Monthly Archives: September 2012

Change of Plans

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I like having plans. I like knowing what I’m going to do. Even as I sit here typing this reflection out, my mind is thinking through the various things that I have to do today. My schedule, my meetings, my appointments.

I like being able to stick to a schedule. I like knowing whats going to happen. I like having that idea and plan for what is coming.

I don’t like having my plans disrupted. I don’t like it when things don’t go according to schedule. I don’t like it when it doesn’t go the way I planned.

So, what do we do when that happens?

Listen to what Paul says today in 2 Corinthians 1:15-19:

Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.

Paul wanted to come by Corinth and visit the church. He wanted and had planned to come and teach them, share with them, be in ministry with them.

But, he wasn’t able to stick to his plans. Was it because he was wishy-washy? Was it because he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do? Was it because he decided to just change his plans?

No.

It was just not able to happen. For whatever reason, it was not able to take place.

So, what did Paul do? He kept on going. He kept on being faithful. He kept on being obedient to God.

You plans may not work out. It may not happen the way you want, when you want, how you want. It may be totally different from anything you’ve ever wanted.

Keep going.

Sometimes I have to remember that there plans bigger than my plans. The Bible tells us God’s ways are bigger than our ways and His thoughts are bigger than our thoughts.

That means that God’s plan for us is sometimes different than our plan for us.

Keep going. Even when the plan doesn’t make sense. Even if it’s not the plan that you had made. Even if it’s a change of plans for you.

God knows what He is doing. He has a plan. And even when we don’t know His plan.

We know Him.

Today, trust in 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.

The Hardest Person to Forgive

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Forgiveness is a hard thing. It really is. I once read that forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Only the strong can forgive.

It can be very hard for us to forgive others. They may have wronged us badly. We struggle mightily with sometimes. And, we all understand.

We must, through, learn to forgive. I tell folks the quote that I’ve heard. Unforgiveness is me drinking a poison, and expecting it to kill you.

Our lack of forgiveness only harms us.

And I think we all know that. Even if it’s hard.

Others are often not the hardest to forgive. Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves.

We can forgive others. It’s really, really, really tough to move past our failures sometimes. Sometimes we think we have done too much.

Gone too far.

Failed too loudly.

Surely there is grace for you. But, not for me.

We all think that. Listen to what 1 John 2:1-2 says:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

We have an advocate. Jesus. He is the forgiveness for our sins He paid the price. He paid the ransom. He has done it.

We are forgiven. We are.

Listen. It’s not just we.

You.

(Insert Your Name Here) is forgiven. You are. Jesus Christ has purchased your freedom and forgiveness.

You are loved. You are forgiven. Today.

Today, may we live like the loved, forgiven children 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.

Fairy Tales

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I once heard someone say that one of the most destructive things we face in life are fairy tales.

Wait, what? Fairy tales?

Yeah, that’s what they said. Now, they could just be like me, a parent of younger children that has had to watch Tangled roughly a billion times.

But, that wasn’t the their point. What they were saying was this. What happens in fairy tales? Everyone lives happily ever after.

Does that happen in real life?

Nope. Not everyone lives happily ever after. Sometimes life is hard and painful and we do the best that we can do, even when it’s not easy.

Even when we are doing the right thing.

Take, for example, what happens today in Acts 10:49-51:

 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.
Life is not a fairy tale.

So, what do we do? What Paul and Barnabas did. Keep going. Keep being faithful. Keep doing the right thing. Keep loving, serving, and caring.

Get up. Shake the dust off. And keep on going.

Why? Because, actually I told you a little fib. Life is not a fairy tale. But it does end well in the end.

God’s got this. He’s got you. He’s going to take care of this, and every situation you face.

Keep going. Keep being faithful. Keep trusting in Him. And know that He’s got this.

Today, you can do it! Keep going.

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.

Confessions of a Worrier

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I heard an old joke about worrying that I really like. I know that my worrying must work because 99% of the things that I worry about never happen.

So, obviously it’s my worrying that keeps these things from happening, right? That’s what it’s got to be right?

Or perhaps, it’s something else. Perhaps my worrying is my way of wanting control. My lack of trust. My lack of faith.

I confess to you that I’m a worrier. I come from a family or worrier. It’s just what we do. We worry.

I worry about things that I can control. I worry about things that I can’t control. I worry about myself. My family. My church. My friends. I worry.

So, even if you don’t need to hear this passage this morning – I do. Listen to what Jesus says today in Matthew 6:31-34:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

It’s kind of like we talked about yesterday, are we focusing on the things that are eternal and will last, or are we focusing on the things that are temporary and that are passing? Are we worrying about the things that are fleeting and passing, or are we seeking God’s kingdom first.

If we seek God’s kingdom first, seek His will first, seek His way first, seek Him first, we will find the things that we worry about are filled.

But, if we just worry. And worry. And worry. And worry. And don’t seek God, we will not find what we are worrying about. And we won’t find Him either.

Today, don’t worry. I know. I know. This is a pot calling the kettle black situation. I know. But trust me. Seek His will. Seek His way. Seek Him. And He will take care of the rest.

Seek the kingdom first. And all these things will be added. That’s His promise. Let’s trust in it today.

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.

Where is Your Treasure

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What is the most important thing in your life?

Not what you would tell me is the most important thing in your life, or what you would tell someone else is the most important thing in your life.

But, what is the most important thing in your life today? What is actually first on your list today?

Listen to what Jesus says today in Matthew 6:19-21:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

He says store up treasures in heaven, where it can’t be taken. Why? Because where your treasure is, there is your heart.

In other words, are they important things in life things that are eternal anda will last, or are they things that are fleeting and will pass away?

The stuff of heaven are thing that really matter and will ground our life in God’s life – faith. Family. Church. Relationships God. Service. Life.

The stuff of earth will pass away. These are things that seem so important now, but what do the matter in scope of eternity – money. Success. Popularity. Material possessions. Stuff.

The stuff of earth, it is fleeting. The stuff of heaven, it lasts forever, and is truly life-giving.

Today, where is your treasure. Where it is will show where your heart is.

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.

Greatness

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The world has an image of what greatness looks like. In the world, greatness is about power. It is about might. It is about being in control and being about the tell others what to do, and how to do it.

Because after all, you’re the boss. You have the strength. You have the power to bend others to your will.

Might makes right, after all.

That’s what the world tell us. That’s what the culture tells us. To be great, means to be in control. To have others do what you want. To be a the top of the food chain.

As Christians, through, what does it mean for us to be great? What does greatness look like for us?

I mean, I don’t know about you, but I want to be great. I want to do the very best that I can do. I don’t want to waste a moment of this day that God has given me, and I want to be the absolute greatest that I can be today!

So, what does that look like? Listen to what Jesus says today in Matthew 20:25-28:

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

He says to be great in the kingdom, you must serve. You must place others ahead of yourself. You must place them before yourself.

In the world, leaders have power that they exercise over their followers. He said is not so among us. We must serve. We must humble ourselves. We must place them before ourselves.

That’s the example that He showed us. Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve. He is the very nature and power of God, He sat at God’s right hand, and yet humbled Himself and came to earth to serve us and set us free.

And because of that, God has glorified Him and made Him Lord of all.

So, for us, we find that if live only for our “stuff” or our greatness, we find that we aren’t really living. We feel empty and without purpose. We may have what we want, power, fame, success, but it feels empty.

When we live for others, we find life. We find greatness. We find our purpose.

Today, don’t live for yourself. Live for God. Live for others. Live to serve and glorify God.

And in doing that, you will find the greatness you were made for.

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.