Immanuel!!

Its Christmas morning, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet…
Christmas is like no other day. Presents, food, wrapping paper scraps that you find in April… There’s just nothing else like it!! For some, it is simply a celebration of family. To others, it’s a mildly religious celebration, but a great excuse to spend money and get stuff. And to one more group, it is a day of profound meaning and blessing because of the Person that we celebrate. No matter which group you fall into, I think we can all recognize that the reason Christmas is so unique is because the One we celebrate on this day is so unique!!
There are a lot of things and people that get worshipped in our world… There are a lot of different gods. Some gods, are just things that we spend way too much time obsessing over, like money, cars, etc. Some gods are people that have done their best to be set apart from the rest of us and be worthy of worship (they’ve done the supernatural)… Then there is a group of gods that has always been in another realm. They kinda just hang out there, and maybe people bug them from time to time. But the God we celebrate at Christmas is just a little different…
Jesus isn’t just an object we obsess over (in fact, very few of us probably give Him the attention He deserves). He’s not a guy who did some crazy stuff and now we build statues in His honor. He’s not a deity that keeps His distance so that He doesn’t get easily annoyed. He is Immanuel!!
Immanuel is what the angel said Jesus would be called in Matthew 1:23, and it means, “God with us.” Our God didn’t ascend from amongst us, or sit in Heaven looking down on us… He became one of us!! He is Immanuel!!! He is with us!! He has walked more than a mile in our shoes (He even walked in our skin!). The book of Hebrews says He faced temptation and trials. He suffered the scourge of our sin, and ultimately died our death…. And He didn’t have to… He didn’t have to be Immanuel…
He could have kicked back in Heaven and let us be destroyed by our own wickedness and sinfulness. He could have let us keep digging our grave. But He didn’t! He became one of us. He then took the grave-digging shovel from our hands, and laid down in that grave. He died our death. He paid our penalty. And He didn’t have to. He had a pretty good view from Heaven, but He gave it up and became Immanuel.
Immanuel is why we celebrate this day… Don’t forget to take a few minutes to thank Him…

The Problem With Following Stars

I was camping with my family this summer when my oldest son pointed out something that I knew, but I had forgotten. He said “Man Dad, look at all the stars you can see when you’re camping!” We like in Salt Lake City, and just like any other city, sometimes you just don’t see the stars (add in the fact that Salt Lake has some of the worst air quality in the country, and you really don’t see stars!) So, the problem with following stars, is that you don’t always know where they are!
That’s what happens to the Wise Men in the first part of Matthew 2. They say they got to Jerusalem by following the star they saw rise in honor of King Jesus. But after they got to Jerusalem, apparently the star wasn’t all that apparent! So, what do you do when your star isn’t there anymore? What do you do when the plan you’ve been following isn’t giving you the answers?
As Christians, we are following God with our lives. There are many times that we feel like we know exactly where we are going and what we are doing. You’ve gotta love those days where you can wake up quoting Jeremiah 29:11 and walk out the rest of that day in the confidence of its truth. There are certainly days when the star you’re following (God’s plan that you’re following) is bright and clear.
But then again, there are those days when the star isn’t shining. There are those days when you don’t know why God loves you, or what His plan is for you. Those are those days when you almost want to find a happy Christian that’s full of purpose and plan, and punch them in the face!! Why?? Because you don’t see the star… You can’t see God’s plan or His direction for your life… You can’t figure out what to do or where to go…
So, what did the Wise Men do when they didn’t have a star to follow?? They kept on task! They continued their mission! They took up the navigating! They went around Jerusalem asking if anyone knew where they could find this new King that had been born. They didn’t let a change in the plan hold the plan back. They knew they had been directed by God. And what God starts, God finishes!!
Check out what happens! Once they’ve asked around, and they know which direction they should be going, Matthew 2:9 says that the start reappeared!!! God’s plan seemed to have disappeared, but really, His plan was for the Wise Men to do a little bit of the direction-finding for themselves.
So, what do you do when your star disappears? Keep going! Keep moving forward! Keep pursuing God’s plan!! Keep going in the direction that God has been guiding your life! You may never be certain that the direction you’ve chosen is the right one. But after you do your best to keep following God’s plan, trust that the plan disappearing actually was part of the plan!! Just keep going!!
The problem with following stars is that you can’t always see them (kinda sounds like following God!). But, when we can’t see the star, when we can’t see the plan, we need to keep pursuing the King!! We need to keep seeking Jesus!! We need to keep moving toward our ultimate goal… Just like the Wise Men did. We need to keep getting ourselves closer and closer to being able to bow down before the King in worship.

Andy's Commentary on Prayer

Someone sent me this commentary on prayer from Andy Rooney. Not only does Mr. Rooney make some great points, but any guy named Andy is a guy I will listen to for at least a minute or two! Take a minute to check it out!
Andy Rooney says (and Andy Smith agrees!):
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.
Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome .....
But what about the atheists? Is another argument.
What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humour us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.
The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honour Him. That is your right, and we will honour your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada , despite all our faults, We are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
Let's make 2011 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.
Keep looking up.

Rescue Me- A Modern-Day Psalm

Something I wrote a while back....

I’m lost…
I’m confused…
I don’t know which way to go or what to do.
I’m not sure there’s anything that can be done.
I feel alone.
You said You’d always be there, but I don’t know where You are now. I feel like I’m alone on an island. The only people here seem to make me more sure of the fact that I am up against the impossible.
This can’t be done….
I am opposed. I am disliked. I am talked about behind my back. I am in the crosshairs.
And the worst part is, I feel like I am hurting Your image and Your reputation. If people can’t follow me to You, will they get there on their own?
I know You are everywhere, but where are You now.
I need You…
I need Your strength
I need Your wisdom
I need Your direction
I need to know that I am not alone
I need You to rise in Your strength and Your power and defend me
I need You to come to me in Your love and compassion and hold me
I need You to look at me in Your grace and Your mercy and forgive me…
Forgive me for not trusting You…
You have never let me down. You have never failed me.
You have never given me a reason to doubt Your ability
I need Your eyes to see what mine cannot
I need Your strength to carry me because I am weak
I need You to come to my rescue.
Please don’t hesitate… Rescue me…

Don't Be Strong!!! 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

The Apostle Paul was a pretty incredible guy. When we talk about great Christians, we will always recognize him. He had great insight, and incredible drive to share God’s love, and he was brilliant… what’s not to like? That is kinda what he talks about in this passage. But he says that even though he has a lot to boast about, he realizes that his greatest strength is when he is the weakest.
6If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.
7Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! 8At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, 9and then he told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. 10Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 TMSGWhy? Why would we be stronger by being weaker? I’m not exactly a genius, but that doesn’t seem to add up…
I had to struggle with this question a lot. I like to do things for myself for the most part. I like to know that I am capable. I like to feel strong! But my problem is that I was trying to live my Christian life as the strong guy… the unstoppable force… the one that was going to change the world… I was going to show God just how strong I was, and how important to His Kingdom I was. Man was that stupid!
What I didn’t realize is that I don’t have to be strong, I don’t need to change the world, and I don’t need to be an unstoppable force because Jesus has already done these things! He is the one who is strong! He is the one who is capable! I didn’t realize that by trying to do everything on my own, I was really robbing God of His glory! He already changed everything, I just need to walk in that change!
So, when Paul says that the weaker he gets, the stronger he becomes, it is because in his weakness, God’s strength takes over. We have to realize that we can’t do this without Him. If we could change the world, we would have done it already. If we had the strength, we wouldn’t need God.
But, we don’t have the ability. We don’t have the strength. And we can’t do it. Paul’s statement isn’t so much telling us to be weak, but he is telling us to realize that we already are. God doesn’t need rock stars or super heroes. He needs the weak. He receives the greatest glory when His strength passes through someone that is obviously incapable. Because then it is Him who did it. He is the one who receives the fame and honor. He is strong… we are weak… and that’s the way He like it!

The Real House Builder- Hebrews 3:3-4

But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. Hebrews 3:3-4
When I was reading this earlier this morning, it kinda jumped out at me. Like any pastor, I started to think how I could use this to teach myself and others the truth that I had seen here. So, I thought I would blog about it, but I didn’t have time right then. Now, the Holy Spirit is applying these verses even deeper into my life, and all it took was a change of location.
Right now, I am sitting in a parking lot where I can see a Mormon temple a few hundred yards away on my left, and a Hindu temple a few hundred yards away on my right…. interesting location… If God wanted to show me a little something about how “houses” are built, He sure picked the right place! These are the kind of houses that people build. Sure, they build them to honor their god, or their belief system, but they are still built by people.
According to this verse in Hebrews, no matter what the “house” looks like, the one who will get the praise is the builder. These “houses” that I am sitting between are beautiful. They are incredibly decorated and built. And they are built to honor a god… or are they? If the writer of Hebrews is correct, it is the builder that really receives the praise. We can say that we build things to honor someone or something else, but in reality, when we build it, we want the glory. We build things so that people will recognize us.
Now, please don’t think that I am only picking on the Hindus or the Mormons… I just happen to be sitting where I am sitting. I could just as easily be sitting between an Assembly of God and a Catholic church… The truth would still be the same: We build things so that people can recognize us. So that we receive the praise and the glory.
But what about the real “Builder”? Hebrews 3:4 says that “the one who built everything is God.” We spend a lot of time building our lives, without ever considering who made it all possible. Without the Master Builder, God Himself, you and I wouldn’t even be here. We wouldn’t exist. We spend a lot of time taking credit for what our lives have become, without ever giving credit to the one who gave us life!
Physicist, Steven Hawking, has just come out with a book stating that he can prove that life can create itself. He says that because of natural laws like gravity, that matter can simply come into existence. To these statements, Evangelist Ray Comfort, has responded: “How can there be a Law, without a Law-Giver?”
How can your life become something without the Life-Giver? You and I are nothing without Him. We can spend our time building a beautiful “house” and taking all the credit; or, we can give credit to the One who is worthy of it… “The Real House Builder”!!

Unity- Deut 6:4

Unity is a funny word, and an even funnier concept. The idea that any group of individuals can come together on any one thing is almost laughable.
Most of us are seeking unity when we want everyone to be unified with us! If its not our idea, or our project, then we are not really all that hungry for unity. But, when having everyone unified benefits us, then we start talking about unity.
Unity is something that the whole world is looking for. I remember a song from the 90's that spelled it out: U-N-I-T-Y... (I hope some of you remember that song, or I will feel pretty lame!) But, even though the whole world wants it, it eludes us all. We all say we seek unity, but we never really seem to achieve it.
In the Body of Christ, we absolutely must have unity... don't let your chuckle get too out of hand here! I realize that this seems impossible with so many different ideas and theologies. And I guess it probably is impossible. So, its a good thing we serve a God that has a habit of doing impossible things!
The reason we need unity is because there is unity in who God is. In Deuteronomy 6:4 (and in other places), God makes a point of saying that there is unity within Himself. He is One. His heart and mind are not divided. He is the definition of unity. And, if we are His representatives here on earth, then we must be the definition of unity as well. If we aren't, we are diminishing who and what He is!
If there is unity in God, but not in His people, then we are doing a poor job of representing Him. That's like having the signs in front McDonalds trying to convince you to eat at Taco Bell... it just doesn't make sense! If we represent Him, then we need to be what He is. We need to have unity! We need to be together.
I'm not saying that we should just blindly agree with each other. Like the X-files used to say: The truth is out there! There is a right and wrong way to regard God. But, instead of always trying to prove we are right, maybe we should try to "All just get along!" (My 90's references are getting a little out of hand!) Maybe we need to seek unity, instead of our own honor in being "right".
What would happen if the world saw the people of God actually behaving like Him?
Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you. Focus your thoughts on those things that are considered noble. As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone. Don’t take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God’s anger take care of it. After all, Scripture says, “I alone have the right to take revenge. I will pay back, says the Lord.” But, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will make him feel guilty and ashamed.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. Romans 12:17-21 GWT

Neutered

I haven’t posted a blog in several weeks, so here it goes… And it’s a weird one today…
I was preparing to teach a class last week when I read a Scripture that jumped out at me. I was reading about what was and wasn’t acceptable for an animal being offered as a sacrifice in the Temple. And then I read this:
As long as you live in this land, don't offer an animal with injured testicles. Leviticus 22:24 CEV
Now I know that some of you reading this are wondering where I am going with this, but trust me. There is a less than proper way to deal with this Scripture, and the Youth Pastor in me is dying to deal with it that way, but there is some solid spiritual application here.
Why in the world would the testicles of a sacrifice matter? I know God is interested in every area of our lives, but doesn’t this go a little far?
In the days of the Temple and animal sacrifices, you had to bring something good to God. You couldn’t bring a lame, blind or damaged animal for sacrifice. You needed to bring God your best, not leftovers.
God is worthy of your best. Honestly, He is worthy of a lot better than you could EVER give Him. So, for Him to ask that you not bring the bottom of the barrel to him would make sense. And this requirement about the testicles makes sense on this level, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that.
God wanted you to bring Him an animal that was capable of reproduction. He wanted you to bring Him something that was fruitful. He wanted you to bring Him something with potential. In other words, you weren’t just bringing that animal, you were also bringing every other animal that yours could potentially produce. You were bringing it’s future.
God wants your best. He deserves your best. He is worthy of every thing you have. But He wants more than just what you have. He wants what you could potentially produce. He wants you to give Him the fruits of tomorrow. He doesn’t just want what you are in the present, He wants you to give Him your future.
You might see this in a negative light. You might say, “Isn’t it enough that He has me now? Does He really need my tomorrow?” He wants your hopes. He wants your dreams. He wants your plans. And when you give them to Him, you are telling Him that you trust Him. You are telling Him that you really are in His hands. You are loving Him on the deepest and most intimate level possible. You are giving yourself as a sacrifice. And you are giving your best.
Do you have hopes, dreams, and plans that you have not surrendered to Him yet? If so, you need to give Him what He is worthy of. Don’t give him a neutered offering. Give Him everything you have, and everything you will be.

My Choice

The following is a poem from "Smiling Bill" McChesney, an American missionary that left for the Congo in the early sixties. At that time, the Congo was a VERY dangerous place for a non-local to be. He died at the hands of an angry mob in 1964.
This is "My Choice"

I want my breakfast served at eight, with ham and eggs upon the plate;
A well-broiled steak I'll eat at one, and dine again when day is done.
I want an ultramodern home and in each room a telephone;
Soft carpets, too, upon the floors, and pretty drapes to grace the doors.
A cozy place of lovely things, like easy chairs with inner springs,
And then I'll get a small TV- of course, "I'm careful what I see."
I want my wardrobe, too, to be of neatest, finest quality,
With latest style in suit and vest: Why should not Christians have the best?
But then the Master I can hear in no uncertain voice, so clear:
"I bid you come and follow Me, the lowly Man of Galilee."
"Birds of the air have made their nest, and foxes in their holes find rest,
But I can offer you no bed; no place have I to lay My head."
In shame I hung my head and cried. How could I spurn the Crucified?
Could I forget the way He went, the sleepless nights in prayer He spent?
For forty days without a bite, alone He fasted day and night;
Despised, rejected- on He went, and did not stop till veil He rent.
A man of sorrows and of grief, no earthly friend to bring relief;
"Smitten of God," the prophet said- Mocked, beaten, bruised, His blood ran red.
If He be God, and died for me, no sacrifice too great can be
For me, a mortal man, to make; I'll do it all for Jesus' sake.
Yes, I will tread the path He trod, no other way will please my God;
So, henceforth, this my choice shall be, my choice for all eternity.

Hero- 1 John 2:1-2

I have selective hearing. I think every child and married man does. I somehow miss he hard things my wife asks me to do, but I can hear that it's dinner time from 3 1/2 miles away!
It's funny how we tend to hear things from a perspective that benefits us. We hear what we want to hear. God tells us to obediently give our tithe, and what we hear is that we will get a blessing. We hear the Bible say that if we resist the Devil, he will flee, but we somehow miss how it also says that this will only happen when we are living in submission to God.
I had some serious selective hearing about a year ago. A minister that I truly respect was praying for me, and he kept repeating a phrase as he prayed. He kept saying, "The world needs a hero Andy. The world needs a hero!" I honestly believe that God was speaking to me through this man's prayer... the only question is, what was God trying to tell me.
This is what I heard: "Andy, you are a hero, and the world needs you!" We hear things like this a lot in the Christian world. It seems like there is always someone telling you that you need to go change the world. We hear things, and tell others things like, "Be extraordinary! Be a hero! Be the difference for someone!" So, it's not too crazy to understand why I would have "heard" God say what I thought He said.
After this man prayed for me, I set out to be a hero. I set out to be the best... to be holy... to be righteous... to be the world's hero. I let my head inflate to the extent that I became convinced that without me, there was no hope for people to find Jesus. In my head, I kinda became the world's Obi Wan Kenobi... I was their only hope.
But then, a few months ago, through some personal trials that I went through, my perspective changed. The air was let out of my BIG head. And I began to see me and Jesus in the proper perspective. I saw how incredible and powerful He is, and how weak and ordinary I am. I saw how loving and generous He is, and how self-serving, and conceited I am.
I was trying to be the perfect one. I was trying to be holy. I was trying to be the hero. And in doing that, I was trying to be God. I was trying to be Jesus. He is perfect. He is holy. He is pure. He is the hero. I am not.
When it comes right down to it, I am flawed and imperfect. I am not worthy to be anyone's hero. I don't have what it takes. When that man was telling me that the world needed a hero, I believe that God was telling me to point the world to Jesus... the Hero. But in my selective hearing, I heard what benefited me...
So now I read 1 John 2:1-2, and I see my Hero! When I couldn't make my sin right, He stood in my place. He did it for me. He is my Hero!!
"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins- and not only our sins but the sins of all the world." 1 John 2:1-2

Imperfect

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”----Mahatma Gandhi
This is a really powerful statement. This is a really thought provoking statement. This is a really embarrassing statement. And while it seems to be a scathing remark about our ability to be Christlike, I see it a little differently. I see it as a rebuke about how we, as Christians, have portrayed ourselves to the rest of the world.
We will never be Christlike enough to compare to Jesus. He is perfect, and we are definitely not (at least I know I am not!). And we will never be perfect. We are flawed and frail. We are weak and prone to failure. We are unable to live up to the standards of perfection that God has set for us.
In Revelation 4&5, John goes into the throne room of God. He starts describing things for the reader. He describes the throne, the area around the throne, the other creatures and beings in the room, but He doesn't really describe the most important aspect of the throne room.... God!! He just calls Him "the One sitting on the throne." Why would John do this? Isn't "the One sitting on the throne" the most important thing to describe? John doesn't describe Him because He is indescribable. In order to describe something, you have to make a comparison. You have to find something that it is like, and use that thing to describe what you are seeing. God is unlike anything or anyone else. He is beyond compare. And because He cannot be compared with anything, He cannot be accurately described.
So, when we, as frail and flawed people, compare ourselves to the glory of God, it should make sense that we will come up short. We will never be like Him. Not even close.
So then, why would Gandhi say this? Why would he emphasize our imperfection? I think it is because we have carried ourselves in the world like we are perfect. We have given everyone the impression that because we follow Christ, we have no flaws and that we don't make mistakes. We try to explain away or excuse past failures of ourselves or other Christians as though we have no faults. We have brought the world into a belief that we think we are perfect, or better than everyone else because we are Christians. We have forgotten who we are being compared to.
We like to compare ourselves to someone whose life is falling apart, and say "I'm not perfect, but at least I'm better than that guy!" Or, we compare ourselves to other Christians that we think we are more spiritual than. And as we make these comparisons, we come out thinking that we are pretty special. We think we have got it all together. We think that because we are better than someone else in our own eyes, that makes us perfect. We are so wrong.
We need to remember that we are to compare ourselves to one person, and one person only. And that one person is Jesus Christ. And when I compare myself to Him, I always come up seriously short. When I compare myself to His power, and His perfection, I realize just how weak and imperfect I am.
But here is the good news: Even though God's standard is perfection, He knows I can't get there. And since I can't do it, He came and did it for me. I could not be my own perfect sacrifice, so Jesus became that sacrifice on my behalf!! That sacrifice means that when God looks at my life, He sees perfection... But its not my perfection He sees... He sees the perfection of Christ. I don't own or possess that perfection, it is a covering that Christ has given to me. He covers my imperfection with His perfection!!
I will never be perfect. I will never compare to Christ. I will never live up to His standards. If I could, I wouldn't need Him. I live and breathe knowing that Jesus Christ has become my covering.
I need to carry myself in the world with the knowledge of my imperfection, and the wonder of knowing that the love and grace of God has covered me. Then maybe the world will see that I am real. I am not letting people think I am like Christ or that I could ever be like Christ. Then maybe the world will see that I'm just a messed up, imperfect person, doing my best to serve a perfect God.

Entitled- Luke 17:7-10

"When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'" Luke 17:7-10 NLT
Sometimes as Christians, we feel entitled. Sometimes as people, we feel entitled. We feel like the world owes us something. We can feel like this because we think that we have been wronged by the world, and they need to make it up to us, or because we feel superior to the world and they need to adore us. Either way, we feel entitled to the praise and recognition of others.
This is even more dangerous when we feel entitled to recognition from God... Have you ever felt like God owed you a "thank you"?... I have. I have had times where I didn't think God really appreciated everything that I was doing for Him. I didn't think He appreciated the time I gave Him, or the talents I gave Him, or the money I gave Him. And I felt wronged. I felt entitled to recognition from God.
My biggest problem is that I wasn't doing those things for Him. Because I was seeking the praise and the acclaim, I was doing those things for me. I wanted recognized by God because I thought I had done somethings special. But this passage in Luke kinda puts things into perspective.
I am a servant. And you are too, if you are a follower of Christ. Servants are supposed to do one thing... serve. That's it. That's all. It's actually pretty simple. Just serve.
And servants don't get parades thrown in their honor. Statues are not made of them. Why? Because they are just doing their job.
As a Christian, serving is our job. Let's do our job. Let's not worry about winning "Employee of the Month". Let's just do our job. Let's serve the Master. Let's serve His servants. Let's serve the world that He loved so desperately and gave His life for. Let's serve.
No parades. No statues. No plaques or special ceremonies. No "thank you" is necessary. Serving the Master is an honor. It is a privilege that we should relish. We get to serve the Most High God!! The Creator of Heaven and Earth. Wow!! What a privilege!
And the best part.... Even though we are servants, He loves us enough to invite us to the table to eat with Him anyway (Luke 22:29-30)!!

The Letter Of The Law- John 18

Sometimes the craziest things happen right under our noses, and we don't notice them. One of these things happens in John 18:28.
In this verse, the Jewish leaders are trying to condemn an innocent man to death, but are afraid to defile themselves by going into a Roman government building before Passover. What?? Did I read that right? Defile themselves? Didn't they defile themselves by accusing innocent blood??
These guys were so wrapped up in obeying the letter of the Law on the outside,that they didn't see the filth on the inside of them! They didn't see that their sin, hate, and disgust had defiled them. Their jealousy had defiled them. Their insecurity had defiled them. They were filthy!! That Roman building was probably cleaner than they were!!
But I think we all do this. We get so concerned about where we go, what we watch, and the things we do that we don't see the sin inside of us.
Don't only appear clean. Be clean!!! Let God cleanse what's inside of you! Let him purify your thoughts, motives, and intentions. Don't just obey the letter of the Law. Let it come alive inside of you!

"Make Them Holy"- John17

Prayer is probably the most important and impactful thing we can do as people and as followers of Christ. Prayer is awesome. It is breathtaking to think that a silly, sinful human like me can communicate with Almighty God... the Creator of Heaven and Earth!! WOW!!!
As important as prayer is, we should really pay close attention to the times in Scripture when Jesus is praying. It would make sense that He would be pretty good at it! But check out what Jesus prays in verse 17. He prays that the Father would make His disciples holy.
So, when Jesus prayed for you and me, He prayed that we would be holy. He didn't pray we would be healthy. He didn't pray that we would be happy. He didn't pray that we would have money. He didn't pray that our churches would be popular. He didn't pray that we would have an easy life. He didn't pray that our kids would always obey us, or that our spouses would always show us love. Jesus prays that the Father would make us holy by the truth of the Father.
So then, what is that truth? The truth is that Jesus is all we need. We would like to have everything I listed above, but what we need is Jesus. Him and Him only. And when we pursue Him and His truth, He makes us holy.
Jesus wants me holy... Hmm... interesting....

He Has Conquered- John 16

Conquer. That's kind of a funny sounding word. Say it with me... Conquer! It's kind of a powerful word to say. Say it again.... Conquer!! I like that word!
We are always trying to conquer something. We are trying to conquer our fears. We are trying to conquer our inhibitions. We are trying to conquer our sinful nature. We are trying to conquer the battle of the bulge. We are trying to conquer a lot of different things in our lives.
But you have to love what Jesus says at the end of John 16. He says that He has conquered the world!! The whole world!! There is nothing he hasn't or can't conquer. Jesus is the man!!! There is nothing beyond His grasp!
Unfortunately, I think sometimes we get so conquer-happy, that we try to conquer Jesus. We try to drown out, or ignore His voice. We try not to listen. We try to be our own conqueror.
But rest assured, Jesus will NOT be conquered. Not by me, you, or anyone else. He was, is, and always will be victorious! He is the conqueror!
So, quit trying to fight a losing battle, and submit to Jesus the Mighty Conqueror as your Lord and King!! This is the one time in your life when it is a good thing to be conquered!

Without Excuse- John 15

Excuses are an incredible thing. They are the greatest exercise of self-preservation that anyone can participate in. Their only purpose is to save me from consequences that I deserve! I wouldn't need an excuse unless I had done something incorrectly, so that means I deserve whatever is coming my way. But not if I can make a good enough excuse!
I love being a dad. And, of course, one of my dadly duties is to discipline my kids. Every time one of my sons is confronted with something he has done wrong, he says, "But Dad..." and then rattles off some excuse for what he has done. I keep telling him that my name is not Butt Dad!!! Excuses are just part of what we do as people.
In verse 22 of John 15, Jesus says something incredible about excuses. He says that our knowledge of Him and what He has done, leaves us without any excuses to not follow and obey Him. Really, it is your knowledge of Him that makes you accountable.
In the world we live in today, we know so much about Jesus. We know where and how He lived. We know the words of His teachings. We know the lives of some of His followers. We even know what kinds of foods they ate in the days He was here. We know a lot. But we obey very little.
If I started a new job and didn't know very much about how things are supposed to run, it would be easily forgivable if I messed something up. But when I have the knowledge of how it is supposed to be done, then I am accountable for that knowledge. I need to follow the procedure.
Are there areas of your life that you have God's knowledge of how you are supposed to be living, but you are not obeying that knowledge? Are you making excuses? Are you trying to find ways to justify your actions or lack of action?
Unfortunately, you are without excuse....

PS- For more on this subject, check out the message I preached on 4/11/10 on our church's website: mcfwc.org. If it is no longer listed there, use the contact info from the site to request the audio. If God has spoken to you through what is written here, He will speak through hearing this message.

Obedience School- John 14

I have never been much of an animal trainer. I tried to train dogs when I was a kid, but was never really successful. My dogs never really sat, stayed, or fetched. They just kind of slobbered and looked at me with confused dog look. I did train my cat Hank to come to his name, but I'm not sure that counts. I was never really obedience school material as a trainer.
Unfortunately, most of us aren't obedience school material as trainees either. A couple of times in this chapter, Jesus says that the sure sign that we belong to Him is that we obey Him. Love = Obedience. That doesn't sound like any fun! Who likes to obey? But Jesus says that if we don't obey, we don't belong to Him.
The question we need to ask ourselves is: Are we obedient? Do we belong to Him? Too often, we read Scripture and apply it to somebody else. Or we think that it couldn't possibly mean what it says. But the mark of a true Christian is obedience. So, I guess we had better start obeying. We need to go to Spiritual Obedience School.

I Want the Proof!- John 13

I have always loved detective stories, and TV shows about police cases, and legal procedure. I'm kind of a nerd, I know. But these kind of things flip a switch of excitement and imagination inside of me. I love the search for the truth. And even more, I love to see how the case for the truth is built. I love to see the proof!
So where is the proof? (They say that they proof is in the pudding... I never found it there, but I did eat the pudding!) Where is the proof that I am a follower of Christ? In John 13, Jesus says that the proof is in my love for others.
Sometimes I wish that was a typo! It is hard to love others sometimes. People can make you angry. They can get on your nerves. They can be so stubborn. They can be difficult. They can do stupid things. They can be deceitful. They have be arrogant. They can be self-serving. People are not so much fun sometimes! Why do I have to love them????
Jesus answered that question so well. He said we should love others the same way He has loved us. We do all those things to God that we hate. We don't always treat Him the best. But He still loves us. He still extends His mercy and grace. And He asks us to do the same.
The proof is in your love. If you can love the arrogant, decietful, annoying people in your life, it is a sure sign that His love is in you!

Foolish Worship- John 12

I remember a time when I was working as the Children's Pastor at Evangel Assembly of God in Cortez, CO that something very embarrassing happened. One of our helpers was teaching an object lesson, and I went to the supply closet to get something. I squatted down to pick it up off of the floor and heard a very loud noise as my pants split from belt loops to zipper!! I was so embarrassed! I felt so foolish!!
We are so afraid of looking foolish. We are so afraid of what other people will think of us. We pick our clothes, pick our words, and dictate our actions based on how we think other people are going to accept what we do. We are afraid of looking foolish.
Mary wasn't afraid to look foolish in order to worship the King of Kings! She has a bunch of guests at her house... She should be serving them! But instead, she finds the most valuable think she can, and pours it out at Jesus' feet. She takes something of incredible value and uses it to worship her King. In today's economy, that bottle of perfume would have cost somewhere around $40,000.00!!!! And she just poured it out! That sounds foolish!
But her foolishness didn't stop there. Then she, the host of this dinner, begins to wipe the feet of Jesus with her hair! The Apostle Paul says that a woman's hair is her glory. She takes her glory, and uses it to wipe the dirt off of her Master's feet. Her glory meant nothing to her in comparison to His glory!! Sure she looked foolish, but she was worshipping the Lord of all Creation!
Sometimes worshipping God can look foolish. We give him 10% of our income, and people say, "What in the world are you doing?!?!?!?!" In worship, we hold back from places and activities that won't bring him glory. In worship, we give our lives for His purpose because He gave His life to save ours. Worship can seem pretty foolish. It can appear to be absurd. It doesn't add up.
When it seems the most foolish, that is when your worship is pure. You only care about what He thinks of you. Nothing else matters. You are worshipping.

But Lord...- John 11

You gotta love Mary and Martha. Typical siblings that don't exactly see eye to eye. They both have their good qualities, and they both have their bad (I suppose we all do!). Usually, they are the opposite of one another, but in this situation, they were the same. They expressed great faith in Jesus' ability to heal the sick. But raising the dead? They weren't so sure.
They statement that stand out to me is when Jesus tells them to roll the stone back, and Martha says, "But Lord...". Isn't that what we say all the time? God wants to do something incredible in us, but He asks us to do something that we think will make us look foolish. So we say, "But Lord...". Somehow, we get it in our head that for at least that one split second, we know something that God doesn't. If you read that last statement back, you will see just how silly that is!!
There are going to be times where God asks us to do something that doesn't make sense. It's not going to add up. It is going to seem foolish. But one thing about Jesus is: usually when He is going to do something big, He requires some action on our part too! We have to participate! And sometimes that participation isn't going to make sense. Sometimes we are going to want to say, "But Lord...".
It's kinda your call. You can have it your way, and have God's incredible blessing continue to rot in a cave if you want. Or, you can do do something foolish, roll back the stone, and see God's glory at work in your situation. It's your call. What are you gonna do?

Some Things Never Change- John 10

Everyone likes dependable things. No one goes to a car lot and asks for the biggest piece of junk they have. We want something dependable.
Jesus says in John 10:35 that “The Scriptures cannot be altered.” They are dependable. They are unchanged, and will remain that way. Nothing I can say, do, or teach can change the truth of the Scripture. If you hear someone say something about God that doesn’t sound right, you can always check it out, because the truth of Scripture cannot be changed. It is steady and unmovable.
It’s kinda nice to know that in a world where everything is constantly changing, some things never do. God’s word never changes. It is never found lacking. It is always sure and true.
Thank God that some things never change!

Blinded By Details- John 9

I hate details. I like to think of myself as a big picture person. Sometimes the details can just weigh something down so much that it’s no good anymore. I realize that we need the details in some respect, but I’m convinced that we stress too much about the details.
The Pharisees were definitely detail people. They made sure that they were “perfect” right down to the last detail. And when Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath in John 9, they freaked out! They said it was against the Law to heal on the Sabbath (I love Jesus’ response to them when the same thing happened in John 5 :17, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”). Jesus had violated one of their details.
Sometimes as Christians, I think we get way too worried about the details. We start talking doctrine, and before long a fist fight almost breaks out! It seems that sometimes, concentrating on the details too much can be destructive. They can tear down what God is trying to build up.
Let’s look at the big picture. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He is the Risen Savior of all mankind. In him is hope, life, peace, and love. Let the details worry about themselves. The big picture is that I choose to follow him, no matter what the details are.

Go Towards The Light- John 8

We’ve all heard those stories where someone has a near death experience, and they go toward the light. I’ve always wondered if fish have a similar experience when you throw them back after catching them…. Anyway, back to the subject… What would happen if we went toward the Light?
Jesus says in John 8:12 that he is the Light of the world, and if you follow Him, you won’t have to walk in darkness. I’m not sure about you, but I see darkness everywhere in this world. We live in a very dark place. But Jesus said we could escape this darkness by following Him.
Are you in the middle of a dark time right now? Have you found your life in a dark place that you never expected to be in? Follow the Light!! 1 John says that there is no darkness in Him! Follow the Light and watch the darkness scatter.
It sounds simple, because it is…. Just follow Him!

Confused?- John 7

I am in a constant state of confusion. I think most people are, but how would I know, I’m confused about it? I’m unsure sometimes about how to act or think. Certain situations definitely leave me wondering.
Jerusalem was a confusing place when Jesus was there in John 6. No one really knew what to think about Jesus. They knew what they heard him say. They knew the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him. They knew He was a good teacher. They knew some said He was Messiah. They knew He was certainly powerful enough to be Messiah. They knew lots of stuff. And knowing all that stuff is pretty confusing.
I don’t think things are much different in our world today. We say we know what we think about Jesus, but do we know? We say He is the Messiah. We say He is the Son of God. We say that nothing is impossible for Him. We say we serve Him. We say He is the one and only object of our affection. But do our actions back up our words? I think we’re a little confused.
If He really is everything we say He is, then why don’t we act like it? If He is so powerful, why do we have a hard time believing in the impossible? If He is the son of God, then why do we have a hard time pulling our hearts away from the ideals of this world, and truly loving Him? If we really serve Him, then why does every decision we make only benefit ourselves?
I think we’re confused. But how would I know?… I’m confused….

A Little Goes a Long Way- John 6

I am a huge cheap-skate. I hate to spend money if I don’t have to. I am constantly walking around my house lecturing the family about wasted heat, and energy. So, being the cheap-o that I am, I love a good deal. I love it when you can buy a lot of something cheap, or when you can get something where a little goes a long way.
In John 6, Jesus sees an enormous crowd coming His way, and asks Phillip where they can get some bread. Phillip answers like he h=thinks Jesus is crazy for even bringing it up!
But then Andrew sees something. Its not much, but it is something. Andrew sees that there is a boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. There is no possible way to make that little go far enough to feed everyone. So then, why does he even bring it up? Why would Andrew even mention such a little bit of food in the middle of such an enormous need?
I think Andrew understood something fundamental about his Master. Can you think of one time Jesus walked into a situation of abundance and did something logic-defying? I can’t! In fact, every time Jesus did something miraculous, there was a huge need, and nothing to work with. I think Andrew said to himself, “There isn’t much here, but I’m not so sure He needs that much.” (I like this event so much, it makes me want to start going by my full name!)
Jesus doesn’t need much from you. All He really needs is the little you have, and the realization that, for Him, that is more than enough. Don’t be afraid to serve God because you feel like you have nothing to give. Jesus loves nothing! He does His best work with nothing! Jesus has a membership to go and visit the Nothing Hall of Fame, He loves it so much.
You don’t need much. Just give Him what you have, and know that it will be enough.

Searching For Approval- John 5

We all like approval. We like to know our vitamins are FDA approved. We want the meat from the grocery store to be USDA approved. We like it when our loan application gets approved. And, we like it when people approve of us.
In general, most of what every person wants is the approval of another. We want to know that people like us. We want them to think we are smart, or funny, or attractive, or kind. We want people to approve of our behavior. And on a more intimate level, we want the people close to us to approve of who we are… our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. We want to be approved by others.
Check out John 5:41. Jesus is talking about the approval, but not in the way we do. He says, “Your approval means nothing to me.” (NLT) Wow! That sounds pretty harsh. But if you dig into the rest of what Jesus is saying here, you’ll see that He really means it. He’s not looking for the approval of me, you, or anyone else. He doesn’t care if you put a gold star next to His name on your chart of importance. He is not looking for you to approve of Him. When Jesus was on the earth, He was only looking for the approval of the Father. As long as the Father was pleased, who cares what anyone else thinks?
What would happen if for just one day, you didn’t care what anyone else thought? What would happen if you stopped looking for the approval of others? What would happen if you were only looking for the approval of the Father?
Just this morning, I read the story of a French woman named Blandina that lived in the 3rd century. She was arrested and tortured for being a Christian. She was beaten so severely that her torturers would get worn out and have to stop. They did this day after day after day. They tried to feed her to wild beasts, but she survived, so they went back to daily torture. Finally, they wrapped her in a fishing net, and left her at the mercy of an angry bull that eventually killed her. Something tells me that Blandina didn’t really care if she had the approval of anyone that might have been watching. Something tells me she was only interested in the approval of the Father.
If you are going to spend your life searching for approval, whose approval is it that you seek?

I'm Full- John 4

If you know me, you know I like to eat. I am no stranger to the dinner table (although lately I've been on a stupid diet!). If there are words that I rarely utter, then they are probably "I'm full"! I can almost always find room for more. The only time I'm ever full is when I go to God's gift to mankind: a Chinese buffet!!
In verse 34 of John 4, Jesus talks about being full. But He isn't talking about food. He says that He finds His satisfaction in doing the work of God. He gets everything He needs through serving the Father.
When was the last time you really felt satisfied with life? When was the last time that you looked at your life and thought, "I'm full"? When was the last time you let yourself be satisfied through your service to the Father.
He is everything we could ever need. We don't need cars, or houses, or money, or members of the opposite sex, or positions, or titles, or power. We need Him. We need our fulfillment to come from serving the King of all Creation.
I pray that today you can look back at your day and say, "I'm full!"

The Gift- John 3

I think everyone likes to get a gift. Even if you are pretty sure the gift is going to be lame, there is still some excitement in finding out. It’s just the way we are. We like gifts.
The Father gave us the greatest gift ever when He sent Jesus to come and redeem us. There is nothing more valuable in all of the world than the gift of Jesus Christ. Every day with Him is like the suspense and surprise of unwrapping a present, and there is never any disappointment with what you get.
The problem is, we forget that He is the gift. John 3:16 says that the Father sent Him as the gift! But too often, we get confused into thinking we are the gift! We think we are giving God a gift when we choose to serve Him. We act like He needs us.
The reality is: God doesn’t need you! Now, before you stop reading and get ready to call and yell at me, hear me out. God doesn’t need you, He has chosen you. He chose to give himself to you. We act like God would never be able to accomplish anything without us. We think that without us, God is rendered utterly useless. But He is God!! If you won’t serve Him and be used by Him, He will just do things another way. He is God! For him, nothing is impossible. Nothing is beyond His reach.
Let me challenge you today not to see yourself as a gift to God, but see Him as a wonderfully powerful, and loving gift to you. Have fun unwrapping it!

Trust Him- John 2

Trust is a funny thing. You know people you can totally trust, and then there are those shifty-eyed people you’re not really sure about. Some people trust you, and other people don’t. No matter how trustworthy you are, if you wear baggy clothes into a convenience store late at night, they definitely won’t trust you.
One thing I know for sure: Mary trusted Jesus. She proves it in John 2 when she asks Him to do something to solve the drink situation at the wedding they were attending. I actually don’t think she was asking Him to perform a miracle. Tradition says that Joseph had died already, and as the oldest boy, Jesus had a responsibility to help His mom. Mary would have probably asked Joseph to help if he had been there. But even though Jesus gives her a kind of weird answer, she still tells the servants to do whatever He says. She trusts Him to do something about it.
I don’t think she was counting on a miracle, because, for all we know, she didn’t know He was capable. But she trusted Him to act. She trusted Him to do something. Something about His character told her that He wouldn’t let this problem go unsolved.
We need to learn to trust Jesus in this way. We need to learn that it is in His character to act. He will do something to bring a solution to the situation. But, like Mary, maybe we shouldn’t always been looking for the miraculous. Maybe we should just trust that He will do something, and leave it at that.

God Sent A Man- John 1

You know, sometimes I wonder why we are necessary. I wonder why or if God really needs us. The truth is, He doesn't really need us, but He loves us, and, He has chosen us. God has chosen to work in our world through people. So, in John 1 it says, "God sent a man."
God has sent people like you and me into our world with His message. He has a message of hope and freedom for the world, and He has sent us to spread the Word. So, let's get to it! He sent us, let's go! There's a big world out there that needs to hear the Gospel... Let's go!!!

At His Own Expense- Acts 28

I love the New Living translation of the Bible. I think a lot of us like one version or another, and we like them for a variety of reasons. In the NLT, there is some interesting wording that closes our the book of Acts. The first part of Acts28:30 reads like this, “For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense.” This is kind of a loaded statement when it comes to Paul.
Paul had the right to seek "employment" from the local Christians, but he didn't. He lived at his own expense. He didn't want to burden anyone. This just shows how selfless Paul was. He was arguably one of the most Spiritually powerful men alive, but he cared more about the needs of others than he cared about his own. Maybe this isn't really a coincidence. Maybe his spiritual power has something to do with his selflessness...???
Living at his own expense can also been seen another way for Paul. It seemed like everywhere that Paul went, it cost him something physically. Just think of how many times he was beaten, run out of town, shipwrecked, and even stoned!! That definitely had a physical price. Really, you could say that Paul's entire ministry was at his own expense. But it really didn't seem to matter to Paul. His only concern was advancing the Kingdom of God.
Wow! Paul was so humble, he'd probably be bummed out if he knew how much we talk about him now. I pray that I can become so Christ-like that I can show this kind of humility.
Lord, humble me.....

Peace In The Storm-Acts 27

I think everyone has a role model. We all have someone we want to be like. Some are athletes. Some are businessmen, or politicians. Some are preachers, teachers, and strong Christians. Paul had a role model too. Paul wanted to be like Jesus. And he did that so effectively in Acts 27, that I decided to blog on this chapter twice!
Paul is in the middle of this huge storm. People are panicking. Everything is chaotic. And Paul is thinking about food! Doesn’t this kinda remind you of when Jesus was in the boat during the storm, and the Disciples got mad at Him because He was sleeping? Jesus had peace because He had heard from Heaven. Paul also had peace because he had heard from Heaven.
My goal is to become more and more like Jesus. Hopefully, someday I will get to where Paul was. Not shaken. Confident in the God’s Word, not matter what is happening around me.
Make me more like you, Jesus!

Just A Little Farther- Acts 27

Remember when you were little and your mom would say it was time for bed, or time for dinner, or time to go home, and you would beg, “Just 2 more minutes!”? My kids do it all the time, but this is nothing new, we’ve all done it. This is essentially what happened to Paul and the guys who were taking him to Rome. They knew they should probably stop where they were, but they just wanted to go a little farther. Then, it would be better.
Check out a map of this trip. Phoenix, the place they were shooting for was just a little ways down the coast from where they were, but that’s not where they ended up. They ended up over miles of open ocean, and eventually shipwrecked on Malta. Malta is roughly 13 times farther away from where they were than Phoenix was. They covered a lot of ground they hadn’t planned on.
Sometimes there are things we know we shouldn’t do. God has warned us in His Word that we shouldn’t. He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit that we shouldn’t. But we tell God, “Just a little farther.” The old adage is so true: Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to go, keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay and cost you more than you ever expected to pay. We say, “Just a little farther,” but really we are swinging open the doors of disobedience. After those doors are open, they can be very hard to shut.
Are there areas in your life that you are telling God, “Just a little further”? Are there things you are doing that you know you have no business doing, and you keep making the excuse that it is just a little more? Before you get carried away by the storm of sin, listen to the Guidance of the Lord. Be patient and obedient, and live in the blessing of God. Say goodbye to an arrogant or disobedient attitude, and say hello to God’s pleasure with you.

Back.......

So, it has been a while since I posted something new to my blog. The whole purpose of this blog was to allow the Word of God to speak to me and affect my life, and write about that process. Over the last few weeks, I have been up against probably the most formidable personal foe I have ever done battle with. This battle I have been fighting has made me question nearly everything in my life, including my salvation. I am not sure I have ever been shaken like I have been over the last month. So I took some time off of the blog so that I could collect my thoughts, and once again approach the point where I could allow God to speak to me and through me by using this platform.
Starting tomorrow, I will begin again to regularly blog my way through the Scriptures. I will pick up in Acts 27, right where I left off. I will post 5-7 times per week, just like I had originally planned. I know God will help me to make obedience to His Word a top priority. I pray He will help you too . We show that obedience by trying to gain truth about life, and personal insight through His Word. I pray that will be the case for both you and me.
One of the most incredible things that has happened in my heart over this month has been the total destruction of who I thought I was as a man, a pastor, and a Christian. I am not who I convinced myself I was. Although I am actually terribly insecure, I began to see myself not just as a good person and Christian, but I saw myself as very good. I think this was somehow to compensate for my insecurity, but no matter what the reasoning was, that is what happened.
The Lord has been gently, lovingly, and sometimes violently reminding me that He is the One who sits on the throne. I am not victorious because of anything I say or do. My only victory lies in the fact that I have chosen to live my life for Him. Any victory I can win on my own doesn’t really matter, because it is confined to this world. When God wins for me, those prizes are eternal. Nothing can take away what He does in me.
Lord, I desperately seek you. My desire is to know Your desire. Let my heart beat as Yours does. I have vacated my throne, and can’t wait to see what happens next, now that You sit on it.
I hope and pray that my blog will be a blessing to you. Let God’s Word sink into your spirit, and daily transform you into the image of Christ.

Clear Objective-Acts 26

The more you read, the more obvious it is that Paul had a clear objective. He wasn’t trying to get out of jail. He was trying to win the lost. He even almost convinced Agrippa while they were in court!!
This guy didn’t care about comfort. He Didn’t care about freedom. He didn’t even really care about his rights (he just used them to get to Rome). He cared about the lost. He cared so much that all hose other things were of no interest to him.
Lord, give me a hunger to win the lost like Paul had. I don’t want anything else to matter.

Cool Under Fire- Acts 24&25

You really find out what someone is made of when they are under pressure. You don’t have time to pretend. You only have time to react. And you react according to your true nature.
In Acts 24&25, Paul isn’t exactly in situations that are moving so fast he can’t respond, but he is certainly under pressure. He is being accused of things he hasn’t done. And his accusers are relentless. They waste no time getting in to see the new governor.
But none of this bothers Paul. He just simply states his case, and leaves it at that. He knows his objective is not freedom. His objection is to preach the Gospel. So no matter what is happening around him, he preaches the Gospel. That is the ultimate of cool under pressure… I wish I was that cool!

Wouldn’t It Have Been Easier?-Acts 23

God makes a promise to Paul in Acts 23. In verse 11, God tells Paul he is going to go to Rome. In a sense, this is pretty awesome! Paul is going to get to minister in a brand new city. The most powerful city in the world at that time! The downside: he will be in jail, and, he had to go all the way to Jerusalem to get to Rome! I think God’s TomTom must have been broken, because Paul wasn’t that far from Rome when god told him to go to Jerusalem!
Sometimes you have to wonder why. Sometimes God doesn’t make sense. If Paul was supposed to get to Rome, he took a huge detour to get there. So then, why?
I can’t say for sure, but you have to think it has something to do with the people along the way. Paul witnessed in front of a huge group of Jews, the Jewish Council, and eventually Governor Felix and all of his people. It must have had something to do with them. It had to be so that they would have an opportunity to hear the truth.
You have to wonder sometimes if the journey God has you on has less to do with the destination as it has to do with the trip itself. Sometimes the journey is the destination. It’s important to keep our eyes on where God is taking us, but it is just as important to do His work all along the way. It might feel like two steps back, but look around and see who you got closer to with those two steps.

Don’t You Know Who I Am?-Acts 22

It’s nice to feel like you belong to something. To feel like a part of something bigger. We gain identity by the things we belong to. I’m an American because I belong to America (in a sense). I am a Christian because I belong to Christ. These are things that I am identified by.
In Acts 22, Paul is speaking to a violent mob, and when he says something they don’t like, and they go crazy. The Roman soldiers want to get to the bottom of things, so they beat Paul to try to get a confession. This hate-fest gets broken up when Paul casually mentions that he is a Roman citizen.
His citizenship mattered. It identified him as something special. It gave him certain right… rights that weren’t being protected. The fact that he belonged to Rome, identified him as someone special.
The same is true when we belong to Christ. We have to remember that as Christians, we have certain power and authority that our enemy must respect. But if we never identify ourselves; if we never flex some spiritual muscle, we are never identified, and never respected.
Next time you are facing an extra difficult situation, remember who you are. Remember who you belong to.

Jumping To Conclusions-Acts 21

It’s funny how people can see the same thing, but come to a different conclusion. I used to like to look at the clouds to see what I thought they looked like, but when they all started looking like food, I thought it was time to stop! It’s really a matter of perspective.
You have to respect the believers in Tyre because they were definitely hearing from God. But they kinda misinterpreted the facts. They had prophesied that bad things would happen to Paul if he went to Jerusalem, so they told him not to go. Then, Paul ends up in Caesarea, and Agabus has a similar prophecy, and they believers there also beg him not to go.
But here’s the thing, Paul already knew what was going to happen, and he was going anyway! Physical hardship couldn’t deter Paul from following God. Paul understood that earthly problems are not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to a Christian walk. In fact, sometimes it is only because of these difficult times that God gets His work done in us!
Paul got it. He understood. The other believers didn’t, but aren’t you glad Paul did? What an example!
When you hear form God, don’t jump to conclusions. Let him control the situation His way, and watch what happens. Most of the New Testament was written while Paul was in jail!

Long Winded-Acts 20

This has to be every preachers favorite chapter of the Book of Acts. We have all been a little long-winded, but I would guess very few of us have ever preached so long that someone fell over and died!!... although I have wondered about a few people! Probably the coolest part of this story is that, after Paul raises the guy from the dead (just an average day for Paul), he goes right back to preaching! No wonder Paul is my hero!
But why would Paul do that? He obviously understood that he had been talking a long time, so why did he keep talking? He gives the answer in verse 24. His thought process told him that his life was worth nothing unless he finished his work telling people the Good News about Jesus. He only saw his value in preaching the Gospel. The sum total of his life was wrapped up in his service to the Savior.
What a good reason to be long-winded! To finish the work... To complete the job. Lord, give me the strength to finish well... even if I have to be a little long-winded!!

Otherworld Famous- Acts 19

On some level, I think everyone wants to be famous. We all want to be known for something we are, or that we have accomplished. I always wanted to be a famous athlete or a superhero (too bad I couldn’t find a radioactive spider to bite me). We all want to be held in high esteem.
By the time Acts 19 rolls around, Paul is becoming pretty famous. He has traveled all over the world preaching the Gospel and encouraging the Church. Lots of people know him (even though some of them want to kill him). He is famous.
But what I love is that Paul wasn’t just naturally famous, he was supernaturally famous. He was otherworld famous. In this chapter we find some guys just randomly using the name of Jesus to become powerful over evil spirits. But in verse 14, their plan kinda backfires. The demons talk back saying that they know Jesus and Paul, but had no respect for these seven losers. So the demons lay the smack down, and show Sceva’s boys who’s boss.
I can’t get over that the demons name Paul as an authority that they would be scared of. That would be incredible to know that God’s power is flowing through you in such an incredible way that even the demons have noticed (probably because they run back to Hell, licking their wounds, and telling horror stories about a little, bald, bow-legged guy that means business!).
Lord, let your church move in you power so dynamically, that the demons know our names. We want our pictures up on the post office walls of Hell. Forget about world famous. We want to be Otherworld famous!

Share The Wealth- Acts 18

Paul was a pretty cool guy. He might have even been the coolest guy to ever live! He went from killing Christians to teaching them almost overnight! He was shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, and always kept a great attitude. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached all over the world! See what I'm saying? Pretty cool.
But even as great as Paul was, he was willing to share the spotlight. This guy named Apollos shows up on the scene, and starts following behind Paul's ministry. A lot of guys would have felt threatened. A lot of guys would have doubled back to check on his teaching. A lot of guys would have, but Paul didn't. He wasn't insecure. He was sure of himself in Christ. And he was willing to share the wealth.
Paul understood that he wasn't the important one, Jesus was. And anyone who was accurately preaching Jesus wasn't a threat, they were an ally.
Paul was the man! And that is so true that he was willing to let someone else be the man too.

All Hail The King- Acts 17

I have always wanted to be royalty. It seems like it would be fun to be that important. The closest I've ever gotten was getting one of those awesome Burger King crowns. I did look pretty cool in it though.
I love the accusation the angry mob makes about Paul and his friends. In verse 7 they accuse them of serving another king, King Jesus. I love that! I love the thought of Jesus as our King. We sing songs and read scriptures about Jesus as our friend, healer, and shepherd, but we have so few things to say about Him being our King.
Maybe we need to think like that a little more often. Maybe we need to start obeying Him like a King.
All hail King Jesus!!

What A Guy- Acts 16

Some people just go above and beyond the call of duty. There are times in life when someone you are around will go to extraordinary lengths on behalf of someone else. Timothy was definitely one of those guys.
Paul and Silas are visiting some of the churches Paul started, with the purpose of delivering a very important message. They were spreading the news that the Church leaders had decided that was not necessary for the Gentile believers to be circumcised (very good news for them!). They were letting everyone know that they were obligated to show their submission to Christ by the way they live, and were under no compulsion to submit themselves to Jewish law through circumcision. The mark of Christ is a holy life. No other marks necessary.
But here comes Timothy. He’s just a young guy from Lystra that loved Jesus, and was highly regarded by the other believers in his area. Paul likes the kid so much, he asks Timothy to travel with them. Good deal. Good for Timothy. But check out verse 3. Before they leave, Timothy gets circumcised! This isn’t the time or place to discuss how painful that must have been, but Timothy just does it.
I hope you see the irony here. They are going from church to church telling everyone that they don’t need to be circumcised, but Timothy does it just so he doesn’t offend anyone! I am totally in favor of side-stepping offense every chance I get, but I’m not sure I would go that far!! That’s a lot of pain and trouble just so he won’t offend.
What a guy!
Lord, give me a Timothy kind of selflessness. I want to be aware of the potential effect I have on others. I want to be like Timothy (but without the surgery, if possible!)

It Doesn't Matter-Acts 15

The past is a pretty tricky thing. It is the reason we are what we are today, and for that, we should be greatful. But the past can also be a pretty heavy burden.
Ultimately, the only thing that makes me different than you is the past. We have been through different things, and become slightly different people. But today we are the save. Today, we are sinful people in need of a Savior.
In Acts 15, The Apostles were essentially dealing with issues of the past. Some of the believers had a past that made them ethnically Jewish. Others did not. But because of their differeing pasts, the Apostles were given an opportunity to see people by theri past, or as sinners in need of a Savior... just like them.
Peter didn't always have the right thing to say, but I'm greatful he did in verse 11. We are all simply saved by grace. And that is enough. No other requirements. Just sinners that have found the Savior.
My past. Your past. Who cares? It doesn't matter. We are the same.

How Easily We Forget- Acts 14

People have such short memories. I couldn't tell you how often I lose things or forget what I was... what was I saying? We forget so easily!
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are preaching when a man is healed, and the whole town is convinced the men are gods. The townspeople even start sacrificing to Paul and Barnabas!! They have seen the miraculous and bought into whatever these men are teaching. Right? Wrong.
Just after the crowd is amazed, some of Paul's opponents come to town and convince everyone that they are wrong. These guys are so good at their convincing, they even stone Paul and leave him for dead! Aren't these the same guys that were just proclaiming Paul's deity??
I wonder how often we behave the same way (my guess is that it's pretty often). How often does God flex His miracle-working muscle, are we are totally amazed, just to turn back to our disbelief. It's sad. Our memory is so short.
Think about what God has done for you. Go ahead... do it! And concentrate on His goodness. Don't forget His miracles. Don't forget His grace. Don't forget His sacrifice. Don't let your faith suffer because you have a short memory!

Make It Plain- Acts 13

There is a Southern saying that I love. When a preacher is preaching good, and he is really making his point, the people will say, "Make it plain!"
I love it when people "Make it plain." I love when there is no guessing about what someone is saying. Have you ever had a conversation with someone when the other person just won't say what's on their mind? Isn't that frustrating? I'd rather paint a house with a toothbrush than have a conversation like that!
In Acts 13:10, Paul makes it plain. There is no messing around with what he says. He just comes out and calls a guy a "son of the devil." I've heard guys talk about another guy's momma, but I've never heard anyone called a son of the devil. That's pretty harsh. And it was pretty true. The guy was a son of the devil. And Paul wasn't afraid to say something about it either.
I love what happens next. After Paul lets the names fly, he pronounces a curse on the guy... and God backs it up! I don't know if God told Paul to do that or not, but either way, God had Paul's back.
You know, maybe if we were a little more willing to tell it like it is, God would back up our words too. Maybe we'd see miracles happen. Maybe our problem isn't that we don't have the faith, but that we don't make it plain.
God, give me the courage to make it plain.

Does God Ever Get Tired Of This Question?- Acts 12

We went to Denver a few weeks ago for Christmas, and I must have been asked a few dozen times how much longer the trip was going to be. It’s not my boys’ fault. They’re just kids. Apparently kids are supposed to ask the same question 37 times in a 12 minute time-frame.
I wonder if God ever gets tired of us asking the same questions over and over? It seems like the list of our questions and prayer requests rarely changes. So I wonder if He gets tired of hearing the same things over and over? I wonder if He ever feels like saying, “If you don’t sit still and be quiet, we’ll never get there!” (not that I’ve ever said that…)
Acts 12 brings up one of those questions for me. If James and Peter were both arrested by the same guy, for the same thing, and the same people were praying for them, why does James die, and Peter is miraculously set free? James was even one of the three guys closest to Jesus, just like Peter was. Sure, maybe James never walked on water, but he didn’t deny Jesus either. I’m not sure there is anything that makes Peter more worthy than James.
So the question is why… Why do some people die, and others live? Why do some survive their cancer, stroke, or heart attack, and others don’t? You’ve asked this question. I think everyone has.
Are you ready for the answer? Me too! Let me know when you find out what it is!
I’m not sure there is a static answer to this. Every situation is different. We expect God to treat us individually and uniquely, but we want a cookie-cutter answer from Him. We can’t have it both ways. Every person, every time, every circumstance is different… not matter how similar they seem.
I guess the real answer is to trust God that He knows what is best. It might be a good idea to start trusting before He threatens to turn the car around and go back home.

Just Like New- Acts 11

I’m going to confess something kind of silly. I love infomercials. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered a product from one, but I love to watch them. I think they’re funny. My favorite is the people that have to act like life is so hard without the product being sold. They can’t get out of their blanket, can’t open a can, and it breaks their back to use a vacuum. I love to laugh at those things.
So many of these commercials tell you that their product will make your old stuff like new. You’ll never know it was used! I always thought that if it was so great, they should also sell you some junky stuff to clean up too. They could make a lot more money that way!
In Acts 11:15, Peter says the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles like had happened to them at the beginning. The anointing was just like new!
I think it is awesome that every time the holy Spirit moves, it’s just like new. He hasn’t lost any of His power. He hasn’t lost any of His desire to move in our lives. It’s just like new.
If it seems a little old to you, maybe you need to pray for a fresh move of God in your life. It can be just like new!

Like Jesus- Acts 10

My goal as a Christian is to be like Jesus. A little more every day. My goal isn’t to go to church, or preach good sermons. I’m not trying to “be a better person” and I’m not trying to get to Heaven. I want to be like Him. All those other things will take care of themselves if I’m like Him.
Acts 10:38 is one of the coolest verses in the entire Bible. It’s like the Gospel wrapped up into one sentence (like a Gospel Burrito!). Jesus was anointed, and then went around using that anointing. Pretty simple. Pretty powerful. Pretty awesome.
This verse is a mouthful. It is so powerful that a man named John G Lake read it on April 28, 1898, and was so awestruck by its power that he dared to believe that God could heal, and saw thousands of miracles happen at his hands. I told you it was powerful!
The part that hits me like a ton of bricks is that Jesus went around healing all who were sick. Not some. Not the ones with the most faith. Not the ones that cried the most. Not the ones with the saddest story. All. Little word, huge impact! He healed them all.
It has long been a prayer of mine that God would anoint me to heal the sick. Sure I have prayed for some sick people and they have been healed, but I’m looking for something more. Something deeper. All. One word. That is what I want. All.
Healing the sick is just one way that I strive to be like Jesus. What is it for you? Is there something you struggle with? Is there something you dream about? How are you striving to be more like Him?
All I know is, I want it all.

Transformer- Acts 9

When I was a kid, life was about action figures and toy cars. My personal goal was to own every GI Joe and Hot Wheels in existence. I don't think I really got anywhere close to that goal, but you get the picture.
So, for a little boy that loved action figures (don't call them dolls) and cars, life didn't get better than a Transformer. It was an action figure. It was a car. Does life get any better? For an 8-year old in the 80's, probably not. You could just change them into whatever toy you felt like playing with.
In Acts 9, we see one in a long line of Spiritual Transformers. Saul of Tarsus meets the Man Himself while on his way to kill Christians. He is blinded, healed, saved, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, and starts teaching in the synagogues practically overnight. Now that's what I call a transformation! That beats changing from a truck into a robot any day!
Saul's transformation was so dramatic and so sudden, he went from trying to kill people for their faith, to them trying to kill him. Usually people trying to kill you doesn't rank very high on the Awesome Scale, but in this case it pegs out the meter! Saul went from being the predator to being the prey, and he didn't seem to really mind. It was all in the name of obedience to his new Master.
What an awesome reminder Saul is that there is no one out of reach for God. If He changed Saul, and He changed me, then He can change anyone. If you are trying to convince yourself that you problems are too big, or that you are too far from God, you need to stop along the road and let Him transform you. (And if you're gonna be a Transformer, I'd go for a helicopter... you can't miss with a helicopter!)

Power For Sale- Acts 8

For anyone who has witnessed God's power, it is no secret that it is incredible. I have seen people healed, set free from drugs and alcohol, and liberated from demon possession. And that was at the same service! God is incredible.
It has always been a prayer of mine for God to use me in the miraculous. I want to have power like Phillip, Peter, and John. They were moving so incredibly powerfully in God's anointing that a guy named Simon wanted to buy their power!
I know it wasn't right for Simon to ask this, but you have to admit that this is kinda cool. These guys were so powerful that people wanted to have what they had, and that they were willing to go to great lengths to get it.
I've never wanted to be well known, but I have always wanted to make Him well known. I pray for power like that!

Supernatural Boldness- Acts 6 & 7

I have always admired Stephen. It would probably be hard to find someone who doesn't. If you look up bold in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Stephen (if anyone had one!).
But it's not just his boldness that makes him impressive to me. Let me list a couple of pretty awesome qualities he possessed:
#1 He wouldn't be held back by the lack of a title. Stephen was not one of The Twelve. He was not a teacher. In fact, he was chosen to do the dirty work so that the teachers had more time to teach. But Stephen wasn't intimidated by the fact that he didn't have a title. He stood before the Jewish leaders, and starting with Abraham, brought them all the way to the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Impressive.
#2 He was a faithful learner. He could have used his "ministry" as an excuse to be poorly taught. He was using a lot of time making sure the older ladies were taken care of. But none of that mattered to Stephen. He knew he had to move forward with his faith, and so he learned. And he learned well.
#3 Even knowing the end result, he still said what he had to. I think he knew what was coming. Acts 6:15 talks about the glow on his face. God had already spoken to him. I think he knew the end result.
#4 His Christ-like character. Stephen did the most Christ-like thing he could do as he died. He even mirrored Jesus' statement from the cross. He forgave those who took his life. It doesn't get more Christ-like than that.
Imagine what God could do with a church full of Stephens!

The Winning Team- Acts 5

As Christ followers, we usually give the early Jewish religious leaders a pretty bad name. If you were to call someone in your church a Pharisee, you might get punched in the nose! But these were just guys that kinda thought they had it all figured out, and Jesus didn't really fit into their ideals.
And then there was Gamaliel. This guy was open to a new idea or two. While the rest of the Temple leaders wanted to string up the Apostles, Gamaliel advised them to let them run. He said, "If it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!" (v.39 NLT) Gamaliel understood that if you do something yourself, eventually it will fizzle out, but if you are on God's team, there is nothing that will be able to stop you.
What are you up to in your life right now? What projects are you working on? What goal do you have in your sights? If you are doing something by your own strength, you will fizzle. No matter how godly or holy your goal is. It might look like Him, but unless it is Him, you will find yourself flat on your back blaming God for your failure (even though it was you who failed, not Him!).
If what you're pursuing is a God-given goal or dream, then you can't fail! If you have chosen to play on His team, His team always wins!!
Are you on the winning team, or are you just wearing the jersey?

Illusion?- Acts 4

The other day my older brother told me an incredible story of heroism. He said that in the Denver area, a bus driver left his bus to run across the street and save an elderly lady from an out of control vehicle, sustaining serious injuries in the process. Sounds like a hero, right? That man is a hero!! But after the fact, one of the responding policemen gave the bus driver a ticket for jaywalking!! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard! That is kinda what happened to Peter and John in Acts 4.
These guys had just participated in God doing the miraculous as a lame man was given the gift of self-mobility, and all of the sudden, they are dragged in to face an angry group of religious leaders. They did something good... why all the drama?
The truth is, not everyone is happy when God moves. God rarely does the miraculous inside the little box we've made for Him. We want God to be our house-trained dog, but He is the Lion of Judah. God's move will mess up our religious ideas. It will make us stretch to understand how and why He does what He does.
I remember an older lady that God brought across my path a few years ago. She smoked like a chimney, swore like a sailor, and never attended church! But that woman taught me more about faith than I have ever learned from a book or in a church service. She didn't fit in my God-box. Now I don't think it is healthy for a Christ follower to smoke, swear, and not go to church, but God was trying to get me to look past the surface.
Is it possible that we harshly judge genuine moves of God because they don't fit in our God-box? What is the chance that we are missing the truth as it moves right under our nose? The roots of the Christian church were growing in Peter and John, but the religious leaders missed out. I don't want to make the same mistake.

Faith In Action- Acts 3

The funny thing about the book of Acts is that so much of it is so familiar. People preach about it. People talk about it. And the the first few chapters are pretty widely read.
This story here is a pretty popular one. Peter and John heal the lame man at the gate. We read the story, turn the page, and use it as an excuse to not give beggars money (silver and gold have I none). Check this story out again. Before the preaching, and after the silver and gold line. Verse 7 to be exact.
At this point there had been no physical change to the situation. They had walked up, talked to the guy for a second, and prayed for him, but nothing had changed. This is where Peter shows that he's either a man of great faith, or he's crazy. He grabs the guy and starts to stand him up. The guy is still lame! There has been no change in his legs, but Peter is standing the guy up. If I was there, I'd be telling Peter "What kind of nut case are you? You can't stand up a lame guy!" But apparently you can... who knew?
Peter didn't just talk a big game, he believed it with every fiber of his being. He believed it so deeply, that he was willing to risk looking like a fool for humiliating a lame man, in order to act on his faith. Faith isn't just believing. Faith is acting on what you believe. Faith reaches into God's presence, grabs hold of the impossible, and brings it into reality... Kinda like Peter reached out to stand up the limp-legged guy.
Lord, I pray that my faith would be an action and not just a feeling. Help me to stand up the lame things of this world and watch you completely change to situation. Help me put my faith in action.

Not My Own- Acts 2

So, there is tons of awesome stuff in Acts 2. I could write about this for days! But my goal in reading through the Word and blogging about it, is to notice stuff I haven't noticed before, if possible. So even though there is tons of great material here, my attention was grabbed by verses 42-47. It says that the church became a single unit instead of individual people.
Now I'm not advocating moving up to the mountains or out into the desert and living commune-style. But look at what happened here. These people were absolutely changed by what God did in them. But it wasn't just a one-time thing, this was continual. They devoted themselves to good teaching (v.42), and as they did, they were overcome by a sense of awe (v.43). Once they had their identity in the presence of God, their identity in this world didn't matter any more.
They didn't belong to themselves. Personal possessions didn't matter. They were not the most important people in their lives anymore. Jesus was the only one that mattered. If them giving something up could help spread the message of Jesus, then it didn't matter to them.
I pray that God can develop that level of selflessness in me. The only things that matter should be the things that spread the message of the Gospel.
Lord, I don't want to belong to myself anymore. I want to be totally yours.

Hurry Up And Wait- Acts 1

Acts 1 is where it all starts. This is the moment that Jesus officially turns the disciples loose on the world. He sends them out to turn things upside down! (Acts 17:6) Then they run head-first into their ministries and everything goes great, right? Wrong? The first thing Jesus says to do is wait (v.4).
I hate waiting. It is not a gift of mine. I want instant results, and I want them yesterday!!! But God has been dealing with me lately about patience. I'm too impatient to develop patience... Doesn't that take a long time? There are things to do, people to see, lives to be changed. I can't develop patience. I don't have time!
But Jesus tells the disciples to wait. But not just wait, they are waiting for power. They probably could have run out head-first and gotten some things done, but I doubt they would have accomplished 3,000 people in one day without power (Acts 2:41). When we wait for His timing, we're not delaying the results, we're magnifying them! We are making our lives exponential. We become more than ourselves, and accomplish more than is possible. Waiting for His timing gets things done!
I guess I can learn patience... If I have too...
I hope it's quick!