30Jun16

1 Kings 19:7-8
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

Sometimes I can't do it. I just can't. The obstacle is too big, or too far, or too high for me to overcome on my own. And yet, God has placed it in front of me like a looming mountain in the path to accomplishment. What do you do when you face something like that? Elijah, a mighty prophet from the Old Testament, had given up and went out to the middle of nowhere to die. He didn't know what to do and had no more motivation to keep going. The task ahead of him was too much for him to even consider. But, it was what God asked him to do. So, in the middle of his despair God sent Elijah exactly what he needed. God gave him the resources. God gave him the strength. God equipped him for the task ahead.

Sometimes I can't do it. Sometimes God DOES give me more than I can bear alone. He does it so that He can show His mighty power through me and in my life. He does it so that I can learn what He is capable of. He does it so I can learn to trust Him more and more. When the mountain looms ahead don't beat your head on it... wait for God to tell you to go up it, around it, or remove it. Don't give up. Rely on His strength and you cannot fail.

29Jun16

Ephesians 4: 14
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Peter Marshall said, "When you don't stand for something you will fall for everything." Understanding who we are, what our purpose is, and what we are willing to stand for is imperative in anyone's life. It is elements of this that provide hope in the middle of troubled times and comfort in loss. But, there are many people today that are tossed to and fro by the waves of influence and emotion. Just take a look at our media and the way people respond. When you know what is important to you then you don't get caught up in the trivial "atrocities" that the media hypes up for us. It's really easy to see someone who is living standing rather than someone who is just floating... just check out their facebook feed. What have they shared? Is it the same stuff that the rest of the world is talking about at that moment or is it something they are truly passionate about? Don't get caught up in all of that. Don't allow other people to cunningly deceive you into what you spend your life thinking about and worrying about. Stand for something today.

28Jun16

Proverbs 14:23
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

I'm tempted just to leave this verse here as a commentary on what I see in so many areas of my life, and this world, right now. Yep. Think about it. You want something... you're going to have to work for it. You want to be happy? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be wealthy? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be closer to God? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be successful? You're going to have to work at it. You want to leave a legacy? Work. Get out there and get it done today.

27Jun16

Acts 28:3, 5
3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

This week I got a chance to preach again at the Stanley chapel. It's good to be back there and we have a new worship leader there that does a great job! I wanted to share something from that sermon with you all this morning. Sometimes we get bit by the snake. Sometimes it would just be so easy, after a shipwreck, on your way to a Roman trial, wanting to be murdered by your guards, judged by the natives, and then bit by a freaking snake, to just give up. To sit down and let the snake do its thing to you. But, Paul knew that he still had work to do. Still had an impact to make. So, even with so much going on in his life, he shook it off (Insert Taylor Swift song here). God cured the poison inside his body but, he still had to shake off the snake from his hand.

Paul spent only a few days in Malta and today it is the most Christian nation in Europe. It was the earliest Christian Roman colony. Because he was able to shake it off and not give up there are people thousands of years later that are still impacted by his life and work in that place! Today you may have a snake that has latched on to you and are thinking that life is too hard. You may have given up on dreams because it is all just too much. But, God wants you to know that He is healing the inside. It's time for you to shake that thing into the fire and then go change the world!

23Jun16

Psalm 23:4 ESV
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

There are things that happen in life that have caused me to cry out, "Why?! Where were you for this one God?!" There are times where I have felt so very far from God in the middle of something truly horrible. There are places I've been that make me wonder if God even exists there. But, in the middle of it all He is there. He has not left me. He has not left you. He is aware and actively engaging in ways we may never see this side of heaven. But, His rod (the tool to strike predators and keep the sheep safe) and His staff (the tool used to guide the sheep along the right path when they have wondered) both should be a comfort to us. Sometimes He uses one to pull us back against what we think we want; and the other He uses to keep the enemy from our doorstep. He comforts us for He is with us... always. He is good and His goodness will last through it all. Have you come to Him to be comforted today?

22jun16

Mark 3:27
"No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."

Wouldn't it be nice if you walked up to a battle ground where you had anticipated a hard fight, heavy casualties, and impossible odds just to find the enemy bound and gagged lying on the ground defenseless? This is the picture that Jesus paints for us in this passage. He is trying to explain to a group of religious know-it-alls that He has the power to bind the devil and take from him everything he has laid claim to. When we face certain darknesses in our lives we can buy into the lie that the devil is stronger than us, that the fight is going to be hard and long, and that we may not win. But, Jesus laid out an entirely different scenario! He says that He has bound the strong man. He says that He has defeated your enemy. He says that to win all you have to do is ask and He will allow you to plunder the enemy and take back what he has stolen from you. The battle is won. The strong man has been bound. The enemy is defeated. What do you need to go and get back today?

21Jun16

Galatians 5:1 NKJV
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

When I first became a Christian I prayed a prayer and asked God to forgive me of my sins. I did this once... twice... three times... ad noseum. Every time the pastor would call for people to come to the alter to "get saved" I would shoot forward like fat kid after doughnuts. I just wasn't convinced that God forgave everything the first time. There was just too much stuff there to work on. Or I would remember the one time I did that one thing and feel like I wasn't saved all over again. Conviction and repentance is good. But, we need to learn to stand firm in our freedom. Part of that is believing what God says about the salvation for all of our sin. Grabbing onto that faith that we have and trusting it. Because when we are not convinced that we are truly saved then we end up becoming entangled in our previous crap. We don't look forward to what God has for us... we just look back at everything we were guilty of. The problem with that backwards view is that when we look back we tend to fall into pits in front of us. It's a bad cycle. So lift your head today and look forward to what God has for you in freedom.

20Jun16

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Did you know that love, the emotion, is just a side effect of real love? What do I mean by that? Love, as God refers to it, is not a feeling. It is not an emotion. It is not the pitter patter of your heart as you look on a beautiful face. Love is a verb. Love is a choice. Love is action. Look at the verse above. All of the things that God says that love is... notice something? They are all actions! Not one of them is a feeling. They are a choice, a commitment, an action. Love is a verb.

If we say we love someone then we are called to do something about it. If you are committed to love someone then you have to do something about it. Even if you don't "feel" the love. Love (the emotion) is a byproduct of love the verb. Love with your actions. Choose to love. Then you will feel the love. God loves us through action. How are you loving people today?

18Jun16

Psalm 62:6-8
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.

Where I am weak, He is strong. Where I fall down, He picks me up. Where I fail, He brings success. Where I am afraid, He comforts me. Some people search their whole lives looking for this kind of security. They try to place it wrongly in another person, a place, or in things they have acquired. But, when our strength is set firmly on the rock of God as our foundation it is easily said that "I shall not be moved!" People, places, and things will fail you. But, God never will. You have no cause for fear or alarm. When you run to Him, He will protect you. When you trust Him, He will not fail you. When you pour out your heart to Him, He will hold it carefully and never break it. He is the one our hearts were made for. Do not falter. Find your strength in Him.

17Jun16

Matthew 18:15 ESV
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."

When I was in college I was interning at a fairly large church in WA state. I had made some friends on the staff and was having a great time. One day one of the pastors made a comment about someone that I knew in the church that seemed unfair to me. From what I knew of this person he was kind, honest, and did not deserve this kind of slander! But, I didn't go and try to figure out the reasoning behind the comment, I didn't talk to that pastor, I didn't try to get resolution. Even though that pastor had been an influence in my life and had poured greatly into me... I wrote him off in that moment. I would never go to him again and I would even bad mouth him to other congregants. I was right and he was wrong.

Years later I ran into this pastor at a conference and I still felt that twinge of anger just from seeing them. But, having gone through some of my own growing, I decided to confront him and remove this root of bitterness from my own soul. When I did, he remembered clearly the incident, explained why he said what he did (which was a really good explanation), and then expressed to me his own hurt from my actions in response. We were able to forgive each other that day and I gained back my brother.

When we don't give people the opportunity to own their mistakes, to explain their position, or to even see them as a friend instead of an enemy, we do everyone involved a disservice. We would rather write off people then to have any type of confrontation. But, done in love, with understanding towards healing, confronting the hurt and discord is the best thing you can do. Who have you written off in your life that may deserve that opportunity? How do you heal the hurts of offense in your life?

16Jun16

Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

There's a story of a man who was imprisoned in a dungeon for many years. He had been kept in place by a ball and chain clamped to his ankle which rubbed his skin raw and limited his movement. When his time was served the jailer came and unlocked the shackle, opened the gate, and told the prisoner he was free to go. The prisoner rubbed his sore ankle, reached down and picked up the ball and chain, and hobbled out of the prison carrying the weight with him. When he got out of the gate he exclaimed that he was free from his bonds and continued his life. Years later the jailer saw the prisoner on the street, hunched over, still clutching his ball and chain, and hobbling. The jailer approached the prisoner and asked, "I released you years ago. Why are you still carrying that ball and chain?"

The man replied, "It is to remind me of what I have been through and to never make that same mistake again."

To this the jailer said, "That is a good lesson to learn but, you served the shackle for that lesson, now you are just a slave to the ball and chain. Drop it and you will finally be free."

"I'm free!" The prisoner indignantly replied. "I'm no longer your prisoner!"

"No, now you are your own."

What are you carrying today?

15Jun16

Galatians 6:5
"For we are each responsible for our own conduct."

We learned how to do something very horrible when we were kids. It probably first happened when you cognitively realized that you were going to get into trouble and did not want to receive the punishment due. I remember when my son had written his name on the side of the house and when it was revealed to him his response was, "It wasn't me! Someone else must have done it." Blame. It is the first thing Adam and Eve did in the garden. "But, Lord, it was this woman's fault!" "But, God, it was the serpent's fault."

We learned to blame and we have a really hard time stopping. It's his fault, it's her fault, it's my parent's fault, it's societies fault, it's God's fault. The one person we can actually control, the one person that we can be fully responsible for, is the last person we want to recognize is at fault. Ultimately it is you and you alone; me and me alone; standing before judgement with all the facts presented against us. Blame will be an option... but, it will be ineffective. It's time to start practicing the option of accepting responsibility. Take a look at where you are right now in your life. Are you carrying the root of blame in your heart? Does it help you? Let it go and accept responsibility for your piece. Accept responsibility for your peace.

14jun16

Psalm 43:5
"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

"I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." The little blue engine chugs on and on up the massive mountain that looms before him. Most, of us know the story of the little engine that could. It's a fable that is used to remind us that in life there will be obstacles that we will have to overcome and we can. I love the psalm above. It's so simple and yet so profound. The sons of Korah (the writers) feel the pain of disappointment, the depression that wages in their spirit, the desire to quit. They acknowledge that it is there... and they move past it. They choose what they are going to do. They lift up their eyes and press on up the mountain.

You are not as powerless as you may feel at this moment. Your spirit may be downcast but, your eyes can always be lifted up. The choice of how you face today is yours and yours alone. Others may impose restrictions on you, they may hurt you, they may put you in seemingly impossible situations but, no one controls how you approach a situation. No one makes you feel any way. You choose that. Will you choose to put your hope in God and praise Him today or will you wallow in your circumstances as if you are powerless and weak? "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

13Jun16

Romans 13:3-4 ESV
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

This morning in Korea I woke up to the horrible tragedy that occurred in Florida. I would call you all to pray for the families and friends of all who are impacted by the twisted actions of a single man. Pray that God would bring them peace and judgement would find those who would do harm.

In the wake of this political rhetoric will fly back and forth. Lobbyists will try and utilize this to make their point about whether their stance is right or wrong and how the other side is misguided. What I want to draw you to is our role as Soldiers and agents of the ruling authorities in the wake of something like this. The Bible makes it clear that God places authorities in their positions (I think we forget this in America and think WE do) and that the role of the government is to uphold the good and swiftly punish the wrongdoer. We, as Soldiers, are the "sword." We are the outstretched arm of the avenger against those who would bring harm to those that we protect. To those who would cross us... be afraid. To those who do wrong... be afraid. To those worthy of wrath... be afraid. We are the sword and we are not afraid.

11Jun16

Colossians 1:16 ESV
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him.

It's evening in 1752 and a storm is raging over the town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thunder crashes as lightning streaks through the sky. There stands a man... with a kite... and a purpose. Today, 264 years ago, Benjamin Franklin made a discovery that would change the world as we know it. On that night he was able to harness an electrical charge in a jar with a key and a kite. He was able to show that this amazing, seemingly godlike, power of nature was something that could be harnessed and used. Prior to this, entire civilizations worshipped lightning and attributed it to a god of some kind or another. In 1752 Benjamin Franklin showed that it was simply a part of a grander creation... not the creator.

We get this mixed up a lot. We give our attention to the created things in this world... the stuff. We forget that all these things are just a manifestation of the grand glory of the creator. They are just an expression from the mind of the artist. When I was a kid I would listen to a song and think, "man, that is a great song!" But, I couldn't tell you who the artist was that wrote it. Most pop songs today aren't written by their performer but, we don't even bother to know the writer's name. Nature performs for us every single day... do you know the writer or do you just think it's a good song? Spend a moment this morning and think about what you are admiring; what you are chasing after. Is it the creation... or the Creator?

10Jun16

Proverbs 27:17 ESV
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Last night I had two Soldiers come up to me after Bible study and say, "Sir, he just became a Christian!" I asked them what they meant by that and they explained that after Bible study they had gone back to a table and sat down to talk about God. During that conversation one of the Soldiers led the other in the sinner's prayer of repentance and he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior! Now I get the honor of baptizing both of them on Sunday night after church.

I tell you this because, no one is a more effective communicator of the love of God than a friend. No one challenges and understands like a friend. No one can sharpen you quite like a friend can. We often times will wait for someone else to come in and share the faith with our family and friends thinking that we do not have the knowledge, power, or authority to do so ourselves. But, I want you to know that you have been placed in that person's life for a purpose... to sharpen them. To help make them better and for them to do the same with you. Sometimes that may feel like you are striking a block of blunt iron over and over again but, that friction is what sharpens the edge. Do not give up on your friends. Do not be complacent with your friends. You may be the only example of God they see.

09Jun16

James 1:26 ESV
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

When I first got the chance to see a horse up close and personal, prior to a horseback riding trip with my grandfather in the Sawtooth mountains of Idaho, I was freaked out by the bridle in the horse's mouth. I couldn't' imagine having something like that would be comfortable. So, I asked my grandpa if it hurt the horse. My grandpa's reply, with a smile, was, "not if it's going the right way."

When James talks about our faith, and more so the outward actions that accompany our faith, he talks about the tongue being the guide. It is the primary indicator of what is inside. Putting a bridle on our speech may seem like an impossible task but, just like the horse, it's not about having to be pulled around. It only hurts when you are going in the wrong direction. If the horse knows the path then the master barely even has to touch the reigns. If the horse is rebellious and wants to go its own way then the bridle may hurt.

The scary part of this verse for me is the final line. Based upon what I am saying and the words I am using on a consistent basis, is my "religion" worthless? Am I just playing a game and my heart is being revealed as deceived through my mouth? There are a lot of people who claim Christianity. But, how many of them are just going through the motions of a worthless religion because they have not adopted the truth as their lifesaving, life-changing, gift? How's your tongue today?

08Jun16

Proverbs 17:22 ESV
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

What if I could cure cancer with a smile? Wouldn't that be a nice world to live in? People would be walking around saying that frowns are what causes cancer instead of everything else I eat, sleep in, and breath into my body. It seems like a far stretch but, it is absolutely true that your attitude, mindset, and spirit have an impact on the way that you physically feel. I think this is why my wife can suffer through the worst flu and still get everything done around the house and yet, when I get a cold the world is over and I'm going to die. Your choice of attitude has a compounding effect on your physical being.

This principle works inversely as well. If you neglect your body, refuse to work out, and choose to eat junk all day then your spirit will suffer. The body is the temple of the spirit on this earth and yet a lot of people, myself included, tend to forget that a finely tuned body allows the spirit to be utilized to its fullest potential right now. How can you reach the world if you are robbed of precious years by a heart attack, diabetes, or just plain slothfulness? Don't feel like reading your Bible and praying... go workout first and then give it a shot. Don't feel like working out... try reading the Bible and praying first and then try it. These disciplines allow God to utilize us to our maximum effectiveness in this world. Don't let one of them take you out of the fight.

07Jun16

John 14:1-2
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"

72 years ago today, on the fateful morning of the D-Day invasion, Chaplain (LTC) George Russell Barber, went over the side of his ship on a rope ladder into a flat-bottomed landing craft that held 30 soldiers.

"When we hit the shore they let down the ramp I stood in front and led my men off," Chaplain Barber recalled. "They were shooting at us all around."

To the right, Barber witnessed a horrible sight. "Just before we landed I saw a landing ship hit a mine," he said. "It blew up and killed all 30 men. They were floating in the water and on the beach."

Without hesitation, Barber rushed to the sides of the wounded. "I talked to as many as I could and prayed with them. I said, 'Trust in God.'" As men died in his arms he recited John 14: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions..."

If they survived the barrage of hostile fire, the next challenge for Barber and his men was to climb over steep cliffs just beyond the shore. "I couldn't get over the 100 foot cliff so I had to dig my own foxhole that night on the beach," he noted. "I prayed as if everything depended on the Lord, and I dug as if everything depended on me."
"The Lord and me got that foxhole pretty deep."

06Jun16

Galatians 5:16-18
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Take an apple. Cut it in half. Put one half in a bowl of water. Put the other half in a bowl of battery acid. Now let them sit for an hour. Which one are you going to eat? Last night I got the chance to preach a sermon about the new creation that Christ has created in us. Part of that sermon talked about the war between the flash and the spirit inside of us. Make no mistake that the flesh is selfish at its core. By nature it wants what it wants without paying heed to others or God's will for us. We have a choice, in fact we have a lot of choices every day, to feed the flesh or feed the spirit. But, it also has a huge impact on who we are and who we become.

When you soak your brain in the preserving, fresh, water of the spirit of God then you retain health. When you soak yourself in the perverse and decaying aspects of the world is it any question as to why you are falling apart on the inside? Why is my marriage falling apart? Why are my finances falling apart? Why are my friendships falling apart? Why is my happiness falling apart? Could it be because you are soaking yourself in acid instead of water? What are you soaking in today?

04Jun16

Psalms 91:1,2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Yesterday a tragedy occurred on Fort Hood. Five Soldiers died, Three are wounded, and Four are still missing after a roll-over accident at a low-water crossing point. As I reflect on these Soldiers, their lives, and the impact this has, and will have, on their families, it reminds me of how intrinsically dangerous our jobs as Soldiers are. Even in training we do things that flirt with death every day. We minimize the risk in our heads and, in a way, become normalized to the danger that it presents to us so that we can do the job that we signed up to do. But, the risk is there. Those five, possibly nine, Soldiers didn't wake up that morning thinking that would be the last day of their lives they just thought they were going out to another field problem. Are you prepared for that?

God is a rock and fortress. He is our comfort in times like these and He alone brings us the assurance that we do not mourn those who go before us in vain. Without that shelter, that refuge, that trust, how do you reconcile the loss? We wrestle with these deep questions and find that God is the answer. Without faith in moments like these people turn to self-medication, medication, and depression or anxiety. That is not what God has designed for you. He wants you to utilize each day he has given to the fullest of your potential. Do not waste them! He holds those Soldiers in His hand and, God willing, they are in His shelter now. But, what are you doing with this day? Are you ready right now?

03Jun16

James 4:2-3
"You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."

Why hasn't God answered my prayers? I get this question a lot. We want what we want. We ask God for direction and then say we don't hear Him when we don't like the answer He's given. Sometimes, a lot of times, we don't even bother to ask. We just figure God couldn't be bothered. But, nothing is further from the truth. God does care. He cares a lot. But, He cares enough that He's not going to just give you everything your wicked heart desires. That's the point of this verse. God says, "You don't have it because you don't ask... and you ask in the wrong way." We don't ask for what we know God wants for our lives. We ask for what we want for our lives. We ask out of fear and anxiety instead of faith and security. Are you ready for what God really wants to do in your life? Try praying this prayer...

God, thank you for always giving me what I need. I know that I want things that are not good for me and will chase after them. Please help me to focus my eyes, heart, and thoughts on you. Show me the things you want for me. I want to chase those things regardless of the cost. Show me your will in the small decisions I make every day and I will obey so that I may show myself worthy of the path you have chosen for me. Amen.

02Jun16

Psalm 8:3-4
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

This morning my 10 year old son sent me a message to tell me that I needed to "check out the new Skillet song, Stars." First off, I want to say how proud I am of my boy that he is looking for Christian music to listen to and filling his heart with praise for our LORD. Secondly, his choice is on point. If you have Spotify or some streaming ability you should listen to this song this morning... two or three times. It is a great reminder of who God is and what He can be to you today.

The God, the creator of the universe, calls you by name. He knows the number of hairs on your head, the teeth in your head, and the freckles on your butt. The God who created the stars, the majestic heavenly bodies that we admire in the night sky, cares for you this morning. He's never too far away from you to save. He reaches to you, not from the heavens, but from right next to you. He knows you better than anyone and loves you more than you can possibly imagine. Take a moment and embrace Him this morning. Admire His creation but, know that it is meant for you. He cares for nothing more than you.

You can listen to the song here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qrIoH3RqYw