The Key to Healthy Faith: Spiritual Supplements

Let me just say…I love to workout!  Especially when I am in the habit of it and schedule it into my daily routine.  I feel more energetic, healthier and I notice that I actually have some semblance of muscles down deep in the recesses of my skin.  However, there is much pain and suffering for those first couple of weeks after taking a substantial amount of time off from my workout regimen.  I know, the key is…DON’T TAKE TIME OFF!  With working out comes nutrition.  With proper nutrition comes the supplement conundrum…what do I need?

I have a friend named John.  John owns his own supplement shop called Max Muscle.  John knows his stuff and is more than happy to answer all of my simple nutrition questions to more difficult ones that are more tailored to my specific situation.  He has a passion for nutrition, physical fitness, personal training and educating people in all of these areas.  John has taught me so much about nutrition and proper diet than he knows.  What is even more amazing is that he has educated thousands of people with the same passion he helped me.

In the same whey…er…way (sorry John), those followers of Jesus Christ should have the same passion like my friend has about sharing a healthy physical lifestyle with people in sharing their faith.  But in order to do that, we need some spiritual supplements.  The Apostle Peter tells us that God gives us everything we need when we accept Christ as our Savior.  Look at what Scripture says in 2 Peter 1:5-9

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

Peter had just finished speaking about being saved by grace and the promises that God has given to us that would spur us on in our faith and dedication to Him.  Peter fully expects the people he is writing to grow in their faith.  Growth is a process.  Just like growth in the physical body can be painful, so can growth in faith.  Here, Peter begins to show the process of a growing faith.

He first gives us the “why” we should grow in faith.  It is clear that Peter believes that it should be done out of a response to God’s promises.  He gives a list of supplemental ingredients that will promote health growth in one’s faith.  Those supplements are:

• moral excellence
• knowledge
• self-control
• patient endurance
• godliness
• brotherly affection
• love for everyone

Peter goes on to give the reasons and results of both the positive and negative results of an individual’s decided actions.  The one who chooses to grow in faith becomes more productive and useful in their knowledge of the Lord while the one who fails to develop lack vision and forget that they have been freed from their old sin.

Just as the physical body needs nutrients for proper nutrition and health, the spiritual body needs supplements for proper growth and development.  When one comes to know Christ, He gives to them everything they need to live a godly life.  Part of an individual’s responsibility for spiritual fitness & development, like that of physical fitness & development, is to supplement their growth with proper nutrition, supplements & workouts.

When a person wants to workout their physical body, they go to the gym.  When they want nutrition, they eat.  When they want supplementation, they go to the vitamin shop.  In the same line of thinking, when a person wants to develop their spiritual man and build or work out their faith, they have to put it to action.  Putting feet to our faith involves more than witnessing to someone, it involves developing our faith throughout our body, soul and spirit.

To grow in our faith you need to develop the following:

• moral excellence – developed through habits of making decisions that are just, noble, brave, honorable, fruits of the spirit, etc.
• knowledge – growing in knowledge comes from learning what God has spoken to us through study of HIs Holy Word. Know what He says!
• self-control – develop the ability to control your actions, emotions, behaviors and desires.
• patient endurance – (This one is tough!)  develop your faithfulness.  Faithfulness requires time!  It requires commitment!  Even when you don’t want to and don’t think you can go any further…press on and keep going!  It is a long race you are taking part in, a marathon, keep putting one foot in front of the other.
• godliness – loving, fearing and honoring God.  Being devoted to God and putting that devotion into action (Hebrews 11)
• brotherly affection – love your brother and sisters in Christ.  Discriminate against none of them.  They are your family.  Defend, protect and serve them.
• love for everyone – when your faith is growing, you want everyone to experience what it is that you have found in Christ.  Love people as God loves people!

Just like being a couch potato is a bad decision for your physical man, one doesn’t want to become a spiritual couch potato.  When you fail to develop your faith and grow, your spiritual gifts retard and your Christlike habits are left under-developed.  When you don’t use the spiritual nutrients and spiritual supplements, you are not growing as God intended for you to grown in your faith.  Use everything that God has given to you since you have come to know Him.   Become the person that God has intended you to become!  Put your devotion to Him into action!

Distractions to Worship

I have been dealing with distractions in my life.  Whether they are through work, school, kids, ministry, deer season…it really doesn’t matter what the distraction is, there always seem to be something that can change my focus.  There are always “things” that will compete for our attention.  Some are urgent, some are trivial.  However, the urgent can become trivial and the trivial can become urgent.  I wanted to share with you what I am learning.  I am learning that there are distractions to our relationship with God.  They are nothing new.  I am reading in 1 Timothy and he addresses those distractions.

Scripture:

1 Timothy 2:8-9

8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.  9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance.They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.

Timothy charges ALL churches, temples, synagogues with his opening phrase in verse 8.  He doesn’t exempt any house of worship or give special place to one place over another.  This instruction is for ALL places of worship.  It not only deals with the process of worship, but the attitude of worship as well.  Timothy addresses the problems of distractions when worshipping.  He instructs the men to lead the way in worship as they are addressed first.  He admonishes men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God.  Holy, meaning consecrated for worship and service.  Set apart for His worship.  He then goes on to add to the holiness about being free from anger and controversy.  These are things that can entangle the spirit of a man and cause attention to be misdirected from God to the controversy.

After addressing the men, the women are to follow their lead.  However, Timothy understands the nature of men and how they are distracted by the eye.  He admonishes women to dress modestly.  He instructs them to wear appropriate clothing as not to draw anyone’s attention to themselves by they way they fix their hair or the jewelry they wear or the price of their clothes.  He is making sure that they are not the focus of worship as was prevalent during this time.  Women can become distracted as well.  Insecurities creep in about appearance, feelings of inadequacy, and even competition with others.  This was evident back then as it is now.  It stems from goddess worship.  Goddess worship was something that was very real and was trying to make headway into the Church as there were many converts who were now following Christ and mixing the pagan religion with Christianity.  Timothy addresses this and points both men and women to the cross of Christ.  He is the one that is to be worshipped.

When I am confronted with this truth of the Word, I realize that my life is full of controversy and distractions. When my life is full of controversy, it usually breeds anger.  How can one worship God and have anger toward another in his heart?  I wrestle with this. Especially when I become passionate about something.  I begin to think, focus and really go overboard with “proving” my point in my personal need to become right.

In my trying to become right, I have a way that I can become like a rasp and score good people and my relationships with the file that I think will smooth the surface.  In reality, I am doing that opposite.  I am leaving scars on the lives of people I wanted to have friendships with, be close to, celebrate with and do life together.  I believe this is one aspect of what Timothy is speaking to in this verse.  Be free from controversy as to not have divided attention and your attention can be focused on God.

He then goes on to dealing with women.  I believe that this is a twofold meaning this writing.  Timothy knows and understands how men are wired.  They are visual.  Things that men see, stick in the DVR of their minds and can be recalled and played over and over again.  Here, the instruction to the women to not dress immodestly or expensively or with too much jewelry as to become a distraction to others.  This serves a double purpose.

1. It prevents people from being distracted in their worship before God.  This doesn’t just refer to men, but also women as well.
2. It also instructs women not to compete for attention of other people.  It teaches all people to have the attention of God rather than man.  It teaches us to not become distractions to others in their walk with Christ.

When we become a distraction to other people in their walk with Christ, we have elevated ourselves to demigod status and seek to have attention drawn to us rather than pointing it toward Christ.  This is sin!  This is idolatry!  This is pride!

I am thankful that God gives us grace and mercy!  Without His grace, there is no Good News of Christ dying for each of us.  Without His mercy, I am still held accountable for my past transgressions.  I am glad that I have placed my trust in Him and that He is still forming me into what He wants me to become.

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me of my sin of pride.  Take it from me.  Help me to point people to Your Son, Jesus.  Help me to tame my passions of this world and make me more passionate for You, Your Word, Your mission and Your Love.  Help me to not become a distraction and live a quiet, peaceable life that is pleasing to you.  I ask that you would help me and guide me by your Holy Spirit.  I ask that you would bless my family and give them favor.  Help my children grow closer to You and do well in their schooling.  I pray that you would bless my wife in her job and give her favor.  I ask that you would give me favor on my job and help me reach the goals that I have set.  I give you glory and honor.  Thank you for saving me.  Amen!

What are the “things” that are distracting you?

What are you competing for the attention of, God or someone else?

 

Spiritual Clothing

Scripture:

Colossians 3:12-15

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Observations:

God chose us to be holy people.  He loves us.  Because of this choosing and great love, there are attributes that He wants us to clothe our lives with that will speak volumes to our life changing experience in Christ.  These articles of spiritual clothing are:

• tenderhearted mercy
• kindness
• humility
• gentleness
• patience
• allowances for faults
• forgiveness
• love
• peace
• thankfulness

These articles of spiritual clothing are governed by one main piece.  That piece of clothing is love.  Love is the binding thing that produces harmony with other people.  Harmony, in music, complements the other notes being played or sung.  Paul is encouraging the believers to compliment other people by living in harmony with one another.

Application:

When a person has become a believer, spiritual growth is a process.  One cannot be “born again” and be expected to immediately be a “mature” Christian.  Christ wants us to grow in our relationship to Him.  Paul addresses this by giving mature and new Christians alike different spiritual clothing that brings each of us into a spiritual harmony of living with each other and those who are not yet believers in Christ.  When those people who are not followers of Christ see these things, a difference is seen.  It gives testimony not only to the unbeliever, but to the brother and sister in the Lord as well.

In Paul’s list of spiritual clothing, each of the different articles of the heart are the exact replica of what God had toward us.  You are created in God’s image and He wants you to reflect Him everywhere and everyday.   When a person puts on these attributes of God, this person is reflecting the image of God to the world.

What is it that I am reflecting?

What article of clothing am I lacking?

Do I have a wardrobe malfunction?

How do I show love for fellow man?

Prayer:

God, I thank you for this day.  I pray that you would be reflected in my life daily.  I pray that you would help me to clothe myself in the things you want me to reflect of you.  Help govern my life with love for others and remember that when I do govern by love, it produces harmony.  Help me to produce harmony with others.  Bless my family and help me to be a positive influence on the people around me and those who come into my life.  Amen.

Spiritual Trading Cards

It is a good thing to have things in common with your kids.  When I was a kid, I used to collect baseball cards. I would save up my money and ride my bike down to the corner store and buy as many packs as possible.  I will never forget the anticipation of paying for the cards and rushing outside and opening those packs, grabbing the concrete piece of bubble gum that was inside each pack and shoving it in my mouth to begin the cavity process.  4 out of 5 kids recommended Donruss bubble gum, but I was a Topps man!  I would then smell the cards…yes, I was a weird kid.  I loved the smell of the cards with the scent of the bubble gum.  I remember looking through the cards in search of my heroes.  It would only be a few days and I would have them ordered, alphabetized and put in my shoebox for proper storage.  I would then memorize the stats on the back of each card and do the math to check to make sure that Topps didn’t make any mistakes figuring out each player’s stats.  I was a stat junkie!

My son, Cole, has started collecting cards.  In fact, I don’t remember myself being this excited about cards.  However, he is searching Ebay and looking up values and if we ever get separated at the store, I can always go to the baseball card section to find him.  He has them all separated by team and in a binder with protective pages. He takes his cards and trades them with our neighbor’s kids and rushes home to ask me if I have ever heard of such and such a player.

Cole loves the history of the older cards and the players that are depicted on them.  He has a respect for the game and realizes that there are those who played baseball long before he was even born.  He asks why Jackie Robinson’s number is retired at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX, because he knows he never played for the Rangers. I love it!  His passion for those cards and collecting them take me back to a place when I loved being a kid.  The only thing I notice about today’s cards are that they don’t smell like bubblegum…what a tragedy!

I was reading in Romans and cam across a series of Scripture that reminded me of trading cards.  The passage is found in Romans 1:21-22 & 25.  This is what Paul wrote to the Romans…

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.22Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 

 

25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

When Paul was addressing the Romans, he spoke to them like the people had knowledge of God.  However, just knowing  about God doesn’t imply worship or facilitate the implementation of worship.  People have a will, that means they have a choice to worship God or not.  They would not even return thanks to God, much less worship Him.  They began to concoct their own interpretations of who God is and what He was like.  This takes place today.  Some may refer to God as a woman or say that God is in everything or God is who you want Him to be.  Some may even believe that all gods, Allah, Buddha, Hare Krishna, the various Hindu gods are all the same.  This is called polytheism.  As a result of these beliefs, people’s minds can become confused and darkened to the light of the Truth.  In their wisdom that they feel the gain from this wide spectrum of religions/gods, they instead become fools.  A fool is one who says in his heart that there is no god.

As a result of these actions, people traded the truth about God for a lie.  The Truth was in the form of Jesus Christ and the lie believed is the lie that there are many ways to heaven so worship whatever you think to be god.  Instead of worshipping the Creator, they worshipped creation.

The first commandment that God wrote on the tablets for Moses on Mt. Sinai was,

“Thou shall have no other gods before me.”

This is the most important commandment.  You must always put God first.  Many times you will be confronted with ‘possibilities’ that God is found in all and in everything.  However, don’t buy in to the lie that there are many ways to heaven.  There is one way, that is, through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10).  Make sure that idolatry doesn’t creep in and focus is diverted to the attention of what man has created over the Creator himself.  Remember, confusion doesn’t come from God.  Worship God for who He is…first and foremost…the Creator.

What is that “thing” you are trading for your reverence to God?

How can one find comfort in the realization that there is ONE way to heaven, that is, through Jesus Christ?

What are the things, idols, that you are putting in front of God that competes for His rightful place in your life?

Humility > Pride

I am not a fan of the term “swagger”.  To me, it implies an attitude of pride.  Pride is never a good thing.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, growing up, when I played sports competitively, I would walk in with my team like we owned the whole world.  We went in with the mindset of total world domination.  Our goal:  Destroy all who are in our path!  Take no prisoners!  I remember one time while playing a basketball tournament, we were physically outmatched on stature alone.  We were shorter as a whole team than our opponent, we were playing on their court, in their neighborhood, in their tournament.  It was a back and forth game and it was going to come down to the wire.  We were down by 2 points and coming back on to the court after a timeout.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  The guy guarding this 6’2 writer whose only organized basketball experience is church league basketball, was 6’4 and fairly athletic.  He asked me when I came back to the free throw line to set up our play, “Whatchu boys got planned for winning this game?”  With all the “swagger” and cockiness I could muster, I replied without hesitation, “I am going to come off a pick at the top of the key, get the pass and drain a 3 right in your face for the win.”

He started laughing and told one of his teammates what I said.  Sure enough, I was telling him the truth, knowing he wouldn’t believe it.  I came across the pick, got the pass at the top of the key and, wait for it…wait for it…drained the 3 right in his face over his outstretched hand trying to block my shot.  We win at the buzzer by 1 point and all I could do was hold up both my hands and stare at my dejected defender as he hung his head and the realization that they had lost to an opponent that was physically inferior.  Just like we drew it up!  That is my March Madness moment of glory and I am sticking to it!

I was so full of pride!  Our team had the contrived “swagger”.  However, we fell…and fell hard in the next game.    I really didn’t know how we lost, but boy, did we ever lose.  There is something to humility.  Pride can’t win games, swagger can only take you so far.  Proverbs 11:2-3 says it this way,

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.  Honesty guides good people, dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

Pride is believing and projecting a false image that is greater than reality.  When the prideful person’s claims are found to be false, those very claims become a disgrace and embarrassment to that individual.  When a person is humble, on the other hand, others find out about their talents and abilities through their integrity.  Whether it is on the court or on the job, they take no credit for what they have been given.  It comes from God. THAT is true wisdom.  Honesty is a natural outflow of a person whose heart is right before God.  Those who practices include things that go against God will ultimately be destroyed by their own illusions and practices.  That is an outflow of who they are.

What, then, can we learn?  Walking in humility not just before God, but before your fellow man is a must.  Let God reveal the gifts He has given to you while you work in front of other people.  Remain truthful at all times regardless of the situation and the destruction of your words will always elude you.  Your honesty will stand the tests that will come.  Truth will always be revealed and will always win.  Let God be the One with Swagger! Don’t take His swagger…

 

In what areas of your life are you projecting pride in yourself that really belongs to God?

What are some ways that you can remain humble?

 

The Big Ask

October 19, 1990, was a monumental day in my life.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  You see, it was 10 days earlier I went to see Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ with my future wife, Shannon, at Centenary College in Shreveport, LA.  I can’t tell you a whole lot about the play, but I think there was a big mouse in it or maybe it was a donkey…but I can tell you what Shannon was wearing.  I can tell you I was more concerned with impressing her by going to a Shakespearean play than the play itself.  I remember this night so vividly because it was the kick-starter to what our family has become today.

It was just a measly 10 days later I had made up my mind that she was the one!  The one I would spend the rest of my life with.  I was smitten!  I was in love!  I just hoped that she knew the will of God for her life was me.  (Cue the music soundtrack to Ever After) So, one humid Louisiana night, staring at the stars through the pine trees that stretched toward the heavens, I did it!  I made the BIG ASK!  I asked her to marry me…right there on an old wooden bench on her parent’s front porch.  She said, “Yes!”  I was in shock!  I couldn’t believe it.  I said, “No, really, I’m serious.  I’m not kidding!”  She said, “Me too!”  Now, we have been married for 21 years and have 3 children together.  And we stared into the moonlit night through the piney woods of NW Louisiana and lived happily ever after. (fade the music, fade to black)

I learned something that night on the front porch of a house in Louisiana.  If you want something, you have to ask.  Mark 11:24-25 says it this way,

I tell you, you can pray for anything and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.  But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.

Asking God in prayer for “anything” encompasses a whole spectrum of possible requests.  Belief in God for what you ask is the key to the whole prayer request.  It is called faith.  Believing in the unseen.  Trusting in the sight of your heart and reconciling that with your mind is not always the easiest thing for one to do.  A pure heart is one of the requirements of making requests known to God.  Why else would forgiveness of others be a stipulation in this passage?  Because forgiveness is the very nature of God.  Forgiveness is paramount to unlocking heaven.  When we insert the key of forgiveness to the lock of sin, it frees us and it frees God to do His work in and through us.

 

Don’t be afraid to pray.  Don’t be afraid to ask in your prayers.  Be afraid NOT to pray.  We can ask God for anything.  We can ask for needs, wants, healing, forgiveness, compassion, etc.  Belief that God will answer those requests need to accompany our prayers.  Then it will be done!  Forgive as God has forgiven.  So, to make my 8th Grade math teacher, Miss Thompson, happy…I will express this in a formula.

ASK + BELIEF = YOURS

When we pray, forgive others and receive forgiveness from God, these elements make up the ability to receive God’s grace and have our sins wiped clean.

Will You make the BIG ASK?

What is your greatest need right now?  What is your greatest desire?

Whom do you need to forgive?  From what or from whom do you need forgiveness?

 

Listen, Trust, Respond

I have read a book!  I know, before you get all “Let’s throw a parade for Tommy” you need to know, I like to read.  Okay…and this book didn’t have pictures.  Now that I have put all of your barbs to rest, the name of this book is “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordeiro.

This is a great book.  I guess I could call it a timely book for me.  It came along at a time for me as I am still in transition from a full-time ministry (pastorate) to a para-church ministry in which I also work a full-time job.  When I was used to doing Bible studies for preaching/teaching purposes, here comes the confession time, I never really did Bible study just for my personal growth and relationship with God.  I would start out to do that, but it quickly transitioned into something I could “preach or teach”.  At that moment, I became disconnected from what God was trying to do in me to the hope and dream of what God could do through me.  This was a wrong turn.

I need to grow, you need to grow, our relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit needs to be grown and nurtured without any false pretenses.  With that, in Wayne Cordeiro’s Book, he recommends and uses daily the SOAP method of Bible Study. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observations, Application, & Prayer. Here is an example of what mine looks like.

Listen, Trust, Respond

Scripture:  Numbers 9:23

So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.

Observations:  The Israelites placed a huge amount of respect and trust in Moses, their leader.  His position of going back and forth to God for the nation of Israel was something that they held in the highest regard and respect for the position he was in was not questioned.  What Moses heard from God and communicated to the people was the final word.  It was a word from God himself…and they trusted it.  Why?  They knew that Moses would be in the presence of God and hear from Him for their needs, direction and well-being.

Application:  As a follower of Christ, I need to constantly be in the presence of God for the people who I lead and minister to their needs.  As a husband, father and friend, I need to have them know that I am hearing from God and responding to what He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit as well.  I need to continually be in His presence so the people I am responsible for will listen to His words through me, trust His words that I speak, and respond accordingly to His direction through me.  Being in His presence builds my credibility with my words, direction and actions.

Prayer:  God, I pray for financial provision for my family.  I pray that you would bless my wife and kids and you would give them favor with both God and man.  Bless my wife at her job and my kids in school.  Help each of us to obey your commands and have soft hearts toward you and your Holy Spirit. Amen!

This is just an example.  The author encourages you to find a Bible reading plan and ask God to give you one verse to focus on for your SOAP study.  He also encourages you to go back and title your study after you have completed it.  I look forward to my daily devotions now.  In the past, they were work.

What are you using for your daily devotions?

Are they hit or miss?

How are you listening, trusting and responding to God on a daily basis?

Still Haven’t Found What He’s Looking For

Ah yes, U2!  That incredible band from my homeland of Ireland.  Well, at least my ancestors were from Ireland.  I guess that would make me Irish-American.  I wonder if my daughter can get a scholarship for that?  Anyway, I love the origins of U2 and how they expressed their honesty in their quest for knowing God and His loving grace, mercy and power.  In fact, Bono and the Edge have called this song a gospel song.  This song comes from the 1987 Album named the “Joshua Tree”.

Read these lyrics in the song and realize the search that is going on…

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

The chorus then follows with, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”  Its kind of a sad indictment of what goes on in Northern Ireland as the battle that rages between Protestant and Catholic.  I know that I will never understand the tension there or the why’s and what for’s.  But I do know this, there are plenty of people who are walking through life with this same sentiment that are living in our neighborhoods, in our classes at school, in our places of employment or even on our teams.  Bono has stated numerous times, his frustration with the church and the inconsistencies that are lived out by the ones that are supposed to be leading the flock.

At times, it really reminds me of the Pharisees.  They were the sticklers of the Law.  They had been trained, taught and experienced in enforcing the letter of the Law.  They were good at it.  However, they missed the heart of the Law.  Scripture says in Mark 8:11,

When the Pharisees heard that jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with Him.  Testing Him, they demanded that He show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His authority.

Being teachers and keeper of the Law, the Bible says, “the put heavy burdens on people concerning the Law but never lifted a finger to help them live the Law.”  In the passage of Scripture, I find it interesting that the very  people who should have embraced Jesus as Messiah began to argue with Him.  They did not believe Him to be who He claimed to be.  They tested God!  They made demands from him.  They were faithless people wanting physical proof of who Christ was.

Similarly we have that very thing happening today.  Pastor’s, Evangelist, and teachers of Scripture putting demands upon people for personal reasons.  If anything, these are the very people who should embrace the ways that Christ walked the earth…leading by example.  When Jesus walked the earth, he flipped the pyramid of success.  Instead of the Pharisee being at the top of the pyramid, Jesus said he came to “serve all”…  He took the attitude of a servant becoming a human to seek and save the lost.  He gave all…to all…for all…once and for all!

I don’t ever want to become a person who argues with God.  In reality, who are we to ARGUE with GOD?  He created the universe and we think it revolves around us.  I never want to put those things that are holy (religious items, traditions, etc.) in front of my faith in God.  Faith is a powerful thing that leads us to TRUST God and who He says He is, without any signs or wonders.  The greatest sign we should ever need is summed up in a picture…

Embrace and welcome the Savior without demands of proof of identity and trust Him without reservation!  This IS what Christ is looking for.  He looks for those whose belief is pure of heart.  God, increase our faith, help our unbelief!  YOU are ALL we NEED to LOOK for!

Are you still looking for God?

Does your faith need to be increased?

What holy THINGS have you put in front of your FAITH?

Lessons for a Legacy

I have 3 kiddos!  I am coming to the realization that God has given me some of the best kids on the earth.  With one about to graduate from High School and the other two just getting on their way out of elementary school, I am also beginning to realize just what  a great responsibility having children are.  I also have realized that I owe my kids.  Yes, I said, “I owe my kids.”  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t owe them the world or need to go overboard to try and spoil them making them ungrateful spawns of Satan.  But I do owe them the godly heritage that has been passed down to me from my previous generations in my family.  I love having God moment conversations with my kids.  It is in those times that I get to reveal what I feel the heart of God is to my children. To be honest, sometimes, they come out of the clear blue and I have no idea where the conversation will take us.  However, I have been learning to rely on the Holy Spirit for the words to say that would reveal God’s character and nature to my kids.

Exodus 13:14 says,

And in the future, your children will ask you, “What does this mean?” Then you will tell them, ‘with the power of His mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery.

I love this passage of Scripture!  I get to see God in different ways and roles in the lives of the Israelites while they were in captivity in Egypt.  I see God in this passage as a deliverer in that He led them out from the bondage of slavery.  I see God as a provider for the Israelites as He gave to His people as they needed.  I see God as a Father nurturing the Israelites through this time of correction.  I see God as a guide for them as they don’t know where they are really going to go, but nonetheless, they are under his leading.

Regardless of the state of mind of the Israelites, God was always in control.  They were tired of being slaves and God provided a way of escape.  I guess the biggest thing that really sticks out about this verse to me is that He wants the eye witnesses (Parents) to tell their kids the stories of how God has provided, protected, delivered, led and Fathered them through life.  It is my debt to God to tell my kids of His faithfulness.  In fact, they will ask.  I will respond.

Every time the Lord provides in our lives, I need to not only give thanks both privately and publicly, but especially in front of my kids.  I would venture to say that you need to be more expressive about the goodness of God in front of your kids as well.  Believe me, our kids can handle seeing the presence of God working on our behalf and their behalf.  I want my kids to know the goodness of God and His mercy.  I want them to know that He is their source, not my wallet.  I want them to always be listening to and for His voice following Him as they live for Him.

My prayer today is for mine and your family.  I pray blessings upon those who follow you with health, a clear mind, physical ability, mental capacity and a soft heart tuned in to the Holy Spirit.  Help us to walk in your will and never be lax in telling our children of your goodness.

What are some ways that you can incorporate your story of God’s goodness to your kids?

How has God provided for your family that you know it could have only been God?

Alone with an Audience

I am becoming more of a creature with a routine.  It wasn’t always this way.  When I was younger, I would sleep until who knows when and get up with no agenda for the day except to get out of the house and with friends as quickly as possible.  Usually my long-term planning was only as long as my nose.  I never really liked the mornings when I was younger.  In fact, I used to joke about my life motto being,

Mornings should come around about noon.

I think I read that in a Garfield cartoon.  Anyway, now I have come to embrace the early morning.  Maybe this comes with age.  Maybe it is because I now have three kids and this is the time of day when it is quiet.  Whatever the reason, I am now one of those dreaded morning people.  In fact, I have been known to join my running group at 5 am for a 5 mile run.  Don’t judge me…join me!  The early morning has become a refuge for me to talk with God.  I find that I am more focused, have clarity of thought, plan better, retain more information and am generally more productive the earlier it is.  I have also discovered that I love sunrises!  They are new each day and never quite the same each day.  They bring hope for the day and blessing of getting to share that day with those I love and friends I care for.

This year, I am reading through the Bible.  I have also started doing my devotions a little differently using the S.O.A.P method of study.  It is so simple.  Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.  Yes, I have been writing down my prayers.  My dachshund, Floppy, usually gets to hear what I am reading and studying that morning as she stares at me as I am finishing up.  I think I have almost convinced her to become a Christ follower.  She usually becomes my audience.

Mark 1:35 says,

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.”

What I learned was that Jesus practiced solitude.  While His purpose on this earth was to seek and save the lost, there were times when He needed to be alone with His thoughts, His prayers and His Father in Heaven.  What i find interesting is the time of day Jesus selected.  he went before daybreak.  Before the sun rises is when our world is still at rest.  The hustle and bustle of life has yet to really start for the day and things are generally…quiet.

This passage really challenged me.  I realized that I needed to look for opportunities to practice solitude.  We all need those moments in life to get alone with our thoughts, prayers and our Heavenly Father.  We need to find that place of solitude, that quiet place that is still at rest before the world around us gets going in full motion.  We live in a crowded world.  There seems to always be an audience.

We need to not be like these birds on the wire, we need to seek out the audience of One.

My prayer for today is that we would all find our place of solitude and that we would look forward to spending that time with our thoughts, prayers and heavenly Father just like the anticipation of a new sunrise.

Do you currently have a place of solitude?

What can you do to create more margin in your life for being alone with an audience?