Fire, Passion, and Faith

 This morning I got up and sat by the fireplace and started praying or at least trying to. Sometimes I find it hard to articulate what to say to God and sometimes it just flows out of my mouth because there are circumstances and situations that are heavy burdens. Many times I forget to ask God to open my eyes before I begin reading the Bible but today I was intent on making that request to Him and so I prayed that He would open my eyes and ears to see and hear and to know Him deeper. So, I found myself reading Psalm 97, Daniel 2, and Matthew 25. Psalm 97 was a reminder that God reigns over all the earth and that we as believers should rejoice because of this and seek righteousness. If we love the Lord then we should hate evil.

Daniel 2 is what really hit me today though. Mandi and I were talking about the Dominican Republic and raising support and checking our hearts to make sure that we’re both ready. Packing up all your belongings and leaving everything you’ve known for a foreign country sounds romantic but it is not without questions. Questions are good though because once we are there the questioning we’ve done here will help us through difficult times…more importantly, the God we serve will help us through those times and so we must know Him deeper here, now. But as we discussed these things I was reminded of my desire and my passion to GO! The needs are great everywhere in the world for the Gospel and for believers to help equip and train fellow believers to take the Gospel further and to more people. Daniel was a captive in Babylon, he and his fellow Jews were taken away from their homeland in chains and delivered over to king Nebuchadnezzar for service in his kingdom. That sounds great until you realize that he was probably made a eunuch…ouch! But still he and a few others served God faithfully.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he couldn’t remember it and summoned the expert dream interpreters to tell him his dream and then interpret it. Typically what would happen in those days is that the king would tell the interpreters his dream and then they would tell him what it meant…this was a whole new ballgame! The interpreters were saying “Let me get this straight, you want me to tell you what you dreamed…and then tell you what it means? Nobody other than the gods can do that.” So, being the supreme authority that he was, Nebuchadnezzar decided to order ALL of the interpreters and wise men to be killed! Daniel and his group of men didn’t have a clue what was going on until the soldiers came to take them away and kill them. Daniel asked one of the captains of the guard what was going on and he explained to Daniel the situation. Daniel didn’t hesitate or even pause to pray but went and made an appointment with the king so that he might show the interpretation of the dream. After that he went back to Shadrach, Meshach, and Obednego and told them “seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.” What a great step of faith. The reality was that he had nothing to lose but everything to gain. If he didn’t ask for the opportunity to interpret the dream he was going to die and if he did and failed to then he would die. The only option for him to live was if the Lord intervened and gave him the dream and the interpretation. That is bold. I think it’s important to note that Daniel didn’t stop and pray first. He acted in response to a need and then he prayed and gathered others around him to pray. The book of Daniel is full of references to prayer and so I found it very interesting that this is the same response they had in chapter 1 when they decided they would not defile themselves with food sacrificed to idols and were bold enough to present the option of eating “the Daniel fast”. Through all of this it is important to note that verse 17 of chapter 1, God gave them learning and skill but it specifically points to Daniel having “understanding in all visions and dreams”. Daniel knew who he was in God and he knew his skills that God had given him and that is why he had confidence in the Lord in this situation. It all comes back to the Lord and our trust in Him. We can take risks for the cause of Christ and trust that whatever the outcome, the Lord is good.

Next thing is that Daniel prays such a beautiful prayer to God in verses 20-23. This is too good not to put in here:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

So, Daniel then gets to meet with the king and he says to Daniel, “Are you able…” Daniel’s response and said “No wise men, etc can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, BUT there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” Daniel gives all glory and honor to God. He points Nebuchadnezzar to the one, true, living God! How bold and how beautiful? Then as Daniel interprets the dream, he tells the king that it is the God of heaven who has given him his kingdom, his power, and his might. He tells this to a man who is some respects considered himself a god and was known for having men killed for displeasing him. What a beautiful life of complete abandonment to God? No fear of men and a strong desire to be faithful to the Lord and not to defile himself by the things of the world. Where are these men in our churches today? Oh that God would raise up men who know who they are in Christ and know what they have been gifted to do and who see needs and act trusting in the Lord.

So, this is what I read today and what has been fueling my desire to GO overseas and teach and train and make disciples. This passion and this fire is what will sustain us in moments of weakness because this passion and fire are rooted in God and not in our abilities. May the Lord equip us and bring glory to His name just as He equipped Daniel and Daniel was obedient and was used to bring glory to the God of heaven!

Glorifying God for His Gifts

So, it's Christmas time and people are in the hustle and bustle of giving gifts. We are busy with the many lists for family and friends and trying to find the "perfect" gift for those we love most. I have been reminded continually in the past few weeks that the greatest gift that we have ever been given is the gift of grace. This gift has been given in many different forms to all people in the world...this gift is the Good News that Immanuel has been born!

Immanuel means "God with us" and God IS with us IF we are followers of Jesus. The Christmas season is often seen as one of "free" gifts and children and adults often respond to gifts in different ways. Some are excited about it and grateful for anything they get and some are ungrateful and offended. The Good News of this Christmas is that God sent Jesus as a gift. He sent His Son to forgive sins and to heal brokenness.

I was reading in Matthew chapter 9:1-8 this morning and was impacted by the words of Christ as he told a paralytic "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." But there were some self-righteous religious people there thinking to themselves that it was blasphemous for Jesus to forgive this man's sins. Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them this question, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?" Isn't that a tough question for anyone to answer? Ask yourself that question...why do I think evil in my heart? Isn't it strange to think about that? Jesus then tells the paralytic man that he is healed and he can get up and go home...AND he does! How amazing is that? But in reality what is more amazing, a mans sins forgiven or that a paralytic can walk?

The response of the people was one of fear and glory to God. Verse 8 says "they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men." What an amazing thing that they missed...Jesus was Immanuel, God with us! We can really miss who Jesus is during Christmas. We can focus on the play at church, the gifts under the tree, or even the fun times with family and friends. We can get caught up in what we get or don't get. We can even thank God for all the gifts and people he has put in our lives. We can be so focused on this material world that we forget that we have Jesus! Let us remember that "though He was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor that by His poverty we might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). That Jesus "being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him," (Heb. 5:9)...that God gave us the greatest gift, grace through faith "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." (Eph. 2:8)

May you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your family, friends, and gifts BUT most importantly remember the greatest gift of all and glorify God for it: Jesus was born, He lived, He died, He rose again, and now He sits at the right hand of God!

Generous Treasure

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." This is such a powerful statement by John Piper and one to truly mark our lives by. The depths of this statement reach into our hearts and minds and draws out questions. Can I truly say that God is being most glorified in me? Am I really satisfied in God? This world makes hundreds of offers each day. Every offer seeks to bring about satisfaction or gratification.

Have you ever noticed that the commercials on TV or on the side page of Facebook are geared toward catching your interest? Have you noticed that they seek to persuade you that you need "this" thing or "that" thing to be satisfied or happy? On Facebook, they track what you post about, the pages that you like, and probably way more things than we realize. What do these things say about you and I?

The current sermon series from church is about being generous and we discussed that last night in our life group. One of the greatest indicators of what satisfies us and what our heart desires is to see where our money, time, words and deeds are spent. Jesus said "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will be your heart also.”

This is an assault on the views of our society and culture where we are told to look out for number one, me! We ask those having marriage troubles, “are your needs being met?” “Oh they’re not, well they don’t deserve you.” We focus on ourselves and we tell others to focus on themselves. We neglect the very words of truth that give life! Jesus didn’t give us this so that we would live a less fulfilled life, he gave us this because he wants us to live the most satisfied life we can. His life is the example we all should follow. He gave up his seat at the right hand of God, his kingdom, his power, and humbled himself to become like us. He lived the life we could not live (sinless) and exchanged it for our extremely sinful life.

One beautiful picture of this is of a father or mother teaching their child not to do something because it will hurt them but showing them the right way to use something. “Don’t touch the fire, it will burn you”…”use the fire this way and it is good and beneficial to you”. Such are the commands of our heavenly Father. This brings into question our belief in Him and what He has told us in His Word. As we approach Christmas and begin to get gifts and give gifts, let us remember not to store up treasures here on earth but to store up treasures in heaven. The encouragement that Jesus gave is not to deter us from giving or receiving but to give with eternal purposes in mind. If we give a shirt as a gift, it will eventually rip or tear, our shoes will wear thin, and even our earthly lives will end.

The time we have on earth can be fulfilling when we find our satisfaction in God alone. The beauty is that God’s commands and instruction bring about fulfillment in us. Marriage for God’s glory is immensely fulfilling. Marriage for your own satisfaction will crumble. Raising children for God’s glory is fulfilling (not easy), raising children for your own glory is destructive. A personal faith is fulfilling for a time but a personal faith that is shared brings immense pleasure and deeper knowledge of God. Jesus did not come to build a material kingdom he came to build a kingdom of people. He commanded us to go and make disciples not as a duty but as a joy. May we look to His Spirit, which is in us to lead and guide us. We cannot do this in our own strength, which is why he gave us the promise that ALL authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. Let us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Why Rest?

 

Why Rest?

Over committed, under energized, and internally exhausted!?  As many of you read this your thinking, “Yea, that’s me, but hey, I’m ok!” My prayer in sharing this devotion is that you realize that you are not ok.  No one is when we hit this place.  And for the believer, we know, our Father demands rest, not as a burden, but as a necessity to a full life in Christ. 

Woe to us America, a nation know for days full of go, go, do, do, and everyone be “busy busy” because that’s the norm now.  Daily, we are going to work, working too much at work, thinking about work while not at work, working while not working, taking children here and there, meetings all day just to have another meeting(ya’ll all know what this means!!), planning meals, cooking meals, or not cooking meals and choosing to just going to eat out, so on and so on. 

Then there is the new and improved “social network”, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIN, many others, and I’m sure we will see “the Latest” come out tomorrow.  Oh yea, let’s not forget “There’s an app for that…”, or if you cant find the information just “Google” it!  Life and busyness not only surrounding us, but if we want to, only a click of a button away!

Unfortunately, our world is now functioning off of these things, verses using them as assets or plusses when needed.  Busyness in the year 2012 comes with a whole new meaning.  So much so, that you can be so consumed in it, that you are deceiving yourself that your not busy.  That’s just plain vanity! And all this said with understanding, these things in themselves are not “bad” and if anything “good”, but too much of a good thing is not so good!

We can all confess that we are caught up in this a lot, whether by choice, survival, or just mere addiction.  And if we are really honest with ourselves we have become so addicted and deceived that we 

1. Cannot say “no”, and are absorbed and taken away from real relationships around us...

2. We like it so much that we use it as an excuse to avoid priorities in our life, like taking care of our own bodies, and others whom we love, or...

3. Without busyness we lose our sense of identity and purpose, and are scared to death of “not” having something to do.  We let busyness become what make us or breaks us, and use it to keep our status, or to avoid our true status, overcommitted, under energized, and internally exhausted!

Many times throughout the day, I find myself interacting with the community.  I love to engage with others and find out how they are doing.  “How are you!?” I will ask, “Busy!” I get as a reply, accompanied with a sigh, which I can’t tell means something like, “I’m so glad I’m busy”, or “I’m so tired of being busy!”.  It’s almost an ire paradox!  One that I myself have said to others on certain days. 

There is a battle that goes on within all of us as we think, “Well, being busy is good isn’t it? But why am I so tired of it? And why do I keep pursuing it!?”  A battle that we have MUST bring balance to!

Now, all of us can agree, there are seasons of life where being busy is necessary, because the duties and necessities of life all come at the same time.  Sometimes it is work requirements, other times family situations that require more of your time, and the all famous situation, both issues at the same time!  So, truth be told, we all experience life busyness, and it is just how the cookie crumbles.

So, hear me as I address the seasons in between, and honestly, the times where we are all shooting our own selves in the foot with toiling, vanity, mindless activities, and senseless work that really, in the end, has no benefit, and if anything is killing relationships and Jesus’ gracious offer of life to the full. 

Believer, is this really how God created us? Despite the fact he had to save us from our sinfulness and is continuing to reconcile sinners to himself, is this really the life He desired for us to experience?  So much busyness that we don’t know if we are coming or going, what we have or haven’t done, and so lost in our own selves that we have no sense of what’s going on? 

Did our God, maker of the heavens and the earth, maker of all things in 6 days, and resting on the 7^th, create us to be consumed in mindless activities?  Or as he did on the 7^th day, rest in all his work, desire for us to do the same, and take time to rest, reflect and be renewed?  Now, be reminded that our God, didn’t take the 7^th day to rest because he was tired from the other 6!  Oh no, He was simply satisfied in his work, so much so, that he rested to enjoy it, reflect on it, and declare it “holy”. 

What can we learn from this? 

-That, there are days to work and days to rest. 

-Times to take care of business, and times to reflect on your work, be renewed by time away from it, and enjoy the relationships that surround you! 

-To take time to worship the Father by rejoicing in His ways, His mercies over your ways, and His love he has poured over you. 

-To rest in the knowing that despite all your vanity and toiling, you can rest in the assurance of your salvation, and the joy of life in Jesus. 

-That despite even your mindless pursuits and restless ways you can rejoice that our Father weaves everything together for His Glory. 

-That in the rest of down time we can fill ourselves with the alive and renewing Word of God, and there we find true life, and a real, tangible way to deal with the issues of this fading world.

Each of us needs rest.  We all need time to unwind our senses, our bodies, our spirits, and to reflect on the happenings (past and present) verses what “has” to happen (future). Our future is ordered by the Lord, this we can trust in faith, by “believing of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Oh, how your life will take such a new meaning when you rest, reflect, and recover in the shadow of the Almighty!  A refuge of mercy, grace, and love.  No place of toil and vanity. All that is necessary is that we take time to do this, or “not to do”, however you see it! 

I pray today that you take time to rest.  If you need help, ask the Holy Spirit to help you rest.  He wants to.  Come to him all who are weary and burdened and He will give you rest, take his yoke upon you, and learn from Him, for He is gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For his yoke is easy, and his burden is light!

May you experience rest today, the way our Father designed it for you, away from the toil of this present world, and into the promise of eternal life in the next! 

Feelings or Faith

Things have been burdensome lately. One of the things that I have struggled with in my walk with the Lord has to do with feelings and faith. So often our culture focuses on how we feel about something. We use our feelings as the deciding factor on so many things from politics to our personal faith in God. Our filter on life cannot be based on how we feel because our emotions portray a distortion of what the truth is. This I know from first hand experience but also because I have observed it destroy the lives of many. What we do when we act and react to life with feelings does not just affect us, it affects those we are around. As a believer this is why we are commanded to love each other. We cannot in our own strength respond in faith, hope, and love which is why we need the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:1-3).

I have been reading in Romans 12 and 2 John today and what they both have been speaking to is the life of a Christian and what I have noticed is how the consistent appeal is not to feelings but to faith...but faith not as we so often think but faith that has action. Consider what Paul is telling those in Romans 12:1, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Does he take them first to how they feel? No, he takes them to the character of God, "the mercies of God". Then he takes them to how to respond to this truth...sacrifice as worship.

In 1 John 5:1-3, we find John going to belief in Jesus and love of God the Father as an evidence of being a child of God. John continues in describing our knowledge of God by actions of love, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." He also gives us the promise that God's commands are not burdensome. Isn't this the opposite of what we think? This plays itself out in our lives in so many ways. How often do we despair because things aren't going the way we feel that they should? Don't we find ourselves complaining and whining about our circumstances? I know that I do and I have to repent of that sin in my life. But the glorious joy we can have is that Jesus paid for those sins and even more powerful that he overcame them when he rose from the dead! Thank the Lord for his overwhelming grace and his Spirit that we can call to when we need wisdom and strength (when I am weak, he is strong).
I've been going through what seems like a relentless cycle of the need to feel independent...that I can do things in my own strength and in my own understanding. That is a recipe for disaster (lean not on your own understanding). When I operate on my own I am alienating the body of Christ and even the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Church as a way to encourage and strengthen us. Many see the Church in an unhealthy way, and I have been there but by God's grace and the Spirit's work, I am seeing the beauty of the brokenness in the body of Christ. When we are commanded to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, we aren't left with a vague picture of what that looks like, we are left with a clear picture. Listen to Paul's words:
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

May the Lord continue to grow in us a faith that is sure and founded upon His Word. May we be obedient to what he commands and not fall prey to our feelings. When we do fall, may we repent. Most of all, let us glorify God in our love for him and our love for others.

It's been a while...

Sorry for the lapse in posts. Life has been a bit hectic...God has been good and faithful. We are sending Mandi to the Dominican Republic tomorrow! She will be meeting with our friends and family there and seeing first hand and participating in a training camp for Meeting God in Baseball. This will be the first time that either of us will have worked directly with this ministry which is a huge step for us as we are now raising our support under Meeting God in Baseball as they are our 501 C 3 and financial accountability.

Some other fun things that have taken place...

 We had a few neighborhood children and friends come over and eat some chili and smores!

As our heart for the Dominican grows, it is awesome to be able to use the things that the Lord has blessed us with to reach our neighbors with the Gospel by building relationships with them. One of the families we met this past weekend is from Israel and the family is Muslim. I'm not sure how devout they are but how awesome that the Lord has put us in the same neighborhood! Please be praying for Sana and Sammy as we have opportunity to share Jesus with them. Also, pray for these sweet little girls and their mother.

Mandi and I had the opportunity to share with Collide Ministries last night on "repentance". It was a wonderful time of teaching for us and we pray that we communicated the importance and essence of what repentance is. The Lord has been such a great foundation for our marriage and it has been amazing to see what He has done in our short time so far. We pray that He continues to lead and guide us and to use us for the furtherance of sharing Christ to the world.

Updates on finances: As of today, we are around 35% of our monthly support...65% more to go! We would ask that you pray for us and help us in any way possible. We are still seeking out monthly supporters. If you know of others who would be interested in helping us with proclaiming Christ through baseball and equipping pastors and church leaders in the Dominican Republic then please contact us. We are excited about the future and the opportunities that will open up. There is a vision to branch out into other countries while using baseball and BILD teachings.

Please contact us with any opportunities to share regarding our plans for ministry in the Dominican Republic. We would love to meet with our friends, family, and churches to see how we can partner together in taking the Gospel to the Dominican Republic and to our own cities.

Pure Religion...

The greatest problem we face today in the philosophy of man is that man thinks he is innately good. That man in and of himself can determine what is good, loving, and true. The atheist claims that ALL religion is bad yet they are wrong. Man is bad and if man creates religion then it will be bad. Yet if God has created one true religion then it has to be good because God is good and in him there is no evil. James1:26 speaks of the man who “thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” James continues on with this by describing what is true religion.

As I was thinking about the view of humanity in our society and how we view man’s opinion as the ultimately reality of truth, I was reminded of how sexual immorality is being promoted by our society. The greatest place I see this is in how homosexuality is now being accepted and even pushed through various media. Last night the NBC Olympics coverage even had a segment on a diver who was apparently homosexual. It reminds me of the ever growing battle for the sanctity of the Church, the holiness of God’s people and the call for us to be separated from the world. As I searched for some deeper clarification on what “sexual immorality” is, I came upon Matthew Henry’s commentary on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 where he says the following:

“Our bodies have been redeemed from deserved condemnation and hopeless slavery by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. We are to be clean, as vessels fitted for our Master's use. Being united to Christ as one spirit, and bought with a price of unspeakable value, the believer should consider himself as wholly the Lord's, by the strongest ties. May we make it our business, to the latest day and hour of our lives, to glorify God with our bodies, and with our spirits which are his.”

It ties in with James and his exhortation to “keep oneself unstained from the world”…this is part of the fulfillment of what James says that God views as pure religion. The other part is in regards to taking care of the widows and orphans. It seems like many people today like to focus on the part about taking care of widows and orphans but often neglecting the part regarding sanctification. I like how John Piper defines sanctification, "progressively becoming like Jesus. Gradually becoming like Jesus, or becoming holy. Becoming conformed to the image of Christ." So, as we are doers of the word and not hearers only, let us be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Let us look to the needs of the widows and the orphans...the least, the last, and the lost. But let us also keep in step with the Spirit so that we can progressively, gradually become more like Christ.