Dry Bones

Sometimes in life, we can feel worn out. Sometimes we can feel tired.

Sometimes, based off mistakes, based off circumstance, based off whatever, we can feel dried up and useless.

No good to God, to man, to anyone. We can feel like a bunch of dried up old bones, only fit to be buried and forgotten about. That’s what the weight of this world can can make us feel like sometimes.

That’s what our mistakes and failures can make us feel like sometimes.

That what life can do.

Listen to what happens in this passage today.  Listen to what happens in Ezekiel 37:3-12:

And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.

God says to Ezekiel, go out and say to those bones, come to life. And it happened!

God brought these dead bones back to life. God breathed the spirit of life back into these dry bones and made an army out of them. God brought the dead back to life.

Not just here. But on Easter.

Not just on Easter. But in our lives.

Not just once. But every day.

Today, no matter where you are, that’s what God wants to do. He wants to bring life back to you. He wants to breathe life back into your dry bones. He wants to bring you to life.

No matter how old, tired, dead, or dry you may feel. God wants to bring you back to life. Today.

Today, new life awaits. New hope, new power, new everything. Today, He wants to breathe you back to life.

Today, you are more than dead bones. You are His prize creation. Today, He wants you to live. Today, may He breathe new life into our souls!

Today, may he bring us back to life!

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.

Something Better is Coming

There’s something better coming. No matter where you are in your faith, in your life, in your walk with God.

Something better is coming.

That’s the witness of the Bible. That’s the witness of the Bible. That’s God’s plan for you today and each day of your life. Something better is coming.

Look at what it says in Isaiah 25:8-9 today:

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

There will come a time when God will wipe away every tear from all faces. We will behold God. And we will rejoice in His salvation.

It will happen. Something better is coming.

Today, remember, God is not done with you yet. He is not finished with you. Your story is not over. Your story is not finished. There is more to come.

No matter how bad it is today, and you know what, it may be bad. Your life may be in a bad spot. Your life may seem over. You may feel like there is no hope.

Trust me, there is. He is not finished with you. Hold on to that. Believe in that. Cling fast to that. God is not done with you.

Something better is coming.

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 All Comes Down to Jesus

I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday at lunch and we were talking about church. Talking about leadership and connection and fellowship and growth and all the stuff that goes into church.

We talked about our excitement in church, over frustrations, over all types of things. And as we were leaving, we both just though the same thing.

It all comes down to Jesus.

Everything. Everything comes down to Jesus. Not to theology. Not to denominations. Not to preferences. Not to styles. Not to anything else in all of creation.

Jesus.

Everything comes down to Jesus.

Listen to what He says today in John 6:38-40:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

He says today that God’s will is that everyone that looks to Jesus should have life.

Everyone that looks to Jesus. That’s it. That’s what it is all about. Everything else in life fades away. Everything else in life withers. But it all comes down to Jesus.

Everything. In Him, we have life. In Him, we have purpose. In Him, we have hope. In Him, life has meaning.

Without Him, we are hungry, tired, and weak. Rudderless and purposeless. In Him, we live.

Today, it all comes down to Him.

I had a professor that used to tell us that everything in our life comes back to our walk with Jesus. Every problem, every trouble, every worry, it all comes back to Jesus.

He is life. He is hope. He is all. Today, may we be found in Him. And today, may we find our strength, joy, and purpose 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.

Something to Hold on To

In life, we all need something to hold onto. We all need something to cling to. We all need something that, when the waters are rough and the times are hard.

We need something in out lives to hold on to.  Listen to what Psalm 63:5-8 says this morning:

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Did you hear what the Psalmist says about God today in this passage? My soul will be satisfied when he remembers God. God has been his help in hard times before.

So, because of that, his soul clings on to God now.

God has been our friend, our rock, our shield, our help, our defender, our protector. He will not leave or forsakes us. He loves us more than we can ever imagine.

He love us. And He will hold on to us.

We can hold on to Him. No matter what is happening in your life today, no matter what is going on, no matter what you are struggling with today, you can hold on to Him.

He is there.

He loves you.

He cares for you.

He will not leave you.

Today, and each day, you can hold on to 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.

It’s All Worth It

Christianity doesn’t promise the moon and the stars. It doesn’t promise that everything will be perfect. It doesn’t promise that everything will be great.

Paul says today that we will toil, we struggle we work. There are and there will be tough times in our faith and in our lives.

That’s simply reality. It’s what you and I know, it’s what you and I deal with. Being a Christian doesn’t make those tough times disappear.

But you know what? It’s worth it. It’s worth it all. Why?

Listen to what Paul writes in Colossians 1:27-29 today:

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Paul tells us today that we have the beauty of the mystery of God, Christ in us. That’s the hope of glory.

Our hope doesn’t like in jobs or careers or relationships or hobby or reputations or anything upon the earth.

Our hope is in this. Christ, the very Word and Truth of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, lives within. Our hope is not found in anything other than that. That is our rock, our hope, our faith.

That is the greatest thing we can can ever know. That’s the greatest thing we can possess. That’s the greatest thing that our minds, our hearts, our lives can know.

Christ in us, that’s the hope. That’s the rock. That’s the foundation. Christ in you.

That’s what all of life comes down to. As I’ve said before, everything in our lives comes back to our walk with Christ. Everything. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Today, if you are in Christ, if He is your hope, it’s all worth. Every trouble. Every slight. Every worry. Every defeat. Every pain. Every tear. Every broken heart. Everything.

Christ in you. The hope of glory. That’s what it’s all about.

Today, may we keep that the main thing in our lives. And may we know that it’s all worth 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.

Keep Going

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.

God With Us

God with us. That’s the hope of the Christmas season. That’s the hope of really, life. God with us. God of creation, God of redemption, God of salvation.

With us. With you. With me. Today.

Listen to what God says through the prophet Isaiah today:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

That’s the miracle of Christmas. It’s a time of joy and peace. A time to spend with family and friends. A time to worship, to pray. To praise. To focus on what matters the most in our lives. To remember. To refocus. To rejoice.

Immanuel. God with us.

Think about that one simple comment for just a moment right now. There will not be a moment in your life today, a moment that passes by you right now, that God is not with you. A moment where God is not at your right hand. A moment where God is not closer than your next heartbeat.

That’s the miracle of Christmas. God entered into our world. To save His world.

Through the spirit He enters into our lives. To save our lives. And so that we can be a blessing to others.

Today, He is with you. He has not, and will not, leave your side.

Remember that. May the knowledge of His presence guide you, shape you, protect you, keep you, correct you, and encourage you.

Today, God is with us! May we never forget the message of Christmas!

Getting Ready – Calling Podcast

The sermon podcast for Sunday, December 18, 2011 is up on Asbury Church’s website.  This is the fouth sermon in our Advent 2011 worship series “Getting Ready.”  In this sermon we talk about how God has a calling for us as the church, to make His will done on earth as it is in heaven. And one day He will make all things right.  The text for this sermon is Mark 13: 24-37.  Also by clicking on these verses you can see my notes from the sermon as a note in the YouVersion online Bible.   You can listen to it by clicking here, or you can listen to it here on this blog by clicking the link below. And, as always, you can subscribe to my sermon podcasts through iTunes.

CLICK HERE

Getting Ready – Calling Podcast

Transformed

You were not created to stay the same. We, as Christians, we created to be changed. To be transformed. To be different. To be changed.

That is reassuring. Because none of us are perfect, none of us are as we ought to be, none of us have hit the exact mark that God would want us to hit.

We are all lacking, all imperfect, all as the old saying goes “missing the mark.”

That doesn’t mean that we should be satisfied with our imperfections. It doesn’t mean that all is perfect and we should be ok with where things are wrong. We shouldn’t.

Because we were not created for that. No matter where you are; no matter what has happend in your life; no matter what is going on, God has a plan for you that is more than you can dream or imagine. God has a plan for you that is bigger than your heart’s desire. God dream for you life and and peace and grace.

And God is going to transform you to bring it into being.

Listen to what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Our job is to be faithful. To read. To pray. To worship. To be part of His body and put ourselves in a position to be changed. And He will do the rest. He will change, transform and clean us up.

Today, be faithful. Follow Him. And He will have you where He needs you to be. God is good. You are loved. May He transform us and make us into His image!

When, Not If

When we pass through the waters, with God with us, we will not drown.

When we pass through fires, with God with us, we shall not be consumed.

When. Not if.

Isaiah 43:1-3 is one of my favorite passages of scripture.  Listen to what it says:

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

I first really heard this passage of scripture when I was a camp counselor at Twin Lakes Camp outside of Jackson, MS when I was in college. And at that point, this became, for me, one of those passages that I come back to over and over and over again in my life.

I love it. Because of what I stressed above. When we pass through the waters. When we pass through the fires. Not if. When. When we do it.

We will be ok. It will be ok. We won’t be consumed. We won’t be drowned.

For He is the Lord our God. He has called us by name. By name. He knows your name and has called you by it. He has redeemed you. You are is. He is the holy one, your God. He loves you.

So, when, not if, you pass through the troubles and the trials of life, He will be there with you and for you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. You are His. He is yours. He loves you.

So, today, if you are going through the fire, and through the water today, He is with you. He has called you. You are His.

And if you are going through the waters, know that you will. It will happen. You will face these trials and troubles.

You will be ok. He will not leave you. You will not be overwhelmed. For you are His. Never forget. Remember. You are His.

Even in the fire. Even in the water. He has redeemed you. You are His.