Monthly Archives: August 2012

Yeah. God’s Got This

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Normally my devotional is a reflection on a passage of scripture assigned for that day.  It will come from one of two places. Either from the Mission of St. Claire, a monastic resource that I use each day for my own personal devotional or from the scripture suggested in our Asbury bulletin, you can see that by clicking here.

Today, no long reflection.  Just listen to what today’s passage is, from Matthew 8:23-27:

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Wow.  The suggested text for today reminds us that even the winds and sea obey Him.  During midst of the literally storm here in South Mississippi, to whatever spiritual/emotional storm you are going through.  Hear these words.

Wow.

Yeah.  God’s got this

Not Who We Used To Be

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We know Paul as Paul. The guy that wrote most of the New Testament. The guy that started churches all over the known world. The guy that is the reason that those of us that are Gentiles (i.e. non Jews) are Christians. He took the gospel to the Gentiles.

So, Paul’s kind of a rock star. That’s who we know him as.

But, that was not how he was always known. Listen to what happens right after Paul starts preaching in Acts 9:20-22:

And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

They say, hey, wait, how can this be Saul (when God saved him, He changed his name from Saul to Paul)? How can this be Saul? Remember what he used to do? Remember the havoc he used to raise?

Surly this guy up there preaching can’t be the same guy that we all used to know. There’s no way!

But that’s what God does. He changes us. He makes us new. He restores us. He recreates us.

He changes our name. He changes us.

So, two things this morning. First, when your past is brought (others, the devil, yourself) remember, you aren’t who you used to be. You are new. You are changed. You are different.

Remember the work that Christ has done in your life. You are new!

And likewise, when you meet a new creation today, someone that is not who they used to be. Remember.

They are not who they used to be.

Don’t allow the devil to bring up your past.

Don’t you be the one bringing up someone else’s past.

I am forgiven. You are forgiven. They are forgiven.

Today, let’s all live in the newness of life that God has given to us. Let’s be the people that God is calling us to be.

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.

Some Thoughts on Petal Football and Prayer

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Hey everyone, just a few quick thoughts on the prayer at Petal Football game situation . . .

First, I believe that we as Christians have the right to free speech and to pray when we would like.  In fact in scripture, Paul calls us to pray without ceasing.  So, I think that it’s a good thing for us to figure out how to honor God with our prayers in ways that brings the church together.

Sometimes in Petal, our churches don’t work together like we ought to. Perhaps, this can be a chance for us as Christians to really work together, seeking to glorify Jesus with our actions, our thoughts, and our prayers.

So, then, what is our response?

Several of the Petal pastors, including myself, are getting together today to discuss the issue.  Hopefully we will come to a unified decision on how to handle the prayer and we will communicate that to you soon. But before that, a couple of words about how I think we should respond.

First, we must, must, must respond with grace and humility – not with bitterness, anger, hatred, or judgment.  We must respond lovingly and gracefully. My prayer for the members of the Freedom from Religion Coalition is this. That they will one day be my brothers and sisters in Christ. I desire that they come to saving faith.  How will that happened?  By the movement of God, and the love of the Body of Christ.

If we pray to “shove it in their face,” we miss the point of prayer.

We must love. That is the command of God.  That is our Lord’s command to us, to love our God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Even as our Lord was being nailed to the cross, He prayed, “Father forgive them; they know not what they do.”

God desires that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).  That’s my desire, too.  That must be the desire of the church.  We must respond in love.

Plus, if we are praying with bitterness in our heart, are we really praying?

Second, Jesus Christ is to be honored in this, and all things.  This is all for His glory. We must act accordingly.  He will bring honor to His name.  We get to merely play a part in this.

We read in scripture that God wins in the end. Don’t worry.  God has this.  It’s all good.  Let’s be faithful. Let’s honor and glorify Him.  Let’s point a lost world to Him.  Let’s love the folks, even the ones that we disagree with, in His love.

For love is the only way that we change hearts.

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Let’s be Salt and Light!

 

Why Do You Follow?

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One of the things we see in scripture is that Jesus always has folks following Him. We see different levels of folks that follow.

Some are very, very close to Him, like and inner circle – Peter, James, and John. And there are the 12 Disciples that go with Him everywhere, they are His closest follower and friends. Then, there is the next level, what scripture calls “the crowd.”

Some of the crowd follow because they value what Jesus says. Others follow because following Jesus is cool. Others follow for what they can get out of it – food, or healing, or attention.

Listen to what Jesus says in John 6:26-27  about this today:

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

He said you follow because of signs, because of food. Don’t focus on getting that from me.

Focus on this from me. Eternal life.

Focus on what matters. Follow me for what matters.

Today, why do you follow? Why do you follow Jesus?

Is it because it’s what’s expected?

Is it because it’s what your family does?

Is it to fit in?

Is it for attention?

Is because you believe that if you will, you will get what you want?

Or, is it because you know that in Jesus Christ, you find life. Life is found only in Jesus. No where else.

That’s why we should follow.

Today, Jesus asked His followers, do you follow me for what you can get out of it? Or do you follow me because you have found that life is found in me, and nowhere else alone.

May we follow the giver of life. Today, may we follow Jesus with all that we are!

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.

Pass It On

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We all had someone in our life that set the example for us. The example of what work looks like. The example of what family looks like. The example of what faith looks like.

Now, for some of us, that example was a great example. It was an example that really showed what a man, or a women, of God should do, should live, should speak.

For some of us, we’ve had some really Godly examples.

For others of us, we haven’t. We may not have had that Godly example.

But here’s the thing. No matter what we bring to the table with our past, those of us that know God, and that are called according to His spirit, we have an obligation to pass on what we know, what we see, what is right, and what is wrong, to those that come behind us. Listen to what is says in Psalm 145:4-7

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Our generation, we have an obligation, a command, to share with the next generation what God has done for us. We have to teach our children, our grandchildren, the kids that we know about God. About the love and grace of Jesus. About the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have a command to pass it on.

We must. Because if we don’t, who will? If we as the church, as believers, as those that love God don’t tell, who will?

We must.

But today, don’t get up in so telling with our words, that we forget to tell with our lives. Our lives tell the story of God’s grace even louder than our words. Today, share the story of God’s grace and redemption with all.

With the young.

With the old.

With all.

With your words.

And with your lives. Let’s pass along what we know. Let’s tell the goodness of God to everyone!

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.

You Ask Me How I Know He Lives

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One of the old songs that many of us grew up singing asks this question about Jesus: “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.”

Some folks really stress, worry and strain about faith. How can we believe? How can we know? How can we trust in a God that we can’t see? How can we put our faith in that?

Jesus, in John 5:36, deals with this. He talks about witnesses and testimonies. He talks about how folks can trust what He is saying and trust who He is. He tells how we can trust Him and trust His work. Listen to what He says.

“But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.”

He says my works give witness to me. My works give witness to the fact that I am who I say that I am. My works point to the truth of my proclamation.

Jesus’ works prove that He is Lord.

What works, you may be asking. Well, of course we have the works of scripture. We have what we see there, what we read there, what we know there.

But, we also have the works of His body – the church. The church that loves, that serves, that glorifies Christ, that points to Him, that lives for Him, that worships Him. The church that seeks to love and serve others as Jesus would have us to love and serve. The lives of millions of individual Christians that make up His body give witness.

But it isn’t just that. Think of a time in your life when you felt Him move, when you experienced Him, when you knew Him in a powerful, life-changing way. Think of the times when you loved, served, and cared. Didn’t you feel alive? Didn’t you feel more alive at that moment than in any other time in your life?

That’s the witness of His spirit showing you, pointing to you, calling to you that He is who He says He is.

That’s His witness.

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

May we all feel that witness today in our hearts!

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.

Keeping Perspective

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Sometimes in life, we can think that the stress of this exact moment is the worst thing in all of human history and in all of creation. Nothing, nothing, nothing could ever be worse that this.

The world is ended. It is over. It is finished. It just is.

Sometimes in that moment, we loose the gift of perspective. We really cane lose that and forget how things really are, and how things really work.

Now there are some things that are truly and utterly life changing, things that rock our world, shake our core and change the direction of our lives.

There are those moments.

And there are the other moments, the rest of the moments that define our lives. And these moments that cause of great stress, stop and think for a moment. This event. This time, this thing.

Will it matter in a year? Will you remember it in a year? Will it be important in a year. What will it matter in the scope of eternity.

Listen to what it says in Psalm 102:11-12:

My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.

Our days are finite. Our days are limited. We are just a shadow that is here for a moment, and then is gone. What are our lives in the scope of eternity.

So, this issue that you are worried about, what is it in the scope of eternity?

Keep your perspective. Remember what is important. Remember what counts. Don’t get bogged down on these things.

And here’s the really cool thing. Yes, our lives are fleeting. They are short. They are small. And God Almighty that knows all, sees all, understands all, knows you.

Knows the hairs upon your head. Knows your thoughts, your dreams, your hopes.

Knows and loves you.

We may seem insignificant. But to the God of the universe, we matter a great deal. So, keep your problems in perspective. And know that the God of creation knows you, loves you, and will be with you.

And that’s bigger than any problem we face!

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.

Finding Our Own Story

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I love hearing testimonies of what God is doing in other folks lives. The Bible says that the power of the testimony is one of the best things that we have to use against the evil one.

I love to know what God is doing in your and through you. I love to hear stories of His goodness and mercy, to hear how He is impacting your lives in amazing ways.

Your testimony, your story, it makes a huge difference in my life. In my faith. In who I am.

And that’s the power of testimony. It’s when YOUR faith impacts MY faith. It’s not just enough for the stories to remain with you, the must impact and become a part of my life and my story.

Listen to what happens in John 4:39-42:

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

The Samaritans heard the women’s testimony. The saw and heard what Jesus had done for her. And that was nice. That was awesome.

But, they say at the end, the believe now not because of what she has told them, but they believe, they have heard for themselves who Jesus is.

Today, you will have the chance to hear of the goodness of God through many, many means. Devotionals like this. Music. Conversations with friends. And these are all important, needful things.

But, is it yours? Are you making that faith your own? It has to impact you. It has to change you, at the core of who you. Your life, your faith, it must be your own.

You must hear for yourself, let it impact yourself, and let it change yourself.

I don’t want to just hear your testimony of how Jesus has impacted your life. I want to have my own testimony of how Jesus has impacted my life.

Today’s let’s hear the story. And let’s make that story our own. Let’s each make that faith our own faith.

May we each hear and believe for ourselves!

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.

Trials and Blessings

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How ya doing today? How is your week going so far?

I hope good, but if you are like most of us, there are times of trial and worry and work and fret. Things that are tough to deal with. Things that are tough to understand. Things we don’t want to deal with.

What are we to do? How are we to deal? If we are looking down the barrel of a tough week, a trying time, a moment of fear and worry and stress, what are we to do?

Give up? Quit? Stop?

Listen to what James 1:2-4 tells us to do this morning:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

We are told to count our trials as a joy. That’s nearly impossible to do, to me. I don’t like my trials. I don’t like dealing with them. I wish they would go away. I wish they weren’t a reality in my life.

So, why should these trials be counted as joy? Why should I value them? Why should they be seen as good things?

Because they make us turn to Jesus. They make us turn closer to God. They make us reply on His strength, not ours. On His power, not ours. On Him. Not us.

Today, no matter what you are facing, allow it to turn you to God, not away from God. Allow it to draw you closer to Him, to His mercy, to His grace, to His power.

Allow it to be something that will bind you closer to God.

And then, it’s a blessing. Today, count these trials as a joy. They can, if we allow, draw us closer to God.

May everything in our lives today be a chance for us to get closer to God!

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.

God is Able

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In life, it doesn’t always look like things will turn out our way. It may look like the road we are walking down will lead to the place we’d like to be.

We feel hopeless and we feel like it won’t work out for our best and for the way that we would like.

We think, man how can God fix this? How can this turn around? How can God make something good out of this.

What can God do?

Today, friends, I tell you, God is able. No matter what is happening in your world, in your life, no matter how bad it may look, God is able.

Listen to what Paul says today in Romans 4:18-21 about Abraham.

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

Abraham was promised that he would be the father of many nations. He was promised by God that he would be a light to the Gentiles.

But, it took a long time coming. He was promised a son, but it didn’t come on his schedule, it came on God’s schedule. It didn’t come on his time, it came on God’s time.

And he still believed. He still believed that God would keep His word, and do what He said He would do, even when the timing and schedule was not what he wanted.

He knew, that no matter what, God is able. He trusted God.

Today, no matter what is going on in your life, God is able. He is.

Trust. God is good, He is merciful, He is good. Have faith.

Even if it looks hard and tough ahead, God is able. Believe in Him. Trust in Him.

He will not fail you. He won’t. He is able.

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.