Tonight we continue our series of messages from the Psalms. We are studying Psalm 120 through 134, the songs of ascent. As we learn we are learning to climb into the presence of the Lord. One theme that really stands out in these Psalms is that we live in God's presence and favor, not enter his presence on Sunday and then leave it for the rest of the week. The songs are for singing in the temple, on the fifteen steps that lead into the presence of the Lord. But, the principals and pictures in the songs relate to daily life.
Let's live lives of trust and obedience to God all day, every day, not just on Sunday or special occasions. A Wall Street Journal marketing poster I hung in my dorm room in college read, "Success is a Daily Issue." Worship, faith, relationship to God, and spiritual success is a daily issue. Climb into his presence and learn to stay there.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Confusing Testimony
Occasionally we have people share testimonies at church. Some can be very confusing, even hilariously confusing. An 80 year old lady who had blood pressure problems stood to announce, "I want to praise the Lord, I ain't got no blood pressure!"
Funny stuff aside, there are some stories in the Old Testament that are very confusing testimonies. In the life of King Saul we find several of those confusing stories. One is in 1 Samuel 19:23-24. God's Spirit moves Saul to prophecy so that David has time to escape from Saul. We don't know the exact nature of that prophesying, but it apparently overcame Saul so that he forgot about or neglected David for a brief period of time.
Saul is showing the signs of the anointing, but it is not due to his relationship with God, but it is due to David's need! Never base the quality of your relationship with God on outward ministry effectiveness. God may be using you because he loves those you minister to, not because you are acceptable. Judge yourself according to the Word of God and it only.
Here is the bottom line, at the end of your life what kind of testimony will you leave? A confusing testimony or a solid testimony. People ask at funerals, "Pastor, did you get to pray the sinners prayer with him/her?" Most of the time I can say yes I did. Many times I did pray with them, but they never devoted themselves to God and the life was never transformed in any way. Yes, I prayed with them. Were they saved? I don't know. There was no fruit to bear witness to the presence of God in their life.
Don't live out a confusing testimony! Do what God asks. Be fully devoted to him. Don't serve God half hearted. Leave no question in the minds of those who know the Word of God and know you best. Make your testimony a solid one. Make your epitaph honest and like David's: "A man after God's own heart."
Funny stuff aside, there are some stories in the Old Testament that are very confusing testimonies. In the life of King Saul we find several of those confusing stories. One is in 1 Samuel 19:23-24. God's Spirit moves Saul to prophecy so that David has time to escape from Saul. We don't know the exact nature of that prophesying, but it apparently overcame Saul so that he forgot about or neglected David for a brief period of time.
Saul is showing the signs of the anointing, but it is not due to his relationship with God, but it is due to David's need! Never base the quality of your relationship with God on outward ministry effectiveness. God may be using you because he loves those you minister to, not because you are acceptable. Judge yourself according to the Word of God and it only.
Here is the bottom line, at the end of your life what kind of testimony will you leave? A confusing testimony or a solid testimony. People ask at funerals, "Pastor, did you get to pray the sinners prayer with him/her?" Most of the time I can say yes I did. Many times I did pray with them, but they never devoted themselves to God and the life was never transformed in any way. Yes, I prayed with them. Were they saved? I don't know. There was no fruit to bear witness to the presence of God in their life.
Don't live out a confusing testimony! Do what God asks. Be fully devoted to him. Don't serve God half hearted. Leave no question in the minds of those who know the Word of God and know you best. Make your testimony a solid one. Make your epitaph honest and like David's: "A man after God's own heart."
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Shooting Stars
Friday I took the kids to my parents house in the country for a bonfire. The weather was perfect! We ate dinner, started the fire, roasted hot dogs and then laid out to watch the stars. In one hour of story telling and conversation I saw five shooting stars.
Elizabeth says that she saw one of them. Back in 1992 I was with Stephanie, who is now my wife, and we were looking at the stars when a shooting star shot through the sky. It was her first shooting star and we saw it together. I am so glad that Elizabeth and I saw her first shooting star together.
Trivia: The term bonfire may be from an old Celtic practice of cooking an animal at a celebration or religious festival and then throwing the bones in the fire (bone fire) to ward off evil spirits. Our hot dogs had no bones and we have the Holy Spirit who always makes us over comers.
Elizabeth says that she saw one of them. Back in 1992 I was with Stephanie, who is now my wife, and we were looking at the stars when a shooting star shot through the sky. It was her first shooting star and we saw it together. I am so glad that Elizabeth and I saw her first shooting star together.
Trivia: The term bonfire may be from an old Celtic practice of cooking an animal at a celebration or religious festival and then throwing the bones in the fire (bone fire) to ward off evil spirits. Our hot dogs had no bones and we have the Holy Spirit who always makes us over comers.
Conviction
I am convicted.
I am convicted that I have not been doing more blog posts. I want to have better chances to make contact with the church and the blog is a great way to do it. Most importantly, I want to be prepared for the people God will send to our church. Being prepared is being prepared to communicate with them. I feel that the blog will be a very important part of that communication.
If you are on Facebook my blog entries will show up as notes on my profile page. When I started linking my posts to my Facebook my hits on the blog site drooped by over half. I still get a lot of comments about postings, so I know they are being read. I also get more Facebook comments on the blog notes than I get comments on the blog itself.
Whatever. What matters is good communication and leadership. I know the blog can help with that. So, sorry for the very few blog posts in the last several months. I will be working hard to improve. Don't forget to check it out.
I am convicted that I have not been doing more blog posts. I want to have better chances to make contact with the church and the blog is a great way to do it. Most importantly, I want to be prepared for the people God will send to our church. Being prepared is being prepared to communicate with them. I feel that the blog will be a very important part of that communication.
If you are on Facebook my blog entries will show up as notes on my profile page. When I started linking my posts to my Facebook my hits on the blog site drooped by over half. I still get a lot of comments about postings, so I know they are being read. I also get more Facebook comments on the blog notes than I get comments on the blog itself.
Whatever. What matters is good communication and leadership. I know the blog can help with that. So, sorry for the very few blog posts in the last several months. I will be working hard to improve. Don't forget to check it out.
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