Psalm 26
12 Now I stand on solid ground,
and I will publicly praise the Lord.
Yesterday’s National Day of Prayer Observance was a “private” affair for the current President of the United States. Interesting. Barack Obama claims that he wants to unite the people, but he refuses to publicly call upon the Name of the Lord. Not that I am surprised, nor even disappointed. Unfortunately, I expected no less from the current President. Of course, I do not put my hope and trust in the political system, nor in the current office holders in this country. I put my trust in the Name of the Lord Jesus only! I will stand on solid ground and publicly praise the Lord. Jesus is the ONLY way to God the Father, and obedience to the Gospel of Christ is the ONLY way to eternal life. May my life reflect this TRUTH of Scripture every day.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Fools
Psalm 14
1 Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!
On this National Day of Prayer, it only seems appropriate to read this passage. Our culture and our government shuns the name of Jesus. The mighty power of God is mocked openly. It is time for the Church to stand up and be counted. I’m afraid the Church in America has for too long been counted among the fools. May it never be so again.
1 Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!
On this National Day of Prayer, it only seems appropriate to read this passage. Our culture and our government shuns the name of Jesus. The mighty power of God is mocked openly. It is time for the Church to stand up and be counted. I’m afraid the Church in America has for too long been counted among the fools. May it never be so again.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Proper Path
Psalm 5
8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.
David’s prayer in this psalm is my prayer each day. Lord, lead me in the right path; make Your way plain to me. I am a simple and stubborn man. Sometimes it takes a 2X4 to the head to get my attention. May I stay in Your Word daily so that my enemy (satan) will not conquer me. I freely admit that I cannot survive this battle without You, o Lord.
8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.
David’s prayer in this psalm is my prayer each day. Lord, lead me in the right path; make Your way plain to me. I am a simple and stubborn man. Sometimes it takes a 2X4 to the head to get my attention. May I stay in Your Word daily so that my enemy (satan) will not conquer me. I freely admit that I cannot survive this battle without You, o Lord.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Following the Example
1 Chronicles 29
5b “Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?”
David has just laid out what he personally is giving for the building of the Temple of the Lord. He’s not bragging, he is simply stating what his personal sacrifice is in this act of worship. The New Testament teaches that we should give cheerfully, without compulsion; and that we should give proportionately. I believe that giving is more than just parting with materials blessings; it involves your time, talent, money, personality, and relationships. I cannot out give my Lord and Savior Jesus, who gave His very life so that I could have eternal life. I can set an example for others to follow in my giving, and I believe that is what David was doing in this passage. May my example be worthy of following. May I give my life in service to Jesus, and may all with which I have been blessed be dedicated to His Kingdom and to spreading the Good News of the Gospel.
5b “Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?”
David has just laid out what he personally is giving for the building of the Temple of the Lord. He’s not bragging, he is simply stating what his personal sacrifice is in this act of worship. The New Testament teaches that we should give cheerfully, without compulsion; and that we should give proportionately. I believe that giving is more than just parting with materials blessings; it involves your time, talent, money, personality, and relationships. I cannot out give my Lord and Savior Jesus, who gave His very life so that I could have eternal life. I can set an example for others to follow in my giving, and I believe that is what David was doing in this passage. May my example be worthy of following. May I give my life in service to Jesus, and may all with which I have been blessed be dedicated to His Kingdom and to spreading the Good News of the Gospel.
Monday, May 4, 2009
So take this seriously
1 Chronicles 28
9 “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 So take this seriously.”
David is giving the charge to Solomon, not just to build the Temple, but to remain true to the Living God. The warning contained in this charge is one I want to pass along to my children, and to the students with whom I have the pleasure of working on a regular basis. “Worship and serve God with your whole heart and a willing mind. Learn to know God intimately. If you seek Him, you will find Him. If you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. So take this seriously!” May my life reflect a serious desire to know God intimately, to worship and serve Him whole heartedly and willingly, seeking God every moment of every day. May my example encourage others to do the same.
9 “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 So take this seriously.”
David is giving the charge to Solomon, not just to build the Temple, but to remain true to the Living God. The warning contained in this charge is one I want to pass along to my children, and to the students with whom I have the pleasure of working on a regular basis. “Worship and serve God with your whole heart and a willing mind. Learn to know God intimately. If you seek Him, you will find Him. If you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. So take this seriously!” May my life reflect a serious desire to know God intimately, to worship and serve Him whole heartedly and willingly, seeking God every moment of every day. May my example encourage others to do the same.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Legacy
1 Chronicles 23
13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s presence, to serve the Lord, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.
14 As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi.
Until I read this passage this morning, I had forgotten the name of Moses’ Dad. It is not exactly the household name that Moses is. In fact, the book of Exodus only identifies him by name in the family record of Aaron and Moses as found in chapter 6 verses 18 and 20. Yet, this man was from the tribe of Levi (thus Aaron was able to be High Priest later on). Amram may not have had a flashy life, but he was apparently faithful enough to be the earthly Dad of the guy who would lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of slavery and into the Promised Land. I have no desire to be the flashy guy, but it is my desire that my children will do mighty things for God as they serve Him in their daily lives. Oh, make no mistake, I want to do mighty things for God, but if my children are better known for their service to the Lord than I am, it would be phenomenal! As long as God is getting the glory, honor, and praise, I am a happy Dad. I am proud of my three children (and of the countless other kids Peggy & I claim through our youth ministry of the past two decades). May they always shine for Jesus!!!
13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s presence, to serve the Lord, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.
14 As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi.
Until I read this passage this morning, I had forgotten the name of Moses’ Dad. It is not exactly the household name that Moses is. In fact, the book of Exodus only identifies him by name in the family record of Aaron and Moses as found in chapter 6 verses 18 and 20. Yet, this man was from the tribe of Levi (thus Aaron was able to be High Priest later on). Amram may not have had a flashy life, but he was apparently faithful enough to be the earthly Dad of the guy who would lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of slavery and into the Promised Land. I have no desire to be the flashy guy, but it is my desire that my children will do mighty things for God as they serve Him in their daily lives. Oh, make no mistake, I want to do mighty things for God, but if my children are better known for their service to the Lord than I am, it would be phenomenal! As long as God is getting the glory, honor, and praise, I am a happy Dad. I am proud of my three children (and of the countless other kids Peggy & I claim through our youth ministry of the past two decades). May they always shine for Jesus!!!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"The Devil Made Me Do, Honey"
2 Samuel 24
David Takes a Census
1 Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him.
1 Chronicles 21
David Takes a Census
1 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.
Okay, so in Samuel, it is written that the Lord caused David to take the census, and in Chronicles it says that satan rose up and caused David to take the census. Interesting. I believe that as powerful as satan thinks he is, he cannot do anything unless God allows it. God was angry with Israel, so God allowed satan to work in this matter, causing further grief for a people to claimed to want to follow God. Now, America is not the modern day Israel; that distinction belongs to the Church. However, we see satan working mightily in America (and in the Church in America) today. We have allowed God to be kicked out of public discourse, and now our culture is such that standing up for the societal norm of marriage being between one man and one woman is the source of great ridicule and outcry for the “controversial nature” of such comments. Hmmm. Satan is laughing it up. The question remains, will the Church in America repent and follow the clear teachings of Scripture, or will we simply be content to stay in our own little bubble? Whatever happened to the command of being salt and light, anyway?
David Takes a Census
1 Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him.
1 Chronicles 21
David Takes a Census
1 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.
Okay, so in Samuel, it is written that the Lord caused David to take the census, and in Chronicles it says that satan rose up and caused David to take the census. Interesting. I believe that as powerful as satan thinks he is, he cannot do anything unless God allows it. God was angry with Israel, so God allowed satan to work in this matter, causing further grief for a people to claimed to want to follow God. Now, America is not the modern day Israel; that distinction belongs to the Church. However, we see satan working mightily in America (and in the Church in America) today. We have allowed God to be kicked out of public discourse, and now our culture is such that standing up for the societal norm of marriage being between one man and one woman is the source of great ridicule and outcry for the “controversial nature” of such comments. Hmmm. Satan is laughing it up. The question remains, will the Church in America repent and follow the clear teachings of Scripture, or will we simply be content to stay in our own little bubble? Whatever happened to the command of being salt and light, anyway?
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