July 13, 2014

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."  Psalm 27:1-3

Trouble is all around us. Maybe it has you surrounded and you don't know where to turn.

The Psalmist was well acquainted with trouble and out of his troubles came most of the beautiful thoughts and words that have inspired so many for so long! You could sum up the 27th Psalm in this way - "Trouble? No Trouble!"

Why is that true?

Because you have a God Who is a refuge! What does that mean? How does that help?

First, it means that God is a personal refuge - "God is OUR refuge and strength....."

A refuge is a place to flee trouble. A refuge is a place of safety. A refuge is a place to hide. For the believer, God is that refuge! You can flee to Him and hide in Him in the day of trouble and be safe!

Furthermore, God is strong and His strength can become your strength because His IS a personal God!

Second, it means God is a present refuge - "an everpresent help in trouble."

Troubles come and go, but when God comes to you and when you flee to Him, He NEVER leaves! He will remain with you after the trouble has subsided. Where ever trouble might find you, God is already there! In fact, trouble has to get through Him in order to get to you and so if it gets to you He has allowed it because He knows that with His present strength you can handle it!

Third, it means God is a powerful refuge - "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

Your God is not only a personal God and a present God but He is also a POWERFUL GOD! When you flee to Him and hide in Him and there is nothing that can trouble you that will be more powerful than Him!

"Though the earth give way" - your powerful God CREATED the earth! So even if your trouble seems bigger than the world and though it seems your world has crumbled - He made the world and He can protect yours! If necessary He can put yours back together!

"and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" - your powerful God CREATED the mountains AND the seas! Your powerful God can move and mountain and walk on the sea! So why should you be troubled by your troubles when you have such a powerful God?!

"though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." - trouble can rock your world and overwhelm you like an earthquake and a tsunami! But your powerful God will shelter you while He calms the storm! You may be wet and you may be shaken but you won't be harmed because your Personal, Present and Powerful God is your Refuge and your Strength!

Trouble? No trouble!

July 12, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled" Matthew 5:6

One of the proofs of God's existence is every person's inner craving for God and for goodness. 

Where else would the sense of "rightness" come from?

Where else would that inner longing for something more come from?

Doesn't it make sense that if God created us for Himself that He would wire each of us with a craving or a hunger to know Him?

Jesus is acknowledging that your cravings will control you if you don't get your cravings under His control.

In this statement of Jesus of the fourth Beatitude, Jesus is acknowledging that people have an inner craving to get life right and to make their world a more righteousness place.

Let's examine that statement with you.

I believe an atheist has a desire to create a more righteous world. That is an impossible task if you don't believe in God, but they have strong ideas of what is right, and moral and they have a craving to create a world in that image of "rightness". But attempts to satisfy the craving in their soul by their own efforts always leaves them disappointed , dissatisfied and more disillusioned.

I believe a Muslim is driven by a sincere craving to create a righteous world according to his understanding of what is right. Killing an infidel Christian or Jew who won't convert to Islam is an act of righteousness in the mind of a militant Muslim. They are trusting in their form of "righteousness" to please Allah and earn them a place in Heaven.

A liberal progressive has a vision of what would make the world more "right". That vision usually involves creating a strong and powerful central government with the power to make things more fair and more even. In their vision of rightness wealth will be taken from those who have it and given to those who don't have it. In their morality, whatever empowers and enlarges the State is righteous and whatever opposes or undermines the power of the State is evil. Therefore, to trust in Christ and the righteousness revealed in God's Word constitutes a direct threat to liberalism.

Jesus said that you must have a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees. Their idea of righteousness consisted of rituals, rules and religious observances. Their craving to find God's approval degenerated into a self-righteousness that led them to gross hypocrisy and left them empty. The had a form of religion but no relationship with God.

It really can't be denied that God has placed a craving for righteousness deep in the heart of every person. And the truth that Jesus declares must be taken seriously, you will get what you crave the most and cravings that are out of His control will end in emptiness.

The only was to be blessed by God is to put your cravings under His control so He can become what you crave the most. When you crave Him the most you will come into right relationship with Him and THAT is THE BLESSING!

July 11, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

The dominant theme of the Sermon on the Mount is the righteousness that is the Kingdom of God. That righteousness is the food that His children feed on and the water that sustains and refreshes them.

So what IS that Kingdom righteousness?

It is being poor in spirit and broken over your sinfulness. It is submitting to God's control over your life and being filled with His presence. It is extending mercy from a pure heart and being a peace-maker rather than a trouble-maker. It is being willing to face persecution rather than compromise righteousness.

A truly righteous life will shine light a beacon in a dark world and will make others hungry and thirsty for God.

Righteousness is a result of living in a right relationship with God through Christ. As a relationship it is dynamic not static and must be kept up to date on a moment by moment, day by day basis. 

Jesus made it clear He was raising the bar on righteousness when He stated in Matthew 5:20 - "For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter the Kingdom of God."

What was the righteousness of the Pharisees? Their righteousness largely consisted of pride, pretense and performance based behavior. But Jesus said if you harbor anger or lust in your heart you are guilty of murder and adultery. Righteousness demands taking your marriage vows seriously. If you want to be righteous keep your word so no one will doubt what you say. God's righteousness loves enemies and responds to them with grace and kindness.

The righteousness that God requires the right priorities. In Matthew 6 demands that we value His righteousness above material concerns. We are told to trust our Heavenly Father to care for us and provide our needs as He feeds the birds. Righteousness trusts in God and isn't overcome by worry.

In chapter 7 Jesus defines righteousness as a personal relationship rather than religious practices and it is expressed in a life built on obedience.

The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of righteousness and that is the clear message of the Sermon on the Mount. To punctuate the point, Jesus draws the sermon to a conclusion with this sober warning:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

When it comes to hungering and thirsting for righteousness, you'd better get it right - a right relationship with Christ!

July 10, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

A small boy was sent to bed by his father.

Five minutes later.... "Da-a-a=d...." 

"What?"

"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"

"No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-a-a-a-a-d.....""

WHAT?"

"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later."Da-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-d....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?" 

This poor boy was craving water! His craving for water was so great that he was willing to take a spanking in order to get a drink!

Do you have that sort of craving for God's righteousness?

When Jesus equated our spiritual craving for His righteousness to our physical craving for water, He knew exactly how strong that comparison is!

It is the water in our body that determines the vitality, strength, and energy associated with daily living. Think about these facts associated with our body and water:

• The human body is ⅔ water.
• The body absorbs cold water faster than hot water.
• By the time you are 70-years-old, you will have required 1½ million gallons of water
• Studies show that increasing water consumption can decrease fat deposits. Water is a natural appetite suppressant.f you lose 2% of your body’s water supply, your energy will decrease by 20%. 
• A 10% decrease in water, you will be unable to walk, and a 20% decrease – you’re dead

Your hunger for food and your thirst for water is your natural warning system that you need to nourish the life within you lest it perish. The more you care about sustaining your life the more you will crave a bite of food or a drink of water.

If you are to live under the approval of God and be satisfied by Him, you must crave His righteousness more than a starving man craves food and a dying man craves water.

Does that describe your craving for God?

Prayerfully search your heart for anything you might crave more than you crave His righteousness.

July 9, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

A few years ago, a young marine corporal named Joey Mora was standing on a platform of an aircraft carrier that was patrolling the Iranian Sea.

Incredibly, he fell overboard His absence was not known for 36 hours.

A search and rescue mission began, but was given up on after an additional 24 hours. 

No one could survive in the sea without even a life jacket after 60 hours. 

His parents were notified that he was "missing  and presumed dead."

The rest of the story is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" events. 

Scriptwriters would pass it up as "not believable." 

Four Pakistani fishermen found Joey Mora about 72 hours after he had fallen from the aircraft carrier. 

He was treading water, clinging to a makeshift flotation device made from his trousers a skill learned in most military courses on survival training. 

He was delirious when they pulled him into their fishing boat. His tongue was dry and cracked and his throat parched.

Just about two years later, as he spoke on NBC News, he recounted an unbelievable story .of a WILL to live. 

He said it was God .... It was God....who kept him struggling to survive. 

His discovery by the fishermen makes searching for a needle in a haystack a piece of cake. 

Joey said that the one thought that took over his body and pounded in his brain was, "Water!.... Water!"

Have you ever been thirsty like that? 

Jesus said that when you have a craving like that in your spirit, He will come an fill it!

What will you crave today?

July 8, 2014

^"But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.  Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."  Psalm 19:12-14

When God’s Word gets welcomed and becomes active in your life, it convicts you of sin and leads you into His will. When He uses His Word to work His will in your life, look what thrilling things happen through you.

Verse 12 – "FREEDOM FROM FALSE GUILT" – That’s thrilling! False guilt is from the Enemy of your soul. He is the "accuser". He will dig up things from your past that God has already forgiven and remind you of them to discourage you and defeat you. But through the Word, God's Spirit will remind you that you have been forgiven and He will make you aware of any unconfessed sins so you can find forgiveness for those as well.

Guilt is a good thing that the Holy Spirit uses to point out a sin that you have committed. But false guilt is not good and is used by the devil to defeat you.

Verse 13 – "FREEDOM FROM WILLFUL SIN" – “blameless” – pure in thoughts and motives. Sin is what happens when you exercise your will against God. For instance, you know that something is wrong. The Word of God says it is wrong and the Holy Spirit tells you it is wrong but you willfully decide to do it anyway. That is willful sin and it is dangerous because it is rebellion against God by after you have committed to follow Him.

Followers of Christ will sin occasionally, but they should not willfully sin. They may get caught up in a moment of anger or a moment of thoughtlessness and sin against God - but to deliberately sin against Him is something Christians should not and need not do.

When the Word is active in your life and you are aligned with His will you can be blameless - free from intentional sin!

Verse 14 – "PLEASING TO GOD" – If there is anyone that you would want to please it would be God! And if there is someone you don't want to displease it would also be God! To know that you are obeying God's Word and to know His will is being accomplished in your life and that He is pleased with you - that’s thrilling! When you see God using you to bless someone else or to inspire them and you are aware that it is His power at work in your - that is praiseworthy!

The Psalmist rejoiced in God's work of righteousness being accomplished in him through the Word. As he meditated on the grace of God at work in him it inspired him to offer praises to God.

What praiseworthy thing is God doing in you?

Are you praising Him?

July 7, 2014

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8

One of the most dramatic moments in the amazing account of the Creation is when God had completed His masterpiece, looked it over, and pronounced it "good". A perfect God had combined His creative genius with His incredible power and spoke the universe into existence.

So, how bad would it have to get for God to change His mind about the "goodness" of this creation?

Real bad. Check this out:

"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7

What an amazing portion of Scripture! It reveals a God Who had found such delight in His creation now grieving over what it had become. What He had created for His pleasure now brought Him great pain. Think about that! Think about how destructive sin is! Think about how it breaks the heart of God!

This condition could not continue. Something had to be done to make this right! How would that happen?

God had it in His mind to destroy everything and start over. But amid the degradation and disgrace there was one beacon of hope - Noah, a righteous man.

You have to understand the circumstances surrounding this statement - "Noah found favor with God" - to fully appreciate what "favor" means. To grasp grace you must understand the alternative of disgrace.

In a world filled with men who were disgracing themselves, Noah found grace. Grace refers to God's "unmerited favor" offered to us. This means that God is looking for reasons to extend His kindness and goodness toward us and Noah's righteousness brought favor on him at a time when God was ready to destroy everyone and start over.

Consider the powerful difference one person can make when God's favor rests upon them.

This morning I want to ask you, "Is your life bringing God's grace or His disgrace upon you, and upon your family? Are you living in a way that brings God pain?"