Monthly Archives: February 2011

When You Pray

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Sometimes, when we think about prayer, we mistake what’s going on.

The mistake we can make is that we focus on what it is that we are saying.  We can equate our prayers to what we say.  And, when we do that, we can take away this horrible thought.

We can think – I can’t pray.

I can’t say the right things.

I don’t know what to pray.

My prayers aren’t any good.

How many of us have thought that?  How many of think that even now. We get tongue-tied or lost in what we are saying, and so we think that we can’t pray at all.

Listen to what Jesus says today in Matthew 7:

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again

Jesus reminds us – our prayers are not about what we say.  Yes, their may be a vocal part to it.  But, our prayers are not about what we say. They are about what is on our hearts.  Our hearts communicate to God through prayer.

In the end, what happens in our prayer lives has very little to do with what we say.  It has to do with an awareness that we are in God’s presence. That God loves us and sent His son to die for us. And that He wants to know us.

It’s about allowing our hearts to realize that we are in the presence of an amazing and holy God. And, what can we really say in that situation? Our words fail us.  None of us know what we can say at that point.

But, we do know this. God desires us to draw near to Him. God desires us to know Him. God desires that we realize we are in His presence.

So, today, you can pray.  It’s not about what you say.  It’s about a heart that desires to know God. Today, you can pray. May we seek after God with all that we are today.

 

 

What We can Learn from Barnabas Podcast

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The sermon podcast for February 27, 2011 is up on Asbury Church’s website. It’s the third in our series “What We can Learn from Acts.” This sermon is about the life of Barnabas. The texts are Acts 4: 36, Acts 9:26-:27, Acts 15:35-39.  You can listen to it by clicking here, or you can listen to it here on this blog by clicking below. And, as always, you can subscribe to my sermon podcasts through iTunes.

Outside or Inside?

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In one of today’s readings, Samuel sets out to anoint a new king for Israel.  Ought to be an easy enough job.

After all, everyone knows what a king should look like. Everyone knows what a king should be like. Should be a very, very easy job.  Samuel is led by the spirit to Bethlehem, to Jessie. And, one of Jessie’s sons will be the new king of Israel.

And, they each come out. All are good-looking, tall, ideal looking kings.

Only one problem.  God has not picked any of them to be king. This bothers Samuel. Shouldn’t one of these have been king?  Don’t they fit the part?

And the Lord responds to Samuel’s doubts here in 1 Samuel 16:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

The Lord looks at the heart. We look at the outside. We think we can judge people base off how they look. What they wear.  Their appearance.

God says, no, that’s the important thing. That’s not what matters.  What matters is what’s inside. What matters is what is in the heart. What matters is not what you think is most important.

Today, as we live our lives, will take this lesson for ourselves?

Today, will we judge folks based on the outside?  Or will we look deeper? Will we see the heart?  Will we see what really matters? Will will see what is most important.

God doesn’t judge based off appearance.  He looks at the heart.

May we not judge folks off the outward. May we look first to in the inward. And may we remember what is more important.

 

 

Enough

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How much is enough?

How much more is enough?

At what point do you have to get to in your life to be satisfied?  How much do you have to have to say – finally, I’ve got enough?

Listen to what Paul says today in 2 Timothy 6:

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Paul reminds us that contentment is with life is actually great wealth.  To be content with life, with where you are, with what’s happening in your life, that’s a great, great thing.

For, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we won’t be able to take anything with us when we leave the world. All the stuff that we value, that we seek after, that we are desire, that we strain over, all this stuff – it will fade away.

All of it.

None of it is eternal. It is all passing.

How much of this stuff that will fade, how much of it is enough.

We have all we need.  Life will not always be easy or fair.  But, in Jesus, we have it all.

Paul said, if you have enough food and clothing, let’s be content.

Today, for you, is it enough?

What are you seeking after?  Are you living for what really matters.

Believe it or not, you’ve got enough.  Are you content in it.

Today, may we realize we’ve got enough.  And may we live a life of contentment, focused on God.

Already Taken Care of

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Paul today in 2 Corinthians is talking about his struggles to return and see his friends.  He told the folks in Corinth that he would be back through, that he would be able to share with them teaching and fellowship.

And it didn’t happen.

Why?

Did he not keep his word? Was he just lying? Did he not intend to do it?

No, something just happened that kept him from doing what he wanted to do. We’ve all been there, huh?  When what we want to do just can’t take place.  And since Paul was unable to do what he wanted to do, he began to talk about how God isn’t like that.

God’s “yeses” are always yes. God’s word is always true. God’s promises are always kept.

Listen to what Paul says in verse 20:

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

God’s promises are already fulfilled. God has already done what He said He would do. It’s done.  It’s taken care of.  You can trust.

You can trust God to do what He said He would do. You can trust God to keep His promises.  You can trust God to keep His word.

He will be faithful.  Others may not.  Others may not kept keep their promises.

God will.

Today, you can trust. It’s taken care of.  You have no worries.  You can trust.

God will be true to each of the promises in His word.

Relax.  Trust.  He is faithful and true.

It’s already taken care of.

A Partnership with God

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To me, one of the coolest parts about faith is this – God wants us to do our part.

Think about it. God is the maker of all that is – both seen and unseen. There is nothing that has ever been created that God hasn’t made. God has all power in the universe. God is the ultimate authority in all of life. God is all in all.  He is it.

So, what does He need from us?  Nothing. And so, with the life of faith, you might thing that there’s not much we can do. There’s not much we have to do.

And yet, listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1 this morning:

God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

God doesn’t need us for any thing in life.  He’s God. We are not.  But God wants us to be part.  God wants us to be faithful. God wants us to be part of His team, to be part of His body. To be part of what He’s doing.

He invites us into partnership with Him.  He doesn’t “need” it.  Just wants it.

Wow.  The God of the universe wants to work with us and use us.  God wants us to be part of what He’s doing.  He wants us to do our part for His kingdom.

Today, God wants you to join in.  Yes, you.  No matter what you may think of your own gifts or abilities, God thinks you are worthy to be part of what He’s doing.

No matter what you may have done wrong in the past, God thinks you are worthy to be part of what He’s doing.

Today, you are invited to be part of an amazing effort and team.  You are invited to be part of what God is doing.

He wants you to. Will you join in?  Will you be faithful?  Will you do your part?

You’ll find the life that you want so badly there.

Today, you are invited to join a partnership with God!

 

What We Can Learn from Acts – Peter Podcast

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The sermon podcast for February 20, 2011 is up on Asbury Church’s website. It’s the second in our series “What We can Learn from Acts.” This sermon is about the life of Peter. The texts are Acts 2: 14-16, 37-41, Acts 10:1, 9-23, Galatians 2: 7-8.  You can listen to it by clicking here, or you can listen to it here on this blog by clicking below. And, as always, you can subscribe to my sermon podcasts through iTunes.

Training

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For some bizarre, odd reason, I enjoy jogging. I’m not sure why. I really don’t know what’s wrong with me.

I tell folks it’s a great stress reducer, being out of the road, running. I also tell folks it’s a great time to pray. When I’m out running, I spend a good bit of time praying – mainly, “Please Lord, don’t let me die out here!”

But, for those of us that love to run, it’s tough to miss a day from training. We just don’t feel right. And I guess it’s like that for any task that we enjoy. For those that run, missing a day of training. For many of us, missing a day on Facebook, or texting, or watching your favorite show, or practices for your sport, or, whatever. . .

Listen to what Paul says today in 1 Timothy 4

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.

As important as my physical training is, training for godliness is more important. I hate to miss a day jogging. Do I hate to miss a day of prayer and study as well?

The thing that you hate missing, be it a type of training or just a fun activity, do you hate to miss a time of prayer, or of training for God, as much as you miss that?

The blessing we receive, in this life, and the life to come, is so much greater from the stuff of God, than it is from the stuff of this world – even the good stuff.

Let us not neglect what is most important. Let us not neglect training for what matters most. That’s the stuff God. That’s where true life and true rewards are found. Not in the stuff of this world. In the stuff of God.

May we keep our eyes, and our training, on what matters most.

We are the Clay

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One of the images we see several times in scripture is that God is the potter and we are clay. We read that idea today in Isaiah 64:8

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.

There is a lot about that image that is comforting.

We are in His hands at all times. He holds us. He works on us. He is not finished with us.

But, when we think about the work of the potter, and the clay, it’s not aways easy. The potter forms the clay. But, sometimes in the work of making the object, it’s not working right. Things aren’t going right.

So, what does the potter do? He takes the clay. He breaks it down. And he starts over. And then he rebuilds.

To me, the notion of God being a potter and we being His clay speaks to that. It speaks to how God forms us, how God works on us, how God makes us.

And it also speaks to the fact that there are going to be times of great pain or hurt or loss. There are going to be times when we fell crushed. There are going to be times when we feel overwhelmed.

Don’t give up or lose hope in those moments. God is at work. God is forming us. God is making us. God is working on us. When the fire is hot. When the moment is hard. When the pressure is on.

We are the clay. He is the potter. And He is at work. He is forming us into the object He wants us to be. Trust. Trust.

He is at work. His greatest work happens in those hard times. Don’t give up. He is the potter. We are the clay. Trust in His hand.

Yes, Pray for Everyone!

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One of the things we see Paul tell Timothy in 1 Timothy is that God doesn’t play favorites.

He tells him in chapter two that God wants all to be saved and that there is one mediator, one route to the Father, and that’s Jesus Christ. God wants all people to come through that route, though.

God wishes for all to know Him and know His saving power.

God doesn’t play favorites, He doesn’t love some more than others.

He loves each of us, with great and amazing love.

And, He wants us to treat each other the same way.  He wants us to pray for each other, to love each other. Even those that way may not like or agree with.  Listen to what Paul says in chapter 2

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Pray for all people.  Everyone.  Ask God to help them.  Give thanks for them.

You know that person you don’t like?

Come on, we all have one.

Pray for them.  Spend some time today, and each day, praying for them.

Ask God to draw them close to Him.  Ask God to reveal Himself to them.  Even ask God to bless them.

Do this today, and each day. And you know what will happen?  God will change your heart.  You may never be best friends. But God will allow you to move on past whatever problems you may have.

We are called to pray for everyone.  Yes, pray for everyone! Even the folks we don’t like, or that we have major disagreements with.  We pray for them.

Because God loves them. God wants to see them saved. And God desires relationships with them.

And we, as His children, are called to pray for them.