Declare His Praises!

1 Peter 2:9-10 

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

This scripture is admonishing us to praise the One who has called us out of darkness. The One who came to this earth and put it all on the line to save our broken lives from emptiness and loss. The One who loves us through anything we face, whether it was our fault or not. The One that goes by the name of Jesus Christ, our Messiah. 

The interesting thing about this scripture is that it does not say to praise Him because you had a nice day and no one interrupted your perfect little world. It doesn't say to praise Him because your car started today. It doesn't say that we should praise Him because our checking accounts are always in the black and there's ample money to go on vacation. It doesn't say to praise Him because those around us always do and say the right things. It doesn't tell us to praise Him for anything that may or may not have happened today, a month ago, or in our lifetime. We are to praise our loving God for what He accomplished on the cross over 2000 years ago! We praise Him because He showed us His great mercy and He called us His own! WOW!

Did you catch that? He called us His own! Just imagine, for a moment, that you are back in Jr. High, and the geekiest, most nerdy kid walks into the lunch room and is trying to find a place to sit. You notice that everyone is spreading out to make sure there is no room for him to sit with them. No one wants to claim him. Why would they not want to be around him? Well, mostly, they are worried that he will hurt their reputations. They are worried that this nerdy dork of a guy will make social mistakes that will embarrass them. 

They want nothing to do with this defective human. Then all of a sudden you stand up and say, "Hey Eugene!" (Eugene is the name of our fake nerd.) "I have been saving you a seat. Come sit by me." You claim him, when no one else would. Isn't this a touching story? Well it IS a true story,  but the sad part is that WE are Eugene and the world is our lunch room. We try to make ourselves fit in so many social circles, but the truth is, none of them will truly accept us for who we are. The truth is that we are all broken and we will all embarrass ourselves and those closest to us with what we say and do. But here is the merciful and loving part. There is one being who is sitting in this lunch room and calling out our name. There is one being who knows every bad decision that we have made and that we will make and still chooses to claim us anyway. That being is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This is the reason we worship Him. This is the underlying cause for our hearts and minds to daily submit and give God all the worship and honor He deserves. 

The Many Ways We Worship

1. What we do when no one else is watching

2. Sharing testimonies about God's fingerprints in our lives

3. Submitting our decisions to God

4. Allowing God to speak into our lives through His word, His people, and circumstances

5. Being consistent in our walk with Him

6. Following His directions

7. Keeping a tight reign on our tongue

8. Not allowing our minds to wander

9. Serving others

10. Doing a good job at whatever you put your hand to

Oh yeah, I almost forgot--we can sing His praises also :)

So whatever you are facing today, no matter how broken and unusable you feel, don't let it affect the praising of your God. Jesus loves you right where you are at! He loves you for who are! He also knows that if you will just focus on praising Him, He can begin to mend your brokenness. He not only has claimed you as His own, but He also has a great plan for you!

GROW UP!

I don't want to... I don't want to... I don't want to... 

1 Peter 2:1-3

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

This week I was continuing with my studying of 1 Peter and I couldn't get past this portion of scripture. What does it mean to grow up in my salvation? Does this mean studying more? Does it mean putting a bumper sticker about being a Christian on my car, talking in Christian lingo or listening to more Christian music? 

I remember, in my younger days, being told in no uncertain terms that I needed to "grow up." Do you remember being a child and making decisions that seemed to benefit you, with no regard for anyone but yourself? I would like to say that I have grown past this behavior, but I find that even now, on many occasions, my first response is still very child-like. When I read this scripture, the Lord reminded me that He does not want me to stay where I am at; rather, He wants me to continue to grow in what He has for me.

Here are a few questions that I have been asking myself in regards to my own personal growth. Consider it a little self-examination.

1. Do you throw tantrums when you don't get your way?

Just the other day I was watching the interaction of a mom and child at the grocery store. The son wanted a toy and the mother said no. This kid started crying, whining, screaming, and then fell on the ground, throwing his little tantrum. I am sure none of us want to admit that we behave anything like this. However, if we will look a little closer into our lives, we will see that  these tantrums are usually the cause of most arguments with those we love, as well as the breach in our relationship with God. 

2. Do you always have to be right?

My son is a classic example of having to be right. He is only 10 years old, but you would think that he has outlived us by more than 100 years, simply by the way he tries to prove how wrong we are, and how correct he is. Here is what I have learned about being correct:  if I have to argue and fight with someone to prove that I am right, then it probably means that I am insecure about my answer and that I am actually probably wrong.

3. Do you take the time for the healthier things in life and not just the experiences you enjoy?

Or as the famous song goes, "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys 'R Us kid, there's a million toys at Toys 'R Us that I can play with! More bikes, more trains, more video games, it's the biggest toy store there is! I don't want to grow, because then if I did, I wouldn't be a Toys 'R Us kid!" 

One would think, as an adult, all of the distractions would disappear and it would be easier to focus on the Lord, and not on things I want and crave for. In reality, this is the farthest thing from the truth. As an adult, I find that I rationalize more often, and create more sophisticated lies to my self of why the distractions are necessities, even to the point where I call these distractions gifts from God. I know this is a touchy point so let me make my point very clear. All of the things we accumulate, all of the titles and accomplishments, and all of the extras in this life are not the problem- unless, they are a problem. So, it is up to each of us, individually, to sit before God, and allow Him to evaluate our heart motives. It is on our shoulders to make sure we have people we can trust, in our lives, that will tell us the truth. And it is crucial that we take the time to look in the mirror and see what is hidden in the darker parts of our hearts.

4. Can you follow?

This may be a strange question to ask, because as a young man, I found myself in so much trouble for trying to follow the crowd. But the Lord is teaching me that He is the only one I need to follow, the only voice I need to hear, the only one who truly knows what is best for me and my family. So, can you follow? Not the crowd, but the Lord?

5. Can a moment of your day go by without it being about you?

When my kids were young it seemed every day was all about them. They needed to eat, sleep, poo, change the poo, laugh, play, and then eat and sleep again. If there was a moment of the day that wasn't about them, they would cry and then make it about them again. One of the results of maturity is the ability to allow life to be about other people and their needs and wants, and not only our own.

Final Bonus Question:

Does my faith fall apart if there are moments in life when I do not understand what God is doing?

My answer to this is a bit more complicated than maybe it should be, but the truth is, it depends on the day. There are some days that my faith seems as strong as it ever has 

been, and I can face whatever is thrown at me. Then there are other days where I feel so immature, insecure, lacking the perspective I need to get through the day. One of my biggest prayers is that the Lord helps me mature to the place where my faith is not tied to circumstance but to His unending love and promises.

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child,

 I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Dear Lord,

Please help me grow up and understand that you have a destiny for my life. Give me strength when the growing pains are overwhelming and the doubts set in. Help me to stop acting like a child and grow up in my salvation. Teach me how to be as committed to this process of growth as you are. I do love you and trust you. Amen

Do You Trust Me?

Why does this seem to be the scariest question that one can ask? Remember on Aladdin, when Aladdin wanted Jasmine to jump out of the window with him? What did he ask her? "Do you trust me?" You can always be sure that when someone asks this question, it implies that there is something around the corner that will possibly shake your world, or maybe even kill you.

Throughout scripture, the Lord constantly asked this very question:

• Abram was asked to leave his comfortable land to a place unknown

• Moses was asked to become a public speaker and leader

• Gideon was asked to fight against thousands of men with only a few hundred soldiers

• King David was asked to walk away from his kingdom

• Jeremiah was asked to prophesy a message of destruction

• Mary, as a teenager, was asked to carry the Son of God

• Peter was asked to walk away from his family business

• Paul was asked to stand up against the very system he fought for

Every time the Lord asked one of these people to follow Him, what He was truly asking was, "DO YOU TRUST ME?"

There is a story that I found years ago that the Lord keeps bringing me back to during this season of my life.

There was a man that was out mountain climbing and rappelling down the side of a mountain with a 500-foot drop. As he was on his way down, part of his climbing gear snapped and he found himself at the end of his rope, hanging on for dear life. He then begin calling out to his maker. "Lord, if you save me, then I will do anything you want. Please help! Just tell me what to do. I will do anything!" Then the Lord spoke up. "Do you trust me?" The man replied to the

Lord, "Of course I trust you. Now will you please save me! I will do anything." The Lord then shared with the man this great plan to save him from his predicament. "If you want to be saved, you just have to do one thing." "What is it?" the man cried out in desperation. "Let go of the rope."

Have you ever found yourself in this situation? I am finding that I do not always understand, or even like God's plans. They seem to ask me to trust in an ending I can't see, and in a process that will probably bring pain before there is completion.

This last week, the Lord kept bringing me back to 

1 Peter, chapter 1.

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

At first glance, this scripture made me smile because of the mercy and hope that is promised. There is an inheritance spoken of that can not spoil or fade. And, ooh, did you read where the almighty God has a great big shield where He will protect us all until we get there? It even speaks of the salvation of our souls. What can be wrong with a chapter that speaks of so many wonderful promises?

It is the part about being refined by the fire and being proved genuine that causes my distress. It is the part of the plan that takes place between the present time and the time when we reach heaven. You see, there have been no promises of an easy, stress-free life offered in scripture. The Bible is very clear that the Lord disciplines those He loves.

Discipline does not always equal punishment. If you were to learn the discipline of silence, it would mean that you have practiced being silent enough that you are able to keep your mouth shut even when it goes against the very nature of what you want to do. The Lord is teaching us to discipline our minds and hearts. The only process that works for us broken, prideful, arrogant humans, is the crucible. The crucible is a vessel that is placed into very hot temperatures and used to melt elements that are placed inside. We must be thrown into the fire from time to time to keep our hearts and minds from wandering astray.

I was reading out of the book of Job with my wife the other day. With each new trial and devastation that came into Job's life, it seemed that God was asking the question, "Do you trust me?" After the first bit of news, I could imagine Job crying out to His maker but remaining as strong in his faith as before. However, after 3 more messengers came, each carrying their own stories of devastation, I would think Job would be very tired of this horrible question.

And yet right now, this also seems to be the question that God is asking me. I would like to be holy and pure and tell you that my faith has remained perfectly strong, and that I trust my God implicitly, but that would be a lie. Walking through the storms the Lord has allowed in life can be very grueling and pain-staking. But I have found that at my weakest moments, when I am ready to throw in the towel, the Lord finds a way to speak hope and peace into my heart, and I am then able to take that next necessary step.

5 Ways You Can Test Your Level of Trust in God

1. Forgive

Allowing the Lord to deal with those who have wounded us, in His time and in His way, is one of the most difficult things for us to do. But if we dwell on the trespasses against us and take matters into our own hands, then we are pushing God aside and pretty much telling Him that we do not trust Him. Believe me, it would be so beautiful if every time someone brought pain and injury into my life, there was this fantastic little button that brought great retribution--a Torture Button! Now don't act like you wouldn't want one of these buttons! But there is only one problem. We would all walk around torturing each other because we have all hurt, offended and maimed one another. Forgiveness is truly the only option.

2. Be Kind To Your Enemy

In the Christian culture of today we do not really call "people" our enemies. We call situations "bad," there are people who "hurt" us, but the only enemy we refer to is Satan and his minions. There is a lot of truth to the concept of people not being our enemy and Satan being the only true nemesis. But Satan is not our only enemy and at times our enemies seem to be living and breathing people. This is why the Lord admonishes us to love our enemies. If Satan was our only enemy then the Lord would not have asked us to love him. 

King David struggled with this. He prayed constantly for help with those enemies that surrounded him:

Psalm 27:5-7

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.

So how do we love our enemies? We pray for them, and commit them to the Lord. Like it or not that person is a child of God and He has a great plan for them. Just like He has a great plan for us.

3. Give Away Your Money

It is always interesting to see where my heart is when it comes to the idea of trusting the Lord with my finances. As most of you know, we have recently gone through some major changes with employment. Needless to say the amount of money that is coming into our checking account is pretty much as low as when we were in college (and that is scary). It would be so easy for me to somehow talk myself into all of the reasons that God and those people surrounding us do not need our money as much as we do. However, the truth of it is that we can not afford to stop giving. Not only do God's promises flow through a giving heart, but it is one of the most crucial ways to keep our hearts soft and our eyes focused on God's plan.

4. Serve More Than You Are Being Served

This goes against everything the world teaches and most songs that are being sung. We are told to take care of ourselves and that we are #1. But the Bible makes it very clear that it is the last who will be first. When we serve instead of waiting to be served, we have created an opportunity for the Lord to step in and show His grace in our lives.

5. Follow What You Hear And Not What You See

When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to participate in my first Ropes Course. A Ropes Course is an obstacle course that is designed to teach you about yourself by having you take part in group activities that challenge your ability to trust, to communicate, to follow, etc. On one of the days, they had us blindfolded and expected us to walk on the top of an obstacle course made out of wooden stumps that were about 4 feet off the ground. The leader of this event assigned us a guide that was not blindfolded, and we were told to follow their direction as we walked on the top of these stumps. There were a few problems with this particular scenario. First, I did not have a chance to even see what these stumps looked like, so I was forced to completely trust whatever was being told to me. Second was the fact that I did not know who this person was that was giving me direction. I did not know his name and I sure did not trust him with my life. So the challenge began. You would think that I could just follow the directions that were given, right? But no, not me. Even with me being blindfolded, I somehow thought I was better qualified to decide where to step. But the truth of the matter is I almost fell off of the course every time, until I gave in and just listened to the person leading me. Sadly, this is a lesson I am still trying learn. I need to accept that the Lord is the only one who truly can see what is going on, and I need to not only focus on hearing His voice, but also focus on trusting what He is asking of me.

The Lord's question:

"Do you trust me?"

My response:

"Lord I want to say YES! I want to say that no matter what happens I will trust you and will let go of the rope. But I am finding that there is a war going inside of my mind and heart. There are times that my faith is lacking and I want to grab onto to the nearest solid-looking foundation. Please help my unbelief."

What will your response be?

Attempting the Impossible

This is the day that you have been trying to avoid. It is the day that you have been asked to jump farther than you can jump, run faster than you can run, and stand longer than you can stand. It is the day that you have been asked to face your own shortcomings and failings. It is the moment when, no matter how you line it out, draw it up or piece it together, you can not accomplish what is being asked. This day is not yesterday, today or tomorrow. It is actually all of them put together. It is your everyday!

1 Peter 1:13-16

13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Why has the Lord asked this of us, when He knows even better than we do, that we can not complete this task? What possibly could we benefit by being reminded that we are going to fall on our face as we try to live this life? Is it even worth trying?

Over the years I have treated this scripture very carefully, as to try and defend God and His words. I did not want anyone to feel too badly about themselves and the fact that they should plan to fail every day of their lives. There have even been times that I have wanted to skip it all together because surely God could not mean what He says there.

I am finding, however, that God does not need anyone, especially me, to defend His words; and that which is written in His book is exactly what He has purposed. This scripture reminds us how much Jesus needed to come die for our sins, and just how much we need to seek Him on a moment-by-moment basis. He wants to make it very clear that in our own strength, we will only fall on our face and damage our lives and those around us. We must seek God's strength and direction every day we live.

When you wake up in the morning and have a bad attitude.... Ask God for Help!

When your marriage has weeds growing in it that must be pulled.... Ask God for Help!

When you look at your checkbook and you know that there's just no way... Ask God for Help!

When you look at your child and you wonder what God was thinking... Ask God for Help!

When you are at work and your boss won't let up.... Ask God for Help!

When you are lonely and your world feels empty... Ask God for Help!

When the fear inside of you begins to overtake your decision making... Ask God for Help!

I can keep writing these all day long. Whatever it is you are facing, do not try and accomplish it on your own! You are not smart enough, strong enough, stable enough or anything enough to handle the pressures of this life.

So, back to the question I asked earlier... "Is it even worth trying?"

YES! I was watching the movie "Popeye" last night with my son, and Popeye was up against a horrible situation. He not only had Bluto trying to steal his treasure, his girlfriend, and PeeWee (the child that the stork brought him), but it also seemed that everyone who was trying to help him only made things worse. And did I mention a giant squid was attacking them as well? He was at his wit's end, sinking in the water, losing all his strength. He was ready to give up. Then it happened! His father opened the treasure box and gave Popeye the treasure. It was spinach! Oh yes! Once Popeye ate the spinach he had the power to beat up Bluto, get Olive Oyl and Peewee back. And yes, he even hit the giant squid and sent him halfway around the world. All because he stopped trying to be strong enough by himself and ate his spinach.

Though this movie may be a funny way to explain God's empowerment in our lives, the parallelism into Popeye's world is amazing. We each have personally tried to fight our "Blutos" and our "Giant Squids" and if we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we have failed every time. As we try to do all this ourselves, our Father in Heaven is trying to remind us that He has a treasure that will give you all of the answers, strength and fortitude to live your daily life. That treasure is a relationship with Jesus Christ. The way that we can keep this relationship strong is to daily be filled by the Holy Spirit, take time to read God's word, and seek God moment by moment in your day.

In other words...

EAT YOUR SPINACH!

Take a moment and reflect in your own life. What is the "Grand Canyon" that you are being asked to face? Take some time to give it to the Lord! Ask Him what He thinks of the situation and how you are to respond. You may find that instead of jumping the canyon, He has made a whole new path for you to get to the other side. Or maybe... just maybe... He will give you wings.

Taking the First Step

It seems that the first step is always the most difficult in almost anything we put our hand to. For those who know they need to start that diet, begin working out, start saving money, (fill in the blank), it seems that tomorrow is a better day to begin than today. 

I now find myself in the same situation when it comes to writing this blog. After 15 years of teaching, preaching and sharing God's word with those surrounding me, due to some unforeseen circumstances, and a few life explosions, I found myself questioning everything that the Lord has asked of me. One of the biggest questions that has been ringing in my ears is, "God, do you still have a plan for me?" For those who know me, this may sound crazy, but even when you survive an earthquake, sometimes the aftershocks leave you laying on the ground, and the thought of standing up again is a bit scary. 

This last week,my family and I went on a vacation to Ocean City, NJ. Thanks to some dear friends we had a place to stay. Did I mention we were two blocks from the beach? We were able to enjoy their company, some family time, the boardwalk and the beach. On the morning of the 4th of July, I awoke at 5:00 AM. This was not a good thing because I was up the night before until about 1:00 AM. But I awoke and quickly recognized it as one of those times that the Lord had woken me from my slumber. I got dressed and took a walk down on the beach. The conversation I had with the Lord was a conversation that I am sure you have had with Him any time you are dealing with questions, loss, pain or you are just plain lost. It went something like this...

"Lord, what is going on? I am so lost! I do not know what to do and do not have the strength to keep wandering. I need to know what you want me to do. Why does it seem you are so quiet?" In all honesty, I think I said. "Lord, what the HELL is going on?" But in the future you can put in your own expletives as it is one thing to say them to the Lord and chance getting struck by lightning, but a whole other issue to actually write them down and then feel guilty. 

So I asked Him these questions. Thanked Him for the freedom He has given us. Not just as a US citizen but as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. That is the only real place that freedom is found. Then I sat on the beach, watching the waves, and stayed quiet hoping that He would speak audibly to me, have me find a bottle in the sand with a note in it, or He would send someone to come and encourage me and tell me how much God loves me. After being down at the beach for about an hour I went back to our beach house and then climbed back into bed. I know in scripture God talks to people in all sorts of ways but it seems he chooses to use my dreams a whole lot to get my attention and give me direction.

In my dream, I was with a group of people I did not know and I was bringing them to Jesus. They each had their excuses why they had not found Him yet but once they met me I was able to bring them to Jesus. I knew exactly where He was. After I brought these people to Jesus then He turned to me and had some one on one, God to man time. In my dream I asked Him once more, "What am I supposed to be doing, who am I, what have you called me to do after this great earthquake in my life?"

I was waiting for Him to put His arms around me and coddle me like an infant. But that did not happen. He seemed a little frustrated with me and said, "Why are you asking me these questions? You already know what to do! I told you what to do years ago. I have made you to lead others to me." He seemed genuinely sorry that I was wounded and bleeding from life's punches but then said, "Go do what I created you to do!"

Now this may seem harsh or mean but it is exactly how I father my children. I cannot tell you how many times I give instruction to my children and tell them what to do and even how to do it. Then they get distracted. Yes, some distractions may seem more legitimate than others but in the end I still want them to do what I originally asked of them. Just tonight I had to ask my kids what they were doing because somehow between the car and the house they forgot what I had instructed them to do. In my life, God has given me a clear direction since I was 8 years old and that is to love and encourage people into God's presence.

What has God asked of you?

Yes, you may have some distractions. You may even be bleeding from wounds you have created yourself, or wounds that others have inflicted onto you. Take the time you need to heal but do not allow the enemy of your soul to convince you that God is somehow finished with you. This world has so many people that are hurting and bleeding. Maybe now that you have a few wounds you can be an example of what it means to press through the pain and keep your faith and trust in Jesus. As I write this, I feel a little bit like a hypocrite because I am struggling at this very moment to run and hide and live my life for me. You see my flesh had gone into a self-preservation mode. It is saying, "If you step out again you will only get hurt! Many people live for Jesus and nobody knows about it. Just stay where it is safe and secure! Stay quiet and go about your life." Do you see that this is a cop out and a lie? I must take this body that wants to run and hide and put it into submission. 1 Corinthians actually talks of beating our body and making it a slave. This is not a one time decision but a moment by moment choice that will allow the Spirit of God to guide you. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

 

Here are some questions for the week...

• Are you spending enough time with your Lord that if you needed to show other people where He is, you could lead them?

• Are life's distractions causing you to take your focus off of the Lord?

• Is serving Jesus happening in your home with your spouse and children? Leading and loving people is a lifestyle! It is who you are when you just simply exist. It is not something you have to plan and put on a calendar. If it is not happening at home, then it probably is not as genuine as one would hope.

• What is your first step into what God is asking of you? Or for some of you what is the next step?

For me the first step was to commit some regular time to this blog. I hope you are challenged and encouraged enough with these words to spend some time with your Jesus. Take that much needed step today and begin seeing where the Lord will take you on this journey we call life.