A new day

I used to hate Mondays.  Well, not hate them, but they were my least favorite days of the week.  My perspective has changed a bit now.  Not because Mondays are any easier, not because the sound of my alarm clock at 5:30 is any sweeter, but because I see Mondays in a new way.

After church is done on Sunday night I pretty much have an idea of what my week will look like.  Between hospital visits, home visits, surgeries, prospect visits and so on.  I now see Mondays as the beginning of my week serving the Lord.  He has called me to be a pastor and to do all these things.  I am excited to serve Him in these ways.  This morning was a bright morning.  It was a little chilly outside, but a good start to the week.

I am excited about what this week holds. I am looking forward to getting some reading done in a couple of books I am working through.  That reminds me of an answered prayer.  I had prayed a few weeks back for the Lord to give me a desire to read like I had once before.  I realized last week that He has done that and is doing that!  Be careful what you pray for.  In the evenings instead of turning on the TV, I am thinking, “I can get another chapter or two read.”

Be encouraged this Monday.  It is a new start to a new week for you to serve the Lord and allow Him to use you to minister to others!

A real religion of Love

People have been telling us for 6 years now that Islam is a religion of peace and love. The message of the Bible is truly a message of Love, Peace, and Grace. I am a Southern Baptist and we have a bad reputation for being “against” so many things. I am against sin (so is God by the way). God is a forgiving God. He pursues us with a passion and with determination. It truly is all about love and grace!

I downloaded a new CD yesterday, Remedy by David Crowder Band. while listening to the 5th track, Never Let Go, I heard these words: Ever faithful, ever true, You I know, You never let go… I was sitting at my computer enjoying the song and reflecting on the amazing, unending love of Jesus. I was struck by the reality that we never go so far that we are beyond His grace. I thought of all the people in the world that need to hear of His mercy, that need to hear He never lets go. Then I opened Firefox to Foxnews.com and saw this image

The caption said “This Is Why They Don’t Have Gays In Iran”. (In case you have been in a cave, the President of Iran said Monday that they don’t have gays in Iran.)

I was appalled. I thought of the true religion of Peace and love, Christianity. I know nothing about these two teenagers other than they were accused of committing homosexual acts. In Iran (and many other Muslim countries) the penalty is death. I certainly don’t condone the acts of these young men, but there is a God who loves them and never lets go as He pursues us. We do not serve a God that gives us death for our sins. Though we deserve it beyond measure! He has provided grace through Jesus Christ.

May our hearts be moved to share this message of hope with a world that is without hope.

Blessed to Bless

God gives us things for His benefit, not ours!Psalm 67

All Will Praise God
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

God gives us things for His benefit, not ours.  That is an incredible thought.  It is the sentiment of the psalmist in Psalm 67.  Look closely at the beautiful words:

1  May God be gracious to us and bless us;
look on us with favor.
Selah

2 so that Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise You, God;
let all the peoples praise You. 

4 Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy,
for You judge the peoples with fairness
and lead the nations on earth.
Selah

5 Let the peoples praise You, God,
let all the peoples praise You. 

6 The earth has produced its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us. 

7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

He asks God to bless us so that His ways would be known on the earth and salvation would come to all peoples.  Then, the people everywhere will praise the Lord.  Do you ever stop and think that your blessings are designed for God to show off His goodness in order that more people would praise Him.  That is God’s goal, not to bless us, but to be praised by all people.  God wants all people to come to salvation, but for a different reason than we may think.  God is not lonely in Heaven.  He doesn’t need more people saved to quench His loneliness.  God wants people to come to salvation so that they will praise Him.  That is what He wants.  That is His ultimate goal

We see that praise happening in Revelation 4 and 5.  It is what God is working towards.  What an amazing display of His love that He blesses us, is gracious to us, and lets us know Him in order to lead others to praise Him.

When you are praising God – you are doing what He designed you to do.  He will even bless you, so you can praise Him more

By His power

I have been running myself to death and I finally realized why. I have been trying to do it in my own strength. Between preparing for sermons, visiting and ministering to people, taking care of my father after his surgery, and preparing 3 lectures each day for school; I have gotten tired. Then it occurred to me. I have been trying to do it all in my own strength and not His.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2 that he ministered in weakness and fear and trembling. It was God’s power that brought about spiritual results. Paul understood that. I guess I needed a reminder too. It is amazing to be a part of the work God is doing in the world. It is even more amazing that He gives us the power and the strength to accomplish it! All we have to do is obey Him every step of the way and allow His power to flow through us as we serve Him.

We really can simply step out of the way and let Him do it all. What have you been trying to do in your strength? It will tire you out right away! It is His work, done in His power! That’s the secret.

Your Tree

Last night we had a great time together.  It still amazes me that Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down from the tree.  A sinner like that, and Jesus wanted to stay at his house.  There is hope for us all!  God’s grace is truly amazing. It is hard to comprehend the fullness of His mercy to us.  He has made a way to connect with Himself: Jesus Christ and His grace!

I am looking forward to September 29.  I hope you can be there

He made the first move

I am no chess expert.  In fact I can barely beat the computer on level 1 (out of 10 levels).  One thing about chess is that the less talented player usually is simply responding to what the better player does.  Often the one who makes the first move sets the tone for the game.

God made the first move with each of us.  Romans 5:8 says “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  God sent Jesus to die for people when we had nothing good to offer Him.  He made the first move.  He has swung open the doors and invited all to boldly walk through.  We can only have entrance through Jesus.  God has made a way to connect with every person.  He did it through His Son Jesus Christ.

How do you respond?  How do you respond to this first move of God?