Ishmael Moment's

Have you ever had an Ishmael moment? You know, like Abraham and Sarah, you grow impatient, or become frightened that the way it seemed as a dream or promise was going to be fulfilled may not happen, so you decide to help God out. For Sarah, it was the suggestion that Abraham have a son by her servant Hagar. (I always find it interesting that Abraham didn't argue about the idea, but was perfectly willing to spend a night with Hagar, but that's another story.) So Ishmael is born.

But this wasn't God's plan. What happened? I think Abraham got so locked in on what he wanted that he wasn't willing to let God do what God wanted to do. In Genesis 15:2, after God tells Abraham about all the ways He is going to bless him, Abraham says: “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son?” Abraham had such tunnel-vision on what he wanted, he was willing to go outside of God's will to acquire what he wanted...a son.

But Abraham didn't understand that God’s promises aren’t just goods and blessings to make us happy. Though God does want us to be happy and He does give us good gifts, the deeper meaning is what lies behind the promise. Abraham wanted a son and it would have been nothing for God to give him a son quickly. But the bigger picture was how God established His covenant and sealed it with a miraculous promise. The promise wasn’t just Isaac, but the never-ending promise that linked Isaac to the coming redemption of Jesus Christ on the cross. Isaac was only a piece of the bigger plan of God.

But most of us are not too unlike Abraham. We get so focused in on our dream, our desire, or our problem, that we are willing to step outside of God's promise to move us either close to our dream or resolve our problem. And most of us have to admit, that like Abraham, the times we have done that have created tremendous issues for us.

Let me close today by giving you two suggestions when you are tempted with Ishmael moments. Of course, number 1 is, trust God to accomplish what He has promised in His way. His way will always be better. And number 2, if you have had an Ishmael moment and you are struggling with the consequences of your choices, take heart. God is a master and blessing our Ishmael moments. More about that next time!

Waiting

It is a part of life that all of us have to experience, yet few of us enjoy...waiting. Whether it is waiting at the doctor's office, waiting at a red-light, waiting at a restaurant, or waiting for a sermon to get over so we can go wait at a restaurant, waiting is a shared struggle in the human experience.

One of the more difficult things about being a Christian is waiting on God after God has made a promise to us. Abraham and Sarah certainly knew what it was like to wait on the Lord. Twenty-five years passed from the time God promised a son to them until the fulfillment of that promise was realized.

So I think we can call Abraham an expert on waiting. Later this week, we are going to look at two wrong responses we have when we are forced to wait on the Lord, and three right responses that Abraham demonstrates while waiting on the Lord.

But let me leave you today with this wonderful promise to those who find themselves in a position of waiting on the Lord. It is found in Isaiah 40: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

How We Treat Our Guests Is Important

Why is hospitality so important? We, who tend to come to church every week, kind of take for granted that we will be here again next week, and the next week. But almost every Sunday, there is someone at our church who may never return. Perhaps some are because of sickness; others because of death; but, most will simply choose not to return.

So every time we walk in these doors, there is a good possibility that there is someone here that this will be the only shot we get to fully express the love of God to them. (1 John 4:12).

I love the way Pastor Brad Powell of Northridge Church in Michigan tells the story. If you have about three minutes listen to this story:

So how do we practice hospitality (Romans 12:13)? In Genesis 18:1-8, we are told of a time when Abraham welcomed some guests into his home. There are six things he did, that I think would help us as endeavor to practice hospitality:

1) He made them feel welcome (verse 1-3). This is more than shaking hands and saying "Welcome". It is having a servants attitude towards our guest.
2) He refreshed them (verse 4). People who enter our church need to be refreshed from the struggles of their daily lives.
3) He offered them rest (verse 4). There are all kinds of things that take place in the secular world that we need to ensure don't happen inside our walls: battles, politics, anger, etc.
4) He gave them the best seat (verse 4). Maybe the back rows should be reserved for guests!
5) He energized them for their journey (verse 5). May the people who leave our church on Sunday fell charged for the week ahead!
6) He stood ready and willing to serve (verses 2, 8). For the people who call Hickory Valley their home, church is not a place we come to be served, but a place to serve.

As Brad reminds us, let me re-interate something that we have a tendency to let slip into the background. Every Sunday, we will have someone for whom eternity is on the line. In fact, every day we will meet someone for whom eternity is on the life. Our faithfulness to worship, our attitudes toward servanthood, our acceptance of our guests, may make all the difference for eternity.

Hospitality Is The Heart Of God

The God that we serve is welcoming. He pursues us and loves us. 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression through us.” John is basically saying, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” His logic is: No one has ever seen God, but Jesus came and he made God known.

John also says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love, we make him known.”

The Greek word for full expression is exēgesatō. It means exegesis or exegete. When you exegete a passage of Scripture, you discover the original meaning or full expression. John says that Jesus exegetes the meaning of God. He removes all of our interpretations, and he shows us God in his full nature.

John also says that we get to exegete God by loving others. The Pharisees thought that God was a nitpicker, a rule keeper. Jesus exegetes God in a whole new way: God full of grace and truth. The story of the Prodigal Son exegetes God as having a heart of radical, costly, extravagant welcome.

Jesus exegetes God and he wants us to do the same. That’s our job. In Western culture, we use hospitality to mean this: Inviting someone we like for a brief visit. This isn’t bad, but that’s not how the Bible defines hospitality. Here’s God’s hospitality: Pursuing us in order to win us at a costly love, willing to die for them in order to adopt them as sons and daughters of heaven, to come live in your house forever. Some theologians say the chief attribute of God is hospitality.

The word hospital captures this sense of divine hospitality. The more busted up you are at the hospital, the more priority you get. That’s getting close to divine hospitality. When we are willing to sacrifice and stretch our own comfort zone to welcome others, That’s how we exegete our God.  We are willing to stretch ourselves to serve those who are busted up.

Practice Hospitality

A mother invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn’t know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the mother answered. The little girl bowed her head and with sincerity in her voice said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Listen to these words by the apostle Paul concerning hospitality found in Romans 12:13: “Share with God people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Notice that he doesn’t say, “Show hospitality”. But “Practice hospitality”.

I love this old school video from the Beverly Hillbillies when Granny is missing Southern hospitality after the Clampett clan move to Beverly Hills.

Why do we need to practice hospitality? Why do we need to practice anything? Because the more we practice it, the better we get at it. Now I have a theory. I don’t know if you can prove it, but I believe it is true. And since I said it is a theory, it really doesn’t matter if it is true or not, I can state it whether it is or not (just kidding). I do believe this theory is true. Here it is: Left to ourselves, we tend to drift from relationships rather than toward them. We tend to drift toward isolation rather than community. We tend drift toward separation rather than inclusion. To become good at community, at inclusion, we have to practice hospitality.

That’s my theory. You can decide whether you agree or not. I just know that when guests visit a church, the natural tendency of most people is to stay away from them rather than approach them.

This week we are going to look at how God is hospitable, a Biblical example of hospitality, and why  hospitality is especially important for a church?

Moving With God

Today's guest blog is is from Artie Davis. You can follow Artie at www.artiedavis.com.

… a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. (John 5:3, 4 NKJV)

Be in the Right Place
Our towns are full of those who sick, blind and lost. And I really believe God wants to visit each with the power of the Gospel. But God moves through the obedience of those who  hear His voice and follow. We can be doing all the “right” things with the right people but in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then we become discouraged when we don’t see the moves of God.

Watch for the stirring
God greatly desires to move where we are and draw people to Himself. We have to train our ears and eyes to see when God moves and not shrink back in fear, or disapproval because His movement doesn’t line up with how believe He should move!

Be all in!
We gotta move! If we hesitate, we lose. When God moves, thats’s Him saying, “Get up, move…move now.” And we can’t just put our toe in, we have to jump all in, we make a commitment that now matter what it looks like or how much it may cost, we have to be all in.

No Escape Route

Here's another great thought from Steve May:

The story goes that after Julius Caesar and his Roman legions landed on the shores of Britain, he marched his men to the Cliffs of Dover to look at the shores below. From there they could see their ships engulfed in flames, thus ruling out any possibility of retreat. There was nothing left now for the soldiers to do but advance and conquer. And that is what they did.

The problem with escape routes is that they're too often and too easily taken. Their very existence can lull us into giving less than our all to any endeavor.

I used to work with a pastor who often told me, “If you give yourself a way out, you will end up taking it every time. Create no option but to get the job done.”

He wasn't talking about developing a Plan B for success, just in case Plan A doesn't pan out. He was talking about relying on Plan B for failure, just in case the going gets tough. (Because the going always gets tough.)

Almost every day I find myself repeating the words of Paul..."But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

Can you imagine how a "no retreat" attitude can make a difference in your approach to living holy, to serving God in ministry, to leading your family, to loving others?

It's time to throw a match on any possibility of going back to the way things used to be. God is calling us forward, to a life of victory.  - Steve May, Monday Memo, June 25, 2013

The Second Best Time To Plant Trees

Most of you are aware, I am taking preaching sabbatical this month, so I will not be making the normal posts during July. However, I want to share some of my favorite blogs from other ministers or speakers occasionally during the month. Today's blog comes from Steve May from MondayMemo. Steve writes:


An ancient proverb says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today."

Looking back on the past twenty years, it's easy to see all the trees that should have been planted: we should have spent less and invested more, we should have studied more, prayed more, taken the kids to more picnics, appreciated others more, watched TV less, worried less, laughed more, enjoyed life more, and on and on.

It's easy to see today all the trees we failed to plant twenty years ago. And it may be tempting to dwell on those good things left undone. God, however, has forgotten them; those sins of omission have been cast into the same sea of forgetfulness as our other sins.

Instead, we must be about the business of planting trees today.

Paul said, "Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Yesterday will never be any different than it was, but today's pages is still blank. Today is the day of salvation; today is the day to start planting trees.

The God Of Second Chances

When we left Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark in the previous post, Paul and Barnabas had separated their missionary efforts, Paul going one way with Silas, and Barnabas going another with John Mark. All because Paul had given up on John Mark because John Mark had quit on him on a previous journey.

From a casual glance, we might assume that God doesn't bless quitters. But let's dig into this story a bit deeper. Somehow Paul and John Mark were reconciled. When Paul writes one of his prison epistles, this one to the church at Colossee, he writes in Colossians 4:10: “Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas's cousin. And as you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way.”

And then there is moving request by Paul in his final letter to his young protege, Timothy, where he says in 2 Timothy 4:11: “Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you
 come, for he will be helpful to me.”

Again, as Perry Noble writes in Unleash: "Paul, who had once given up on John Mark, wanted him to be with him in his last days. Why? I believe the apostle Paul understood that even though he'd given up
on John Mark, God hadn't."

I think there are two valuable lessons in this amazing story of falling down and getting back up:

1) Be careful who you quit on...you may need them in your life later.
2) God never quits on you..."Mark quit on God, but God never quit on him. He hasn't quit on you, either.
Do you think John Mark ever dreamed he'd be chosen by God to pen one of the accounts of Jesus' life in our Bible today? Do you think Peter ever imagined he'd be allowed to lead the church after adamantly denying Christ three times? Do you think David ever thought he'd be known as a man after God's heart after he committed adultery and murder?
 Of course not! All of them probably thought it was game over, but God didn't.
God will do what He needs to do to correct us and get us back on the right path, but He will never give up on us."

Don't Quit, Just Because You Stumble

John Mark is an interest character in the Bible. We are first introduced to him in Acts 12:12, where we
are told that the Apostle Peter visited his mother's home. He must have been a key player in the early development of the church, because later, he was invited by Paul and his cousin, Barnabas, to travel with them on a journey to the island of Cyprus to share the message of the gospel to the inhabitants.

At first it appeared to be an exciting and victorious trip, but along the way something happened that apparently discouraged John Mark, so much so that he wanted to quit and go home. Perhaps it was their encounter with a Jewish sorcery named Elymas. Perhaps it was the isolation of traveling from city to city and not really having a place to call your own. But for whatever reason, we are told in Acts 13:3: “ Now Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.”

John Mark quit and went back home. How do we know that? Later Paul and Barnabas were going to go on another missionary trip and we are told in Acts 15:37, 38: "Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work."

 A deserter. It just has a dirty feel to it doesn't it. The contention between Barnabas and Paul was so great, they separated and went on different journeys, Barnabas apparently with John Mark, and Paul with Silas. We don't hear much about Barnabas and John Mark's journeys, but the rest of the book of Acts is about Paul and his companions. So it would appear that Paul's efforts were more success, or at least made more headlines, than those of Barnabas and John Mark.

John Mark quit on Paul. Paul then quit on John Mark. But God didn't quit on John Mark. As Paul Harvey used to say, "My friends, is the rest of the story."

God Won't Quit On You

As we conclude our study on the life of David based on the book Unleash by Perry Noble, this week we are focusing on the conclusion of David's life. It is easy to view David as a great hero of the faith when we think about his confrontation with Goliath, his integrity while King Saul was pursuing him to kill him, or the way he lead Israel to become the world power of his generation.

But let's not forget, after all of that, during a very dark season of David's life, he committed adultery and then committed murder to hide his adultery. On top of that, like most of us, he showed no remorse until it appeared he had been caught in his confrontation by the prophet Nathan. He turned his back on the Lord and blatantly chose what he wanted over what God wanted.

However, the demonstration of God's love and grace that follows is nothing short of supernatural. Even though David quit on God during that season of his life, God never quit on David. As Noble writes: "He sent the prophet Nathan to confront him and call him on his sin. As a result, David repented of what he had done and got back on track in his journey with the Lord. That didn't mean there weren't consequences
for his sin; in fact, his sin ended up costing him the life of his own son. But when he showed true repentance. God forgave him completely and restored his relationship with Him."

That is an amazing illustration of grace. David committed adultery and murder, and still God didn't quit on him! 

The Bible is full of people who quit on God but whom God chose to use for His purposes anyway. The remainder of this week we are going to look at one person in particular. His name is John Mark. He is a classic example of someone who quit, but God never quit on him.

By the way, the same is true about you. God will never quit on you. 

Finishing Well

You may have a can of WD-40 around the house. It is a common household item for lubricating items and stopping squeaks. But do you know where the name comes from? The WD stands for Water Displacement. The 40 stands for the number of tries it took them to get an effective and successful formula. They failed 39 times but succeeded on the 40th try.

I have never met a person who has newly started their walk with Christ who intended to quit that walk someday down the road. Most people who begin their spiritual walk are filled with zeal and excitement. Unfortunately, for some, something happens along the way and they just...quit.

They stopped running the race and just gave up. It's not that they're a bad person. But something, somewhere, stole their joy and they just didn't have the strength to take another step. And sadly, many never get back in the race.

Somewhere in the Christian church, we began defining godliness as never falling. But the men and women of the Bible never illustrated it in that way. All the heroes of the faith had their moments of failure. In fact, we don't even need their illustrations to understand this truth. Listen to the words of the wise man in Proverbs 24:16: "The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again."

Do you see it? It's not that "the godly don't fall"; the godly and the ungodly both fall. The difference is the godly get up again. That verse continues: "But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked."

So the next time you are tempted to quit, (on your marriage, on your kids, on your church, on your God) remember WD-40. Success may come with the next attempt!

Life Happens

It seems as though the difficult events of life, more times than not, catch us by surprise! We don't wake up in the morning thinking that we'll have an automobile wreck, or discover we are being caught in our companies down-sizing decisions, or discover our spouse is seeing someone else. Most of us have had days where something tragic hit us out of nowhere.

Whatever the event, the reality is...life happens. And when it does, sometimes it knocks the wind out of our dreams, hopes, and ambitions. Is is possible to keep your dreams alive when life sucker punches you? I believe so. But I believe to do so, you have to be willing to let other people into your life. God never intended for us to do life alone.

David's relationship with his friend Jonathan was a source of encouragement and strength as Jonathan's manic-depressive father, Saul would honor David one day and try to kill him the next. David's "mighty men" enabled David to do amazing things even while on the run from Saul. They (David and his mighty men) all could have achieved a lot on their own, but they achieved far more as a group than they ever could have accomplished on their own. David knew he needed them if he was 
going to accomplish what God had called him to do.


As Perry Noble writes in his book Unleash: "We never become who God wants us to be or accomplish all He wants us to accomplish by ourselves. We all need the support of other believers to help us live out God's unleashing grace.
"

A Little Help From Our Friends

Dorothea Taylor, age 85, was waiting in her truck on her husband George, as he tool their golden retrievers, Fellar and Tut, out for some fresh air. She was in their truck to avoid the Alaskan subzero temperatures watching her husband collected the dogs.

That's when George noticed a massive moose of in the distance. “He was way off. He spotted me, and he started to come right after me. So I was trying to get to the truck. But I didn't make it,” George, a bush pilot from Willow, Alaska, told the Anchorage Daily News.

The moose caught George and began stomping on him in the snow. Fortunately, his 5-foot-tall wife grabbed a shovel from the truck and attacked the moose, taking swing after swing at the animal.

“When it turned and started to go off slowly, I hit it with everything I had,” she said. Finally, the moose retreated, and Tut, one of their dogs, chased it off. Taylor made it out of the fight unscathed, but her husband had seven broken ribs and a 6-inch cut on his forehead. “Well, we've helped each other out of problems before. This just happened to be the latest,” Dorothea said.

Sometimes life happens and situations hit that we're unprepared to face. It's during those times that we desperately need the help and community of other people. 
When the Moose attacked, George didn't need someone to pray for him. He didn't need to read a book titled Ten Ways To Escape A Charging Moose. He didn't need advice or some sort of cute jewelry with a cross on it to remind him that Jesus is always with him.


He needed someone to come alongside him and beat of the Moose! George would have been in serious trouble if Dorothea hadn't been close enough to help him out.


I'm sure George didn’t set out walking his dogs expecting to face death. But life didn't turn out quite like he'd anticipated. Before he knew it, he was in trouble, and quite unable to get himself out of the situation on his own.


There's no way he could have rescued himself. He needed help! And so do we all.

Life Is Tough

It is important to remember that David did not set out to fight a giant on the day he faced Goliath. I mean, he didn't get up one day and say, "I think I'll go pick a fight with a nine-foot tall warrior." He was simply doing what he was asked to do and the giant-sized opportunity presented itself.

Isn't that the way life happens? We are going along and everything is great and then something takes us by surprise. Something that leaves us overwhelmed and feeling like we can't handle it. If we have bought into the error that God will never give you more than you can handle, we will get frustrated and possibly bitter. Or we may assume that we don't have enough faith, or aren't godly enough.

Going along side the error of God won't give you more than you can handle, is the error that if you do everything right, you won't have any problems and nothing bad will never happen to us. Scripture clearly teaches otherwise. Joseph did the "right" thing and ran from temptation and consequently wound up in jail. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did the "right" thing and refused to bow before an idol, and as a result they were thrown into the furnace. Job was doing absolutely nothing wrong; in fact, he was called "blameless" and "upright" by God
 Himself. And yet you know what happened. Paul and Silas were told to go to a certain region and preach the gospel, and before the chapter is over, we find them beaten and thrown into prison. Jesus never sinned, yet He was crucified.

Bad things happen to us not because of bad things we've done but because we live in a fallen world. Also, when bad things happen to us we are reminded how utterly dependent we are on and for God.

As one of the members of our congregation often says, "Life is tough, then you die." Begging his apologies, I might change that last phrase in his quip: "Life is touch, but God is greater."

More Than You Can Handle

This week, it is my hope to debunk a Christian fable that is often quoted when we experience difficulties in life. This fable has a lot of different versions, but they all basically boil down to this: "God will never give you more than you can handle.”I suspect we have all been told that at some point in our lives. I suspect most of us have told someone else that when they were going through a difficulty. The truth is, I've probably preached it before.

But it simply is not true. God often allows us to face more than we can handle. But it's not because He's cruel or heartless. It's so we'll stop trying to live life on our own strength and learn to depend on His! The idea that God won't give us more than we can handle might have originated from the words the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
 Notice this verse doesn't say anything about God never giving us more than we can handle. It fact, it is not about circumstances at all, but temptations.


Read Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, and you will discover that he readily admits that he experienced situations that he couldn't handle: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, FAR BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO ENDURE (emphasis mine), so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,”


You see it, don't you? This week we are going to debunk the myth that "God will never give you more than you can handle" and hopefully replace it with the truth: "God will never give you more than He can handle." The difference is more than schematics. It is an entirely different paradigm of how you face life.

You Are Loved

Unconditional love! It is almost, if not totally, impossible for us to comprehend the terms. As humans, we place so many conditions on love. Are they lovable? Do they treat me with respect? Is my love reciprocated?

That's not so with God's love for us. He loves us passionately and unconditionally. Allow that last word to sink in. Unconditionally. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us more. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us less. Impossible to comprehend? Perhaps. True? Absolutely.

Recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:38-39 (NLT): “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What can separate His love from us? Death or life can't. Angels or demons can't. Our own fears and worries can't (admit it, every once in a while, don't you fear or worry that He doesn't love you?). Our own emotions can't. Whether we are on highs to the skies or lows to the deepest oceans, He still loves us.

Impossible? Perhaps in our realm. But remember, He is not on our realm. He loves you. As you prepare to unleash the potential of your life, it begins with the realization that success or failure doesn't change God's love for you.

You Are Forgiven

Often, when trying to overcome our past, we have a difficult time believing that we are really forgiven. While we sing songs about it, we talk about it, we even thank God for it, forgiveness is something our heart has a difficult time accepting. Perhaps it is because we have a difficult time forgiving others, and we believe God has the same difficulties we do. Perhaps it is because we believe we don't deserve forgiveness (none of us do). Or perhaps, we are experiencing the results of poor decisions and we figure our difficulties must mean that God hasn't forgiven us.

Whatever the reason, there are a couple of things we need to remember when our hearts won't allow us to "feel" forgiven. First of all, “The human heart is most deceitful and terribly wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)  Our feelings don't always tell the truth. We should never try to build the foundation of our lives on something as uncontrollable as our emotions. Emotions come and go, shift and fluctuate. But truth is always truth. Forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a reality. Whether we feel forgiven or not, when we have come to Jesus and repented of our past...we are forgiven!

Listen to what John told us in 1 John 3:20: “Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” The Scriptures are clear that our lives are identified not by our failures but rather by the death Christ died on the cross.

Forgiveness is not achieved, it is received. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:7: “He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven.” Don't miss it. HE purchased OUR freedom, OUR sins are FORGIVEN. There is nothing we can do to achieve this forgiveness, we just receive what He has already purchase. You are forgiven!

Who Are You

One of my all-time favorite movie scenes comes from (and I am not embarrassed to say this) The Lion King. I have watched the movie too many times to count (don't forget I'm a grandparent), and I have scene the Broadway production twice. In this scene the wise sage, Rafiki, confronts young Simba about his carefree living while his kingdom is laid waste by his uncle, Scar. The following dialogue takes place

Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long.
Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick
Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?
Rafiki: It doesn't matter. It's in the past. (and laughs)
Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.
Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the from way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.
(Rafiki swings his stick again at Simba, who ducks out of the way]

This week we are looking at the taunting that the people of Israel faced from Goliath as David shows up at the camp. The story is found in 1 Samuel 17. Goliath stands over 9 feet tall. His armor weighs 125 pounds, and the tip of his spear weight 15 pounds. And he taunts the Israelites for 40 days, morning and night.


For many of us, our past mistakes loom as large as Goliath. No matter what we do, no matter how many times we say we're sorry, no matter how many Bible verses we read or how many worship songs we sing, our past always seems to be there, towering over us like a large enemy we just can't figure out how to bring down.

And like the Israeli army, far too many have become so obsessed with Goliath's taunts, that we can no longer hear God's promises. But David shows up, fresh from the pastures. In the pastures, he has been hearing God, not Goliath. And as David hears the taunts of the Goliath, his response is much different from the soldiers who have allowed their lives to become defined by the giant. David stands and says, "Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Kings 17:26). 

One of the quickest ways to forget what God has promised is to focus on the voice of the enemy. Any number of triggers can bring the giant of our past out to taunt us. But like David, we must be careful to never allow fear or our past to define us. We should never allow what has defeated us in the past to define us. As a follower of Jesus, we should allow God to define our lives.

This week, we are going to focus in on three truths from the Word of God that God uses to define our lives.

At The Dance

When I was in school, our high school would have these socials, where you would go to the gymnasium on a particular night, and you were suppose to dance. You would invite a date and go to the "dance".

Problem was, only about 10% of the crowd actually danced. The rest of us stood around the walls or sat in the bleachers and watched. Imagine going to a dance and not dancing...just watching.

Unfortunately, this is not just a teenage problem. This is a a life problem. God intends for us to enjoy the dance of life; yet far too many of us spend our time, leaning against the wall and watching life. We dream of doing something great or radical. We dream of being more than we are. But we end up just standing against the wall, and as Perry Noble writes in his book Unleash, we "never experience the rhythm of God's grace." We never experience the "immeasurably more than we can ask or thing" (Ephesians 3:20) awesomeness of God.

Yesterday, I introduced our new sermon series based on Noble's book, by challenging us to take part in the dance of God. This week we will explore the encouragement to unleash the abundant life that God has provided for each of us. During the sermon series, we will explore different things than inhibit our dance. God hasn’t called His people to stand along the wall and watch. He wants us to participate in the dance of the extraordinary and amazing.

Unfairness and Irresponsibility

When we view life as being unfair, the problem becomes, we use the unfairness to excuse our irresponsibility. Andy Stanley says it this way: “If I don’t get a big piece of the pie, can you expect me to be a responsible person? Why try? Why go the extra mile if I don’t get the benefits? I have every right in the world to walk away from my responsibilities because someone else got my fair share.”

Why? Because as we have already seen, irresponsibility creates conflict between ourselves and others, and it creates conflict with ourself. Benjamin Franklin said it this way: “He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.” When we make our focus the unfairness and unevenness of life, the more we are tempted to excuse our irresponsibility because of what someone else has or hasn’t done.

This week we are studying Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of the Talents, and in this amazing story, Jesus offers a unique insight on God's view of unfairness and irresponsibility. And it is fascinating.

The parable comes as the result of a question asked by the disciples requesting that Jesus describe the kingdom of heaven. Jesus responds with a series of parables to help them (and us) understand what the Kingdom of God is like. Now, if there is anywhere you would expect fairness and evenness, it would be the Kingdom of God. But this parable provides a shocking revelation about God's kingdom, fairness, and irresponsibility, as we shall see later in the week.

That's Not Fair!

Every parent has heard the dreaded three words. They are the words that make your blood boil. The words that set off mini-explosions in your brain..."That's not fair!" At some point every child says them to their parent. Whether they are being to asked to do something they don't want to do, or they perceive that a sibling is being treated more favorably, at some point every child utters those words.

And we parents all have the same response, don't we? "Life's not fair." We want our children to know that they need to become acquainted with the harsh realities of life....it's not fair. But isn't it amazing, that while we want our children to understand that reality, we often forget its harsh truth as adults? I mean it even became a point of debate in our last election. Remember the 99% and the 1%.

There is something in us that wants life to be fair, but we know it isn't. What we are really saying when we declare that life isn't fair is that life isn't even. And while we want it to be even, we understand it is impossible for it to be that way.

The question of life is not "Why do some people seem to get all the opportunities and I get very few?" The real question is "What will I do with the opportunities I have been given?"

This week, we are going to explore a parable taught by Jesus commonly referred to as The Parable of the Talents. And you may be surprised to learn that when we, as God children say to Him, "That's not fair"; His response to us is..."Life's not fair."

This Is No Time To Pray

This week, we are going to explore a small story found in the book of Joshua chapter 7 that provides an important insight on the nature of community and responsibility.

This story addresses three groups of people. First, is the group of people who mask their irresponsibility behind religious activity, especially prayer. If we are not careful, we can make the mistake of thinking that as long as we are praying about something, we are doing something important. But we will discover in this story that sometimes you need to quit praying and take action.

The second group of people are those who have tender hearts and are compassionate to those who are suffering the consequences of what they have sown. When people act irresponsible, rather than holding them accountable, they see all the reasons why it is okay for this person to act irresponsible. But this kind of thinking actually enables the irresponsibility in the individual.

And the third group are those who are unfairly reaping the consequences of someone else's sown irresponsibility. It isn't fair, but it happens all the time. They are reaping the seeds sown by an irresponsible spouse, child, boss, neighbor, or friend. They are having to take the responsibility for someone else's irresponsibility. It's not fair, but it's true. Why? It's the nature of community.

Leveraging You Reap What You Sow

So if the principle of reaping what you sow is at work in the background of our lives every day (and it is), how do we leverage it for good? If there is an area of your life where you are not where you should be, chances are you have sown and reaped yourself into that position in some capacity. Remember, we are where we are today by the choices made in the past. But the good news is, we will be where we are in the future by the choices we are making right now.

I mean, if we find ourselves in debt, usually it is because we have been irresponsible with our credit (of course, there are always exceptions). If we have been using credit unwisely, not saving, and we have no money, we don't go, "Oh my, I'm upside down in debt. I wonder what happened?" We know, don't we?

But there are some cause-and-effect situations that are not as obvious. So if you are somewhere in life where you don’t think you ought to be, and maybe you don’t even think you deserve to be, Andy Stanley gives a couple of suggestions that you can do to leverage this principle of sowing and reaping.

First of all, take responsibility for that which you are responsible. If a pie chart represents one hundred percent of the responsibility for a situation, ask yourself, "What is my slice of the pie?" While your companion, your kids, your boss, even your health may own a large chunk of the pie, chances are, you have some responsibility for the situation. Are you really taking responsibility for the portion for which  you are responsible?

Secondly, begin to do the things you should have been doing all along. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” So you own your slice and you start doing what you should be doing. And here is where the principle of sowing and reaping works to your advantage: just like you reap way worse than you think you deserve, in due time, the rewards you receive for doing good are often bigger than you deserve as well.

A Man Reaps What He Sows

The Galatians 6 passage that describes the reap what you sow principle is laden when references to irresponsibility and responsibility. Paul states in Galatians 6:3 (NKJV): “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” When you play the comparison game, it is easy to deceive yourself. Why? Because if your doing better or worse than others, you run the risk of deceiving yourself into irresponsibility. You have to hold yourself to your own standard, as we shall see.

Again, Andy Stanley says, “You see, as long as you are comparing yourself to others, you will make excuses for yourself; when you begin to compare yourself to yourself, you will make progress. It’s only when you tune out everyone else’s 'status' in life that you can begin to reach your own potential and take on your own God-given responsibility.”

Then, in verse 5 (NIV), Paul clearly says: “for each one should carry their own load.” We each have family responsibilities, community responsibilities, financial responsibilities, and opportunities for which we are each responsible. He is encouraging us to not compare our opportunities with someone else's opportunities, but be responsible with our own responsibilities...our own load. 

Then verse 7 gives us the principle, along with a warning, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”  When you reap the consequences of shirked responsibility, you may be able to convince other people that you are not to blame. But God knows! If you are irresponsible, if you are not willing to carry your own load, you are not going to get by with it.

Does God forgive? Absolutely. Does He bless? For sure. But never make the mistake of thinking that forgiveness removes the consequences of irresponsibility. More about that...tomorrow.

Archimedes and Grace

In the 3rd Century B.C., a Greek mathematician put to paper a formula to explain why ships float and rocks sink. Using the concepts of buoyancy and gravity, Archimedes provided a mathematical calculation to explain a concept that had been in existence since the beginning of time. Archimedes didn't invent the principle, he merely identified it. And while we don't give Archimedes Principle much though, we leverage it millions of times every day as we set sail in boats from canoes to battleships.

Now this is important. Andy Stanley says it this way: "...I have never met anyone who thinks that God is in heaven indiscriminately deciding what sinks and what floats. I’ve never met anyone who has prayed, “God, we have created this ship, and we ask that you help it float.” We don’t think that way, because we understand the principle. If we adhere to the principle, what we make will float every single time. God created a principle, and we leverage it all the time. You can leverage it and benefit from it, or you can ignore it and pay a price."

This week, we are going to study a Biblical principle, that like Archimedes principle, can easily slide into the peripheral of our thoughts, yet it works every single day of our lives. And the same thing is true of this principle. It works every time. It is neither good nor bad...it just is. It is the reason when someone acts irresponsibility it catches up with them. It is also the reason when someone acts responsibly, they eventually experience a harvest.

The principle? Let me allow the Apostle Paul to tell you: "A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). Like Archimedes’s principle, you can leverage this principle for good things, or you can ignore it and pay the consequences. It's not a good or a bad principle, it just is...every single time. "God is not against you: He’s not sitting up in heaven always deciding to punish you or bless you. Instead, God has given us this awesome principle that we can leverage to our advantage." It really is a part of his grace!

Irresponsibility and Blame

As we saw in Monday's post, when we act irresponsible, someone must shoulder the burden for our irresponsibility. Yesterday, I reflected on the story of the original sin of Adam and Eve, and noted that if it appears that we are the one who will shoulder that responsibility, our tendency is to try to shift the blame to someone else or even to our circumstances.

And when we attempt to shift blame, it always creates conflict. Think what must have been going through Eve's mind as she her Adam, when confronted by God, shifting the blame to her. Don't you know she was furious (and probably a little frightened as well). Why do we do that? It's not even an effective tool is it? Have you ever known someone who always shifted the blame to others? Do you want to be like that person? Would you hire him at your business?

But not only does blame create conflict with others, it always creates conflict within ourselves. Why? Because we know the truth, don't we? We may fool everyone else, but we know exactly where the problem lies, don't we? We were created to be responsible, and when act irresponsible and expect someone is to be responsible for our irresponsibility, we can never fulfill our God-designed potential.

The First Story of Irresponsibilty

Shirking responsibility is not a new phenomenon for sure. It can be traced all the way back to the garden of Eden. When you read the Genesis account of creation and the fall, there are two interesting truths that stand out.

First of all, even before the church rules (The Ten Commandments), and before sin infected the human race, God gave humans responsibility. When you read Genesis 1:27-29, it is easy to see that humans were give responsibility over the entire earth. In fact, there was only one rule...and a lot of responsibility.  Isn't it true, that we are the happiest when we have a responsibility and we do it well? We all feel better when we take responsibility for the things for which we are responsible. That is not an accident, we were designed that way!

You may meet people who are experts at placing blame and excusing their irresponsibility, but they never have a smile on their face. You won't meet a happy, irresponsible person.

Secondly, Genesis 3:8-13 recounts the story of the original sin. The interesting thing about the story is how quickly Adam and Eve shifted the blame for their irresponsibility. Adam said in Genesis 3:12: “The man replied, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’” He blames Eve at first, then he even blames God! "The woman that YOU gave me." When Even is confronted by God, she replies in verse 13: “The serpent deceived me....” 

Here's the truth I want to leave you with today. In a culture where every one takes responsibility for what is entrusted to them, there doesn’t need to be a lot of rules. But when there is only one rule, if everyone doesn't take responsibility, the one rule will be broken. 

The Nature of Irresponsibility

Andy Stanley says there are three identifiable characteristics of irresponsibility: 1) irresponsibility is contagious; 2) irresponsibility is contagious because it is rewarded; and, 3) when someone or a group act irresponsible, someone has to come along and shoulder the burden of that irresponsibility.

Let's break them down for a moment. We can certainly observe that irresponsibility is contagious. There is no point in my working hard, paying my own way, cleaning up my own messes, when other people have found a way to succeed being irresponsible. Let's be honest, it's easier to be irresponsible. And if can profit from being irresponsible, why not?

Secondly, irresponsibility is contagious because it is rewarded. I mean, that's just the way the world works...what gets rewarded gets repeated. So if we reward irresponsibility, it will be repeated. If I continue to remove the consequences of poor choices for someone who acts irresponsible, they will continue to act irresponsible.

Finally, when someone or a group of people act irresponsible, someone has to come along and shoulder the burden of that irresponsibility. Irresponsibility impacts everyone that is connected to the irresponsible person. Remember when Jonah decided to disobey God and headed toward Tarshish instead of Ninevah? He got on a boat and a great storm arose and it appeared that everyone on the boat was going to die. The merchants-sailors on that boat had not been irresponsible, but yet they through the cargo (how they made a living) overboard to try to save their lives. They not only lost the wages they would have made from the trip, but they had to reimburse the people who had sent the cargo with them. I would say Jonah irresponsibility impacted their lives, wouldn't you?

As Christians, we should be incredible examples of responsibility. We know the inter-connectedness we share with everyone. And ultimately, we know we are accountable...to one another, but most importantly, to our Heavenly Father.

The Blame Game

We all do it every once in a while. Something doesn't happen the way we had hoped it would, a dream isn't fulfilled, or we experience a difficulty in a relationship or a circumstance. Our first tendency is...place the blame on someone or something. It can't have been our fault. We couldn't be...responsible!

Responsibility is not a difficult term to understand. Neither is irresponsibility. Because we can see both of those terms in other people's lives very easily. But it is very difficult to see it in the mirror.

An amazing transformation has occurred in American culture over the past 50 years. Andy Stanley puts it this way in his sermon entitled Taking Responsibility For Your Life: "...there is a new twist on civil rights that goes something like this: The Constitution has given me certain rights; therefore, I have the right to be irresponsible, and you don’t have the right to hold me accountable. I have the right to do whatever I want to do and say whatever I want to say and act any way I want to act. You don’t have the right to hold me responsible. At the same time, you are responsible to clean up the mess that I create through my irresponsibility. You are responsible to foot the bill that I have created through my irresponsibility. As an American citizen, my civil rights give me the opportunity to act irresponsibly, but you don’t have the right or the responsibility to hold me accountable."

The problem with irresponsibility is, when I act irresponsible, someone has to pay the price. Parents understand this. When a child doesn't take responsibility to keep their room clean, the parent pays the price...they have to clean it.

The same principle is true in every arena of life. This week we are going to be exploring the temptation to blame others for our irresponsibility and the importance of taking responsibility for our own lives, regardless of how others act or what circumstances may come our way.

Friday, March 30, 2013: Donkey Mentality

A minister referred to Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and asked: “What if the donkey on which Jesus was riding had thought all the cheering was for him? What if that small animal had believed that the hosannas and the branches were in his honor?”

The minister then pointed to himself and said: “I’m a donkey. The longer I’m here the more you’ll come to realize that. I am only a Christ-bearer and not the object of praise.”

In recording Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Matthew referred to the prophecy of Zechariah: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5; see Zechariah 9:9).

On Palm Sunday, the donkey was merely a Christ-bearer, bringing the Son of God into the city where He would give His life for the sins of the world.

If we could develop a healthy “donkey mentality,” what an asset that would be as we travel the road of life. Instead of wondering what people think of us, our concern would be, “Can they see Christ Jesus, the King?” Rather than seeking credit for service rendered, we would be content to lift up the Lord.

- David C. McCasland. June19, 2006. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Thursday, March 28, 2013: Pack Up Your Sorrows

During the turbulent years of the 1960s, popular music in America was a strange mixture of protest and patriotism. Some songs lashed out against war, greed, and injustice in society, while others affirmed duty to country and traditional values. But “Pack Up Your Sorrows,” written by Richard Farina and Pauline Baez Marden, seemed to fit all of the categories with its focus on the quest for personal peace. The refrain said the following:

Well, if somehow you could pack up your sorrows,
And give them all to me
You would lose them, I know how to use them,
Give them all to me.

Perhaps everyone hoped that someone really could bring them peace.

The good news is that there is Someone who can! Isaiah 53 is a prophetic picture of Israel’s promised Messiah. Christians see its fulfillment in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . . He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (vv.4-5).

Jesus took our sins and sorrows on Himself so that we could be forgiven and have peace with God. Will you give Him your sorrows today?

- David C. McCasland. February 28, 2013. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Wednesday, March 27, 2013: Savor the Flavor

In a fast-paced culture of “eat and run,” few people make time to enjoy a leisurely meal in the company of friends. Someone has even remarked that the only way to enjoy a seven-course meal today is to get it all between two pieces of bread!

After many of the Israelite exiles in Babylon returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the walls of the city, they gathered to hear Ezra read from the Book of the Law given by God through Moses (Neh. 8:1). They listened to God’s Word for hours, while teachers among them “gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading” (v.8).

When they wept because of their shortcomings, Ezra, along with Nehemiah the governor, told them this was not a time for sorrow but a time for rejoicing. The people were told to prepare a feast and share it with those who had nothing, “for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (v.10). Then “all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them” (v.12).

The spiritual banquet God has prepared for us in His Word is a cause for great joy. It is worth taking time to savor.

 - David C. McCasland. February 3, 2013. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Tuesday, March 26, 2013: The Tale Of Two Goats

Two goats without blemish stood before the high priest in the bright Middle Eastern sun. Lots were cast, and the priest slowly led one to the altar to be killed as a sin offering for the people. Its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. That goat was a sacrifice.

The other goat, known as the scapegoat, portrays another truth. The priest placed both his hands on its forehead and confessed the sins of Israel. Then the goat was led out into the desert and turned loose. As it wandered away, never to be seen again, it symbolically took Israel’s sins along with it. They were gone. The people were reconciled to God. That goat was a substitute.

Both of these goats were pictures of what Christ would do for us. The cross became an upright altar, where the Lamb of God gave His life as a sacrifice for sin. And what the scapegoat symbolically portrayed for Israel—the removal of their sins—Jesus fulfilled in reality. He became our substitute. Because of our identification with Him as believers, our sins have been taken away completely.

Two goats representing two truths: sacrifice and substitution. Both were fulfilled in Christ when He died on the cross and made full atonement for our sins.

 - David C. Egnar. March 29, 2001. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Monday, March 24, 2013: Surprise!

A writer for The Washington Post conducted an experiment to test people’s perception. He asked a famous violinist to perform incognito at a train station in the nation’s capital one January morning. Thousands of people walked by as he played, but only a few stopped to listen. After 45 minutes, just $32 had been dropped into the virtuoso’s open violin case. Two days earlier, this man—Joshua Bell—had used the same $3.5 million Stradivarius for a sold-out concert where people paid $100 a seat to hear him perform.

The idea of a person not being recognized for his greatness isn’t new. It happened to Jesus. “He was in the world,” John said, “. . . and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). Why did people who had been expecting the Messiah give Jesus such a cold reception? One reason is that they were surprised. Just as people today don’t expect famous musicians to play in railway stations, the people in Jesus’ day didn’t expect Messiah to be born in a stable. They also expected Him to be a political king—not the head of a spiritual kingdom.

The people in the first century were blinded to God’s purpose in sending Jesus to this world. He came to save people from their sins (John 1:29). Receive God’s surprising gift of salvation that He offers freely to you today.

- C.P. Hia. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

The Bible Miniseries Week Four Discussion Questions

Today's discussions come from John 15:1-17, which is a part of the Upper Room conversation Jesus had with his disciples on the evening of his last supper.

1) Have you ever rescued anyone? Have you ever been rescued by anyone?

2) As you watched the portion of the video that showed the last night of Jesus earthly life, what sorts of things were you thinking and feeling?

Read John 15:17

3) Would you describe Jesus' words in the passage as "relational" or "religious"? Why?

4) Jesus talks repeatedly about the followers "remaining" ("abiding" in the KJV) in Him. What do you think he means by that? What are some practical ways we can "remain" in Him?

5) What did Jesus mean by saying, "Apart from me, you can do nothing?"

6) Are you "remaining" in Jesus, like He says in these verses?

7) Are you "bearing fruit" like Jesus says in these verses? If so, how? If not, why?

8) Are you loving your fellow disciples, like Jesus tells his followers to do in these verses?

Friday, March 22, 2013: Promised Peace

I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with a sky full of angels, but I must admit that I’ve always wondered about the promise of peace the angelic host made to the shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem. For the last 2,000 years, peace on our planet has been at best a rare commodity. Wars continue to ravage innocent lives, domestic violence is a growing calamity, divorce rates soar, churches split, and peace in our restless and wayward hearts seems to be an elusive dream.

Where is the promised peace? Actually, on reflection, we can see that Jesus brought all that is needed for peace in our world. He taught the principles of peace, calling for people to love their neighbors as they love themselves. And as He was leaving this planet, He promised, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). He told us to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, forgive offenses, reject greed, tolerate each other’s weaknesses, live to serve and love one another as He has loved us.

It seems that in large part, peace is up to us. Paul verifies that in Romans 12:18, “As much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

The angelic announcement of the birth of Christ promised peace! May you experience the peace of God today.

- Joe Stowell. December 24, 2010. Our Daily Bread, www.odb.org

Thursday, March 21, 2013: Accusations

In 1985, Frederick Holliday, the superintendent of Cleveland’s public schools, shot himself through the heart with a .357 magnum. In a suicide note he said that although he had achieved great success, he could not tolerate being stripped of his dignity by the unfair and vicious accusations leveled against him by his opponents.

Taking his own life, though, left family and friends heartbroken. I wish that Holliday would have chosen instead to follow the example of the apostle Paul. Although subjected to indignities and insulting accusations, Paul was so conscious of living in the presence of God that His verdict was all that really mattered to him. I am sure the accusations of fellow humans hurt him, and the approval of his own conscience helped him, but his overriding conviction is found in his words, “He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4).

Others’ unfair opinions of you may be hurting you deeply and causing you to think more unfavorably about yourself than you should. But if you have placed your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and you’re trying to do what is right, don’t despair. God, who provided for your salvation and has accepted you as His child, sees you and approves of you. And that is what matters most.

Like Daniel, when falsely accused, we can have confidence that God is for us. If you are convinced that God is for you, it doesn't matter who is against you.

- Herbert Vander Lugt. July 13, 2002, Our Daily Bread. www.odg.org

Wednesday, March 20, 2013: Faithful, Responsible, and Trustworthy

Who is the most faithful person you know? The most dependable? The one person who can be trusted to do the right thing in every circumstance?

In the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, that person was Daniel. When Belshazzar became king of Babylon, that person was still Daniel. When Darius, the Mede took over, that person was, you guessed it, Daniel.

But such faithfulness sometimes arouses opposition, jealousy, and even hatred. And such was the case with Daniel. The Bible says in Daniel 6:3-5: "Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”

 Daniel was so blameless that his enemies figured the only way they could ever attack him would be to concoct charges against his faith. Bible scholar, Matthew Henry, said, "It is an excellent thing, and much for the glory of God, when whose who profess religion conduct themselves so inoffensively in their conversation that their watchful, spiteful enemies may not have occasion of blaming them, save only in matters of their God, in which they walk according to their consciences."

But in those moments, Jesus will be there. Walking in the fiery furnace with you, just as he was for Daniel.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013: Standing In The Fire

Wrapped in blankets in my grandparents’ pickup, I watched as fire consumed our home. My father says I slept soundly as he carried my brother and me and our puppies out to safety. When I woke up and saw the huge blaze, I was already safe. I was too curious and too young to be scared.

I remember several things from that night. Even inside the truck, the heat was intense and the fire was mesmerizing. I remember too the fear on the faces of everyone else, checking and re-checking to see if loved ones were safe. Later I learned that in the chaos my father raced into the fire to look for my grandfather, which prompted my grandfather (who was not inside the house) to race in to get my father. Their courage affected all who saw it that night.

I’m reminded of that fire every time I read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. When challenged with the decree to bow to the king or face execution (Dan. 3:10-12), these three bravely faced the fire for the One they loved (vv.16-18). And the Lord stood with them in the flames (v.25).

When life’s “flames” test us, may those who observe our choices recognize our love for each other and for our God.

- Randy Kilgore, September 19, 2012,. Our Daily Bread, www.odb.org

Monday, March 18, 2013: A Living Testimony

Watchman Nee was arrested for his faith in Christ in 1952, and he spent the rest of his life in prison. He died in his jail cell on May 30, 1972. When his niece came to collect his few possessions, she was given a scrap of paper that a guard had found by his bed. On it was written his life’s testimony:

“Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and was resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ—Watchman Nee.”

Tradition says that the apostle Paul also was martyred for his faith in Christ. In a letter written shortly before his death, Paul exhorted his readers: “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble . . . ; but the Word of God is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:8-9).

We may not be called upon to be martyred as witnesses to the reality of Christ—as millions of His followers through the centuries have been—but we are all called to be a living testament of Jesus’ work on our behalf. No matter the outcome, from a heart of gratitude for God’s gracious gift we can tell others what Jesus has done for us.

The Christ of God to glorify,

His grace in us to magnify;

His Word of life to all make known—

Be this our work, and this alone. —Whittle

Let your life as well as your lips speak for Christ.

- Dennis Fisher, March 13, 2013, Our Daily Bread, www.odb.org

The Bible Miniseries Week Three Discussion Questions

This week we are going to drill down on the section of the broadcast that dealt with Daniel. Daniel and his friends were downtrodden, unfortunate, and even persecuted. He was an educated teenager from a noble family in Jerusalem. His city was destroyed and who knows what happened to his family. He was marched off in Babylon. A future was derailed. So much potential wasted.

Maybe you know similar times. Times when you were downtrodden, unfortunate or even persecuted. It is only natural at such times to feel like a victim. But from all indications, Daniel never felt that way. Though it would have been perfectly understandable in such circumstances, his situation did not produce a victim. Instead, Daniel remained faithful, and became a victor.

1.  As you watched the portion of the broadcast about Daniel being in the Lion's den, who came across as a victim to you? Who came across as victorious?

2. How do you think you would have acted similarly or differently from Daniel's reaction to the lions' den?

Read Daniel 6:1-24

3.  By the time of the incidents depicted in the broadcast, Daniel would have been an exile in Babylon for decades. Yet verse 10 says that when he prayed, he opened the windows that faced Jerusalem. What do you think that indicates about Daniel?

4.  Who did Daniel credit for his deliverance in verse 22?

5.  How does verse 24 counter any suspicion that Daniel's deliverance could have been from natural causes?

6.  Throughout this incident was Daniel a victim? a victor? First one, then the other?

7.  Do you see any parallels between your situation and Daniel's?

8.  Is there any obstacle or threat you face right now? If so, how can you apply Daniel's story to your circumstances?

Friday, March 18, 2013: He Guards Me Well

During the quiet moments before a Sunday morning service, the organist played a hymn that was new to me. I turned to the page noted in the hymnal and read the words of the song “The Lord My Shepherd Guards Me Well,” a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23:

The Lord my Shepherd guards me well,
And all my wants are fed:
Amid green pastures made to lie,
Beside still waters led.
My care-worn soul grows strong and whole
When God’s true path I tread.

No matter how often we read or hear the familiar 23rd Psalm, it seems to come with a fresh message of God’s care for us.

Though I should walk in darkest ways
Through valleys like the grave,
No evil shall I ever fear;
Your presence makes me brave.
On my behalf Your rod and staff
Assure me You will save. (© Hope Publishing Co.)

This image was familiar to the people who heard Jesus say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Unlike a hired person who runs away from danger, the true shepherd stays with the sheep to protect them. “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd . . . sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees . . . . I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep” (vv.12-14).

No matter what you’re facing today, Jesus knows your name, He knows the danger, and He will not leave your side. You can say with confidence: The Lord my Shepherd guards me well!

The Lamb who died to save us is the Shepherd who lives to lead us.

 - David C. McCasland, October 23, 2011, Our Daily Bread, www.odb.org

Thursday, March 14: The Anointing

After viewing the six other sons of Jesse, Samuel heard the voice of the Lord tell him to anoint the youngest, David. God told Samuel, "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).

So Samuel obeyed and in front of all of his brothers, Samuel anointed David as the king of Israel. And the Bible adds in 1 samuel 16:13: "from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David."

The ritual of anointing is practiced in almost every religion and among all races. Although application of oil may sometimes be done for medicinal reasons, frequently it is also thought to imbue a person with certain desired qualities or powers. Some people in East Africa, for example, pour lion oil on themselves, hoping to gain courage and strength for some great task.

The Bible speaks of an anointing that enables a person to take on the characteristics of another, but it is not with the oil of lions. Instead, it is the coming of the Holy Spirit into a person’s life (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

This divine anointing is performed by God Himself on all who have the wonderful privilege of becoming His children. It accompanies the conversion of those who trust in Christ. Paul said that the Spirit indwells every believer, and His presence is the guarantee of our future glory in heaven (v.22). As a result of His indwelling presence, we have the ability to become more like Christ (3:17-18).

We who are born of God have no excuse for remaining as we are. We can be increasingly conformed to the image of Christ by yielding ourselves to God’s anointing—the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts.

 - Mart De Haan. May 17, 1995. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Wednesday, March 13, 2012: Ordinary People Can Become Extraordinary Heroes

The book of Judges is an account of God’s people descending into spiritual indifference and rebellion. After the death of Joshua and his peers, the next generation “forsook the Lord God of their fathers, . . . and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them” (Judg. 2:12).

This dismal record of wavering allegiance hardly seems the place to find spiritual heroes, yet four people from Judges—Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah (chs. 4–16)—are named in the New Testament book of Hebrews (11:32). Along with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other notables, they are commended for their faith.

Judges, however, presents these men as flawed people who nevertheless responded to God’s call during a time of spiritual darkness in their culture. The Bible honors them for their faith, not for their perfection. They were recipients of God’s grace as surely as we are.

In every generation, God raises up people who are true to Him and to His Word. The measure of their lives and of ours is not the absence of failure but the presence of God’s gracious forgiveness and the faith to obey His call. All of God’s champions are unlikely heroes.

Heaven’s heroes never carve their name

On marbled columns built for earthly fame;

They build instead a legacy that springs

Out of a life lived for the King of kings. —Gustafson

Faith in Christ can make extraordinary heroes out of ordinary people.

David C. McCasland. March 27, 2007. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Tuesday, March 12, 2013: A Winning Strategy

During my days as a high school basketball coach, I made a huge mistake. I sent some of my players to scout an opponent. They returned with this report: We can take those guys easily. Overconfident, we lost to that team. Does that sound familiar? To me, it sounds like the situation at Ai when Joshua sent out his scouts, who misjudged their opponent’s strength.

But there was more to the defeat at Ai than bad scouting. Israel lost the battle and 36 soldiers for several reasons that I think we can learn from.

Shortly before the loss at Ai, Joshua led his army successfully against Jericho because he knew God’s plan of attack. But there is no mention of Joshua consulting God before Ai. Prior to the battle of Jericho, the men had consecrated themselves to God (Josh. 5:2-8). Before Ai—nothing is said about Joshua’s men preparing themselves spiritually. The reason the Bible gives for the Israelites’ loss is sin in the camp. Achan had stolen from the spoils of Jericho (7:1). They could not defeat Ai until the sin was confessed and the people had consecrated themselves (7:16-26). Then God gave them a plan for victory (8:1-7).

A winning strategy for our daily battles: confessing our sin and living in the power that God provides.

Dear Lord, before I go off into the battle today,

forgive me of my sin and lead me in the path You

want me to go. I want to serve You. Empower me

to live for You and Your will. Amen.

Purity in the heart produces power in the life.

Dave Branon. December 27, 2012. Our Daily Bread. www.odb.org

Monday, March 11, 2013: Even Her

Imagine looking through your family tree and finding this description of your ancestor: “A prostitute, she harbored enemies of the government in her house. When she was confronted by the authorities, she lied about it.”

What would you do about her? Hide her story from anyone inquiring about your family? Or spotlight and praise her in the legends of your family’s story?

Meet Rahab. If what we read about her in Joshua 2 were all we knew, we might lump her in with all of the other renegades and bad examples in the Bible. But her story doesn’t stop there. Matthew 1:5-6 reveals that she was King David’s great-great grandmother—and that she was in the lineage of our Savior, Jesus. And there’s more. Hebrews 11:31 names Rahab as a woman of faith who was saved from the fall of Jericho (see Josh. 6:17). And in James 2:25, her works of rescue were given as evidence of her righteous faith.

God’s love is amazing that way. He can take people with a bad reputation, transform their lives, and turn them into examples of His love and forgiveness. If you think you’re too bad to be forgiven or if you know someone else who feels that way, read about Rahab and rejoice. If God can turn her into a beacon of righteousness, there’s hope for all of us.

Redemption’s price our Savior paid

When all our sins on Him were laid;

He took our guilt, He bore our shame

That we may glorify His name. —D. DeHaan

Whether our sins are great or small, Jesus is able to forgive them all.

 - Dave Branon.  October 26, 2012.  www.odb.org

The Bible Miniseries: Week Two Discussion Questions

This week we are going to focus on the part of the broadcast that dealt with David's battle with the giant, Goliath.

1) As you watched the story about David and Goliath today, what did you find most interesting or inspiring?

2) If you had been there that day hearing Goliath taunt the soldiers of Israel, what do you think you would have thought?

Read 1 Samuel 17:1-11; 32-51

3) Look back at the terms of the battle given by Goliath in verse 9. While David's victory made him a hero, what did his victory mean for the nation of Israel?

4) David saved Israel from slavery to the Philistines. Jesus saves us from slavery to sin. In practical terms, how do you think that truth can be applied to your life?

5) What giants are you facing today?

6) How can this story be applicable to your giants?

Friday, March 8, 2013: Sacrifice Saves the Life of Orphaned Lamb

If you go over to Scotland, or anywhere there are lots of sheep, sooner or later you're going to see a very unusual sight. You'll see a little lamb running around the field, and you'll notice this lamb has what looks like an extra fleece tied around its back. In fact, you'll see there are little holes in the fleece for its four legs and usually a hole for its head. If you see a little lamb running around like that, that usually means its mother has died.

And without the protection and nourishment of a mother, any orphaned lamb will die. If you take the orphaned lamb and try to introduce it to another mother, the new mother will butt it away. She won't recognize the lamb's scent and will know the new baby is not one of her own lambs.

But thankfully, most flocks are large enough that there is a ewe that has recently lost a lamb. The shepherd will skin the dead lamb and make its fleece into a covering for the orphaned lamb, then he'll take the orphaned lamb to the mother whose baby just died. Now, when she sniffs the orphaned lamb, she will smell the fleece of her own lamb. Instead of butting the lamb away, she will accept it as one of her own.

In a similar way, we have become acceptable to God by being clothed with Christ.

From Peter Grant's sermon, "In What Way Is Jesus Christ Different?"

Thursday, March 7, 2013: Interceding For Others

Many of us think that a lot of things happen because we pray to God. We take credit for praying. And God, in fact, gives it to us. He asks us to pray. He wants us to pray. (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And he does things based on our prayer.

God instructs his people to pray for cities and cities are saved from destruction. He instructs people to pray for specific persons and God does things for those people. People have prayed for revival and revival has come. Souls have been saved. Sick healed. Miracles, signs and wonders have taken place – because someone prayed.

Abraham was told of what would happen to Sodom and Gomorrah (his nephew, Lot was there). “So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know”” (Genesis 18: 20). Abraham knew Sodom and Gomorrah didn’t stand a chance. He feared for his brother and family there.

So in the following conversation, we hear him try and cut a deal with God (verses 22 – 32). In my opinion, he got himself a very bad deal. He made the assumption that there would be at least ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. There may have been only one. Abraham never spoke about Lot to God specifically. He never mentioned his nephew but he prayed for the city.

Fast-forward to Genesis 19 and you find there really is nobody who seeks God in that place. Verses 3 – 17 looks like a scene from those zombie movies, only in this case, these people were not really the living dead.

But I love verse 29 – “But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.” Wait a minute! Abraham’s request to keep Lot safe? I didn’t read anything like that in Abraham’s prayer in Genesis 18. But God saved Lot anyways and He did it because of Abraham. God saved Lot and his family because of somebody else’s prayers. Abraham’s prayer did not even cover Lot specifically. But God knew Abraham was worried about them. God showed favor on Lot because of Abraham.

Lord, help me pray. Help me stand in the gap for the peoples and for this nation. In Jesus’ name.

© Copyright 2013 Simply Him. www.http://simplyhim.com/tag/intercession 

Wednesday, March 6: 2013: Called From

One of the smartest people I know is a college friend who became a Christian while studying at a state university. He graduated with honors and went on to study at a respected seminary. He served a small church as pastor for several years and then accepted a call to another small church far from family and friends. After 12 years at that church, he sensed that the congregation needed new leadership, so he stepped down. He hadn’t been offered a job at a bigger church or a teaching position at a college or seminary. In fact, he didn’t even have another job. He just knew that God was leading him in a different direction, so he followed.

When we discussed it, my friend said, “A lot of people talk about being called to something, but I don’t hear much about being called from something.”

In many ways, my friend’s obedience was like that of Israel’s patriarch Abraham, who went out, not knowing where God was leading (Heb. 11:8-10). Difficulties like famine (Gen. 12:10), fear (vv.11-20), and family disputes (13:8) gave reason for doubt, but Abraham persevered and because of his faith God counted him as righteous (Gal. 3:6).

A life of obedience may not be easy, but it will be blessed (Luke 11:28).

As Abraham went out,
Not knowing where he was going;
Now, Lord, keep me from doubt,
To go the way You are showing. —Hess

You don’t need to know where you’re going if you know God is leading.

 Julie Ackerman Link,  January 10, 2011,  Our Daily Bread,  www.odb.org

Tuesday, March 5, 2013: "I Don't Do Boats"

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell observes that struggling businesses are often turned around by one key decision. Many once-foundering companies are now thriving and successful because of a choice that became the tipping point.

Although targeted to those in business management, the principle also applies to those who are committed to advancing the cause of Christ. Sometimes we find ourselves up against a wall, struggling with a decision or situation that threatens to cripple our capacity for effective service to our King. It’s at those critical junctures that we can make a “tipping point” decision to turn things around.

The decision? Surrender your will and heart to God. James 4:7 says, “Submit to God,” and Romans 12:1 tells us, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.” Be willing to sacrifice your agenda for His greater purposes.

What if Noah had told God, “I don’t do boats!” What if Joseph had not forgiven his brothers and failed to protect them from the life-threatening famine? Or what if Jesus had refused to die on the cross?

Surrender is the tipping point. When we make that choice, God can use us to do great things for Him.

Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine; Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.

Take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. —Orr © 1986 Word Music

Surrender becomes victory when we yield to God.

Joseph Stowell,  August 23, 2007, Our Daily Bread, www.odb.org