Life Journal 08-31-2009

Personal Choices

(S) Scripture
"Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals,
even if these three men--Noah, Daniel and Job--were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.
"Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,
as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
"Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass throughout the land,' and I kill its men and their animals,
as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
"Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through bloodshed, killing its men and their animals,
as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
Ezekiel 14:13-20 (NIV)

(O) Observation
The prophet is describing the judgment that is coming to Israel. In it he cites three of their "faith heroes" and says that even they could only save themselves by their righteousness. Even their sons and daughters were in peril. Each must make his personal decision to follow. The outcome is terrible for those who refuse to follow the Lord.

(A) Application
I am responsible for my relationship with the Lord. I must personally decide to follow the Lord, I cannot get in on my parent's faith. My faith must be my own. It is my responsibility to share and lead and live out my faith before my children and the people around me but they must follow the Lord by personal choice. I cannot coerce them to follow and they will not be spared because of my choice to follow. It is sobering to think about but our relationship with God is not about the country we live in or the family we were born in, although these can be great assets in our faith walk, but it is in our personal choice to trust in Christ's death and resurrection for us and then to follow Him.

(P) Prayer
Lord I thank you for providing a way for me to be made right with you. Thank you for Jesus' death and resurrection on my behalf. I love you and want to live faithfully for you. Use me today and let me be a faithful and true witness of your work on our behalf. Amen

Life Journal 08-27-2009

A Daily Prayer

(S) Scripture
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10 (NIV)

(O) Observation
IN this psalm David asks the Lord for a number of things. He asks for mercy, relief from his enemies, answer to his prayers and a sense of God's love. These are just a few of his requests. He also asks for God to teach and lead him. That is a prayer we each should pray daily.

(A) Application
I am struck at how often David, described in the Bible as a man after God's own heart, asks the lord to teach and guide him. If David needed to do this continually how much more do I need to do this? It is my heart's desire to live out God's will in my life. I want to be guided by the Holy Spirit moment by moment. It does not happen automatically, I must constantly yield myself to God's Will and direction. This will be my daily prayer because I want to make a difference for the cause of Christ wherever I am.

(P) Prayer
Lord today I will pray what David prayed. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Amen

Life Journal 08-26-2009

Facebook

(S) Scripture
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:4 (NIV)

(O) Observation
In writing to the first century believers John reminds them of the great joy he receives when he hears that they are faithfully walking with the Lord.

(A) Application
I had the privilege of serving on college campuses with Campus Crusade for Christ and WV Baptist Campus Ministry. During those years the Lord allowed me to touch many students with the gospel. The pain of Campus Ministry is that the students graduate and move on with their lives and careers. I know that is the goal but it is painful to lose those faithful students. It would be like losing a fourth of a congregation each year. I have often wondered what those students are doing today. Some I have kept in touch with but many I have not. Welcome Facebook!! I have made numerous connections with former students through Facebook. To see their families and hear what they are doing brings great joy. I am so pleased that many are continuing to serve the Lord. They are Christians serving the Lord in their chosen professions. Some are serving in pastoral ministries but most are serving through their local churches. The connections through Facebook have renewed relationships and brought incredible joy to me. I am experiencing the joy John wrote about.

(P) Prayer
Lord, help me to help others follow you. Help me to help them help others so that they might also experience this kind of joy. Amen

Life Journal 08-24-2009

Childhood Lessons

(S) Scripture
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)

(O) Observation
This is a promise to Jeremiah about restoration of the people. Jeremiah has not had much good news in his word from the Lord. This must have come as some refreshing news. God would hear and answer Jeremiah.

(A) Application
As a child, about eight years old, I was part of a Bible memory group at my home church, Highlawn Baptist in Huntington, WV. This club was led by Henry and Theresa Bird. In the course of a couple of years we memorized about 300 Bible verses. We were quizzed each week and at the end we were put in front of the church on a Sunday night and were randomly asked to recite some of the verses. We did not miss one. This verse from Jeremiah was one of the first verses that we memorized. I used the KJV in this post because it is how I memorized it and how I recite it today even though it has been more than 40 years since I have consistently used a King James Version of the Bible. I will never forget the lessons I learned in that Bible Club, they helped shape my life. Bible memory is not something we emphasize much anymore. I wonder what lessons our children are missing because they are not challenged to memorize the scripture. I wonder how much we as adults are missing because we no longer memorize the scripture. I wonder how often we misquote or misrepresent the Scripture because we say what we think it says rather than quoting it verbatim, and thus knowing what it says. Today I thank the Birds for their investment in my life and the example they set for me.

(P) Prayer
Lord, help me to get your word right when I use it. Help me to encourage others to write your word on their hearts. Thank you for bring people like the Birds into my life. Amen

Life Journal 08-20-2009

What We Preach

(S) Scripture
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3 (NIV)

(O) Observation
John gives authenticity to his message by saying it comes from firsthand experience. It comes from what he saw and heard. The result is fellowship with each other and with God.

(A) Application
John gives some great insight in this little statement. The authenticity of my messages comes from my personal experience with the Lord. When I preach from my own life experience with the Lord and His Word the authenticity of the Gospel comes through. Preaching from life experience is not enough. My life experience can also be sinful and apart from God. It is what I have seen and heard from the Lord that produces the fruit of fellowship within the church and with the Lord. I cannot preach from others experience, I must do so from my own. This means that I must continually walk by faith, spend time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word. That is the source of my preaching content, the power in the preaching must come from the Holy Spirit as He takes the Word and applies it to lives through the preaching. I cannot remember who said it but it was in a seminar sometime, "We are to preach from the overflow of our relationship with the Lord." Today I recommit myself to preaching from the overflow in my life.

(P) Prayer
Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit so that my life will overflow with your love and grace. Let me preach from that overflow. Amen

Life Journal 08-19-2009

Training Camp

(S) Scripture
When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
John 21:21-22 (NIV)

(O) Observation
Jesus has just restored Peter. Three times he asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter responds each time by affirming his love for Jesus. Most think that Jesus did this three times because f Peter's three denials before the crucifixion. Jesus then tells Peter how he is going to die. Jesus finishes by telling Peter to "Follow Me." Peter see John and immediately asks Jesus how he is going to die. Jesus tells peter that it is not his concern but that he is to follow Jesus regardless of what God has planned for others.

(A) Application
I have been doing a series of messages titled, "Training Camp". In this series I am emphasizing the basics of our faith in Christ. Just as football training camp emphasizes blocking and tackling and band camps emphasize scales and proper marching steps before anything else is added so in our training camp we are going back to the basics that will help us grow as followers of Christ. Jesus' words to peter are about as basic as you can get. "Follow Me" regardless of what anyone else is doing or experiencing. The directive was for Peter to follow Jesus wherever that led. That is where we each must begin our walk with Jesus. It is the basic step of faith that declares that I will follow Jesus.
I am sometimes like Peter. I want things to be fair and equal. After all, why should I suffer and others not? Jesus says my only concern should be to follow him. Now that is basic and that is Training Camp 101. Today I will follow Jesus and not be distracted.

(P) Prayer
father, you know how easy it is to compare and how easily I am distracted from following you completely. Today I want to follow you and you alone. Make me aware of when I am not doing so. Let me make a difference for you today. Amen

Life Journal 08-17-2009

Public Opinion

(S) Scripture
The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,
John 19:7-8 (NIV)

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
John 19:12-13 (NIV)

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
John 19:16 (NIV)

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.
John 19:38 (NIV)

(O) Observation
Pilate was a politician and was controlled by public opinion. Even when he could find no fault in Jesus he gave in to the cries of the public to crucify Jesus. Pilate was more concerned with keeping his job as governor than he was in doing the right thing with Jesus. In the grand scheme of things I wonder if Pilate really had a choice. I am sure he did and also sure that God knew the decision he would make given his personal integrity. Joseph was also afraid of the Jews and therefore was a secret follower of Jesus. The pressure of public opinion kept these men from being the men they knew they should be. IT is interesting to me that Pilate did do some things to get back at the religious leaders: he had Jesus called the king of the Jews in a plaque on the cross and he allowed Joseph to have the body. I wonder if Pilate smiled some at the irritation this caused the Jewish leaders?

(A) Application
When I read about some of the prophets and preachers of the Bible I see their boldness and fearless trust in God. I think about them and then realize how domesticated we preachers today have become. Where are we challenging the hall of justice or injustice? Where are we challenging the governing authorities? We challenge people to live faithful lives but do we call people to radically follow Jesus? I don't think so. We seem to be satisfied with mediocrity and that pains the heart of God. It seems that we are conscious of what the public thinks of us and do not want to appear intolerant or exclusive or "holier than thou" and so we water down the message and call of Christ in the world. We downplay the wrath of God and make forgiveness something God gives to everyone regardless of their faith. Today I will speak the truth without waver and call people to radically follow Jesus. It is time to let Jesus be Jesus rather than some caricature we have created to continue a view of him that is caged and domesticated.

(P) Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to radically follow you. Let me not be swayed by public opinion that would distort your truth. I want to follow You and make You known as you really are. Amen

Life Journal 08-11-2009

Clean

(S) Scripture
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."
John 13:6-10 (NIV)

(O) Observation
As Jesus is washing the disciples' feet, Peter begins to protest. If anyone should be washing feet it should be Peter not Jesus, the Son of God. Peter says, "No way," to Jesus but Jesus explains that he must do it because if not them Peter has not part with Him. Peter says "Don't stop with my feet wash me all over." Jesus then gives us a great teaching about confession and being clean. "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.

(A) Application
What a great picture of confession and walking with Jesus every day. When I became a Christian, I was washed clean, the guilt of my sin was taken away and I received forgiveness. As I live my life in this fallen world I sin. Just like the disciples who walked the dusty roads with Jesus needed their feet washed I need to be cleansed of the dust of sin on my feet from walking in this world. What a great picture of confession. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NASB77) When we confess what we know He cleanses us from all our sin. I am sure that if God revealed to me my utter sinfulness at one time it would crush me and so He asks me to confess what He brings to my mind and then He cleanses me from all. I am then able to trust Him with more and more of my life and so I confess more and more and am constantly cleansed. This is how I can walk clean before God. He cleanses me. I cannot do it myself. I cannot make myself presentable to God by He washes me and then cleanses me when I confess. Now that is clean!!! That is how I want to live. Today I again commit myself to walking by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. I do that by "Spiritual Breathing," exhaling by confession and inhaling by giving the Holy Spirit, Who lives within me, control of my life.

(P) Prayer
Father, thank You for giving me a way to walk clean before You. Remind me to take a spiritual breath when I need to and not to wait until the end of the day. As I walk with You today use me in the lives of others. Amen

Life Journal 08-07-2009

Blinded by Spiritual Pride

(S) Scripture
³⁰The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. ³²Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."  ³⁴To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.
John 9:30-34

(O) Observation
Because it did not fit into their narrow and "privileged" view and understanding of God the Pharisees rejected the healing of the blind man as being from God. When challenged the man spoke the truth but their spiritual pride and arrogance kept them from accepting the truth. In fact they got irritated that this uneducated man would think he could teach them anything. Their spiritual pride kept them from understanding the truth.

(A) Application
I must realize that truth can come from unexpected sources. I appreciate my education but must understand that a person does not need a seminary education to speak God's truth. I cannot let my prejudices keep me from hearing and recognizing God's truth whoever it comes from. Today I will listen for truth and then square it with what scripture says, not what I wish or thing or want scripture to say but rather what it says.

(P) Prayer

Lord, help me to recognize your truth regardless of the source. Help me to keep my prejudices from blinding me to your truth. Give me a discerning heart. Amen

Life Journal 08-06-2009

Trust

(S) Scripture
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

(O) Observation
Habakkuk has been asking God why the wicked prosper and God seems to do nothing about it. God answers and in this third chapter of the book we have the prophet's prayer. In responding to what the Lord has revealed in the answer he received Habakkuk concludes his prayer of response with this affirmation of his faith.

(A) Application
This is the attitude with which I want to live. Regardless of the circumstances around me I want to trust and rejoice in the Lord. Trust demonstrates faith. I want to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit each and every day. It seems easy to trust God when things are going good but when tough times come it seems we begin to fret and rely more on ourselves than on God. We try to manipulate our circumstances to avoid tough and difficult situations rather than trusting in the Lord to show us a way through. When everything is stripped away is a time to trust, not complain. Regardless of my circumstances, today I choose to trust God and rejoice in Him.

(P) Prayer
Lord, I thank you for meeting my every need. Teach me to trust you in plenty and in want. Let my life be one of rejoicing in you. I know You are all I need. Teach me to be satisfied with You and You alone. Amen

Life Journal 08-05-2009

Quick Judgment

(S) Scripture
Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."
John 7:24 (NIV)

(O) Observation
Jesus is addressing those who make quick judgments based on appearances rather than considering the whole of the matter. Here Jesus is being criticized for healing a man on the Sabbath. In there criticism the people failed to consider their own practice of circumcision that must be done on the eighth day even if it falls on the Sabbath. Jesus exhorts them to consider the whole and make a right judgment rather than one based solely on appearances.

(A) Application
Things are not always what they appear. When I jump to a judgment based on appearances I am likely to get the judgment wrong because I have not considered the whole and all the factors. Jesus exhorts me to consider all the facts before I make a judgment. Today I will work to look at all factors and circumstances before I make a judgment. This does not mean that I tolerate sin or law breaking but it does mean that I will give careful examination to all factors before I make a judgment. I must be careful in making a quick judgment because like those in this passage I might be judging them for something I am also doing.

(P) Prayer
Father, you know how quick I am to assess and judge a situation. Teach me to pause and make a right judgment based on the whole and not just based on appearances. Help me to be redemptive and not condemning in my dealings with people. Let me reflect you. Amen

Life Journal 08-04-2009

A Godly Leader's Task

(S) Scripture
Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 34:33 (NIV)

(O) Observation
In this record of the work of Josiah we find that he was faithful to God and led the people to live the same way. He had the idols removed and compelled the people to live faithfully for the Lord. Because of his leadership (OK as king there may have been some coercion) the people served God as long as Josiah lived.

(A) Application
When I read this I was struck with the fact that this is what I am to be doing as the pastor of First Baptist. I am to compel (I cannot coerce) people to live faithfully. A great joy for my life would be if all the people of First Baptist were living faithfully for the lord all the days of my life. What I do really does have eternal significance. It is my responsibility to help people tear down their idols and help them worship and serve the Living God. It is my desire to be that kind of leader.

(P) Prayer
Lord let me live my life in such a way that it sets the example for others to follow in being faithful to you and you alone. Help me to tear down the idols inmy own life so that others can see the way to tear down the idols in their lives. Let me lead the people of First Baptist in a way that is pleasing and faithful to you. Amen

Life Journal 08-03-2009

Great News

(S) Scripture
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24 (NIV)

(O) Observation
Jesus gives this simple and yet profound and offensive statement to the people who were persecuting him. Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath and was being persecuted for it by the religious legalists among the Jews. Thinking that they were the only ones with access to God, Jesus rocks them with this statement. Jesus says it is "whoever", not just restricted to the Jews, hears and believes has eternal life.

(A) Application
That is great news for all of us. Anyone who hears His word and believes has eternal life, no condemnation and has life. I wonder if there are those who I see every day that I do not think are worthy of God's mercy, those I refuse to share the good news with because it is not for them. Now I would never say something like that because I know it is not scriptural but I wonder about my actions. Today I commit to sharing with those I meet. I will keep my focus on what God says and will ignore my prejudices.

(P) Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to see people like you do. Give me courage to share the good news with them. Let me live for you today. Amen