July 14, 2009

"For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring." Acts 17:28

The Apostle Paul was preaching in Athens and noticed that they were very religious but did not know the One true God or His Son Jesus. In their shrines they had many idols to many idols and to make sure they did not miss a god or offend a diety they built an idol to "the unknown god".

Paul saw an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel and began to tell them about this God Who was knowable, Who wanted to be known, and Who "was not far from them."

What Paul told them about God, we could stand to hear. Let's examine it more closely:

The Centrality of God - "In Him....."

God will not settle for being "a" god. He must be "the" God. There is no god like our God. He is beyond compare. He created you for Himself. He put within you a "God-shaped" void that nothing else can satisfy. You were never designed to be happy or fulfilled without having God squarely in the center of His will.

The Vitality of God - "....we live and move......

When God identifies Himself as the "Alpha and Omega", the beginning and the end, He is acknowledging that all life begins and ends with Him. Since that glorious and ancient day when He commanded, "Let there be....", life has flourished on this beautiful planet. And He personalized life when He sent His only Son, Jesus, so that His life could flourish within us.

The Identity With God - "....and have our being."

Paul was speaking to men who were very religious and somewhat superstitious. They wanted to make sure that they covered their bases spiritually. If there was a god they needed to know - they wanted to know him. It was important for them to be right with their gods. I imagine that the Great Apostle was moved by their sincere desire to be right with a God they had yet to know. So he sweetens the deal by promising that this unknown God, his God, is One Who knows you, can be known by you, and wants to dwell in you. This God is so vast and so good that you can lose yourself in Him - and only when you lose yourself in Him do you find yourself! Some of them did!

Have you?

July 13, 2009

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." Psalm 1

One more thought before we move on from Psalm 1. I have talked about three things you should NOT do if you want to be blessed and two things you SHOULD do if you want to be blessed.

Here is what the blessing looks like:

1) "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that brings forth fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither...." The first aspect the of the blessing is stability. Few things are more stable than a healthy tree. My neighbor had one that send out roots and one of the roots ran under my blacktop. That is not a good combination. But in the case of a tree planted by the water, that is a best case scenario. One of the blessings that God wants to pour into your life is stability. Will you put down roots into His love and grace?

2) "Whatever he does prospers" A second aspect of the blessing is success. One of the reasons that you will be blessed with success is that you will be meditating on His law. When you know His law and obey it, you will accomplish God's will. For the believer, God's will = success. Another reason for enjoying success is the stability you have from planting your roots in the grace of God. Stability leads to success. I have a dear friend in ministry who has been at his church since 1973. When he went there it was a struggling congregation of 25 people barely clinging to life. Nowadays, they enjoy nearly 3,000 people on two campuses plus a Spanish-speaking congregation. Lucky? I don't think so.

3) "The Lord watches over the way of the righteous....." Another blessing of the blessing is safety. I remember as a child seeing a commercial on TV (which was a new invention back then) and the tag line for the commercial was, "Sleep well tonight, your Air Force is on guard." That made me feel safe because I knew our Air Force was stronger and better than any other air force that might threaten us. We need to feel safe. God wired us that way. And the safety we need is the safety of knowing that even though the Air Force is on duty, God is watching over me and He is way bigger and stronger than any enemy that would threaten us. It is good to know that He watches over the Air Force, too!

It is good to desire blessings. It is good to pursue them. But the way to know blessing in your life is to know the Blesser! Don't do the three things that Psalm 1 speaks of. Do the two things it prescribes, and you will be able to know God and enjoy His blessings of stability, success, and safety!

I don't know how that sounds to you, but I think it is TREEMENDOUS!

July 12, 2009

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." Psalm 1

I probably coined a word in my last post. I'm not sure that "blessable" is a word, but how else can I express the desire to be blessed? So, we will go with that word.

In my previous post I mentioned three things the Psalmist says you should NOT do if you desire to be "blessable".

This morning I want to focus on two things he says you SHOULD do.

First, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord...." - If you want to be "blessable" love what is blessed. What is more blessed than the law of the Lord? What is the law of the Lord? Does the number 10 give you a clue? God's Commandments are His law. Jesus distilled them into two: Love God with all you heart and love your neighbor as yourself. 

So, in short, the law of the Lord is love. If you want a blessing and if you want to be a blessing, delight yourself in loving God and delight in letting Him love others through you.

Second, "...on the law he meditates day and night..." - "Blessable" people seek God's blessing 24/7 and 365. God blesses consistency. He is not looking for people who show up at church and put on their happy face. He is not impressed with people who shout and praise for an hour on Sunday and live like the world the rest of the week. To be "blessable" start your day focused on the love of God - His love for you, your love for Him, and His love for others. Let Him love you. Receive His love by faith. Fill your mind with His Word. Fill your spirit with His love. Ask Him to live in you and love through you. At night as you wrap up your day, celebrate His love. Thank Him for loving you. Thank Him for touching others with His love through you. Lay your head on your pillow assured of His love through the night. Find joy in knowing that His love will await you in the morning.

What delights you? 

What is on your mind in the morning? 

What guides your behavior during the day? 

What are you last thoughts in the night?

There are two things "blessable" people delight in - His love for them and their love for Him. They dwell on His love. They dwell in His love. Delightful!

July 11, 2009

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." Psalm 1

Everyone I know wants to be blessed. In fact, many of them have formed "bless me" clubs. What's a "bless me" club? It is a group of people who chase around looking for the next blessing. They flock to this seminar, or that concert, or the next miracle rally in pursuit of "the blessing". Actually, I am not entirely sure what it is they are seeking, but they seem to think that a blessing is something quite elusive and it is an accomplishment to catch one. It must be worth it when they do.

So, Brad, are you saying you do want to be blessed?

I am not saying that at all. But my Bible reading has me in Psalms 1 this morning and it focuses squarely on the topic of blessings. "Blessed is the man" is how it starts out. As meditated on this short but powerful little chapter, I learned a few things about blessings. If you want to be blessed you need to be "blessable". I thought I would share with you how that happened and you can let me know what you think:

1) "Blessed is....." - A blessing is not something you seek or possess, it is something you are. "Blessed" means "happy". If you only know happiness in fleeting moments that are captured and then lost, you are missing what God intends for you - happiness as a way of life.

2) "who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...." - If you want to be a blessing and live in contentment and joy, don't listen to people who aren't. One of the marvels of our modern age is that there is now more bad advice that ever, but it can be made available instantly through a variety of sources! You can get it on the Internet, TV, radio, or hanging out with the wrong people.

3) "or stand in the way of sinners..." - If you want to be blessed you act like it. God can't bless sin and sin separates you from the source of blessing. So, if your closest friends are sinners and you continually expose yourself to sinful people and their sinful thoughts and ideas and behaviors - guess what?!

4) "or sit in the seat of mockers." - Blessed people aren't critics or Monday morning quarterbacks. It seems there are more of that sort of person than there used to be. Maybe it is a result of the electronic media and the reality genre that puts you in the role of spectator and judge without actually being involved. It is much easier to sit and pronounce judgments on others that it is to do, the things that make you "blessable". Or, rather than become blessable why not try to drag down others to you unblessable level?

Being "blessable" is something all of us can do. The Psalmist recommends it and shows the way. Becoming "blessable" consists in two parts, what you don't do and what you do. This morning I focused on the don'ts. I'll have more to say tomorrow.

Is there something or someone that is preventing you from being "blessable" right now?

July 10, 2009

"The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks." Acts 16:22-24

What was Paul and Silas' offense that aroused such an aggressive action against them?

They were preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How would you have responded to the severe treatment they received?

Here's what Paul and Silas did:

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." Acts 16:25

Wow! That's impressive! Here they are locked up in maximum security with their hands and feet confined in stocks and their bodied covered with bruises and cuts from their flogging. What are they doing? They are having a praise service!

Rather than being focused on the misery of their own captivity, they rejoice in the fact that they have a captive audience! And the verse says that the other prisoners were, indeed, listening. It is one thing to preach the Gospel but it is quite another to practice it! Hearing the truth of God's Word is powerful, seeing it lived out is transformational!

I can't honestly say that I would have been singing and praying had I been in their place. But fortunately, they must have been better singers than I am because if it had been me singing they would have come in and beat me again to shut me up.

What happened next shows the power of prayer and praise.

"Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." Acts 16:26

Wow! Incredible! Talk about jailhouse rock! When was the last time your praise racked the house?

What has you bound today? Is life beating you up and stripping you of your hope and joy? Does everything seem to be going wrong even though you are doing right?

Let Paul and Silas remind you of the power of prayer and praise. Have you prayed today? Are you praising Him? Can you trust Him to rock your world?

July 9, 2009

"As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers." Acts 16:4-5

Reading through Acts, I have been encouraged in a new way. Like everyone else, I have always enjoyed reading about the explosive growth of the Church from the Day of Pentecost and the weeks following. The Apostles did amazing signs and wonders and the believers demonstrated amazing love and incredible sacrifices to minister to needs. Their faith became contagious.

During this period the Church showed unprecedented growth. Some historians estimate that as many as 500,000 were converted in and around Jerusalem. By the testimony of the Jewish leaders they "filled Jerusalem with their doctrine".

Who would not find that exciting? Who would not be thrilled to see new converts added to their church on a daily basis. Come on!

I have been part of a church that saw people saved on a weekly basis, but never have I experienced a fellowship that saw people saved every day!

Understandably, no one can expect to maintain that sort of momentum for an extended period of time. The "big mo" is hard to get and even harder to keep.

But today as I am reading in Acts 15, I come across this verse, "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers."

Wow! There's that daily thing again!

Months have passed since Pentecost. They had the problem with the widows being neglected and they dealt with that crisis. The Church has faced persecution that forced it to scatter. Believers have been arrested and martyred and threatened wherever they went. In addition to the persecutions, they faced the controversy of the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles. They had the constant intrusion of the Judaizers, Jewish believers who tried to impose circumcision and other Jewish practices on the Gentile believers. They even overcame a sharp disagreement between key leaders Paul and Barnabas, even though they came to a parting of the ways.

So, despite all these attacks from within and from the outside, here they are still reaching people on a daily basis!

As a church leader, I find that exciting. That tells me that with wise, unified, godly leadership, churches can face challenges and obstacles and oppostition and still maintain their ministry edge.

This is not as exciting as the signs and wonders and deliverences, but it is the stuff of effective ongoing ministry. It is no less a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit to wade through these challenges and distractions to keep the fellowship united and on mission. That takes supernatural wisdom and courage.

It reminds me of that statement of my friend, John Maxwell, "Everything rises and falls on leadership" - leadership that is lead by the Spirit. That is what I long to do.

God, give us leaders like that so that we can have churches like that!

July 8, 2009

"Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." Acts 15:36-41

Acts 15 is a clinic on how to handle conflict in the church. In my previous post I commented on how they handled an attack of legalism on the church from a group of believers. When the council met and wisely decided what to do, the Gentile believers were pleased and the church continued to grow.

There is an incident at the end of the chapter that shows what can happen when two strong Godly leaders disagree.

With the Gentile issue resolved and the church sufficiently strengthened, Paul and Barnabas decided it was time to strengthen some other churches. Paul suggested that they retrace their previous journey and visit the churches they had established in Turkey. Barnabas agreed.

So far, so good!

Then came the tricky part. I have put together enough mission trips that I know how hard it can be to get the right people together. As they were putting together their team for this trip, Barnabas wanted to include John Mark. Acts 13: 13 gives us John Mark's missionary resume: "From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem."

Simply stated, John Mark was a quitter. He had quit on Paul and Paul had lost confidence in him. Barnabas, on the other hand, was a gracious man, an encourager, one who was willing to give John a second chance.

Paul and Barnabas were two strong leaders with equal passion for the Gospel and the Church, but they had two very different personalities and temperaments. Paul was a no-nonsence bottomline get it done kind of guy and Barnabas was a gentle patient grace-giver. Both were effective, just different in their approaches. I can see how they have worked well together in their earlier ministry ventures.

So, now they were at an impasse. What should happen when two strong leaders agree so sharply that there is no hope for agreement? Here is what we can learn:

1) The mission must come first

2) Love must rule the relationship and the decision

3) Each leader must be true to his sincere conviction

4) In the end, disagree in an agreeable way

That is how this dispute was resolved. As a result, some real good things happened:

Paul took Silas and sailed to Syria and Cicilia, while Barnabas took John Mark as set sail for Cyprus. So, as a result of the proper resolution of this conflict, the missionary effort was doubled and the number of missionaries was doubled! Not only was the mission accomplished but it was increased by 100%!

Plus, when John Mark was given a second chance he redeemed himself and became a trusted partner not only to Barnabas, but also to Paul! (See Colossians 4:10; II Timothy 4:11).

I love it when a plan comes together!

God works through unity. But unity does not always mean unanimity, it means disagreeing agreeable. In this case - mission accomplished!

What a great lesson for the 21st Century Church!