July 28, 2018

"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." Psalm 51:3-4

Sin may be in but sin is serious - seriously destructive.

King David, one of the godliest men in the Bible, was overcome by a moment of lust and committed a heinous sin. Then he compounded it by having her husband killed.

Destructive. Despicable.

As we focus on the anguish of the King, we get a sense of the awfulness of sin. Here's how damaging it can be:

Sin Desecrates

David's sinful acts had wreaked destruction on the sacred trust he had with God and with Israel as the King.

Also, he desecrated his marriage as well as the marriage of Uriah and Bathsheba.

His lustful fling destroyed two marriages and an innocent loyal life.

Sin Alienates

David's flagrant disobedience alienated him from his good conscience. It set him at odds against what he knew was right and holy. His peace was gone. His joy was gone. His fellowship with God was badly strained.

Sin Humiliates

Once David came to his senses (willful sin is much like temporary insanity) he could hardly believe what he had done. This man who loved God so much had dishonored God. This man who held the Kingship in such high esteem had dishonored the throne. This man who revered the Army of God, had violated military honor by betraying one of his loyal officers.

Everything good and sacred to this Honorable man had been dishonored by his indulgent act. This was so opposite of what he desired and dedicated his life to, he could hardly believe what he had done. He completely humiliated himself and all that he loved.

Sin Separates

God is Holy. That means He cannot sin nor can anything sinful exist in His presence. We are sinners by nature. We are sinners by habit. Therefore, our nature is incompatible with God's nature and that separates us from Him. We can have no fellowship with Him. He is a stranger to Him and we to Him.

David, who had been chosen by God and had entered God's presence through obedience and imputed righteousness was now separated from God. How tragic!

Sin Complicates

God exists in unity with the Son and the Spirit. Three in one through the mystery of the Trinity. God exists in the simplicity of love, holiness, and eternity. He created man for a simple fellowship of love and creativity. Because He wanted man's freewill to matter, He gave Adam one option to obey - don't touch the Tree of Life. As long as he abides by that simple rule, he had a perfectly simple existence. But his willful rebellion against God immediately complicated his life. Humanity's plight became exponentially more difficult.

David's world became incredibly complicated by his sin. Yours will, too.

Enough already? Have I made my point? Sin is destructive.

Fortunately, God is merciful. Thankfully, a merciful God sent His Holy Son to assume the desecration, the alienation, the, the humiliation, the separation and the complications of our sins so we can know the holiness, purity and simplicity of living in His love!

That's serious!

God's Promise To Spiritually Desperate People

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

You have been there. So have I.

On a hot summer day after exercising or working in the yard, you feel like you are dying of thirst. You can't get to the 'fridge fast enough to crack open a bottle of water or a sports drink. And when you do - ahhh, the relief! The cool feel of the liquid down your parched throat and on your tongue is immediately refreshing. You thirst is slaked and your strength returns.

The Psalmist parallels that physical experience to a spiritual need. He says that he has the same desperate thirst for God as when he longs for a refreshing drink of cold water. His soul "pants" for God.

He was in the heat of a spiritual battle. He was opposed on every side. The heat from the battle was exhausting him and he was about to faint. His need was critical to the point of desperation.

When was the last time you were that desperate for God?

Jesus said, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

God promises to respond to spiritually desperate people.

And I want you to notice that the Psalmist was not just talking about a drink of water, he was talking about "streams" of water. That is significant for several reasons.

First, a stream flows from a source. It always flows down from a source that is higher than us.

Second, since a stream flows, it is constantly fresh. Unlike a pool or a pond where water collects and stands, a stream continually refreshes itself.

Third, a stream is a steady and reliable source of refreshment.

Fourth, it is an unlimited supply of fresh cool water.

Are you getting thirsty?

Science says that about 60% of our bodies are made of water. So God built us with a big need to be hydrated with water.

Spiritually, the same is true. Our spiritual life and growth are highly dependent on His living water. You can say that we need to be hydrated or "high-drated" - or "He-drated".

Are you desperate for God? Is your soul panting for Him? What are you thirsting for?

When you have the thirst, He has the stream.

July 26, 2018

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:10-11

Here's a pop quiz: "I have learned more about life through: (A) Listening (B) Talking.

Yea, me, too.

Maybe God was giving us a hint when He created us with two ears and one mouth. Unfortunately, listening doesn't come naturally to us - talking does.

I think that what the Psalmist is telling you is the same thing my Mom and my Kindergarten teacher taught you - "be quiet, pay attention and keep your hands to yourself". Great advice!

Apply that advice to this Psalm and I think it works pretty well. "Be still" means essentially that. Be quiet before the Lord, look at His Word and listen to His Spirit, and keep your hands off of what you want God to do. That sounds like it might work!

Here's what's in it for you if you can take the advice you got from God, Mom and Miss Jenny:

You will "know that He is God".

It is one thing to know that in your head and quite another to know it in your heart and spirit. Nothing gives you more confidence and boldness than knowing that God is real in your life.

You will see Him exalted in your life and in the world. In other words, when you confidently know Who God is and He becomes real TO - He becomes real THROUGH you. That is how He exalts Himself through you. When He exalts Himself through you He begins to become real to others through your life!

You will know that the "Almighty" is with you.

How great is it to know that God is with you! And as Romans tells us,"If God be for us, who can be against us?"

You will know that He is your "Fortress".

I like the sound of that, don't you? He is a FORTRESS - that's strong! He's strong!

Be quiet before God! Pay attention to God! Keep your hands to yourself! He will make it worth it!

July 25, 2018

"How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!" Psalms 74:10-11

There are a number of reasons why the Psalms are among the most revered and beloved of the Sacred Writings. Chief among those is the fact that they are so honest. The Psalmist struggled with the same emotions, frustrations and doubts as we do. But, unlike us sometimes, he was honest about them.

In my reading recently I was in Psalms 74-76. Psalm 74 captured me today because in it he is struggling with the silence of God. He was not seeing God work as He had worked in former days. Knowing that God could come against their enemies and God could defend their cause, he couldn't understand why God was not moving.

There was no problem recounting the many deeds and exploits of God in times past. He lists them and longingly wishes to see God manifest His power and glory again.

Have you ever been there? Is that where you find yourself now?

What do we do when we don't see God move? How are we to behave? What are we to believe?

First, I would state this confidently, God is always doing more than what we know in ways that we do not see. He is a powerful, holy God Who cannot be denied. He cannot be idle. Situations and circumstances change whenever He shows up. As Charles Spurgeon once said, "When I can't see God's hand, I can trust His heart." Be sure that God is working even when you are seeing visible evidence.

Second, I have found that when God is not obviously working FOR you, He is certainly working IN. In the final analysis, which really matters most? Is it more important for God to change your circumstances or is it more important that He changes you?

Third, what develops faith better, seeing God work wonders or believing in Him when you don't see Him working? The Children of Israel saw God move regularly on their behalf but did they develop great faith? Faith is the "substance of things hoped for the evidence of things NOT SEEN."

Finally, would you rather know God's hand or would you rather know His heart? In Psalm 103:7 there is an interesting statement, "He made His ways known to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel." Would you rather know what God can do, or would you rather know Who God is?

Don't let your faith be defined by what you see and feel, let it be shaped by what you know - of God, His Word, His nature, and His amazing grace!

July 24, 2018

"When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed."  Psalm 126:1

Most of us start off life with a dream of making a good life and making a difference by:

• GETTING A GOOD EDUCATION AT GOOD COLLEGE
• GETTING A GREAT JOB WITH A GOOD INCOME
• MARRY THE BEST LOOKING HUMAN BEING POSSIBLE AND BE DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY HAVE THE SMARTEST BEST LOOKING KIDS POSSIBLE 
• LIVE IN THE BEST HOUSE IN THE NICEST NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A LUXURY CAR PARKED OUT FRONT
• IN 30 OR 40 YEARS RETIRE FABULOUSLY RICH AND BECOME A CARE-FREE BEACH BUM

A few are able to shape their reality into that dream. Most don’t. Their job becomes a nightmare or their marriage turns into a nightmare and before they know it they are looking for a way to escape reality.

Dreams have two main purposes: 1) To escape reality (Disney World) or:  2) To shape reality.

For most of us life is spend dwelling between the dreams trying desperately to keep the dream alive so we can survive the nightmare.

The dream of King David and King Solomon had brought such joy and prosperity to God’s people as they turned the nation back to God and then built the Temple. But when God’s people turned away Him and rejected Him the dream came crushing down when the Babylonians took them into 70 nightmare captivity. During those long years held captive in a foreign land, they struggled to keep the dream alive.

And suddenly, the dream was revived in a way that seemed like – a dream!

So, when you are dwelling between the dreams and your life has become a nightmare – when it has taken you captive – when it has been a long time since you have seen God move in your behalf – is there a way to keep the dream alive?

Learn from this Psalm:

REALIZE - You Can Live In Freedom, V. 1

While they were longing for the freedom to return to Jerusalem so they could worship God, God sent the Persian army to take their captors captive! They could be as free as they would allow themselves to be!

Did they forget how Joseph found freedom even as a slave in Egypt?

Did they forget how Daniel maintained his freedom even when held in captivity or thrown into a lions den!

They were in captivity but they chose to live in freedom. They realized that God was in control and no one could put them in spiritual or mental bondage.

Has a career setback taken you captive and your dream job is a nightmare?

Has your dream marriage become a nightmare….?

Has a financial setback turned your dream retirement plan into a nightmare?

Have you been taken captive by a troubled teen?

Maybe your dream house is so far under water that it has turned into a financial nightmare?

You see God moving and doing miracles in other places and over bigger situations than yours, but it is not happening for you. You are hanging on by the only fingernail that you haven’t chewed off in anxiety.

What do you do? How do you keep life from taking you captive and crushing your dream like a coke can?

REALIZE:

1) If you belong to God, He is in control of you and your captivity (Ro. 8:28)

God had allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and capture them because of their sin and disobedience. And in time, He took their captors captive and set them free!

2) If you belong to God, He has taken your captor captive – you are free!

JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T SEE GOD WORKING DOESN’T MEAN YOUR DREAM IS DEAD! LET THE SAME GOD WHO WAS IN CONTROL OF YOUR DREAM TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR NIGHTMARE! HE MAY NEED TO TAKE THE DREAM TO SHAPE YOUR WORLD SO YOU CAN SHAPE THE WORLD!

REALIZE HE IS CONTROL AND IF HE IS IN CONTROL, HOW CAN YOU BE A CAPTIVE?



July 23, 2018

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.” Psalm 126:1

Sometimes we fall captive to what my John Maxwell calls, “destination disease”. That may have been the case here in the 126th Psalm. Sure, they had suffered 70 years of being held captive by the Babylonians but I think the greater captivity was in their spirit where they longed for the days when they could worship God in a certain way at a certain place.

It seems they had forgotten that though they were restricted to a foreign land, their God wasn’t. He was longing to meet them right where they were. It seems they failed to remember that Abraham had worshiped God in his travels and Moses had worshiped God in the desert. They failed to miss His presence because their experience with Him was mired in the past.

Because of this “destination disease” they almost missed the wonderful new thing that God was doing! As they longed for God to restore them back to the sacred soil of Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple, God sent a captor to take their captor captive! Cyrus the Great and his Persian army overwhelmed the Babylonians and God put it on his heart to “restore the fortunes of Zion”!

Are you suffering from “destination disease”? Are you held captive to notions that worship has to happen in a certain way at a certain place? Are you holding God captive to your traditions and your comfort zone? Are you missing a new thing God is doing because you are locked into the old? Are you waiting for Him to show up or are you seeking to find Him where He is?

God has called us to freedom! God has sent Jesus to take our captor captive! Even when the circumstances of life take us places we don’t want to be , we should live in spiritual freedom! We should meet Him where we are! We should not look for God in old places and retreat to comfort zones, we should expect God to do knew and wonderful things for us!

Tradition can be a wonderful thing but it can also inflict us with “destination disease”. Be thankful as you remember what God has done in past places and in past ways, but also realize that He is doing something new! Remember the past and respect the past but don’t retreat there! Live in His freedom! Live in His freshness! Right now! Right where you are!

July 22, 2018

“I cry to you, LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalms 142:5

It amazes me how many Christians are looking for the fast, flashy, quick-fix, five-step formula to spiritual maturity. If there is something that looks like a sure short-cut, they are on it.

Before I get off this topic of commitment I want to assure you that there is no short-cut or superhighway to becoming a spiritual giant.

Don’t get caught up in these shallow stupid fantasies of the flesh. The only way to spiritual maturity is the way David did it – commitment. Commitment was the one constant of his life. It didn’t matter if he was caring for sheep, confronting a giant, cowering in a cave, conquering enemies, or wearing a crown he was fully committed to His God.

You will have to be committed in the mundane tedious tasks that meet the needs of others when God calls you to that. There will be some giant risks you will be called to confront and some giant-sized spiritual enemies you will have to defeat. There will be lonely difficult times when you will feel like you are trapped in a cave and no one cares – even God. Every one of those challenges will require a commitment to keep chasing and embracing God. David had his cave and Jesus had His cross and so will you!

But, the fact is you will be committed to something. Everyone is! And whatever you commit to will cost you – ultimately it could cost you your soul.

Do you need to renew your commitment to obey and follow God? 

Have you been thinking about bailing on your commitment? 

Where is your commitment being tested? 

Usually when it feels like you want to get out it is time to get back in.

Jesus proved God’s commitment to you. David showed us what it looks like. 

It’s your move!