Day of Praise

Wed, 02/01/17, "Day of Praise"

But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. - Matthew 17:7-8

I love life. 

And the older I get, the more I understand why Jesus says the greatest command is to love God with all ya got and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). God and your neighbor. They're what makes life lovable. And they're the only loves that will definitely be in heaven.  There might be baseball, doughnuts, pets, and ice cream, but the Bible says that there will definitely be God and people in heaven. 

For whatever else we might believe or think or hope is in the everlasting heaven, we can be sure that there will be two things: God and, by God's grace, people. 

Yep, God and people. They're what makes life lovable. 

I so love my wife and three kids. My parents. My three siblings and their families. My church family. My Day of Praise friendships. My neighborhood friends. The people I meet along life's path. 

So blessed. 

From time to time, I'll stop and check my blood pressure in that little machine they have in pharmacies. Usually my blood pressure's a little higher than I want when I first check it. So then I take a breath, close my eyes, and imagine the faces of a few very specific people. Different people each day. It's amazing how their faces calm me. And my blood pressure. 

But God, through today's Bible verses, invites us to recognize that, as great and calming as all those people can be, God has sent us His only Son, Jesus. And Jesus comes to us and touches us and, if we need it, picks us up and speaks to us, saying, "Don't be afraid." 

And it's so divine and heavenly and spirit-filled that we, like the disciples long ago, are given to look up and see no one except Jesus.

So I close my eyes again, and I picture Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I can see that he's led me and the other sheep to a sloping green pasture with woods far to the right. The green pasture slopes down into a lake of still waters, so still, in fact, that the moon makes a glassy smooth runway of light that only stops at the shoreline at the exact spot from which the Good Shepherd is watching us. He has a strong and yet gentle smile on his face. I can see it, even with his back to the light, because there's an aura around him. Not from the moon behind him. But from the love within him. 

So he glows. 

And my blood pressure drops to what, for me, are ridiculously low (read, "calm") numbers. 

And I know the other sheep are there. And I love the other sheep. They're my wife. My three kids. My parents. My three siblings and their families. My church family. My Day of Praise friendships. My neighborhood friends. People I meet along life's path. And I even sense some enemies with whom the Shepherd has brought reconciliation. 

But it's like we're all in a trance. A mesmerized bliss. We just can't take our eyes off of Jesus. 

It's like heaven. 

It probably is.

But it's now. Before we die. 

For us all. 

Together. 

Because, in His presence, we all love life. 

And the older we get, the more we understand why Jesus says the greatest command is to love God with all ya got and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). 

God and your neighbor. 

They're what makes life lovable.

And because of Jesus we can see both of them, God and people, in a lot more clear and calming way. 

Close your eyes. And see.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 01/31/17, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus said,] "I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a more than 2,000 year old celebration of the victory of the Jews over Antiochus Epiphanes, a madman who thought he was a god. Jesus, who truly is God, chose the Festival of Lights to reveal that he himself is the Light of the World.

On the festive occasion of Hanukkah, Jesus invited people into a relationship with Him that would free them from sin and from death and for a new life in his wisdom, power, and grace. 

Let's think about it. 

The Hanukkah candles are traditionally lit by a special candle called the shammash. Shammash is Hebrew for "servant." In the shammash candle, there is a symbol of Jesus Christ because Jesus said, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

The shammash serves the other candles by bringing light to them, which is why Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Just as the shammash gives light to the other candles, Jesus came to give His light to the world. 

Hanukkah includes the celebration of two miracles – the defeat of an enemy army and a day's allotment of temple oil that lasted for eight days. These two miracles show how God keeps His light burning in the hearts of His people, even when they face what seem to be impossible odds or situations. With God, all things are possible. 

In Jesus Christ, we are assured that God's light cannot fail, or go out.

Friends, you regularly reply to me and share how you face what seem to be impossible odds or situations. Today is another real day, so odds are that the day ahead will probably bring what seem to be impossible odds or situations to many of us again. 

But please don't forget, and please remind one another, that God keeps His light burning in the hearts of His people, even when they face what seem to be impossible odds or situations. With God, all things truly are possible. In Jesus Christ, we are assured that God's light cannot fail, or go out.

Jesus is the ultimate shammash candle who, by the power of the light and fire of the Holy Spirit serves the other candles (us) by bringing light to the wick of our soul, which is why Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 01/30/17, "Day of Praise"

The woman came and knelt before [Jesus]. "Lord, help me!" she said.
He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. -- 
Matthew 15:25-28

I'm sure you've heard the one about the insomniac, agnostic, dyslexic. He stayed up all night wondering if there was a dog. 

That's a joke. You're at least supposed to groan. 

But make no mistake, Jesus is not joking in today's Bible verses when he replied to the Canaanite woman, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

Jesus' reply is tied to what's called the "Scandal of Particularity." In other words, Jesus is the Jewish Messiah who was sent by the Jewish God (who is the only God) to fulfill the Jewish prophecies SO THAT salvation could come to the whole world, including non-Jews, who are otherwise called Gentiles. 

Salvation will come through the Jewish Messiah by way of the cross, to which Jesus will be sent by the Jewish (not Gentile) leaders. Pontius Pilate, remember, did not want to crucify Jesus. He merely caved into the pressure from the Jewish leaders who kept stirring up the Jewish crowd. And being rejected by his own people, Jesus would then be crucified for the sin of the whole world. 

I'm not patronizing when I say that I know this is all a hard concept to grasp because it seems like sweet baby Jesus is being mean to a nice old lady who just wants her sweet little daughter healed. 

But Jesus is not being mean. He's being focused. On his mission. So that whether we understand all the ins and outs of it all, we can be saved through faith in him, which is exactly what the Canaanite woman shows us and Jesus affirms. 

She doesn't understand all the "theological necessity". She just knows that her daughter is sick, and Jesus has the power to heal her daughter. 

So she persists. Like the parable of the widow going to the judge. Or the Greek who tells Philip he wants to see Jesus.

And faith in God's goodness and power is what drives persistence. My goodness, faith in God's goodness and power is what drives contentment as the woman doesn't ask for the whole enchilada. She just asks for a crumb from the table. It's kind of like the woman who says, "If I can just touch the hem of his cloak, then my bleeding will be healed."

Friends, it's important that you pursue a deeper understanding of the faith for all sorts of valid reasons. But today's Bible verses are a call for you to simply believe in the goodness and power of God through Jesus and, therefore, a call for you to persist in coming to the Lord and saying out of deep and strong belief, "Lord, just a crumb from you today is better than anything of any size that the world has to offer."

And, as you do believe and persist, the Lord will feed and fill your soul today, as he did for an old, single woman and her daughter long ago. 

And THAT, my Friends, is no joke!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 01/28/17, "Day of Praise"

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" - Matthew 9:35-38

Here's what Jesus makes plain in today's verses--HELP IS NEEDED!

As Christians, we celebrate God giving us freedom FROM sin and freedom FOR acts of love by God's grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. And God chooses to work through the means of real people to spread the news of His grace in Christ.

God chooses to need and work through teachers and preachers of the good news, people who are prayer warriors for and healers of disease and sickness, those who are compassionate for both those who are harassed by chronic illness and also those who are helpless in the face of Perfect Storms. 

So whether you give gracefully in response to God's grace to help millions whose lives are torn apart by literal or figurative storms, or you volunteer to lead prayer or teach choirs to sing of God's grace, or you coordinate a grace ministry for parents or the elderly or the homeless or the imprisoned, or you've discovered God has given you a gift of healing that you use in a prayer ministry, or you pray with people after worship, or you visit people in nursing homes, or you help to build homes here or abroad to help keep families together, or you set out to encourage at least one person intentionally everyday, or you sponsor a child through an agency like Compassion, or you care for children or the elderly, or whatever you may do with faith in Jesus and love for your fellow human beings, YOU ARE NEEDED!!!

God chooses to need and work through teachers and preachers of the good news, people who are prayer warriors for and healers of disease and sickness, those who are compassionate toward those who are helpless and vulnerable or harassed by chronic illness or helpless in the face of Perfect Storms. 

Please offer yourself in faithful service as a thanks to God for His grace to us in Jesus Christ. 

"Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" - Matthew 9:38

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 01/27/17, "Day of Praise"

"Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, 'My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.'" - Mark 5:22-23

"When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, 'If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.'" - Mark 5:27-28

The long sequence of the Bible which includes the two little sections above is often subtitled by translators as "The Dead Girl and The Sick Woman" because that's who needs the healing that Jesus will give. It reminds us that God values young and old alike and will bring healing to both when it's in the bounds of his will. 

However, I myself prefer another subtitle for the sequence that includes "The Dead Girl and The Sick Woman." I prefer "The Rich Man and The Poor Woman." My reason is that we celebrate how God is the giver of faith. We are also given to celebrate that God, in addition to giving faith, works to lead us as to where we should place the faith that God gives us. 

I know a guy who was so down on God that he told me that it was just as useful to place my faith in "that doorknob over there as it is to place it in 'some god.'"

I'm not sure, but I'm guessing when that guy said that, it was another time that "Jesus wept."

Friends, whether you're rich or poor, we are constantly being assaulted in this world as to where we place our faith. A good barometer for where you've placed your faith is to think about what changes your mood. 

The movements of the stock market change some people's mood. 

The outcome of a game changes others. 

The result of an academic test changes the mood of some homes. 

Some moods are affected by weather. 

The size of the stack of Christmas gifts changes some moods.

The list could go on forever because the list for objects of misplaced faith is endless.

But Friends, God works to lead us as to where we place the faith that God gives us. And God would lead us, as "The Rich Man and The Poor Woman" in Bible days, to place our whole faith in God's Living Word, who is His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. For, come what may, in Christ alone is there peace for the present moment and hope for the moments to come. 

God gives faith. And God leads us to place that faith in Jesus. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 01/26/17, "Day of Praise"

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'" - Nehemiah 8:10

Valentine's Day is in the offing. We think of it as a day of sweet and joyful sentiments, a day to celebrate love with spouses, children, parents, family, and friends. 

But what do we when there's a challenge to sweet and joyful sentiments, when there's grief or loneliness or sorrow? 

In today's verse, Nehemiah brings God's encouragement for times when joy is challenged by grief. In those times, God has a word for you, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

It's one of those great verses to meditate on and say over and over again. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10) "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

God promises that joy can heal grief like light can pierce darkness when we trust in the power of God's word.

Grief is real, as my wife and kids and mom and our family all know for various but all very real reasons. But the love and power of the God who spoke through Nehemiah is real too as he's the God who sent his son to die for us and our sin and who conquered grief, death, and the grave. 

So in the light of God's promise, hum, pray, say, sing, whatever works for you, this uplifting song by Chris Tomlin, "Our God!"

Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There's no one like You
None like You

Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There's no one like You
None like You

CHORUS 
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God... 

Into the darkness you shine
Out of the ashes we Rise
There's no One like You
None like You.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God... 

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God... 

Praaaaaaaise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 01/25/17, "Day of Praise"

"I rebuked the officials and asked them, 'Why is the house of God neglected?'" - Nehemiah 13:11

When God calls us to worship Him in the Ten Commandments, the book of Leviticus, and the Psalms, it's because God has ordained that blessings would flow to us from Him when we do. 

And, therefore it makes sense, that when we neglect to worship, as today's verse calls us to consider, then we miss out on the blessings that God would give. 

Furthermore, neglect of worship, as Joyce Meyer talks about in her book, "Knowing God Intimately," isn't just not going to worship. Neglect of worship is also having your body in a sanctuary while your mind is miles away, thinking about mowing the lawn or anything else that is not God and his wonderful grace. 

The reason this is such a big deal is because God has chosen to work through the spoken Gospel of his sacrificial love, along with the Gospel ministries of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, to tell us again and again what we regularly tend to forget, namely that God and His grace are the power by which we have the life for which we always yearn. 

And when we forget that God and His grace are our power, we start, what is called, striving. Striving is simply living out of your own limited strength instead of living out of the strength of the Holy Spirit and the power of Jesus Christ. 

And striving makes us tired. Weary. Bone tired. Weary existence tired. So that we become irritable. And snappy. And very unpleasant to be around. 

And even if you say that you're not irritable and weary when you don't worship God, then I'd still ask you if you're joyful. 

Once when I wrote a devotion, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," I was flooded with replies and requests for prayers, asking for more of that strength. We are all honored to pray for each other to be sure. Honored beyond measure. 

But please remember this, the "joy of the Lord" that is your strength is that God loves to be with you. It is God's joy to be with you. And God has ordained that the worship of God is the place where we are guaranteed to be reminded of that truth that "It is God's joy to be with you." 

So, hearing that truth again in worship, AND BELIEVING THAT IT'S TRUE, we leave worship strengthened to face the world and all that comes with it. 

The two verses go hand in hand. "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10), and today is "Why is the house of God neglected?" (Nehemiah 13:11).

Dear God, thank you for loving us as you do so wondrously through your Son, Jesus, by the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for not just telling us like it is, but also helping us to understand why you command the things that you do. Thank you for filling your commands with blessings that become ours when we trust you, follow you, and do what you call us to do in the strength of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, specifically, for the gift of worship where you remind us again and again that it is your joy to be with us and that your presence with us is our strength. Increase our hunger to worship you as only you can do so that our strength and joy in you might abound more and more each day. To you be praise and honor and glory, the One True God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 01/24/17, "Day of Praise"

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" - Psalm 122:1

I love to worship God both by myself and with others. The following list of worship thoughts were sent to me some time ago from my awesome brother, Ben DeGreen, who worships weekly with his family. Ben gives us some timely food for thought, saying:

Some questions for myself and others that desire to worship God.

1) Have you sinned against a brother or sister in Christ without making it right? If not, your worship will be distracted.

2) Do you think about and meditate on the words of a song or praise song, or are you just carried away by the rhythm of the song?

3) Do you concentrate and pray along with the words of a public prayer, or are you distracted by other things?

4) Do you come into the sanctuary before worship with the heart and mind to worship, quietly reflecting and praying on what worshiping God is, or are you distracted by talking and socializing with others? (Pastor Chris's note: Talking with others before worship is very good, as we see in Acts 2:41-47, but is best outside the "sanctuary," which literally means "a place of protection" from the noise of the world. Please don't get me wrong! I love the chatter of Christian fellowship both before and after worship, yes, absolutely love it! But is there any place set aside for people to "be still" before the Lord, as God calls us to repeatedly in scripture?)

5) Are you prepared to give of yourself in worship and by worship? Will you offer a sacrificial gift (tithe of 10% due the King and then a thank offering beyond that) to the Lord, trusting both the Lord's original provision and also His multiplication of our generosity which may be multiplied in ways far better than money?

6) Are you prepared to be used by God after worship to serve Him and others?

7) Are you mindful of others in attendance at worship? Do you act up, talk, use your cell phone, eat, drink, wear inappropriate clothing, etc. that distracts others from properly worshiping God?

8) Do you listen to the words of the sermon/message given by the pastor? Do you take notes to help your understanding? Did you bring your Bible to follow along with referenced Scripture verses?

Ben, thanks for encouraging all of us to think more deeply about our worship life so we can say with the Psalmist, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'" (Psalm 122:1).

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 01/23/17, "Day of Praise" 

"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." - John 1:18

What does it mean that Jesus, the One and Only, has made God the Father known? Let's let the beloved song below help us to see. 

"Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?" 
Words and Music by John Fischer 
(Written during his summer as the first music director at Ponderosa Lodge, the new high school camp at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center.) 

Refrain: Have you seen Jesus, My Lord? 
He's here in plain view. 
Take a look; open your eyes. 
He'll show it to you. 

Verses: Have you ever looked at the sunset, with the sky mellowing red? 
And the clouds suspended like feathers. 
Then I say, you've seen Jesus, my Lord. 

Have you ever stood at the ocean, with the white foam at your feet? 
Felt the endless thundering motion. 
Then I say, you've seen Jesus, my Lord. 

Have you ever looked at the Cross, with a man hanging in pain? 
And the look of love in His eyes. 
Then I say, you've seen Jesus, my Lord. 

Have you seen Jesus, My Lord? 
He's here in plain view. 
Take a look; open your eyes. 
He'll show it to you. 

Praise God! 

Day of Praise

Sat, 01/21/17, "Day of Praise"

"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ" - Matthew 1:1

You're in. 

You got the job. 

You have a place in the world. 

And it's important. 

There's no reason to reinvent the wheel in explaining what I mean. The Daily Bible says it really well. And succinctly to boot. 

"Matthew's genealogy contains several happy surprises. Back in Jesus' early roots are not only such notable righteous men as Abraham and David, but also several who stand out in history as being particularly unrighteous, including wicked King Manasseh. Not only are there Jews, as would be expected, but also Gentiles, including a Canaanite and a Moabite, whose respective countrymen have been notorious enemies of God's people. Also somewhat surprising, in view of their social status at this time, is the listing of women as well as men. Furthermore, at least two of the women are known best for sins which they had committed." (The Daily Bible, 1984, Harvest House, commentary by F. LaGard Smith, p.1353)

See! You're in! Jesus's family includes righteous and wicked and Jews and Gentiles and friends of God's people and enemies of God's people and men and women and those with good reputation and those with bad. Surely you're in there somewhere. You're in Jesus's family and lineage. 

So you've got the job! You get to tell the world about Jesus! After all, since the Holy Spirit has opened the way for you to know Jesus personally, to be over at his house all the time, and to eat a meal with him regularly, then telling others about Jesus is a piece of cake. 

Oh! What did you say? You don't know Jesus as well as you should? You don't sit at the table of Holy Communion with him as often as you should? You don't go to his house of worship as much as you should?

Well, all isn't lost. 

No, to the contrary, you share in the victory over death and the grave. Jesus won, so you won...if you believe. It's there for you to claim...in faith.

After all, you're in. 

You got the job. 

You have a place in the world. 

We're in God's family together. Matthew, er, God, says so. Right there in the genealogy.

So let's get out there today and tell the world about Jesus! 

And later then, I'll see ya at the house. God's house. Where I look forward to being next to ya at the table, the Lord's table. Where we'll grab a bite of supper, the Lord's Supper.

Isn't it great to be in the family together? 

"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ" - Matthew 1:1

You're in. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 01/20/17, "Day of Praise"

After a wonderful baptism counseling session with a six-year old and his parents on Thursday, I couldn't help but replay the following devotional for Friday. 

"Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?'" - John 1:38

I remember when a five year old boy came up to me with two things: a smile and one of his parents. He had a request. He wanted me to hear him answer nineteen faith questions that his parent was about to ask him. The questions ranged from understanding creation as the handiwork of God to describing the faith concept of one God in three persons, otherwise known as both the Trinity and also the greatest mystery of the Christian faith. 

This was a five year old, remember. 

I listened. He perfectly recited the responses to nineteen faith questions. 

And he never once stopped smiling. 

Why?

Because he's been taught to love and want God's Word. 

When you couple the two things that God made us to hunger for (1 - the pleasing of our parents, in accord with God's Word, and 2 - knowing God intimately by way of knowing His Word), then you get a young kid who loves to make his parents happy by showing others how much he knows God's Word. 

This young boy will become an adult who will love to make His Heavenly Father happy by sharing the Word of God with others. 

This will be because this young boy has been taught to want what we was made by God to want. He wants to please God and know God through His Word.

What do you want? 

Jesus not only asks the question in today's verse, but he asks the question strategically as does any good counselor. And Jesus is a good counselor. Indeed the best. 

What do you want?

Though it may be worded slightly differently, in substance, Jesus asks the same question ("What do you want?") at three critical places, according to God's Word in the Gospel of John. Jesus asks, "what do you want?", 1) as the first words out of his mouth at the start of his public ministry, 2) as basically the first words out of his mouth at the start of his passion when the leaders come to arrest Jesus, and 3) as basically the first words out of his mouth at the start of his resurrection life. 

Hmmm.

Do ya think the question "What do you want?" is critical to good beginnings?

Do ya think the question "What do you want?" is critical to getting off on the right foot?

The vast majority of people reading this Day of Praise are not little kids. So that beginning that is the beginning of our lives has passed us by. 

But the vast majority of people who are reading this devotion are doing so at the start of this day. Jesus teaches us today that there's a critical question for good beginnings and getting the day off on the right foot, namely, the question, "What do you want?" 

Sooooooo? What will it be? What is it? What do you want?

A smiling little boy has already answered the question for all of us. 

In our heart of hearts, what God made us to really want is to know God our Father and to please Him by knowing His Word. 

So, as the demands and requirements of life in this world come at you today, don't forget to make time for what you really want. 

Pursue the Word of God. 

"Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?'" - John 1:38

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 01/19/17, "Day of Praise" 

"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" - Mark 2:17

Tricky. So please bear with me. 

In today's verse, Jesus says that he didn't come to call the righteous. However, God's own word in the Bible book of Romans tells us that no one is righteous, except God. 

So when Jesus says that he didn't come to call the righteous, there is an implicit phrase, namely, "those who think they are." So what Jesus is saying is that he didn't come to call [those who think they are] righteous [but really aren't because no one is righteous, except God]. 

The heart of this matter is this: the people who think they are righteous (but really aren't because God alone is righteous) are people who have a confidence problem. Oh, yes, they have confidence, but their confidence is seriously misplaced. 

God makes it clear that our confidence is to be placed in God. 

Having a great day and a great life is directly tied to how much you put your faith and confidence in God and his Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have reconciliation to Papa God and also receive the person, power, and privileges of the Holy Spirit.  So put your faith and confidence in God and his Son, Jesus Christ.

Here's a few Bible passages to illustrate:

2 Chronicles 32:8 - 
"With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. 

2 Corinthians 3:4 - 
Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 

Ephesians 3:12 - 
In [Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 

Put your trust and confidence in God and his Son, Jesus Christ.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 01/18/17, "Day of Praise"

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." - Luke 3:16

This is John the Baptist speaking. He is different from John the Apostle, who wrote the Gospel of John. John the Baptist most likely knew what he knew about Jesus through special revelation. John the Apostle most likely knew most of what he knew about Jesus directly from Jesus. 

Special revelation is when you know something, but you don't know how you know it. 

God has always wanted to give us the treasure of special revelation. God gives it in the form of wisdom that helps us counsel our children and friends and in the form of knowledge that we often call discernment. The fruit of such wisdom and knowledge is peace, which like the wisdom itself and the knowledge itself is a peace that passes all understanding. In other words, through the Holy Spirit, God wants to give us a wisdom that's beyond our understanding, a knowledge that's beyond our understanding, and a peace that's beyond our understanding. 

In sum with special revelation, we have wisdom and knowledge and peace, but we don't know how we have it. It's beyond explanation. It's a "God thing."

God wants to give these spiritual gifts today. For you to receive them, as God gives them, there are two things that you need to do, both of which are acts of surrender to the work of God's Holy Spirit. In other words, when you do them, you must realize that you couldn't do them unless God had worked them in you by His Holy Spirit. So praise God for them. 

That being said, the two things you must do to regularly receive the special revelation of wisdom, knowledge and peace is to believe that they exist and to pursue them more than you pursue material treasure. 

Here are some key Bible verses to encourage you to believe in and to pursue these spiritual gifts, remembering always to give credit and praise to God. 

2 Chronicles 1:10 - "Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Psalm 49:3 - My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 - For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Isaiah 11:2 - The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—

Daniel 2:21 - He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Luke 21:15 - For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

1 Corinthians 12:8 - To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit...

Colossians 1:9 - For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

God wants to give these spiritual gifts today. Believe they exist; pursue them; and praise God who alone can give them!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 01/17/17, "Day of Praise" 

"Jesus said to him, 'I will go and heal him.' The centurion replied, 'Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.'" - Matthew 8:7-8 

As with the centurion, who was in charge of 100 men, believe it because it's true -- Jesus needs only to say the word, and it will be. 

In the beginning, God only said "Let there be light," and there was light. 

And so it has been ever since, in that God only needs to say the word, and it is. 

So when Jesus, on the cross, says "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," then we are forgiven. He said it, and it is done. 

What need ye today? 

Believe that God need only say the word, and it will be. 

Such is the power and blessing of God's word in our lives. 

Dear God, send your Holy Spirit to work such a simple and yet profound faith in us. Give us radical confidence in your word. And give us radical faith to believe that whatever you say, it will not only be, but it will be best for us, as you lead us in eternal and everlasting life. Amen. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 01/16/17, "Day of Praise" 

"[Jesus said,] 'But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.'" - Matthew 13:16

Faith, which is to trust in what can only be seen with the eyes of the heart, is a simple but profound mystery. 

Faith is truly a gift from God, as God says plainly in Ephesians 2:8-10 through Paul. 

And faith, which is to trust in what can only be seen with the eyes of the heart, is the way that we receive the abundant life that God gives through Jesus alone by God's grace alone. 

The point in all this is this. If you have faith in Jesus and his life-giving work, then praise God, for God alone can work such simple, yet profound, faith in us. 

That same faith is God's gift to help us see that even hopefully restful Saturdays and hopefully worshipful Sundays and "back to the grindstone Mondays" are happy days because God is in our midst! May God bless you in your rest, your worship, and your labors so that your rest, worship, and labors may be a praise to God. 

"[Jesus said,] 'But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.'" - Matthew 13:16

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 01/14/17, "Day of Praise" 

"Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage..." - Ezra 7:27

They called it TLD, Troop Leader Development. It might as well have been called Wilderness Survival, as in the merit badge that you were at least implicitly expected to earn if you hoped to be nominated for TLD. And both of them might as well have been called Misery Training. 

With both TLD and Wilderness Survival, there was a requirement, at least when I was in Boy Scouts, to take a scrape of food, a compass and coordinates, and a match and go spend the night in the wild. 
As the luck of the Divine draw would have it, both overnights were accompanied by rain. Lots of rain. Biblically-sized lots of rain. I'm not exaggerating or kidding. 

It was miserable. Just what was needed for Misery Training. 

Both times we had to build lean-tos from whatever wood we could scrounge together, but in pouring rain a lean-to was little if any shelter from the storm. And building a fire with one match was a hilarious proposition, so our food either went uncooked or uneaten or both. It didn't matter because there wasn't much food anyway. 

So in sum, we stayed up all night, soaked, and hungry. A bunch of teenage boys. Troop Leader Development. Wilderness Survival. Misery Training. 

But it's funny how God helps us remember, because I do remember. "Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage..." (Ezra 7:27) 

God did it in Bible days with Ezra and the gang. God did it 30+ years ago with a bunch of teenage boys. 

God will do it for you today. 

Come what may. Whatever your Misery Training may look like, take heart. "Because the hand of the LORD my God [will be on you, have] courage..." (Ezra 7:27) 

The LORD will help you and be your strength!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 01/13/17, "Day of Praise"

"And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests." - Nehemiah 2:8

Ta daaaa!

Ya know, the expression you say whenever you accomplish something.

Nehemiah could've said "Ta daaaa!" a whole bunch.

The Daily Bible intro to today's verse says, "It takes little time to see that Nehemiah is a man of action. He immediately travels to Jerusalem, assesses the situation firsthand, devises an ingenious plan for working on the wall [of Jerusalem that's been sabotaged], sidesteps his opponents, and completes his primary mission within six months of receiving his commission from the king!"

Ta daaaa!

Nehemiah accomplished a whole bunch in quick fashion!

Ta daaaa!

A number of years ago, my friend Larry Loyacano and I noticed that when most people say "Ta daaaa!" they usually have one hand out towards others and one hand pointed up to the sky. To us, it looked like the hand out towards others was saying "Thank you" to someone who was complimenting a job well done. Whereas it looked like the hand pointed up to the sky was saying "But give credit where credit is due, so Praise God!" 

And so it seems with today's verse, when Nehemiah says, "And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests." (Nehemiah 2:8)

Nehemiah is indeed saying "Ta daaaa!" But Nehemiah's not saying, "Look, y'all! I've accomplished a whole bunch and in quick fashion too! Are you impressed with me?!?!"

What he is saying is, "Thank you, to all of you who are complimenting me on a job well done. But let's give credit where credit is due, so Praise God! Ta daaaa! 'Because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.'" (Nehemiah 2:8)

Friends, we're at the end of a work week, but there's lots of work still to be done. When people compliment us on a job well done, we can indeed smile and thank them. But let's also remember to give credit where credit is due! Let's praise God for the skills and abilities and wisdom and strength that made it possible for us to get those things done well. 

Indeed let's all say it together, "Ta daaaa!"

Praise God!!!

Day of Praise

Thur, 01/12/17, "Day of Praise"

"When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." - Nehemiah 6:16

God wants us to live with peace and joy that are born from confidence in Him, from certainty in His call to us, and without fear of our enemies. 

Peace, joy, confidence, certainty, and no fear. 

All these filled the heart of Nehemiah in days of old, and God works to fill our hearts with the same today. 

God makes these treasures of the heart possible by giving us eyes of the heart (Ephesians 1:18). The eyes of the heart are able to see things as they really are. 

What Nehemiah saw with the eyes of his heart was that God is Sovereign over all things. Therefore, Nehemiah knew that his enemies were only a temporary distraction and that God would deal with them so that Nehemiah could fulfill the calling God had given him. 

This is the same lesson that God taught Elisha's servant in 2 Kings 6:15-17 when the servant was worried because the enemy surrounded them. But Elisha assured the servant that those who were for them were greater than those against them. And then Elisha prayed to God that God would open the servant's eyes, and sure enough God did so that the servant was able to see into the spiritual realm where the armies of God stood ready to defeat their enemies. 

How did Nehemiah and Elisha see these things? How can we see the victory of God when we're threatened by people and things that would steal peace, joy, confidence, and certainty from us?

In Matthew 5:1-10, Jesus gives us The Beatitudes, specifically in 5:8 we receive the beatitude, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Through faith in Jesus and his saving work for us on the cross, God cleans our heart and makes it pure. With our heart clean through faith in Jesus, we can see God. We can see things as they really are with the eyes of the heart. We can see that God is Sovereign over all things. Like Nehemiah, we can know that enemies are only a temporary distraction and that God will deal with them so that, like Nehemiah, we can fulfill the calling God has given us. And we, like Nehemiah, can taste peace, joy, confidence, certainty, and no fear. 

God helped Nehemiah long ago. And God will help you today too. 

"When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God" (Nehemiah 6:16).

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 01/11/17, "Day of Praise" 

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing." - Ezra 1:1 

Today's verse is the simplest reminder of why we trust the promises of God: God has the power to do whatever it takes to fulfill his word. 

In the case of today's verse, God moves the heart of a foreign king to fulfill God's word. Furthermore, that foreign king did not even acknowledge God, let alone trust or worship God. And yet God moved that king's heart so that, at the right time, God came through for all who trusted and worshiped God as Lord. 

Friends, if you trust and worship God, at the right time, God will come through for you. Believe it, because it's true! 

Dear Lord, you know our frailties, uncertainties, burdens, fears, and needs. Give us your peace, we pray, trusting that you are Sovereign God and that, at the right time, you always come through for all who trust and worship you. Amen. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 01/10/17, "Day of Praise" 

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up." - Psalm 71:20 

In the Bible book of Job, Job is said to be blameless, upright, a God-fearer, and one who shuns evil. And yet Job loses all; he's personally afflicted; and he curses his birth. 

How should we respond when calamity comes upon us, whether it's Job-like or 9-11ish or something to a much smaller degree at work or in our home? 

Giving up often makes things worse, so hopefully we won't give up. 

But how do we hang in there and not give up? God speaks through the Psalmist to Job and to all who've tasted any magnitude of difficulty, along with you and me. God calls us to stop and pray and believe the word of God in our verse, "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up." (Psalm 71:20) 

Let us be found believing and encouraging others to do the same. And may God be praised as we do!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 01/08/17, "Day of Praise" 

"At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored." - Daniel 4:34 

Recently, someone dear to me asked if they could tell me something. "Of course," I said. They proceeded to tell me how they'd been drawn into the temptations of the world. 

When they were done, we talked about both the temptation itself but also the process of confessing. Their closing comment was, "I feel better now that I've told you." 

Confession is good for the soul. 

Just ask powerful King Nebuchadnezzar, who, in today's Bible verse, tells how he himself had persistently turned away from God by sinning. But God, Nebuchadnezzar confesses, was and is more powerful; God is powerful and loving enough to bring us down to our knees. 

And God is powerful and loving enough to restore us. 

Nebuchadnezzar, who had persistently opposed God, was so moved by God's power and love, in dealing with Nebuchadnezzar's sin, that Nebuchadnezzar was compelled to confess his own sin to the world and encourage others to do the same. For he says in Daniel 4:37, "And those who walk in pride, [God] is able to humble." 

Nebuchadnezzar had learned first hand what surely many of us have heard in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." 

Let us be encouraged by powerful King Nebuchadnezzar's testimony and the dear one who said to me, "I feel better now that I've told you." 

Confession is good for the soul. 

Praise God!