____________________
May 20

In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Confirmation used to be an ordeal for many young Lutherans. "Every Sunday we had to sit on the front row of the church and take notes on the Pastor's sermon. And he'd stare down from us from the pulpit whenever we missed jotting down one of the points."

We live in a kinder, gentler era of church going. Much of it is for the better. But there was a very good purpose for this notetaking. We remember about 5% of what we hear, but we remember about 15-20% of what we write down.

Therefore, if you want my sermons to four times better, take notes!!!

I'm reminded of this because of an email I received today entitled, "Your Sermon Blessed My Socks Off." I opened it immediately (of course) ... and I pass on to you as an encouragement to be a notetaker ...

Dear Pastor Ed,

Last week I ran into notes I took from one of your sermons preached some time ago. It was based on, "In this world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world."

You asked, "what would our lives look like if when we experienced tribulations we realized Jesus had already overcome it? We would then be able to be Of Good Cheer.

You also quoted, "your new name will be contentment ... joyful and ______. (My notes are at home and I am at work.)

I don't know how much that sermon blessed me the first time but after spending the last 5 days [in] reflection and prayer ... it blessed me immensely--it made me JOYFUL.

I just wanted to bless you for blessing me.

God has more blessings in store for each of us than we can possibly remember. (So take notes ... you may remember a few more!)

Note: I know of another member who carries a notebook in her purse. All the sermons and all her blessings go in that book. It's a traveling treasury of insight and joy.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to develop writer's cramp
from remembering and writing down
all of God's lessons and blessings

____________________
May 19

And lead us not into temptation ...
Matthew 6:13

I love it when people ask me questions about faith and scripture. Occasionally, I will pass them on to the rest of you, figuring if one person's interest, others may be too. Here's today's question ...

How do you explain the phrase of the Lord's Prayer that says "Lead us not into temptation" when the Bible says that God does not tempt us? (James 1:13-14)

1
God does NOT tempt us -- nor lead us in that direction. How does we know this? Because it is never God's desire for us to enter into sin because sin is incompatable with God's nature. As it says in 1 John 3:9, "[when] God's seed [God's life, God's nature] abides in [us], [we will not] make a practice of sinning."

2
Nevertheless, God allows us to be put into situations where our faith is tested and strengthened. As it says in 1 Peter 1:7, "These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.

3
Where do we find hard, challenging, tempting situations? In every corner of daily life! As Paul puts it -- 1 Cor 10:13 -- "No temptation has seized you except what is common to [all]."

4
What's our hope? God! His power. His guidance. His intervention ... as we allow him to truly work through us. Again Paul says -- same verse 1 Corinthians 10:13 -- "When you are tempted, [God] will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

SUMMARY
Does God lead us into temptation? No. Life does! And life's hard knocks can purify us if we let them.
. Furthermore, we need to take strength in this: God will protect us in and through all our trials if we let him! Again 1 Corinthians 10:13 -- "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear."

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's succumbed to temptations
and is continually learning to rely on God's power
instead of mine

____________________
May 18

"I saw you under the fig tree"
John 1:48

At the moment Jesus met Nathanael, Jesus immediately revealed a few key things about Nathanael's life.

Nathanael's jaw dropped. "How do you know me?"

"I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you," said Jesus.

Spiritual sight! Jesus saw Nathanael. Our Lord sees all things. Jesus gave Nathanael a glimpse of this power. Nathanael began to see Jesus as the Son of God. But Jesus said, "you will see greater things than these."

God sees us -- indeed, watches over us -- but even more so, he invites us to see him. Through Scripture ... and prayer ... and experiences ... and church ... and through Jesus himself ... we catch glimpses of God's love.

I heard someone complain recently about not believing in God because they see too many Christians who are hypocrits and too many churches that are imperfect. Then I heard someone respond, don't look at people and institutions, look at Jesus.

When you look down, you'll inevitably be disappointed. But when you look up, you will see "greater things" -- greater love, greater peace, greater hope, greater joy, greater forgiveness, greater life.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to go
from good to great

+

____________________
May 17

The saying is sure:
If we have died with [Christ], we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful
— for he cannot deny himself.
2 Timothy 2:11-13

The first petition reflects a common Biblical theme. In Matthew 16, Jesus said, "those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." When we unite our lives with Jesus and die to ourselves, then we shall "live with him" -- now and eternally.

The second petition reflects that this journey of life can be hard and this journey of faith can involve persecution. The crown won't come here, in this life, but in the end, those who are faithful will "reign with him."

The third petition we don't like to think about.

But something happens in the fourth petition. Going into this reading, I would have said that "denying Christ" and "faithlessness" were the same thing. Perhaps they are not.

It seems to me that denial is intentional while faithlessness (doubt) is unintentional. We'd like for it to not be this way, but our faith often rides a roller coaster along with our circumstances. And thanks be to God, a down day will not exclude us from the kingdom. God remains faithful even when we waver. He loves us, forgives us, woos us.

In Christ's Love,
a roller coaster guy
who will not deny
(God help me)

____________________
May 16

I have singled him out
so that he will guide his children
Genesis 18:19

One of the greatest calls that any of us can have is to guide our children. So ... do you know what American parents tend to wish most for their kids? "I just want them to be happy."

Happiness, however, is situational. Therefore, happiness is always fleeting. And if our goal is for our kids to be happy, we are teaching them to be consumers (trying to buy their next glimpse of happiness) and we are teaching them to look out for me, myself, and I (self-centeredness).

Now ... that's certainly not all that we teach our children. We clearly teach them other good things -- like being moral and compassionate -- but then we leave them oddly conflicted. Their self-centeredness (personal happiness) constantly struggles with their sense of compassion (morality). What wins? A stunted view of right and wrong. "I'm compassionate if and when it makes me feel good (and is convenient)."

As soon as morality is subjective, however, our children lose the ability to discern right from wrong. All we have left is an experiential (feelings-based) morality. If it makes someone feel good, it must be "okay for them."

What's the answer? We return to scripture. The verse above is not the full verse. Scripture tells us that God singled out Abraham "So that he will direct his children to keep the way of the Lord." If we believe that the fruit of the Spirit is joy and if we believe that joy includes and far exceeds happiness, then we know now the compass for guiding our children. We don't teach them happiness (which encourages selfishness); we teach them righteousness and holiness and faith (which encourages servanthood). We ground their lives in godliness because the Lord will uphold them even when life's situations are trying.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who doesn't want to be happy
... just spiritual, fruitful, and joyful

____________________
May 15

"He shall come down like
rain upon the mown grass"
Ps. 72:6

One of the things I love about scripture is how specific it can be. This Psalm doesn't say, "rain on grass"; it says, "rain on mown grass." That means I can smell it! Can you?!

The smell of mown grass is the smell of summer.

Rain also has a smell ... and a feel. Here in the south, a summer rain almost clings to you. It cools things off, awakens the fragrance of parched plants, and envelops you in it's humidity.

That's what God's presence does, says this Psalm. Soothes. Awakens. Envelops and surrounds.
God is near you. Can you see him? Feel him? Smell him?

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to go outside
instead of sitting at his computer
and experience a little of God's goodness!

+

____________________
May 12

"Under hopeless circumstances
he hopefully believed"
Romans 4:18

I love this Weymouth translation.

And the question is: How do we find hopeful belief in hopeless circumstance?

The answer is: Don't wait til a hopeless time!

God invites us to develop a personal relationship that will transcend every momentary crisis. Therefore, let us each strive to draw nearer to him each day.

In Christ's Love,
a guy named "Hope"
(it's kind of like being Johnny Cash's
"boy named Sue")

____________________
May 11

They that dwell under his shadow shall return;
they shall revive as the corn
and grow as the vine
Hosea 14:7

The context is the Exile. God's people have been conquered and kidnapped. Who can come home? "They that dwell under his shadow."

In what corners of your life are you not where you belong?

If you want to come home and experience richer blessings, "dwell under [God's] shadow." Or in other words, draw near to him.

And what will be the fruit? God wants to pour water on you in the same way that a gentle summer rain revives a parched field of corn. He wants to take you -- the severed branch -- and graft you onto the vine, so that you may grow and bear much fruit.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to
quit being afraid of the shadows
(especially God's)

____________________
May 10

Your gift will return to you in full measure,
pressed down, shaken together
to make room for more,
and running over.
Luke 6:38

God wants to give to you.

Bountifully.

Lavishly.

Extravagantly.

But there's a problem. We are often too full of ourselves that there's no room for Him, no room for better blessings.

Therefore, we must empty ourselves. And one of the ways we do this is by giving. And the amount that we give and empty ourselves is the amount that God can supply.
And then God gives more!

He fills us up. Then he presses the flour (the blessings) down. Then he shakes it, compacts it even tighter. Why? He's making room for more blessings. He pours, presses, shakes, and then pours some more. He desires to pour and pour and pour until we're running over.

But it starts with this: Emptying ourselves of ourselves. And we do that by giving generously and focusing on others (instead of ourselves).

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to be shaken

+

____________________
May 9

As many as I love
I rebuke and chasten.
Revelation 3:19

We find several passages like this in scripture.

For example, in Psalm 23 we hear that "[God's] rod and staff, they comfort me." I don't know about you, but I don't find it comforting to be grabbed by the neck with a hook nor bonked on the head with a correcting stick.

In John 15 scripture tells us that Jesus prunes us whether we're good or bad! "2 He [prunes] every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit."

Correcting sticks, pruning shears, rebuking, chastening. How is that love?

I caught two minutes of an interview on the radio yesterday regarding a book entitled, I think it was, "The Other Wes Moore." The author -- the first Wes Moore -- grew up in a tough inner-city environment. He researches how he rose from that environment to be a Rhodes Scholar and State Department assistant to Condoleeza Rice and the other Wes Moore -- who grew up in the same years on the same streets -- to be on death row for killing a cop.

In the end, the final analysis -- at least in the two minutes that I listened -- is that one Wes Moore had parents who loved him enough to use correcting sticks, pruning shears, rebuking, and chastening ... and the other didn't.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who want to be hit with a stick
(no ... I know what you're thinking ...
that's God's staff I'll submit to ... not yours!)

____________________
May 8

But what things were gain to me ...
Philippians 3:7

In your life, what do you consider gain? What do you consider valuable? What do you consider treasure?

Jesus says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
And Paul finishes this verse like this: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."

What are you willing to give up for Christ?

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to run a deficit
so he can be truly rich

+

____________________
May 7

As I was among the captives by the river of Chebar,
the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God ...
and the hand of the Lord was there upon me
Ezekial 1:1,3

Do you want God to act in powerful ways in your life? First you may wish to join Ezekial down by the riverside.

Chebar is a river in Babylon. This means that Jerusalem had already been sacked by the Babylonians and much of the Jewish nation -- including Ezekial -- had already been shipped into Exile.

Bad Babylonians, right?

No.

It was God's people who had been "bad." In spite of generations of warnings from God, the Jews had opted for generations of unfaithfulness and sin. In effect, they chose their own bondage.

The very first verse of Ezekial ought to remind us of God's continual promise to set the captives free! And all of us have some thing(s) we need to be set free from. But as this book of prophecy unfolds, Ezekial will remind us that there is always a two initial steps to freedom -- 1) recognizing our own part in our own bondage and 2) turning from those sins.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who'd rather blame the chocolate bar for my bondage
than accept personal responsibility
(repentance = turn away from the chocolate bar and turn toward God)

____________________
May 6

And all of us have had that veil removed
so that we can be mirrors
that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord
2 Corinthians 3:18

On Mount Sinai, Moses saw God, and when he came down the mountain, his face glowed. In fact, for many days afterward, he needed to wear a veil so that the reflection of God's glory -- shining on his face -- wouldn't overwhelm others.

Paul says in today's verse, that it's time to take our veils off. If you've encountered God, let it show and let it glow! Our world, our nation, needs shining faces right now -- not smiling faces, but lives and faces that are transformed by a very real encounter with God.

Indeed, a few verses earlier, Paul invites us to be "3 a letter from Christ" to the world around us, "written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. [C]arved -- not on stone, but on human hearts."

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's more like the shine on a car than a mirror
(i.e. kind of dull ... especially if you've seen my still pollen-coated vehicle)

+

____________________
May 4

"On all bare heights shall be their pasture"
Isaiah 49:9

Have you ever felt like the mountains were bare, the opportunities were scarce, and God's voice was silent. You were hungry for pasture, for feeding, and for rest; instead you were like Charlie Brown. Instead of Halloween candy or heavenly goodness, you got rocks. Good grief!

It seems like about half of God's prophecy is speaking words of hope to people in rocky times. In this case, "the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel" says ... (and see if this isn't a good summary Isaiah 49:7-10, see at bottom) ...

God says, I will keep you close to my heart.

And when the day of salvation arrives, I will help you.

If you feel like a prisoner in this broken world,
I will say to you, Come out of the darkness.

I will take you on a journey.

I will feed you along your pathways.
I will turn the mountains into a road.

On what appear to be bare heights, I will sow a pasture.

The sun shall not strike you.
Instead springs of water shall guide you.

So sing for joy,
for the Lord will have compassion on his suffering children.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to invite God
on his next vacation
(all that's a pretty good deal!)

Isaiah 49 - 7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, "Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." 8 Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; 9 saying to the prisoners, "Come out," to those who are in darkness, "Show yourselves." They shall feed along the ways, on all the bare heights shall be their pasture; 10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. 11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be raised up. 12 Lo, these shall come from far away, and lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene. 13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.


___________________
May 5

"But prayer"
Acts 12:5

Last night our church council laughed at me. I said, "I have a very short report this month." "Yeah right," they said, "We've heard that before." I said, "Here it is: Prayer works."

Therefore, when I found today's lesson, I delighted that it was also only two words! Now the book of Acts -- like my council report -- elaborated just a little bit. In Acts, it tells us three things about prayer ...

1) The Need: "5 Peter ... was ... in prison ..."

2) The Human Action: "5 but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

3) The Heavenly Reaction: "7 [So], behold , the angel of the Lord came upon [Peter] ... and ... his chains fell off from his hands."

If you have a need, and want a heavenly reaction, you may want to try "prayer ... without ceasing"!

Prayer works, I told our council. For four straight months, we have embarked on the wonderful discipline of holding a prayer vigil on the first Saturday of the month. We had 150 prayer requests this month -- some of them praise reports from last month.
Doors are opening. Rough places are being made smooth. Chains are falling off. Healing is occuring.

Two words: Pray more!

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's practicing
what he's preaching

+

____________________
May 1

even when we were dead in sins,
[God] hath quickened us together with Christ
Ephesians 2:5

I surely could have found a more modern translation of this verse, but I can't ever pass up that old word "quickened."

In contrast to "dead in [our] sins," quickened officially means alive. But how many of us -- though alive -- are really bored ... distracted ... and slow -- slow of heart and dead in faith.

Quickened, to me, means more than having just a heart-beat. Quickened means living a life that is vital, having a purpose that matters, and developing a heart that thumps with as much significance as Christ's.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs a running coach
(I want to be quicker)

____________________
April 30

[The Lord] shall sit as a refiner
and purifier of silver"
Malachi 3:3

The most important word in this phrase -- to me, today -- is "sit."

I don't know much about refining silver and gold, but I've come to believe that it's a slow process. You heat the metal. It turns to liquid. Eventually the dross rises to the top. You scoop it out. Then you wait. Eventually more appear. Then you scoop ... and wait ... again and again.

Sit means patient.

God cares enough about you to stick with you. Hour after hour. Day after day. Year after year. Until you're pure enough to be valuable. And you are valuable. He loves you.

In Christ's Love,
a guy with silvery hair who's impurities
have probably caused God to have a few silver hairs
(Thank you, God, for being patient as I seek to become pure)
　
____________________
April 29

...know the God of your father,
and serve him with single mind and willing heart;
for the Lord searches every mind,
and understands every plan and thought.
If you seek him, he will be found by you;
but if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever.
1 Chronicles 28:9

Three things:

1. "Seek" God.
2. "Know" God.
3. "Serve" God.

This advice -- King David's to his son, Solomon -- could be the three most important things in life. And he expounds on it in helpful ways ...

1. Seek God ... because "he will be [and wants to be] found by you."

2. Know God ... because if the creator of the universe cares enough to "understand[] every plan and thought [of yours], why wouldn't you want to know every thought and plan of his?!

3. Serve God ... and not half-heartedly. Serve him "willing[ly]," from the "heart," and with a "single[ness]" of purpose.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to be like King David
and give this advice to his sons

____________________
April 27

Ask and ye shall receive,
that your joy may be full
John 16:24
　
What is Jesus' hope for our life. Twice in the night in which he was betrayed ... twice in his final words and purposes for us ... twice, our gracious Lord Jesus offered a way for our "joy [to] be full." 　
The mention of full joy occurs in the context of the parable of the vineyard -- John 15. Jesus says essentially, I am the vine and you are the branches. And then he invites us to abide in him and bear much fruit (v. 5). And then he invites us to abide in his love by obeying his commandments (v. 10). And then he invites us to abide in him, bear fruit, obey his commandments, and discover the fullness of joy (v 11 as a summary of 1-10).
　
In chapter 16, Jesus adds just one more thing for a fuller, richer joy -- prayer!
　
When we "ask" God for things in prayer, what do is the best thing we "receive"? It's not joy; it's Jesus. When we talk to God in prayer, what we receive most of all is a relationship with our Lord and Savior ... and by the way ... that's what brings joy!
　
In Christ's Love,
a guy who desires jelly beans, a cup of java, and shiny red Jaguar
and a few more important things that start with "j" like Jesus and joy

____________________
April 26

He went up into
a mountain apart to pray
Matthew 14:23
　
When I read today's verse, I immediately thought of a conversation I had recently with a friend. This friend has been working with a mentor on the gift of quietness.
　
The discipline is: Turn off the TV. Don't plug in the ipod. Silence the car radio. And practice solitude.
　
It's amazing, the friend essentially said, how much you can hear when there's no noise.
　
It's amazing, indeed. But it shouldn't be. Jesus practiced solitude. In key moments he found a place "apart" and in his prayers, the only sound was the still small voice of God.
　
In Christ's Love,
a noisy guy who needs to learn to say "shhhh!"

+

____________________
April 22

And the peace of God,
which transcends all our powers of thought,
will be a garrison to guard
your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:7

I like this old Weymouth translation of Philippians 4. And what an irony: To gain the peace, we need it to act like a military garrison to guard us!

Just seconds ago, I wrote the first sentence of this devotion when the phone rang. A member got chewed out, laughed at, and ridiculed at work for refusing to lie. This person needs God's supernatural peace to act as a military garrison around her integrity.

Peace can be your guard. Truth can be your guide. Integrity can be your power. And the Word of God can be your light.

What are you battling with for which you need reinforcements from God?

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to be part
of your military garrison

___________________
April 21

[Joshua] commanded the people,
"When you see the ark of the covenant
of the Lord your God
being carried by the levitical priests,
then you shall set out from your place.
Follow it ...
Joshua 3:3

God wants to come and abide with his people. Consequently, in the midst of the Exodus he asked that a "mercy seat" be sculpted on top of the ark of the covenant. The mercy seat was where God would "sit." Indeed, that seat was a potent symbol that God was truly present among his people. Therefore, whenever the people of Israel set out in new directions, they followed (not the ark, but ...) God who was "on" the mercy seat.

Where might you be heading next in your life?

Try following the method of the Jews: Don't move until you see God moving!

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to look both ways
before crossing any street
(and see if God went that way first)

____________________
April 20

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites,
thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—
none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Ouch. Don't you hate judgment? I'll bet all of us can find a place or two where we don't want to fit into this list -- or other lists -- for judgment.

Fortunately, Paul -- nor God -- leaves us "dead, doomed, and sinful." (Those three words are my summary of the first few verses of Ephesians 2. Blessedly, Paul chimes in with a healing word -- "but." Paul celebrates, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.")

First Corinthians gives us hope with a "but" too! Paul says, "11 There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away ..." Paul is not saying that these sins doom us to hell. He's saying faith saves us from two things: 1) damnation and 2) a life that has to be controlled by these and other sins. God's love can save us from bondage to sin.

Now ... IMPORTANT POINT ... when you see someone doing any of these sins, don't think, say, judge or imply that these people will not inherit the kingdom of God.

For one, we can't expect non-Christians to behave like Christians; therefore, use this as an opportunity for evangelism!!! Introduce them to the love and joy of faith in Jesus Christ -- love and joy, not judgment. And then let Jesus do the working on their faith, life, and behavior.

Second, even good, faithful, saved Christians will fall back into the pit of sin. It doesn't mean we're not saved. Therefore, don't ever presume or pronounce judgment on a person! Just love them more. Yes, there is a time when we need to hold a friend accountable -- that's what friends do -- but make sure you develop the friendship enough that they'll hear love first last and alway. And only then speak a word of encouragement and accountability!

If we judge, we're pretending that we're God. Let's simply love others into the hands of the one who "is so rich in mercy ... and ... love[s] us so very much, that even [when] we [are] dead because of our sins, he [will give] us life when he raised Christ from the dead."

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to wear less black and more red
(black robes are for judges, red makes me look like a big Valentine)

+

_____________________

April 19

the priests could not stand to minister
because ... the glory of the Lord filled the house of God
2 Chronicles 5:14

Yesterday in worship our theme was: If you want God to show up, brag on Him! Praise Him!

Therefore, I pulled up two lists. One was the names for and attributes of God (below in green). The second was ways we could worship and praise our Lord (below blue). And in worship yesterday, we stopped for five minutes to pray and praise our wonderful, merciful God.

Now, all this year I've been praying for revival for our country. But I've come to realize that if I want that to happen, I need to pray for it to start with me ... and with our church.

Therefore, if you want more faith, more joy, more power, or more revival in your life ... if you want God to descend so wonderfully, heavily into our presence that -- 2 Chronicles 5:14 -- we can't stand up ... then I invite you to join me in praying through this list daily.

Here's how it might work for you. Everyday read through a good chunk of this list. Say something like, "I Worship you God because you are Gracious. I Praise you Lord, because you are Merciful. I Give Thanks to you Lord, because you are Slow to Anger." And so on. The list is in totally random order. So switch it up. "Today, I'm going to read the blue one and then the green one three lines down." Be creative, because if you want God to show up, start bragging on him more!

+ Worship Gracious
+ Praise Merciful
+ Give Thanks Slow to Anger
+ Bow Down Steadfast
+ Fall Before Loving
+ Rise Up Wonderful
+ Kneel Counselor
+ Sing Almighty God
+ Celebrate Everlasting Father
+ Pray Prince of Peace
+ Honor Immortal
+ Glorify Invincible
+ Bless All Wise
+ Follow Spirit
+ Obey Life
+ Give Generously Sovereign
+ Wonder Lord
+ Awe Forgiving
+ Fear Just
+ Tremble Eternal
+ Sacrifice Infinite
+ Believe Holy
+ Cling to All Knowing
+ Humble Myself Faithful
+ Adore Great
+ Submit Good
+ Talk to All Powerful
+ Trust Unchanging
+ Shout True
+ Confess Glorious
+ Cry Generous
+ Rejoice Savior
+ Open My Heart Righteous
+ Raise My Hands Close
+ Lift My Voice Excellent
+ Allow Myself to be Broken Divine
+ Spend Time with Unchanging
+ Exalt Mighty
+ Cry Out Lord of Lords
+ Wait Patiently King of Kings
+ Do Justice Alpha / Omega
+ Show Kindness Immanuel
+ Walk Humbly I AM
+ Stand Up Against ___ Savior
+ Enjoy Messiah
+ Listen Lamb
+ Devotion Redeemer
+ Pay Attention to Healer
+ Habits Trinity
+ Discipline Rock
+ Dance Refuge
+ Experience His Presence Hiding Place
+ Commit to Shelter
+ Celebrate Deliverer
+ Sanctify Provider
+ Draw Near to Shepherd

In Christ's Love
a pastor who wants to never stand up again
because we have prayed the Lord so heavily
into our sanctuary

____________________
April 18

He held fast to the Lord.
2 Kings 18:6

The "he" in this passage is the good king, Hezekiah. In the midst of a series of kings in Judah who ranged from awful to mediocre-at-best, Hezekiah "3 did what was right in the sight of the Lord. 5 He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel; so that there was no one like him ... before ... or ... after ... him."

The "he" in this passage was Hezekiah. But believe with me that the "he" can also be you and me!

For Hezekiah, "holding fast" meant, 1) "6 ke[eping] the commandments [of] the Lord" and "3 d[oing] what was right in [God's] sight, 2) "6 following" so close that he was "not departing," and also 3) "5 trusting in the Lord." If we want to "hold fast," that's not a bad pattern for us either!

1) Becoming Christ-like begins by behaving like Christ. Indeed, OBEDIENCE is the first step in the Christian adventure.

2) The second step in the Christian journey involves FOLLOWING, and in order to follow, we have to draw close enough to him to know where he is going. (This begs the question: what are you doing to know and draw close to God.)

3) Holding fast also implies TRUSTING God. Trust often seems to come naturally in good times. But do you feel like you're nurturing a faith that can hold you fast in times of trail? Indeed, are you a through-thick-and-thin fan of God's or simply a fair-weather-fan? Trust!

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to be like velcro
(the kind that God can't get rid of even when life shakes)

____________________
April 17

When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you ...
Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
Jonah 2:7-8

I'd be willing to bet that you haven't sacrificed a bull before a golden calf recently. Am I right?!!

We can, therefore, feel good about not breaking the commandment against "graven images" ... or can we?

The most common graven images we make are not statues of metal or stone, but pictures in our mind of what we want God to look like -- or not look like. We say things like, "Well, I can't believe in a God who ..." and then we reject a story, a truth, or a calling in the scripture. It's the human condition to continually reject the teachings of the Bible and pick and choose and re-create God in our own image. It's not a golden calf we bow down to but to our own imaginations -- indeed do you see the word "graven IMAGE" in the word "my own IMAGINation"?

Jonah reminds us that "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." He suggests instead that with a "with a song of thanksgiving [we] sacrifice to" the real God. Not the God or our own imagination, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Peter, Paul, and James -- i.e. the God of Scripture.

In Christ's Love,
an imaginative guy
... who therefore needs to be careful
to trust God rather than my imagines

____________________
April 16

And Joseph's master took him,
and put him into a prison ...
But Jehovah was with Joseph ...
and that which he did,
Jehovah made it to prosper
Genesis 39:20-23

Life goes up and down. Good days and bad days. Health and illness.

In Joseph's case -- our lesson for today -- it was freedom vs. jail time. It was prison vs. prosper. With that in mind, I loved the title of the segment from which I pulled today's "random" verse -- "Joy in Prison."

This phrase, reminded me of a conversation I had last night. I was in a Bible Study and the up and down nature of life came up. The first "joy in prison" verse that popped up for us was James 1:2-4 -- "Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Therefore, let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing."

Count it all joy! I love that phrase! But the verses I really wanted to pull up -- but my brain was too sluggish last night -- was 2 Corinthians 6:3-11. The Apostle Paul's joy-in-prison-testimony proclaims ...

We try to live in such a way that no one
will be hindered from finding the Lord
by the way we act ...
[Therefore,] we patiently endure troubles
and hardships and calamities of every kind.
We have been beaten, been put in jail,
faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion,
endured sleepless nights, and gone without food ...
We have faithfully preached the truth [and]
God's power has been working in us.
We have righteousness as our weapon ...
We serve God whether people honor us or despise us,
whether they slander us or praise us.
We are honest, but they call us impostors.
We live close to death, but here we are, still alive.
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.
We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.
We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who needs to go to prison
... so he can find greater joy

+

___________________
April 15

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas,
"Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side.
Do not doubt but believe."
John 20:27

Another friend asked a question ... "In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he had not ascended yet to the Father. Then eight days (vs 26 & 27) Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds and stick his hand into the side wound. I find this confusing."

I love the questions! Keep them coming! In fact, the question was so good, I thought I'd share my two cents worth with all of you. I said ...

I don't have my Greek New Testament with me, so I can't answer it definitively from the Greek (I'm such a phenomenal Greek scholar anyway!), but here's what I think ...

The King James and about a third of the translations render the passage with Mary Magdalene (v. 17) as some form of "touch me not" or "don't touch me." The majority of the translations, however -- approximately two-third -- render it more like "do not hold on to me." In fact, in helping understand this passage, I like the CBJ version best: Jesus says, "Stop holding on to me."

Spiritually that's the difference between Mary Magdalene's touching -- or not -- and Thomas's. Thomas needed to touch to believe. Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, needed to let go of the physical touching to have a belief that would carry her for the rest of her life (and through all the challenges of being a first-century, persecuted disciple).

The question is: Do you, like Thomas, need some physical proof ... or some physical healing ... or some physical answer ... in order to believe? Or do you, like Mary Magdalene need to quit holding out for a physical answer and just start trusting even more?
Great question!

In Christ's Love,
a guy who always needs to
let go and let God!

____________________
April 14

... creation waits with eager longing
for the revealing of the children of God;
for creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay
and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God
Romans 8:20-21

"I don't like that word," a friend said. What word? "Bondage!"

Like most of us, this friend has escaped from a few corners of grief, pain, and bondage in her life and is actively trying to encourage others to escape their bondage too! Therefore, she says, "I don't like it that our Sunday morning confession often says, 'We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.'" She passionately and accurately says, "Because of Christ, aren't we free already?! Couldn't we say instead that 'We confess that we WERE in bondage to sin.'"

"The past tense works," I said. "BUT as much as you dislike the word 'bondage,' the present tense works too. We are BOTH free from sin ... AND in continual bondage to sin. We are BOTH hopeless on our own AND simultaneously victorious through Christ who is continually conquering our sin. Yes, Jesus -- past tense -- broke the chains on the cross BUT he must also -- present tense -- continue to break the chains in my life. Therefore, I must not complacently rely on a past tense victory, BUT continually claim and make real in the present tense this gift. My sin is defeated, BUT I must continue to defeat it.

Read our verse for today one more time, because it points in even one more direction: Past means it has been accomplished -- yeah God! Present means it is continually being accomplished -- thank you, Jesus! And future means that "creation waits with eager longing for the [eventual] revealing of the children of God; for [one day,] creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the [final] freedom of the glory of the children of God."

In Christ's Love,
a free slave

____________________
April 13

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you ...
Blessed are those who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18

There are two meanings for "wait" in this passage.

The first "wait" often comes with a desperate cry: We have wants. We have needs. We have hurts. We crave immediate help. Why does the Lord "wait"? The second "wait" is very different. It is like being a fine "waiter" in a fine restaurant. The waiter's whole goal is to attend to and serve. The point of this whole passage, therefore, is: "Sometimes God waits until we wait -- until we attend to and serve."

Now, I don't recommend that you feed that line to friend in a crisis who's waiting, hoping, pleading for God to act. Rather it's one of those thoughts that's best to contemplate on a saner day; indeed, it's one of those truths that may just prepare us for a harder day.

So what does ... "wait for [God]" mean for you today?

Here's what it means right now for me. One of my favorite newer songs has this refrain, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord." Next time I hear that song, I'm going to imagine that it's a call for me to be a waiter in a fine restaurant. My number one job today is to attend to God like he's my only guest at my only table. I don't want to constantly butt in and be a nuisance to him -- ever had a waiter like that? -- rather, I want to quietly wait ... and lovingly sense ... and faithfully attend to the King's every need.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants a big tip
(Jesus said, "Whoever is faithful in a very little,
is faithful also in much ..." Luke 16:5-15)


+

___________________
April 12

... If you are walking in darkness,
without a ray of light, trust in the Lord ...
Isaiah 50:10

I love that verse!

a) A problem is presented -- darkness surrounds us.
b) A solution is given too -- trust in God.

What has brought darkness into your life? Chances are it's caused by one of three things -- situations, depression, and sin.

When we put ourselves in bad situations through poor choices or sin, trusting more in God is obviously a better alternative.

But so many of life's hurt's are not by our choice. What happens when the situation is our company going bankrupt? Lay-offs, for example, can be a dark situation. What happens when another person's sin harms us? Paralysis can be a darkness that is caused by a drunk driver. And what happens when our body chemistry seems to betray us and we fall into the darkness of depression.

We are not responsible for all of life's hurts and darkness can set in. I've known people who are truly "without a ray of light." What's the solution? True trust is knowing that God is light even when you can't see it. True trust is knowing that "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). True trust is believing that there will come a time when "death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more [and God] will wipe every tear from [your] eyes" (Rev 21:4).

In Christ's Love,
a guy who has more crust than trust some days

____________________
April 11

"Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude;
for the battle is not yours but God's."
2 Chronicles 20:15

Yesterday's verse was "do not worry." Today's is "do not fear."

Think about it a minute ... do you know what we ultimately worry about and fear? Death.

+ We fear our death and worry about things like our health.
+ We fear a loved one's death and worry when our kids don't arrive home on time.
+ We worry about money because how will we live (i.e. not die) if our circumstances change.
+ We fear being embarrassed because when people think less of us, it's like dying a thousand little deaths.

All people -- even people of faith -- worry. Nevertheless, a growing faith is the best antidote to fear. Why? Because death is not as scary the more confident we are in heaven. And embarrassment and earthly judgments are not as scary when we realize our true worth in God's eyes -- loved!

This battle of life is not yours. As this passage suggests, trust in God's plan for victory!

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to be a tag-team wrestle
with God as his partner ...
because the battle is always his!

____________________
April 10

"Do not begin to be anxious"
Philippians 4:6

I don't know what the PBV translation of the Bible is, but I love this translation of this verse. I'm accustomed to the more familiar translation -- "Do not worry about anything." But without going to the Greek to see how accurate it is, I love the Barney Fife logic of this translation: "Nip it in the bud!" Stop it before it starts.

Wait ... not worrying is easier said than done, but after watching moments of worry-plagued paralysis in my life and in the lives many friends, it's a desperate need for many of us.

Now, all people -- even the most faithful people -- eventually and inevitably worry. Nevertheless, not worrying is truly a matter of faith. It is believing that God holds a good future in his hands. Therefore, the best way to lessen the effects of worry and grief is to grow our faith.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's doing great today
... except for ... well ... oh no ...
what if that thing happens ...
and then ... wait ...
"do not begin to be anxious"

____________________
April 9

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
Ezekial 11:19

Describing the differences between men and women, someone told me recently that ...

+ Men are waffles and
+ Women are spaghetti.

Imagine a fuss at home in the morning. The man goes to work and compartmentalizes. He leaves the fuss at home in the home box. When he gets to the office, he operates from the work box. When he goes to the water cooler, he talks to his buddy from the sports box. Men are waffles.

Women, on the other hand, are spaghetti. Everything is interconnected. No matter the task the bride is supposed to be doing -- work, shopping, kids -- the fuss with her husband is at the forefront of her heart. Spaghetti.

Re-read today's verse. God -- through Ezekial -- is not just talking about waffle-hearted men when he says we have a divided heart. When it comes to spiritual matters, virtually all of us have a godly box and a worldly life. Too often we worship on Sunday and forget God -- at least to a degree -- throughout the week.

The key to transformational faith is not being waffles.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's loved blueberry syrup
(and the world) a little too much

____________________
April 8

The Lord blessed the latter days
of Job more than his beginning
Job 42:12

Here's the ultra-quick summary of the book of Job: Job lost everything. His friends pondered where God was. Job kept the faith. And God blessed him in the end. Quick enough?

Well, I had a wise old man come up to me once, saying, "In the beginning, Job lost everything -- his cattle, his sheep, his children. At the end, everything was restored to Job ... and not just restored, all was doubled ... except his children. Why?" said the old man, "Why did God double the return on Job's lowly sheep, but not the return on Job's precious children?"

"I don't know," I said.

"Pastor," said the old man, "you're thinking from a worldly perspective. From a heavenly perspective, it was unnecessary to double those children ... because those children were never really gone. Rather than being lost, Job would be near them again throughout all eternity!"

In Christ's Love,
a pastor who needs to be occasionally reminded
to think from a heavenly perspective


+

April 7

Like an eagle that rouses her chicks
and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them in
and carried them aloft on his pinions.
The Lord alone guided them;
they lived without any foreign gods.
Deuteronomy 32:11-12

The most important part of these verses is that God's people -- for once -- lived without any foreign gods and worldly priorities. The most important news is that they allowed the Lord -- and the Lord alone -- to guide them.

That's the most important part ... but not the most fun! The most fun part is the image of the eagle.

I'm told that the way a mother eagle teaches her young to fly is to take them to terrifying heights and then drop them. The eaglet falls and falls. And the mother just hovers aloft and aloof.

This free-fall must be absolutely harrowing for the young creature that's never stretched its wings. If the youngster is able, he'll set his wings and rise in triumph. If the youngster is not able, the mother will swoop in at the last moment and grasp the infant in her terrible -- and in this case, comforting -- talons.

Deuteronomy tells us that God is like a mother eagle. He "rouses." He "hovers" tenderly. He spreads is wings over us when trials come. He sometimes lets us fall from terrifying heights, knowing a) that falling will teach us to fly or b) he'll catch us before life and gravity crush us.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's never sky-dived
(but may need to if I'm ever going to fly spiritually)

___________________
April 6

"And he took them,
and went aside privately
into a desert place"
Luke 9:10

Jesus frequently went to deserts and deserted place. The wilderness for him was frequenty a place of deep prayer. Away from the busyness and distractions, deserted places are often sanctuaries for transformation.

I think it's interesting that Jesus took them to the desert and deserted places. By definition, when a crowd arrives, it's not deserted any more!

And yet ... here's the challenge: In our busy world with cell phones, highways, instant messaging, and incessant carpools, rarely will we ever find a truly deserted sanctuary. Life will always intrude. So the question is, How do you craft a time and space for renewal in your life?

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's often needed a desert
so he can thirst more fully for God

____________________
April 5

And after the earthquake a fire;
and after the fire a sound of gentle stillness
1 Kings 19:12

We worshiped in the shadow of the mountains. They were still black and smoldering from the fire that had devasted our town. And I read that day this story from First Kings.

God's prophet Elijah was running from the evil queen Jezebel. He couldn't understand how he could do God's will and still be tormented. Repeated in this story -- though not in this one short verse -- is the phrase, "but God was not in the _______." For example, God was not "in" the earthquake, God was not "behind" the fire that destroyed our town, and God was not "in" the persecution that threatened to undo Elijah.

God was, however, "beside" Elijah during times of trial, and "with" us through the haze of fire and smoke, and "drawing near" to those during the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Beside ... with ... and drawing near ... We often find God's presence, when silence the terror of the moment and look for God in the stillness.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who's learned that God is
definitely not in the busyness

____________________
March 28 - April 4

Just when I started to post these on the web again, we had a congregational emergency.

On a Saturday, he was hospitalized.

On Monday, it was diagnosed as a tumor.

On Wednesday, surgery was successful.

On Friday, the biopsies essentially confirmed that it was benign.

On Sunday, Easter was even more joyous.

And yet, as we said during Easter worship, it could have just as easily gone the other way. Therefore, would Easter have been joyful? Absolutely!!! Easter is the promise of hope and life and resurrection the pull us through hard times ... even hard times like a sick little baby.

And it's Easter that gives us the confidence to face the grave and celebrate all of life.

Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

+

___________________
M A R C H 2 7

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised”
Job 1:21

Most of us wouldn't complain if we had a little more money. But I remember having to counsel someone once who was taking the wrong attitude toward getting it.

The person was upset that their parents had adopted the philosophy, "I want to live so fully that I'm cashing my last check when I die." Yes, they were traveling some and playing more. Yes, they had made arrangements -- insurance, etc. -- in case they were incapacitated. But mostly, they were giving it away. They were joyfully investing in the kingdom.

"My inheritance!" cried this friend.

How do you think my friend would have reacted if I said they're living God's purposes: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart"?

How do you think my friend would have reacted if their motto became, "May the name of the Lord be praised"?

In Christ's Love,
a guy who already has a great inheritance
... it's eternal and from God

___________________
M A R C H 2 6

Let the one who believes in me drink.
As the scripture has said, "Out of the believer's heart
shall flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38

"Which came first the chicken or the egg?"

That question comes to mind because of the two principles in this verse: 1) "Believers drink living water." 2) "Believers overflow with living water."

The question is: Which comes first?

If we want rivers, waters, fruit, and faithfulness to flow from us, first we need to drink, abide, worship, and know the living God. Indeed, the inward act of drinking in God's presence preceeds the overflow of love, joy, and peace.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to be sailor
(surrounded by so much living water
he can't see any land)

___________________
M A R C H 2 5

Jesus said ...
Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,
but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail
Luke 22:31-32

When we pray, "Lead us not into the temptation and deliver us from evil," we are praying that "Satan [won't] sift [us] like wheat" and that "[our] own faith may not fail."

On the night Jesus was betrayed, it wasn't the disciples praying these petitions for themselves. It was Jesus who was praying for his disciples.

Are you Jesus disciple too? Isn't it comforting that you're not alone in your prayers for less temptation and stronger faith. Rejoice, because Jesus is praying for you!

In Christ's Love,
a guy who doesn't want to be nicknamed "Buckwheat"
(because I'd rather draw close to Christ
than be sifted by Satan)

+

Day 5 + read Genesis 37, 41, 50

"37:5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more."

"50:20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today."

Those two verses are a perfect introduction to the story of Joseph. It tells us two important things today:

1. How does God speak? Sometimes God speaks through dreams.

2. How does God act? Sometimes God redeems human actions.

You probably know the story of Joseph. His jealous brothers wanted to kill him, he was sold into Egyptian slavery, and he was thrown into prison.

God redeemed, however, what others intended for harm: By speaking to Joseph through dreams, God enabled Joseph to rise to power in Egypt. Joseph’s position as governor allowed Joseph to save his brothers -- and indeed, the fledgling nation of Israel!

What does God say?

Sometimes God speaks through dreams.

What does God say to us?

First and foremost, I am not about to suggest that every dream is from God!!!

Generally my dreams are too weird and selfish and generally irrelevant to be godly! Nevertheless, my dreams often draw up what’s pressing on my heart -- anxiety, insecurity, anger, greed, lust, or guilt.

One of the most helpful devotional practices I ever tried was to write down my dreams in the morning. Then I would write a prayer that addressed the concern that was subconciously weighing on me.

I offer this as an idea that you might wish to try ... or you might not.

Two tips if you do:

1. Don’t pretend you’re Joseph! If I thought most of my dreams were instructions from God, I’d probably be in jail before the end of the month! Use the dreams simply to spark your morning prayer.

2. Write them down before your feet ever hit the floor! If you do anything else first, the dream (and the emotions) are gone.

What does God say?

In Genesis 37, when Joseph dreamed of eleven sheaves of wheat bowing down to the one, God gave Joseph and his brothers a glimpse of their future.

In order to eat in the midst of a famine, the eleven would need to do the unthinkable -- bow down humbly to the one.

What does God say to US?

For the people of Israel, salvation came by bowing down. In what ways do you need to humble yourself and bow down?


(Hint: If you didn’t say, "Bow to God," now would be a very good time to say, "Oh, yeah, and humble myself before my Lord most of all!!!")

What does God say?

In Genesis 41, Joseph correctly interpreted the dream of Pharoah. Seven fat cows meant seven years of plenty, and seven slender cows meant seven years of famine.

What does God say to US?

God says there will be times of plenty in your life and there will be times that are lean. Using the wisdom from above, what should we do in times of plenty? What should we do in seasons of lean?


Please note that the principles from this dream are not just about rich seasons, lean seasons, and economic wisdom.

God tells us through his Word that there is "a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:2-7).

Which of these principles do you need in your life most today? Why?

P.S.

"50:20Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it for good." God didn’t say that. Joseph did. That’s why I put this as a "P.S." instead of a "What does God say?" Nevertheless, this is one of the most important principles in life, spurring an important question ...

What harmful, painful, tragic, sinful thing has the world tried to work in your life that God has nevertheless redeemed and enriched you through?!



Thank God for his goodness!

Day 4 + read segments from Genesis

Genesis 33:1-12
then Back to 28:10-19
then to 32:22-30

What does God say?

Yesterday, we heard that Abraham had a son named Isaac. A generation later, Isaac too had a son named Jacob. Actually, Isaac had twins -- Esau the elder, and Jacob who came out clinging to his heel. In fact, Jacob would spend the rest of his formative years trying to grab hold of all the blessings intended for his older brother.

Our story picks up today after Jacob had stolen his brother’s birthrite (Gen 27).

Now, based on today’s readings, I’ve obviously told this story with the end first -- reconciliation between two brothers. The question is why did I tell it backwards?

Why? Because as powerful and instructive as any glimpse of reconciliation can be, we’re not looking (in this Bible study) to discover what humans do. We’re seeking to discover what God himself teaches and says.

Therefore, I wanted you to see the end of the story (reconciliation) and then go back and consider what might have moved the conniving Jacob to get to that point!

What moved Jacob?

A vision and a wrestling match.

God spoke to Jacob first through a vision. We call what he saw "Jacob’s Ladder." What it really depicted was God’s greatest desire. God desires to create a bridge between heaven and earth!

Some commentators go on to say that this ladder was really a prefiguring of the cross of Christ. The cross, after all, is the great connector between heaven and earth. God’s prophetic hands must not be ignored! Nevertheless, let’s stick with what Jacob knew for the moment: God desires there to be a living connection between heaven and earth.

Jacob’s second glimpse was a wrestling match with God himself!

Again, is this a prefiguring of Christ -- God in human form? But again, let’s stick to what Jacob knew ...

On the morning side of this wrestling match, what was God’s message? "32:28You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, [which means] you have striven with God ... and prevailed."

What does God say to us?

God’s message to us is, "strive and struggle with me." Wrestle with God!

Too often when we face trials, we seem to struggle either:

1. with ourselves and within our own mind, or

2. against God and heaven.

Many of us lack sufficient boldness to struggle with God ... to lay at his feet our anger ... to refuse to release him without an answer to our doubts.

Why do we hesitate?! Piety ... and pride. We’re either afraid to admit our vulnerability or unable to accept God’s love. But trust me -- a guy named after Doubting Thomas -- God is big enough to handle our questions and frustrations. All he wants is for you to wrestle with him until you "32:30see[] God face to face."

Right now in your life, do you feel like you’re seeing God face to face?

What do you need to wrestle with God about? Ask him about? Cry to him about? Shout at him about?

P.S.

If you have difficulty being brutally honest with God, remember Jacob’s ladder.

In the midst of Jacob’s self-induced exile, God set up a symbol (a ladder, a cross) as a bridge. Through it, our Lord was saying, "Friend, you are broken and on the run, but I still desire to forge a living connection between heaven and you."

Wrestle some more ... and when it’s time, thank God through Jesus Christ for the living connection that he has forged between heaven and you!

Day 3 + Read first verse of several chapters

Genesis 12:1-- 4
Genesis 15:1-- 6
Genesis 16:1-- 4
Genesis 17:1-- 8
Genesis 19:1-- 5 (15-- 26)
Genesis 21:1-- 4
Genesis 22:1-- 18

What does God say?

The story of Abraham and his family is long and important. We like to think of our Bible heroes as heroic. But several great characters in a row have let us (and God) down -- Adam ate the apple, Noah got humiliatingly drunk, and Abraham had a child with the maid.

What does God have to say about that?

"17:16I will bless [you]."

What a strange and wonderful God we have! He blesses broken people! (And I don’t know about you, but that’s definitely a blessing for me!)

What does God say to us?

Many of us live paralyzed lives. We’ve done something shameful in our past. We can’t forgive ourselves for that transgression; therefore, deep down, we fail to believe that God can forgive us for it.

But do you know what God said to Abraham and Sarah? It’s the same thing he says to you: "18:14Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?"


Spend a moment or two confessing the big sins you cannot seem to forgive yourself for ...


Now spend more time thanking God for the power of his forgiveness!


What does God say?

"19:17Flee for your life [and] do not look back."

What does God say to us?

"When you flee from your sins, do not look back."

Wait ... God didn’t actually say that! Is using this verse in this way stretching it’s original intent? Probably! And yet, when we flee our past -- as Lot and his wife fled the depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah -- I don’t think it’s stretching the truth to say that God wants us to leave it behind ... to not look back ... and to finally be set free.

What do you need to be set free from and leave completely behind?


What does God say?

"17:12I will make you ... 14[the father of many nations]*."

*"Abraham" means "Father of many nations."

What does God say to us?

In spite of your past, God wants to make something of you!

After having put your past behind you, start asking God what he desires to make of you!



What does God say?

"22:2Take your son, your only son Isaac, ... and offer him ... as a burnt offering."

What does God say to us?

For most of my life, I tried to ignore this story.

It sounded absolutely barbaric.

Therefore, this story quickly became one of those passages I wrote off as silly, old, out-dated literature that had nothing to do with the soft and squishy God of Niceness. (If you’re like me, as soon as you start labeling your non-favorite stories as silly and old, you soon have few hundred passages in that file. In fact, if you’re like me, as soon as you start taming God, your soft and squishy God of Niceness seems more like a marshmallow than the "consuming fire" that it talks about in Hebrews 12:29. Wait ... a consuming God of fire seems scary, let me put that in the old and irrelevant file too ... or should we not?!)

As barbaric as this story sounds, what is it really all about? Is God really asking Abraham to sacrifice his son?

No!

By the end of the story we see that God has been planning to provide a substitute all along.

So why bother asking such a terrible thing?

First, it’s a test. God wants to know if Abraham will really obey him or not.

Second, God wanted to show that he is different than all the other "gods." In Abraham’s day, the other gods frequently required child sacrifice. Thus, Abraham was saddened by God’s call, but he was not surprised. Fortunately, God had a magnificent surprise in store! He is wonderfully different than all the other gods we can turn to (or create in our own imagination). Not only does God not ask us to give our sons, but God, instead, gives his only begotten Son!

That’s a long introduction to finally ask, "Therefore, what does God say to us?"

Well, I hear God saying, "All of life is a test and a trust." Indeed, God says, "Like Abraham, I will ask you to do many things in this life. Some will make sense. Some may not. The question is, will you follow my calls and commands -- and my Word -- even when it doesn’t make sense to you?"

What hard thing is God asking you to do?

And do you trust him -- if you truly step out in faith -- to provide a ram, a solution, a hope, and a way?"

P.S.

At the beginning of today’s lesson, we talked about Bible "heroes" who let us (and God) down. In spite of all the failures along the way, our story today ends with Abraham’s faith and trust.

Has your life known failure? How can you begin writing a new ending today?

Day 2 + read Genesis 6,8,9

What does God say?

Yesterday we ended with a picture of God’s desire for fellowship, relationship, and intimacy with us. Adam and Eve broke that relationship and by doing so, broke God’s heart.

Genesis 6 begins with God’s heart again. What breaks it this time?

Sin ... again: "5The Lord saw that the __________ of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their ____________ was only evil continually." God’s Word goes on to say that "6the Lord was _________ that he had made humankind on the earth, and it __________ him to his heart."

What does God say about sin?

God reveals his hurt and his heart when he says, "7I will blot out ... human beings."

That’s a word of judgment, isn’t it?

I don’t know about you, but I’d often like to pretend that God doesn’t judge. Therefore, you and I have two choices for how we can respond to passages like this: 1) we can ignore it, saying, "I can’t believe in a God like that," or 2) we can embrace it.

Embrace it? Are you serious?!

Yes, we can choose to say, "God wants a relationship with me so passionately that he hates anything that puts a divide between us."

What does God say to US?

Scripture notes that "6:5every inclination of [those olden] hearts was only evil continually."

Now, I sincerely doubt that every inclination of your heart is evil. Nevertheless, if we’re honest, we may need to admit that our hearts struggle more than occasionally with sin. And we would certainly do well to remember that every sin hurts the heart of the Lord who simply wants a close relationship with us.

Therefore, now might be a good time to spend a few moments confessing your sins ...

What does God say?

Often one of the most hopeful words in all scripture is "but." In this case, we hear that all of humankind was wicked, "8but Noah found favor with God."

Over the next few chapters, God will ask the improbable (perhaps impossible) of Noah. For example, God says, "6:14Make for yourself a 15three hundred cubit long 14ark [and] 19bring two of every kind [of animal] into the ark."

What does God say to US?

Occasionally throughout our life, it may sound like God is asking us some strange, improbable, hard, and unsavory things. The question is: Will you respond like Noah?

Scripture doesn’t waste words on Noah’s obedience: "22Noah did this." What big and improbable thing do you know that God is calling you to do, and how are you responding?


What’s keeping you from just "d[oing] this"?


What does God say?

"18I will establish a ___________ with you."

We are back to God’s desire for a relationship with us again. A covenant is a promise, a contract, an oath, that seeks to formalize a relationship or bond. God promises to protect Noah through the midst of the biggest gullywasher of a trial that humanity has ever known.

What does God say to US?

God wants to forge a bond and relationship with you! What is the greatest trial you are currently facing in your life right now?


How might trusting in the God of the covenant who is with you through the storm, give you more confidence to face this trial?


Let’s end today by giving thanks to the God of covenants and relationships for providing us with everything we truly need in the midst of the storm. (Note: That, in fact, is a powerful way to pray. Praying "God be with me" is good, but an even better prayer may be: "Thank you that you are already with me ... already building a life raft ... already fashioning an escape route ... already setting my feet back on dry ground.")

P.S.

Did you notice how the story of Noah ended? The most faithful man in all the world planted a vineyard, got drunk, and shamed his sons.

No matter how perfect you try to be, you will fail. Let me say that again ... You will fail ... You will fail ... You will fail.

So where’s the good news? It’s in confession. Confession removes the divide between you and the God of relationship who stands ready to throw the life line!

Day 1 + read Genesis 1,2,3

What does God say?

I don’t know about you, but I like to do things my way.

I like to be in charge.

The three musketeers used to cheer, "All for one and one for all." Me, myself, and I were once the three musketeers, and "All for me and all for me" used to be the cheer.

Pondering creation, though, was the first step in silencing a little bit of self. When I finally contemplated the complexity and enormity of creation ... when I finally realized my tiny, temporary, fragile stature ... when I finally said "wow" to God and "whoa" to my pride ... I finally began to hear the magical sounds of God’s creation. I finally began to know God.

In Genesis 1 -- over and over -- what two things does God say?

1. To create, God simply says, "Let there _ _ . . . "

2. And when God surveys his creation, God says, "And it was _ _ ."

Did God need to rub two sticks together to create? No. He simply needed to speak a word, "and it was so" ... and "it was good!"

Then after making humans the crown and culmination of his creation, what does God say? "31It was _________ good."

What does God say to US?

If God calls humans "very good," then you are "very good." Wait ... write that in big, BIG letters: God’s view of me is: V____ G_______!

Some people suffer from low self-esteem. What keeps you from seeing yourself as very good?


On the other hand, others of us suffer from the opposite problem -- too much pride. How might the enormity of creation help keep your pride in check?


Why do we often believe in our assessment of ourselves rather than God’s assessment of us?


The invitation is to not believe in ourselves but to believe in God!


What does God say?

In Genesis 2, God mentions the first thing that is not good, "18it is not good for the man to be alone."

What does God say to US?

If it is not good for people to be alone, who do you know who is lonely and in need of your friendship? (List them ... then befriend them!)


What does God say?

In Genesis 3, we have a picture of "the way it’s supposed to be."

God wanders through the beauty of his garden and expects to encounter friendship and intimacy with Adam and Eve. He obviously doesn’t. They have broken a rule. And what happens when they break a rule? They break something even more valuable. They shatter their relationship with God.

That’s what sin does. It puts a wall between us and God. That’s what that fig leaf was -- a literal barrier, a shame-filled divide.

Therefore, when God cries, "9Where are you?," do you hear his heart? He longs for intimacy, but with that relationship shattered, his heart is broken.

What does God say to US?

"Where are you?" That’s been God’s cry to you for years and years! He loves you. He wants nothing more than deep friendship with you and with me.

As you begin this 60-day journey, begin by answering two questions:

1. "Where have you been?"... lately? ... in your relationship with God?


2. "Where would you like to be?" ... at the end of these 60 days?

Know God - intro

Introduction

It was 10:30 at night and the kids were crying when we finally pulled off the interstate and into the hotel.

My wife did all the feeding and bathing as I carted every suitcase, diaper bag, baby toy, food bag, pack ’n play, pillow, blanket, and teddy bear up three flights of stairs.

It had to be at least 11:30 by the time we laid the last one down and turned out the lights.

You’d think I would have fallen fast asleep because I was exhausted. But what I was really doing was listening for the sounds of sleep.

As my family slept, I crept into the bathroom to feed a growing addiction.

I sat on the cold bathroom floor as I pulled out all the necessary paraphernalia.

I rolled up my sleeves, and started to ... read the scriptures.

The Bible-in-a-Year!

Four-chapters-a-day.

I was addicted.

Never had life made so much sense as when I was in the Word every day. Seemingly "random passages" seemed to speak to every situation.

That’s my goal for you.

Maybe not addiction, but certainly life making more and more sense.

The Bible is a guide book. But it is so much more. As Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, where else would we go? You have the words of eternal life."

God yearns to speak to us. Indeed, he yearns to pour life into us -- eternal and abundant. Therefore, in these next thirty days, we’re going to listen for God's voice. We’re going to survey the entire Old Testament (and on day thirty-one tell you how to get even more from the New Testament when you’re ready to make that part of your plan)!

But all this begs an important question: How will we know when it’s God’s voice and not just our own opinions?

In putting together this study guide, I followed a specific method: I looked throughout the Old Testament for wherever it tells us that "God says ..." That's what we'll study for the next 30 days! God spoke directly to Abraham, Moses, Elijah (and even to Balaam’s ass)! And if he spoke to a donkey, don't you know he yearns to speak to you too? As we begin to listen to what God said to them, we will begin to hear what God is saying to us too!

The method of this study is simple: Read three chapters a day (and trust me, these are some of the very best chapters in the entire Bible). Then read a page of the Know God commentary -- to help it make sense. That adds up to about twenty short minutes a day.

Actually, it adds up to a whole lot more than that! Hearing God more clearly in your life is one of the best gifts you can ever give yourself.

Let's listen in?!