Getting My Praise On

Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens!


Praise him from the skies!


2 Praise him, all his angels!


Praise him, all the armies of heaven!


3 Praise him, sun and moon!


Praise him, all you twinkling stars!


4 Praise him, skies above!


Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!


5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,


for he issued his command, and they came into being.


6 He set them in place forever and ever.


His decree will never be revoked.

Oh yeah, it is time to get my praise on! Thank You, Lord for all You have done, are doing and will do for this goober of a servant of Yours called Scott. I am blessed far beyond anything I could ever imagine, and I certainly do NOT deserve those blessings. You are the Creator of all, the Author of Life and the Lover of my soul. to You and to You alone go all glory and honor and praise. Forever and ever. Amen.

Naked and Battered

Acts 19

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

I LOVE this passage of Scripture! When we try to go up against satan on our own, we will get our tails kicked. It is ONLY through the power of Jesus the Christ that satan can be and is defeated. It is not enough to simply know about Jesus to try to defeat satan. You must know Jesus, obey the Gospel and follow Him. Otherwise, satan will beat the living snot out of you, and once again you will find yourself naked and battered. This picture of those outside of Jesus being naked (the man possessed by a legion of demons, the guy who fled from the Garden of Gethsemane, and now the seven sons of Scvea) is in stark contrast to those who have clothed themselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). Don’t try to battle satan without clothing yourself with Christ or you will wind up naked and battered.

Enthusiastic but Wrong

Acts 18

24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

In this passage, we see the importance of knowing the WHOLE Gospel. Appollos taught enthusiastically about Jesus, but he didn’t know the whole Gospel. He was enthusiastically wrong in his teachings until Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately to him. Likewise, today there are many people who are enthusiastically wrong in their teaching about Jesus and salvation. It is our job to play the roles of Priscilla and Aquila so that the way of God can be explained to the enthusiastic but wrong crowd even more accurately. We need to build bridges to our religious neighbors, and bring them to a complete saving knowledge of Christ. But, be warned, there are plenty in that enthusiastic but wrong crowd who fall into the category of Proverbs 18: 2 Fools have no interest in understanding;

they only want to air their own opinions.

Don’t be discouraged by them, stay true to God’s Word and do your best to love them to that Truth!

Each Generation

Psalm 145

1 I will exalt you, my God and King,

and praise your name forever and ever.

2 I will praise you every day;

yes, I will praise you forever.

3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

No one can measure his greatness.

4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;


let them proclaim your power.

One of the supreme pleasures of being involved in student ministry is when I get the chance to see students “get it.” When that light in their heads clicks on, and they fire up for Jesus. These days are one of those times. The students who came back from Move this summer are fired up and are contagious. May all we do bring glory to You, Oh God, and may we be contagious in our own generation and in generations to come! You are worthy of praise, and I am so blessed to see teenagers at VCC striving to give You the Glory You deserve. How sweet it is!

Open Minds

Acts 17

11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

It is interesting that those with OPEN MINDS sought the Truth found in Scripture and came to believe in Jesus the Christ. We Christ followers today get accused of being closed minded, intolerant, and rigid in our thinking. Quite the opposite is true of those who follow Jesus. You must open your mind to the possibility that you are NOT the center of the universe. You must be tolerant of the FACT that Jesus is the ONE and ONLY son of God and that we are called to obey and follow Him. You must not follow lock-step with the worldly way of thinking and reasoning, instead being open to what the Creator of Heaven and Earth has to say. Like the folks in Berea. You must be open minded to the Gospel of Christ.

The Rest of the Story

Acts 16

30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

This story in Acts often gets chopped off before it ends. I have actually heard preachers stop at verse 31 as if that is all there is to being saved. They conveniently forget the “rest of the story.” It makes me upset with those who know better and sad for those who don’t know the “rest of the story” because they are being led astray. If you are going to preach the Gospel, preach the WHOLE Gospel, not just the parts that conform to the man-made “faith only” doctrine that is quite simply a FALSE doctrine!

Open My Eyes

2 Kings 6

17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes...

In my role as a minister to students, young adults, and even in worship leading, I desire to help open the eyes of those around me to what the LORD would have them to see. I pray that God will open my eyes, and that I can help others to have their eyes opened as well. Keeping my eyes fixed on the Prize, staying in the Word every day, is the ONLY way that can happen. Father, open my eyes, give me eyes to see what You see, and may my influence lead others to have their eyes opened to what You would have them see every single day. Not just when the odds seem stacked against us. Not just when we are crying out for help, but every day. Thank You Father for helping me remove the blinders in my life. May I help others do the same.

Control My Tongue

Psalm 141

3 Take control of what I say, O Lord,

and guard my lips.

4 Don’t let me drift toward evil

or take part in acts of wickedness.

Don’t let me share in the delicacies

of those who do wrong.

James devotes an entire chapter of his letter to the tongue and the need to keep it under control. I know that I have not always done a very good job in this regard, and there are still plenty of times when I fail to control my tongue. I want to join David this morning in praying, “Take control of what I say O Lord, and guard my lips.” May the things I say be useful in building others up, in encouraging them in the Lord, in rebuking brothers or sisters in error, and always tempered with love.

Making Disciples and Strengthening Believers

Acts 14

21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers.

Preaching the Good News and strengthening the believers...that’s what I want to be known for. May my life preach the Gospel, making many disciples for Jesus, and may everything I do be encouraging and strengthening to the believers. In so doing, I will have ONLY done what I am called to do.

LOL

2 Kings 2

23 Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!” 24 Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.

The moral of this story, boys and girls is don’t make fun of a man of God. I LOVE this passage of Scripture. Elisha didn’t fool around, and he was not to be trifled with! He was a man on a mission, and he had no time for foolish, distracting people. Now, I know that I am called to be much more loving than that, but there are times when I wish I could call on a couple of bears...jk/lol!

What the Lord Tells Me to Say

1 Kings 22

10 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. 11 One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

12 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”

13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”

Like Micaiah, I want to say only what the Lord tells me to say. May my words be words of Life, of truth in grace, of godliness that influence others to endure in the name of the Lord Jesus always.

Spread the Word

Acts 12

24 Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.

Move 2010 is history and we are preparing to hit the road back to Vero, knowing that we are going to baptize two of our students into Christ, others have rededicated their lives and declared that they want to go into full-time Christian Service. What a week! The Word of the Lord is spreading. My prayer is that these students will endure NO MATTER WHAT. May God be with us not only as we travel today, but as we tackle the obstacles facing us upon our arrival back home. To God be the glory. May His Kingdom be stronger because of our experience this past week.

Endurance

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.

Endurance is the theme for today, our final day at CIY Move 2010! This week has been the easy part. Hanging out with hundreds of other teens all on fire for Jesus, singing His praises, playing volleyball, dodgeball, attending D Groups and electives. I call this the Spiritual Disney World. next, comes the “hard part.” Going back home and keeping the fires stoked. Praise God that our Lord endures forever. His faithful love does not wane as we leave experiences like Move. May I help our students to realize that, and may our students and adults keep the zeal we feel while here at Move!

Standing in God's Way

Acts 11

15c ...who was I to stand in God’s way?

Peter is ‘splaining why he was hanging out with Gentiles, baptizing them even! The Jewish leaders of the Church were less than pleased when they first heard the news, but when Peter told them the story (as found in Acts 10), a great rejoicing took place. But I love what Peter says in the very last part of verse 15. When I look at my life of service to the Lord Jesus, I want to make sure that I am not standing in the way of His Plans being accomplished. Lord, help me to be faithful to Your Plan even when the plan doesn’t fit my silly pre-conceived notions of what should be done. May I be open to Your leading always, and may nothing or no one (especially me) stand in your way!!!!

Salvation is for Everyone

Acts 10

44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter asked, 47 “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

When Peter preached the Truth (the Gospel of Jesus), the Holy Spirit went to work, and it was FINALLY apparent to the Jewish Christians that salvation was indeed for EVERYONE! What an awesome story found here in Acts chapter 10. Yesterday’s MOVE Conference theme was Truth. Truth is a Person...Jesus. Truth is relational...Jesus wants to have a relationship with us. Truth is objective...not someone’s opinion, but backed up by the facts. Just as Peter preaches to the Gentiles! Thank You, Lord for Your Truth as found in the Holy Scriptures. Thank You for the students and adults here at Milligan College this week. May we be instruments of the Truth every day of our lives.

Living In Harmony

Psalm 133

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is

when brothers live together in harmony!

2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil

that was poured over Aaron’s head,

that ran down his beard

and onto the border of his robe.

3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon

that falls on the mountains of Zion.

And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,

even life everlasting.

Huh...yesterday, I read about how the church prospered in peace, and today, the Psalms declare the wonders of living in harmony. There must be something to this “getting along with one another” thing.

We arrived at Milligan College for the Move Conference yesterday, and our students have been more than wonderful on the trip. The spirit of cooperation and love is evident in these students. Having six of the nine who have never been to Move before is exciting as I get to watch their wide-eyed wonder and amazement at what is going on here. Lord, Move these students in a mighty way this week. Move the adults as well. May we take what we are experiencing here this week and apply it to our daily lives once we leave from this place.

Times of Peace

Acts 9

31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.

We most often think about the church growing in times of great persecution, but check this out: in a time of peace, the church became stronger and grew in numbers. Through encouragement of the Holy Spirit, this is the NORM for the church. I have thought about praying for a time of persecution so that the church could get back to its mission, but my prayers now will focus on the church being able to focus during times of peace, and may peace strengthen the church causing its numbers to grow!

You will be told what you must do

Acts 9

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.

Now, what do you suppose Saul was told to do by Ananias? I mean, on the road to Damascus, Saul was told to go into the city and that he would be told what he must do. Then, the Lord sends Ananias to Saul, and next thing you know Saul is getting baptized. Huh. Could it be that baptism is an essential part of the salvation process? Hmmmm....

It is beyond me

Acts 8

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”[c] 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

[c] Some manuscripts add verse 37, “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

It doesn’t get any more simple than this. The Gospel gets explained (v. 35), and the ONLY appropriate response is to be baptized into Christ (v. 37). Why people want to complicate what the Book of Acts clearly shows as the way to be saved is beyond me.

Peace Factor

Proverbs 17

1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace


than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.

So many homes are filled with conflict. Now, I’m talking about the constant conflict, not the occasional skirmish that goes along with multiple people living under the same roof. Recently in a conversation with Ian, I had him note how many of his friends come from broken homes, blended families and just plain ole dysfunctional situations. It seems to be a rare commodity these days to find nuclear families in tact. Not that there can’t be plenty of conflict within an in-tact nuclear family, but when I look at the conflicts we go through, they truly are minor compared with the conflicts that rage in many other households. the secret? We have a bunch in our family who love Jesus. Jesus IS peace!

Casting Lots

Proverbs 16

33 We may throw the dice*,


but the Lord determines how they fall.

*we may cast lots

Interesting to read this Proverb this morning in light of our discussion in Bible study last night. Casting lots was the culturally preferred method for determining the LORD’s leading in many situations (like choosing a replacement for Judas in Acts chapter 1). But this proverb clears up any thought that it may be left to random chance. “The Lord determines how they fall,” so it is the Lord Who makes His Will known. Of course, like the situation described in Acts 1, before inquiring of the Lord, it was bathed in prayer. Want to know what God’s will is in any given situation? Bathe it in prayer and seek His Word through a daily reading of the Scriptures. The Lord will make it known to you in His time and in His way IF you are receptive to Him.

Honoring Dad

Psalm 127

3 Children are a gift from the Lord;


they are a reward from him.

As a dad, I certainly can relate to this verse, but this morning I want to look at it from the child’s perspective. I leave shortly to take my Dad halfway to his “home” in Anniston, AL. I am meeting my brother Ed at the half-way point where Dad’s journey will continue, and I will return home to Vero Beach. I may be a gift to my Dad, but he is a tremendous gift to me. Dad taught me what Christ-like love was all about. Dad taught me about unconditional love. Dad modeled that love for me and for my brothers and sister. I praise God every day for allowing me the privilege of being a son of Don Blount. May my life not only be pleasing to God my Father, but may I honor my Dad on earth in all I do every single day. I am so blessed!

Except

1 Kings 3

3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except...

See, we know Solomon as the wisest man who ever lived (except for Jesus, of course), but did you catch the caveat expressed in this verse? EXCEPT. God is not pleased by our exceptions. God desires that we follow all of His ways, period. In Solomon’s case, he not only worshipped God, he also started worshipping idols of the pagan cultures around him. We American Christians struggle with that as well. There are plenty of American Idols (and I’m not just talking about a TV show), that tend to crowd out our time of worship for the One, True God. I pray that God not only forgives me of that sin, but strengthens me in combatting it with the goal in mind of eliminating it altogether. No exceptions!

Bold Devotion

Acts 5

33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. 35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! 36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. 37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered. 38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

I LOVE this passage! The Apostles are preaching Jesus, get arrested, the Jewish “religious leaders” have a debate and decide to leave the Apostles alone after a good flogging, ordering them never to preach Jesus again. The Apostles’ reaction? Rejoicing at being counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus, and daily meeting in the most public of places preaching the message, “Jesus is the Messiah.” Yeah, baby, yeah! That is the kind of devotion and boldness for Jesus I want to exhibit in my daily life!

Driving Force

Acts 4:13

13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Two traits recognized within these men, are traits I want to be known by: 1)boldness, 2)been with Christ. Now, I cannot physically be with Christ like Peter, John, and company, but I can be with Christ by being in His Word daily. My special training in Scripture comes from daily study, and allowing God to speak to me freely through His Word. My desire to be bold for Jesus comes from a deep abiding love for my Lord and Master. That is what drove the apostles of the 1st century, and I want that to be my driving force each day, too!

Discretion

Proverbs 16

22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it,


but discipline is wasted on fools.

Discretion is something I am learning more and more as I grow older and wiser. Foolhardiness filled my lifestyle before I became a Christian, and even afterwards as I was in my infancy in Christ. I still make my share of goofball mistakes, but I am getting somewhat better. It is because I spend more time in the Word, and try really hard to apply the Word to my everyday life. Again, I make my share of mistakes. But, through the grace of God, I am getting better day-by-day.

Daily Song of Praise

2 Samuel 22

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful;


to those with integrity you show integrity.


27 To the pure you show yourself pure,


but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.


28 You rescue the humble,


but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.


29 O Lord, you are my lamp.


The Lord lights up my darkness.


30 In your strength I can crush an army;


with my God I can scale any wall.”

David’s song of praise to God is one that I need to have in my heart and on my lips every day! Thank You, God for delivering me. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for being with me through the daily battles of this life, with the promise of eternal life through Jesus, Your Son!

Get Our Heads Out Of The Clouds

Acts 1

11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

I love this verse. An angel of the Lord tells the followers of Jesus to get their heads out of the clouds! There is work to be done before Jesus returns. Too often, those of us who claim to follow Christ want to keep our heads in the clouds, or at least NOT have our heads in the task of seeking and saving the lost for the sake of Jesus! Separating ourselves from the lost is a sin. Keeping only to ourselves is like keeping our heads in the clouds. There’s work to be done for the sake of the Kingdom of Christ. Let’s get to it!

Icing on the Cake

John 21

24 This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.

25 Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

It is amazing to think that this eyewitness account of the life of Jesus ends with the statement that Jesus did many other things...so many in fact that all the books in the world could not contain the information about those acts. Jesus has done, is doing and will do more than I can fathom. I must learn to be content in the knowledge that Jesus saved me from my sins. Anything else I learn about Jesus is icing on the cake, my friends.

Continue to Believe

John 20

30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

As this Gospel account ends, John makes no bones about the purpose of his writing: “so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah...” May the words contained in the Holy Scriptures be an encouragement to all who read them so that they will continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah!