Are You Louder Than a Rock?

“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,

 the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices

for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Luke 19:37-40

 

 

Several years ago my wife and I were walking along the shore of Lake Ontario here in western New York near a place called Chimney Bluffs.

She began to see rocks on the beach that she liked and so I dutifully began picking them up and carrying them.

She collected as many as I could carry.

On some of the larger rocks she painted the words:

“Ain’t gonna let no rocks out praise me!”

Grammar aside, the sentiment came from the passage above.

We have much to praise God for.

I say that regarding my wife and I but I also say it on behalf of all believers.

Sometimes, it’s easy to miss those praise moments because our old nature wants to pull us out of praising Him and lead us instead into complaining and grumbling.

Our old nature seems so much better sometimes at recognizing what we ‘don’t have’ or what ‘isn’t right’.

The new creation that we are in Christ must turn our focus to Him.

That happens as we begin to praise Him for who He is.

Our eyes move from us to Him!

I remember some words that must be from an old song that went something like this:

“Be silent ye mountains

Ye fields and ye fountains for this is the time I must praise.

Time to sing praises to the Rock of the Ages…”

Are you praising Him today?

Don’t let the rocks out shine your voice of praise to Him!    

Intimate Fellowship

 “…show me your face,

let me hear your voice…”

Song of Songs 2:14b

 

An honorable husband or wife would not broadcast to the world the details of their intimate times together.

They love and respect their spouse.

Some things are meant to remain sacred between the two of them.

So too, there are times of intimate fellowship between a body of believers and the Lord

To try to communicate to others who were not there is almost to profane the sanctity of that time.

God, in His love and grace ministered to us on Sunday even as we worshipped Him.

It is enough to say He met us there in sweet communion and ministered to individuals with hope, encouragement and direction.

I suppose I could say: “You had to be there”, but the truth is the moment has passed.

Here’s the really good news though – God is waiting for you to draw near to Him and He promises He will draw near to you.

You don’t need a crowd, a “church” building or even three songs and a message.

You only need a hunger for God.

He will meet you in that place of hunger and thirst and satisfy your soul.

If I missed our corporate time of worship but am truly hungering for God, He will meet me in my place of hunger.

He will satisfy the thirsting of my soul.

While this is certainly not an excuse to absence yourself from the fellowship of the saints, it is important that we grow to understand how much God wants that intimate fellowship with us whether we are ‘in a crowd’ or at a solitary place.

Will you draw near in intimate worship today?

Are My Lips Sealed?

 “I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;

    I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know.

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.

I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness

    from the great assembly”

Psalm 40:9-10

 

The second part of verse 7 in Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is

 “a time to be silent and a time to speak”.

The Psalmist, in the verses above, brings some insight into one of those times to speak.

It is always a good thing to proclaim God’s saving acts in the great assembly; to speak of

(and not hide) His faithfulness and great love.

What is the ‘great assembly’?

Consider it Church – our corporate gatherings!

It’s o.k. to boast about God when we gather together.

It is a good thing to give thanks to God and to tell of His love.

You are among friends there.

As a matter of fact, you are among family!

Of course, all things need to be done decently and in order but when was the last time the Pastor had to stop testimonies because there were just too many?

Speak up and praise Him!

Don’t seal your lips and don’t hide His righteousness!

The person who came into church today needs to hear what God has done for you.

Maybe they have been despairing.

Then they hear of God’s faithfulness because you were bold enough and willing to share.

The sports fan who has no qualms about shouting for his favorite team until he is hoarse grows strangely silent and timid when he enters the sanctuary.

Don’t let that be you.

God is infinitely more worthy of praise than any athlete.

Give Him Praise and don’t be silent!

Don’t seal your lips!

A Habit of Hope

 “…and my hope is in you all day long”

Psalm 25:5b

 

 

This scripture is as much noticeable for what it doesn’t say as for what it does.

For example, it doesn’t say:

“My hope is in you when I am in my prayer closet.”

Nor does it say:

“My hope is in you as you bless me.”

It doesn’t even say:

“My hope is in you as long as things are going well!”

Nope, the Psalmist makes God His hope all day long.

We don’t know what a day holds for us.

It could be as routine as ever or it could hold unexpected tragedy, great promise or even a day like the one when Joseph found himself in a pit or the day Job lost it all.

We just don’t know.

David wrote that his hope was in God regardless of what the passing of time brought to him.

Can you say the same?

No, no, no, not as you jump out of bed; but can you say the same at the end of the day?

Anyone can praise God when the sun is coming up, the birds are chirping outside your window and your plans for the day are wonderful.

But is your declaration the same after a horrendous 24 hours?

Do you have a ‘habit of hope’ regardless or a hype that withers under the pressures we all face?

Make hope in God a habit and not hype.

Trust Him in spite of the circumstances.

He will see you through!

Hand Them Over

 “David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tebah and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles. When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze. King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.

I Chronicles 18:7-11

 

 

David used the spoils of war to begin a ‘hope chest’ of sorts for the temple.

His son Solomon would use what David had gathered to build it.

What was once dedicated to other ‘gods’ is now set apart for use in building God’s house.

So it is with each of us.

God will use those things in your life which were once used for private gain or self-indulgence to bring glory to Himself.

Maybe you are a carpenter, plumber or electrician and wonder how God might use those skills.

You hear of God using the great orator or teacher.

He seems quite able to corral the talents of the evangelist or prophet to advance His kingdom but you think, “What about me?”

Can God use me?

Without a doubt God can use the skills and abilities you have.

He may even surprise you with how they are used.

But first you must surrender them.

Maybe you’ve hesitated for any number of reasons.

We sometimes ‘spiritualize’ what God will or won’t use.

When we do this we can miss a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing in His Name!

David was well aware of the fact that he had collected a lot of ‘stuff’ that had served other gods.

That didn’t stop him from setting it apart to be used for the one true God.

Often we think our greatest treasure is material wealth.

While that certainly can be used to bring God glory maybe today He chooses to use you and the skills, talents and abilities He has given you in ways you have not yet been used in.

Hand them over and watch what God can do!

 

What Happens When You Come Through the Door?

 “Then all the people left, each for their own home,

 and David returned home to bless his family.”

I Chronicles 16:43

 

It’s been a long day.

Nothing went as planned.

The customers were not happy, so that meant the boss was not happy either.

The copier ran just long enough to jam.

You cleared it and it jammed again.

The vendor who came twenty minutes late without explanation or apology clipped the fender of your car as he left.

Did I mention it’s been a long day?

But your wife and children were not responsible for the customer, the boss, the copier or the vendor.

Will they face your fury?

Will they pay the price of someone else’s poor behavior toward you?

David returned home to bless his family according to I Chronicles 16:43

This followed the triumphant return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

He was not having a bad day.

He had had a glorious day.

We have spent several days looking at how we develop self-control in our lives.

David returned home to bless his family after a wonderful day.

Do you return home to bless your family only after a ‘successful’ day?

What happens on the days described above?

            We all have them.

The man who has grown in the area of self-control and does not let his emotions empower him will be the man who can come through the door at the end of the day and regardless of the previous 8 or 10 hours away is still able to bless his family.

He recognizes the blessing they are to him and he sows blessing and peace into the lives of his wife and children.   

Maybe you’re reading this blog early in the day.

Commit to God and to yourself that regardless of what today holds you will come home to bless your family!

From Victim to Victorious

 “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

John 10:17-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only truly innocent person was crucified on a cross two thousand years ago.

Jesus lived a sinless life.

He died for you and for me.

Yet, even as He hung in the cross dying, He never played the victim.

We are told that he endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.

He was victorious over sin and death.

He was not a victim to it.

A victim is always looking to lay blame for their circumstances elsewhere.

They are often so consumed with ‘what has happened to me’ or ‘what they did to me’ that they miss the opportunity to stand in victory over their circumstances.

Jesus never allowed Himself to pout or wallow in the ‘they done me wrong’ attitude.

 His purpose was to do the will of His Father.

That purpose kept Him in victory, not as victim.

We too, if our desire is to develop self-control, must transition from victim to victorious.

We must move from self-pity to purpose.

As we have discovered this past week, self-control must be developed.

But emotional responses tend to ‘just happen’ when we live at that place of reaction and feelings rather than reflection and faith.

As long as you are content to be a victim you will never be victorious.

A victim of a violent crime can be held hostage long past a court hands them a victory.

Just as we can remain a victim of sin or victorious over sin.

As you look to Christ, allow Him to transition you from victim to victorious!

A Self-Controlled Tongue

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing,”

Philippians 2:14

 

“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,

but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

Proverbs 13:3

 

Why do you act so surprised?

You knew it had to come to this.

It’s impossible to look at the topic of self-control and not talk about the tongue and our words!

We have looked at ways of developing self-control which up to this point included transitioning from reacting to reflecting and transitioning from feelings to faith.

In addition to that godly counsel, we also must transition from complaining to conforming.

It is a beautiful Spring day here today but I am sure if I were to take the time and engage a few people in conversation about our weather someone would have something to complain about.

A national toy store used to have a slogan of “Turn Your Frown Upside Down!”

We need to be actively engaged in more than just turning grumbling and arguing around.

We must move from complaining to conforming with the will of God.

Our citizenship is in heaven.

How much complaining and arguing do you suppose is going on there?

Use your time on earth to learn the language of heaven!

That segues right into the next admonition which is quite similar.

We need to grow from spewing words to selecting words.

A man with no self-control spews out of emotions run amok.

A wise and self-controlled man selects his words to be beneficial to the hearer.

Jesus sometimes spoke some very pointed words but they were never spoken through a loss of self-control but rather out of truth to benefit the hearer.

True, not everyone benefitted from the words He spoke but it was because of what they chose to do with them and not because of how Jesus spoke them.

Do you spew or do you select?

Consider this; if you speak rashly, the scripture above tells us that the one who speaks comes to ruin and not the hearer.

Do you want to grow in the area of self-control?

Learn to stop complaining and start conforming.

Learn to stop spewing words and instead select those words!

Weeds or Flowers?

 “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.”

II Corinthians 5:7

 

 

 

 

Weeds or flowers; which grow easier?

Of course it is weeds.

They require no effort.

Try as you might to destroy them, they are resilient and prolific.

We attack weeds mercilessly with potent chemicals and still they grow with smug indifference to our efforts.

We nurture our prized blooms and they still succumb to aphids or some other malady.

Sometimes, it seems to me, feelings are like weeds and faith is like flowers.

To develop the self-control we have been talking about this week we must transition from feelings to faith.

Our weed infested lot must transition to a garden plot!

Feelings, like weeds, can so easily take over our lives when we make no effort to control them.

Faith is a fruit which must be cultivated, must be grown.

We must – so to speak – weed out the feelings to let our faith flourish!

Feelings cause us to react while faith makes us reflect.

Like a Spring bouquet, self-control is enjoyable to those who are the recipients of it but it also is profitable to the one in whose life it is cultivated.

Lord:

We pray for that life ruled by your Holy Spirit.

Help us to cultivate self-control grounded in faith.

May we recognize our feelings but not be controlled by them.   

We humbly ask that you help us to transition from feelings to faith.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Do You Ask Questions Later?

 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing…”

Luke 23:34

 

How do I develop the self-control that allows my God given emotions to enhance my life and not empower it?

Step one is to learn to transition from reaction to reflection.

Do you fly off the handle at the slightest provocation?

Do you escalate from anger to violent rage faster than a lightning bolt?

Do you act first and ask questions later?

These are all symptoms of a person who reacts rather than reflects.

The person who has learned to reflect takes the time to consider some things.

What response will please God most?

How will my actions bring honor to God?

If I respond in this way does it hurt or help my witness for Christ?

Can I walk away afterwards satisfied in my flesh or strengthened in my spirit based on my behavior?

When you develop self-control by reflecting rather than reacting the impact can be far reaching.

Consider the lives of Sampson and Joseph.

Sampson always seemed to be driven by his emotions.

This brought about his destruction.

Joseph endured great emotional hardships but through it he developed self-control.

Unlike Samson, Joseph’s life was long and honorable, even though he was in Egypt!

Of course we have no greater example than Jesus himself as he hung on the cross.

He could have lashed out in anger at those who mocked Him and crucified Him.

Instead, we read His words in today’s highlighted verse.

Don’t let anyone fool you.

Jesus wasn’t treated with kid gloves.

But even in His unimaginable suffering, He still was not ruled by His emotions.

He reflected on how His response might impact the eternity of those who heard Him.

Consider that the next time you are ready to fly off the handle for some silly reason.

It’s a Short Distance From a Blemish to Skin Cancer (When emotions are in the Drivers Seat!)

 “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.”

Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)

 

When this particular scripture was written the walls of a city were the primary line of defense.

I suppose in today’s vernacular one could paraphrase the scripture above this way:

“A person without self-control is like a nation with unprotected borders.”

If any nation fails to protect its’ borders – it invites in all kinds of problems.

Likewise, when you fail to develop and grow in self-control and instead your life is ruled by your emotions you too invite in all kinds of problems.

The word “self” is a four letter word that believers are often taught to avoid but hitch up the word “self” with the word “control” and you have an admirable trait.

Consider the following scenario:

A man notices a skin blemish on his arm and shows it to a friend.

The friend in panicked tones expresses grave concern and says:

 “My third cousins’ best friends’ mother-in-law had something ‘kinda-sorta’ like that and died just weeks later from skin cancer.”

You allow your fear to take hold and before you know it, instead of the proverbial “mountain out of a molehill”; you imagine a “cancer out of a blemish”!

I know it sounds silly but we all have done it.

We let our emotions get the best of us and are driven wherever fear, worry or anger wants to take us (and it’s never a beneficial destination!)

In the scenario above self-control doesn’t mean we ignore whatever we might be facing.

It does mean we don’t react with panic and fear.

This week, remind yourself of what we were taught on Sunday –

Emotions are given by God to enhance our lives but not to empower our lives!

 

Who Rules and Who Reigns?

 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.

Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron like girdles.”

Genesis 3:6-7

 

The woman saw a good, suitable and pleasant tree that was delightful to look at and a tree to be desired. She was ruled and empowered by her emotions more than obedience to God.  When your emotions empower your life it will always bring destruction. I could cite other examples from both the Old and New Testaments but I think there is ample evidence in the world around us as well.

What empowers road rage?

Certainly not the Word of God!

Is adultery, whether in the life of an Old Testament character or in the next door neighbor, empowered by obedience to God or an individuals’ own emotions?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

Our emotions can be the greatest issue we face when it comes to victory over life’s struggles.

When we are ruled by our emotions they can create a response in us that is extremely detrimental to our walk with God.

One of the areas where this can be most evident is when our tongue is ruled by our emotions rather than through a self-control that is built upon the word.

We have all spoken out of anger only to regret what was said later.

We have all also been at the receiving end of words that hurt us deeply.

Gossip, lies, insults, threats; these are the results of a life controlled and empowered through emotions.

What to do?

Lets’ look at that together this week.

Lets’ commit to growing in this area as we learn together.

Let’s desire the empowering of the Holy Spirit and understand the God ordained role our emotions play in our lives.

Father:

We need you in all areas of our life.

We especially invite the Holy Spirit to rule and reign in us teaching us to submit every emotion to His guidance.

We thank you and pray in Jesus Name.

Amen.

Like A Glove

 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

 

So how much can you do in your own strength?

Some might take a shot at that question and answer by saying:

“I can do some things in my own strength.”

But I would suggest that anything of eternal value is only accomplished in my life or your life as we do it through Jesus Christ.

It is His Spirit that empowers us to be able to do all things.

Listen to these words of Paul as he spoke to the Athenians:

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.

And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.

Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth;

and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him,

though he is not far from any one of us.

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

Acts 17:24-28a

Did you catch that last phrase?

In Him, i.e., Christ, we live and move and have our being!

How much work can a glove get done?

The answer is none!

But put that glove on your hand and it will accomplish as much as you set your hands too.

Like the glove, you and I need the empowering presence of God in our lives to accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God.

He is our strength.

The word ‘empower’ is a politically correct term.

I usually avoid politically correct terms because they are often overused and, in turn, diluted.

But in the case of our scripture today it is very true indeed.

God empowers you and me through Christ in us to do His work.

As Paul declared it to the Athenians nearly 2 centuries ago it still applies today:

In Him you and I live and move and have our being!

No Greater Purpose

 “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)

 

Go ahead and read the two verses above again please.

Did you find the hidden treasure?

There are three truths about God’s power declared in those verses.

They are three truths you need in your life.

The first truth about God’s power is that you need understanding:

“…that you will understand…”

The second truth about God’s power is that God has the greatest power:

“…incredible greatness of God’s power…”

The third truth about God’s power is that God wants to help you:

“…for us who believe Him…”

As incredible as those truths are I admit to sometimes having trouble getting my mind around them.

The same God who created and then set the planets in their orbit makes His incredible power available to you and me.

That power is evidenced through a healing touch, through a miraculous rescue or perhaps a Word of Wisdom or Knowledge to one in need.

But there is no greater evidence of the power of God than a heart that surrenders to Jesus.

There is no greater purpose than that.

Remember what Jesus said because it puts the purpose of Gods’ power in perspective for us:

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said,

“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

“He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and

to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,

but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:17-20

 

Rejoice today for that your name is written in heaven!

Ask Him to use you as instrument through which other names may be added!