Day of Praise

Mon, 04/01/19, "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

Fri, 03/29/19, "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

Hi, Day of Praise Friends!

I know many of y'all live a good distance away, but would you please kindly consider coming to the following and inviting others and, whether you can come or not, praying for the effectiveness of the following Immersion Event to equip the dozens of people who will come from the 16+ congregations who God has brought together to learn to team together to share Jesus in our daily lives wherever we are in daily life? Please help us by coming and/or inviting others and/or praying for the training. We're excited!!!

Please mark your calendar, and PLEASE spread the word to others about THIS Saturday, March 30, 9 a.m. - noon. It's our third intercongregational and interdenominational "Immersion Event" which will be held at Faith Presbyterian Church, 4601 Valleydale Rd, Hoover, AL 35242, which is the same place we were for the second Immersion Event.

Our speaker THIS Saturday will be Steven Lanclos, Pastor of Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd in Pelham. (Longtime friend Pastor AJ Johnson from Doers of the Word in Woodlawn was our last keynote and will be with us again as a participant this time. And longtime friend First Priority Global Founder, Benny Proffitt, from Nashville, was our first keynote.)

At this Saturday's Immersion Event we'll be learning about and practicing "Different Ways to Share the Gospel".

I'm looking forward to seeing you (and maybe your family? 😀🙏) as we all continue this journey of deepening our faith and learning to live a lifestyle of spreading the good news of Jesus! Yay! Spread the word!

And for others you invite to the Immersion Event who need it, childcare IS indeed available! Call Susan Dearing (205-467-8736) from Christ the King who will be happy to make that arrangement for children.
Thank you!
Your Brother in Christ,
Chris

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/27/19, "Day of Praise"

First, Happy Birthday today to my cheerful, wise, sweet, compassionate, and amazing wife, Amanda! 

Now, our Bible passage.
"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

Tues, 03/26/19, "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

Mon, 03/25/19, "Day of Praise"

"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

Fri, 03/22/19, "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

Thur, 03/21/19, "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

Wed, 03/20/19, "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 28 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

Tues, 03/19/19, "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 now married and in medical school in Chicago), 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

Mon, 03/18/19, a post 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

Sat, 03/18/19, a post 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

Sat, 03/16/19, "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, 03/15/19, "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

Thur, 03/14/19, "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

Wed, 03/13/19, "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

Tues, 03/12/19, "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

Mon, 03/11/19, "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

Sat, 03/09/19, "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!

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/08/19,  "Day of Praise"

"Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.'" - Jeremiah 35:18-19

This is a good thing. It is a good thing that "the God of Israel, says: 'Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.'" (Jeremiah 35:19)

What that means is that they have more than enough strength to serve.

Look around. We live in a world that is full of tired people, that is, people who do not have enough strength to serve.

I remember a time not too long ago that my son and I stopped into a popular sporting goods store for one item. We easily saw at least 30 employees in the front of the store. It was 1 pm.

They all looked tired. Yawning. Slumping. Rubbing their eyes. 

We live in a world full of tired people.

God offers an alternative, namely, trust, listen for, follow, and serve the LORD. 

It is a proposition of faith, that in serving the LORD you find renewed strength.

Trust him. Try it. And see. 

I pray you have a blessed day with the LORD!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/07/19, "Day of Praise"

"Josiah however would not turn away from [Neco king of Egypt]...[Josiah was] badly wounded...and he died." - 

2 Chronicles 35:20-25

Josiah's kingship, leadership, courage, resolve, and premature death are about much more than a timid resignation to each person's life having only a certain number of days (Psalm 90) and having boundaries of time set in "pleasant places" (Psalm 16).

Josiah was a human being with a mission. He had what every person longs for since we're all made in the image of God. Josiah had a reason to live for which he was willing and unafraid to die. 

His mission was to know the LORD and to walk in his mighty power. Not recklessly. But purposefully. His mission was to be in a relationship with God that was at the top of his life-list and at the center of everything else on the list. 

Josiah determined to live, possibly, even probably, fewer days in the LORD and the LORD's mighty power, instead of more days in his own strength where he had no need for the LORD's strength and therefore no need for the LORD.

This is the life for which all of us are made and to which all of us are called, that is, to be in a relationship with God where God's at the top of our life-list and at the center of everything else on our list, where we're determined to live, possibly, even probably, fewer days in the LORD and the LORD's mighty power, instead of more days in our own strength where we have no need for the LORD's strength and therefore no need for the LORD.

For who or what are you living? The house payment? Retirement? Get the kids through college? Those will never satisfy. Josiah learned that at a very, very, very young age. That's why he lived for the longing of his heart, the longing of every man's heart, the longing of every human being's heart.

Josiah lived and died for God! And in so doing, blessed us all by calling us all to live for more than the world is and more than the world could ever offer.

And we will live well, doing the same.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/06/19, Ash Wednesday, "Day of Praise"

 

Today is Ash Wednesday. Worship someplace if you possibly can so that you can be reminded of your mortality, hearing God's Word, "Remember that you are dust. And to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19, Ecclesiastes 3:20). 

Many churches (like ours at 6:30 am, 11:45 am, & 6:30 pm) share the imposition of ashes (reminding us of our mortality), which are imposed on each forehead in the shape of a cross, reminding us that, through faith in Christ and his saving work on the cross, our mortality is covered in immortality. 

In essence, the imposition of ashes in the shape of a cross claims God's promise that, though we must die and return to the dust (unless Jesus comes again before we do), death cannot hold us because we're joined through faith in Jesus to the one who cannot be held by death because he's already defeated it by his death on the cross and his glorious resurrection! 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/05/19, "Day of Praise" 

"Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately." - Acts 18:24-26 

Have you ever given thought to those "Give a penny; take a penny" trays that are next to a lot of cash registers? 

I myself tend to be a "Give a pen; take a pen" kinda guy. I'm always wondering where my pens are. 

The point in this is that today's verses have the spirit of "Give some; take some." Specifically, Apollos had some to give, for "he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately." However, he didn't know everything, so "Priscilla and Aquila...invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately." 

These verses are in a larger section where we hear that "the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." (Acts 19:20) 

Jesus gave his all on the cross so that we might take, that is take the news of him and his love to the world so that his love can spread widely and grow in power in the hearts of all people.

Indeed, that's how God's word spreads: a lot of give and take. Ya give some; ya take some. Ya teach some by giving what ya have of God's word; ya take some by receiving from others what they have of God's word. 

God's word goes nowhere and to nobody with no power when everybody keeps it to themselves. 

So let's get out there today and talk about God's word. Let's "Give God's word; take God's word" and watch "the word of the Lord spread widely and grow in power." (Acts 19:20) 

People will be blessed, and God will be praised! 

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/04/19, "Day of Praise"

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." - 

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Do you ever feel like you're constantly pushing the rock uphill?

It doesn't need to be that way. 

I can count a number of people off the top of my head who I know are reading this and who are loving life because they're in a season of learning to let go and let Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting in life. It's as if the rock is rolling down hill. 

It's not about laziness or a bad work ethic. To the contrary, what God tells us in today's verse through Paul is that a relationship with God through Jesus creates more effective, efficient, fruitful, and (dare I say it?) even joyful work.

Read the verse again for yourself, and you'll see it plainly says:
-- faith in our Lord Jesus Christ produces work, 
-- love in our Lord Jesus Christ prompts labor, and 
-- hope in our Lord Jesus Christ inspires endurance. 

So, let's see if we've got this straight. If we just pour out our hearts to others with faith in Jesus, love for Jesus, and hope in Jesus, then work, labor, and endurance get easier? Yep. That's what it says. 

Now, some of you are going to say, "I don't see it. They call it work because it's work." Well, I would say to you that I understand. And I also will pray for you as you keep rolling your rock uphill.

But the vast majority of you are going to say, "I didn't know that God makes those kinds of promises." And you're going to hold God to His promise because God is not a liar. And you're going to see how work, labor, and endurance get easier when God greases the gears of life by his own working of faith, love, and hope in Jesus Christ in our hearts. 

And it's as if, well, it's as if the rock and the hill just disappear. 

That's the power of the promises of our God!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/02/19, "Day of Praise"

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.'" - Acts 17:22-23

When I was in seminary in Philadelphia, PA, I was blessed every night to have a classmate, named Mary Gabler, who led a beautiful little service of prayer and chanting, called Compline. It didn't hurt that Mary had performed on Broadway and sang like someone famous. But what made the service special was a collective hunger for God that was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. 

Whether it was four people or twenty-four people gathered around that single, brightly-burning candle, you could feel God fill the silence and the space of that cavernous church with his unquestionable presence. It wasn't hocus pocus. What it was is that it was late. We were all tired, bone tired, from serving and studying and working three jobs to make ends meet (even with the dirt-cheap white-labeled government food from the food bank that was started by my forty-one year old classmate, Jack Farwig, and his wife, Mary Beth, who needed to feed their five kids.)

Yes, we were all tired and ready for bed, but not so tired to keep many of us from walking to the far end of campus for twenty-five minutes of heaven. 

The leader began by chanting scripture, "Hear my prayer, O Lord." And we chanted the scripture in reply, "Listen to my cry." Then the leader chanted, "Keep me as the apple of your eye." Then we'd reply as one, "Hide me in the shadow of your wings."

Thus began the last words, God's words, that most of us heard audibly each night before the blaring alarm would call us to a new day just a few short hours later.

Now, twenty-five-plus years later, a few times a year, mostly at the beginning of Holy Week before Easter, we share that little, slice-of-Heaven, prayer service at our church here in Birmingham.

I tell you all this because it reminds me that there are things in life that just flat out testify to how much we hunger for God. I mean, why do y'all read this little Day of Praise every day and then pass it on to your friends who ask to be put on the list? I write this little thing for the same reason that all of you read it, namely, we all hunger for God. 

And we all want to be a part of a group of people who hunger for God. That's why God gave us the church, the family of God, the fellowship of believers, people who follow Jesus all the way to the next person so we can tell them about Jesus, whether it's men eating wings or discussing John Eldredge's "Wild at Heart," or young moms who want to know if anyone else feels exhausted and bleary-eyed, or widows at a Merry Widows dinner, or a frail senior who's thankful for another day, or people just hangin' out on the church patio after worship.

When St. Paul said what he said to the Athenians in today's verse, he was saying, "I know something about you folks. You're hungry for God."

People, Paul wasn't a rocket scientist; he didn't even need to be discerning. He had just lived long enough, which doesn't have to be very long, to know that every human being longs to know and yearns to know and hungers to know the God who alone can feed your hunger and fill your soul and quench your thirst and forgive your sin and give you that peace and make your life so worth living that you're willing to give it up so others can have their hunger filled too. 

All Paul did was look for a connecting point, an empty spot that hungered to be filled. And finding that empty spot, Paul pointed it out to them, saying, "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god."

And then he filled their hunger with the God who alone can satisfy, the God who alone can fill, saying, "Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."

Friends, you have friends, and you have coworkers. You have friends and coworkers who are hungry. And, having God, through faith in Jesus Christ, you have the ability to feed your hungry friends and coworkers. 

Get together. Eat some wings. Discuss a book. See if anyone else feels bleary-eyed. Go to a widows dinner or a Seniors luncheon. Hang out on a patio doin' nothin' but talkin'. Find a connecting point. And connect it to Jesus. 

It's enough to feed your hunger when everyone's hungry for God.

And God says that everyone is!

Praise God!