Jeremiah 2:4-13
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? 6 They did not say, "Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?" 7 I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, "Where is the Lord?" Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit.
9 Therefore once more I accuse you, says the Lord, and I accuse your children's children. 10 Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit.
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water
God asks us hard questions here. What do you find in the LORD that caused you to desert HIM? What was wrong with God’s character and competence that the LORD was not worth making your ultimate concern?
Now God is talking to HIS people at a time of backsliding and unbelief. The LORD is speaking to us on one of those days when we have been living out our unbelief much more than our faith. Perhaps it has become more than a day. Maybe, it has become a month, a quarter, or even a year. Normally we slip step by step backward and suddenly find ourselves in a spiritual place that is a land of drought and deep darkness.
Maybe today you find it hard to relate to this passage because today you have been living mainly by faith. You find it hard to imagine because the last month, quarter, or year has been one in which you have seen your faith grow. It is difficult for you today to even imagine backsliding into a dark spiritual place. Yet, be aware that only by guarding ourselves against falling into such insanity can we avoid it. The history of God’s people is that we a prone to eventually drift away. So this passage is a good reminder to be careful to maintain your faith and not take it for granted.
God spends most of his time talking to the people of the nation. He sees that the loss of faith is ultimately one that takes place on the level of the individual heart. While political rulers, priests, and prophets all hold great responsibility for encouraging idol worship, neglecting a call to prayer, and failure to proclaim God’s word, this does not excuse the people themselves for their deserting their Divine Savior who redeemed them. We can never blame leaders for our failures of faith. They are responsible for their sins and we are responsible for our sins.
Now the United States is not Israel. That is important to remember since we have had times when we see ourselves in that role. The Church is spiritual Israel. No national state is now the chosen people but rather the chosen people are of called from all nations to form God’s nation, the kingdom of God.
But, with this reminder it would be good to take note that the United States as a culture is moving from being a society dedicated to a Christian vision of God based on the Bible to a generic god of our own creation, an idol that justifies all our actions. The reason our moral and ethics are changing is because our faith is changing.
What evidence is there that this is the case? Here are just a few signs of the times.
Gallup reports that from 1948 to 2009 the percentage of people who identify themselves as Christian has dropped from 91% to 77%. In 1948 on 2% of Americans would say that they were not religious at all and that number is now at 12%. This is the fastest growing social group in the nation. The percentage of Americans identifying as Protestant or another non-Catholic Christian religion has been declining since the mid-1960s. When Gallup began tracking religious identification, the percentage of U.S. adults identifying with some non-Catholic Christian religion was routinely in the high 60%-low 70% range. The percentage fell below 60% for the first time in 1979, and since 2000 has been between 55% and 57%. This means that a faith that represents strong biblical principles founded on the reformation is declining. Faith in the Bible being the inspired word of God in which every word can be trusted to be inspired has declined from 38% (average in 1976-1984) to about 31% today (average from 1997 to 2007). All of these surveys indicate that we are moving away from God’s truth and not towards it as a society.
Now faith within the visible church is also struggling. George Barna reports the following information about how many people follow a Christian world view in America. Here is what Barna says:
“Defining Terms
For the purposes of the survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. In the research, anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview.
National Results
Overall, the current research revealed that only 9% of all American adults have a biblical worldview. Among the sixty subgroups of respondents that the survey explored was one defined by those who said they have made a personal to commitment to Jesus Christ that is important in their life today and that they are certain that they will go to Heaven after they die only because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior. Labeled “born again Christians,” the study discovered that they were twice as likely as the average adult to possess a biblical worldview. However, that meant that even among born again Christians, less than one out of every five (19%) had such an outlook on life.
The same questions were asked of respondents in national surveys by Barna in 1995, 2000 and 2005. The results indicate that the percentage of adults with a biblical worldview, as defined above, has remained unchanged for more than a decade. The numbers show that 7% had such a worldview in 1995, compared to 10% in 2000, 11% in 2005, and 9% now. Even among born again adults, the statistics have remained flat: 18% in 1995, 22% in 2000, 21% in 2005, and 19% today.”
On one hand we are not seeing a decline in those who hold a biblical world view over the last 10 years but the total number of Americans holding this world view is about nineteen million out of a population of roughly 217 million adults. We can be a significant influence. But we are only a minority and we are not growing.
We need to have reformation in the Church, which is a return to a biblical world view.
We need to have renewal in the Church, which is a return to a living and passionate spirituality.
We need to have revival in the society, which is an experience of God’s saving grace in the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
To do this we must check our own spiritual direction today. Are we moving in the direction of having more faith or are we moving in the direction of having less faith.
Are we neglecting spiritual disciplines such as fasting, prayer, biblical meditation, giving to the poor, study of scripture, witnessing, and praise?
How consistently do we seek the LORD?
What do we seek when we need to find encouragement for our souls? Is it something outside of the Christian faith? Is this an idol in our life?
Whatever becomes the ultimate concern of our lives has become our God.
What is the ultimate concern of my life at this moment?
Have you been back sliding? Is your faith less than it was a year ago? What has weakened your faith? How could this be overcome? What could you do to grow in faith again? What most nurtures your faith? Do you need to take a weekend with be with God and talk out your frustrations and fears with the LORD? Why is it hard to say no to temptation? How could your strength to overcome your temptations be increased?
Is your faith greater than it was a year ago? How could it become even greater? What spiritual challenge do you need to accept from God? What steps should you take to prevent back sliding? What can you do to build up your local church? How could you be a blessing to your congregation? How could your faith impact your friends, neighbors, family, and associates in a greater way? How do you plan to seek as the ultimate concern of your life the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness?
God is faithful. The LORD knows that we drift away. The Lord brings reformation, renewal, and revival. The Messiah Jesus will build HIS church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. If God is for us then who can be against us? With hopeful faith we must pray for reformation, renewal, and revival. Seize the day for Christ Jesus!
(The nearly daily devotional is a ministry of First Church West. More information about this fellowship can be found at firstchurchwest.net. If you do not regularly receive this e-mail devotional then you can be put on the list by e-mailing terry_wise@bellsouth.net and asking receive the devotional.)
Showing posts with label renewal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label renewal. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Road to Renewal and Revival
Isaiah 58:9b-14
If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
The main focus of Isaiah 58 is to teach us how to fast. It points out that we have to combine prayer and fasting with social concern and love or it is not something that pleases God. Like 1 Corinthians 13 it reminds us that without love then everything we do is empty and useless.
Lord, fill our hearts with love and concern for those in need.
One of the reasons we fast and pray is that we are looking for revival and renewal. We don’t fast when all is well. We fast when we are suffering losses and are in fear of defeat. Fasting is an emergency measure in which we are seeking to intensify the passion and purpose of our prayers because we see great need. We all want revival and renewal but fasting should reflect a deeper commitment to seeking God’s pouring out HIS blessing upon us and giving to us spiritual prosperity.
The Lord in this passage outlines what HIS people need to seek to do if they desire to see revival and renewal.
The first is they must free people from the chains of contempt ("pointing fingers") and slander ("speaking of evil"). God demands that the society of believers not be one filled with negativity, gossip, murmuring, complaining, sarcasm, and self righteous judgment of each other. The Holy Spirit is never inspiring negative talk.
(Exodus 16:7 ESV) and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?"
(Exodus 16:8 ESV) And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him--what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD."
(Numbers 14:27 ESV) "How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.
(Numbers 14:36 ESV) And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land--
(Numbers 16:11 ESV) Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?"
(Numbers 17:5 ESV) And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you."
(John 6:43 ESV) Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.
(1 Corinthians 10:10 ESV) nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
(James 5:9 ESV) Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door..
God does not want congregations to be filled with complaining, griping, and murmuring. Ultimately, this shows a lack of contentment and joy. Revival and renewal will not come to a church that is filled with such abusive words.
Where should be our focus? We should be pouring out our souls to help those in need. That is what the Hebrew literally says here. We are to empty ourselves and our passions in caring for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of hurting people. This is what God want HIS people to give themselves to without restraint. We are to love one another.
If we do this then God will send revival and renewal. Our spiritual desert will become paradise. Our darkest moments will become like the brightest noon.
In addition to this the people of God must also become more passionate about corporate worship and Sabbath rest. We must give time, focus, passion, and intentionality to our praise and prayer. We must make our spiritual life a priority that simply does not get lost in the midst of our busy lives. The spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, meditation on God’s word, praise, fasting, and study of scripture must be held in honor in our lives and in our schedules. Revival and renewal come when we believe meeting with God is vital and a delight.
Now God must give us such attitude. The LORD must move us towards these ends. But the map is clear. If we want revival and renewal then this is the path we must take.
What can you do to end negative talk in your life? The best way to stop negative talk in the body of Christ is to refuse to listen to it. When a conversation turns negative then just says “this is negative” and end the conversation.
What can you do to pour out your life to those in need? How can you serve those who are most weak?
What could you do to improve your worship on this Sunday? How could you become more serious in seeking God? Could you arrive five minutes early to pray? Could you sit in the front row to improve concentration? Could you prepare on Saturday night for Sunday morning? How can we take pleasure in our worship and glorify God?
(This is an example of the “Almost Daily Devotional”. If you would like to receive it then e-mail normwise@bellsouth.net and request to be put on the list to receive it on a regular basis. )
If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
The main focus of Isaiah 58 is to teach us how to fast. It points out that we have to combine prayer and fasting with social concern and love or it is not something that pleases God. Like 1 Corinthians 13 it reminds us that without love then everything we do is empty and useless.
Lord, fill our hearts with love and concern for those in need.
One of the reasons we fast and pray is that we are looking for revival and renewal. We don’t fast when all is well. We fast when we are suffering losses and are in fear of defeat. Fasting is an emergency measure in which we are seeking to intensify the passion and purpose of our prayers because we see great need. We all want revival and renewal but fasting should reflect a deeper commitment to seeking God’s pouring out HIS blessing upon us and giving to us spiritual prosperity.
The Lord in this passage outlines what HIS people need to seek to do if they desire to see revival and renewal.
The first is they must free people from the chains of contempt ("pointing fingers") and slander ("speaking of evil"). God demands that the society of believers not be one filled with negativity, gossip, murmuring, complaining, sarcasm, and self righteous judgment of each other. The Holy Spirit is never inspiring negative talk.
(Exodus 16:7 ESV) and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?"
(Exodus 16:8 ESV) And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him--what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD."
(Numbers 14:27 ESV) "How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.
(Numbers 14:36 ESV) And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land--
(Numbers 16:11 ESV) Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?"
(Numbers 17:5 ESV) And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you."
(John 6:43 ESV) Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.
(1 Corinthians 10:10 ESV) nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
(James 5:9 ESV) Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door..
God does not want congregations to be filled with complaining, griping, and murmuring. Ultimately, this shows a lack of contentment and joy. Revival and renewal will not come to a church that is filled with such abusive words.
Where should be our focus? We should be pouring out our souls to help those in need. That is what the Hebrew literally says here. We are to empty ourselves and our passions in caring for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of hurting people. This is what God want HIS people to give themselves to without restraint. We are to love one another.
If we do this then God will send revival and renewal. Our spiritual desert will become paradise. Our darkest moments will become like the brightest noon.
In addition to this the people of God must also become more passionate about corporate worship and Sabbath rest. We must give time, focus, passion, and intentionality to our praise and prayer. We must make our spiritual life a priority that simply does not get lost in the midst of our busy lives. The spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, meditation on God’s word, praise, fasting, and study of scripture must be held in honor in our lives and in our schedules. Revival and renewal come when we believe meeting with God is vital and a delight.
Now God must give us such attitude. The LORD must move us towards these ends. But the map is clear. If we want revival and renewal then this is the path we must take.
What can you do to end negative talk in your life? The best way to stop negative talk in the body of Christ is to refuse to listen to it. When a conversation turns negative then just says “this is negative” and end the conversation.
What can you do to pour out your life to those in need? How can you serve those who are most weak?
What could you do to improve your worship on this Sunday? How could you become more serious in seeking God? Could you arrive five minutes early to pray? Could you sit in the front row to improve concentration? Could you prepare on Saturday night for Sunday morning? How can we take pleasure in our worship and glorify God?
(This is an example of the “Almost Daily Devotional”. If you would like to receive it then e-mail normwise@bellsouth.net and request to be put on the list to receive it on a regular basis. )
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Lord is my Shepherd
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
The Lord Jesus is my loving leader and therefore every need I have in my life will be provided as a gift of grace. He puts me in places where I am fed and watered, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He restores my energy and my life daily. He directs me on the paths that lead to life and not death. Sometimes those paths lead into very dark places and my confidence is that the Lord is with me, protecting me as we go into the darkness. On the other side of the toughest times the Lord has prepared for me again a place of abundant provision and abundant refreshment in the midst of a dangerous world. The goodness and the mercy of the Lord Jesus pursues me and chases me down every day of my life and one day I will dwell in the heavenly temple with my loving Lord for all eternity. (Norm Wise Paraphrase)
This psalm was part of my early spiritual education. My mother read this psalm every morning before she went to work. It was her psalm. She gave it to me.
When I was a little boy I thought this was a strange psalm at first. I understood the first verse to mean that the Lord was a shepherd that I did not want in my life! I wondered; “Why was I telling God that I did not want Him?”
At times maybe there is more truth to that then I would want to admit. All we like sheep have gone astray. The shepherd keeps the sheep no t the sheep the shepherd.
Now of course the real meaning is the Lord is my Shepherd and He will provide for me. God will give me food, drink, and protection as I have need of them in this life. He will be with be during the hardest times and eventually lead me to be comforted and provided for in the midst of my enemies. The psalm never denies hardship and danger, it only assures me that the good shepherd will get me through and give me glory.
Now this is one of the best known psalms in our country. Most people would still recognize Psalm 23. However, part of this is because it is normally read at funerals. It is psalm of comfort where our focus is that we imagine our loved one sitting in heaven as God’s dinner guest. Or perhaps we see ourselves walking through the dark valley of grief assured that eventually God will comfort us. The Psalm is used by God to bring comfort in all of these circumstances.
In some ways this makes sense since Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22 which is an account of God’s suffering servant. Here we have a poetic prophecy of Messiah dying for our sins and being raised from the dead. Now the risen Lord will be the shepherd of His people and eventually bring them into His kingdom. They will overcome their enemies and see God provide for them salvation.
But the psalm does not have to be understood in this light. For African and Asian believers this psalm has become a call to reject tyrannical political rulers who want to “shepherd” them and their lives. These believers quote the psalm as a clear statement that THE LORD and not the government is my ultimate shepherd that I will trust to take care of my needs. It has become their “Jesus is Lord; not Caesar” psalm and has significant political meaning to them.
The enemies of the Christian are the unbelieving world culture we live in, the rebellious and wicked fallen angels and the remaining lack of faith within our own hearts. None of these have the power to keep the Shepherd’s purpose of providing and protecting us from being achieved. The plan of the Shepherd to provide for us will be accomplished and the enemies of our soul will fail. This is God’s promise and gift to us. The Lord is our shepherd we will not fail.
This psalm also speaks to us of the Lord’s Supper. The shepherd has prepared a table for us. This is what Jesus did with the cup and the bread. How will the shepherd provide for our needs? We are very needy. The Shepherd will have to die for the sheep. He will have to suffer so they can be provided for and protected. The Shepherd will have to die to defeat the purpose of the enemies of the sheep. The table is a provision and a protection. It shows His care and His comfort. As we take of the cup and the bread that Jesus the Messiah has given to us it tells us that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever in fellowship with our KING.
The bottom line to this psalm is this. The Lord is watching over us and will win over the enemies of our soul. We do have enemies and face dark times. If we were left on our own then we would be devoured by the real dangers of this life. But we are not alone. The Lord is our Shepherd and He will provide for us care and comfort. This Shepherd is chasing us down when we stray to give to us His mercy and love. If we tell ourselves this story daily, as my mother did just before she went to work, how can we fail to not have our anxiety fall and our faith rise up in confident joy. May the Lord, grant that we will experience some of that reality this day.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
The Lord Jesus is my loving leader and therefore every need I have in my life will be provided as a gift of grace. He puts me in places where I am fed and watered, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He restores my energy and my life daily. He directs me on the paths that lead to life and not death. Sometimes those paths lead into very dark places and my confidence is that the Lord is with me, protecting me as we go into the darkness. On the other side of the toughest times the Lord has prepared for me again a place of abundant provision and abundant refreshment in the midst of a dangerous world. The goodness and the mercy of the Lord Jesus pursues me and chases me down every day of my life and one day I will dwell in the heavenly temple with my loving Lord for all eternity. (Norm Wise Paraphrase)
This psalm was part of my early spiritual education. My mother read this psalm every morning before she went to work. It was her psalm. She gave it to me.
When I was a little boy I thought this was a strange psalm at first. I understood the first verse to mean that the Lord was a shepherd that I did not want in my life! I wondered; “Why was I telling God that I did not want Him?”
At times maybe there is more truth to that then I would want to admit. All we like sheep have gone astray. The shepherd keeps the sheep no t the sheep the shepherd.
Now of course the real meaning is the Lord is my Shepherd and He will provide for me. God will give me food, drink, and protection as I have need of them in this life. He will be with be during the hardest times and eventually lead me to be comforted and provided for in the midst of my enemies. The psalm never denies hardship and danger, it only assures me that the good shepherd will get me through and give me glory.
Now this is one of the best known psalms in our country. Most people would still recognize Psalm 23. However, part of this is because it is normally read at funerals. It is psalm of comfort where our focus is that we imagine our loved one sitting in heaven as God’s dinner guest. Or perhaps we see ourselves walking through the dark valley of grief assured that eventually God will comfort us. The Psalm is used by God to bring comfort in all of these circumstances.
In some ways this makes sense since Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22 which is an account of God’s suffering servant. Here we have a poetic prophecy of Messiah dying for our sins and being raised from the dead. Now the risen Lord will be the shepherd of His people and eventually bring them into His kingdom. They will overcome their enemies and see God provide for them salvation.
But the psalm does not have to be understood in this light. For African and Asian believers this psalm has become a call to reject tyrannical political rulers who want to “shepherd” them and their lives. These believers quote the psalm as a clear statement that THE LORD and not the government is my ultimate shepherd that I will trust to take care of my needs. It has become their “Jesus is Lord; not Caesar” psalm and has significant political meaning to them.
The enemies of the Christian are the unbelieving world culture we live in, the rebellious and wicked fallen angels and the remaining lack of faith within our own hearts. None of these have the power to keep the Shepherd’s purpose of providing and protecting us from being achieved. The plan of the Shepherd to provide for us will be accomplished and the enemies of our soul will fail. This is God’s promise and gift to us. The Lord is our shepherd we will not fail.
This psalm also speaks to us of the Lord’s Supper. The shepherd has prepared a table for us. This is what Jesus did with the cup and the bread. How will the shepherd provide for our needs? We are very needy. The Shepherd will have to die for the sheep. He will have to suffer so they can be provided for and protected. The Shepherd will have to die to defeat the purpose of the enemies of the sheep. The table is a provision and a protection. It shows His care and His comfort. As we take of the cup and the bread that Jesus the Messiah has given to us it tells us that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever in fellowship with our KING.
The bottom line to this psalm is this. The Lord is watching over us and will win over the enemies of our soul. We do have enemies and face dark times. If we were left on our own then we would be devoured by the real dangers of this life. But we are not alone. The Lord is our Shepherd and He will provide for us care and comfort. This Shepherd is chasing us down when we stray to give to us His mercy and love. If we tell ourselves this story daily, as my mother did just before she went to work, how can we fail to not have our anxiety fall and our faith rise up in confident joy. May the Lord, grant that we will experience some of that reality this day.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part Two
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 ESV)
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The Messiah Jesus is building His Church. The Church is the building project of our Lord Messiah Jesus. It is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God which the Apostle Peter has just proclaimed.
It will be the Apostle Peter's preaching of this gospel which will smash the the gates of hell which kept the Jews from believing and thousands will come pouring into the Church through his words. The Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles all will have the Apostle Peter and his message about Messiah Jesus smash the spiritual walls which have kept them in darkness. The paganism of Rome will fall after 300 years and the message of Messiah Jesus will rule supreme over the old empire. The gates of hell will not prevail against the message of the Church. That message is the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
To do the church well the gospel must be the foundation of the Church. When we lose the gospel we lose the heart and power of God. Without the gospel we cannot build the church.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Messiah Jesus is building His Church. The Church is the building project of our Lord Messiah Jesus. It is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God which the Apostle Peter has just proclaimed.
It will be the Apostle Peter's preaching of this gospel which will smash the the gates of hell which kept the Jews from believing and thousands will come pouring into the Church through his words. The Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles all will have the Apostle Peter and his message about Messiah Jesus smash the spiritual walls which have kept them in darkness. The paganism of Rome will fall after 300 years and the message of Messiah Jesus will rule supreme over the old empire. The gates of hell will not prevail against the message of the Church. That message is the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
To do the church well the gospel must be the foundation of the Church. When we lose the gospel we lose the heart and power of God. Without the gospel we cannot build the church.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part One
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV)
It is not easy to do church well. In 1972 part of the dream of the "Jesus Movement" was to try to do church much better than we saw it being done. We were a reforming movement wanting the church to become more real and relevant. We were also young, naive, and proud. It never occurred to us that others before us had tried to do church well but had found it a hard thing to do. There have been people in the history of the church who have prayed more than we pray, studied more than we studied, and loved more than we loved; that failed to be able to do church very well.
To do church well is a very hard thing to do in the practicality of this fallen world and with the attacks of the world, flesh, and devil aimed above all else to keep the church divided, weak, naked, and blind (Revelation 3:17-18). Only by God's grace will we in some small measure to the church well. We must understand here especially that it will be direction and not perfection. If we demand perfection we will become condemning of the real church as we compare it to an "ideal" church that only exists in our minds.
Part of doing church well is avoiding unnecessary division. From the very beginning this has been hard for the Church to do (1 Corinthians 1:11ff). Christians easily divide over personalities and form parties. The politics of the Church can easily become as ugly as the politics of the government (James 4:1-10).
The church is to be the community of the King Messiah. It is a "beta test" example of the kingdom on earth that is to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God before the watching angels. Some division is necessary due to people departing from a critical aspect of the revealed gospel truth or living lawless lifestyles (1 Corinthians 11:19). However, even in this division the church is called to speak the truth in love and avoid self righteousness (Galatians 6:1). The hope is that out of loving conflict those in error will be restored and unity maintained. Our aim should always be redemptive.
Another problem is when groups or cliques form in the body who see themselves as "the righteous ones" and who stand in judgment of the rest of the body (Galatians 5:20). One can tell that this has occurred when gossip, criticism, and complaining become the main focus of "fellowship" between believers (Exodus 16:2; Mark 14:4).
How we feel about our local church is based on the stories we tell about our local church. If those stories are positive and optimistic we feel good about our local church and love it. If our stories are sarcastic, judgmental, condemning, and cynical then we feel angry, depressed, disillusioned, and pessimistic.
In the same congregation there will be people who feel both of these things at the same time. The circumstances of the people in the congregation will be largely the same but their experience will be vastly different. One person will leave a worship service filled with faith, hope, and love; feeling really blessed by the worship; while the other person will complain about the music, how people are dressed, and the failure of the sermon to motivate or teach. Objectively both people experienced the same events but the impact was very different.
To maintain unity we must be able to see the glass half full even as we work to raise the level of the water. We need to look for "God events" in our congregation and catch God at work. We need to be ready to confess our sins and forgive the sins of others. Guided by the "judgement of charity" we should strive to grant the benefit of the doubt to everyone else and presuppose the best possible intentions for the hurtful actions or words. We need to be slow to judge others and resist every temptation to gossip. Gossip kills trust and healthy fellowship.
Will you pray that God can teach us all to do church well. A healthy church is one of the main reasons why people believe in Jesus the Messiah. Unhealthy churches become a temptation to blaspheme God and reject the gospel. We have been called by God to demonstrate His manifold wisdom before a watching world and even the angels. Yet, a study of church history makes clear that to actually have a healthy church is hard. Let us pray that God will show us a way to do church better and represent his sanity, stability, and spirituality on the earth.
It is not easy to do church well. In 1972 part of the dream of the "Jesus Movement" was to try to do church much better than we saw it being done. We were a reforming movement wanting the church to become more real and relevant. We were also young, naive, and proud. It never occurred to us that others before us had tried to do church well but had found it a hard thing to do. There have been people in the history of the church who have prayed more than we pray, studied more than we studied, and loved more than we loved; that failed to be able to do church very well.
To do church well is a very hard thing to do in the practicality of this fallen world and with the attacks of the world, flesh, and devil aimed above all else to keep the church divided, weak, naked, and blind (Revelation 3:17-18). Only by God's grace will we in some small measure to the church well. We must understand here especially that it will be direction and not perfection. If we demand perfection we will become condemning of the real church as we compare it to an "ideal" church that only exists in our minds.
Part of doing church well is avoiding unnecessary division. From the very beginning this has been hard for the Church to do (1 Corinthians 1:11ff). Christians easily divide over personalities and form parties. The politics of the Church can easily become as ugly as the politics of the government (James 4:1-10).
The church is to be the community of the King Messiah. It is a "beta test" example of the kingdom on earth that is to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God before the watching angels. Some division is necessary due to people departing from a critical aspect of the revealed gospel truth or living lawless lifestyles (1 Corinthians 11:19). However, even in this division the church is called to speak the truth in love and avoid self righteousness (Galatians 6:1). The hope is that out of loving conflict those in error will be restored and unity maintained. Our aim should always be redemptive.
Another problem is when groups or cliques form in the body who see themselves as "the righteous ones" and who stand in judgment of the rest of the body (Galatians 5:20). One can tell that this has occurred when gossip, criticism, and complaining become the main focus of "fellowship" between believers (Exodus 16:2; Mark 14:4).
How we feel about our local church is based on the stories we tell about our local church. If those stories are positive and optimistic we feel good about our local church and love it. If our stories are sarcastic, judgmental, condemning, and cynical then we feel angry, depressed, disillusioned, and pessimistic.
In the same congregation there will be people who feel both of these things at the same time. The circumstances of the people in the congregation will be largely the same but their experience will be vastly different. One person will leave a worship service filled with faith, hope, and love; feeling really blessed by the worship; while the other person will complain about the music, how people are dressed, and the failure of the sermon to motivate or teach. Objectively both people experienced the same events but the impact was very different.
To maintain unity we must be able to see the glass half full even as we work to raise the level of the water. We need to look for "God events" in our congregation and catch God at work. We need to be ready to confess our sins and forgive the sins of others. Guided by the "judgement of charity" we should strive to grant the benefit of the doubt to everyone else and presuppose the best possible intentions for the hurtful actions or words. We need to be slow to judge others and resist every temptation to gossip. Gossip kills trust and healthy fellowship.
Will you pray that God can teach us all to do church well. A healthy church is one of the main reasons why people believe in Jesus the Messiah. Unhealthy churches become a temptation to blaspheme God and reject the gospel. We have been called by God to demonstrate His manifold wisdom before a watching world and even the angels. Yet, a study of church history makes clear that to actually have a healthy church is hard. Let us pray that God will show us a way to do church better and represent his sanity, stability, and spirituality on the earth.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
How can we do church well?
As one studies church history is become clear that it is not easy to do church well. Paul says that the manifold wisdom of God will be seen by the powers of the heavens in the Church (Eph 3:10). It is clear that God's intention is for us to demonstrate His love, grace, and holiness. We are to be the body of Messiah and live the gospel before the nations. Yet, we are so easily distracted and deceived.
We normally can stand in judgment of other Christians and of various movements in church history. Yet, we rarely judge ourselves or our short comings. Self righteousness runs deep in our veins and it is hard to understand that some who prayed harder than we have prayed and studied harder than we have studied, failed to do church well. So how great is the danger that in our generation we might fail to do church well. Are we failing even now?
The beginning of insight is humility. My brothers and sisters for 2000 years have struggled to do church well. How easy is would be for me to fail to do church well. Satan, the world, and the flesh have as their highest priority to shatter the witness and testimony of the church. They are much more interested in corrupting the Church than running Washington. They want us not to reflect God's wisdom but to be foolish.
Lord, have pity on your people. We need revival of true spirituality and reformation to align ourselves with your WORD. We need a transformation of head and heart. We need to know how to relate to one another in holy love. Teach us to do church well.
We normally can stand in judgment of other Christians and of various movements in church history. Yet, we rarely judge ourselves or our short comings. Self righteousness runs deep in our veins and it is hard to understand that some who prayed harder than we have prayed and studied harder than we have studied, failed to do church well. So how great is the danger that in our generation we might fail to do church well. Are we failing even now?
The beginning of insight is humility. My brothers and sisters for 2000 years have struggled to do church well. How easy is would be for me to fail to do church well. Satan, the world, and the flesh have as their highest priority to shatter the witness and testimony of the church. They are much more interested in corrupting the Church than running Washington. They want us not to reflect God's wisdom but to be foolish.
Lord, have pity on your people. We need revival of true spirituality and reformation to align ourselves with your WORD. We need a transformation of head and heart. We need to know how to relate to one another in holy love. Teach us to do church well.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Exodus 3:1-15 - God working in unexpected ways
Devotions
Reading
NLT Exodus 3:1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up. 3 "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." 4 When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5 "Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD told him, "You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey-- the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. 9 The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." 11 "But who am I to appear before Pharaoh?" Moses asked God. "How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 Then God told him, "I will be with you. And this will serve as proof that I have sent you: When you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt, you will return here to worship God at this very mountain." 13 But Moses protested, "If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' they won't believe me. They will ask, 'Which god are you talking about? What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" 14 God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " 15 God also said, "Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.' This will be my name forever; it has always been my name, and it will be used throughout all generations.
Meditation
Literal
Moses was about 80 years old when God encountered him in the burning bush. Up to this time Moses has had a life that had no real miracles and a lot of lost dreams. Saved by his mother, sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter he had become a prince of Egypt. He believed at the age of 40 that he would lead his people into a revolt against Egypt but they rejected his leadership and he ran into the desert to avoid being convicted of murder. He became the son-in-law of a Jethro, a priest of Midian, and had lived as a part of that shepherding community for 40 years feeling exiled from his people. At the age of 80 he had lost any dreams of being a great man or doing great things. There had been no miraculous intervention by God in his life. His dream of being God’s deliverer of His people had died long ago. He had become a old man who did not feel that he had gained wisdom but felt despair over the outcome of his life. At this point of despair and weakness, God comes and calls Him.
God comes to Him as the Eternal one who has made a promise to Abraham. The one who is outside of time is found in time because of His promise to Abraham. The people are to know that the God who Moses will represent is the same God that by a miracle brought Isaac to be born because He had promised Abraham that the one who would remove the curse would come through Him. God is reminding Moses and Israel of their historic faith. The name that God will forever be known by is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This is the covenant name of God. The God who is committed to keeping His promises of His chosen ones is the one true God.
Why does God act now? He responds to the prayers and cries of His people. God the eternal one hears His people and has compassion on them in their pain.
This passage clearly tells us that God’s ways are not our ways. His timing is not our timing. Rev. Pummel had been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kingsville for thirty years. In that thirty years he had never seen a revival. The church had remained plateaued at about 300 people as one generation of farm and factory workers replaced another generation of farm and factory workers in the small Ohio town. Now in His sixties he did not really expect anything different. Then in a unexpected turn of events a small meeting of seven teenagers at his house explodes into 70. Dozens are getting saved. A core group want to go into full time Christian ministry. The local paper is putting the group on the front page since in a world of drugs, sex, and rock and roll there are now a group of young people turning to Jesus. No one would have guessed that at the end of the school year Rev Pummel will die having had the last year of his life be the most fruitful of over 30 years of ministry. God’s timing and our timing are never the same.
Christocentric: - Christ will be called into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tested after living a largely normal life after a miraculous birth. For thirty years he had been a faithful son and carpenter. Then he goes to be baptized by John and the heavens open and He is marked off as the anointed one of God and sent into the wilderness to be tested. It was God’s time.
Moral: Do not doubt that God has a plan just because even decades go by without a revival or reformation. God calls us to be faithful in the quiet times. We are not to doubt in the dark what God has revealed to us in the light. Cry out to God for revival and reformation and He will in time bring us seasons of awakening like we would never dream could happen.
Eternal: One day we will see the eternal one and fully experience the eternal life He has given us.
Prayer: Lord help me not fail to cry out to you and seek you for days of revival and reformation. Give me a heart of prayer. Lord, send us days of awakening and power!
Contemplation: I Am that I am
Action: Examine your life and look for the working of God that is there in the everyday events. At point in my life did I have a “burning bush” experience? How did it change me? Pray for revival without ceasing and do not be discouraged by the “quiet times”.
Reading
NLT Exodus 3:1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up. 3 "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." 4 When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5 "Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD told him, "You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey-- the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. 9 The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." 11 "But who am I to appear before Pharaoh?" Moses asked God. "How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 Then God told him, "I will be with you. And this will serve as proof that I have sent you: When you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt, you will return here to worship God at this very mountain." 13 But Moses protested, "If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' they won't believe me. They will ask, 'Which god are you talking about? What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" 14 God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " 15 God also said, "Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.' This will be my name forever; it has always been my name, and it will be used throughout all generations.
Meditation
Literal
Moses was about 80 years old when God encountered him in the burning bush. Up to this time Moses has had a life that had no real miracles and a lot of lost dreams. Saved by his mother, sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter he had become a prince of Egypt. He believed at the age of 40 that he would lead his people into a revolt against Egypt but they rejected his leadership and he ran into the desert to avoid being convicted of murder. He became the son-in-law of a Jethro, a priest of Midian, and had lived as a part of that shepherding community for 40 years feeling exiled from his people. At the age of 80 he had lost any dreams of being a great man or doing great things. There had been no miraculous intervention by God in his life. His dream of being God’s deliverer of His people had died long ago. He had become a old man who did not feel that he had gained wisdom but felt despair over the outcome of his life. At this point of despair and weakness, God comes and calls Him.
God comes to Him as the Eternal one who has made a promise to Abraham. The one who is outside of time is found in time because of His promise to Abraham. The people are to know that the God who Moses will represent is the same God that by a miracle brought Isaac to be born because He had promised Abraham that the one who would remove the curse would come through Him. God is reminding Moses and Israel of their historic faith. The name that God will forever be known by is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This is the covenant name of God. The God who is committed to keeping His promises of His chosen ones is the one true God.
Why does God act now? He responds to the prayers and cries of His people. God the eternal one hears His people and has compassion on them in their pain.
This passage clearly tells us that God’s ways are not our ways. His timing is not our timing. Rev. Pummel had been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kingsville for thirty years. In that thirty years he had never seen a revival. The church had remained plateaued at about 300 people as one generation of farm and factory workers replaced another generation of farm and factory workers in the small Ohio town. Now in His sixties he did not really expect anything different. Then in a unexpected turn of events a small meeting of seven teenagers at his house explodes into 70. Dozens are getting saved. A core group want to go into full time Christian ministry. The local paper is putting the group on the front page since in a world of drugs, sex, and rock and roll there are now a group of young people turning to Jesus. No one would have guessed that at the end of the school year Rev Pummel will die having had the last year of his life be the most fruitful of over 30 years of ministry. God’s timing and our timing are never the same.
Christocentric: - Christ will be called into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tested after living a largely normal life after a miraculous birth. For thirty years he had been a faithful son and carpenter. Then he goes to be baptized by John and the heavens open and He is marked off as the anointed one of God and sent into the wilderness to be tested. It was God’s time.
Moral: Do not doubt that God has a plan just because even decades go by without a revival or reformation. God calls us to be faithful in the quiet times. We are not to doubt in the dark what God has revealed to us in the light. Cry out to God for revival and reformation and He will in time bring us seasons of awakening like we would never dream could happen.
Eternal: One day we will see the eternal one and fully experience the eternal life He has given us.
Prayer: Lord help me not fail to cry out to you and seek you for days of revival and reformation. Give me a heart of prayer. Lord, send us days of awakening and power!
Contemplation: I Am that I am
Action: Examine your life and look for the working of God that is there in the everyday events. At point in my life did I have a “burning bush” experience? How did it change me? Pray for revival without ceasing and do not be discouraged by the “quiet times”.
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