May 5 Thought for the day...overcoming weariness

I enjoy technology. My world is wrapped up in my iPhone. If I lose it I would be in big trouble because every appointment, contact, and having all the information in the world at my fingertips is something I use every day. It has also added to the weariness of life 700+ e-mails/day, 150+ text messages/day, appointment reminders, and phone calls, all can be overwhelming. The Lord has taught me a key to overcoming the weariness.

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." Romans 8:11

You have demands on your life. Goals to reach at work, pressure to make that deadline or simply to keep your job. After work, there are things to do at home. Bills need paying, grass needs mowing, meals need prepared. Sometimes the pressure even sneaks into our sleep, creating a cycle of sleeplessness adding to the stress.

Add to these things the family responsibilities. Caring for aging parents, being with grandchildren, school activities, sporting events, birthday celebrations. All of which require time and energy, you want to enjoy, but it is one more thing.

Then church responsibilities. You love your church and the people you want to do more and feel guilty for not doing more but simply don't have the physical or mental energy to make it happen.

The pressure continues with friendship responsibilities. Being a good friend requires you to be friendly, to reach out, encourage, spend time, and be with your friends

So now that you are thinking about this and getting more weary than refreshed, here is how this scripture applies. One of the enemies greatest tools is discouragement and when we are exhausted it is easy for that tool to be implemented.

The Holy Spirit will "give life" to our bodies. Our bodies have limitations but God does not. The word used here means to, rejuvenate, revitalize, renew, and make fresh. God knows all the demands, He knows the time constraints and He reminds us, and I see Him do it in my life nearly every day, that His Spirit living in us will completely rejuvenate us as we learn to rely on Him. Let Him overcome your weariness not by your strength or resolve but by His Spirit and He will do it!

May 4 Thought for the day....is there evidence Jesus alive in your life?

(Warning! a little longer than usual) When my children were very little they believed the TV character McGuyver was real. Week after week we saw episodes of his brain figuring out the most dangerous situations. Why was McGuyver real for them? Their Dad was on TV every day and he was real so if Dad is on TV and real McGuyver must be also. This was solid logic for a 2 and 5-year-old. The problem: McGuyver is fictional. Dad could be touched seen, known, talked with and there is evidence of his presence. But not McGuyver. If that is the test of what is real, how do we know Jesus is real?

"that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you," 1 Corinthians 1:5,6

So what does that scripture have to do with knowing Jesus is real or not. I shared yesterday about William Wallace much of what we know about him is legend versus fact. We can't talk to him interact with him to find out what is truth versus a story. Jesus is different!

Paul is writing to the Corinthians church recognizing that they are in contact with Jesus through the Holy Spirit on a regular basis. He says they are "enriched" in other words, abundantly wealthy, wealth beyond measure with what "utterance and knowledge".

As you read the Corinthian letters you see that this church while they had not known Jesus personally as He walked the face of the earth, were the blessed beyond measure with the witness of Jesus, the Holy Spirit. The "utterance" gifts, according to scripture are tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy. The "knowledge" gifts according to the Bible are words of knowledge, wisdom, discerning of spirits, and can also be prophecy. These things were active in their lives and church life.

The entire community knew these things were alive in their lives and church and because of that, they proved that Jesus was with them. The word "confirmed" means to make concrete, authenticate as to be proven in a court of law. Because they used these gifts Jesus was seen in their midst!

They didn't know Jesus by the time the Corinthians church was founded He had gone to the Father at least a decade earlier. What they knew from their history was Jesus the Prophet, Healer, and Miracle-worker. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the church they saw the testimony of Christ in their lives through the miracles, prophecies, words of knowledge and wisdom, and all the gifts of the Spirit. Every week in our church someone is touched by the prophetic, a healing, word of knowledge or wisdom. Jesus is not simply a historical or worse fictional character to us, He is alive as prophet, healer, miracle worker and so much more. His testimony is alive in our church and my life. That same testimony can be alive in your life as well if you allow Him!

May 3 Thought for the day...how well have you fought today?

In one of my favorite movies, "Braveheart", the lead character William Wallace makes this statement, "all men die but few men truly live". I am not sure if William Wallace actually said that, but it is the intent behind what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 

Paul is winding down his life. He knows his end is near. By saying he fought the good fight he is telling us much of his life was a struggle, battle but he stayed the course, he did not give up, he fought! Paul had been beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned, rejected, illegally charged, tried and convicted, mistrusted, lied about and to, yet in all of this he stood firm. This could be translated, "I stayed in there and I fought and won!"

Paul goes on to say, "I have finished the race". This is personal. It could read to help us understand better, "my race". Paul didn't do anything anyone else was called to do, he completed "his" race, what he was called to do. It could be translated, "this was my race and I kept going until I did everything I needed to do to win!"

I have "kept the faith". The word "kept" here means to "guard" as in a soldier guarding or protecting a post. Paul is saying regardless of the battles, the attacks, the struggles I kept guard of my faith and I did not let go. I never left my post, I never surrendered, I kept strong watch over the mission and call God had given me.

Paul's perspective was eternal. His fighting, finishing, and keeping was something where he held an eternal perspective. Some of the arguments we get into, some of the things we worry about, some of the things we work so hard to achieve may be things that people remember for the moment but are quickly gone after that moment. Some of the negative things in our lives become who we are and all of the positives disappear because of a moment of surrendering our eternal perspective. Think about the way you are going to engage people today. Think about how you will live your life today. There are many things that seek to rob us of who we are and our reputation. Choose to fight the good fight and keep the faith so you will win!

May 2 Thought for the day....you don't realize the power in your hands

There are things in our lives that we take for granted. They become so familiar that rather than seeing their value we dismiss them as normal or basic. We do it with stuff, gifts, talents, relationships and so many other things. Paul reminds us to not allow that to happen with one of the greatest powers we possess.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16

You know I stress reading the Bible. I tease about it on a regular basis but I need you to understand something about it. Picture for me a deflated balloon. What does it take to inflate this balloon? Lots of breath. So you blow up the balloon and when you do this it is then that you can actually see what the balloon looks like. At the same time, what is in the balloon? Air but not just any air your air with your unique DNA, molecules, basically part of who you are.

No, I didn't go down a rabbit trail. This is one of the best ways for me to describe this scripture to you. The word "inspiration" means God-breathed or the breath of God. Like the balloon, the very Bible you keep on your shelf, by your bed, in the back seat of your car, is God-breathed. Basically, the DNA of God is in the Bible it is not just a story about God but it is part of who He is, it is represented by His breath. That same word that spoke and caused everything to come into being is in your hands. The power that spoke and creation happened is on your nightstand. In other words, when we read God's Word and make it part of us, we are moving in one of the greatest power we can imagine and like the balloon we become what we are meant to be. Does it make sense now as to why I stress reading  it so much?

Knowing this do you also understand how it is profitable? The word, profitable can be translated simply as something that is for your main advantage. If we do not read, live, and believe God's word we are missing out on the power that brought everything into being. We are limiting ourselves to our power. God's own breath and Spirit are contained within the Word just like the air in the balloon. That’s a very good reason why you should spend time studying and meditating on God’s Word. By studying and meditating on the Word, you will learn to unlock the power contained within it. And when you have unlocked that door, the power of God will come pouring into your life and into the situations you are facing.

May 1 Thought for the day....its all about love

Sometimes life can be very complicated. God doesn't intend it to be that way, one of the key elements to uncomplicating our lives is stated by the Holy Spirit through John.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Today's thought is very simple and very to the point. John uses three times the word "love" which is defined as to love dearly, to be pleased with someone in a blessed and giving way. In other words, under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, we are being told a very simple yet profound command.

Reread the verse. What do you think? God is saying dearly love, be pleased with and be willing to give of yourself to all of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Can you imagine if we always gave our brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt, the encouragement they need, choosing to believe in them, stand for them, helping them to stand and become their best!

Isn't it amazing that God calls us to this? He is saying to us those who are true followers of mine, those who are really my children live this way, all of the time. Can you imagine how church would be changed? How our lives would be changed? How all of our relationships would be changed? How quickly the church would grow if we all chose to believe and live this way!

Your challenge today is to live this way just today. If you can do today then you can do tomorrow and every day after that!

April 28 Thought for the day...the cure for boredom

All of us get bored at one time or another. Put on any sporting event on TV, and I am there instantly. The danger is when we get spiritually bored. People go from church to church, teacher to teacher, event to event always wanting more but is that really the problem. James challenges that line of thinking.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22

Spiritual boredom is caused primarily by one thing, knowledge without application is boredom. If all you do is listen to the word, listen to the next teaching without ever living it out you will get bored, always looking for the next great thing when in reality the next great thing is your application of the word the Lord sends you week after week otherwise you will become weak after weak!

The Word of God is living and active, but if we are not active with it, then we slowly begin to die spiritually. Being a doer of the word requires discipline in your prayer life and in your spiritual walk. People who are doers are never bored because application of God's Word is an adventure.

The phrase use "just listen" is a classical Greek term meaning to "audit a class without getting credit." This is what happens to the "hearers" as the KJV puts it. They simply audit the class, are entertained by it, but never intend to apply it to be useful. Thus the boredom.

Ask yourself...

Am I serious about the Word of God and its application in my life? Or am I simply an “auditor” who has no intention of doing the Word? Am I doing something with the Word I’ve heard preached, or am I among those who hear the Word but do not act on what they have heard? Does God consider me to be a listener or a doer of the Word?

America is full of listeners but changing our nation will only be done by doers. Are you oversaturated with Christian Television, radio, books, magazines, sermons? If so, begin doing the word, change your life, and the world in the process. Those in my church, if you simply begin to apply what I spend hours seeking the Lord for on a weekly basis, I guarantee you will never be bored but have a grand adventure and in the process change the world.

April 27 Thought for the day...saying the right things

Communicating with people is a tricky thing. It has become increasingly difficult because of texting and other forms of written communication where without proper context of "tone", unfortunately, things can be easily misunderstood. Paul didn't have to worry about texting but he did have to worry about speaking to an audience in a way that they could hear him.

"for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about." Acts 17:23

As I mentioned before, Athens was a city of great idolatry (see April 25). Paul could have easily condemned them for this idol worship by pointing out the pagan idolatry and attacking it head on. Instead, he was concerned about them "hearing" the Gospel so rather than attacking, he used grace. The word interpreted "shrine" here was not a negative connotation but meant more like places of devotion. Paul saw their devotion to so many idols and decided to reach them where they were.

Paul was speaking to some of the most brilliant minds of the ancient world. Like Jesus and the woman at the well, he did not condemn but spoke to them from where they were. They were religious men with many gods, so in God's wisdom, he spoke to them about the idol he had before him, "To an Unknown God". If Paul would have criticized their idols, biblically he would have been correct but spiritually he would have missed reaching the people. If he attacked their gods they would have at least stopped listening and at most arrested him.

He didn't need to attack their gods instead, He showed them the real God! Can you see this in situations in your life? There are plenty of situations for us to condemn, there is rampant sin in our friends, families, and co-workers. The Lord loves them and desires for them to come to Him and to repent but we must use wisdom to show them Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction on their brokenness or have them come to us after they have come to Christ to help them walk the walk!