Life Journal 04-07-2009

Ceiling High Prayers

(S) Scripture
If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;
Psalm 66:18 (NASB77)

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psalm 66:18 (KJV)

(O) Observation
In this great psalm about God's mighty deeds and his answers to prayer is this sober warning: if I regard sin in my heart the Lord will not hear me.

(A) Application
There are times when I feel that my prayers are only going ceiling high and no farther. I wonder if God is listening, He seems so distant. I long for a sense of His presence but there seems to be a disconnect. This psalm gives the reason. When I have unconfessed sin in my life my communication with God is affected. The Lord will only hear my prayer of repentance then He will hear the rest of my prayer. I cannot come to God with a sinful or sin full heart. He has promised to cleanse me from all unrighteousness when I confess my sin (1 John 1:9). Think of that – when I confess what I know the Lord cleanses me of all unrighteousness. I want my prayers to be heard so I must confess my sin and receive His cleansing then I can be sure that He hears me. God takes sin seriously and so should I. If sin keeps God from hearing me then I should be sure that I an 'fessed up moment by moment.

(P) Prayer
Father, forgive me when I neglect to take sin as seriously as you do. Cleanse me today and give me the assurance that you hear and answer me when I pray. Amen

Life Journal 04-06-2009

God Answers

(S) Scripture
By awesome deeds Thou dost answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, Thou who art the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea;
Psalm 65:5 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
In this psalm David is extolling God's favor to us. Our God is greater than anything we can imagine and he answers when his children call.

(A) Application
Paul Little's book, Your God Is Too Small, addresses the issue David is raising. God is bigger than we think and is greater than we can imagine. He answers in righteousness, his nature, and we can depend on Him being consistent. Too often I shrink God into someone I can understand or somehow control. God is so much more and I need to let him out of the box I have put him in if my life is to be changed. I want to get to know God in the way he has revealed himself through his word. I don't want to settle for anything less. I do not pretend to think that I can understand or comprehend all that God is but I can seek to stop limiting him and his work in my life.

(P) Prayer
Lord, thank you for answering me consistent with your nature and allowing me to know you as best I can. Let me know you more and more as I live faithfully in You. Amen

Life Journal 04-05-2009

Secure

(S) Scripture
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God," They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good.
Psalm 53:1 (NASB77)

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven;
2 Corinthians 5:1-2 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
David and Paul give the two sides of the security issue. The "fool" has no security and the believer is sure of a "house not made with hands eternal in the heavens." Our security as believers comes from our faith in Christ and his death and resurrection on our behalf.

(A) Application
I don't usually pass on emails that I get but I received this one this morning and thought it was appropriate to use here:
    If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!  
 A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan . One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and member of the ACLU.  One day the professor shocked the class when he came in he looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, 'God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes.' The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.  Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, 'Here I am God. I'm still waiting.' It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.  The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked, stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, 'What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?' The Marine calmly replied, 'God was busy today protecting American soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me.

On this Palm Sunday I am encouraged by Paul's writing to the Corinthians. I know that if and when I die I have a home in heaven with the Lord. I know that in this life I have troubles and illnesses and I long to be clothed in that heavenly dwelling. That does not mean I want to die today. I feel somewhat like Paul when he said he was torn between going to be with the Lord and staying and continuing his ministry. He knew that it was better for him to remain and teach and lead the church and I think that it true for me also. There is much to be done here in Charlotte that we have not yet accomplished and I do want to be part of it. Today I will shout Hosanna with the rest of the world and look forward to whatever the Lord has for me to do. There are plenty of "fools" that I still need to speak to about the Lord.

(P) Prayer
Lord, thank you for the encouragement of your word. Use me today to share your good news with those who have not yet responded. Amen

 

Life Journal 04-04-2009

A Sobering Thought

(S) Scripture
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
2 Corinthians 4:3 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
Paul is again defending his ministry to the Corinthian church. He is does not lose heart regardless of how difficult things become. Then there is this sobering statement for me, "if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing."

(A) Application
The New Living Translation records the verse this way, "If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing."
2 Corinthians 4:3 (NLT) Now that is a sobering thought. If I make the Gospel hard to understand or do not share it at all the only people it hurts is those that are perishing. It is those who do not know Christ that are damaged when I refuse to share my faith. When I am too afraid to share or when I try to hide the fact that I am a Christian I am hurting those who need to experience Christ's love and forgiveness. How selfish is that? I am ashamed at how often I am silent and not forthcoming about my faith in Jesus. Today I will not shy away from opportunities the Lord places before me to speak and live out a word for Him.

(P) Prayer
Lord, forgive me for being timid and afraid of what others might say or think. Let me be bold in my witness for you. Keep me gentle and humble not obnoxious and rude as I share my faith with others. Let me bear fruit for You. Amen

Life Journal 04-03-2009

Confidence

(S) Scripture
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
Paul is reminding the Corinthians where his confidence and adequacy comes from. His confidence comes from the New Covenant that is based on the Spirit that gives life not the Law that brings death.

(A) Application
There is a fine line between confidence and conceit. Romans 12:3 gives us the proper balance, "For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." There is a great difference between self-confidence and God-confidence. Paul's confidence came from the Holy Spirit. That is the confidence I want in my life and ministry. I want to live in the Spirit that brings life rather than to focus on the letter of the law that kills. I do not want to be arrogant or conceited but I do want to think highly of the gifts God has given me and the work He has called me to do. I want to exercise that confidence with humility and grace. That can only happen when I am confident not in myself but in the God Who has called me.

(P) Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me and for never giving up on me. Thank You for the gifts you have given me for use in your kingdom and in my life. Let be be confident in only You and reminded that without you I can do nothing. Amen

Life Journal 04-02-2009

Compromise

(S) Scripture
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you."
And Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man."
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords that had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he snapped the cords as a string of tow snaps when it touches fire. So his strength was not discovered.
Then Delilah said to Samson, "Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now please tell me, how you may be bound."
And he said to her, "If they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man."
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" For the men were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread.
Then Delilah said to Samson, "Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies; tell me how you may be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my hair with the web [and fasten it with a pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man."
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web]. And she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web.
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is."
And it came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death.
So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, "A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I shall become weak and be like any other man."
When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was in his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me all that is in his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hands.
And she made him sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his hair. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him.
And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
Judges 16:6-20 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
This is a lengthy but familiar passage, the story of Samson and Delilah. It is a story of compromise that led to defeat. Samson was a Nazirite which meant that he could not have strong drink, eat unclean meat, touch a dead body or cut his hair. The compromise of his Nazirite vow started with little things, he took honey from the dead lion, and then moved on to more critical things, his hair. I do not think that Samson thought he was violating his vow and yet little by little he did and when Delilah cut his hair his strength was gone. Notice the tragedy of verse 20, "And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him." His compromise led to his defeat.

(A) Application
When I make compromises in my faith walk it generally begins with little things. They seem so insignificant and yet they lead to other more critical compromises that can lead to spiritual defeat. I believe it was Billy Graham who said that most Christians live in spiritual defeat. This does not mean that they have lost their salvation but it does mean that they live defeated lives that are unproductive in God's kingdom. This defeat comes to us when we live compromised lives. Although the Lord left Samson on this side of the cross we know that the Holy Spirit takes permanent residence in our lives and therefore does not leave us. We can take control of our lives away from Him and that is when we live in defeat. Today I want to avoid anything that might compromise my walk with the Lord. I want to live a Spirit filled life. I want to experience God's power in my life, I do not want to live a defeated life.

(P) Prayer
Father, it is easy to make compromises or excuses for not following you completely and they lead to spiritual defeat. Make me keenly aware when I am about to compromise my faith and let me follow You today. Amen

Life Journal 04-01-2009

No April Fool's Joke

(S) Scripture
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
Paul is opening his second letter to the church in Corinth. He does so by encouraging them with the words of God's comfort. This was a troubled church and many needed to hear these words and to have this exhortation to comfort others with the comfort they had received from Christ.

(A) Application
Today is the 25^th anniversary of my Dad's death. Each year on this day I am especially reminded of the impact he had on my life. My Dad was a man of faith and he led our family by example. He and my Mom were (and my Mom still is) leaders in the church. They taught my sister and me to love Jesus and to be faithful in our walk with Him. Church attendance was not optional in our house and the norm was faithful Christian living. Now my folks were not sinless saints but they were close, at least in my mind. I thank God for them each day. I miss my Dad. He died from lung cancer. I got to spend the last few hours with him. We talked about a lot of things and none of them were trivial. We talked about our love for each other and taking care of my Mom. We spoke about faith and living each day. We talked about my girls and the responsibility I had to them and their faith development. We spoke of God's comfort in times of grief, sorrow and loss. My Dad on his death bed assured me of God's comfort and faithfulness. I can say that I experienced a deep seated sense of joy throughout that time that could only come from the Lord. My Dad was OK and we all would be too because of God's comfort and faithfulness. After 25 years I can say that my Dad told us the truth and that God's comfort is real and that is no April Fool's joke.

(P) Prayer
Holy Father, I thank you for my Dad and the lessons he taught me about You. I thank you for Your constant comfort and faithfulness to me as I seek to follow You. Let me impact others the way my Dad impacted me for Christ. Amen