Day of Praise

Sat, 04/01/17, "Day of Praise"

[Paul recounted how Ananias had said to Paul when he still had the name Saul,] "You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for?" - Acts 22:15-16

Miracles ripple. 

There was this guy named Ananias. Not the one in Acts 5 who disobeyed God and suddenly died. Instead, I mean the Ananias in Acts 9 and Acts 22, who constantly listened for God and then to whom God spoke and appeared. God speaking and appearing to Ananias was miracle #1 of which we speak in this devotion. 

God wants to do miracle #1 with you. Are you listening for God? God wants to speak to you. 

Then there was a ripple. 

Miracles ripple. 

Ananias became God's instrument to work in Saul's life to, in essence, transform Saul into Paul. Through Ananias, God removed scales from Saul's eyes, and Saul came to understand how his God-given gifts were to be used to "witness to all men of what you have seen and heard" (Acts 22:15) about Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Watching Saul's transformation, Ananias lit a fire under Saul to get going as Ananias said, "And now what are you waiting for?" (Acts 22:16)

God wants to do miracle #2 through you. Are you seeking understanding about your God-given gifts, which will lead to you being able to help others understand their God-given gifts? 

There will be a ripple. 

Miracles ripple. 

We've done this in various  classes, seeking understanding about our God-given gifts, which has lead to our being able to help others understand their God-given gifts. An amazing Bible study tool to learn about your God-given gifts is Arthur Burk's teaching on the Spiritual Redemptive gifts from Romans 12:6-8 in the Bible. Everyone is either a Prophet, Servant, Teacher, Exhorter, Giver, Ruler, or Mercy. 

One woman discovered her gift as Servant. The Bible teaching shows that when you accept and use your gift to God's glory, then God gives additional spiritual gifts. This particular woman has discovered that God's given her the gift of healing. She has started to follow God's lead, approach people, ask people if she can pray for them, and see them healed in a few moments or a few days, which is miracle #3. 

God wants to do miracle #3 through you. Are you using your God-given gifts, which will lead to you receiving other God-given gifts? 

There will be a ripple. 

Miracles ripple. 

In telling of this one woman's transformation, I saw a couple other women become intrigued, begin to explore what their Spiritual Redemptive Gift might be, and experience positive life change that very evening, which is miracle #4. 

Miracles ripple. 

It's part of God's plan to get the good news of Jesus through every person to every person in the world. 

Indeed, it's as God says through Ananias in today's Bible verse, "You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for?" (Acts 22:15-16)

Aaaaaahummmm! Soooooo? What are you waiting for?

As one of my friends says, "God has big plans for you!" 

So let's go and explore our God-given gifts and use them to God's glory and see miracles and watch them ripple to the blessing of all people. 

What an incredible day is awaiting us!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/31/17, "Day of Praise"

"There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted." - Acts 20:8-12 

We have this chair at our church. I call it the revival chair, even the resurrection chair. 

We use it during our monthly 2nd Sunday prayer and healing service at our 5 p.m. worship. The service itself is amazing as our praise leader calmly plays a few inspiring, prayer, healing, and Holy Spirit songs. 

There are candles lit in the dimly lit worship space. 

We move from the songs to a time of free prayer. The guitarist may play beautiful instrumental while people either pray quietly by themselves or go to tables that may have candles and prayer requests or go outside and pray God's anointing on the property or go over to somebody else and pray God's blessing on them. 

Then everyone is invited to gather around the chair. 

There have been 10-25 of us. 

Somebody, at the Spirit's moving, sits in the chair and we all lay hands on them and anoint them with oil in the shape of the cross and pray over them both in our hearts and aloud. 

We'd be here all day if I listed all the miraculous things that I've seen happen to people prayed for... 

And to those who are praying. 

God still does miracles today. 

Believe. 

And pray. 

P.S. Everyone's welcome at the prayer services. 

Have a great day. And don't forget to pray. 

Praise God! 

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/30/17, "Day of Praise"

"It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." - Romans 9:6 

It's not a riddle. 

To say that "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (Romans 9:6) is to say something about what "Israel" means. "Israel" means "one who wrestles with God," which more fully means "one who wrestles with God by wrestling with God's word, believing there's a blessing within it." 

So to say "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" is to say "not everyone who is Israel by birth is also Israel by belief" because they don't believe there's a blessing in everything God says. 

That's why, in Romans 10:16, God says, "But not all the Israelites accepted the good news." They didn't believe the good news because they refused to believe there was a blessing within it. 

It doesn't make much sense, does it? How can anybody not accept good news? How can anybody not believe that there's a blessing in good news from God? 

It doesn't make much sense does it? 

And yet, every time we disregard God's word (and there are all sorts of ways to do it), then we ourselves are not believing that there's a blessing in God's word. 

Soooooooo... 

Read your Bible. Obey God. Love your neighbor. Pray your prayers. Go to church on Sundays...at least. 

Take God's word for it. There's a blessing waiting for you. 

Praise God! 

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/29/17, "Day of Praise"

 

"Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks" - Genesis 43:23

 

The steward of Joseph's house was right.

 

God wants to fill the sack of your soul with treasure beyond measure.

 

Don't believe Joseph's steward? Ok! Just ask Jesus himself. He says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:38

 

Sounds like Psalm 23:5, "My cup runneth over."

 

Sing it with me. "God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He's so good to me."

 

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

Make it a great day with Jesus and his boundless love! And remember to spread it around! 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/28/17, "Day of Praise"

 

"Joseph's master took him and put him in prison." - Genesis 39:20

 

Joseph was so faithful to God in every circumstance that he became what's called an archetype of Christ. But life in this world still dealt Joseph lemons. For example, Joseph's master's wife raged at Joseph's self-control and got him thrown in prison. Yet Joseph was faithful to God.

 

Has life ever dealt you lemons? How'd you deal with it?

 

Finish the phrase..."when life gives you lemons..."

 

Oldest daughter, Calley, suggests:

1. Make lemonade.

*Boring. It's the textbook answer. Live a little.

2. Make Lemon Meringue pie.

*Delicious alternative to Key Lime Pie.

3. Whiten your fingernails.

*Perhaps ladies will appreciate this option.

4. Kill weeds and ward off ants. *Literally and metaphorically.

5. Paint them green; call them limes.

*Her personal favorite.  

Life can deal lemons to all of us. Like Joseph long ago and a young lady today will tell us, it's an opportunity to be faithful to God. 

And to have some creative fun!!!

Bring on the lemons, and have a great day!!!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/27/17, "Day of Praise"

"But as for me, I am filled with power, 

with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin." - Micah 3:8

Notice, in today's verse, that Micah is inspired by God to

1) celebrate who he is and what he has in the LORD, as he says, "I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might" and

2) recognize, (because of who he is and what he has in the LORD), what he must do for the LORD, as he says his work is "to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin."

In sum, 1) Micah has an identity in the LORD and 2) he has a job to do for the LORD.

These two principles, that Micah knows, stand in contrast to "the prophets who lead [God's] people astray" (Micah 3:5). "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim 'peace' if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them."

Notice the "principles" of these horrible prophets! 
1) They have peace with people who feed/serve them.
2) They are at war with people who do not feed/serve them.

Micah listens to God and makes the connection between being and doing. The bad prophets do not. Micah wants to serve because of who he is. The bad prophets want to be served. (Cf. Jesus' words in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45)

And who has a book of the Bible named after them? Micah or the bad prophets? Micah!

And so it is with every book of the Bible. If they're named after a person, it's a person who made the connection between being and doing. They were all sinners, to be sure, for whom Jesus died, but they listened to God and made the connection.

There's no book of the Bible named, "The dude who expected everybody to serve him."

I will never forget the church secretary who quit after two weeks on the job, saying, "I thought this would be church work, but this is work!"

I don't remember her name.

No one else will ever have a book of the Bible named after them. But, being made in the image of God, we all long to leave our mark in the world.  We long to have our name carved into the Tree of Life. We long to be remembered, as Abraham Lincoln said, as someone who did something for God.

For this to happen, like Micah, we are called to celebrate our identity and gifts in the LORD and then to do something with God's gifts and in God's strength for the LORD.

In so doing, we thank God for his goodness, we encourage others to do the same, and we sleep well at night, knowing our little ol' life made a difference in a great big world.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/25/17, "Day of Praise"

Anything you might need for rest this weekend is found in God's word of which the following Psalm is a great example. God bless you! And Praises be to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Psalm 144 - Of David

1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.

3 Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.

5 Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
    shoot your arrows and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;
    deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters,
    from the hands of foreigners
8 whose mouths are full of lies,
    whose right hands are deceitful.

9 I will sing a new song to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,
    who delivers his servant David.

From the deadly sword

11 deliver me;

    rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
    whose right hands are deceitful.

12 Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
    carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
14     our oxen will draw heavy loads.
There will be no breaching of walls,
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/24/17, "Day of Praise"

"Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us." - Micah 2:6

I was a psychology minor in college, but trust me, I do not consider myself a psychology expert. There's a guy at church named Dr. Tom Novack, who I've looked up to for years, who knows more psychology in his little finger than I know in my whole being. 

That being said, it seems to me that there's a psychology to some days of the week. Ya know, like Monday, with our imposed psychology. We think Monday is something to be dreaded. So it becomes that. Or say Friday, where we think it's the greatest day of the workweek, so it becomes energizing. 

In the same way, as in today's Bible verse, we think prophecy is something to be dreaded. So it becomes that.

Jeremiah, Micah, and most of, if not all, the Biblical prophets, prophesied God's truth, while false prophets were saying, "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us." (Micah 2:6)

When I was at a summer camp in two consecutive years with my daughters, all of us parents were directed to ask our children, "Where have I offended you, so I can make amends?" And "What's one thing you would change about me?"

At first glance, it seems like a talk to be dreaded.

To the contrary, it became a door to rich conversation that brought truth, forgiveness, healing, and even laughter.

That's what God intends to bring through the prophets. Honest, rich conversation that brings truth, forgiveness, healing, and even laughter.

And ya know what, I'm no psychologist. I didn't even play one on TV, but I bet that if we'd put more energy into believing in God's wisdom than we do dreading Mondays, then we'd experience Monday in a whole different way. And if we gave prophets as much of a chance as we do Fridays then the words of prophets may become as energizing to us as are Fridays. 

Believe in God to bless your Monday. Thank God for your Fridays...and your prophets. Believe in God to give you, in fact, expect God to give you honest, rich conversation that brings truth, forgiveness, healing, and even laughter, and I bet he will!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/23/17, "Day of Praise"

"Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. They confronted King Uzziah and said..." - 2 Chronicles 26:17-18

Courageous priests of the Lord confronted the King in today's verses. Courageous confrontation does not always need to be negative.

My children are courageous in this way. They confront me positively. With courage.

For example, "The Odyssey" is a 35-feet-high-ropes course at JH Ranch. You tackle The Odyssey as a team. Years ago, my oldest, Calley, and I were to be a team of two people within our team of four people who were trying to conquer four sections of challenges on a quarter-inch cable that was 35-feet in the air.

It's a wonder that we ever got started, let alone finished.

Our guide, Hannah, about 20 years old, stepped out on the cable and scooted across to get ahead of us just enough to lead. Maggie, 21, and her dad, Mark, stepped on the cable and began their part of our Odyssey.

Calley stepped out and steadied herself. And finally, I...well, I froze...repeatedly. I'm afraid...not of everything...but of heights, to be sure. And the last time, I looked, and I did look...down, that is,...35 feet is high, even if you are strapped in with safety gear.

I just couldn't do it. I couldn't even step, with one foot, off the platform and onto the cable.

Until Calley confronted me. Courageously.

She could've been bitterly proud. Sinfully proud. Because I'm not the perfect father. I've hurt my children, unwittingly and otherwise. She could've said in her heart, "He thinks he knows so much, and acts so high and mighty, and the poor man can't even step out onto a cable like all the rest of us."

Instead, she confronted me with love. That was implicitly packed full of forgiveness for me, love for God, and courage for the task at hand.

So, I was frozen, for what seemed like hours, until...

She spoke, lovingly, courageously, saying, "You can do it, Dad." 

Again and again and again and again. For four sections of The 35-Feet High Odyssey, she confronted me, saying, "You can do it, Dad, you can do it."

And so I did. For four, 35-feet high and 60-feet long, totaling 240 feet long, sections. I did it.

Not because I had the first ounce of courage. But because someone courageously confronted me, believing I could do it and calling me to believe the same. One step at a time.

In today's Bible verses, "Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord" confronted King Uzziah. On The Odyssey ropes course, Calley-Taylor courageously confronted me. 

And in some moment today, there will be an opportunity, probably there will be many opportunities, for each of us to confront someone... courageously. To look at them and see, not someone to look down upon, but someone who needs encouragement...to step out, one step at a time, and begin The Odyssey of their day. They need someone who will believe in them as Calley believed in me.

This is what Jesus did for us in his cross and resurrection. He stretched out his hands toward the whole world and said, "I believe in you. I forgive you. Now let's start walking through this thing...together."

In the strength of Jesus and the power of Holy Spirit, let's you and me do the same...for others.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/22/17, "Day of Praise"

"He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name." - Amos 4:13

There are very old sayings, "Pain is the gift that nobody wants," and the related teaching, "Everyone will live with the pain of self-discipline or the pain of regret."

God really, really wants us to go the way of the pain of self-discipline, which is the way of the cross of Jesus Christ. From the pain and cross of Jesus, new life sprang forth, both Jesus' own resurrection and also abundant life, today and forever, for all of us who will receive Jesus personally through faith. 

God really, really wants us to have life...today. 

And God teaches us plainly in John 12:24 that life springs forth from death. The pain of self-discipline is a death to self that leads to life in Christ.

For a Christian, a simple way to understand the pain and reward of self-discipline is this: If we do what God asks us to do in the strength that God promises to give, then we'll be able to see what God promises to do.

And what does God promise to do? Well, as God says in today's verse, God forms mountains, creates wind, and reveals his thoughts. It's almighty and supernatural stuff. And if we do what God asks in the strength of Jesus, we get to see God do almighty and supernatural stuff.

Like the girl at a camp, who was hiking a high mountain section of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is like the Appalachian Trail but on the west coast. The girl was overtaken by a severe asthma attack at the heights of the mountain. She had her Epi-pen, asthma medicine, but it had tragically expired and proved to be unhelpful.

Panic and sorrow could have reigned.

But God, who formed the mountain, climbed the mountain. 

Two strange hikers inexplicably appeared along that high stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail as if sent by dIvine appointment. Doctors. With wisdom. With faith. With asthma medicine. 

Stories like this are hard to believe. I realize also that most, if not all, people have stories where God didn't show up.

I just have one question, namely, "How do you know?" How do you know that God didn't show up? Do you say, "God didn't show up," because you tasted some brokenness, pain, or even death?

I remember years ago on a retreat and then more recently at a Christmas Day worship service at our church, I heard my daughter Calley thank God for the pain that she and our family have tasted. She thanked God for taking all that pain and using it to bring her and other believers to the top of a mountain, from which the huge trees below looked minuscule, just like the pains of life that look minuscule compared to the God of life, who entered and shared and healed and conquered our pain through the pain and cross and resurrection of His Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

So, just as God will, two young ladies will tell you that pain is inevitable for people who live in this world. But they'll also tell you that it doesn't have to be a pain of regret. It can be a pain that, like the cross of Jesus, leads to life.

It all depends on faith. Trust God, and you will see.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/21/17, "Day of Praise"

I pulled this one from the archives because I met another person over the weekend who said "Hey! I'm doing the best I can!" I encouraged them to move from HOPING that they've done enough to KNOWING that Jesus has already done enough to have peace with God and the best life with God now and forever. It's that simple. 

Through faith both in the person of Jesus, that he is the sinless Son of God, and also in the work of Jesus, that his death on the cross was to wipe away your sin and mine, you can have assurance that he will come into your heart, if you invite him in. And because when Jesus comes into your heart, he opens up your spiritual arteries for living water to flow through, then Holy Spirit will come in too, if you invite him! 

Have you invited Jesus to personally come into your heart? Until you do, nothing will change in your life. But if you call on him, "Lord, Jesus!" and invite him in, "Come into my heart! I want a new life today!" then your life will change forever. And a whole new adventure of following him will begin for you as you follow the lead of Holy Spirit. 

Believe. Invite. Follow. 

It's that simple!

Spread the word. Here's the devotional. 

"Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor." - Jeremiah 5:27-28

The Bible prophet Jeremiah preached for years and didn't have a single convert. Almost 3,000 years later, has anything changed?

Three times in chapter 31 alone, Jeremiah speaks of new things that God promises to do in the lives of people. So why didn't everyone come running and listen to all the prophet was sent to say?

Well, that's just it. People don't want to hear "all that a prophet was sent to say."

Jesus died for our sin. Part of our sin is believing that "I'm doing the best I can, and that should be enough."

But in today's verses, Jeremiah is God's instrument to say that our "evil deeds have no limit" because it includes the things we don't do, like "they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor."

Nobody wants to hear this because we're all pushing back and saying, "Hey! I'm doing the best I can!"

But there are two things that we really need to take away from these verses.

First, faith! We need the reminder that we can never do enough to be pleasing in God's sight. Martin Luther asked, "When have I done enough?" The only answer that he found in the Bible and that also gave peace to his soul was this--"Only Jesus, like us in every way, except he had no sin, can do enough. And what Jesus has done gets credited to us when we put our faith in him." 

God calls this the righteousness of faith. It's peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Second, love! The other thing that we really need to take away from today's verses is that, having peace with God through faith in Jesus, we are called to stop and not push back long enough to ask, "Is there something more I could be doing to 'seek justice, promote the case of the fatherless, defend the just cause of the poor'?"

Do we even care?

Care. That would be a good start, knowing that's what God, through Jesus, has done for us. 

Faith and love. It's that simple. Spread the word. Spread the love. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/20/17, "Day of Praise"

So daughter Calley has just begun 3 months in Honduras. So Calley's dad is going down memory lane. I wrote this devotional a few years ago. 

"All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace." - Isaiah 54:13

I really, really love my three children. That's why I'm so glad that God loves them far more.

As much as I love my children, I've made mistakes. I need God to love my children and teach them and serve them because as much as I love my children, I've made mistakes.

Like when my oldest, Calley, was about four. She was wearing a wet swimsuit after "swimming" in the little plastic pool on our back porch. She asked if I'd push her on the swing in our backyard. "Sure!" I said sincerely. 

So sweet daughter with wet bathing suit gets on slippery backyard swing. I push gently to get her started. Then a little firmer push to get higher. Then exuberantly I push so my daughter can feel the wind.

Oops! Wet bathing suit, slippery backyard swing, and daddy's exuberant push add up to sweet four year old daughter sliding off the swing, flipping upside down, little feet straight up, and sweet head with her cute face skipping across the backyard for 30 feet like the smoothest stone skipping across a lake. 

I thought I'd killed her. Fortunately, she was (and is) a tough little cookie and bounced right up. 

Just like she did when I broke her collarbone. That's a story for another day.

All I know is that I love my kids so much that it literally makes me cry right now to think how much I hate to hurt them in any way, shape, or form.

But as much as I love my now teenagers and older, God loves them more.

What a blessing! That God loves my children and yours far more than we ever could. 

Let's tell them. 

Everyday.

Let's tell our children everyday how great God's love is for them.

That would truly be loving them as much as we possibly could.

"All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace." - Isaiah 54:13

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/18/17, "Day of Praise"

"This is what the Lord says,...'Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you.'" - Isaiah 44:6,21

How important is remembering?

In today's verse, God calls his people to remember, and God promises not to forget.

How important is remembering?

I've been in Birmingham for 25 years. Briarwood Presbyterian was founded many years before that by Frank Barker. When people recount to me why Briarwood grew to the mega-church it is, one thing is always mentioned, namely, Frank and his wife remembered. They remembered people and things about people. They cared by remembering.

How important is remembering?

The root of the Hebrew word for remembering is the same root as the Hebrew word for visiting. Visit someone with a phone call or note or stopping by their house...especially if they live alone...and you'll see how important remembering is.

How important is remembering?

Jesus says that we actually receive him personally when we drink the cup and eat the bread "in remembrance" of him.

How important is remembering?

A guy crucified next to Jesus finds peace merely by asking Jesus to remember him when Jesus came to his everlasting kingdom.

How important is remembering?

Look up, and believe God when he promises never to forget you. See how good that feels. 

"This is what the Lord says,...'Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you.'" - Isaiah 44:6,21

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/17/17, St. Patrick's Day, "Day of Praise"

Praise God! And be blessed by this beautiful prayer of St. Patrick.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/16/17, "Day of Praise"

"'Who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." - Isaiah 40:25-26

I don't remember having seen such a wondrous sight. Surely I would've remembered. Because I'm sure we'll never forget.

God brought "out the starry host one by one and...not one of them is missing." (Isaiah 40:26)

Years ago, the night before my daughter, Calley-Taylor (who's leaving early tomorrow morning for a 3-month Honduras mission), and I went white-water rafting at JH Ranch, the leaders guided our group to an even more remote place in the Northern California mountains to sleep in an open field without a tent.

I have never seen so many stars in my life.

I grew up in East Tennessee. I was an Eagle Boy Scout. We camped a lot in remote places. I don't remember seeing that many stars.

I suppose I could blame it on the ambient light, ya know, light from the surrounding area or environment getting in the way of the stars. But I don't think ambient light is the total reason I didn't see so many stars.

I don't think I really ever looked up. 

As I think back, I think I was so caught up in the people and the things we were doing that I never "lifted up my eyes and looked to the heavens." (Isaiah 40:26)

Bummer. 

Because when my daughter and I did look up and saw all those stars, we saw that God is right. Imagine that.

Looking at all those stars made us wonder "Who created all these?" He must have "great power and mighty strength." (Isaiah 40:26)

Probably enough power and strength to help me with whatever I've got goin' on down here.

Probably.

If I'll give him a chance...to help me, that is.

Hey, when you start to get a little overwhelmed or frazzled today, just go outside.

Day or night.

Look up.

It'll take about 30 seconds for perspective to kick in.

The One who made and guides all that you can see up there and beyond, He probably has enough power and strength to help ya with whatever you've got goin' on down here.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/15/17, "Day of Praise"

"The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing" - Isaiah 19:3

You would look at me as if I was crazy.

Imagine we're playing a friendly game of Jeopardy. Ready?

Answer: Foiled, Futile, Frustrated, Nothing, Shattered, Thwarted.

Question: What do most people want out of life?

You would look at me as if I was crazy.

But what is a life? Isn't it made up of years? And aren't those years made of months? And months made of weeks?

So, uh, what are you planning for this week? And more importantly, with whom are you planning this week? By yourself? With your family? With a team of coworkers?

In today's Bible verse, the southern kingdom of Israel, called Judah, is in the process of making plans for the week. And longer.

Judah's leaders are trying to maximize the possibility of a good life. So they make plans. After all, isn't the old saying, "No one plans to fail; they just fail to plan"?

The problem is not in their planning. Judah's problem is their partner in planning. Judah's partner in planning is  the Egyptians.

And God has something to say about that, as in today's verse: "The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing" (Isaiah 19:3).

In fact, through the whole of scripture, here are the words God uses to describe plans that leave God out of the planning: Foiled, Futile, Frustrated, Nothing, Shattered, Thwarted.

Sounds to me like our little game of Jeopardy from earlier.

But this is not a game. It's life. And the question remains: What do most people want out of life? Or how about, what do you want out of life?

The outcome depends on who you include in the planning.

There's certainly nothing wrong with including others in your planning. Just be sure to ask the LORD to be the lead. After all, "the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations" (Psalm 33:11).

Therefore, with intentional head-bowed prayer, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans" (Proverbs 16:3). 

So, if a life is made of years, months, and weeks, then planning for a good life starts this week...with the LORD.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/14/17, "Day of Praise"

"For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us." - Isaiah 33:22

In 2017, our church is focusing on prayer. During this season of Lent leading up to Easter, our church is narrowing that prayer focus to "transforming prayer." At the heart of the transforming prayer book we're reading together is the truth that prayers filled with heartfelt praises for who God is (distinct from prayers that focus on asking God for all our requests) are prayers that flow from knowing the God of creation (distinct from praying to a god of our own creation, which of course is no god at all).

So transforming prayer is praise prayer flowing from the deep desire to know God as God has revealed himself to us in his mighty acts of creation, in Holy Scripture, and ultimately in Jesus Christ. It is prayer flowing from seeking the face of God. It is prayer resulting in both an ever-deepening relationship with the true God of creation and also an ever-deepening confidence that God has already made plans to provide us with all that we ever truly need. Requests are welcome in transforming prayer, but in light of the face of the living God, we just know that we know that we know that we know that God has already planned to answer all the requests for the things that we really need. 

Earnestly seeking God's face leads to praising God for who God truly is which leads to radical confidence in God's radical provision. 

Prayer desiring to know and praise God changes things. It changes us. 

In seeking to know God through Jesus, we are given to see that God knows us, warts and all, and still loves us with a never-failing love. 

There are few greater joys than being known and still being loved. In this vein, we often think about being known as the reason for not being loved. But what about being loved while not being known?

It is easy for us to love God because, through Jesus, we know that God has saved us and "will save us" (Isaiah 33:22). But do we love God without really knowing God? Yes, God saves us, and praise God for that!  But today's verse makes clear that God is also judge, lawgiver, and king. 

Do we know and love God as judge, lawgiver, and king? In my experience, people don't want to hear about God as judge, lawgiver, and king. But how can you really love God if you don't know God?

In brief, that God is Judge is to be an authority who is able to estimate worth or quality. God estimates that you are of such great worth that God sends his son, Jesus, to die for you! So let's love God as Judge.

That God is Lawgiver is to be one who gives a code of laws to a people so that they're not constantly hurting each other. God is very clear in the Bible as to how we can have good relationships and not constantly hurt each other. So let's love God as Lawgiver.

That God is King is to be a ruler of an independent state, especially one who has the position by right. There's no doubt that God has the right to be King. But obedience to God the King, where obedience equals "trust in action", is a major part of being "a citizen" in God's "independent state." As we hear in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." So let's love God as King.

Judge, Lawgiver, King. God calls us in today's verse to know that the Lord God "is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king" in addition to being the one "who will save us". 

We certainly love God for saving us. But let's read our Bibles and love our neighbors on Mondays through Saturdays and be in church on Sundays so we can grow in our knowing God and our love for God as Judge, Lawgiver, and King too.

After all, as we said at the start, there are few greater joys than being known and still being loved. So just as God clearly knows us and still totally loves us, let's get to know more about God so we can grow in our love and praise for God too!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/13/17, "Day of Praise"

"Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook." - 

2 Kings 18:5-7

In the box-office smash, Finding Nemo, the fish named Dory constantly encourages herself and Marlin, the father of the abducted fish, Nemo. Her uplifting, though monotonous, refrain is "Just keep swimming; just keep swimming." It's as if she believes that something good, or at least better, is just one flip-flap swim-stroke away. 

For those of you who read your Bible daily, a slight adaptation of Dory's refrain is sometimes useful, just as it is today, namely, "Just keep reading; just keep reading." Such encouragement applies to today's Bible verses because after pages of gloomy prophecy from Isaiah and despicable living by Ahaz, the "just keep reading" philosophy pays off with today's verses about Hezekiah.

Isn't it amazing how a positive and uplifting final word has the power to totally change the tone of all the ill that preceded it?

This is why I love God's word so much. 

Do you love God's word? Do you chase after God's word with purpose? What would that purpose be?

I love God's word and chase after it because it encourages me to persevere, which means to persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles.

It doesn't matter if there's four or four-hundred pages of gloomy prophecy and despicable living. I know that if I "just keep swimming: just keep reading; just keep persevering," then the sure-to-come positive and uplifting final word has the power to totally change the tone of all the ill that preceded it. 

We know this because Jesus pushed through and then bore a whole bunch of, uh, bad stuff, but his righteous life and glorious resurrection had the power to totally change the tone of all the ill that preceded it.

God's final word is always a word of life.

Today's probably going to have some gloomy and despicable stuff to deal with.

Just keep swimmin'. Persevere. 

Keep your chin up. Stay positive, like Hezekiah in days of old. Good things are just one flip-flap swim-stroke away. 

God has promised and sealed it in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/11/17, "Day of Praise"

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." - Psalm 100:1

Biblical joy is what God gives us when we believe that God is with us, filling us with His presence and blessings and benefits, just as He promises.

I pray you will enJOY God today!

Happy Saturday!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/10/17, "Day of Praise"

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land,
but unrest to those who live in Babylon.'" - Jeremiah 50:33-34 

There is a pattern in the reading that one of my former professors, Dr. Lull, would be quick to point out.

The pattern is this: 
1) Difficulty in life (small or great),
2) Acknowledgment of one's own contribution to the matter (the more specific, the better),
3) Sincere tears to express one's sorrow for contributing to the matter (for example, "they will go in tears to seek the LORD" in Jeremiah 50:4-5),
4) Renewed confidence that God will do something about the situation to make it right (for example, "Yet their Redeemer is strong" in Jeremiah 50:34 in today's verse).

In the Bible, tears are, as my professor used to say, a consistent mark of revival and renewed confidence in the LORD.

Even Jesus, knowing he was going to raise Lazarus, shed tears at Lazarus's tomb in John 11:35 because he was not present with Lazarus when he died.

General Norman Schwarzkopf is variously quoted about tears: 
"I would never trust a man who didn't cry; he wouldn't be human."
"Any man who doesn't cry scares me a little bit." ~ H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
Desert Storm hero General Norman Schwarzkopf once said, "I don't trust a man who doesn't cry."

Professors, Generals, and the Son of God himself call us to stop and think about tears and their relation to acknowledging our humanity, accepting responsibility, and finding renewed confidence in the power of God!

Come what may today, even if it makes you feel like crying, remember and be encouraged that "[your] Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend [your] cause so that he may bring [you] rest..." - Jeremiah 50:34 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/09/17, "Day of Praise"

It's too long to go into it, but God did some really awesome things yesterday that reminded me of this devotional that I wrote years ago. So here it is again!

"I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me." - Jeremiah 22:21

Sunday in worship, I sat next to a young boy, not my son, who was helping to lead worship and whose father is not around. Even when the father was physically present, his heart and mind were elsewhere.

This boy comes regularly to worship, and through the years he likes to sit next to me in worship. Whatever I do in worship, he does. If I stand in worship to sing, he stands. If I lean forward to listen more intently, he leans. If I bow my head in prayer, he bows. 

Though children do indeed sometimes act like children because after all they are children, God made children to want to learn of God from parents and parent-like adults. God made children to want to learn from their parents how to worship and pray and live in the Lord.

In today's Bible verse, God makes a direct connection between what Jehoiakim does now (i.e. not listen) and what he did as a "youth". 

God makes this direct connection with the training of youth and their practices as adults. 

What will they know of God? It depends on what they were trained as youth. 

Will they value worship? It depends on what priorities they were trained with as youth. 

Will they have a daily relationship with the everlasting God or be like the guy who once told me that he might think of God once every two or three weeks? It depends on what a child is trained to set his/her heart on daily when they're young. 

I'll say it again, though children do indeed sometimes act like children because after all they are children, God made children to want to learn of God from parents and parent-like adults. God made children to want to learn from their parents how to worship and pray and live in the Lord.

Look at your child, if you have one. What you teach them about the presence of God today is at least as important as also going to worship with them this Sunday.

If you do not have your own child or maybe they're grown, be like Jim who has been Leonard's Big Brother for years. Leonard was born very different from Jim. But when you're around Leonard, it feels like you're around Jim. Leonard is learning about a daily relationship with God from Jim. It shows. 

God makes a direct connection with the training of youth and their practices as adults.

This is why God speaks to youth in Ecclesiastes 12:1, saying, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them.'"

This is why God speaks to adults in Proverbs 22:6, saying, "Train up a child in (or as one translation has it "Start children off on") the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."

Dear God, you have made the connections clear between what we teach and train the children in our world to value and to practice and what they will do as adults. You are present every single day, offering life, worship, forgiveness, guidance, and conversation with you. Help us as adults to joyfully learn to walk with you daily and to boldly invite the children in our homes and communities to do the same. Amen. 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/08/17, "Day of Praise"

Today, the Bible verse is at the end...

Some of my favorite foods are really simple: grilled chicken, broccoli, cheerios, vanilla ice cream. You can get fancy with them, but most of the time they are best when left alone.

It's like today's Bible verses. You can get fancy with them, but most of the time they are best when left alone.

Therefore, I'll simply say this about today's Bible verses: Daniel reminds us that to praise God is simply to speak confidently of both who God is and also what belongs to God.

This Day of Praise devotional ministry started with the simple goal of encouraging people to praise God daily, as Daniel does in today's verses, because God has established praise as the act of faith that taps into God and His power. 

So, using Daniel's praise as a model, praise God today. And remember, you are not only permitted to praise God more than once in a day, but I dare say that God encourages you to praise God many times throughout a day.

Here's today's verses. Say 'em, even shout 'em out loud many times today, as if you believe 'em, with deep conviction, to be true for you so that you yourself can tap into God and His power.

"Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: 
'Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.'" - 

Daniel 2:19-23

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/07/17, "Day of Praise"

"Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: 'He will have no one to sit on the throne of David...because they have not listened.'" - Jeremiah 36:30-31

Listening is critical in every relationship, but listening is most critical in our relationship with God.

It works like this.

To listen is for one party to receive a word or words from another party. So to listen is to receive a word. 

In the beginning of the Gospel of John, chapter 1, if we listen, God tells us that His Word is His Son. Jesus is the Living Word of God.

So, to listen to God, to receive God's Word, is to receive Jesus Christ.

Listening to God, and therefore receiving Christ, is critical because through Christ alone can we have a right relationship with God. Through Christ alone can we have peace with God. This is true because Christ alone took on human flesh and had no sin. NONE! So Christ's death on the cross was not for his sin, but his death was for our sin.

So when we listen to God, we are listening to God's Word. When we listen to God's Word, we are listening to Christ. When we listen to Christ, we are receiving Christ into our being. When we receive Christ, we are receiving all of Christ, including his work. When we receive Christ's work, it includes his saving work on the cross, where he pays the penalty for our sin because he himself had no sin to pay for.

In sum, to listen to God is to receive and be filled with God's Word, who is Jesus Christ. You are filled with both the person of Jesus and also the saving work of Jesus. God fills us with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-filled life is a life filled with Jesus.

This also explains why you feel empty when you don't listen to God's word by not worshiping God and not spending time with God in the reading and study of His word and not living with God by not living according to His word.

It all fits together.

And this is very simply why, in today's verse, God says what God says. When you listen to God, you receive His Son, Jesus Christ, and all his benefits. When you don't listen to God...well, you don't receive His Son, Jesus Christ, so it's impossible to receive his benefits, like forgiveness, peace, courage, wisdom, and everlasting life. God's trying to give his word and its benefits to everyone, but tragically, not everyone is receiving them because not everyone is listening.

This is why some people are so passionate about telling God's Word to others. In sum, lives are at stake. And because lives are at stake, some people are so passionate about telling God's Word to others that they're willing to lose a lot, maybe even everything, for telling it.

Please, please, please...receive God by listening to God's Word; worship God; live in God. And encourage others to do the same.

We will be blessed in listening, so may God be praised for speaking His Word of Life!

Praise God!