February 15th
Sacrifice of Praise
"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
Hebrews 13:15
There are times when it is a sacrifice to offer praise to God, quite frankly, because we don't really want to. There are times when we are down or depressed or things aren't going that well. We don't really feel like praising the Lord.
Yet the Bible is filled with admonition after admonition to give glory and praise and thanks to God. Psalm 106:1 says, "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
Notice that the Bible does not say, "Give thanks to the Lord when you feel good." Rather, it says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" I don't praise God because I feel like it. I praise God because He is worthy, regardless of what I am going through.
Praise can be a sacrifice sometimes. I have found that when, out of obedience, I begin to praise the Lord, the emotion will begin to engage with my act of obedience in time. The point is, I should do it because God tells me to.
In the Gospel of Luke, we find the story of ten men who were miraculously touched by Jesus. Because these men had leprosy, they were the outcasts of their society. Yet Jesus went out of His way to touch them and heal them of this dread disease. Only one, a Samaritan, returned and gave thanks and praise to God.
Jesus then asked a provocative question: "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:18). In many ways, I think He is still asking this question today.
January 19th
I've heard it said that knowledge is when you know enough to realize how little you know. This psalmist seems to have this kind of wisdom and maturity. It's great when we humble ourselves to the point that we don't always have to be right.
We can quiet ourselves, keeping a calm head, without flying off the handle when we don't get what we want. Put your hope in the Lord and let Him help you calm your soul.
Psalm 131 (New Living Translation)
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.
2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.
Here is a prayer you can pray:
Lord, give me that peace that passes all understanding.
Help me to be still and know that you are God.
December 8th
Dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.
-Benjamin Franklin
This quote reminds me to make the most of every opportunity I am given every minute, every hour and every day. This Christmas as you spend time with friends and family make the most of every minute you have with them, choose your words carefully and give God’s love to those you spend time with. Often we get caught up in the busyness of Christmas and trying to capture a feeling of the season. I believe it’s more about the time we spend with people that really matters the most, quality time.
- Take time to thank God for giving us His Son as the perfect gift.
- Take time to appreciate and love those who your close to, but also take the time to mend broken fences with those who have become strangers.
- Take time to pray.
- Take time to listen.
- Do not squander the opportunity God has given us at Christmas to bring joy into somebody’s life, whether friend or foe.
- Make the most of this time to spread the good news of Jesus Christ or Lord and Savior.
November 1st 2009
The Power of Endurance
One hit wonder, here today and gone tomorrow and 15 minutes of fame. These are all familiar expressions that provoke our thoughts to certain images or better yet, people. These popular expressions should only be heard in Hollywood, the sports arena or written in a celebrity magazine. They should not be heard within the walls of the church. Let me explain. So many times a person makes a decision at a church service that “this time” it will stick, the “it” can refer to many things like; recommitting to Christ, starting a ministry, quitting a bad habit, making a promise to pray more, to read God’s Word more…you get the picture.
What I see lacking in so many churches and in life of the believer is endurance. Endurance is a seldom used word that I believe has great, long lasting meaning when you look at the scripture.
Romans 5:3 -4
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
The definition of endurance goes like this: Endurance – To resist in anything undertaken, to maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty or stress. The ability to last, to continue, to remain, to stand which has faith as it’s hope and basis. The quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.
I want to encourage you to endure, to not give up on a commitment made to God. Those who endure & remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ will reap a harvest.
August 25th 2009
Ahhh, soon the sounds and smells of autumn will fill the air. For myself, I truly enjoy attending a Friday night high school game on a cool autumn night. There is just something about that experience, sitting in the stands watching a good football game that makes me feel good. For others it could be the beauty of the changing leaves, for some the sound of leaves falling to the ground while on a walk through a wooded area. I am assuming all of us enjoy the smell of fresh pumpkin pie baking in the oven. Now if you're like me, just these few images puts me in a soothing place, like being on a lake early in the morning, cool enough for a light jacket but not cold enough for a heavy coat, with nothing more than a fishing pole and a warm coffee in my hands. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20 (New International Version)
20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Father, I thank you for the simple pleasures that you have given us to enjoy. Thank you for the beauty we see in your creation.
This autumn I want to encourage you to take in all the beauty that God has created. Pull yourself away from the T.V., the internet or anything that requires to be plugged in, charged or takes batteries. Just enjoy those simple pleasures that so often connect you to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
July 5th 2009
Recently I attended a parade with my family. It was a gorgeous summer day, the sun was shining, the wind was gently blowing and the sounds of hundreds of people celebrating our nation’s independence. As I sat there with my six year old on my lap catching candy and waving at every participant in the parade a thought crossed my mind, a thought that I have been thinking about a lot lately, why are so many kids not growing up in church the way I did, the way so many of my friends did. In every person’s life the ages between 2 -10 are critical in shaping the habits and priorities in our lives. My point is this, if our children grow up in church they will most likely build their principals on God’s teaching. If a child is not given the opportunity to experience what growing up in church is all about they most likely won’t make church and knowing God a priority in their life as an adult. Statistics say 85% of Christians do so before the age of 18. This tells me we must make it a priority to give our children a chance to build a foundation on God from an early age, this happens by bringing our children to church. It could be your children, your grandchildren, a niece or a nephew…maybe a kid from the neighborhood; somebody needs to be sure every child has a chance to grow up in church. If you are reading this and you know someone who hasn't brought their children to church, say something to them, invite them to church. You could be the one who gives them truly, the opportunity of a lifetime.
May 11th 2009
Recently I read an email that asked the question, “Why go to church.” After I read it I wanted to share my perspective on the question asked….
Do you ever ask yourself, “Why it is so important to attend church? Why is the Pastor always asking the congregation to get involved, stay active and basically attend church services or functions whenever possible?” I began to think about what the affects would be to our physical bodies if we stopped eating and drinking. A day goes by and a few hunger pains, several days go by and our muscles would begin to ache. Finally our bodies would succumb to death with the lack of nourishment.
Our inner man, our spiritual bodies are in need of nourishment as well. You won’t remember every word form the messages given at church or more likely not even the main points from the sermon. However, at that time, for that hour or day or week it was nourishment for your soul, nourishment for your spirit. I can’t remember what I ate for the month of May 2004, but at that time I needed the nourishment for energy, for work and for my health. Daily living for Christ and a commitment to fellowship with other believers is essential for a healthy soul. I could give many more reasons like; it’s an act of obedience to God or it’s an outward expression of our love for God. Just remember church is not about a building or program, it’s so much more than that. It’s a place where we come together to worship our Lord and to be nourished. See you soon at church.
Psalm 22:22 (New International Version)
I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.
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