Authority...

Scripture:
Micah 6:6-8
Romans 13-1-4

As I read the scripture verses I had several thoughts come to mind.  One of them is why would God put certain people in power.  Either all authority is in place by God or the Bible isn’t truthful.  So I ask myself why would God put people like Hitler or Husain in power.  History is full of evil people in power.  Why would He place them in power?  You would think He would only place Godly men and women in position of authority. 
 

To be honest I really do not have a good answer.  Saul didn’t start out bad.  Over time he slowly lost sight of God.  The old saying absolute power corrupts absolutely does seem to have the sting of truth.  Because we are in a fallen world there is a constant battle going on between good and evil.  There are constant battles between being sinful and righteous.  I cannot begin to guess why God would allow or place people who are evil to be in power.  We just need to understand that all authority is given by Him.  We to be respectful of the authority placed over us.  God is the ultimate authority in all existence.  

We may not agree with someone in authority over us.  We may not like them very much.  We do however, have to accept their authority.  It is easy to call oneself a Christian and do what is “right” when things are going good, when the person over us is also Godly.  Can we do the same when we are at odds with the authority over us?  I have had a boss who professes to be Christian.  I have no doubt they believe and really think they are living a Godly life.  There have been times when in practice their actions have been just the opposite.  I have also had bosses who didn’t talk much about faith but where in fact Godly.  They lived the life of Christ as best as they could.  Their actions were not always right but in the end they did what they could to make it right.  It was easy to respect and follow the second leader.  There wasn’t much challenge in it.  For the first leader it was much more difficult.  But the right thing is to follow their leadership and accept their authority just as much as with the second leader.

Jesus never promised an easy life or an easy path.  He did promise to help shoulder the burden.  We can cast our cares and worries upon him.  Matthew 11:28-30 “’Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’”  So the next time you question the authority over you and it is tough to follow just remember that Jesus is the ultimate authority.  Jesus is in control and in the end ever knee will bow and every tongue confess…

God's Will or Our Own Ideas?

Scripture:

There are times when we cannot see God's plan through our own ideas. Years ago I had my own business. I had someone who was to be my partner. We had a grand idea how this business would be a wonderful ministry for God. We had huge plans to what we could do and what we could accomplish. The problem is that we never stopped long enough to include God. It was always what we thought should be done and how we thought it should be. Peter started with the same idea. He told Jesus that He would never suffer and die like He did. Jesus' response was “Get behind me, Satan!”

Do we recognize when Satan is planting seeds in our ears? Can we tell when it is our will in the guise of doing God's will? I have often wondered how things might have turned out had I stopped long enough to include God in His plans. We are told to guard our hearts in the Bible. What is in our hearts will be what comes out of us. If we keep Christ close in our hearts we will be more likely to include Him in our plans. Being in constant prayer will help us be in tune to what God's will is for us. The key to any relationship is communication. If you cannot communicate your relationship will suffer. Prayer is our direct line to God. When we pray are we giving a wish list to God or are we genuinely seeking His will?

When it comes down to it will we deny Jesus three times? Will we seek our own way? Is God first in your life? My goal is that all I do will glorify God. I strive to do the will of my Lord and Savior. I never want repeat the past. I do not want to make plans for the future and not include God. He needs to be the center of my dreams and aspirations. At the end of the day I do not want Jesus to say “Get behind me Satan!” I would prefer to hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant...”

Wisdom and folly...

Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

John 19:17-22

Everyone comments on how wise Solomon was. He was the wisest man to ever live. The wisdom we gain from the books in the Bible that he wrote is immeasurable. Yet for all his wisdom he failed to follow his own advice. For such a wise man he lived foolishly. Who among us can claim any different? Who of us can claim all wisdom and a perfect life? There is only one person to ever live that can boast that claim. He willingly suffered a horrible death so that we might have life.

Even in his folly Solomon gives us wisdom. We have all heard the saying learn from your mistakes. One thing I have always tried to do is learn from the mistakes of others. After all why should I make the same mistake as they did. If it didn't work for them why would it for me? We an also learn from history, although there are people who turn a blind eye to the past. If we are not careful we will see history repeat itself yet again.

We can gain from other people's wisdom only if we apply it to our lives. What good is it to sit at the feet of the wisest man on earth if we walk away forgetting what he told us? What good is the Sermon on the Mount if we ignore Jesus' teachings? If you walked by a hundred pounds of gold it would not benefit you if you left it where it lay. Wisdom and knowledge can only benefit us if we apply what we learn.

Solomon warns us time after time. He isn't just speaking words but giving advice from his own mistakes. What prevents us from benefiting from his teachings? Jesus came to show us the way to heaven. He came to teach. Jesus also came to pay the final price for our sins. His death on the cross was horrible and painful. I can't imagine what he went through or why. I boggles my mind to think that Jesus would do the same all over again even if it was just for one person. The salvation He brings doesn't do anyone any good if they do not take advantage of Grace...

Our Right to Choose...

Scripture:
Psalm 25:11-13
1 Corinthians 15:51-57

I have had the discussion about pain and death with a friend.  He has trouble with God being the loving merciful God that He is.  He blames God for all the evil in the world.  He once made the comment how can a loving and merciful god allow such things happen in the world.  To tell the truth I have asked similar questions myself.  It is hard to come to terms with this question.  How can God allow people to starve to death?  How can God allow people to murder one another?  How can he allow all the atrocities to be committed over and over?

God doesn’t just allow them to happen.  God doesn’t sit on His throne saying I will allow this bad thing or that horrible crime happen.  God gave us the freedom to make our own decisions.  Those decisions have good and bad consequences.  Genesis 3:6 is one example in the Bible where we make the decision not God for us. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”  Eve chose to eat the fruit.  No one forced it upon her Satan deceived her true but he did not have the power to force her to eat of it.

   

God wanted our love to be genuine and not forced.  Most of us have had a pet at some point in our lives.  We love our dogs and cats.  How much more pleasing is it when you are greeting by your puppy because they love you and want to please you.  Some of the most behaved dogs are the ones that love us and are eager to gain our affection.  They sit or stay and roll over because they want the praise and loving we give them.  It is more pleasing to God when we seek Him and want to be obedient to Him.  He has the power to force us into obedience.  He could force the perfect life upon us.  But then we would be just like robots.  In Star Trek Next Generation one of the main characters is an android.  The character is very human in the way he acts and does things.  However he cannot break his programming.  He is programmed and cannot go beyond those parameters.  Would we want to live that way?  Does God really want that sort of love? 

 

The freedom of choice comes with consequences.  Because of our freedom to choose there is sin in this world.    I have the choice to walk up to you and punch you in the nose.  No one can make that choice for me.  No one can force me to do that.  The consequence of that choice is you would have a bloody nose and I would be in sin.  I also have the choice to buy you lunch.  The consequence is that you get a meal, a blessing from God.  When the hurricane ripped through New Orleans people wondered how God could allow that to happen.  How could God allow people to be killed by Tsunamis and earth quakes?  Well God didn’t force people to live in New Orleans, known to be below sea level.  God doesn’t force anyone to live in California, known to have frequent earth quakes.  God simply allows us to make our choices.  We have to live with those choices.  Unfortunately other people are also affected by the choice you make…

Keeping the Momentum

Scripture:
Psalm 57:1-3
Philemon 1:1-9

Recently I have had thoughts that my life is half over keep popping into my mind.  As the years keep creeping by I often think about what will I be doing when I reach the so called golden years?  Someone I know goes every week to visit a friend who lives in a nursing home.  He and his wife travel all over the world every chance they get.  They covet every moment they have with their grandchildren.  I also think about a Sunday school teacher I once had.  She was an older woman who lived her life for God.  We can all look back and see those who are older who fervently served the Lord.  

All too often we think that as we get older we lose our value.  The truth though is we do not lose our value but gain value.  We have a legacy to leave behind.  Our story is one for the next generation to learn from.  Even in the golden years we can honor and glorify God.  Paul in Philemon 1:9 states “…It is as none other than Paul an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.”  Even though Paul was elderly he didn’t stop or slow down the ministry God set before him.

In all things let us give thanks to God trusting in Him.  Psalm 57:1 “Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You;”

Time to Wait, Time to Go...

Scripture:
2 Samuel 2:10-11
1 Timothy 2:8-10

One of the areas in my life that I seem to struggle with time after time is waiting on God’s time.  Several years ago I had thought God was calling me to be a pastor.  I had it all planned out.  I would finish my degree and then it was off to seminary.  When that didn’t work out I thought maybe I just need to be a Methodist Local Pastor, part time.  So I started the process for that.  When that fell through I started to think I was wrong in God’s call.  Nancy and I went on the Walk to Emmaus and I caught a fresh glimpse in the right direction.  I thought great I am ready lets go.  It was time to get started, so I thought.  God however, had a different plan.

David was faced with the decision to wait for God or do it himself.  Several times David had the chance to kill Saul but David waited on the Lord.  How much better things turned out when David waited upon the Lord.  I can say the same for my life.  Had I done the work that God showed me in my time I would have failed.  It would have ended in a disaster.  Nancy and I were not ready at that time.  God is still working in our lives preparing us for His work.  As we prepare we are still working God’s plan.  We are still doing His will.  We cannot just sit back and wait.  We must continue to work towards the goal.  David was anointed King when he was a young teenager.  It wasn’t until he was thirty before he became king.  God spent all those years preparing him to be king.  David didn’t just sit on the farm tending sheep until the appointed time.

What can we do to prepare ourselves?  Some things that come to mind are reading the Bible, attending worship services and Bible studies, Fellowship with fellow believers.  Most importantly we must pray, be in constant communion with God.  1 Timothy 2:8 (NIV) “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.”  Let us all lift up our hands.  Let us each encourage one another.  Let us dress appropriately, not just our physical clothes but our spiritual life as well.  God’s will for each of us is simple we all are told to “Go and make disciples of all nations…”  If you are unsure what God’s will is for your life start with Matthew 28:18-20…

What's Your Attitude?

Scripture:
Nehemiah 2:1-9
Philippians 1:12-18

The bible is full of persecution against God’s people.  We read about Israel falling to their sin.  Nehemiah faced a hard decision in asking the king to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.   In the end Nehemiah trusted God and he rebuilt the wall.  Paul writes about being in prison and that his imprisonment glorified God.  Both men trusted God and put their faith in Him.  Because of their faith they accomplished great things.

How do we view our circumstances?  Will we honor God and allow Him to be glorified?  We have the choice in how we react.  Our actions can be either positive or negative.  We can be a light for Christ in what we say or do or we can hide our light under the lampshade.  I often struggle with my attitude.  I want the right attitude that will honor God.  Instead I find my attitude blocking my spiritual walk.  Paul looked at being in prison as being positive.  Through his imprisonment others came to believe in Christ.  He kept his attitude positive and looked for the good in all things.  He did his best to glorify God in all things giving Him credit to everything.  Because of his attitude he was a positive witness to countless people over many generations.  

How will people see you?  How do people see me?  I pray for God to help me change my attitude and that I can glorify Him in all I say and do.  I pray for His help in my unbelief, Mark 9:24 (NIV) “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Vows, Easy Come and Easy Go...

Scripture:
Genesis 2:18-25
Deuteronomy 11:18-28

We all make vows of some sort in our lives.  I wear a small metal band around my finger to remind me and show everyone I made a vow.  I was recently talking with one of our pastors about families.  During which I mentioned that before I married Nancy I told her that divorce is not an option it doesn’t exist.  I stated that now is the time to back out if she wanted.  I somehow managed to persuade her to marry me anyway.  We have had over seventeen years of marriage.  Some of which were the most wonderful years of my life.  Some of which have been a hard struggle to get through.  Our vows said “for better or for worse” we have had both.  Sure there were times when it would have been easier to quit and go our separate ways.  In Mark 10:6-9 it says:

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’  So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  

Through thick and thin Nancy and I have managed to have a wonderful marriage.  It isn’t because of what I have done or not done.  Our marriage is a wonderful marriage because we strive to keep God in the center.  Our wedding vows are more than words and go deeper than a promise.  We made a covenant not only with each other but with God.  Our covenant that we made is a holy and sacred between Nancy, myself, and God.  Marriage was designed in this fashion right from the beginning starting with Adam and Eve.  

Something that has taken years to sink into my thick skull is true intimacy.  Genesis 2:25 (NIV) “Adam and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame.”  For years I took this verse at what it says on the surface.  It wasn’t until recently that I realized and learned it went deeper.  True intimacy is when you are completely open in all things with someone.  All feelings, thoughts, dreams, good and bad are openly shared.  True intimacy goes beyond the flesh to include the spiritual aspects of your relationship.  Can we truly be naked and unashamed with our spouses?  Can we show our inner most thoughts and feelings?  Recently I started to wonder how intimate am I with my wife?  How can I make it better?  God is the beginning of all things…