Monthly Archives: August 2010

Priorities

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I wrote a little yesterday about how I tend to not be able to leave well enough alone and tend to not be satisfied.  Always pushing, pulling, trying, always up to something.

Today’s reflection spoke to me again about something I tend to do.

I’m a “get the job done” type of person. I tend to have my list, my schedule, my tasks for the day, week, month, and year, and I tend to attack it. I tend to want to get it done and move on.

I have my priorities that move through.

Today’ we read this passage in John’s Gospel:

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”

Jesus again talks about being satisfied with Him, and Him alone, but also makes a point. He said they were looking for Him not because of the things that He was doing, but they were looking for Him because of what they could get out of Him.

They were looking for Him to get what they want. They were looking for Him for their stuff.

That brings the question, why do we follow?  Why are faithful?

In short, is Jesus enough for us?  For the folks that were following Jesus today, they wanted more out of it than a relationship with Him. They wanted “stuff,” food, whatever.

Their priorities were out-of-place.

How about mine?  Yours?  Where are our priorities? Why do we do what we do?

Life is found only in that relationship with Him. And, in the end, that’s all He has promised us.  Life.  Life eternal.  Life now.  Life forever.

They had their priories in the wrong place.

May we not make that same mistake.

Satisfied

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Holly accuses me of never being able to leave well enough alone.  She’s probably right.  I have something within that is always pushing to try new things or think of new ways to connect with folks.

I just know there is always something new and exciting that God has for us.  I know that there are better days ahead, better things to come.

And I’ve always wanted to do my part, to be faithful, to try to figure out what God is calling me and my churches too.

But, Holly says I’m just wired to not be able to leave well enough alone!

I was thinking about this today as I read from John’s Gospel where the feeding of the 5000 takes place.  In this passage there is a verse that really stood out to me this morning:

11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”

The 5000 came, Jesus took the fish and loaves of a child, blessed them, and passed them out, and the people ate just enough to where they weren’t hungry.

That’s not what the text says.  It says they were satisfied.

They had all they need. They were happy. They were content. They were satisfied.

They were satisfied in what Jesus provided in this text.

Today, are you?  Are you satisfied with life?  Are you satisfied with what the world is giving you?  Are you satisfied with what you are seeking?  Are you satisfied with choices you are making, the direction you are heading?

Are you satisfied?

That was Jesus’ desire for the people today.  Not just that they have the bare minimum to eat. That they be satisfied.  He wanted them to know that contentment in life.  That contentment that comes only from Him.

If we are living in His life, His love, His grace, His power, then may just have lunch of fish and bread, and we will be satisfied.

But, if we are not in Him, not living in Him, living in His grace and mercy, then we could have the finest steak supper.

And we will not be satisfied.

So, today, are you satisfied?

How is your life in Him?

False Life

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Do we settle for less than we should?

Do we settle for a life that is less than what God would have for us?

Do we settle for happiness from this world instead of joy from God?

Quite often, we settle for the stuff of the world, thinking that it is real life, that is something worth having, when in the end, what we are really seeking is a deep, abundant, and amazing life.

And that life is only found in God.  It’s not found any other place.

We settle for the false idols of this world, instead of the Holy, Living God.

We settle for the false life this world offers instead of the real life God wants us to have.

We see someone realize that mistake in Acts 8 this morning:

9 Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.

Even Simon himself believe. And was amazed when he saw these miracles.

This was one that had been peddling a false religion, a false life, a false hope.

And when he was confronted and transformed by the real life of God, instead of the false life he has been offering, he was amazed.

For he saw something real.

He saw something worth having.

He experienced real life.

He was tired of settling for false life and desired to have that real life that comes only from God.

How about us?  Today, are we tired of settling for the false life that the world offers? A world where possessions and status and all these things all are that matters?

Or do we desire something deeper. Something real. Something that can truly give us life.

Something that amazes us.

Today, let’s not settle for the false life the world offers.  Let’s only take the real life found in daily living in Jesus Christ.

Leanness of the Soul

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One of the things I love about reading the Bible is sometimes you’ll be reading a passage, and a word will just jump off the page and hit you.

You’ll be reading and you’ll sometimes have something just really nail you, something that just really catches your eye and you know that there is something God is trying to say to you in it.

I believe that’s one of the ways that God really speaks to us through scripture. When these phrases or words just won’t leave us alone. When there is something about them that just stick to our minds and our hearts.

I had that really happen to me this morning as I was reading Psalm 106 where it says this:

14 A craving seized them in the wilderness, *
and they put God to the test in the desert.
15 He gave them what they asked, *
but sent leanness into their soul.

Wow.  God gave them what they wanted, but sent leanness into their souls.

That’s the phrases leanness of the soul.

This notion of having everything you want or desire, but your soul being empty.  Your soul being dry.

Your soul being lean.

In life, it’s not about getting what we want or desire.

As much as we think that will make us happy.

It’s about getting what our soul needs.

As Jesus said, “What does it profit to gain the world, but lose your soul.”

Do we spend time today, nourishing our soul?  Do spend time today feeding our soul?  Do we spend time today, and each giving our soul what it needs?

Or do we ignore it, chasing other things.

The people got what they desired, but they had leanness of their souls.

How about us this morning? Do have what we want, but not what we need?

As I like to ask my folks at Asbury Church, how is it with your soul today?  Are you nourishing it?

Or is it becoming lean?

In the end, that’s our main job.  To nourish it.

May we take the time to feed our souls, and in doing that, we’ll find the life we cannot find anywhere else.

Just in Time

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I’m a schedule person. I put everything that needs to be done into my phone. I joke with church folk that if I don’t put the things that I need to do in my phone, it’s not going to get done.  I’ve got a schedule that I keep, things I check off my to list, places to go, people to see.  Wesley said don’t be trifling with you time, and I try not to be.

So, there’s nothing that irritates me about myself more than when I’m late for something. I’m normally on time for stuff, or early, but man oh man, I’ve had a run of lunch meetings recently where I leave the office just a few minutes later than I’d like then, bam, I’m late.

That always drives me crazy when I do that.

No one likes it when folks are late.

Particularly when we feel like God is late.

We’ve got our schedule. We’ve got our time that everything is supposed to happen on. We’ve got ideas about how things are supposed to run.  We’ve got our plans!

And, God doesn’t always work on time frame, does He?  He doesn’t always do things the way or in the time we’d like, does He?

His way is different than our way, His time is different than our time.

I was reminded of that while reading Psalm 102

12 But you, O LORD, endure for ever, *
and your Name from age to age.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to have mercy upon her; *
indeed, the appointed time has come.

The appointed time has come.  Perhaps not in the time the people would like.  But, the time God has appointed. The time God has desired. The time God has planned.

God is never later.  God’s clock is just different from our clock.

God works things out in the time and in the way that they need to work out.  Maybe not in the time and in the way that we’d choose. But in the time and in the way that is best.

Today, trust.  Even if we think God is late.  Even if things are not coming on our schedule.

Trust.

God is never late.  He is always on time.  Even if we don’t realize it at the time.

Your Part to Play

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We are not all the same. Thank goodness.  I like the fact that we are each different, that we each have different likes, dislikes, abilities, and gifts. That’s a good thing.  None of us are exactly the same.

Today in Acts, we see the Apostles teach the people that each person has a different gift and calling. These gifts aren’t better than each other. They are just different.  All gifts are needed. We each have a part to play in the body.  We see in Acts 6:

2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” 5 What they said pleased the whole community,

And God needs all of us to do our thing. God needs each of us to do what He has called us to do and be who He has called us to be.

Not everyone is supposed to be me.  Not everyone is supposed to be you.

We are each supposed to be who God has called us to be.

Just because you don’t have the same gift or passion as I do, that doesn’t make you bad.  It doesn’t make me bad. It makes us different and it means that God wants to each use each of us for His kingdom.

He needs each of us do what we are called to do, what we are passionate about.

And in doing that, we will build the kingdom of God here among us.

Today, don’t try to me, or your mama, or your preacher, or your teacher, or you neighbor.

Be you. Be the person God has called YOU to be.

He needs you to be that person.   Your church needs you to be that person. the kingdom needs you to be that person.

We each have a part to play.  Each of us.  None of us are unimportant. We are each valuable to God.

Be who you are called this day.  And don’t worry about being anybody else.

There Ain’t No Stopping Us!

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I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite Christian Artists is Rich Mullins.  He did a song we all know and we’ve sung a million times, “Awesome God.”  In worship Sunday at Asbury Church we sang a song “He Reigns” which takes Awesome God and adds to it these words:

There ain’t no stopping us (naw)
Devil there ain’t no blocking us (naw)

I was thinking about that song this morning as I read this passage from Acts:

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them-in that case you may even be found fighting against God!”

If it is of God, there is no stopping it.

Their ain’t no stopping God. There’s nothing that can stop God. Their’s nothing that can stop God’s people from doing what He wants to accomplish.

Nothing.

There’s nothing in front of you this morning that can’t be worked out by God’s plan and God’s grace. Nothing.

As Jesus told Peter, even the Gates of Hell will not stop the Church!

If God is for us, who can be against us.

You don’t have to live a life of defeat this morning.  You don’t have to live a life as it’s always been this morning. This is a new day. This is a new beginning.  This is a new gift from God!

Live in it.  Live this day to the fullest. Live this life to the fullest. There’s nothing that God can’t accomplish.

If it’s of God, nothing will stop it.  Or stop you.  You can live with courage and boldness today.

Don’t live defeated.  Live victorious.  There ain’t no stopping us! Though God.

The Verses after John 3:16

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This morning as I was reading through some passages, I read John 3.  Of course, we all know and love John 3:16, which is one of those passages that we have all memorized, that we all know so well.  It’s just a passage that just kind of floats around us, that is just part of the Christian experience.

I’ve always loved that passage too.

But, I’ll be honest with, I’ve always liked the verses that follow as much, if not more than John 3:16

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.*”

It is not just that God sent His son into the world to save the world, He did not send His son into the world to condemn the world.

He loves the world.  He loves you.  Right now, no matter what you’ve done, what you’re doing.

He’s not out to get you. As that great song “Come as You are Starts” – “He’s not mad at you.”

Really, today, no matter what has happened in your life, God is not mad at you. God is not out to get you.  God is not looking to smite you.

He loves you. He wants you to know Him, to love Him, and to find that life that comes only from Him.

Now, the judgement is this – that we choose our darkness over His light. But, He is not out to get you today.

No matter what happens today –  God is not mad at you.  God is in heaven, waiting for you mess you.

God wants to know you, love you, care for you, lead you.

Today.

He’s not out to get you.  He’s out to love you.

Today.

Remember these verses that follow John 3:16.  God loves you today and each day.

May we choose to follow, and may we choose to live in His light.

August 8, 2010 Podcast is Up

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Today’s sermon podcast is is up on Asbury Church’s website. This sermon is the first in my series “Being Salt” which walks us through the Sermon on the Mount.  It entitled Being Salt. The text is Matthew 5: 13-16. Click the to our website to stream it there, or you can listen to it through my blog. You can also click here to subscribe through iTunes.