Near the Cross

On my way home from work today, I kept getting bits and pieces of the song Near the Cross. I have sung the song probably a thousand times in church and have heard many renditions by artists, but I hadn’t really paid a ton of attention the words.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

How important that chorus really is; our glory is God’s glory and it was shown on that cross when sin was defeated, death lost, and Jesus conquered all! Jesus died for the Father to bring Him glory by accomplishing His will.

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

We know Jesus didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to suffer, and he surely didn’t want to be mocked. He loved us and wanted to carry out the will of His father. We should stay close to that cross. There are times when we are going to do things that we aren’t comfortable with, but they are God’s will and it will bring Him glory. There will be times when we have to look at that cross and remember that Jesus was innocence and didn’t want to die that painful death, but he did it to accomplish the will of God – that you and I might live again.

We should strive to do the difficult things in life that we know will bring God honor.  Maybe it means standing up for Him at school or in the presence of friends.   When your coworkers laugh at dirty jokes, maybe it’s time you walked off and let them know there is something different about you.  Do the things that aren’t easy and follow Jesus’ lead.  It surely wasn’t easy to die on that cross, but he loved the Father. Do you love God that much?

Facing the Giants

Thought I would do something a little different and do a movie review! I would definitely rate this as one of my favorite movies and it does an excellent job of spiritually motivating you. The basis of the story is a struggling football coach who is on the brink of losing his job when he also finds out that he can’t have children with his wife. All of this pressure and all of these struggles finally lead him to just turn everything over to God and to ask him for guidance.

He gives the team a new direction, one that is God focused and less about winning and more about giving Him the glory. The team in short ends up turning their season around and winning the state championship. Sounds like a feel good story, I know, but the premise of the movie is what really came home to me. Give God the glory and let Him lead you.

So this is a great family video and definitely one that could be shown in an informal setting at a church – perhaps to a youth group. The whole idea of turning the football team around from everything is about winning to everything is about God could really benefit the young people in our schools!

Jealousy, Envy, Oh My!

Jealousy is hard battle to fight. How many times at school, work, or even church do you see someone have the very thing you want. Suddenly your jealous of them and start to even resent them a bit – we’ve all been there. Jealousy in itself may not seem dangerous, but it can lead to destruction. We can look back to the very first murder to see how jealousy reared it’s ugly head. God was pleased with the offering Abel gave and less pleased with the one Cain offered. Cain would have had to been jealous – anyone with siblings knows this feeling. His jealousy turned to rage and he ended up killing his brother. That’s why the Bible so adamantly warns us against jealousy (yes it’s even a 10 commandment). We are told in James not glory in envy because it will soon lead to confusion and evil work:

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

These thoughts are inspired by the devil; we get to thinking about wanting something someone else has so strongly that it literally consumes our thoughts. The world is all about competitiveness and greed. We are told to go all out and be better than everyone else. We are shown every day that unless we have the nicest car, the largest house, and the fattest bank account we have nothing. Sports teams and athletes compete all out trying to be better than a counterpart and young people idolize and find themselves doing all they can to be like that person. Greed and jealousy are the root of these issues. We stop letting God lead our lives and we start letting the TV, friends, and other influences lead us along.

God’s wisdom can lead us from these thoughts and can ultimately lead us to a life of contentment. A few verses down we read that God’s wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle…

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

Don’t let the treasures of this world lead you to jealousy. Be grateful that others have these nice things and trust that God will provide for you and give you the things that your heart truly desires.

Verse of the week

This verse is about thinking on the right kind of thoughts.  It occurred to me that so many of the negatives in my life are brought upon by my very thoughts.  We wonder constantly why we have negative thoughts, why we struggle with a particular lustful thought, or why we just seem down and sad.  Look at what you are feeding your mind, ask yourself what affect this could be having on your walk with Jesus and on your life in general.  Think on the good things and let all the other thoughts fade away!

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,  whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Philippians 4:8

Waiting on the Lord

And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.  Psalm 39:7

I was sitting at my desk thinking and praying in search of a study lesson for today when all the things I want, have wanted, and think I needed flooded my mind.  It amazed me and for a second I was like, well God why don’t I have these things, I mean I have been pretty good.  God led me to Psalm 39:7…

I wait for God, I wait for God’s timing, and I wait for, ultimately, His will.  These things in the world meaning nothing and one day they will fail us.  We are told in Matthew not lay up our treasures here in earth:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Matthew 6:19

While we sit here wanting and collecting we are missing opportunities to serve and accomplish God’s will.  The very next verse tells us to lay our treasures up in heaven:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Laying up treasures in Heaven is accomplished by obeying God and doing His will – tithing, serving, helping, teaching, etc.  However we accomplish God’s will is how we lay our treasures up in heaven.  When I spend my time constantly thinking about the things I want then I am missing opportunities for God.  I am reminded of the short story of the man who went to Heaven and was being shown around.  When they got to one building the man asked what was inside, God opened the door and out flooded all these great things – things that were intended for the man on earth, but he missed because he wasn’t fully in God’s will.  While the story may be a bit tongue – and – cheek, it makes a great point.  When we spend our days waisting away on things we want and things we think we need we miss the true treasures God has intended for us.  Sure we may never get the million dollars we need, but we got to witness to one lost soul.  Perhaps we will never have the nicest car, but we were given the opportunity to drive one to church.  Don’t wait for things that you want or think you need, pray and find yourself in God’s will, be patient and He will provide for all of your needs.

Contentment (part 2)

Sort of related to a topic I wrote about yesterday on contentment was a song I heard today called – “Blessed Be Your Name”. The song is by Matt Redman and while it’s not truly about contentment, it has some lyrics that can really speak to that need for contentment in our life:

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name.

Blessed be Your name When the sun’s shining down on me When the world’s ‘all as it should be’ Blessed be Your name Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there’s pain in the offering Blessed be Your name

It’s so easy to be happy and content when we are being blessed, but what about those times when we are struggling with contentment? Those times when things seem out of sync and we just can’t be content? Do we say “Blessed be the name”? Or do we turn from God? Sometimes maybe we let discontent fester because we turn are back on God and don’t let Him help? Let’s try to Bless the name of God through all situations.

Verse of the Week – February 25 – March 3rd

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,  whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Philippians 4:8

Contentment

Being content is something I struggle with daily. It can be small things, large things, or even things that seem to have little importance, but finding contentment seems so difficult. I pray, I pray, and I pray some more, but I just can’t find it in certain situations. This isn’t a problem that seems to have affected Paul in Philippians:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:11-12

Paul tells us that no matter what state he is in, he is content. We know he had struggles – was in prison, had a thorn in his flesh, and was beaten – yet he was content. The secret seems to be that he drew his strength from Christ who has all the power. Paul had learned to rely on God’s promises and the power of Christ to be content.

Instead of praying for something that you think will give you contentment, ask that God give you the power to be content. If you find yourself always wanting something more ask that God would remove the desire for that and to teach you contentment in the situation you are in. We know God will supply all our needs. Look just a few verses down to verse 19:

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

We may not always get what we “want” on earth, but one day after our time is done on earth we will be blessed abundantly. Trust that God will provide and pray that He will show you true contentment and that He will show you how to put your wants behind the will of God! It’s not easy and it takes work, but God will bless your work here.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you

Draw close to God and He will draw close to you!

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  James 4:8

Curious  as to how this is done?  Want to know how to draw nearer to God, to be closer to Him, and to have that better relationship?  We are given several steps to do this right here in James.

1. Submit to God

How can we ever be close to God if we don’t submit to Him?  How can we say we love Him when we don’t submit to do        His will?  To submit means to give complete control over to God, give Him everything and surrender it all to Him.
There has to be a realization that we are sinners and we need God.

Submit yourselves therefore to God…James 4:7

2.  Resist the Devil

Turn from temptation and run.  Don’t let the devil run your life.  When we give the devil an inch he will take a mile,
when we give in to just a small amount of temptation we have opened the door for a much wider attack.  Proverbs
tells us to “Guard our Heart”; that is watch and be ready, put on the armor of God, and don’t let temptation get you.

 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

3. Pure Life

Keep your hands clean and hearts pure.  Don’t let a little dirt keep you from God’s love.  Instead when you feel like you
are starting to slip, open God’s word, pray, and ask for His help in keeping a clean heart and clean hands for Him.

 …Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts,…  James 4:8

4. Be sincere in your grief

Know that you are a sinner, know that God can’t tolerate sin, and be truthfully regrettable about your sin.  Don’t put on
a fake pose after you sin – it should tear you up.  We should cry out like Paul – “I don’t understand why I do what I
hate”.  It should hurt us and make us sorrowful.  The joy comes from knowing God forgives us and gives us a second
chance.

 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  James 4:10

5. Be Humble Before God

We have nothing without God.  We can’t accomplish a single thing without God.  Most importantly without God we are
destined for hell.  There is no work or task that can get us to Heaven.  God sent His only son that we might live again.
Don’t be arrogant in your faith or arrogant in your position, instead realize that God’s grace saves and you have been
given a second chance at life.

Lovest thou me?

Do you truly love Jesus?  When you tell Jesus you love him, do you really mean it, do you show it?

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  John 15-17

In a world where the word “love” is tossed around it’s easy to say we love Jesus and we love to follow him.  We see Hollywood throw the word love around in movies and TV shows.  People will do anything for money because their true love is measured in possessions.  Young people today go from date to date throwing the word love out each time.  Marriages start out with something called love, but many times end in hate. The true test is what do we do for Christ?  Are we feeding his sheep?  Peter denied Christ and had repented – Jesus now wanted him to commit to serving him.  Show him, don’t just tell him!

The word love Jesus used here can be translated from Agape love – a self sacrificing love.  Jesus was asking Peter do you love me more than you love those around us?  The second time he simply asked, do you love me?  Many translations say that the 3rd time Jesus asked he used the word phileo for love – which is a brotherly love.  We might translate this today as Are we friends, do you care about me?

Jesus asked Peter 3 times – Jesus didn’t just settle for a simple answer, instead he asked 3 times to force Peter to really think about his answer.  So I ask, do you love Jesus?  Do you really and truly care for Jesus?  Are you willing to take up your cross and follow him?

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

The cross that Jesus bore for us was the ultimate sign of love…we should never have to ask Jesus if he loves us.  His love was shown on the cross.  In the same way are we willing to give it all over to Jesus, our possessions, our needs, our wants, or even our lives?  The true mark of a person who really loves Christ is one who is willing to follow him, willing to submit to him, and willing to serve him.  If you feel like your love is empty, examine your heart.  Do you find yourself straying away from opportunities to serve?  Are you holding back parts of your life from Jesus?  Show him you love him by feeding his sheep!  Show him by doing his work!