposes. Thank you for being gracious enough to fulfill mine, especially when I don’t deserve it. You are a great God whose love is poured out in my life in ways beyond counting, ways beyond measure. May Jesus Christ be praised!

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 20th Acts 2

2006-04-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 2 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 2:17-18

'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.

Title: The Genesis of the Church of Jesus Christ

Observation: This is the beginning of our story. This is where it starts. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives us of purpose and meaning.

A few years ago I was teaching a group of older men this passage. And I challenged them, “what dreams has God given you?” Mostly I had blank stares back. Yet God makes it clear that he want to pour out his Spirit and his vision to the church.

We need vision and empowerment if we are to survive

Application: I need to be empowered and directed by the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the Holy Spirit. Lead me in following your will, for the rest of my life.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 19th Acts 1- My 75th Blog!

2006-04-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Acts 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Title: The Outline of the Church

Observation: This verse is the outline of the Book of Acts. In Chapter 2 the power of the Holy Spirit will fall on the believers and their number will increase by 3000. The book will move on to the spread of the faith to Judea and Samaria. Ultimately the book ends in Rome, as the center of the earth. Through the story of the first generation of believers we see the story reach across the known world.

However, it is not a story of triumph after triumph. Persecution and martyrdom will be the order of the day. The gospel will be spread when persecution comes and the apostles are forced to flee. The story will reach its climax in Rome, not with a triumphal procession and the conversion of the emperor, but with the great apostle Paul in chains waiting for his death sentence.

This is still the outline of the church today. We are called to reach our Jerusalem (our community), our Judea/Samaria (our region/nation) and then out to the ends of the earth. To be focused on just our own church is antithetical to the command of Christ. On the other hand to be so mission minded we step over those on our door step to reach beyond into the world is also an error. And all the while we must accept that persecution will be the norm, not the exception.

Application: I need to think in all three levels personally and in the church. What are we doing locally to share the Good News of Jesus. We need to focus on our relationship regionally, how we support and serve here. And we cannot forget the world that Jesus died for. We need to send both our money and people to bring hope and share faith to the ends of the earth.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for this command. It is not easy, but it is clear. Give us the power and the passion to reach our neighbor and the Bantu tribe of Africa. Help us to care for the immigrant worker in California and the persecuted minister in mainland China. Send forth your Spirit so that we might be your instruments locally, nationally, and internationally.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

April 18th Matthew 28

2006-04-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Matthew 28 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Matthew 28:18

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me...”

Title: Respect My Authoritah!

Observation: The most obvious and most important part of the scripture tonight is the Great Commission. In it we see the plan of God for our lives and the church. We are authorized and empowered by Jesus to go and tell the world the Good News of Jesus rising from the dead.

But the verse above it gives us the reason why we are to do this. All things have been put under the authority of Jesus and He will come at the end of the age to judge and save the world. All things have been given to Jesus who graciously allows us to be co-heirs with him if we accept His free gift of salvation. If not we will be eternally separated from God. The authority and power of our eternal destiny lies in the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.

Application: I should be more conscious of the fact that Jesus is the ruler of all things. We as yet live in a world that’s in rebellion to Him and to the Divine order- one day that order will be smashed. I need to line up more squarely on the side of the new and coming order of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to love as you loved. Let me follow your leading. Let me reflect the values of your kingdom.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Church Website Updates!

2006-04-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

The American Canyon Baptist Church website has been updated with a few pictures. Check it out!

April 17th Matthew 27

2006-04-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and look first at Matthew 27 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): Matthew 27:25

All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

Title: The Blood of Jesus

Observation: It’s interesting to read this scripture on Easter. We have just celebrated the resurrection. It was a day of joy in our church, a day when we did well in worship of Jesus and serving the people he brought to us. It was a day of God working through us and in us.

And being brought back to the place of the crime of humanity against God is humbling. Hearing the crowd, the fickle humans, choose Barabbas just days after welcoming Jesus into the city. They declare, “let his blood be on us and our children.” As Jesus prayed, for them and us, “Forgive them Lord, they know not what they do.”

And yet, as misguided and as badly as they meant it, they’re phrase could be our prayer. Because the blood of Jesus was spilled on our behalf, he chose the cross. And its his blood that frees us from sin. So, in a sense that we want his sacrificial blood upon us and our children. Once again God takes evil and uses it for good.

Application: I need to trust God and his plans more than I do. I need to not “white knuckle” it when God leads out me out on a limb. I need to trust in His sovereign plan.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for you shed blood. May it be upon me and my wife. Lord, I pray now that Josiah will one day chose to accept the gift of your blood, your sacrifice on his behalf as well. Lord, lead us in the everlasting way.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.