07.26.09
July 26 sermon on the website.
My most recent sermon is uploaded and ready for listening. Blessings.
07.24.09
Talk about mood swings Jeremiah 20:12-14
These verses in Jeremiah give me great comfort, in an odd way.
“O Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
Jeremiah cries out for vengeance, then praises the Lord, then curses the day he was born, all within three verses. Have you had days like that? You feel one way one moment, then another, then another, back and forth and back and forth.
I know I have been there. Changing as quickly as Jeremiah in these verses. And the Lord just listens.
Ears open, heart open, arms open, the Lord just listens to our rantings know that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He waits for us to “come to our senses” and then helps us move on.
I am so thankful to have a God who loves me on my good days and bad days. In my moments of victory and defeat. A love that is all encompassing.
Praise God.
07.22.09
A song you need to listen to!!!!
Steven Curtis Chapman has a new song entitled “Yours”. It is a great song. I encourage you to listen to it. The message is spot on.
Mark 4:35-41–A reoccuring theme
I think this gospel story has to be one of my favorites. It certainly is a recurring theme in my devotions and life.
I preached on this story in July and now it comes up again. I love the fact that the disciples are caught in a storm after the prompting of Jesus to “Let’s cross over to the other side.” It was Jesus’ idea to get in the boat and cross the lake. It was Jesus who devised the plan. Jesus took the lead. And look where it led.
It led to a storm that was swamping the boat and threatening the disciples’ lives, or at least that is what they thought. I am sure they figured if Jesus said to go it will be an easy crossing, after all Jesus suggested it. Then BAMMMM a storm, big waves, strong wind, drenching rain and Jesus sleeping through the whole thing. How unfair is that. It was Jesus idea, we are dying here and he is sleeping as if nothing is wrong. How dare he get us into this!!!!!
Have you ever had that thought???? I am following Jesus plans, seeking God’s will, moving with the prompting of the Holy Spirit and here I am drenched, straining against wind and waves. This is not fair. This was not my plan. I am just following “orders.”
If you are in that situation now listen to Jesus words, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus plans are Jesus plans. With his plans comes his power to see his plan through to the end. In the process we may get a bit wet, our muscles may feel strained, we may be near exhaustion, but we are not forsaken nor forgotten. He is in the boat with us. Quietly present, offering hope, providing peace and assurance.
The disciples cried out to Jesus, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” How fatalistic. Yet, I am sure we have whispered the same thoughts. “Jesus, don’t you care if I am worn down, defeated, overwhelmed?”
For me this story teaches about changing my cry to Jesus. It teaches me to say, “Jesus life is hard right now. I know you are here with me. Please strengthen me.” or if time is short and I don’t have that much sanity at the time I simple cry out, “Jesus help!” NOT “Jesus don’t you care if I die!” BUT “Jesus help!” There is a difference. There is a shift from doubt and despair to courage and peace.
Jesus’ presence in the storms of life always brings courage and peace, even when the wind and waves are crashing about us. For that I am truly thankful.
So the next time Jesus says, “Let’s cross over to the other side.” Don’t we surprised by the wind and waves. Be ready to stand strong side by side with Jesus.
07.20.09
New Wineskins-Mark 2:22
Mark 2:22
“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.
This verse was in a recent devotion and it really challenged me. Not because I like good red wine, but because I don’t know if I am really ready for all that is new. What do I mean?
As I study Mark 2, Jesus makes it clear that He is bringing a whole new way of life into this world. I believe He introduced this new way of life during his earthly ministry. Yet, I don’t think the newness ended when he ascended into heaven.
Daily I am faced with new ways of doing church, new ways of reaching an increasingly underchurched world, new ways of thinking about “world superpowers”, new people, new places, new on and on and on, etc….
The only thing that I know that does not change is God and His Word!!!
Maybe the Christian life is about being open to new ways; new wineskins. Yesterday’s skins will not hold today’s wine. Many mainline churches have forgotten this. May Christians are afraid of what the church is becoming. Many are fearful about the new, no matter what the new is.
In embracing the new around us we more tightly cling to the certainly of God and His Word.
Yet, many people are all about the old wineskins, the way it was, the way it always has been and the comfort that the old brings. Yet, that is not where our comfort should lie. Our comfort is not in the old, but in the unchanging God of heaven. If I seek comfort from what has been, the past, the old, I am making that my idol. It means I can have faith in what I know rather than faith in a God who is always with me.
So bring on the new wine and the new wineskins.
My prayer.
God give me the grace to cling to you and nothing else. Give me the grace to embrace the new and to creatively see the future as a place where you already exist. Help we celebrate the new wine you daily bring into my life and give me patience with those who cling to old wineskins. Help me find ways to help them embrace you and the newness you offer.
Oh man, let’s see what God brings my way. I’d better hold on….
Let me know what you think.
Blessings
07.15.09
The desire of the Lord
(NIV) Joshua 22:5
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul. ”
My prayer today.
“Lord this starts with choices that are made daily in harmony with you. Strengthen me to be able to do that. I am so weak and easily swayed. I want to be faithful and useful to you, your kingdom and your creation.”
(NIV) Acts 2:25-28
David said about him: ” `I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. [26] Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, [27] because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. [28] You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
Seeing the Lord always before me, that is the key. Keeping the Lord always in view. That is not always easy because we don’t want to see Him. We want to look the other way. This allows us to act out of God’s will. How could you act out of God’s will as you stand before the cross or stand behind the King of Glory. Yet we remove Jesus from our everyday. We put him in a church or in a book and keep our distance. We convince ourselves we are disconnected from Jesus. We pretend He is locked away or in another place. “I saw the Lord always before me” that is where Jesus is. That is His true place, before me. Regardless of my thinking he is before me. Lovingly watching me stumble like a toddler. Waiting for me to allow his hand to grab my hand.
My prayer…
Lord take my hand and ever walk before me. Lead on to the places you want me to go. Please hold tightly because I am weak and afraid.
07.14.09
Greed and Self-Indulgence–Matthew 23:25
Ouch!
This was part of my devotion today and again I say ouch.
It is easy to point fingers at those whom I believe to be greedy and self-indulgent, but what about when I look in the mirror. What do I long for and how do I indulge myself? Hmmmmmm. Let me count the ways.
I want a church that works the way I want it too.
I want to feel cared for.
I want independence from people, but I want to be needed and to need people. (How does that work?)
In reality I want whatever I don’t have at the moment.
“Seek first the Kingdom of God”
“Where you treasure is, there also will be your heart”
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit”
Oh yea, I too am a greedy and self-indulged sinner, who needs the grace of Jesus to pull me out of myself. I too have a tendency to seek the way that most suits my desire rather than seeking first the kingdom of God. I find my heart grabbing for things like houses, cars, expensive wines and things that make other people say, “WOW, that’s cool.” I use my feeble might and fleeting power to do the work of God. Father, forgive me, for I have sinned and fall short of your glory.
Who joins me in that conviction? (You don’t really need to identify yourself to me, but you do need to identify yourself to God.)
He has so much more planned for each of us than we can plan for ourselves.
My prayer today was, “Jesus, by the power of your Spirit, help me say no to my greed and self-indulgence. Help me say yes to your provision, your plans, your ways. Let me see the riches I have in You and You alone. Amen.”
I will let you know where that leads.
Blessings,
Greg
07.13.09
They will know a prophet has been among them. Ezekiel 2:5
This is part of the Old Testament scripture I am preaching on this coming Sunday, July 19.
I have been challenged as I put the sermon together to see if such a statement can be said about me.
We may think of a prophet as some ancient person who was called to live a strange and distant life from the rest of the community. Someone who ate strange food or wore strange clothes. Someone who was always on the point of getting arrested or just a heart beat away from another stoning. That is certainly not you or me. We are normal, everyday people who do the best we can to live a normal life.
Yet, the real definition of a prophet is a person who proclaims the truth of the Word of God.
It is true that throughout the Bible we read examples of people who proclaimed the truth of the Word of God, which resulted in alienation, condemnation, and ridicule. Yet, are we not called to live and speak the truth of the Word of God today, in our workplaces, in our schools, in our neighborhoods. We may not be called to stand upon a soapbox, but we are called to be a living witness. We are called to live in such a way that others will know the God we worship and the life we live to His glory.
Our words and actions may alienate us from those who do not want our witness. Our words and actions may bring condemnation and ridicule, but that is when we fall back on the grace of God. A grace that is sufficient to uphold and sustain us.
May it be said of each of us, by those around us, a prophet has been among us.
My prayer is that my words, actions, and lifestyle will help show the world the God I worship and the unending love of the Lord who has saved me. May the Spirit of God raise me up and move my feet in such a way that others will be drawn to God.
Is that your prayer also? Let me know.
07.10.09
Matthew 9–the Call to Ministry
I studied Matthew 9 in my devotions today.
I know I have read that chapter many times, but sitting on a deck in Hong Kong overlooking the village where I will be living, this chapter took on new meaning. The quick gist of the chapter; Jesus heals, Jesus calls the twelve, Jesus raises a dead girl, heals a sick woman and then casts out demons. He then turns to the twelve and tells them the workers are few. Then chapter ten begins with the twelve being sent out. Today the idea of faith before the Call and faith before the mission hit home.
Jesus step by step reveals to his disciples the power he has and the power he wants them to share with the world. How could the disciples not be excited about what they were about to do. I am sure we too would be excited about being sent if we were able to see Jesus do such miracles.
Sitting on the deck today I could not help but think, do we not see miracles everyday.
Kerrick and I just got off a plane that stayed in the air for 15 hours, kept us safe over the North Pole and landed gently on the other side of the world. Yes, there are laws of aviation that can explain how all that works or a simple faith would say, Jesus is an amazing God to allow such things to happen.
I am overlooking a 41 story building jutting out from the side of a cliff. There are rules of architecture that can explain how that works, or again a faith that says, Jesus allows amazing things to still be created.
Sitting here I realized that Jesus still shows us miracles everyday. We just have ways to explain them away. As I begin to spread the Good News of Jesus on this side of the world, my prayer has become, “Lord, let me see your daily miracles and let those works empower my faith and fuel my service to you.”
That is my prayer for each Christian, that we can see the miracles around us and then proclaim what a great God this world has.
07.09.09
Beginning Again
Well I am in Hong Kong and am looking forward to beginning my ministry here. After a year away from this ministry, I am excited to be back on this side of the world. I am looking forward to preaching on Sunday. I already have a baptism scheduled for Sunday, July 19. I am excited to share that sacrament with the family. God is good.
Jet lag is setting in a bit so I am going to keep this short, but I look forward to writing more in the next few days.
