Practice Time

On June 24, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Galatians 6: 9

Let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

My swim coach taught us that practice hurts less than losing so I learned to love practice. My basketball coach taught that you play like you practice so I learned to practice at full speed. These were good life lessons that have served me well.

Our heavenly Father is a coach too. One thing which has been very evident to me recently is that He will give you a chance to practice your theology. I very much believe in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. I speak it, I teach it. So, God created a couple of opportunities for me to teach this principle as well as to practice my theology. It’s one thing to have a minister preach a topic and quite another to have to live it out. Last week I taught about one of my favorite spiritual weapons, giving. When the devil is really seriously in your stuff pull out your checkbook and give to an anointed ministry. He hates that. Today’s verse is in the same vein. It tells us just to keep on giving for in due time we will reap. So, don’t sow looking for the crop. Sow in faith because it sometimes takes a bit of time for the crop to manifest. It works exactly like a garden. You don’t plant a seed one day and pick the vegetables the next. It takes a little time. Well, another adage might be, don’t preach a topic that you don’t want to have to live. So, last week I taught about sowing and the Father gave me some opportunities to practice what I preach.

I went to Waffle House one day last week. I was eating my breakfast and reading my book when there was a big hullabaloo down the bar from me. A gentleman had just seated himself and announced that it was his birthday and whatsmore, it was his 60th birthday. The people around him clapped and cheered and as I looked at him I could tell that it was important to him. Then, eureka, a thought came to me, “Buy his meal.” Okay, that isn’t so hard. I asked his server to bring me his ticket and I would pay for it. She really enjoyed being a part of the blessing. As I paid I asked her to mark the ticket “Paid” and write Happy Birthday on it and then give it to him. She said, with a big smile, that she had already thought of that. It was a good experience. Later in the week I realized what God had done. He let me practice the message I gave someone else. Okay, cool!

Then yesterday I was driving to an appointment when I witnessed something interesting. I was stopped at a traffic light and a truck turned left in front of me. As he entered the lane of traffic I saw a woman standing in the median waving him down. The lady was from a McDonalds across the street. This guy had driven off without his drink and she ran him down in the street with his drink and a straw. It was amazing. I mean, how often does that happen? Then I heard a thought cross my mind, “You ought to go give that lady a $1 tip for showing excellence in her job.” Well, I wasn’t opposed to the idea but I was running late so I relegated the thought to the back of my mind. After my appointment I had to drive right by that McDonalds. I felt a tug towards it but I don’t usually eat fast food so I blew it off. I turned the corner headed to the highway ramp when that whole situation came back to my mind loud and clear. So I turned into the shopping center and went to McDonalds and gave the lady the $1 tip from God. There were two managers standing there with big smiles on their faces and they actually did cheer this lady. Again, it was cool.

The moral of the story is be careful what you teach or preach because God is going to give you a chance to practice your theology. It you preach on giving, be prepared to be a giver. If you preach on prayer, get used to praying. God would have us lead by example rather than from command. Don’t tell others to do something you are unwilling to do yourself. God is growing champions but they are forged in the fires of doing rather than the talking. Be ready. It is time for practice.

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Glorious Countenance

On June 23, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 119: 135

Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant.

This is my prayer today and I hope it is yours as well. There is something so simple and yet so holy and intimate about this little phrase. It has captured my heart today as if there are no other words to say in the universe. What prayer shall I utter which can eclipse the sweetness of this petition? What prayer is more powerful than the simplicity of a heart yearning for the eyes of God’s beholding?

Lift up mine eyes, O Lord, that I may behold your glory, the glory which was yours in the beginning and shine your glorious light upon my countenance that I may reflect the beauty of your love, the beauty of your grace. 

Look upon me Lord with favor. Let me find favor in your sight and in the eyes of every person. Let your light so shine that all will know that there is a god in heaven, the one God, Yahweh: father, creator, lover of my soul.

Allow me to be a blessing to all I encounter. Pour through me the abundant generosity of your soul. Let all see that you are a god of great kindness. Shower upon me, precious Lord, the truth of who you are. Let me know you as you truly are and make me a disciple of faith. 

And Father, I pray that your love and grace will fall like a blanket of light on every person who reads these words and that your eyes will behold them in the embrace of your great affection. Let your light rest upon them and keep them. Amen.

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Doubt Arises

On June 22, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 11: 3

“Are you the expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

In Matthew 3, verse 11, are recorded the words of John the Baptist when he prophesied about the coming of Jesus. John said, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Then when Jesus did come, he (Jesus) went down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John at first refused Jesus saying to him to him, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” Matthew 3: 14. John knew who was coming before Jesus began his ministry. He knew the Holy One was on his way. Then when Jesus did appear to him, he recognized Jesus and who he was; as the one who was to come. He knew this was the one about whom so many prophecies had been made and he wanted Jesus to baptize him instead of the other way around.

It is one thing to believe and have faith and then it is another to keep believing and keep having faith. It can be hard to keep on believing when the pressure of the world starts bearing in on you. Would anyone think that John the Baptist, the one about whom Jesus said, “[T]here has not arisen anyone greater,” (Matthew 11: 11) could fall into doubt? And yet that is exactly what happened. Today’s text is what John the Baptist later asked Jesus via John’s disciples.

You see, John the Baptist had faith in Jesus until he found himself in jail. Now all of a sudden, things were not going to well. John began to look at the conditions around himself instead of at the Word of God which was in his heart. John was trying to use his eyes to convince his faith. Instead he should have been using his faith to convince his mind. He expected Jesus to build a kingdom on this earth. When he did not see this kingdom unfolding the way he expected it to, he began to lose his faith; to have doubts. 

Many times God will not do things the way we expect him to. That does not mean that he is not building his kingdom or that he is not fulfilling his promises. You cannot look around you for verification and then choose to believe God. It happens just the other way around. Do not use your eyes. Use your heart. That is where you plant the Word of God and you believe from your heart no matter what your eyes tell you. Then, when you have believed with your heart, you will see God’s victory coming into your life. Do not let doubt arise. Keep it down and your faith up.

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God’s Classroom

On June 19, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Philippians 2: 3 – 5

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.   Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.

This is so counter-cultural that, frankly, it is difficult for us to incorporate it into our lifestyle. We are actually supposed to put the needs and desires of others before our own wants. For most of us this is beyond difficult. In truth, we rarely even recognize the opportunities which pass by us, opportunities to be a little less selfish. I received one of those opportunities recently and it gave me a chance to examine whether my theology was integrated into my lifestyle or just a collection of pretty thoughts and ideals.

I had to take my car in for routine maintenance. I took my book hoping that I could get a little of my class reading done while awaiting my car. Well, there is a television in the waiting room. I usually prefer not to have a television on so that I can read without distraction. But you know what – it’s not all about me. There were other people there waiting for their cars too. At first it appeared that no one was listening to the TV so I was going to ask them if they minded me turning the volume down. No sooner, however, did I think that thought than this scripture came to mind. Why did the situation need to revolve around my desires or even needs. “Well,” I thought, “if no one is listening to it, what does it bother for me to ask?” But God responded to me instantly. Have you ever noticed that when you really don’t want to hear God it is really easy to hear His voice? Well, anyway, God showed me that the other people there, though they did not appear to be paying attention to the TV, might be enjoying having it on in the background. If I had asked they likely would have consented even though it wasn’t what they wanted. My pursuit of my desires would have put them in an awkward position where they may feel compelled to consent. Why should the world bend and contort to meet my perceived needs?

All of this happened in a flash but I knew this was a point of personal growth. What was more important to me, reading my Christian book for my doctorate in Theology or living my theology? Was it better to put my need for silence at the forefront or to let Jesus lead me and teach me about his divine outlook? Happily Dad spoke in my ear before I could open my mouth. Would it have been a huge sin had I put my needs first? Well, I don’t know. A sin is a sin, isn’t it? I don’t think Dad would have been horribly mad at me but He would see that I just wasn’t ready to grow up. 

As it turns out, I learned more not getting to do my homework than had I imposed my will on the others. Look around you today. Are there ways you can be a blessing to others? Maybe it is just about not being so concerned about what you want or what you perceive you need. There is an opportunity out there for each of us. I hope you find yours.

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Great Expectation

On June 18, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Micah 7: 7

But as for me I will watch expectantly for the Lord.

I have a 3 X 5 index card on my desk which reads, “Expect to be blessed! Expect a miracle.” The reason for this is because I need to remind myself constantly of God’s great promises. In November of last year God gave me a word for myself as well as for the body of Christ. That word was “Expectation.” He said everyday we should look to Him with expectation. Each day should be a day of glory in the Lord but in order for us to live that lifestyle we must expect it. Now here we are half way through the year and it is time for us to be reminded that every day we should turn out eyes and hearts to God and expect Him to meet our needs and bless us super-abundantly above and beyond all we can ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20). This is God’s will for us. Don’t fall short of the glory the Lord wishes for you. Expect to receive today!

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Spiritual Requirements

On June 17, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Micah 6: 8

He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

It turns out that it really isn’t all that difficult to figure out how to be a good Christian. We have the words of Jesus. We listen to his words and do them. Even in the Old Testament days, before Jesus was manifested in the earth, God sent His word to guide us. Through the prophet Micah God revealed His will for us; walk humbly with our God, do justice and extend lovingkindness. Now what is difficult about that? 

Notice that God said to walk “with” Him. That is interesting. Many times I hear people say, “Walk humbly before your God,” but that is not what God said. His directive to us is to walk “with” Him. 

Secondly, be a just person. You can decide for yourself what that means but at a simple level it means to be fair to people. That is not really a difficult concept. I hear people say so often, “Well, life isn’t fair,” and they use that as justification to treat people unfairly. My response is, “Try to sell that land to God.” I don’t think He will buy that argument. He is a fair God and He requires us to treat people fairly as well. 

Last, be a kind person. Be kind to others. This one requirement is so broad, so vast in scope that it will cause us to reflect the essential nature of God in everything we do. Kindness is generated through love. In every single human interaction, be kind. That means be kind to your spouse, your children, your boss, your employees, the guy who cuts the grass, the woman who cleans the house, the clerk at the store, and on and on. Think of all of the people you come in contact with during a single day. Some of them you may not even particularly like but if you are a child of God you will show lovingkindness to every single one of them.

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Dig Deep

On June 16, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 6: 46 – 49

“And why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

The first sentence of this quote is arresting. The easiest way to read it is to pretend that Jesus is speaking to someone else. Otherwise it is just too painful to read. However, it is true that most of us have fallen right here at one time or another. It is enough of an indictment on its own but when taken with the rest of today’s passage we begin to understand that some of the stormy times when we were washed to and fro were because we failed to do what Jesus said.

The other side of the coin is for us today. The past is the past and thank God for that. Today we turn over a new leaf and decide to dig deep. That is what Jesus is calling us to do. He said that there is one whom the storms of life will not rattle. This person is the one who dug deep and built a solid foundation. So the question would seem to be, “How do we build a solid foundation?” We dig into the Word of God.

Jesus said it, the strong foundation is what allows us to weather the storms. The man with the strong foundation, Jesus said, is the one who “comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them.” So, there are three parts there. Hearken to Jesus, to his words and then do what he has said. This is the first of all things which he said. If you will obey him in what he said in today’s verses then all else will follow therefrom. You are going to be able to stand while others fall. The people around you will bow with every breeze but you will be a strong fortress in the Lord. 

I have a saying that I would like to share with you. There is an easy way and a hard way to do everything. Whenever possible do things the easy way. This advice from Jesus today is the epitome of doing things the easy way. You can fight and strain against the wind or you can just stand in the strength that is the Lord. The choice is yours. If you want to be able to withstand hurricane force storms, then you must dig deep.

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