June 8, 2010
Read Proverbs 17 – 19
Prov 19:3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.
YOU’VE probably noticed that our culture is good with the “blame game”. You know, it’s that game you play when you make a mistake. Something bad happens, and you blame someone or something else for your circumstance. Sometimes people blame credit card companies for charging too much interest on their balance. They forget they have chosen to borrow the money from the company to use as they desire.
That kind of thinking carries into our relationship with God. Time and again I see people struggling with some type of issue in their life. They wonder, “Where’s God? Why doesn’t he care for me?” They have no concept of his amazing love for them.
They have made decisions that take them away from God. And they can’t find him when they need him.
Let’s stop the “blame God game” and let’s become accountable for our actions. If we’re feeling out of touch with God, let’s look in the bible to see what it says about getting in touch with him.
If we’re feeling he doesn’t love us, open up John 1-3 and see how he came to disciple and save us. If we’re feeling alone, check out the ways God makes himself known through his creation, his people, his Son and his Spirit.
God’s there for you. And the bible says he wants to bless you. And he will do so when you say to him, “My fault, Father. Forgive me for ignoring you. I trust you. I want to hear your voice, feel your touch and know you are my king.”
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Wisdom Leads to Life
June 5
Read Proverbs 5-7
Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"
and call understanding your kinsman;
5 they will keep you from the adulteress,
from the wayward wife with her seductive words.
DO YOU ever think about the “stupid” things you’ve done in life? Occasionally some moment, a word, a person or a circumstance will remind me of a mistake I’ve made, and I’ll say to myself, “I should have known better.” And I am embarrassed with myself and regret how I may have hurt someone.
The Wisdom Writer knows (through his own experiences, I’m sure) what happens when we put wisdom aside and rely on our feelings. We submit to temptations. In this case he refers to sexual adultery. But let’s expand his caution to consider all sin as “an adultery of unfaithfulness to God”.
Sin comes when we don’t know any better. Sin comes when we let feelings override our knowledge. Sin comes when we put our wants before God’s commands.
To resist sin, we must know God’s Word. Yes, read his word each day—not just these verses—and you will have more knowledge to resist “adultery”.
Read God’s Word and your feelings will be stronger for him. When your emotions are closer to God, your feelings will be farther from sin.
And third, understand that God’s commands are his words of love to guide you to a full life with him. His commands lead you to the cross to bow before Jesus and say to him, “You are my Lord and Savior.”
Trust the pathway of wisdom to guide you to life. It is from God for you.
Read Proverbs 5-7
Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"
and call understanding your kinsman;
5 they will keep you from the adulteress,
from the wayward wife with her seductive words.
DO YOU ever think about the “stupid” things you’ve done in life? Occasionally some moment, a word, a person or a circumstance will remind me of a mistake I’ve made, and I’ll say to myself, “I should have known better.” And I am embarrassed with myself and regret how I may have hurt someone.
The Wisdom Writer knows (through his own experiences, I’m sure) what happens when we put wisdom aside and rely on our feelings. We submit to temptations. In this case he refers to sexual adultery. But let’s expand his caution to consider all sin as “an adultery of unfaithfulness to God”.
Sin comes when we don’t know any better. Sin comes when we let feelings override our knowledge. Sin comes when we put our wants before God’s commands.
To resist sin, we must know God’s Word. Yes, read his word each day—not just these verses—and you will have more knowledge to resist “adultery”.
Read God’s Word and your feelings will be stronger for him. When your emotions are closer to God, your feelings will be farther from sin.
And third, understand that God’s commands are his words of love to guide you to a full life with him. His commands lead you to the cross to bow before Jesus and say to him, “You are my Lord and Savior.”
Trust the pathway of wisdom to guide you to life. It is from God for you.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Me! Me! Over here!
Read Proverbs 1 - 4
Proverbs 2:3-5
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
LIKELY, you have been to a sporting event that gives you the opportunity to receive a free T-shirt. At half-time, the cheerleaders walk up and down the sidelines and shoot the shirts with some apparatus to various parts in the crowd. Do you see how people (maybe you’re one of them) stand and wave for the shirts to come their way? They cry out, “Up here! Up here! Me! Me! I want it. I want it.” And they run after the shirts as they fly through the air. Wow, it’s a big deal to get a shirt!
What if we did that on Sunday morning or in a bible study? What if we stood up and shouted “Here! Here! Me! Me! Give me God’s Word, pastor. Teach me God’s Truth, leader! I want it. I want it!”
Oh, how God would delight in you. And how you would delight in God. The more you know him the more you love him. The more you love him, the more you receive him. The more you receive him, the more you trust him.
Do it. At least shout to God, “Me! Me! Give me your truth!” And wait for him to fill you with the eternal knowledge of him.
Proverbs 2:3-5
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
LIKELY, you have been to a sporting event that gives you the opportunity to receive a free T-shirt. At half-time, the cheerleaders walk up and down the sidelines and shoot the shirts with some apparatus to various parts in the crowd. Do you see how people (maybe you’re one of them) stand and wave for the shirts to come their way? They cry out, “Up here! Up here! Me! Me! I want it. I want it.” And they run after the shirts as they fly through the air. Wow, it’s a big deal to get a shirt!
What if we did that on Sunday morning or in a bible study? What if we stood up and shouted “Here! Here! Me! Me! Give me God’s Word, pastor. Teach me God’s Truth, leader! I want it. I want it!”
Oh, how God would delight in you. And how you would delight in God. The more you know him the more you love him. The more you love him, the more you receive him. The more you receive him, the more you trust him.
Do it. At least shout to God, “Me! Me! Give me your truth!” And wait for him to fill you with the eternal knowledge of him.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Praise the Lord
June 3, 2010
Read Psalms 147 - 150--Proverbs 1
Ps 150:6 Praise the Lord!
THIS IS an appropriate ending to Psalms. When all the talk is talked, all the questions are questioned, when all the wonder is wondered, praise the LORD!
It is so good to praise the LORD. When you wake up in the morning, think about the ways God has blessed you. The Psalms speak of God’s salvation, his creation, his strength, his power and his love. These are yours! Praise the Lord!
The Psalms praise God for his great mercy, of how he defeats his enemies and protects his people. In the Psalms, we see God’s people in anguish when they don’t feel his presence. And we see God’s people in joy when he is near.
In the Psalms we see God’s people passionately love him. And we see God passionately love his people.
Yes, Praise the Lord!
Read Psalms 147 - 150--Proverbs 1
Ps 150:6 Praise the Lord!
THIS IS an appropriate ending to Psalms. When all the talk is talked, all the questions are questioned, when all the wonder is wondered, praise the LORD!
It is so good to praise the LORD. When you wake up in the morning, think about the ways God has blessed you. The Psalms speak of God’s salvation, his creation, his strength, his power and his love. These are yours! Praise the Lord!
The Psalms praise God for his great mercy, of how he defeats his enemies and protects his people. In the Psalms, we see God’s people in anguish when they don’t feel his presence. And we see God’s people in joy when he is near.
In the Psalms we see God’s people passionately love him. And we see God passionately love his people.
Yes, Praise the Lord!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
It's the Truth!
June 2, 2010
Read Psalms 140 – 146
Ps 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me — it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me — it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.
Ps 142:7 Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
I JUST got off the phone with a friend. We were talking about speaking the truth of the gospel to people. The discussion centered around how we teach and preach to the newcomer in the church. Do we “go easy” on them, or do we tell the complete truth—believe in Jesus or spend eternity in Hell.
We voted for the latter, and there are two reasons. First, it’s the Truth. How else will people know the truth unless they hear it? And second, it is the greatest act of love you can ever do for anyone.
I know, if you said to someone, “You must believe in Jesus to go to Heaven.” Many people would call you judgmental, narrow-minded, dumb or just look at you and then run away. But so what? The truth is all that matters. And when you tell God’s Truth, you are a righteous person.
The psalmist expresses a great joy in hearing God’s truth. Even if it hurts (And it often does.) He celebrates when a righteous person comes to him and corrects him. He rejoices in the Truth entering into his mind. Why?
Because the truth corrects him from the wrong way, he will walk more closely with God. He knows that to be with God, he needs to know the Truth. He also knows the truth will put him in the company of other righteous people who will help him continue to find the Truth.
This is a picture of a great church: people rejoice in the Truth. People come to fellowship in the Truth. People worship God in the Truth.
Trust the truth. And this is what will happen:
John 8:31-32 Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free .”
It is GREAT to be free in Jesus!
Read Psalms 140 – 146
Ps 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me — it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me — it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.
Ps 142:7 Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
I JUST got off the phone with a friend. We were talking about speaking the truth of the gospel to people. The discussion centered around how we teach and preach to the newcomer in the church. Do we “go easy” on them, or do we tell the complete truth—believe in Jesus or spend eternity in Hell.
We voted for the latter, and there are two reasons. First, it’s the Truth. How else will people know the truth unless they hear it? And second, it is the greatest act of love you can ever do for anyone.
I know, if you said to someone, “You must believe in Jesus to go to Heaven.” Many people would call you judgmental, narrow-minded, dumb or just look at you and then run away. But so what? The truth is all that matters. And when you tell God’s Truth, you are a righteous person.
The psalmist expresses a great joy in hearing God’s truth. Even if it hurts (And it often does.) He celebrates when a righteous person comes to him and corrects him. He rejoices in the Truth entering into his mind. Why?
Because the truth corrects him from the wrong way, he will walk more closely with God. He knows that to be with God, he needs to know the Truth. He also knows the truth will put him in the company of other righteous people who will help him continue to find the Truth.
This is a picture of a great church: people rejoice in the Truth. People come to fellowship in the Truth. People worship God in the Truth.
Trust the truth. And this is what will happen:
John 8:31-32 Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free .”
It is GREAT to be free in Jesus!
Sing With Joy
June 1, 2010
Read Psalms 135 - 139
Ps 137:4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
Ps 139:5 You hem me in — behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
PSALM 137 was written and sung when Israel was in captivity in Babylon. The writer mourns the people’s separation from their home and from their temple. Babylon threatens their family structure, their culture and their worship. How can there be any joy? How can they sing the songs of the LORD and to the LORD when they are in a foreign land?
The answer is in Psalm 139:5. Here the Psalmist—David—writes and sings of God’s great protection. God is before him and behind him. God’s hand is on him, and he feels secure in God’s care even though he is often challenged and threatened by his enemies.
It’s easy, isn’t it, to feel separated from God? We live in a culture that actually encourages us to “leave God” and go out on our own strength and wisdom—into a “foreign land”.
We search for peace and joy. We find none. Living in a foreign place separate from God’s ways, we lose our way. And we wonder, “How can we sing the songs of the LORD?” because we feel so far from our home with God.
But know this: God is near. He is ready to surround you with his love. When you turn from the foreign land that denies him and turn to Him, His firm, strong and gentle hand is ready to welcome you back home and into his living Temple, Jesus Christ.
Trust in God and go to the life he has for you. And you will sing for joy.
Read Psalms 135 - 139
Ps 137:4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
Ps 139:5 You hem me in — behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
PSALM 137 was written and sung when Israel was in captivity in Babylon. The writer mourns the people’s separation from their home and from their temple. Babylon threatens their family structure, their culture and their worship. How can there be any joy? How can they sing the songs of the LORD and to the LORD when they are in a foreign land?
The answer is in Psalm 139:5. Here the Psalmist—David—writes and sings of God’s great protection. God is before him and behind him. God’s hand is on him, and he feels secure in God’s care even though he is often challenged and threatened by his enemies.
It’s easy, isn’t it, to feel separated from God? We live in a culture that actually encourages us to “leave God” and go out on our own strength and wisdom—into a “foreign land”.
We search for peace and joy. We find none. Living in a foreign place separate from God’s ways, we lose our way. And we wonder, “How can we sing the songs of the LORD?” because we feel so far from our home with God.
But know this: God is near. He is ready to surround you with his love. When you turn from the foreign land that denies him and turn to Him, His firm, strong and gentle hand is ready to welcome you back home and into his living Temple, Jesus Christ.
Trust in God and go to the life he has for you. And you will sing for joy.
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