Doubting and Remembering

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Today’s reading is one that we have heard preached from many, many times. It’s the Great Commission, Jesus’ command to the Disciples and to His church to go out and make disciples of all nations.

Today, listen to what He says to them, and see if some of the same things pop out to you today that popped out to me. Listen to Matthew 28: 16-20:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

You know what one of the first things I saw was? This – they worshiped Him, but some doubted. Ok, let’s think about who these “some” where. They were the Disciples. The very ones that had walked with Him, that had seen so very much, and were looking at Him, the resurrected Christ, in their midst.

They were also the very ones that Jesus was going to deploy into mission. They were going to be big, huge, things for Him.

And with all that, some of them still doubted, at that moment.

Just because you have doubts, or struggles, it doesn’t mean that you haven’t seen God, that you don’t know God, or that God won’t use you. Doubt is often a part of faith; we struggle, we believe, we grow.

You never grow if it’s always easy. Sometimes you have to go through the tough times before you can really grow. They doubted. Jesus was going to use them in a huge way in a matter or days.

Today, if you doubt, hold onto Jesus even more tightly. He won’t let go of you. He won’t. Hold on.

And one last thing, Jesus said this, Remember, I am with you, even to the end of the age. He told them to remember He was with them. Because at times, they may forget. Don’t. Don’t forget. Hold on. Hold on tight to Him.

And remember. Remember He is with us, always. Always. Don’t forget that. You’ll be tempted to forget. Remember even more deeply.

He will never leave or forsake, even when we struggle. Because He loves us. Never forget.

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When We Can’t Feel His Presence

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

One of the things that I believe that truly gives life, that truly changes us and gives us hope, is to be in the presence of God. To know that God is with us, to know that He is there, listening, loving, caring.

In our lives, we have all been there, at some point, knowing that God is with us, God is present, God cares.

Many of us can think of moments, right now, where we felt that way. I can; you can, we all can.

And in just the same way, we can think of moments where we couldn’t feel the presence of God. Where we didn’t know where He was. Where we didn’t think, He was there. Where we felt forsaken. We’ve all been there, too.

So, what do we do? What do we do when we don’t feel God’s presence? Today, in Psalm 105: 4-6 we are offered two suggestions. Listen to what it says.

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

First we are told this. Keep seeking. Keep seeking after God. Keep doing the things where you experience God.

Keep reading His word. Keep praying. Keep serving. Keep looking. Keep listening. Keep seeking. And you will find Him. You will. He is there.

And second, remember what He has done. Remember where He has been faithful. Remember where He has shown Himself. Remember how He has loved you, saved you, called you, been there for you. Remember. Remember.

Never forget. Never forget who He is. Never forget what He has done. Never forget how He loves. Never forget.

He hasn’t left. He hasn’t. Even if you can’t feel Him. He is there. Keep seeking Him. He is there. Keep remembering. He is there.

Even if you can’t feel it, don’t quit. Don’t forget. He is there. Hold tight to 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, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

Why God is Patient

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Ever wonder why God is so patient with us sometimes? I mean, God can be really patient. We can make the same mistakes over and over again.

We can go looking for trouble sometimes, or better said, lots of times.

We can fall, every day of our lives. We can be so frustrated and disgusted by our failings and yet each time, each time we go to God for forgiveness, each time, He forgives us.

Do you ever just wonder why? Why does He show us that compassion and that mercy? Why does He show us grace after grace after grace?

Listen to what it says today in Psalm 103: 10-14

He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

God shows us such mercy because He remembers. He remembers who He is. And He remembers who we are.

He remembers that He is loving Father. He remembers that He loves us. That we are His. That He is God, not a man. That He is a God, who has promised compassion to those that fear and love Him.

He remembers not that He loves us but that He IS love. He remembers not that He shows us mercy, but He IS mercy. He remembers who He is.

And He remembers who we are. I love that last verse. He remembers our frame. He remembers that we are dust. We are made of dust, and we shall return to dust. He knows that we are weak. We are frail. We are fallen. We are human.

He remembers who we are. We will make mistakes. We aren’t perfect. We will blow it. He remembers our frame. He remembers that we are dust.

He remembers that He made us. And He remembers that He loves us.

Why is God patient? He remembers.

What Do You Remember?

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

I remember little things. I can remember mistakes. I can remember words. I can remember pains.

I remember wounds, I remember slights. I can really can hold onto things, and really lock in. Particularly mistakes. I can remember the things that others have done wrong, the ways others have hurt me, or hurt those that I love. I can remember, remember those things.

But you know what else I can remember? Not just your mistakes, but I can remember my mistakes. The ways I’ve blown it. The ways I’ve failed. The things that I’ve done wrong. I can really hold onto my mistakes and not let go of them.

I can remember the mistakes of others. I can remember my own mistakes. And I bet that I’m not the only one. I bet we each are that way.

Listen today to what it says in Psalm 25: 6-7:

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

I love the prayer of this Psalm. It’s a call to God to remember. Remember your mercy God. Remember your grace, remember your kindness. Remember oh God, your love.

And remember not, O Lord, the sins of our youth. Remember not our mistakes. Remember not the ways that we have fallen. Remember not the mistakes that we have made. Don’t remember those things.

And God doesn’t. He does remember His mercy. And He does not remember our sins.

What about you and me today? What do you remember? What do you remember not? Do you remember the mistakes of others? Do you remember your own mistakes?

Or do you remember them not?

Do you remember the lover and mercy of God today? Or do you forget that?

Today, may we remember mercy, God’s to us, and our mercy to others. And may we remember not our mistakes. And may we remember not the mistakes of others.

Because that’s what God does. And that’s what He wants us to do.

Not Forgotten

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

This morning, we’ll do a shorter reflection, and return to our full SOAP method throughout the rest of the week. Today, we are going to reflect upon Isaiah 41: 8-10. Listen to what the Word tells us this morning in this text:

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners,saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

In this passage we see that God tells the people that He has chosen them. He chose their ancestors Jacob and Abraham. He even tells them that He called Abraham a friend, a pretty high compliment from God, to be called a friend. That shows just how deep the relationship was between God and their ancestors.

Why is God telling them this? They are going through a real time of trial. They are under attack. Jerusalem is being destroyed, the people are being hauled away in exile. The people feel as through that God has forgotten them. They are forsaken. God has abandoned them. They are all alone, in this time of destruction.

And to that, God says this – no. I choose your ancestors. I choose the ones that have gone before you. I have made promises to them. And I will keep my word, for I am God. And I will not leave you. You are are mine. No matter what happens, no matter how hard the road it, no matter what is going on, God has promised.

He will not leave us. He will not forsake us. He will not forget us.

We are not forgotten. Remember that. Hold onto that. Cling to that. No matter how rough the path may be, God is with you.

Remember.

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.

Remember

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Andy Stoddard

Today is September 11, 2013. Twelve years ago I was sitting in the break room at Memphis Theological Seminary watching what was happening on a old television. This break room could maybe hold 50 people and we must have had over a 100 crammed in there.

Watching.

Praying.

Weeping.

We were stunned. Stunned at what we were seeing. We couldn’t understand it. And with MTS being such a diverse seminary, we had a couple of folks that had family in New York. One of my classmates, their spouse was in the Pentagon that day.

We were all like the walking dead after that day, just stunned at what had happened.

But, that was 12 years ago. And what happens? We forget.

We get busy. Life returns to normal. Those of us that remain, we eventually return to the normalcy of life. We forget.

Today, though, stop. Remember.

One of the things that we do as humans is build monuments. In scripture we build altars. As governments and people, we build monuments and memorials. Why? Because it’s human nature to forget.

We just do. We forget.

Today, go back in your mind to 12 years ago. Remember where you were. Remember what you felt. Remember. And then, go and thank a first responder. Or someone in the military. Any of these persons that would run into the fire while we ran the other way.

Remember. And then let that memory prompt action.

May we never forget where we where 12 years ago today. May we remember. And may we be faithful 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.

God Remembers

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Andy Stoddard

One of the things that I’ve written about many times is that God forgets. He is a forgetful God.

What do I mean by that?

When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. He will forgive, and forget.

That gives me, that gives us, great confidence.

In our reading today, through, we see that God actually does remember through. Listen to what it says in Luke 1: 72-75:

to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Zechariah is praising God for His faithfulness, and he says this in his song of praise. He says that God is a God that remembers His promises.

He doesn’t forget. He remembers what He said that He would do. He remembers His covenants. He remembers His promises.

He remembers that He promised not to leave or forsake you.

God remembers. He remembers His word. He remembers what He said that He would do.

He has promised to deliver and save us.

And He will.

Today, rest in the knowledge that God forgets our sins. And live in the hope that God remembers His promises!

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.

Forgetful

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Andy Stoddard

It’s a bad thing that we can be forgetful. Each of us, through out our days, can forget to do things. We can forget important things. We can forget silly things. We can forget.

Our nature is to be forgetful.

That’s one of the reasons why all through the Old Testament, God has His people always build alters and monuments. He does this so that they will remember. They will remember what He has done and who He is.

He did this so that they will remember, and teach their children. He wanted people to remember His faithfulness.

He wants us to remember. But, for God, He forgets.

Wait, what?

Yep. God will forget? What do I mean? Listen to what it says today in Psalm 25:6-9:

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgression. God is that God that when it comes to our confessed sin, is forgetful.

He purposely forget them. When we confess them, when we give them to Him, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.

Yeah, forgiving them is one thing.

Then, He takes it a step further. He forgets them. It’s like they never happened. As it says in another Psalm, our sins are as far as the east is from the west in the mind of God.

That sin that you can’t move past. That you can’t forgive yourself of. That you can’t get of your mind?

God has not only forgive you of that sin. He’s forgotten that has happened. His grace, His love, His mercy. It’s that great.

Today, let’s remember what God has done for us. And let’s be thankful to Him that He forgives, and forgets our sin.

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.

We Remember. Then Forget

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

If you’ve read my thoughts for any time at all, you’ll know that I just love the Psalms. I think they are my favorite parts of scripture. They are full of worship of God,they are full of emotion, they are full of all the things that we go through and we experience.

They describe our success,they describe our failure.

They describe how we are faithful, the describe how we go wrong.

They, in short, lay out for us the whole of the human experience. Everything we know, everything we can do, we can find there in the Psalms.

Today, listen to the words of Psalm 106. It’s a little bit longer passage of scripture than I normally reference, but it lays this out for you:

Like our ancestors, we have sinned.
We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
Our ancestors in Egypt
were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
Even so, he saved them—
to defend the honor of his name
and to demonstrate his mighty power.
He commanded the Red Sea to dry up.
He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
So he rescued them from their enemies
and redeemed them from their foes.
Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
not one of them survived.
Then his people believed his promises.
Then they sang his praise.
Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!
They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
In the wilderness their desires ran wild

This describes the history of the people of Israel. The people forget what God has done. They forget His faithfulness. They forget His saving hand.

And, in spite of that, He saves them anyway. He restores them anyway. He stands for them anyway.

In spite of what they’ve done wrong. In spite of their sin. In spite of their failing. God loves them. And He acts out of His great love for His people.

And all is right, for a little while. The people obey. The people listen. The people follow. For a little.

Then, they forget. They forget what God has done, and then they fall back into sin.

And it happens again, and again, and again.

They remember, and then they forget.

And in spite of it, God loves.

Today, don’t forget what God has done for you. Don’t forget what God is doing for you. Don’t forget how God has saved you, loved you, forgiven you.

Don’t forget.

Because when we forget, we get ourselves in trouble. We fall into sin. We make the mistake. We are wrong. We make that wrong step.

Remember. Remember what God has done, remember how God loves, remember who is His. Never forget.

And cling to His love for you, even in the tough times. Don’t forget.

He loves you. Don’t take it for granted. Don’t forget.

Don’t Forget

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

Not forgetting is a theme that comes up over and over again in scripture.

God knew that as people, we were prone to forget, to lose focus, to let our minds wander upon things that really shouldn’t be our focus. So, because of that, there is the biblical command over, and over, and over again to remember.

Remember what God has done for you. Remember where God has brought you from. Remember what God is doing for you. Remember what God has called you to.

Remember, remember, remember, remember.

Don’t forget your God. Listen what it says in Deuteronomy 8 today:

Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

My mama used to always say that God deserves credit for everything that we have ever done in our lives. Even the things that we have done by ourselves, if that is even possible.

Even if you’ve never been handed anything. Even if you’ve clawed for every last thing you’ve got. Even if you’ve sweated and bled over everything.

Who gave you the health to work?

Who gave you will power? Determination? Strength? Courage?

Just the ability to get out there and do, that comes from God. Never forget that.

In this text, God says, hey, things are going to get good. You’re going to get good land. Farms. Mines. Victories. You’re fixing to get some really good stuff.

Don’t, for one second, think you’ve done this on your own. This is God’s gift to you. All of it. Every last bit.

The same thing in our lives. Everything good. Everything. From our families, to our jobs, to our hobbies to, well, everything, it all comes from God. Everything.

Don’t forget. All good things come from God. All of them.

Don’t forget. Today, and every day. Remember to be thankful for what you have. And remember who those good things come from.

They are from God. Don’t forget.

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Tag Archives: Remember

Doubting and Remembering

When We Can’t Feel His Presence

Why God is Patient

What Do You Remember?

Not Forgotten

Remember

God Remembers

Forgetful

We Remember. Then Forget

Don’t Forget