Day of Praise

Fr, Aug 31 "Day of Praise"

"Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians," [Gedaliah] said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you." - Jeremiah 40:9

Wait! Isn't Gedaliah one of God's people? And aren't the Babylonians the enemy? And Gedaliah's saying, "Serve the Babylonians"?

Yes.

I remember, years ago, facing the young man who had trespassed against me in a major way. Sinned against me in a major way. Hurt me in a major way.

To be sure, there are nuances about the whole encounter that now, 37 years later, I'd do a little differently. But the major part of God's instruction to me was clear then and now.

Forgive the Babylonian, uh, I mean, forgive the guy who hurt you. Forgive your enemy. He's standing right in front of you, so stick out your hand. Greet him. Look him in the eye. And tell him that you forgive him.

In so doing, you not only serve your enemy. You also serve yourself.

The rational (not emotional) decision to forgive serves not only your enemy. Forgiving your enemy, choosing not to pursue getting even, letting go of the figurative stranglehold on your enemy's throat, forgiving also serves the forgiver.

Forgiveness rIds the forgiver of anger. And since anger can destroy the heart, ridding your heart of all anger, like sweeping away anything that feels like spider web when you unexpectedly walk into a spider web, rids the heart of all that would destroy your heart.

This is why St. Paul is God's servant to write in Ephesians 4:31, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."
And in Colossians 3:8, "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."

This is why Jesus, in Matthew 5:44, says, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Because loving your enemies, praying for those who hurt you, serving your enemies, and getting rid of the cancer of anger from your heart, they all go hand in hand.

To be sure, the wound will be poked and called back to mind by a song or a smell or a story or something, and the hurt that was inflicted on you will be stirred again in your heart and mind.

But when this happens, look up to God, call on God's name and say, "Lord, I'm so thankful that you forgave me an infinite debt for my sin and rebellion against you. May your forgiveness in Christ be my strength to remember that I've already chosen to forgive the person who hurt me. It was a decision. And even now, as the hurt was stirred back up, give me your strength to return to and keep my decision in place so that you and your healing forgiveness, not destructive anger and hurt, are the rulers and master of my life. In Jesus' name I ask this. May it be so, Amen."

Friends, a hurt will most definitely be stirred today. Like Gedaliah in days of old, serve the enemy. Pray for them. Get rid of all anger, like sweeping away anything that feels like spider web in your heart. And return to a decision to forgive, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, Aug 30 "Day of Praise"

"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." - Lamentations 3:31-33

Because of what follows from God's Word, I myself will be brief.

I am thankful for my parents, athletic coaches, Boy Scout leaders, school teachers, pastors, Sunday School teachers, job supervisors, grandparents and anyone else that God worked through to bring the grief of discipline into my life as a child.

All of them made me a better person through honest, pruning love.

Bishops, Church Councils, bosses, Elder Boards, Personnel Committees, and other wise friends in Christ do the same for me as an adult.

They speak truth that hurts to the end of shaping me into the likeness of Christ.

It seems to me that we're blessed to have anyone in our lives, be it God or a human being, who is willing to love us enough to tell us what we probably don't want to hear because their words will truly make us better.

In that vein, as we read the two Bible passages below, let's pause and give thanks for people who are willing to love us enough to tell us what we probably don't want to hear because their words will truly make us better.

Proverbs 29:21 - "If a man pampers his servant from youth, he will bring grief in the end." - Proverbs 29:21

Hebrews 12:5-ff. - "And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.'
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:5-11

"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." - Lamentations 3:31-33

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, Aug 29 "Day of Praise"

"My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together.
They have come upon my neck and the LORD has sapped my strength.
He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand." - Lamentations 1:14

What does it mean that the LORD "has handed me over to those I cannot withstand"?

For whatever other things it could mean, one thing it does mean is this: whatever you feed will be the strongest.

It is a way that God made things to work. The more you feed something, the stronger it becomes.

The internationally-noted Atlanta preacher, Andy Stanley, talks about this very plainly in his book "Enemies of the Heart". The more you feed something, the stronger it becomes.

God made us to hunger for God as we hear in Psalm 42:1, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." If we would surrender to the Holy Spirit and feed our hunger for God, then our hunger for God and God's word and God's wisdom would grow stronger.

But when we feed our hunger for the things of the world, like food or sex or violence or sugar or risqué tv or money or sports or alcohol or anger or pornography or power or material stuff, then our appetite for those things is actually not satisfied, but our appetite for those things grows. Before long, the appetite has become a strong appetite which becomes an addiction. It happens because it's a way that God made things to work. The more you feed something, the stronger it becomes.

This is the Order of Creation that's at work in Romans 1 where God inspires St. Paul to write: "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts." (Romans 1:24-26a)

What are you hungry for? Is it something constructive of God? Or are you hungry for something destructive of the world?

If you're hungry for God and His truly satisfying word and His life-giving ways, then keep going and feed that hunger with God's word.

But if you're hungry for the perishing things and destructive ways of the world, take it to God. There may be medical elements to your growing appetite for perishing things, but ultimately God is The Great Physician who is able to truly free you because ultimately every matter is a matter of the heart. And being made in the image of God, God made our hearts to hunger for God as we hear in Psalm 42:1, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God."

Think about it. Pray about it. And I hope you might even grab Andy Stanley's book, "Enemies of the Heart". Pastor Stanley is truly God's servant to help us understand from scripture that the more you feed something, the stronger it becomes.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, Aug 28 "Day of Praise"

Life is full of surprises.

But, even as life comes at us fast, we need not lose our balance or peace, if we'll yield to the work of the Holy Spirit and place our trust in the word of Lord.

Such was God's promise to Ebed-Melech, whose name means "Servant of the King" and who was an Ethiopian Gentile slave. In other words, Ebed-Melech's name and position in life put him in the ranks of the lowest of the lowest of the lowest of society.

But upon hearing God's word, Ebed-Melech trusted God.

So this is what God says happened in Jeremiah 39:15-18: "While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: 'Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.'"'"

With many men guarding Jeremiah (for God chooses weak things to confound the mighty, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29), God raised up Jeremiah from a pit. Because Ebed-Melech believed God's word through Jeremiah, God had promised Ebed-melech that he too would be saved "because you put your trust in Me."

Similar life difficulties and promises of God are spoken of throughout the Bible, for example, 1 Chronicles 5, both Psalms 23 and 37, and Matthew 10.

And from all this, here's what God wants you to take into this day:

Trust in God generates fearlessness in the face of life's difficulties and brings true safety forever and often even literally, not just spiritually, here on earth.

So as life came at you yesterday and will surely come at you today, keep your eyes on the LORD, who will give you balance and calm that the world cannot take away.

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, Aug 27 "Day of Praise"

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Look for him. Listen for him. Trust him. Christ will be your strength.

May God bless you today!

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

8.23.12

Th, Aug 23 "Day of Praise"

Many of you have shared things that are going on for you and loved ones. You have asked for prayer. With those prayers, I pray that God's rich word will comfort and encourage you.

Psalm 23 - King James Version (KJV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Praise God!

8.22.12

We, Aug 22 "Day of Praise"
Have you ever played "Where's Waldo?" Ya know, you've got a whole bunch of other little things drawn on a paper or a whole bunch of plastic stuff in a tube. And you try to find the character Waldo in the midst of all the other stuff.
Well instead of looking for Waldo, in the midst of all the stuff that we bring on ourselves or that the world throws at us, we're going to look for the promises of God through Jeremiah.
Have fun! There's almost too many promises of God to count, displaying again that God does not desire the death and despair of anyone. But God wants to restore us to joy if we'll but yield to the Holy Spirit that would turn us back to God so we can live and live abundantly.
Here ya go! See what you can find!
Jeremiah 33:6-13 - (New International Version (NIV))
6 "[The LORD declares] 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'
10 "This is what the Lord says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,
"Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
    for the Lord is good;
    his love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before, ' says the Lord.
12 "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without people or animals —in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks...' says the Lord."
Here's the list I counted, so we can turn to the LORD and trust in his promises today --
1 - health,
2 - healing,
3 - heal my people,
4 - let them enjoy,
5 - abundant peace,
6 - security,
7 - back from captivity,
8 - rebuild them,
9 - cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me,
10 - will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me,
11 - will bring me renown,
12 - joy,
13 - praise,
14 - honor before all nations on earth,
15 - hear of all the good things I do for it,
16 - they will be in awe,
17 - will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide,
18 - will be heard once more sounds of joy and gladness,
19 - voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord,
20 - saying, "Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
21 - for the Lord is good,
22 - his love endures forever,"
23 - I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before, ' says the Lord,
24 - will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.
In eight (8) verses, that's twenty-four (24) blessings that God desires for us instead of the consequences of sin and brokenness!
Dear God, Turn us to yourself! Turn our hearts to search for your abundant blessings that we may surely find many of them and encourage others to do the same!
Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson