FoTS - Faithfulness

Here's a true saying: As faithful as a dog is to his master, so a Christian should be to God.

Faithfulness has an eternal quality to it. A devotion. It is something that accompanies love. And there is a certain amount of sacrifice in there as well. Today's Fruit of the Spirit is #7 of 9 on our Fruit of The Spirit journey.

The first example of faithfulness that pops into my head in the Bible is that of Job. He did a lot of whining and complaining throughout the book but, even though trial after excruciating trial, he never gave up on God.

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." - Job 1:1

In a single day, Satan took away his camels, donkeys, and sheep, killed all his servants, and killed all of his children as well. Yet, this is how Job reacted:

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

    and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

    may the name of the Lord be praised."

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” - Job 1:20-22

Wow! Now that's faithfulness!

Another biblical example of faithfulness is Ruth. She stuck by Naomi when the going got tough. Even after Naomi told her to go back home.

"And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God." - Ruth 1:15-16

Questions:

1. Who, in your life, exhibits Ruth's faithfulness?
2. What does faithfulness require from us?
3. Jesus praised the "good and faithful servant." Are you worthy of such praise?
4. What could you do today as an example of faithfulness?
5. What does being faithful to God look like in today's world?

The Devoted Things

Shortly after Moses died, Joshua was charged with bringing God's people into the Promised Land. There's a major lesson to be learned in this.

God's people had just taken Jericho according to God's command. The walls came tumbling down and God brought about a great victory. However, not everyone obeyed what they had been told NOT to do. Joshua told them this:

"The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord." - Johsua 6:17

That seems pretty clear. And then Joshua emphasized this in the next verse too.

"But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it." - Joshua 6:18

Again, that's pretty clear. And note the word 'trouble.'

"But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel." - Joshua 7:1

Uh-oh. That's not good.

[Side note: Achan's name literally means 'trouble' in Hebrew.]

So, the Israelites were feeling pretty confident after taking down Jericho. TOO confident. They attacked the next town without consulting The Lord and were routed.

THEN Joshua talked to God to find out what was wrong and God let him know. They soon figured out it was Achan and confronted him. Achan was then stoned to death and the devoted things were burned. Yikes!

This story begs the question, "What are OUR devoted things?" And do we have anything in our possession from other religions or beliefs? What are WE devoted to? Let's think about it.

Do we have a yoga mat? Maybe you think I'm "stretching things" a bit too far but yoga is a religious practice. Let's look it up.

Traditional yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as practiced by the Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions.

Are you or your kids dressing up for Halloween? What as? Or do you like Taylor Swift? Lots of people do. Read this from an article in the Christian Post about Taylor Swift:

"As Christians, who are filled with the Spirit, should we be entertained by, sing with, and expose our kids to lyrics that aren't just different than what you believe, but are actually mocking what you believe?"

Look what's covering Taylor's costume in the picture above. Hmm. Looks like a bunch of . . . SERPENTS. Or am I wrong?

Are we devoted to God? Or are we devoted to the world we live in and the things in it?

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

Taylor Swift - The Christian Post

The Devoted Bride

Many things crossed my mind as I was being transported from one hospital to another last week. I had suffered a heart attack,  or so I was told, and the local ER doctor wanted me to see a cardiologist. So, off we went!

I never thought about it before but when you ride in an ambulance you end up looking out the rear window. The entire way. As I did so, I had lots of time to think about things from the past. How fitting to be actually physically looking backwards as I did so.

It was raining outside but I could still see the headlights of my wife's car glowing through the mist kicked up by the ambulance. She, my loving wife and devoted bride, is my story for today.

I had woken her up out of a sound sleep the night before to tell her that I was having chest pains. I hated doing that because I knew how much she loves me and I knew she would immediately be worried.

At the hospital my wife stood by my side, holding my hand, adjusting my blanket, answering questions. And there was no doubt that she was praying for me. My wife was very focused on my wellbeing.

Later, after we were home, I told her how much I appreciated her attention, even though I was kind of busy doing other things at the time. Her love and devotion were VERY evident.

Then I wondered. Would I do the same for her? Well, of course I would! She's my bride, my other half.

Then something else crossed my mind as I traveled along...backwards that day.

Am I that devoted to God? Am I always willing to sacrifice myself for Him? The answer has to be more than 'I hope so." The answer must be 'absolutely.'

We, the church, are the bride of Christ. Are we devoted to our bridegroom, Jesus?

So, my prayer, as I watched my wife's example of devotion, was just that. And let it be our prayer today - that we would all be more devoted to our spouses, yes. But that we would also be more devoted to our God.

Let us follow Him wherever He leads us. No matter what the cost. No matter what pain might be involved. If our focus is on God, we can overcome any obstacle in our path. Even death.

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12: 9-12

Amen!

I Never Knew

I was watching a disc golf video the other day when I heard the commentator say something that surprised me. He was talking about one of the young players who had a unique putting stance. Here's how the conversation went:

"See what I mean by, 'He doesn't use his legs much'?

"At ALL, on that one."

"It's just a lot of arms. You don't see that very often. You know, maybe when he broke his leg, and he didn't use his legs much."

"The first time I met him, the kid was on crutches. His leg was in like a two-foot-long cast or something and his leg was all messed up. Something happened to his leg. He was just standing there, winging the discs in from 40 and 50 feet."

"And maybe that has something to do with it cuz he didn't have much legs to work with. Literally. He was just standin' there on crutches."

Look at that picture. You can almost see the crutch under his left arm now. That's love for the game. That's devotion. Despite a childhood injury, this kid just kept on practicing, serving up putt after putt. He did what he was had to do, and it turned into something successful. This kid is 17 years old and one of the top players in the world.

What do our lives in Christ look like when others see us in action? It didn't take this announcer long to figure out why Gannon Buhr putts the way he does. Will someone be able to figure out that we are Christians by the way WE act? By the way we serve?  By the way we love others?

We also can do a pretty good job of hiding things from others. Do we really know what people are going through on the inside as they walk through their day? They may look all fine and dandy on the outside but are they only standing upright by leaning on emotional crutches?

There is an old hymn that states, 'They will know we are Christians by our love." Will they? Really?

One last thought. Do you remember God's conversation with Satan in the Book of Job? God said,

"Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil." - Job 1:8"

Can the same be said of us? Time to get to work.

I'll Follow The Son

Here's how my mind works. I can go from a 'cat' to 'The Beatles' to 'Jesus' in 0.5 seconds.

I was sitting in the living room the other day when my wife comes walking in. She looked at our cat and said, "The last time I came in here he was sitting over there and now he's over here."

"He likes to follow the sun," I replied. Sun . . . SON.

And there you have it. I'm thinking about Jesus. AND for a special bonus, I am singing a Beatles song along the way.

"One day, you'll look to see I've gone, for tomorrow may rain so I'll follow the sun."

Only I sing "sun" with a capitol 'S' and an "O' instead of a "U."

Jesus has that effect on people. Once you meet Him you will become changed. You will never be able to forget Him.

Some people don't like to "follow the Son" and that's their choice. It's a fatal choice, but it is theirs to make, even though that choice will lead to their death.

I have non-believing friends and family members, as I am sure you do. I've tried talking to them, as I am sure you have too. Walls go up, defense systems are armed and active. Still, I think, we must never stop trying. Our words and our actions WILL have an effect.

We all have struggles in our lives. Life 'rains' on our happy times. Still, through all of our struggles, through all of our pain, we'll follow the Son. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15

“Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you.

For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live;

your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.

May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely,

if anything but death separates you and me.” - Ruth 1:16-17

I'll Follow The Sun - The Beatles

I Will Follow - Chris Tomlin

Into Your Hands

As we read the Old Testament, there are times we read a verse and say, "Where have I heard THAT before?" Jesus and the disciples often quoted scripture. I was reminded of that fact this week as I read through the Book of Psalms.

How about this verse for example. Jesus said this while hanging on the cross.

"About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). - Matthew 27:46

Those were the words of David in Psalm 22.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" - Psalm 22:1

Here's another one:

"Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last." - Luke 23:46

"Into Your hands I commit my spirit," was something originally written by King David. Read Psalm 31:5

"Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God." - Psalm 31:5

Jesus was always about His Father's business. Even at the end of His earthly life, Jesus was quoting scripture. Impressive. Jesus wasn't thinking about Himself when He died. He was thinking about His Father. Will we have that kind of devotion when it is our time to commit our spirit into God's hands?

Into Your Hands

How focused on, and devoted to, God, The Father, was Jesus Christ, our Lord? Totally. 110% Can we say the same?

I was reading through the Book of Psalms this week when I came across a verse that made me stop and think for a bit.

"Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God." - Psalm 31:5

Gee, that sounded really familiar. That's because Jesus spoke those exact words from the cross. According to Luke, those were the last words Jesus spoke. Jesus quoted scripture just before He died.

"Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last." - Luke 23:46

Wow.

What an example of devotion! I hope that, when I die, I can have that kind of devotion. To use my last breath to quote scripture and to honor God.

But why wait until then? Why aren't we that devoted to God right now? Isn't that what disciples of Jesus should be? Totally devoted? Following their teacher?

When we place our faith in Christ, we should be saying those same words. Acknowledging our sins before God and then surrendering ourselves to Him should be paramount on our to-do list when we place our faith in Christ.

And let that be our prayer today!

Father, into Your hands I commit my day, my life, my everything. Do with my life as You will. I surrender it to you in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

We must do everything in this life with our Heavenly Father in mind. When we wake up, when we take a shower, when we eat breakfast, and when we fall asleep at night - do we think about Him? Do we honor Him? Do we praise Him?

I'm kind of thinking we should.

Into Your Hands - Matt Maher

I Can Do All Things

Do you know this man? His name is Stephen Curry. Most people know him as a professional basketball player. But if you asked Stephen, I think he'd rather be known as being something else.

Stephen Curry is a Christian and he doesn't mind telling people so. After each basket he points to heaven. That is a minor thing but words accompany his actions. He wears a Bible verse on his shoes - Philippians 4:13. Even his shoe company has picked up on the verse, using it in their ads.

"13 I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13

When asked about the verse on his shoe Mr. Curry said, "There's more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that's Christ living inside of me. I try to use every game as an opportunity to witness . . . be a witness for Christ. When I step on the floor, people should know who I represent, who I believe in. Jesus is everything to me."

Wow.

When was the last time you or I approached our jobs with THAT attitude? Do we walk down the aisles at work oozing Christ from every pore of our being? Or do we simply go through the motions, punching the clock, not wanting to get into the game?

I have heard people say, "Well, I can't really say stuff about my faith at work. I'll get fired."

To that I say, "Then get fired!"

"Choose this day whom you will serve" - Joshua 24:15

Who are we serving anyway? If we deny who we are in Christ in order to keep our jobs, who are we serving? Certainly not God!

As we walk around town today, as we meet people on the street or in the hallways at work, how will people know we are Christians? We have to be more than "nice." There are plenty of nice atheists in the world. We have to be more than a tee shirt or a cross around our neck. How will we look different than everybody else? The answer is simple. We have to love!!

Do we ooze the love of Christ? When people look at us, do they see Him? Do they think about Jesus when they think about us? They should.

The following link is to a video made by some teens. It's pretty good actually. It perfectly blends with the lyrics provided by Sidewalk Prophets. May it encourage us all to "live like that."

Live Like That - Sidewalk Prophets
Testimony: Stories of Active Faith: Stephen Curry

Being Intentional

Do you ever get those moments in life when something becomes abundantly clear, when before things always seemed cloudy and uncertain? That happens to me quite a bit. What causes the sudden certainty in our lives? Why, and how, do things suddenly become clear?

Perhaps it's some random thought that has been bouncing around in our head for a while and then, one day, we just finally figure out what to do with it. It could be God directing us to do something I guess, where He puts thoughts in our heads? Or maybe it's Satan doing the same thing. How do we know for sure if we should take a leap of faith

I was talking with a friend over the weekend (I think I mentioned this in my last blog post) about being intentional in our lives. What does "being intentional" look like in the world we live in? We can be intentional about taking our the garbage just like we can be intentional about prayer or going to church.

I think that if we are desiring to be intentional about doing something, that desire comes from us NOT doing something. Like eating healthy for example. Nothing makes me want to be intentional about dieting like stepping on the bathroom scale and weighing myself!

What about intentionality in our spiritual lives? Why do we read our Bibles some days and then others we let it slide? Are we too busy? Or are we just unintentional in our reading? And what about our diet? What makes us "tip the scales" in our minds about changing the way we eat or exercise?

I think we want to become intentional when things get bad enough or drift to an extreme to the point we wake up and say, "I have GOT to change something!"

What is the one thing you need to be intentional about? Is it your prayer life? Is it serving others in your community? Or maybe its time to start eating healthy or exercising more than you do. Everybody's got something they could change.

So what's holding us back?

Ourselves.

Our selfish desires.

"That chocolate cake looks SOOO good!"

No!! Be intentional about eating healthy!

I really don't feel like reading my Bible tonight."

Hey, this is God's Word. Perhaps He will reveal something in the scriptures that will change your thoughts . . . like being intentional! LOL!

Can I ask you a question? What made you choose Christ? And, if you haven't yet, why not? What suddenly makes it abundantly clear that we need Jesus in our lives? Are we intentional about seeking Him? Are we intentional in our faith today?

And finally, was there anyone more intentional that Christ? And if we are to become more and more like Him in the things we say and do, shouldn't we also become more intentional in our faith? In our actions? In our love? May we be more intentional today than we were yesterday. And may we be more intentional about sharing God's love and His message today than we have ever been.

Did you ever see the movie Facing The Giants? Remember the scene with the "death crawl"? Brock was intentional about only going a few yards, but his coach was intent on Brock going farther than that. Do you think God is happy with where we are with our faith right now? Or does He want us to be more intentional in the way we do things? DOes He want us to make it to the goal line? Perhaps we should ask Him.

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." - James 1:12

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." - 2 Peter 1:10

The Intentionality of Christ's Love and The Intentionality of His Death - John Piper

Death Crawl - Facing The Giants

You Can Have Me

My wife and I have been enjoying the warmth of our wood-burning fireplace this year. Bev had Monday off so she had a fire going all day. When I walked in the house after work the temperature was 78 degrees inside. That’s really warm! I could walk around inside in a tee shirt . . . in Wisconsin . . . in December.

On the days when my wife and I both work we come home to a cold house – usually in the low 60’s.

“Where did all our heat go!?!”

On my way to work this morning I heard one of my favorite songs on the radio – You Can Have Me by Sidewalk Prophets.

When I first heard that song several years ago it struck me pretty deep. One line in particular, but more on that in a moment.

When I first became a believer in Jesus I guess you could say I was on fire for The Lord. I had a passion for His Word, a passion to read ANYTHING about Him. My friend at work, the one who led me to Jesus, began calling me Sponge Bob because I soaked up God’s Word like a sponge soaks up water. My faith was all new and exciting back then. Now, nearly 10 years later, the fire has died down somewhat. It’s still burning but I miss the FIRE I once had. Back to that song now . . .

“When did love become unmoving? When did love become unconsuming?”

Ouch.

I guess that’s what the song speaks to – the fire in each of us. The fire for our Lord tends to fade after a while. It’s sad to admit but it happens. So what causes our fire to fade and grow dim? The second line of the chorus speaks to that. It tells us not only what dampens our fire for Jesus but it also tells us how to stop the fade.

“Forgetting what the world has told me.”

“The world” is what takes the oxygen away from our fire for Christ. The constant pull of it can choke out the flames. I have even seen fires even go out upon occasion. Sad. But the way we can keep the fire alive is written in the first world - “forgetting.” We are to forget what this world tells us and only listen to our Lord. Which bring is to the last line of the chorus, the title of the song, and what should be the cry of every Christian when he or she is faced with worldly desires.

“Father of Love, You can have me.”

One of the duties of every Christian is for us to examine ourselves to see where we might come up lacking. Even in our prayers we pray for this. David did this from his throne. When Nathan confronted David with his sins, David repented and prayed this prayer.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right[b] spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." - Psalm 51:1-12

You Can Have Me - Sidewalk Prophets

Devotion

We have two of the most annoying cats you could possibly imagine. One of them, which I have lovingly nicknamed "The Scrawn," loves to get into things. He grooms himself so much that there is a bald spot on his back. And he likes to clean his nether regions right in the middle of the living room floor with his hind leg held high in the air for all to see. He also loves my wife's lap. Wherever it might be, there shall he be also (That almost sounded like a Bible verse!) He loves my wife's attention!

Our other cat is kind of slow, both physically and mentally. His favorite thing is to sneak up behind us when we are in the kitchen and just sit there, waiting for one of us to trip over him. His other favorite trick is to simply fall over. That must take REAL skill! But late in the evening, after we have put both cats in the basement for the night, he loves to sit at the top of the stairs and meow. He almost yowls, it's so loud. He doesn't like to be separated from my wife.

I tell you about our two cats and their affection for my wife because they have something that many of us, including myself, lack in our faith lives. Devotion.

When I think of the word devotion I always think of those little booklets you can get at church. Devotionals are those little daily, encouraging stories we can read each day. We read the three or four paragraphs and the Bible verse at the bottom of each page and think, "There, now I'm good to go for the day." That is NOT devotion.

The 1828 Webster Dictionary defines "devotion" magnificently. There are eight different usages of the word. Read them all and let the meanings soak in. Do we live as though we are devoted to our God?

1. The state of being dedicated, consecrated, or solemnly set apart for a particular purpose.
2. A solemn attention to the Supreme Being in worship; a yielding of the heart and affections to God, with reverence, faith and piety, in religious duties, particularly in prayer and meditation; devoutness.
3. External worship; acts of religion; performance of religious duties.
4. Prayer to the Supreme Being. A Christian will be regular in his morning and evening devotions.
5. An act of reverence, respect or ceremony.
6. Ardent love or affection; attachment manifested by constant attention; as, the duke was distinguished by his devotion to the king, and to the interest of the nation.
7. Earnestness; ardor; eagerness.
8. Disposal; power of disposing of; state of dependence.

How often should we be devoted to God? Five minutes each day? An hour?

Let us live our lives in devotion to God. Not by simply reading a few lines of encouraging text each morning, but by living out our daily lives, each day and every day, totally devoted to God.

Today, instead of picking up that romance novel, pick up the Bible and spend some time with God or with someone you love. Instead of turning on the television, leave it off and call someone on the phone and tell them you love them. Bring honor to God by devoting yourself to Him today.

God gives us these days as gifts to be used to bring Him glory. Let's do that, as long as it is called today.

"12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." - Hebrews 3:12-14

If you do not have a devoted relationship with God, get one today. To do that we must repent of our sins, acknowledge that Jesus truly is who He said He is, the Son of God, and surrender your life, your heart, your devotion, to Him. He died for you, accepting the punishment for YOUR sins on Himself. How deoes one repay a gift like that? Devotion would be a good start.

Devotion by Hillsong United

Zealot

A zealot. Are zealots good things or bad things? What does the word zealot mean to you? A nut? A fanatic? The 1828 Webster Dictionary says a zealot is "One who is zealous; one who engages warmly in any cause, and pursues his object with earnestness and ardor; especially, one who is overzealous, or carried away by his zeal; one absorbed in devotion to anything; an enthusiast; a fanatical partisan."
The first thing that pops into MY head when I read that definition is The Green Bay Packers. Their fans I mean. They do crazy, outrageous things, all in the name of Packerdom. You've seen them on TV. Wearing next to nothing on icy cold days, screaming at the top of their lungs, beers in their hands . . . and those are just the women! Just kidding . . . but only slightly. The REAL idiots are usually the overweight men, with letters on their . . ab, spelling out Go Pack! as they stand in line with their friends, their fellow zealots. Insane right?

There are also religious zealots. When I think of that phrase I get the image of a middle eastern Islamic jihadist or a suicide bomber. A Muslim extremist, willing to die in the name of Allah, by walking into a crowd with an explosive-covered vest and pushing the button. I think that's probably where zealots get a negative connotation. They're extreme, they're radical, they're dangerous.

On the other hand there are the Orthodox Jews who spend all day reading the Torah, rocking back and forth in front of the Wailing Wall. Those guys are considered religious zealots as well.

Today, however, I want to write about another zealot, a religious zealot. His name is Jesus Christ.

If you go back and re-read that 1828 definition of the word you will find that "zealot" fits Jesus and his ministry quite nicely. Jesus had real zeal for His Father and the reason His Father sent Him.

Open your Bibles to the second chapter of John.

"13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” - John 2:13-17

Psalm 17:69:9 is the prophetic verse that speaks to the character of the coming Messiah.

So far we have looked at different types of zealots, people who are zealous about their favorite football team, people who are zealous about their faith and a Son who is zealous about His Father's business. But today I'd like to turn our focus inward, I'd like to ask you a very important question about your faith. Are YOU a zealot? You should be.

Are you "on fire" about God? Is He all you can think about from the moment you get up until them moment you go to sleep. And then, while you are sleeping, you dream about heaven and what it will be like. Are you like that? We should be. Read this verse . . .

"5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5

Later, Jesus would call this the Greatest Commandment. God's greatest commandment is for us to be . . . religious zealots!

That is a big problem in Christianity today. There are too many professing Christians are not really walking the walk, who are fooling themselves right into hell. It reminds me of the beginning words of a Dc Talk song which says

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

That is SO true!

We need to be zealous for The Lord, Our God. HE must be the focus of everything we do. Anything less would find us breaking The Greatest Commandment, as Jesus called it, in Matthew 22. And if we don't keep his commands, how do we professing Christians reconcile John 14:15 ?

"If you love me you will keep my commands."

So is that right? If we aren't zealous for God then we don't love Jesus? That, my friends, is 100% correct.

Let's become zealots . . . today . . . for our King!

Zeal for My Father's House by John MacArthur - a 34-minute message about the zealous Jesus.

Church

For most of my life "church" was a place to go - a destination. "Time to go to church! Let's go! We Don't want to be late!"

("What do you mean 'We don't want to be late'? I sure do! I HATE church! Church is boring.")

Spoken like a true unbeliever. I used to tell my wife that "church doesn't do anything for me." That statement  alone tells you what kind of "Christian" I was. I had no idea what church was to be about. No idea at all. Church is not about me and my "feelings." Church is not about "me" at all. It's about God!

When I first became a believer I joined TWO churches! I joined my wife's church, a very traditional Lutheran church on the outside but, as I would discover later, a very liberal, "progressive" church on the inside. I also joined "my" church, a very casual, welcoming church. Things were good. But then something began to happen between me and the churches that I was attending - I began to read the Bible. I began comparing what I was reading with what I was seeing in church. Things just didn't seem to line up.

Have you ever noticed that? You'll be sitting in church and all of a sudden you hear or see something that doesn't make sense. Those moments when something seems contrary to what you KNOW is true. Well, when those moments occur, what should we do about it?

The normal thing to do I guess is to simply ignore it. I call that Ostrich syndrome. Maybe, by sticking our heads in the sand, the problem will simply vanish. It will go away and things will be all better. That's like ignoring a tick when you see on crawling on your arm. We could ignore the problem but chances are that problem will just get worse and embed itself deeper and deeper.

We could complain I guess. We could speak up and let our voice be heard. But that might alienate us from "the crowd." What should we do? Where can we find some answers? Hmm. :)

Open your Bibles to Matthew 21 . . .

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” - Matthew 21:12-13

Now turn to the Book of Acts, the second chapter.

"42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." - Acts 2:42-47

Is your church like that? It should be. Let's summarize. The following is a list of things your church should be doing. If it is not, perhaps change is in order.

1. Devotion. The church should be devoted to teaching about God. Old and New Testament. That includes preaching the Gospel. Sin, repentance, forgiveness of sins through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
2. Fellowship. Fellowship is not eating doughnuts after church. It is coming together as a body for mutual edification and support. It'd talking about Jesus, not watching the game at church.
3. Communion. The breaking of bread - not only in church once a month, but always.
4. Prayer. Prayer is one of the most important parts of a Christians life. We are called to "pray continuously" (1 Thes 5:17) so we should probably do that, right?
5. Help. Jesus said "the poor you will always have with you." We are to help them. If one of our brothers of sisters are in need . . . NEED . . . we are to help them.
6. Attend. We are called to worship with other believers. This can happen in a large church or a small one, even a house church. We are called to worship . . . together.
7. Eat. We are to break bread together. This not only applies to our immediate, physical family but we are to break bread with other believers as well. See also point three above.
8. Worship. We are to praise God for all He has given us. This doesn't just happen in church but every day. Praise God always - for the blessings we receive as well as the trials. Praise Him in all circumstances.
9. Prepare. If we do all these thing, we must be prepared for the harvest. God will add to our number. That is not the job of the church.

Shortly before the instructions about communion appear in the book of First Corinthians, Paul admonished the church in his writings. He wasn't too happy about the direction the church in Corinth was headed, and he told them so. Many churches today are taking the same path that Paul specifically warns against in his letter. There are many denominations in the church today. Each on is sure theirs is the best. But there is really only one church. And it does not occupy a building either. It is the Church of Christ, comprised of believers from the entire planet. But how can we recognize the members of this church? Those goofy nametags some churches would like you to wear? Nope. It's by their fruit.

"18 . . . when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized." - 1 Corinthians 11:18-19

Lord Jesus, may your church be ready for your return. Your bride is dirty and tattered and totally unworthy. But through your sacrifice on the cross you have made us into a radiant bride. Pure, white as snow, for our long awaited wedding day.

Wedding Day by Casting Crowns

Die?

My daughter and her fiance recently had some engagement pictures taken - 180 of them to be exact. They all looked great. A link was placed on Facebook so friends and family members could go check them out. Soon the comments began to appear. "Love them! Especially the kissy face ones!" or "Love number 134 the best."

How can one picture be better than another? They all feature my daughter! :) You've probably heard the saying, "The camera does not lie." That is true. It simply takes pictures, recording exactly what it sees at a particular moment in time. People look exactly how they looked the second the photographer pulled the trigger. Sometimes the resulting picture isn't exactly what we were anticipating or hoping it would be, but none the less it is exactly the way it was.

The last four questions from my Lifest survey didn't provide too many "surprise pictures," except maybe for this first one I will be talking about. Oh, and the last question, but I will talk about that one in a moment. Question #7 was "Is God's Word inerrant, in other words, without error, 100% true? Or is the Bible more allegory, more along the lines of stories left open for interpretation?

Nearly 80% said the Bible is 100% truth! Honestly? I didn't think it would be that high. I was expecting more of an even split - kinda of a 50-50 sort of thing or 60-40. That was refreshing. Many of today's churches teach that the Bible contains errors and contradictions. That's kind of what the Muslims think about our Bible too. Both, I feel, are rather misinformed.
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"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," - 2 Timothy 3:16

Scripture may not always be what we want it to be or be as politically correct as some people think it should be but it's contents are like a picture. God's Word shows us exactly who God is and, just like the camera, God's Word doesn't lie.

Question eight and nine were very similar. Number eight was "If we can pick and chose what we believe in the Bible, who then determines what is right or wrong?" This was a trick question. Nearly everyone answered "God." That answer is not correct. Read the question again, especially the first part that says, "If WE chose . . ." If WE chose what we want to believe then WE ARE OUR OWN GOD! Only 15% answered correctly.

Question #9 "If we pick and chose what we believe about God, isn't that like creating our own custom God? And doesn't that then break the first commandment?"

To be honest, I wasn't really looking for "answers" to those last two questions. I just wanted to make people think, which I think I did. Some of the faces were priceless as they wrestled with the conflict within themselves. 86% agreed that picking and choosing what we believe from the Bible would, in effect, be creating a new god. And yes, that DOES violate the first commandment.

"If you love me you will keep my commands." - Jesus, John 14:15

The last question in my survey was one I have often asked people, trying to get a sense of their commitment to following Jesus. "Would you die defending your beliefs?" 61% said they would but 33% said they were unsure but that they hoped they would. That's honest. Only 6% said they would not die for what they believed.

 If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to scroll back up to the image at the beginning of this blog post. It is an old lithograph of Stephen, the first martyr, being stoned to death for his faith. Also, note the man standing back and to the right with someones cloak at his feet. Then read this . . .

"54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he (Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep." - Acts 7:54-60

This was the end of Stephens time here on earth. But it was also a beginning of sorts for someone else. The man named Saul in the text, guarding the cloaks of the men who were stoning Stephen, would later have an encounter on the road to Damascus. An encounter with the risen Jesus. Their meeting left Paul temporarily blind but it also allowed him to "see" for the first time. Saul was a new creation and even had a new name to go with it! Paul had been born again.

Each day in this life we will be faced with questions such as the ones I asked at Lifest. I pray that we all would pass the test and face those daily challenges with the truth of God's inerrant Word as our guide. Then we will know what is true and what is right and what is admirable. And we will know that we have passed the test and answered ALL of the questions correctly.

"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:4-9

Privilege

We here in the United States of America are very privileged. We can come and go as we please for
the most part. We don't need to carry any "papers" with us to tell the authorities who we are. We can even burn the American flag if we so choose, not that I ever would, but we are free to protest our own government. That is rare - a freedom that not everyone on this planet has. Freedom is truly a privilege, earned.

We can stand in the middle of our towns and pray to our God. We take that for granted. There are other Christians in this world who risk their very lives every time they even mention the name of Jesus. Yet, we take that for granted.

Many of our freedoms and our privileges come from those who have served in our military. Lives have been lost, sacrificed willingly, to defend and protect us and our country.What a privilege to live in a country like ours.

This past Wednesday I had the privilege of addressing our church's youth group. I got to deliver the Easter message - the story of Jesus and his resurrection. What an incredible miracle that was - the resurrection of Jesus that is, not my talk. It was because of that miracle, God raising Jesus from the dead, that you and I have the privilege of calling ourselves sons and daughters of the most high God. It is through our belief and through our repentance that we have been saved.

Not everyone, however, sees that as a privilege. There are people who detest Christians and make it their life's work to battle against us. There are kids in our youth group who do not believe in Jesus yet. That's sad but true. There are others who say they believe but they don't seem to be bearing any of the fruit typically associated with their faith. They have not made Jesus "Lord" of their lives yet. That may seem like servitude or enslavement of sorts but I can tell you first hand that it is truly a privilege, yet few choose to grasp it.

This was interesting. The night I spoke, I asked the kids in my small group, “How many times during the day do you think about Jesus?” One said, “Umm, two . . . maybe three.” Another said, “Three.” Another said, “Two. Once in the morning and once at night.”

One kid at least had a somewhat better answer. He said, “It all depends . . . on the kind of day I am having.” Honest, yet still far from what is required of us. Honestly? I am about ready to explode . . . in frustration. We, and I'm talking about all of us now, not just teens in a Wednesday night youth group. We need to get back to basics. Like, what is the greatest commandment?

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." - Deuteronomy 6:5

God wants us to be obsessed about Him. He wants our full attention. He wants our devotion and obedience, not just to be thought about when we need him.

My friend at work and I cannot STOP thinking about God. He is constantly on our minds. How can we serve Him? What is His will for our lives? We pray, we fast, we spend hours each week listening to faith-based pod casts & sermons, and STILL we feel we aren't doing enough for Him. We aren't spending enough time with him, in prayer or in His Word.

I think the difference between TRUE Christians, and those that just "Honor Him with their lips,"

is the word "privilege." I have been so blessed by God! I pray that I never take Him and His blessings for granted. I feel extremely privileged that God would even care about me, yet alone desire to walk with me in the garden one day. I am so unworthy of His grace, yet God gives it freely, and without measure.

I came across this last night. As I read it I thought, "This really applies to how we should feel every day of our lives." We ALL should feel that it is a privilege to serve our God and King.

"And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you - see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have." - 2 Corinthians 1:12

It is a privilege to be called a Christian. Though some of us may be persecuted for our beliefs, we choose to stand firm for our King. He is our savior, yes, But he must also become our Lord. Then, and only then, will we be given the greatest gift of all - to dwell with Him . . . forever. :)

"What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer . . ."

What a Friend We Have in Jesus - Alan Jackson
 

Devoted

Devoted - characterized by loyalty and devotion (a devoted fan), (he is devoted to her). Synonyms include words like loyal, faithful, staunch, dedicated and attached.

When I think of someone as being devoted I get a picture in my mind of my grandfather and grandmother. They were incredibly devoted to one another. They loved each other and didn't really like to be away from each other. No one had to tell me that. It was obvious.

When my grandfather died, my grandmother became a different person. She was still "grandma" when we came to visit her, but once in a while we would catch her with tears in her eyes, crying. She really missed my grandpa after her passed.

They weren't a "perfect couple." They still disagreed upon occasion but those moments were few and far between and they always made up for any hurt feelings with hugs and kisses.

Recently, I've been reading through the Old Testament and it is very apparent in those books that God is looking for a "devoted" Israel. There were times when Israel and God had a good relationship but there were many other times where they "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." The relationship went bad and Israel was punished, or "given over to the hands of their enemies."

Just like God's relationship with Israel, our earthly relationships are extremely important in God's eyes. Especially our relationship with Him.We were created by Him for that very purpose. I mentioned that in my previous post (Creation). Our devotion to God, in our relationships and at work, are all extremely important to God.

My question for you today is: Are you totally devoted to God? Key word = totally.

Speaking for myself, I try very hard to be devoted, but I always seem to be falling short. I try to be in God's Word daily. I listen to sermons playing in my ears while I am working. I go to worship every Sunday. I have a small group I lead at church. I am a volunteer youth leader, etc, etc, etc. but I am nowhere near devoted.

If I was totally devoted I would pray every day and throughout the day. I don't do that. If I was totally devoted to God I would quit my job and find something more God-honoring to do with my life but . . . I am comfortable and my family depends on me making money so we can pay our bills. Does it concern me that I am not devoted to God when His first and greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. " (Deuteronomy 6:5)

I'm hopeless. Well, I shouldn't say that. I have Jesus. Jesus gives me hope. Yet, despite his dying on the cross for me because I am not devoted to Him, I STILL am not devoted to him!!! Grrr.

So what should we do, we "devoted followers of Christ?" What should we do with our incredible lack of devotion, KNOWING that God demands it. Get down on our knees and beg forgiveness for starters. And then take steps to GET devoted!

Set aside time for God every day. Manage to be in the Bible every day. No exceptions!!! It's okay to spend time at work or school, but use those opportunities to bring glory to God. Speak to a friend or co-worker about Jesus. Let His light shine through you into the lives of those around you. He placed his Holy Spirit in you for a reason - to help you, to guide you. Follow!!!

Look at it this way. We are here on this planet for a very short time. The greatest stretch of time we will ever experience is with our God, our King. So why are we wasting time worrying about what kind of clothes to wear or who's friends with whom?

Prioritize your life today and become devoted, totally devoted, to the very meaning of the word. God is devoted. He is devoted to loving us despite our shortcomings. Maybe it's time we devoted ourselves to Him for a change. And who knows, perhaps God will bless us in those other areas of our lives BECAUSE of our devotion to Him.

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 28:33