28.August.2008
Because God Loves Me
I am the type of person who loves corny jokes. I suppose I come by this honestly because many people in my family also enjoy this type of humor. Recently during you group I asked this question, “Why is it that our feet smell and our nose runs?” This type of play on words can usually get me giggling. However, I think the essence of the question is also applicable. Just as there are reasons and purposes behind God’s set-up of the universe, there are reasons why as a follower of God, I live in a certain way. Why do I allow myself to act or live a certain way? There are certain types of activities that I have decided are beneficial and not so beneficial. Certain types of clothing styles that are appropriate or not so appropriate. I try to live differently. And because I am trying to live differently people often ask why I live the way that we live.
There is a song that I remember from my days in the cradle roll, which has a line that goes, “…for the Bible tells me so.” When I was younger this was a great response to people because it taught me the importance of God’s Word in my life. But as I get older, if my standard response to people’s questioning stops at “…for the Bible tells me so,” then I am missing a piece of the answer. My answer is missing God’s heart. In 1 Peter 3: 15-16, Peter says, “15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” Our response needs to be filled with hope because Christ is Lord of my life.
I have come across a lot of people who think Christianity is a miserable faith. A lot of these people have also reduced Christianity to a bunch of “dos” and “don’ts”. If this was the way that I viewed my walk with Christ (and I am tempted to sometimes) it makes sense that I would not have any joy as a Christian. And in turn would have a hard time explaining to someone the hope that I have. The whole reason why God gave the law and “rules” to his people was to show me just how far I have fallen from where God indented me to be and how much I need Jesus. My hope comes the fact that as Paul says in Galatians, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
What I need to remind myself daily is that behind any of the Bible’s/God’s instructions for my life are his good heart. He loves me so much. He knows that sin hinders my relationship with Him. It always has. We when we look at the Bible we can see a clear relationship between sin and closeness with God. Adam and Eve are the perfect example. Their conscious choice to go against God’s will for them, caused them to be expelled from the garden.
God has incredible things in store for us, when someone asks why we’re not doing something that we’ve chosen not to do because it’s sinful, let us consider this answer: “Because the God who loves me tells me that the fulfilling life He has in store for me will be robbed by things which pull my attention away from Him. It may look really good now, but later I’ll feel discontent and disconnected from God. And it’s just not worth it to me.”
May we be filled with grace and God’s Spirit as we strive to live for Him! Consider the words to this hymn.
“O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.”
24.June.2008
days of Reckoning
This past week and a half I, along with my youth group, participated in a camp on the campus of Lipscomb University called Impact. The theme this year for Impact was “The Day of Reckoning”. Now I’m not sure that in my life time I have ever heard a real “fire and brimstone” sermon. This week focused on the Minor Prophets. At first I was a little taken a back, but the more that I thought about it I decided that sometimes we hear too much of “God loves you and it doesn’t matter what you’ve done.” The message here was “God loves you but there is a day coming where you will have to answer for your words and actions.”
The speakers were fantastic. A real all star lineup of Don McLaughlin, Wiley Lowe, Jeff Walling and David Fraze. Jeff Walling was probably my favorite. He talked a lot about the cycle in which a prophet is needed. It first starts with PROSPERITY then PROFANING, (insert prophet here), PROBLEM, PROSTRATION, PRAISE. When we don’t listen to the prophets in our lives, who come in after the profaning and before the problem, is when we run into problems. However, when we respond correctly the prophets in our lives by prostrating ourselves before the Lord our natural response is praise
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10
27.May.2008
Devotions with God
When I was about six or seven, there were several nights at dinner when my Dad would have my brother and I read from The Book of Virtues by William Bennet. This was an attempt by my father at trying to instill values and principles in us. The routine lasted for only a few months before our schedules became too busy to continue. This may have been the experience that we had as a child, in which your parents had some forum, such as dinner, to pass on wisdom and knowledge to you. Or as a parent you may have times set aside for you family to have a daily dose of God’s word. We want to have God’s values in our hearts but our best intentions get lost in the business of our lives.
God however, views our commitment to his words seriously. In Deuteronomy chapter six he says through Moses, “Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
David talked about God’s word like this, “Your word is like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). When David penned these words he was speaking from experience. He knew that throughout his life the word of God had guided his steps and thoughts. He also knew that when the way seems dark our knowledge and reading of the word has a profound impact on our course. Why then is it so difficult for us to have this practice in our own life? Getting into the Word is one area that we can really excel at, when we make the decision to do it.
One of the reasons why we often struggle at getting into the word on a regular basis (I know that I do) is because it is not something that was instilled in us when we were growing up. As a child and as a teenager I knew the importance of the Bible, but I often did not see its role in my daily routine, as I should, despite my father’s encouragement. I knew that I was expected to know the Word, but practically I lived as if the Bible is really nothing more than a bunch of stories.
In an effort to instill kingdom values in our lives and the lives of our children we need to continue to be proactive about giving ourselves a reminder of God’s word everyday. God knew this would be a struggle for us. This is why he told his people to talk about them all the time. Without that constant reminder of the heart of God, it is easy for our thoughts to become overwhelmed with the immediate situations facing us.
19.May.2008
Too Easy
This last week the daily devo readings that I have been doing with my youth group was about worry. The idea that we get so many things in the way of focusing on who God is and what he is about that we become frightened about the future and what will happen in certain situations or relationships. During our discussion last night someone brought up a good point. Isn’t worrying really that we get so caught up in ourselves that we forget who God is. God is all powerful and mighty and formed the the planets at a spoken word. And yet we often feel like he is distant and doesn’t care.
This idea of worry could not have come at a better time, because it has been on my mind recently. I have been wondering if God could pick anything for me to be doing right now would he have me be doing this. With friends and family all over the place, is there some where that I would feel more at peace, more at home, just somewhere I would feel more…
Then I realized that anything else for me right now would be too easy. Now I am sure that you are thinking, “Aaron, don’t you want to have an easy job?” In almost every situation I would say yes. But following Christ is not easy, serving him is not easy, and doing his will is not easy. I feel that God is calling me to the difficult, to the time consuming and the stressful. If I feel like I should be off somewhere else traveling the world, it’s because my heart is longing to be home, with my creator.
I do hope that I never get too comfortable with what I do, to the point where when I feel God leading me that I can’t move. But right now I need to become more comfortable with casting my worries and anxieties on Him.
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
Peace
23.April.2008
Fasting and Maverick
So I know that I haven’t posted in a while but…well, i have nothing really to say, except sorry.
I recently came accross a YouTube video that I was quite impressed with. Here’s the link to the video
We are gettting ready to do our fast here for the 30-Hour Famine. Trying to get teenagers to fast for 3 hours seems like a chore to me much less 30! I was preparing a lesson for a class I was going to do on Fasting before our event. The young man in the video relates our fasting to how he feeds his dog, Maverick. Sometimes, Maverick does not always get fed right when he is ready, because the master is doing something else. So Maverick must wait for the word from his master to eat.
“Remember how the Lord your God has led you in the desert for these forty years, taking away your pride and testing you, because he wanted to know what was in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands. He took away your pride when he let you get hungry…” Deut 8:2-3
Now fasting seems to be a lost art in this day. I feel that if we could learn to incorporate this discipline in our lives we would be so benefited from it. Instead of running around partaking of all sorts of “food” other than the Word. Maybe we should stop, and wait for the Word of the Lord. Letting Him know that we are ready for Him to feed us.
Peace
4.February.2008
Digging Deep
” Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell with a big crash.”
Matthew 7:24-27
What does it take for us to actually do what Jesus teaches? Christianity is not for the faint, but for the determined and the the ones who are willing to sacrifice. Part of that sacrifice is constantly searching our selves and digging deep down to the foundation to rid our lives of the things that are hindering that relationship with God.
The man in this parable built his house on the rock. Now forgive my flashbacks to earth science but bedrock is often deep below the surface of the earth. What are the layers that are hindering your search for bed rock? Only when we get to the bottom and ground who we are in Christ can we stand a chance at surviving the wind and the storms of life. God wants to give us something to stand on. The question is are we ready go down the path?
18.January.2008
The Touch of the Masters Hand
Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin,
but held it up with a smile; “What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?” “A dollar, a dollar”; then two!” “Only
two? Two dollars, and who’ll make it three? Three dollars, once; three
dollars twice; going for three..” But no, from the room, far back, a
gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow; Then, wiping the dust
from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody
pure and sweet as caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
said; “What am I bid for the old violin?” And he held it up with the bow.
A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two? Two thousand! And who’ll make
it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, and going and
gone,” said he. The people cheered, but some of them cried, “We do not
quite understnad what changed its worth.” Swift came the reply: “The touch
of a master’s hand.”
And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin, A
“mess of pottage,” a glass of wine; a game – and he travels on. “He is
going” once, and “going twice, He’s going and almost gone.” But the Master
comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul
and the change that’s wrought by the touch of the Master’s hand.
Myra ‘Brooks’ Welch
12.December.2007
Car Accident
So i got into a car accident on Tuesday night coming home from the office. It was not a whole lot of fun, especially since my car got damaged pretty good. Anyways, fortunately it wasn’t my fault and the other guys insurance has already gotten me a rental car. Unfortunately, the collision inspector told me today that they were going to “total” my car. This really stinks because i had a great car that was really cheap, but i wont be able to buy the same one that i had for what the insurance company is going to give me.
Its times like this were i think it is difficult to see where God is in all of it. Yes, he was there to keep me and the other drivers safe. But what good does it do to take away my car, and make me scrape around to find a new one? (not new in the sense of never be used, but new to me) the only think to do is to keep trusting. It’s times like this were I think of Proverbs 3:5,6.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.”
So no matter what happens to us, car accident, break-up, lack of success and in all our failures as well as victories, acknowledge the Lord. Sometimes i think things like this happen just to force us to slow down and realize that God is still in control. Hopefully by realizing this, we can lead other people to that same knowledge too!
3.December.2007
Holidays for Atheists
I recently received this story in an email.
In Florida , an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter and Passover holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared, ‘Case dismissed!’
The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, ‘Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah…yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!’
The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, ‘Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own atheists’ holiday!’
The lawyer pompously said, ‘Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?’
The judge replied “Consider that Psalm 14:1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, according to the scriptures, he is a fool, and April Fools Day is his holiday! Now have a good day and get out of my courtroom!!”
This story, however silly it is, makes a good point. The judge quotes the same scripture that Rob Bell quotes in his video, “Everything is Spiritual.” Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart there is no God.” There is no amount of intellectual evidence that can convince someone, of God. No scientific research, no archaeological evidence that will ever be enough. It is a decision made in our heart. And what we do with that decision, well, that changes everything.
