Monthly Archives: April 2012

Drinking a Poison

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In life, people hurt us.

Sometimes it’s on purpose. Many times it’s on accident. But the truth is, in life, we all get hurt. We all get wounded. We all get hurt.

The hurts that are accidental, while they still hurt, at least we can understand that. In our lives, we have hurt others ourselves. No one likes that. But, at least it’s understandable. Not likable. But understandable.

But, what about the hurts that weren’t accidents. What about the ones that are on purpose. What about the folks that have went out of their way to hurt us?

Listen to what Paul says this morning in Romans 12:17-19:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Don’t repay evil with evil. Do the best to live with honor. Live at peace with others. Don’t avenge yourself or seek revenge.

In short, let go and leave it God. Leave those things to God.

And that’s hard. Our natural impulse is to want to get revenge. Our natural impulse is to want to get back at others. Our natural impulse is not to let go.

But, when we hold it against others. When we seek to get them back, when we hold that grudge, we harden our own hearts.

We don’t hurt them. We hurt ourselves. When we hold a grudge against someone, it doesn’t even bother them.

I’ve heard it said – hold a grudge or not forgiving someone is like me drinking a poison, and expecting it to kill them.

It will only kill me. It will only harm me.

So is it with unforgiveness and grudges. Today, leave them with God. Give them to Him. Let Him have them.

He said He will take care of it in the end. Let’s learn to let go. And let’s trust Him in that.

Today, let’s forgive!

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.

Grace, Faith, and Life

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I love the book of Galatians. It may be my favorite book in the Bible. It speaks to so many things about faith, about grace, about the Christian lifestyle, about who we are called to be.

Today’s ready reading deals with two of the things we deal with.

Grace and sin.

Listen to what Paul says today in Galatians 2:15-20:

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

First Paul reminds of this central, core fact. We are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved by our works. We are not saved by anything we can do. We are saved by God’s grace made full in our lives.

Our works do not save us. Nothing we
“do” saves us. Only grace, through faith, saves us.

That’s it. That’s the list.

Ok then, what does that look like? We see that in verses 17 – 20. That grace makes us a new person. We are changed. We are different. We are not the same person that we were before.

We are new. We are different. We think different. We act different. We are new.

So, today, know this one face. You are saved by God’s grace which is made known to you by faith. That is what enables and makes salvation possible. That’s it.

But that salvation will change us. It will make us different. We don’t need to be the same. We need to be different. And if we’ve experienced grace, if we’ve experienced salvation and are not changed, how is it with our souls.

Today, we are made new by grace in our lives. Today, may that grace change us and grow us closer to God in amazing and powerful ways!

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.

Think About It

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There’s the old joke, that really is true, when you ask a man what he’s thinking about and he says nothing, he really means it.

He’s not thinking about anything.

Hard to believe, but true! Sometimes we just turn our brains off!

But, in our lives, we all focus on something. We all have our mind on something. Our minds return to something.

What is that thing for you? Where does your mind return? Where does your mind roam? Listen to what Paul says in Romans 8:5-7 today:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Those that live according the flesh set the minds on the flesh. Those that live according to the spirit set them minds on the spirit.

Today, is our mind, are our thoughts on the things of flesh, or thing things our God. Where ever our mind and our thoughts are is where we will be.

Today, what do you think about? Today, where’s your head at?

What thoughts feel your down time? What do you feel your minds with? There’s an old computer saying – garbage in, garbage out. Whatever you program a computer to do, it will do. Even if it’s garbage.

The same is true for our minds. Are we choosing to focus on the things of God or the things of the flesh? What are we putting into our minds today?

What are we thinking about?

As we grow closer to God, may we focus on the things of the spirit, and ma we find life there!

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.

Do Not Be Afraid

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Paul in his ministry did a lot of pretty scary things. He went to some pretty rough places. He faced down some pretty tough dudes.

He was willing to do all of this, because He had a passion, a calling a desire to take the good news of Jesus’ love, mercy, and salvation to as many people as He could and as far away as He could.

Yesterday, we talked about what we are here for. What our purpose is. Paul knew what his was.

But, here’s the thing. Just because you know what God’s called you to, just because you are aware of what He wants you to do, just because you may be confident in this, it doesn’t mean you won’t be scared.

In our lives, we will be scared of something. We will be worried about something. We will be afraid.

Of life. Of challenges. Of circumstances. Of, whatever.

Listen to what Jesus tells Paul today in Acts 18:9-11 , as he goes about his calling:

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Do not be afraid. No one will harm you. I have more on my side than just you.

Remember, God has more up His sleeve than just me and you. God’s plan is bigger than us. We are part of it. But, the entire fate of the free world doesn’t rest upon your shoulders.

Today, don’t be afraid. Don’t fear. No matter what you are facing. No matter what you are up against. God is with you.

He loves you. He will not forsake you.

He will not forget you.

He is with you. He is for you. He loves you.

Today, no matter what is going on, here the words of Jesus to Paul – Do not be afraid.

Today, and each day, He is 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 the Purpose of Your Life Is

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God always has purpose for His people. Now, for us as individuals, that purpose may include specific things, in relation to our lives, our families, who we are and what we do.

God has specific callings and purposes for you in your life. You were made for something specific for Him. You have gifts and graces that only you have, and that only you can use.

God made you for something specific. And He wants to use you for His glory and He wants you to have abundant life.

Today, in Acts 13:47-49, we see Paul talking about God’s purpose for us. Listen to what He says:

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

God was telling His people, the Jewish people, what their purpose was. They didn’t exist for themselves, but they existed to be a light. To shine God’s light for all the world to see. They existed to point others to Him. They were here, their purpose was to be a light shining to God.

So are we. That’s what we are here for.

Now, there are specifics within your life that I don’t know what your purpose is. You may not either. You may not have figured out work. Or family. Or school. Or living situations. Or a million different things.

You may be struggling with all of these things.

But I know what the purpose of your life is. The bible tells us this morning.

To point others to God. To shine His light for others to see. To be that arrow, pointing to heaven.

That’s what we are here for. And in doing that, when we are used for His purpose, we find our purpose. We find light and hope and peace.

Today, you are made for something big. In things that you don’t know or don’t understand, trust Him. But in all things, all words, actions, everything, point to Him.

In our lives, may we be a light pointing others to God. May we show His grace to all that we see.

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.

Enough for Today

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We see in the story of the Exodus God call the people out of slavery in Egypt at. And that’s great. Except for this. In Egypt, while tough and slaves, the people at least had enough food to eat. The people at least has shelter. The people at least knew where the next meal would come from.

They were slaves, but at least they had these things.

Now, they are free. But, they are worried. They are free, but where will their food come from. They are free, but where will their food come from? Where will their provision come from? Where will their needs come from?

Look at what happens in Exodus 16:4-5:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

The Lord sends them food. He sends them bread from heaven. He sends them what they need. He takes care of them. He gives them what they need.

For that day.

He provides for them. But they have to learn to trust. He gives them enough for that day. He gives them what they need for that day. He takes care of their needs for that day.

He is teaching them to trust. In that day.

Just as He teaches us to trust. In today. God gives us enough for today. He will gives us what we need. We have to trust Him.

For today.

And know that He will take care of our tomorrow. He will not leave nor forsake us. He will meet our needs today.

He will give us enough for today.

And He will give us enough for tomorrow. Trust in Him. Have faith in Him. He will take care of you.

He will gives us what we need.

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.

Who We Are

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Who are you?

Are you a mom? A dad? A husband? A wife? Son or daughter? Friend? Co-worker? Employee? Employer?

Yes. Today, we are all these things. We are teachers and students, administrators, neighbors, and teammates.

Today, we each wear a lot of hats in our lives. We each “do” a lot of things, we each “are” a lot of things.

But, who are you? Who are we?

Listen to what Peter writes today in 1 Peter 2:9-10. And listen like you’ve never heard this before:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

You are a chose race. A royal priesthood. A people called as God’s own possession.

Once you (we) were not a people. Now you (we) are His. We are His. We are His people. We are His children. We belong to Him. He has claimed us as His own.

That’s who you are. That’s who we are. We are His.

That’s the label that matters more than any other label. That’s the hat that matters more than any other hat. That’s what defines who you are.

Above all else. You are His. You are His child. You are loved by an amazing God.

Never forget that. Never forget who you are. Never forget whose you are.

You are a child of God. Never forget.

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.

Be Holy (Gulp)

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One of the commands of for His people is one that I don’t like to hear, and is one that I’m just as likely to run away from as I am to want to obey.

Be holy.

Gulp.

That’s hard. And it doesn’t sound like fun. Or something that can do. Or something that we can achieve. Especially when we see each day how much we mess up.

How much we fall.

How many times we make mistakes. How many times we blow it. Surly God’s not serious. Surly He doesn’t mean holy, like you know, well holy.

Listen to what He says in 1 Peter 1:13-16:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Peter tells us don’t be conformed to the ways that we used to be. Be holy as God is holy. Be different.

And that’s it. That’s what holy is. Holiness isn’t perfection. Holiness isn’t being sinless. Holiness is not about never making a mistake.

If so, none of us could be holy or aspire to be holy. That’s not something we can do.

So, then, what does God expect? If He calls us to be holy, what does that even mean?

To be holy is to be different. To be changed. To be transformed. To not be the same person we used to be. To be different from culture. To be different from those around.

To be the kind of person that lives a life that makes others say – man, I want what they have.

Being holy isn’t what we’ve made it out to be. It’s not about “perfection.” It’s about being different. Standing out. Being the unique creation God has made you to be.

That’s what it means to be holy. To be different. To live in such a way that makes others want to have what have.

And today, you can do it. You can be different. You can stand out. You can live like that. You can be holy.

Today, let’s do it!

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.

April 16, A Remembrance of No Greater Love

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I have sent this reflection out the last few years on April 16.  I hope you will obliges me the chance to share it again. What follows, more so than anything other than my salvation, has shaped who I am as a person, a pastor, a husband, and a father.

I don’t normally read from the King James.  Here at Asbury I preach from the ESV and from occasion on the NLT.  In the past I’ve read from the NRSV normally because it’s the standard pew Bible edition for most United Methodist Churches.  I also like the TNIV, even though they are no longer making it, the NIV, the Message, and most all of them.  I always tell folks read the Bible that speaks to them.

But, when I quote scripture off the top of my head, I quote the King James.  Why?  Because it’s what I grew up reading and hearing, and it’s what scripture still “sounds” like to me.  Especially the Psalms, or John 14 (in Father’s house were many mansions).

And the passage I’m thinking about this morning. When I think of John 15: 13, I always hear it in the KJV

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I always think of that verse on April 16.

See it was on April 16, 1978 that no great love was shown to me.

On April 16, 1978, my mother was murdered.  She was killed as she was walking out of our house, with me in her arms. She was walking out of the house because she did not want me raised in an abusive situation, in a situation full of drugs and destruction. She was walking out of the house because she wanted me to have a better life.

She was walking out of the house because she loved me.

And in that, she laid down her life for me.  Literally.  I sometimes tell folks I have the burden and blessing in my life of having had two people lay down their life for me, Jesus and Mama Sarah.

And, every day I wake up and know that I am here, I give thanks for no greater love.

And every time I look at my daughter Sarah and mourn over the fact that she will never know the grandmother she was named for, I give thanks for no greater love.

Every time I look at my grandparent that adopted me, even though they had raised their kids already, and had other plans for life, I give thanks for no greater love.

And every time I get the chance to teach my children about what love looks like, I give thanks for no greater love.

Today is a bittersweet day.  I have no doubt that I am and have been loved.  I just wish the price weren’t so high.

But, greater love hath no man (or woman, mother, or father) than this, that they lay down their life for their friends.

I give thanks for no greater love.

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.

When Your Prayer Life is Hard

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Jesus models for us, in our lives, what life should be like. He shows to us the model of Christian life and faithfulness.

Will we ever live as He lived? No likely. But, He shows us what we should aspire to. He shows us what we should chase after.

We should all, in our lives, try to be like Jesus.

And we get that in terms of loving, or serving, or forgiving. We understand that.

Today’s passage, through, it gives us insight to what we should try to be like, in terms of our prayer life.

Look at what happened into in Mark 14:35-56:

And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus prays that this cup pass from Him. Yes, He chose the cross. He knew it was what He must do. He knew it was God’s plan for redemption for humanity. He knew it was what was to come.

And we see, that even while He chose it, He was not looking forward it. He was not excited about it. He really knew how tough it would be.

So, He asked His father, if possible, let it pass. But, He said, not it be His will, but God the Father’s will.

When your prayer life is hard, He understands. When you aren’t sure what to pray, He understands. When your prayer life is a struggle, He understands.

When we struggle with life, when we struggle with challenges, when we deal with all types of problems, He understands. He’s been there. He’s been in the place where He asked God to take the cup from Him.

But, how did His prayer end? Not what He will, but what God willed.

When it’s hard, he understands

Jesus went through the challenge and pain of the cross. He went through the pain of betrayal and hut. He went through all of this. And He emerged victorious.

So will you. Be faithful. Pray. Trust. Hope. Lean upon Him. Know He’s been where you are.

Trust in God’s will. He will take care of you. Even when your life pray life is hard. He will not leave or forsake you. Trust in Him. Even when you don’t know what to pray or how to pray. Trust. His grace is sufficient.

And through Him, just as He did, we will triumph.

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.