devotional

January 11, 2013

Ambition gets nowhere until it forms a partnership with effort.

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9 NASB)

Is my life characterized by ambition? Righteous ambition is God-centered, not self-centered. Are my goals and aspirations pleasing to my Lord Jesus Christ and worthy of His call upon my life? The Apostle Paul reminds:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1 NIV)
live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10 NIV)
live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:12 NIV)

Ambition gets nowhere until it forms a partnership with effort. Authentic ambition will get you into a lot of hard work. The ambition of “pleasing Him” spurs us toward excellence.

Healthy ambition generates:

energized behavior,
balanced emotions,
channeled focus,
passionate pursuit, and
God-expectant success.

God deserves nothing less than our best effort! Oswald Sanders writes, “It is the responsibility of the disciple to be the best he or she can be for God. To please Him is a most worthy aim. He wants us to realize the full purpose of our creation; He does not want us to be content with bland mediocrity.” (Spiritual Discipleship, p. 67) We cannot settle for mediocrity.

When we get tired of working or waiting, we too easily accept far less than God’s best. We don’t need to follow the example of the lonely lady who stuck up a conversation in a checkout lane, asking the man behind her, “Where do you work?”

“I haven’t found a job yet,” the man replied. “I just finished a twenty-year prison sentence for banked robbery.”

“So,” the woman paused hopefully, “you’re single?”

Leaders need to be especially careful, evaluating their own motives. Sometimes, we too quickly excuse self-promotion. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah cautions his secretary Baruch, “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it!” (Jeremiah 45:5 NLT) Paul alerts that some “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives” (Philippians 1:17 NASB). In a book targeted for pastors, Gary Fenton warns, “the smoke produced by unbridled ambition can cloud our vision for ministry. We need to admit and channel our ambitions rather than allow them to direct our work.” (Your Ministry’s Next Chapter, p.47)

Motivation is the key. Why am I seeking to be a leader? For me? For Christ? Am I after God’s agenda or mine? Jesus told His disciples, “I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:30b NIV). Christ is our role-model. As we mature in Christlikeness, the reason for righteous living moves from:

“I have to” (legalism) to
“I like this” (satisfaction) to
“It’s important” (value) to
“God is pleased” (worship).

Ambition without determination never reaches its destination. We have got to stick it through to the end, giving our very best to the King of Kings. Let’s make it our ambition to please Christ!

January 9, 2013

Strength for Today – Strong in the Lord

The strength needed to live life successfully is found in God’s unlimited power.

Life has struggles. Sooner or later, every person faces overwhelming circumstances, situations seemingly impossible to make it through. If we are honest, we all recognize our need for help. Sometimes, the stress is FAR beyond our own strength to handle it. Lowell Streiker (Encyclopedia of Humor) shares the following story that I think even a husband can understand.

The harried housewife sprang to the telephone when it rang and listened with relief to the kindly voice in her ear. “How are you, darling?” it said. “What kind of a day are you having?”

“Oh, Mother,” said the housewife, breaking into bitter tears, “I’ve had such a bad day. The baby won’t eat, the washing machine is broke down, I haven’t had a chance to go shopping, and besides, I’ve just sprained my ankle and I have to hobble around. On top of that, the house is a mess and I’m supposed to have two couples to dinner tonight.”

The mother was shocked and was full of sympathy. “Oh, darling,” she said, “sit down, relax, and close your eyes. I’ll be over in half an hour. I’ll do your shopping, clean up the house, and cook your dinner for you. I’ll feed the baby, and I’ll call a repairmen I know who’ll be at your house to fix the washing machine promptly. Now stop crying. I’ll do everything. In fact, I’ll even call George at the office and tell him he ought to come home and help out for once.”

“George?” said the housewife. “Who’s George?”

“Why, George! Your husband! . . . Is this 284-1373?”

“No, it’s 284-1376.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I have the wrong number.”

There was a short pause. Then the young woman asked, “Does this mean you’re not coming over?”

Ever wished for help? We all need strength, but too often we are like the young mother vainly seeking assistance from strangers! Guess what? You aren’t likely to find the help you need from a mom’s misdialed connection, but Heavenly Father is available. The classic hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” praises the Lord who gives “strength for today.” Psalmists repeatedly honor the Lord for the strength He provides (search “strength” in the Book of Psalms at www.biblegateway.com). Here are just three:

The Lord gives his people strength. Psalm 28:8 NLT
The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. Psalm 29:11 NLT
God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! Psalm 68:35 NLT

Writing under Holy Spirit inspiration, the Apostle Paul commands, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10 NIV). The strength we need is found in only one place – “in the Lord.” Paul isn’t encouraging a stiff-upper-lip-attitude. He isn’t calling for his readers to grit their teeth and pretend. He is pointing to the location we must go if we are to find the strength we need.

Paul wanted believers in Ephesus (and all Christ-followers!) to have a greater understanding of the awesome strength that is available to God’s people. Paul writes,“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT) Paul revisited the need in Ephesians 6:10, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”

We need to be wrapped up in God’s strength. Kenneth Wuest (Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader) says the Paul’s choice of words in Ephesians 6:10 conveys the idea of “to clothe one’s self with strength as one puts on a garment.” Can you see the impact of that imagery? We are familiar with that activity. Don’t you put on clothes every day? I get dressed everyday. Okay, some relaxing days at home I may not be very dressed-up, but my family insists I have on clothes. Getting dress is normal, daily, activity. For the Christ-follower, receiving God’s strength should be just as normal, even more than common.

We shouldn’t be content just to receive God’s strength one time. Regularly, we need to reach out for strengthening. Wuest’s comments on Ephesians 6:10 reveal the ongoing nature of this dependance. “Here the verb is in the passive voice, ‘be continually strengthened.’ The qualifying phrase, ‘in the Lord,’ defines the strengthening as Christian strengthening, such as can take effect only in union with the Lord . . . ‘be strengthened,’ causes the saint to depend on the Lord for the supply of that strength . . . Translation. Finally, be constantly strengthened in the Lord . . .”

People cannot strengthen themselves; they must be empowered, and that not once for all but constantly, as the tense of the Greek indicates. Furthermore, he says, not ‘by the Lord,’ though that would be true enough, but again in the Lord. When life is lived in union with Him, within the orbit of His will and so of His grace, there need not be failure due to powerlessness (1 John 2:14). Apart from Him the Christian can do nothing (John 15:1-5), but there is available all the strength of His might. ( Francis Foulkes in Tyndale NT Commentary Ephesians)

I can – I SHOULD live in a place of strength. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in me. Jesus Christ won the ultimate victory when He died and rose again. I don’t fight FOR victory; I fight FROM victory! I want to live life successfully. Today, I will draw from the steady current of God’s power available to me via praying in the Holy Spirit, feeding upon His Word, connection with other believers, fasting and other spiritual disciplines, and many more avenues. I desire strength for today. How about you?

January 7, 2013

Ministry Like Jesus Did

I am challenged to live like Jesus and to MINISTER like Jesus. Anyone who claims to lives in relationship with Christ is commanded to live, to “walk” (KJV), as Jesus did. “Walk” is metaphor for “lifestyle” or “a way to live life.” John’s command to “live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6) is NOT just wishful thinking, an unrealistic goal, or an impossible achievement. The empowerment resulting from personal connection with Christ is what makes this possible.

As a pastor, an under-shepherd of the Great Shepherd, shouldn’t I focus upon the ministry pattern presented by the life and leadership of Jesus Christ? The Gospel accounts provide an excellent picture of how Jesus lived and of how Jesus ministered.

Jesus’ earthly ministry is a display of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ preaching ministry is radically different than the teachings of the scribes. The Gospels tell of Jesus teaching with authority. His words penetrate truth and His miracles testify the power of God. His listeners have reason to believe that the Kingdom is at hand. Power encounters mixed with public proclamation certainly help to communicate the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew describes the unusual nature of the teaching ministry of Jesus. Matthew 7:28-29 NIV records, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Unfortunately, I can relate to Pastor John Fyre’s admission, “Sometimes I feel that my congregation is more dazed than amazed when I get done speaking” (Jesus The Pastor, p.33).

Amazed! The people recognize the strength of Jesus’ teaching ministry even if they do not comprehend fully what Jesus says. Jesus’ words probably carry a tone that is easily distinguished as authoritative. Perhaps, a limited example can be seen in my wife. Patti is a gifted teacher and God has certainly given her a special ability to bring discipline within a classroom. Even in the earlier days of her student-teaching at Victory Christian School (Tulsa, Oklahoma), a few kids referred to her as “The Law.” Patti speaks with strength and carries herself in a manner that encourages respect. There is something different about the way she organizes a teaching session, and Jesus’ teaching ministry clearly reveals something different about Him.

However, I do not reason that Jesus’ teaching was simply authoritative in tone. The crowds surrounding Christ witness more. The authority of His words exceeds anything that Patti displays in an instructional environment. His words carry their own power, their own influence, their own jurisdiction, their own command, their own strength.

Some teachers of Jesus’ day may rely heavily upon the recognized credentials of Jewish rabbis, but Jesus does not depend on the commentaries of others to validate His words. Jesus speaks with authority (Greek – exousia). He speaks in the power of the Holy Spirit. He speaks the message of heaven with the inspiration of heaven. He teaches with authority, and miraculous power-encounters follow his instruction.

The preaching/teaching ministry of Jesus naturally flows into His healing ministry. Jesus certainly ministered the full Gospel. While a student at Oral Roberts University, I hear Richard Roberts (then president of ORU)summarize Jesus’ ministry as: “Jesus came to take off you what the devil put on you, to take out of you what the devil put in you, to put back what the devil took off, and to put back in what the devil took out.” I am inspired as I consider Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching, AND healing. As a pastor, sometimes it is easy to get focused on the preparation of the oral communication of a sermon. I need Holy Spirit sensitivity for full Gospel ministry, expecting God’s total salvation (and healing) to show up.

After illuminating the astonishment of the crowd, Matthew underscores Jesus’ exousia by recounting the cleansing of the man with leprosy, the releasing of the centurion’s servant, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, and the calming of the Galilean storm (Matthew 8). Matthew chronicles the extraordinary miraculous power of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Power encounters mixed with public proclamation communicate the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I must maintain close, intimate relationship with the Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ in order to be effective. To live and to minister like Jesus did means collaboration with Christ Jesus in Holy-Spirit-empowered pastoral ministry. I am expecting God to move in 2013. I pray that I may see God’s power released every time I communicate the message of the Kingdom.

January 6, 2013

WWJD – Live as Jesus Did

My daughters usually read for themselves now, but when they were younger they begged for Patti and I to read to them. One book that Rozy and Kimberlyn particularly enjoyed was a children’s version of Charles Sheldon’s In His Steps. The story of Clarie and Bill’s adventures set in the days of the old west captured Rozy and Kimberlyn’s imagination. Page after page, my daughters pondered, “What would Jesus do?” and the book opened the door for lots of good discussions about living for Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the model for EVERY aspect of life. Consider a few passages that highlight the example of Jesus Christ.

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6 NIV
“Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.” Romans 15:7 NLT
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 NIV
“Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.” Colossians 3:13 CEV
“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 NLT

How does “live as Jesus did” live out in the real world? What does it mean for me to live like Jesus? How do I “bear the stamp of Christ” (1 John 2:6 PHILLIPS) in every aspect of life?

What would Jesus do? WWJD armbands were hugely popular in the 90’s. That is not a bad question to ask, but author Dallas Willard suggests we add, “WWJD . . . if He were me?” How do I model Christ behavior as a husband, a dad, a pastor? How do I live like Jesus in my office, my entertainment, my attitudes, my relationships, my ministry?

I think the Apostle Paul’s mission statement for life is: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NASB). Paul lifts up Jesus as the model and urges, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB). My standard of comparison should never be people. I must judge myself not by other peoples’ lives, but by Jesus Christ’s life. Wayne Grudem unveils the purpose for this imitation of Christ:

“Our imitation of Christ should not be thought of as a mere mimicking of Jesus’ actions, however. The far deeper purpose is that in imitating him we are becoming more and more like him: when we act like Christ we become like Christ. We grow up to maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:13, 15) as we are ‘being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another’ (2 Cor. 3:18). The final result is that we shall become perfectly like Christ, for God has predestined us ‘to be conformed to the image of his Son’ (Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49), and ‘when he appears, we shall be like him’ (1 John 3:2). When this happens, Christ will be fully glorified in us (2 Thess. 1:10–12; John 17:10).” (Systematic Theology, p. 846.)

January 5, 2013

Seek The Lord

I am so thankful when I seek the Lord, I find Him! Consider the following as Valley Fellowship Church kicks off 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting on Monday, January 7, 2013.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NIV84
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:9-10 NIV84
[David to Solomon] “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV84
“The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, ‘Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.'” 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 NIV84
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” Leviticus 3:22-25 NIV84
“The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:10 NIV

January 3, 2013

5 Reasons to Give Like God Gives

We act like our loving Heavenly Father when we give. In fact, that is exactly what He wants. As we begin to understand the generous heart of Heavenly Father and His character develops within us, we are motivated to generosity. The Apostle Peter encourages, “You are royal priest, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God (1 Peter 2:9 NLT).” We, like our Heavenly Father, should have a generous heart. Consider these five reasons to give like God.

#1 – God gave His Son.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV

#2 – God graciously and freely gives.

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32 NIV

“Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” James 1:17 MSG

#3 – God’s goodness and kindness is attractive.

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Romans 2:4 NLT

#4 – God gives to everyone – even folks who don’t deserve anything.

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:43-48 MSG

#5 – God gently invites His kids to imitate Him.

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love.” Ephesians 5:1 MSG

Give like God and discover JOY! “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”(Acts 20:35 NLT) Are you ready to give of yourself to the world around you?

Jim Grassi (Wading Through the Chaos: Seeking God’s Perspective on Life’s Journey (Hayden, ID: Men’s Ministry Catalyst, 2010), p. 121-122.) shares a heart-touching story illustrating the joy we receive when we act like our Father and show others His goodness.

I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. I noticed a nicely dressed little girl enthusiastically browsing—a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. Whenever she spied a Barbie she liked, she’d turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said “yes”, but she kept looking, repeating the ritual over and over, searching for the perfect treasure.

A little boy wandered in across the aisle and started sorting through the Pokémon toys. He was dressed neatly, but wore a jacket that looked to be a couple of sizes too small and well worn. He, too, had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so. He and his father had a similar ritual, his father faintly shaking his head as the young lad touched various video games and searched his father’s eyes.

The little girl chose a beautifully dressed, glamorous doll—sure to be the envy of every little girl on the block. She suddenly stopped, watching the interchange between the little boy and his father. The boy reluctantly gave up on the video games and chose a book of stickers instead. He and his father started walking through another aisle and disappeared. The little girl paused, smiled and put her Barbie back on the shelf. She spoke with her father and dashed over to the Pokémon games, picking up one lying on top and raced toward the registers. I picked out my own purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl’s obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me. After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled, putting the package under the counter.

I paid for my purchases and lingered, watching the little boy come up to the cashier. She rang up his purchases and then exclaimed, “Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!” With that, she handed the little boy the Pokémon game. He stared in disbelief—just what he’d wanted.

The little girl and her father were standing at the doorway watching. I saw the biggest, prettiest grin on that little girl that I’ve ever seen in my life. As she walked out the door, I followed close enough behind to hear her talk to her father. Amazed and delighted at what I’d just witnessed, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I’ll never forget what she said to him. “Nana and Paw Paw wanted me to buy something that would make me happy … and I just did.” Then she giggled and skipped off toward their car … and I smiled deep inside.

January 2, 2013

10 Good Things to Remember in 2013

God is a good God! Are you expecting God’s goodness in 2013? We have to remind ourselves because we human beings are quick to forget. We even joke about it – have you heard any of these?

Funny thing, I don’t remember being absent-minded.
My memory is a wonderful treasure chest, but I lost the map.
My memory is the faculty that enables me to give someone most of my zip code.
I can frequently remember that I have forgotten something, if I could only remember what it is.
Two indicators I am getting older: first, loss of memory, and I can’t remember the second.
To err is human; to forget, routine.

Oral Roberts rightly proclaimed, “Something good is going to happen to you!” Stop today and consider the goodness of God. Remind yourself. Here are ten good things to remember in 2013:

#1 – God wants to bless you and bless you and bless you.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:9-11 NLT

#2 – God sets you up for good and has planned success for you !

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT

#3 – God’s voice will direct you and God will get you where you need to go.

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:3-2 NLT

#4 – God finishes what He starts.

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV

#5 – God’s purpose is worth the effort.

“Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'” Luke 9:23 NIV

#6 – God rewards those who seek Him.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NLT

#7 – God’s timing is perfect – not early, not late, but always right on time.

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18 NIV84

#8 – God’s forgiveness is awesome.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 NLT

#9 – God’s power is great in us. God is greater than _______(fill in the blank with your life).

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 NIV

#10 – God’s plans are bigger than you alone. Mature believers are vitally connected to a local church.

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT

January 1, 2013

I Was In Over My Head

My mom cooked; I ate and sometimes cleaned up. That was the extent of my expertise. But Gilbert High, the small rural public school in northeast Louisiana from which I graduated (and which no longer exists), required every male senior to take a session of Home Economics before graduation. I was in deep. It wasn’t the first time, wasn’t the last, but it’s one imprinted in my memory.

Right now, I don’t recall the name of that teacher, and I’m not sure Mrs. HomeEc expected much from us as we stepped into her kitchen classroom, but her southern drawl made it clear – we WERE going to learn to make biscuits. I’m not sure she enjoyed our company, but she figured even a male should know how to make biscuits for breakfast. I don’t recall how many days she spent reviewing the process, helping us mix ingredients, lighting up the ovens, and examining our results, but I do remember she wanted us to know how to make biscuits. And with each day, I gained a sense of confidence as I ate biscuits that I had a hand in making.

My “attempts” included a lot of her hands in the job. She never just watched from the side. She corrected my measuring, my stirring, my rolling, even my stance. She could have done the job much more quickly. She could have made much better biscuits, but she involved me in the process. I did become more comfortable in the kitchen – maybe that’s what she intended.

Today, I can make biscuits without an instructor grabbing the rolling pin from my hands, but I cannot make life work without connection to God. To have a great 2013, I need God’s hands in my life everyday. Many years ago, mathematician and Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal suggested Heavenly Father allows His child to cooperate with Him in Kingdom work to give us the dignity of causality, the feeling of being the cause that produces effect.

Jesus Christ made it clear I cannot accomplish anything apart from Him (John 15:5). I am mistaken every time I attempt something while letting God just watch. In Deepening Your Conversation with God, author and pastor Ben Patterson highlights this faulty omission with a story from a baseball legend:

Great baseball catcher Yogi Berra played a game in which the score was tied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The batter from the opposing team stepped into the batting box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Berra was a Catholic, too, but he wiped out the plate with his glove and said to the pious batter, “Why don’t we let God just watch this game?”

That is good theology when applied to the outcome of a baseball game. It’s terrible theology when applied to the way we live our lives and carry out the work of the church . . . But too often that is precisely the outlook we bring to our vocation as Christian elders, deacons, and pastors. God attends the game, but only as an honored spectator. Our prayers are merely ceremonial functions, like asking the President of the United States to throw out the first baseball at the beginning of baseball season, they are tips of the hat, verbal recognition over the loudspeaker between innings. He may even be in the dugout, but he rarely, if ever, gets on the playing field.

Heavenly Father isn’t content with a good seat in the stands; He wants His hands touching every work of our lives. Through the years, I have given up on biscuits from scratch (store-prepared taste great), but I remember that strong sense of satisfaction from eating biscuits I made by hand. Somehow I learned to make breakfast. I can whip up a good omelet and have my own secret ingredient (pulled from Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking). This morning, I prepared pancakes, bacon, eggs, and even made Patti some pretty good cream of wheat! But every time I start to cook, I feel in over my head.

I was certainly deeply in over my head when I became a pastor. I was a very young 27 when I stepped into role of senior pastor. As a young pastor, I said and did more than a few things I wish I hadn’t. I was in over my head, but God’s grace kept me. I am still walking the path, and I am expecting God for growth. Actually, as a 46-year-old pastor, I am still in over my head. Apart from Jesus, I will accomplish nothing. That’s a lesson I should never forget.

December 31, 2012

New Year – New You?

Family traditions are a GOOD thing. One Simon family tradition is the taking of communion before the meal of Thanksgiving or Christmas or just-about-any-holiday. We take time to remember the broken body and precious blood of our Savior. For New Year’s, we take it up a notch – sparkling grape juice and blessing one another as we anticipate God’s blessing.

Patti, Rozy, Kimberlyn and I will stay awake long enough to watch the Times Square ball drop as 2013 dawns in New York. My daughter Rozy is particularly fascinated by the celebration. Someday we might have to visit New York to witness the show, but tonight we will settle for television views. We’ll say “Happy New Year!” to one another, and – bet on it – I WILL kiss my beautiful wife. As a family, we’ll also pray, expecting God to do awesome things in 2013.

Tonight, millions of people will cheer “Happy New Year!” Will you be one of them? Are you expecting something good in the new year? If so, what choices are you making?

“For us a new year symbolizes new opportunities, new hopes, and new dreams.

And yet, the stroke of the hour simply has marked the dawning of another day. Whether the year really will be new lies within each person. If, when the shouting is over, we fall back into the same old rut of sin and rebellion against God, then nothing has changed. No, years become new only if we make them so.” Howard Hendricks, My Favorite Illustrations

Choices impact our lives. Choices create circumstances and change circumstances. Make sure the choices you make land you with the consequences you want. Like it or not, we get what we sow (Galatians 6:9). It is better to look ahead and prepare for a harvest than to look back and regret the weeds.

Before her death, Grandma Geerhart (Patti’s mother’s mom) gave Patti and I advice she thought would help us as spiritual leaders. In the midst of that wisdom was a list of choices that could keep a person looking ahead:

Every day say something to God.
Every day let God say something to you.
Every day say something for God.
Every day do something for God.

What choices will you make to really make this a new year?