Monthly Archives: February 2012

Who God Uses

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The Apostle Paul, before the Lord changed and transformed him, was named Saul. And let’s get something straight right off the bat.

Saul was not a good dude. Really. He wasn’t a good dude. He, before the Lord changed him, had one purpose, and one purpose only.

To destroy the church.

Listen to what happens in Acts 9:1-7:

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Today, in this passage, Paul is on a mission. He is going to Damascus to destroy the church there. He is going there, under the authority of the high priest to destroy the church and bring the Christians back to Jerusalem for trial.

The high priest picked his meanest, most ruthless, most determined man to complete this task. That was Saul. That’s who he was. He helped in Acts 7 with the murder of Stephen and he was out for destruction again.

But the Lord had other plans. The only thing that Saul had “earned” was judgement. God said not only was judgement coming at that point, but God said – I’m going to save him use him.

Saul became Paul. Saul persecuted the church. Saul worked against God. Saul tried to stop the movement of God. Saul was not a good dude.

And God used him for amazing things. Awesome things. Things no other person could do. God had a plan for Paul. And God was going to use him.

Today, no matter what has happened in your past, and in your life, God will use you. I won’t even say if your willing, because when we read this, Saul wasn’t even willing. But God had plans for him. God was going to use him.

Today, God will use you. That’s not the question.

The question is this. Today, will you let Him?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What Will We Choose?

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Jesus lets us make choices. He respects our free will. He will call us. He will let us answer. And He will let us make the choice that we make.

Today in the text we read, we see how Jesus lets us make choices each day.  Listen to what happens in Luke 9:57-62:

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

In this text, we see three different people have a conversation about following Him. The first tells Jesus that he will follow Him. Jesus says that in following Him, this man will have to make some real sacrifices. Now scripture does not say, but is implied that he didn’t follow.

Two others are given the chance to follow, but each comes up with a reason or an excuse that he cannot follow. There is a reason why they cannot follow.

And what does Jesus do? He lets them make that choice. He lets them decide what they want to do. He lets them live with choices that they make.

He doesn’t chase them down. He doesn’t make them follow Him. He doesn’t force them into a relationship with Him. He lets them choose. He lets them decide.

And He lets them live with the consequences of that choice.

Today, Jesus is calling you. He’s calling you to love Him, follow Him, serve Him, and serve others. He is calling you today. He wants to know Him.

He wants you to make that choice.

But, He will respect your choice. He will not force you. He will let you choose.

Today, what will you choose? Will you choose to follow? Or will you not. Will you choose to follow Jesus in each moment of your life today? Or will you choose to say no and follow you own will and own way.

Today, we have choices to make. What will we choose?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

It’s a New Day

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Today in the text we read, Isaiah encounters God. He is in Temple praying and God shows up. He is there, and the Lord God Almighty decides to make an appearance.

And one of the things that I love about this passage is what Isaiah says when God shows up.

Listen to what happens in Isaiah 6:4-7:

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Paraphrasing he says – “Uh oh.”

He realizes how big, how awesome, how mighty God is. God is holy. God is other. God is different than we are. He is the creator of all this, both seen and unseen. He is the author of life. He is the sustainer of everything. His the very reason and purpose of life.

He’s kind of a big deal.

And Isaiah realizes how imperfect, unholy, and unworthy he is. That’s how we can feel when we really encounter God, huh?

Unholy. Imperfect. Unworthy.

We quite often in our faith feel unworthy of God’s love. We can feel like we don’t deserve that God. In light of God’s perfection, we see our mistakes.

And so, look what God does for Isaiah. He makes him clean. He restores him. He allows him to start over. He gives him a fresh start.

Have you done everything right? No? Are you perfect? No. But you are forgiven. Through what Jesus Christ has done, you are forgiven.

Before God sent Isaiah out for the mission He had for him, he restored him. God started over. He let Isaiah begin again.

Today, God has something for you. He has a great mission for you. Something awesome. Something great. Something you may feel unworthy of.

It’s ok. Today, through Jesus, you are restored. It’s a new day. You are forgiven. Today, live in this new life given to by Jesus.

Today, no matter what has happened in the past, it’s  new day. You are restored.

Live in that grace.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Watch Me

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Paul says something really big and scary in today’s reading. Something I’m not sure I’d want to say or any of us would want to say.  It’s some big words.  But, it’s something that we each say, each day of our lives.  Listen to what he writes in Philippians 3:17-20:

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Paul says this – you want to know what a Christian is? You want to know how you walk the walk God has set before us? You want to know how a Christian is supposed to live?

Watch me. Follow me. Imitate me. Do what I do.

Wow. That’s a big statement. That’s a powerful statement. I tell folks I’m afraid to put one of those fish on my car because I’m such a bad driver that I don’t want to embarrass God.

That’s how we all can feel sometimes. We see our shortcomings. We see our mistakes. We see what we do wrong.

Paul says, watch me. Do what I do. If you want to see what a Christian does, watch me.

Two things then – first, let’s make sure we surrond ourselves with those that are an inspiration, that are a role model, that help us to know how to live.

Who do you look up to? Who do you follow? What crowd do you associate with? Are the folks in your life helping you to live the life that you’d like to live?

And second, realize that there are always eyes watching us, to see what we do and how we live. These are the little eyes of our children, our grandchildren, our nieces or nephews, those little ones in our lives.

They are watching us. They are seeing what we do. They are seeing how we live. Let us not forget that. Let us remember.

Let’s make sure that we are doing what we need to do in our lives, so that those little eyes can have examples to follow.

Paul says, watch me. In our lives, that’s already happening. May we each live in a graceful manner and set that same example.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Ash Wednesday

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Today is Ash Wednesday.  It is a special day in life of the life of faith. But, what is it? What is it all about?

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season known as Lent.  It’s a time when we focus on our great need for Jesus, what He sacrificed for us, and His high calling in our lives to be faithful.

The thing that is powerful to me about this concept is the notion that is we forget sometimes what Jesus did for us. We talk so much about His love, His mercy, His grace, His compassion, all these things, that we forget what these things cost Him.

Just how much it cost Him to accept us.

We know that grace is free. But it is not cheap.  It cost Him more than we could ever imagine.

We don’t need to forget that.  It was for us He bled and died. It was for us He suffered.

It was for OUR sin.

It was for MY sin.

And so, when we “give up” something for Lent, we are remembering His suffering. And here is the thing. We aren’t giving things up to show that we are spiritual supermen or women, we doing it to be driven to prayer. Every time you miss whatever it is you are giving up, pray.

Every time you have a craving for whatever it is you are giving up, pray.

Every time you think about what Jesus has done for you, pray.

May we have a holy Lent.  May we reflect upon what He has done for us. And may we remember all that we have to be thankful for.

Stand

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One of the things that people here at Asbury are used to hearing me say is that life is not full of rainbows and unicorns. Life can and will tough at times. There will be trials and worries and struggles.

Paul in this passage we read today reminds us of that. Paul tells us that we will have to stand against the schemes of the devil. We will wrestle not against flesh and bone, but against the powers of this dark age.

Listen to what he writes in Ephesians 6:10-13:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Remember, the person that you see as your enemy is not your enemy. Our enemies are not others – our enemy is the evil one, the devil, the one out to destroy us now, and forever.

Paul reminds us, though, that we must fight. We will have troubles. We will face attacks. There will be tough moments ahead. So, what do we do? Listen to what he says.

First, be strong in the Lord. This brief passage is the introduction to the Amor of God, and it describes the weapons that God has given us to fight against the evil, the sin, the temptation in our lives.

Stand in God’s strength. No that He is the one that gives you the power and ability to stand against the evil in your life, in the world, and in the things that you face. Rely upon God. Lean upon God. Trust upon God.

When temptation comes, rely upon God’s power working through you. Stop. Pray. Lean upon Him. He will give you the strength.

And second, with the strength He gives you – stand. He will do His part. You do yours. He will give you strength for you legs. Stand upon them. He will give you the power. Use it.

Today, you will face troubles, trials, and temptations. You will.

You can handle it. You can do it. You can fight it! You can! Trust in God’s strength. And stand in it! God will be with you!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What Success Looks Like

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Sometimes in scripture, God ask people to do crazy things. He told Noah to build a big boat when it wasn’t even raining, and hadn’t rained in years.

He told Abraham to leave his home and go to place that God would show him.

Jesus asked the disciples to leave behind their jobs and their identities and families to follow Him.

God calls us to things that can be seen as odd and challenging for Him sometimes. Look at what he calls Ezekiel to today.  Listen to Ezekiel 33:31-33:

And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

He tells him, you are going to be a prophet. You are going to speak and they are going to come and listen to you. They will know that what you are saying is right. They will hear all these words.

But they won’t do them. God is telling him – you are going to say these things – and no one is going to pay you any attention.

This is not the success that we would like to think about. Succes in God’s eyes is not “success.” It’s being faithful.

God called Ezekiel today to be faithful. To preach. To prophesy. To do what God had called him to. And to leave the results up to God.

What a great notion. Today, for us, success is to just be faithful. To all that we can do to be faithful to God and to His calling. That’s success. That’s victory. That’s what it looks like.

Even though no one did what Ezekiel told them to do, he was successful. Because he was faithful.

Today, let’s be faithful. In that, we will find the success that God wants us to have!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Keep Going

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We’ve all done some dumb things. I have. You have. We’ve all done dumb things. It’s part of the human experience. Welcome to the club.

But Paul tells us this great word today in Philippians. Forget what lies behind. Don’t worry about it.  Listen to what Philippians 3:12-14 says:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Why? How? How can we forget about what is behind? How can we forget about the mistakes of the past? How can we keep going?

A coupe of reasons. First, there’s nothing we can do about it. Nothing. It’s done. You can’t go back and undo it. Worrying about and lingering it won’t undo it.

Second, and more important, it doesn’t even matter. Through Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. That’s right, you are forgiven. As far as the east is from the west, our sins are forgiven.

That thing that you can’t forgive yourself of? That thing in your past you can’t let go of? That thing in your past that you keep beating yourself up over?

Guess what?

You’re forgiven. Today. Right now. You’re forgiven.

You can let let. Keep moving. Keep going forward.

What God has for you in the future is better than any mistake of the past. Keep pressing on towards it. You can do it. You are forgiven. You are free. Keep going.

Forgetting what is behind, we press on to what lies ahead. Today, let’s do that.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

A Good Life?

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Paul tells us in Thessalonians today to live a good life.

Gulp. That sounds hard. That sounds like it might be impossible. That sounds like it might be too much. I’m not sure I want to do that.

I mean, a good life? Does that mean I have to be perfect? Move to Africa? Do everything right? I can’t do all that! If that’s what a good life is then I can’t do it.

Before we go down the road of what a good life may look like, let’s see what Paul actually says today.  Listen to what he writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

What is a good life – love each other. Live quietly. Mind your own business. Work with your hands. Walk properly before others. Take care of yourself.

Simple things. Honest things. Good things.

God doesn’t expect greatness out of us. He expects faithfulness. And if we are faithful, He will take care of the greatness. He will take our faithfulness and make it great.

The key to a good life is be faithful in the small things. Your work. Your school. Your family. Your friendships. Your prayer life. Your study. Be faithful in the common, every day things.

And God will make it great.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

The Devil is a Bully

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Listen to 1 Peter 5:8-10 this morning.  Peter in this passage tells us two very important facts for our lives and our walks of faith today.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

First, we see in verse 8, the devil, the forces of evil are out to trip us up. There is a such a force as spiritual warfare, there is temptation, there.

Today, you will face temptation. It will happen. There are forces out there, temptations within yourself, things that are going to do their best to keep you from growing, being faithful, being effect for the gospel.

Scripture tells us that the our adversary the devil is prowling like a lion, seeking whom he may devour.

That’s fact one.

Fact two is this – bring it on!

Verse 9 says resist him, stand firm in your faith, and he will flee from you. The devil is a bully. He acts big and bad. He acts like he is strong and is all powerful.

He is not. He is not all powerful. He is not the king of the world. God is.

And through through our faith and the power of the spirit, when we stand firm, he will flee. He will.

Today, stand firm in your faith. Stand firm against the doubts, the temptations, the trials, the fear. Stand firm.

The devil is a bully. He acts big and bad. He is not. Through the power of God, he will flee.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.