Scripture
Mark 14:37-38a - He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter the danger zone without even knowing it.
What is the danger zone? This verse in the Living Bible says 'Lest the tempter overpower you." I think the danger zone is 'gray.' In life, some things are black and white. Most things are not...they have many shades of gray. Gray becomes the boundary between right and wrong. We all like to live life dangerously - how close to sin can we get without crossing the line? The danger zone. We are at risk in the danger zone. And, unfortunately, we can't complete avoid it...or won't. But there is an answer...
Those who know me at all, know that I am not a sports dude. But if we take an analogy from football we might find some help. Each football team has a defensive team and an offensive team. The defense keeps the other team from scoring and the offense moves the ball toward the goal. It is almost impossible to win a game without strength in both areas.
Here Jesus says to stay alert and pray. Alertness is our defense. We are on guard, trying to keep the enemy from gaining any grounds in our lives. We know from other parts of scripture that prayer is our offense. We move the ball down the field when we pray.
Father, help me to be alert to the movement of the enemy and prayer in each and every situation that he will have no room to wiggle in my life.
Monday, November 3, 2008
(Sunday) The Order of Worship?
Scripture
Mark 12:30 - 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.'
I wonder if there is purpose to the order of these words. God is an intentional God, so there probably is, which would/could mean:
The world tries to put them in a different order - brain first...the 'thinking man' doesn't need God...all the evidence leads to darwinism and all that junk...forget the emotions you can't trust them. I think if it wasn't important, satan wouldn't try so hard to rearrange the order.
Part of our job as lead worshipers is to help people see the order...help them experience God from their primal core outward...
Mark 12:30 - 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.'
I wonder if there is purpose to the order of these words. God is an intentional God, so there probably is, which would/could mean:
- Love God with Passion...our emotions come first, they are the most primal/core of all of us.
- Love God with Prayer...the soul is our distinct connection with God. It's what sets us apart as the image of God.
- Love God with our Intelligence...where the heart and soul are - so the head follows. when the head is first we become 'too smart' to need God.
- Love God with our Energy...our physical bodies play a role. Our hands and feet serve. Our arms raise in worship. Our knees kneel in surrender.
The world tries to put them in a different order - brain first...the 'thinking man' doesn't need God...all the evidence leads to darwinism and all that junk...forget the emotions you can't trust them. I think if it wasn't important, satan wouldn't try so hard to rearrange the order.
Part of our job as lead worshipers is to help people see the order...help them experience God from their primal core outward...
Friday, October 31, 2008
(Thursday) Risks of Faith
Scripture
Mark 5:34 - Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith and now you're healed and whole. Live well! Live blessed! Be healed of your plague."
God always wants our faith to grow. We like our safe little world...where we think we are in control. Here the woman took a step of faith as she stretched out her hands. She didn't ask for his permission, she just believed...hoped. Her desperation drove her to take a risk. God rewarded.
What does risk look like for us today? We've all trust God for something and been disappointed. So obviously every risk doesn't get answered our way.
Faith that risks is active.
Faith that risks is intentional/purposeful.
Faith that risks is authentic/honest.
Faith that risks is driven by desperation for a touch from God.
Father may I be desperate enough for more of you that I risk my safe little world for the wild unknown of Your Great Adventure.
Mark 5:34 - Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith and now you're healed and whole. Live well! Live blessed! Be healed of your plague."
God always wants our faith to grow. We like our safe little world...where we think we are in control. Here the woman took a step of faith as she stretched out her hands. She didn't ask for his permission, she just believed...hoped. Her desperation drove her to take a risk. God rewarded.
What does risk look like for us today? We've all trust God for something and been disappointed. So obviously every risk doesn't get answered our way.
Faith that risks is active.
Faith that risks is intentional/purposeful.
Faith that risks is authentic/honest.
Faith that risks is driven by desperation for a touch from God.
Father may I be desperate enough for more of you that I risk my safe little world for the wild unknown of Your Great Adventure.
(Wednesday) The Power of Story
Scripture
Mark 4:33 - With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke.
Some things never change. The entertainment industry has learned to harness the power of telling a good story. They know how to move people. The church is slower to get it. Jesus understood. We live vicariously through the stories of other people, and when we enter their story we leave changed...for better or for worse.
Father, help me to harness the power of my story, the story you have given me to live out each day, to always be ready with a life changing word that is fitted to the experience and maturity of my audience. Even more importantly, as I enter your story each day, may I leave changed.
Mark 4:33 - With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke.
Some things never change. The entertainment industry has learned to harness the power of telling a good story. They know how to move people. The church is slower to get it. Jesus understood. We live vicariously through the stories of other people, and when we enter their story we leave changed...for better or for worse.
Father, help me to harness the power of my story, the story you have given me to live out each day, to always be ready with a life changing word that is fitted to the experience and maturity of my audience. Even more importantly, as I enter your story each day, may I leave changed.
(Tuesday) Meeting the Greater Need
Scripture
Mark 2:5 - Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins."
This guy and his friends fight the crowd - to the point of removing the roof to lower him to Jesus. He had hope and expectations of Jesus in this moment. He cam to have his sins forgiven? No way! He wanted to walk.
Jesus knew why he was there. Everyone did. Jesus could have healed him in the way everyone expected, and no one would have been upset. Instead Jesus forgives his sins - a far greater need met. The presenting issue was serious, but didn't trump the greater issue - his soul sickness.
Jesus knew the religious men would be upset.
But he still took on the greater need first.
Often, the greater need requires ticking off people who don't understand the difference between a symptom and a cause. Healing the greater need requires risk. No one likes to be misunderstood. And, people don't necessarily get it themselves. But it is still the right thing to do.
Father, may I have the courage of Jesus to tack the greatest needs in people's lives when you place them in my path, and may I see the needs for what they are - even if others won't understand.
Mark 2:5 - Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins."
This guy and his friends fight the crowd - to the point of removing the roof to lower him to Jesus. He had hope and expectations of Jesus in this moment. He cam to have his sins forgiven? No way! He wanted to walk.
Jesus knew why he was there. Everyone did. Jesus could have healed him in the way everyone expected, and no one would have been upset. Instead Jesus forgives his sins - a far greater need met. The presenting issue was serious, but didn't trump the greater issue - his soul sickness.
Jesus knew the religious men would be upset.
But he still took on the greater need first.
Often, the greater need requires ticking off people who don't understand the difference between a symptom and a cause. Healing the greater need requires risk. No one likes to be misunderstood. And, people don't necessarily get it themselves. But it is still the right thing to do.
Father, may I have the courage of Jesus to tack the greatest needs in people's lives when you place them in my path, and may I see the needs for what they are - even if others won't understand.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
(Friday) I'm No Apostle Paul
Scripture
Acts 19:11-12 - God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the ordinary. The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing - handkerchiefs and scarves and the like that had touched Paul's skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it - they were headed and whole.
I was watching a televangelist do this one time. As a special offer to his "faithful" listeners, he would "pray" over a handkerchief and then for a special, financial gift, they would send it to you for God's blessing on your life.
I thought, "You're not the Apostle Paul buddy."
Imagine the lack of humility to put yourself in Paul's shoes.
Though I may never stoop to this guy's level, it certainly would be easy to over-impress myself with myself. When your live is lived on a stage where people appreciate you, it would be easy to think "I'm hot stuff." Really I just need to remember that God's work is in me, more than through me. It is Him who touches lives, and really, I'm no Apostle Paul either! But sometimes I get to be the handkerchief...and that is the privilege of living in the shadow of the Cross.
Acts 19:11-12 - God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the ordinary. The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing - handkerchiefs and scarves and the like that had touched Paul's skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it - they were headed and whole.
I was watching a televangelist do this one time. As a special offer to his "faithful" listeners, he would "pray" over a handkerchief and then for a special, financial gift, they would send it to you for God's blessing on your life.
I thought, "You're not the Apostle Paul buddy."
Imagine the lack of humility to put yourself in Paul's shoes.
Though I may never stoop to this guy's level, it certainly would be easy to over-impress myself with myself. When your live is lived on a stage where people appreciate you, it would be easy to think "I'm hot stuff." Really I just need to remember that God's work is in me, more than through me. It is Him who touches lives, and really, I'm no Apostle Paul either! But sometimes I get to be the handkerchief...and that is the privilege of living in the shadow of the Cross.
(Thursday) God Doesn't Play Hide & Seek
Scripture
Acts 17:27-28 - He doesn't play hid and seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in Him, can't get away from Him.
In Him we live and move and have our being. In Him. I have personally experienced (not for a long time) and know that it is common for Christians to have a "feeling" of distance with God. Is He really there?
If we move and find our being in Him, then do our "feelings" matter? Whether we feel something or not does not change the truth of a situation. My experience is that the feeling of distance should give us rise to close the distance, by moving in the direction of God...mentally and spiritually....keep trying. Why do most people seem to give up?
He wants to be found...so much so that he's not hiding. He's not playing hide and seek. I think the problem is most of us just don't even look very hard. We have an idea of what God should do for us, how "feeling" close should look, and when God isn't in our box we never think through the realistic-ness of our expectations.
Thank you for the "feeling" of closeness I have. I don't take it for granted. BUT thank you too that the closeness with you is true even when I don't feel it.
Acts 17:27-28 - He doesn't play hid and seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in Him, can't get away from Him.
In Him we live and move and have our being. In Him. I have personally experienced (not for a long time) and know that it is common for Christians to have a "feeling" of distance with God. Is He really there?
If we move and find our being in Him, then do our "feelings" matter? Whether we feel something or not does not change the truth of a situation. My experience is that the feeling of distance should give us rise to close the distance, by moving in the direction of God...mentally and spiritually....keep trying. Why do most people seem to give up?
He wants to be found...so much so that he's not hiding. He's not playing hide and seek. I think the problem is most of us just don't even look very hard. We have an idea of what God should do for us, how "feeling" close should look, and when God isn't in our box we never think through the realistic-ness of our expectations.
Thank you for the "feeling" of closeness I have. I don't take it for granted. BUT thank you too that the closeness with you is true even when I don't feel it.
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