New Year prayer by Billy Graham

"Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need. May our constant prayer be that of the ancient Psalmist: “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end” (Psalm 119:33).

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

Bring our divided nation together, and give us a greater vision of what You would have us to be. Your Word reminds us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come."

Amen

Christmas and the invisibility of God

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17 NIV)

"No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him." (John 1:18 TLB)

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God..." (Colossians 1:15 NLT) "God is love..." (1 John 4:16)

"No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. (1 John 4:12 NLT)

Did you notice the sequence of those scriptures?

I love what Pastor and theologian John Stott says about the invisibility of God. It is very applicable for us as we celebrate Christmas this year:

"It is a fact that God is invisible. No one has ever seen him and the very invisibility of God has always contributed a major problem to faith. In Old Testament days, the Jews were ridiculed by their heathen neighbours - 'Where is now your God? We can't see him. Come to our temples and we'll show you our gods. They are visible, they have ears, and eyes and mouths. But where is your God?' The people of God were embarrassed by these heathen taunts and would reply, 'True, your gods have eyes - but they can't see, they have mouths, but they can't speak. Our God, however, has neither eyes nor mouth but he can both see and speak.' Psalm 115:2-8. The same problem confronts scientific secularists today. Trained to use the empirical method, they are sceptical of anything which is not amenable to investigation by the five senses. They refuse to believe in what they cannot see. How then has God solved the problem of his own invisibility? The first answer is given in John 1:18 (RSV) 'No one has ever seen God: there is only the Son - he has made him known'. Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). As he himself said, 'he who has seen me, has seen the Father' (John 14:7). That's wonderful, people may respond - but it was also two millennia ago. Is there no way in which the invisible God makes himself visible today? Yes there is. 1 John 4:12 begins with exactly the same words, 'Nobody has ever seen God' - but instead of continuing that only the Son has made him known, it goes on - 'If we love one another, God dwells in us…' It is surely one of the most breathtaking sentences in the New Testament. It declares that the same invisible God, who once made himself visible in Christ, now makes himself visible in Christians - if we love one another. There is no more convincing evidence of the reality of the living God, than the love which animates the Christian community."
(This first appeared in a publication from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.)

May God bless each of us this Christmas with a richer understanding of His love so we in turn bless this world. When we love one another we literally manifest the presence of God! What a profound thought. As Jesus prayed, let us also pray:

"...I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23 NIV)

Diving in

I am thankful for kid movies. I think I like them as much as they do! One of my favorites is "Finding Nemo." Before that movie I had never heard of the East Australian Current. The EAC is an ocean current that moves warm water in a counter-clockwise manor down the eastern coast of Australia.

There is a scene in the movie where Sea turtles use the EAC as a super highway to travel down the eastern coast of Australia. Like vehicles merging onto the freeway the turtles merge into the current and let it take them where they want to go.

With that in mind let me tell you what happened the other day.

I have been a pastor for a long time. Ministry is a truly privilege. However, it is not always as glamorous as you may think. There are mundane days and irritating situations. The other day felt like one of those days when it started.

I had a call to meet with a with a man who "needed to talk to pastor." In my experience that can mean many things. Little did I know that this time would be a sovereign move of God.

The man did not tell me he needed money or that he had some crisis in his life that he needed rescued from, he simply told me he was empty and was looking for direction and purpose.

It was a "God" experience. I felt a deep impression in my heart that I was going to have the privilege of leading this man to Christ, the One he was longing for.

There are times when you are talking to someone about the truths of the Gospel and it feels as if your words are bouncing off the person's forehead. This was not one of those times. He was a sponge to all that I was talking to him about. It made me think of all the other people that had spoke into his life at some point or another. Someone somewhere planted a seed, someone else watered, God made it grow and I was about to harvest.

I wonder if doctors who deliver babies ever grow tired of seeing newborns come into this world? I know when my kids were born I was always aware that there was Creator, life giving, God, and that at each birth I was witnessing a miracle.

Putting faith in Jesus is a birth, it is the New birth Jesus talks about in John 3. So spiritually I was about to deliver a newborn into this world. The person who delivers the baby can't take credit for anything in the process of life but serving and being available to help the mom and the family. The same is true when we lead someone to Christ. We do not get any credit, we just get the privilege of seeing the work of God before our very eyes.

So, back in my office I asked the man if he wanted to put his faith in Jesus and be a follower of Him. He said he did. So he prayed his first prayer to God and asked Jesus to be his Savior and Lord.

"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:9-11 NLT)

It was pretty awesome to witness. I truly had to repent to God for not always having the best attitude going into situations. I have had the privilege of leading others to Christ before, but it had been awhile since I this had happened. I think being a pastor gets in the way of doing real ministry sometimes!

What does all this have to do with the East Australian Current? Well, The picture God gave me after praying with the man was that of God's current. God's current, spiritually speaking, is always flowing. We like the sea turtles of Australia are not moving toward God but moving about in the vast ocean of life doing our own thing, going our own direction, when suddenly God in His amazing love draws us into His current. We then learn to flow with Him, letting Him lead, and ultimately Him leading us into Eternal life with Him. That is the destination of His current. It does not matter how old we are when we dive into His current, it does not matter where we have been, what matters is that we dive in.

I am so thankful God drew me into His current. I can feel my selfish nature fighting against it sometimes, but God in His love always reminds me of His grace and ultimately where we are headed and I stop fighting and let Him lead again.

Lets Dive in...

Spiritual tug of war

I feel the tension inside my soul (Romans 7:15-23). The tension between the self-centered rebellious man and the self-righteous religious Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14). The rebellious man wants to be in charge and makes excuses for doing whatever is in my best interest (Luke 15:11-24). The religious Pharisee in me believes that my standing with God is based on my behavior and wants others to think well of me (Luke 15: 25-30). In fact, the religious man in me is way to dependent on the approval of others and can be paralyzed be the disapproval of others (Galatians 1:10).

I know I am not alone (Romans 3:10, 23).

There is a little Pharisee in all of us. There is a bit of legalistic self righteousness in us that thinks we are right with God by following rules and do's and dont's. There is a judgmental person that looks down on others when they have problems or fail. It makes us feel better about ourselves if we have someone "worse" than ourselves, but we feel bad about ourselves when deem someone to be "holier" than us. When we think like this our spiritual confidence before God is based on earning, based on a merit system.

In all of us there is also the pull and power of self. Selfishness can so easily be the chief motivator of our actions and behavior.

The problem with all of us is we tend to look inside ourselves for salvation from both extremes. We look within and find despair. How do we get out of this tug of war (Romans 7:24-25)?

We need to stop looking within for hope and salvation and look to Christ. The more introspective we are the more prone to despair we are.

In the words of the great Reformer Martin Luther:

"...when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!...This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified."

The answer to the tug of war is not to pull harder with one side or the other, but to let go of the rope all together. The lyrics to the old hymn say it best:

Before the throne of God above I have a strong, a perfect plea: A great High Priest, whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on his hands, My name is written on his heart; I know that while in heaven he stands No tongue can bid me thence depart No tongue can bid me thence depart. When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look, and see him there Who made an end of all my sin. Because a sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free; For God, the Just, is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me To look on Him and pardon me Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One, Risen Son of God! Behold him there, the risen Lamb My perfect, spotless righteousness, The great unchangeable I AM, The King of glory and of grace! One in himself, I cannot die My soul is purchased by his blood My life is hid with Christ on high, With Christ, my Savior and my God With Christ, my Savior and my God

Ten 13 Sixty Seven

My mom is in the hospital as I write this for a pretty serious back surgery. She is recovering well, just in a lot of pain. The surgery and her recovery has taken place ironically at the same hospital I was born in 43 years ago today. They have moved her to the older part of the hospital. She told me this morning: "who knows, maybe it was this very room you were born in." That was a weird thought.

Where did 43 years go? I don't feel 43. I definitely don't act 43. When I was eight 43 seemed very old. When I was 18 it seemed even older. I have very vivid memories of my childhood. I can remember graduating from high school like it was yesterday. They were not joking when they said time truly flies by after high school. Our birthdays and New Years Day help us reflect twice a year that life is short and we better make the most of it because one thing for sure we cannot control is getting older.

One of my Spanish speaking friends wrote on my facebook page:"FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS"
Literally translated from Spanish to English it means "Happy years completed." I like that. I have completed 43 years! Some were better than others. Some were easier than others. Never the less, they are complete.

One of my favorite writers Henri Nouwen said this about birthdays:

"Birthdays are so important. On our birthdays we celebrate being alive. On our birthdays people can say to us, "Thank you for being!" Birthday presents are signs of our families' and friends' joy that we are part of their lives. Little children often look forward to their birthdays for months. Their birthdays are their big days, when they are the center of attention and all their friends come to celebrate. We should never forget our birthdays or the birthdays of those who are close to us. Birthdays keep us childlike. They remind us that what is important is not what we do or accomplish, not what we have or who we know, but that we are, here and now. On birthdays let us be grateful for the gift of life."

In other words we should make a bigger deal out of birthdays than any other accomplishments, graduations, or successes because of the simple fact that we were born. We count. We matter. We exist. Most importantly we matter to God. He created us and gave us purpose and in Christ gives us hope. Celebrating birthdays matter because we matter to Him.

So on my birthday I offer this simple prayer:

"Lord, let my birthday be a reminder to me of all the gifts and blessings I have received from You this day and all the days of my life. On my day of celebration, I thank you for my life and all of my blessings and ask for another year filled with Your presence in my life that I may continue to grow in your love. Gracious God, I thank You for enabling me to celebrate my birthday. Lord You have been good to me all these years and I thank You for all the blessings I have recieved but especially for life itself. Creator God, I do not know what lies ahead for me this year. Yet I know that You are holding my future in Your hand. Let my ways be pleasing to you. As You have promised, be with me, Lord. Gird me with Your strength and grace so that I can live for Your light. Enable me to draw closer to You that I may walk in your peace and be the creative and loving person that you intend for me to be. I ask this and all things in the sure and certain knowledge of your love for me and for all your people. Amen."

Letting Go

To let go doesn’t mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization that I can’t control another.

To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another, I can only change myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to effect their own outcomes.

To let go is not to be protective; it is to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes.

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone,
but try to become what dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more!

Author Unknown

Who do you love?

I once heard a definition for love that has always stuck with me: :"Love cares for, provides for, and protects the well-being of the one loved." We have heard it said that love is not a feeling but it is an action. There are many examples in Scripture that support this understanding. For example: "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18) Jesus said there was no greater love than a person lay down their life for their friend.

Love is a tricky thing. It is a word that is used very loosely. We can "love ice cream" and we can "love God and others" meaning a very different type of love.

If love is an action more than a feeling then I am asking myself the question: "who do I really love"?

We are not commanded in Scripture to "like" everyone, we are told to "love" everyone. Even those who hurt us, who speak badly of us, those who mistreat us, those who are even our enemies.

Jesus said that people will know who are His followers if they live lives of love.

I know that my love is imperfect, yet God's love is perfect. "God is love." He is the very definition of love and He lives in me, therefore I can love the unlovely and unlovable because He does.

I dream of the day when I will be so consumed in God's love that love for others will be the first response from my heart when I get hurt by others or people disappoint me.

Lets pray together:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith ;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen. (Prayer of St. Francis)

This is a must read: Simply life changing

Copy and paste this link

http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/All_of_Life_Is_Repentance-Keller.pdf

One of the best books I have read is called "The Prodigal God" By Tim Keller who is also the author of this article. Everything he teaches and preaches is centered on what Christ has done for us and how that is the key to real and lasting hope and change.

For more by Tim Keller follow this link:

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/bio/timkeller.html

Prone to wander

Why is it so easy to be so introspective and self-abasing? Why do we struggle not only believing the Gospel but living in the grace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has provided? Jesus died to make us right with God. There is nothing we can do that adds to the righteousness found in the Gospel and there is nothing we can do to take anything from it. (Romans 3:21-26)

Martin Luther is helpful when he writes:

"This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified."

I woke up this morning thinking about a verse found in 2 Peter 1:3:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." NIV

God has given us EVERYTHING we need. That means we lack nothing of what really matters and we do not lack the things that are necessary for real life! He truly has given us everything we need.

What has He given us? He has given us the promise of eternal life. He has given has the Lord Jesus, our Savior, our King, the best friend we could ever have! He has given us His word which provides lasting peace & real joy. He has given us the Holy Spirit. He has given us the Church, He has given us "one another." What else do we really need? How we answer that may help each of us answer my first question of why we are so restlessly introspective and self-abasing.

I can relate to the old hymn that says:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Butt Prints in the sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord,"What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord,they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed,you would not grow,
The walk of faith,you would not know,
So I got tired,I got fed up'
And there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life,there comes a time,
When one must fight,and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."
--Author Unknown

Valor

val·or: boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially in battle; heroic courage; bravery: a medal for valor

Pat Tillman was killed in friendly fire on April 23, 2003 in Afghanistan. Tillman was a successful defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals. He was so successful he was on the brink of signing a multi-year contract worth millions of dollars. He had turned down more money from the St. Louis Rams the previous year out of loyalty to the Cardinals. Tillman was so moved by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that he felt it was his duty to join the Army and serve his country. He gave up fame and fortune to follow what he felt was his obligation at the cost of his own life.

To me this is the definition of sacrifice. When we sacrifice it means we give up something for the benefit of others. I am thankful for those in the military who sacrificed their comfort and convenience for the rest of us. Numerous men and women have shown incredible valor by facing danger and adversity for the sake of  the freedom of others. There are not enough words to express thankfulness for their bravery. 

Memorial Day makes me think of someone else who possessed incredible valor, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ laid down His life to give freedom for sinners like me. He did not have to do it, but He chose to do it because He loves us: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

The reality is we should be mindful of the sacrifice of those we remember on Memorial Day more than one day a year, and we should be even more mindful of the sacrifice of Jesus everyday.

2 Corinthians 5:21
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." NLT

As soldiers do their best to defer, deflect, and detour those who would harm us, so Jesus did when He died on the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ will never make sense nor be fully appreciated until we grasp the sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God. Sin destroys lives that is why God hates it so much and that is why it took such a great sacrifice to atone for it. Scripture puts it this way:

"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:22-26 NLT)

Jesus turned away God's righteous judgment of my sin and yours when He died on the cross.God treated Jesus way I deserved to be treated. He was judged so that we do not have to be judged. Jesus showed what valor was all about when He faced the agony of the cross. Christ's valor was motivated by perfect love. He was not dying for land, governments, policies, oil, or any earthly kingdom.

"...He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)

 

Great quotes from an honest Christian

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."

"I gave in, and admitted that God was God."

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."


 "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."

C.S. Lewis 

Concerning life: Choose quality over quantity

Ecclesiastes 8:7-8
Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. NLT

We really do not have much say over the quantity of our lives. Yes we can do somethings to take care of ourselves, like eat right, exercise, wear seat belts etc. but we ultimately do not have control over when we die. We cannot control accidents, cancer, heart problems, war, the weather, or the choices of others. However, we do have a say in the quality of life we live. By quality of life I do not mean possessions, money, or material goods, but a life of peace, joy, and happiness that money cannot buy. Money and possessions are outward things, peace, joy, and happiness are internal things therefore quality of life is not dependent on outward circumstances, but rather an inward attitude of faith. The thought of dying and the reality of dying makes me want to live better today. It makes me want to live more fully and to live fully alive.
I want to fully enjoy God's gifts.
I want to love more and complain less.
I want my life to be a walk of faith, hope, and truth.
I want to die having lived beyond regret.
I want my actions to show the people in my life that they are important to me.
I want my words to bring life and encouragement rather than pain and disappointment. 
I want to learn from my failures and mistakes.
I want to forgive and be forgiven.
I want to judge less and trust more.
I want God to use my life to bless others.
When all is said and done and I crossover into eternity I want to look into Christ's eyes and hear His words: "Well done."

God has given us life. We have been given a certain number of days. We do not choose how long we live but we do choose how we will live. We do not choose the quantity of our lives but we do choose quality of life.

Praying written prayers

The majority of my Christian life has been spent in a Non-Denominational Church. Non-Denominational churches tend to pride themselves on not being enslaved to tradition and being free from the shackles of dry and dull liturgy. As a Non-Denominational Christian I understand and agree with the premise of the arguments against stale and predictable prayer and worship, I do not agree, however, that there is nothing to be gained or experienced by reading or participating in liturgy or liturgical services especially when it is from the heart. Anything can be can become predictable and dry if it is not done or offered from a sincere heart.

With that in mind, I have found reading and praying the prayers of others to be significant in my own spiritual growth and intimacy with God. I was not raised going to church much, so the majority of hymns in modern hymnals I have never sung (although there seems to be a great revival amongst contemporary Christian music in bringing back the old hymns put to modern music & melodies). Several years ago a pastor in Scotland gave me a hymnal from the Church of Scotland. It has been a treasure to me in my private devotional life. I find myself reading them as prayers to God and He always strengthens my faith through them.

When we read the Psalms we are simply reading the written prayers and songs of people who followed God thousands of years ago.

I have found that writing out my prayers to God and then reading them aloud to be a great way to pray. If you struggle with prayer, not knowing how to pray or what to pray, try writing out a prayer to God, get on your knees and read it out loud to God. God will use it stir up other things and lead you further into His presence.

The following is a prayer you can recite first thing in the morning as you offer your day to God

"Almighty and everlasting God, Creator & Sustainer of the universe, I worship you.
Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord of the world, I worship you.
Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the people of God, I worship you.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day your fruit may ripen in my life-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons and one God, have mercy upon me. Amen."

The expense of our salvation & our discipleship

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

Salvation is free; however, following Jesus costs us everything. The good news of Jesus is that God sent his son to live and die in our place. He lived a perfect life meaning he loved God perfectly and loved his neighbor as himself perfectly, thus he never sinned. However, he willingly stood in our place dying on the cross for our sin, sin he had never known or committed. In the Old Testament we are told: “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God…” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, NIV). The scripture goes on to list blessings for obedience. In the same chapter we read:

“However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…” (Deuteronomy 28:15, NIV).

The chapter goes on to pronounce a curse for disobedience. Did you notice the “ifs” in those Old Testament verses? Here is the beauty of the gospel: Jesus answered the “ifs” of the law. He lived in perfect obedience, and he paid the penalty for disobedience. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’" (Galatians 3:13, NIV).

Salvation cost you and me nothing, but it cost Jesus everything. However, following Jesus will cost you and me everything.

Taken from "Noblesse Oblige" by Scott Applegate pages 111-113

God never wastes a hurt (Happy St. Patricks Day!)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

It has been said, “God never wastes a hurt.” This truth is illustrated in the life of Saint Patrick. Most people, including the Irish themselves, do not know why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Much to the chagrin of most, St. Patrick’s Day is not about drinking green beer or even the Irish people, but rather, it is the celebration of Saint Patrick bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Ireland.When Patrick was young, he was kidnapped from his home in England and forced into a life of slavery by the Irish. Several years later, he escaped and went home to England. At home in England, he became a dedicated follower of Jesus. During a time of prayer, he felt led to go back to those in Ireland who had enslaved him and bring them the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Needless to say, his work and impact literally changed a people-group. It is amazing that God brought Patrick back to his place of pain so he could use him to grow his kingdom in the same people that had no regard for him years earlier.

Like St. Patrick, God wants to use us to further his kingdom as well. He wants us to use our life experiences to help others in need. God does not require us to have great skills and abilities He requires faith and obedience.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW: BE BLESSED!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7O9OqBd2us

(From "Noblesse Oblige" by Scott Applegate pg. 41-42)

Random thoughts of a hopeful Christian

"I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." Jesus

Statistics seem to indicate that Christianity in the USA is declining at a fairly dramatic pace. Some groups say that in 1990 86% of Americans claimed Christianity as their faith. In 2008 it dropped to 76%. I understand that there is a big difference in someone saying they are a Christian and someone who actually follows Jesus Christ. A follower of Jesus Christ is someone who bases their life, actions, hopes, and dreams on the sacrificial death of Jesus and on His teachings.

The reason I feel these types of statistics are important is because they reveal not necessarily the truth about who are Christians or not but how our culture views Jesus. George Barna points out that the majority of people who say they are Christians are what he calls "casual Christians" and the rest are what he calls "captive Christians". He says: "The lives of Captive Christians are defined by their faith; their worldview is built around their core spiritual beliefs and resultant values." Where as the lives of Casual Christians are marked by: "...balancing everything just right so that they are able to maximize their opportunities and joys in life without undermining their perceived relationship with God and others."

"Liminality" is a word I have just recently discovered. A basic definition for liminality is a state where what used to work does not work anymore and what is going to work in the future has not yet been revealed. In other words, things are ambiguous. Its sort of like a 13 year old boy. He is no longer a little boy, but is not yet a man.

Liminality seems to describe Christianity in our culture. What used to work or the norm is no longer working and what is going to work has yet to be revealed. I realize that Jesus, His truth, and His true followers contiune, but how that looks in our culture is in a state of liminality.

Christianity in the United Kingdom has been on the rapid decline for several decades. As a matter fact, many parts of England and Scotland are considered unreached people groups. How did this happen? First, The church became irrelevant to culture. It stopped answering the questions of its society. The church became a building rather than a living movement of people who followed Jesus with their whole lives. In other words the church became casual in how it influenced culture. It is easy for the church to have a fortress mentality where people are invited in but the people living on the inside have no influence on those on the outside. The church in America seems to be following in their footsteps.

I know Jesus is building His Church no matter what I think or see. I am actually excited that we find ourselves in "liminality" because that means something good is coming. Whenever God makes changes its always good. I talk to people every day who are bored with their faith or disillusioned about what it means to follow Christ. The statistics of how many American Christian kids leave their parents faith behind once they turn 18 is staggering. I think people are hungry for something beyond casual Christianity. They are hungry for something that they can base ALL of their life on. I am banking on it. I am not ashamed to be a Captive Christian. How about you?

Mark 8:34-35 "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. NLT


http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/268-casual-christians-and-the-future-of-america

What would you say to Tiger?

2 Corinthians 7:10 For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death.

I just finished listening to Tiger Woods statement regarding his "moral failures". It made me think of the Apostle Paul's statement in the book of Romans:

"I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong." (Romans 7:15-21 NLT)

Tiger Woods, like all of us, has to come to grips with this internal struggle. I can relate. I have found myself saying over and over: "I can't believe I did this again." I want to do what is right, but I also find myself pulled to do what is wrong! Like the Apostle Paul I want to scream:

"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?" (Romans 7:24 NLT)

Tiger said that one thing he was going to do to try and overcome his struggles and behavior was to return to his Buddhist faith.

The Buddhist teach that a person overcomes their struggles by "The Four Noble Truths":
1. Life is suffering 2. We suffer because we desire the impermanent 3. The way to liberation from desire is to eliminate desire 4. Eliminate desire by following the eight fold path:(Have a right understanding of the four noble truths, Have right thought, Have right speech, Have right action, Have the right occupation, Have the right effort, Have mental self-control, Have right concentration)

I believe Buddhism has it partly right. Life is filled with suffering. Regardless of one's beliefs, all people agree that life is painful. And I would agree that most suffering does come from a desire of things that are impermanent, things that cannot ultimately satisfy the longings of the human heart.

However, the remedy is not found in self-effort or religion. Humanity has always had two ways of trying to achieve happiness & peace: Self-righteous religion (if I follow the rules, if I try harder, if I shape up I will be ok), or Self-centered rebellion (I am going to live it up, I am going to get mine, I will do what ever brings me pleasure). I believe both are an attempt to remedy the inner struggle common to all. I believe neither work.

I am a follower of Jesus because only He makes sense of the struggle and only He can set me free from my selfishness. Scripture teaches that only Jesus can set us free from self, sin, and death. Scripture teaches that the harder I try to keep the rules the more aroused my sinful self gets (Romans 7:5). Jesus taught that selfish sinful behavior comes from what is inside of our hearts (Matthew 15:19). We always try to change the outside first. But that never works. Religion is about humanity conforming outwardly to a set of ideals. True Christianity is about God changing us first on the inside, inside our hearts and the outside then follows. To me, this separates Christianity from all other faiths. Religion is man trying to gain God's favor and forgiveness by climbing the ladder of do's & dont's, and rules & regulations. Christianity is God coming to man. It is Him extending favor and forgiveness not based on works & effort but on faith in Jesus. Therefore, I agree wholeheartedly with the Apostle Paul once again:

"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:24-25 NLT)

Jesus died to free us from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23), He gives us the Holy Spirit when we believe to free us from the power of sin (John 8:34-36, Romans 8:9-11), and He will ultimately free us from the presence of sin in eternity with Him (Revelation 21:4).

Hopefully Tiger Woods will be back playing golf soon. I pray nothing but the best for Tiger Woods. I certainly am no one to judge him. Jesus paid the price for his sins and mine. I think it would be a great story for him to make a full recovery and find himself back doing what he loves soon. My prayer is he would put his faith and hope in the one person who always delivers on His promises, and that is Jesus Christ.

Viva Las Vegas

I had the privilege last week of being the guest speaker for the DTS (discipleship training school) at the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Las Vegas base. I had the responsibility of teaching 12 lectures Monday through Thursday on the "Noblesse Oblige". It was a lot of work but very worth it.

Las Vegas: aka "Sin City" or "Lost Wages", as some like to call it is an interesting place. It is a crazy place somewhat like the New Testament city of Corinth where the apostle Paul encountered all sorts of debauchery and hedonism. There really is nothing new under the sun. Mankind has always had two paths to fulfillment: Self-Centered rebellion or Self-Righteous religion. Las Vegas just prides its self on its openness to feeding the Self-Centered hedonistic ways of humanity. Las Vegas is a place that is the antithesis of 1 John 2:15-17:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." NIV

On the other hand is there not a more strategic place for a Christ-follower to be than in the middle of a place where broken people are looking for God in all the wrong places? If Jesus would have lived in our day I'm sure he would have found his way to Vegas to talk to the outcast, the broken, the rich, the stripper, the gambler, and the drunk (Matthew 9:10-13, Matthew 11:19). Jesus was always found with the broken and the broken were always attracted to Jesus.

As my wife and I drove the first day we got to Vegas we were shocked at 50 or so homeless people living under the under pass a block or so from the base. People were sleeping on the sidewalk. What an eye-opener. The base is located in a rough part of town.

The students have signed up for 12 weeks of daily discipleship that consists of communal living, Bible lectures, outreach to locals, much prayer, and servant hood. At the end of the 12 weeks the students will have formed a team that will go and share the love of Jesus to people who are less fortunate and spiritually lost without Christ. But even more than that, they will be marked for life by the bonds of unity Christ will form in each of them by them pursuing and living out their "Noblesse Oblige" (French for Noble obligation).

I am proud to know each one of them. They picked a difficult place to do their training. I am even more proud of their leaders who serve them and serve with them everyday. My prayer for all of them is found in Romans 15:5-6:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. "NIV

Thank you YWAM Las Vegas. You taught me more than I taught you. You reminded me what its all about.

Abba Father

My dad had a total knee replacement recently. He is in a ton of pain and the rehab is going to take several months. However, when all that is over I think he will be pleased with the change.

I am very close with my dad and to see him in pain is difficult. He has enjoyed good health the majority of his 72 years of living. He still plays baseball, swims, and golfs. He is very active for his age.

My dad has always been a good example to me of what God the Father is like. I know so many people who have warped images of God because of their earthly fathers. That is not the case with me. My dad has always showed unconditional love to me. When I was far from living the life God intended for me my dad always kept a close relationship with me.

Obviously, my dad has flaws. But what he does have is a tender heart towards his kids and his 12 grandkids (plus 4 great grand kids). Everyone of us know how much he loves us. The love of God the Father is tender and unconditional and for that I am grateful. My prayer for my dad is that he would continue to know the love of His heavenly Father and thus let that shine through his life.

Jesus called God "Abba". Which simply means daddy. It is a term which oozes with closeness. The New Testament tells us that because of Jesus we can call God "Abba" as well:

Romans 8:15-16 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. NIV

My prayer for all of us is simple, that each one of us would know and live in the unconditional perfect love of our heavenly Father.

P.S. I also pray my dad heals quickly, we have a lot of baseball games to go to soon...

What song would you want played at your funeral?

"...Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart." King Solomon

As a pastor I have officiated numerous funerals. A constant at most funerals is picking the right songs to sing or play the songs that best represent the life of the person who passed away. I have heard everything from Jimmy Buffet, tons of Country, Christian contemporary, and many hymns.
I do not plan on dying anytime soon, but if God has a different plan for me the song I want played at my funeral is "These are the words I would say" by a band called "The Sidewalk Prophets." Here are the lyrics:
Verse 1
Three in the morning, and I’m still awake So I picked up a pen and a page And I started writing just what I’d say If we were face to face I’d tell you just what you mean to me Tell you these simple truths
CHORUS
Be strong in the Lord And never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got His hand on You So don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here Take your time and pray These are the words I would say
Verse 2
Last time we spoke you said you were hurting And I felt your pain in my heartI want to tell you that I keep on praying That love will find you where you are
I know cause I’ve already been there So please hear these simple truths
Repeat CHORUS
Say… from one simple life to another I will say… come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord And never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got His hand on You So don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray And thank God for each day His love will find a way These are the words I would say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fpKwja0j50&feature=related