9/26/13:

TFTD: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.” Psalm 118:6

I am an underdog kind of person. If I am watching some sports game, usually I just want to see a good game, but in a lot of cases I want to see the underdog win. It has something to do with my urge to always see the less successful or less talented team or individual win. In some cases it is because those with the talent try and show off or brag about themselves and that to me is annoying. One quote that I really love is this “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” I’m sure you all can think of an example of this happening, whether it was on some test you took, or an athletic event you participated in. Unfortunately one of the main themes that keeps underdogs from winning or succeeding is fear. Fear that they are not good enough and don’t have enough talent. Which may or may not be true.

            It is the same way with Christianity today. We are the underdogs of society who are willing to work hard to get our message out to those who need it. Regrettably, we don’t generally follow through with getting our message out. We have this crippling fear about what people will think of us or that they will judge us. This fear that we can’t overcome that causes us to keep the message of Christ to ourselves. David has a different idea in this passage from Psalms, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.” That is a pretty powerful message. We may be the underdogs but we are the ones with a secret weapon. We have the Lord, and through Him nothing is impossible. There is no reason to fear, or doubt our abilities because the Lord is on our side. He will not let us be defeated by the power of the devil, and will keep us according to His will. That will which surpasses all of our human understanding. So be comforted today knowing that God is on your side!

“Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here.” -Marianne Williamson 

9/25/13:

TFTD: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:7-8

As you look back over your life thus far, whether you are young or old, and think about all of those moments that have shaped the person that you are, I bet you can think of a couple of specific people who have been there and been an example for you. It could have been a coach, a DCE, a pastor, a parent, you name it. Whoever they are I’m sure that you have many memories of interacting with them and reasons why they have had such a big impact on your lives. The people of the bible are no different. They were in need of a leader to come in and help them to better understand what was happening. In many cases the disciples and other apostles filled those roles. They were sent to specific towns to preach and teach the risen Christ, and brought a lot of people to faith in Jesus Christ.

            We as believers get to be leaders. Being a leader doesn’t mean that you have to go to the seminary and become a pastor or deaconess, it just means that we have the responsibility of sharing the gospel message wherever we are. We get to be those people who use our gifts, whatever they may be, to live the Christ like example for others. And what is pretty awesome about that is that we have the best example that is unchanging. “Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” So let’s take comfort in those words.

“Great truths that are stumbling blocks to the natural man are nevertheless the very foundations upon which the confidence of the spiritual man is built.” –H. A. Ironside

9/24/13:

TFTD: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

-2 Timothy 4:7-8

If you are or have been an athlete, teacher, or have held any job that has an outcome you can all understand what Paul is talking about in this passage. Paul, who at this time is fairly old, is realizing that his time on earth here is coming to an end. He is talking to Timothy and telling him and telling others to come and visit him soon, but we see no sense of sadness or depression in his writing. Only this zeal of having been fully convicted of his faith in Jesus Christ and the knowledge that he (Paul) has fought, finished, and kept the faith. He knows that when his time comes that he has given it his all, and will be rewarded with life eternal, but not just him, everyone who has trusted and believed in Christ.

            We live in such a postmodern society that gives everyone the right to their own convictions and beliefs. These convictions that can be so contradictory but altogether true to their own believer that people can believe whatever they want and be right. Who tells us what is the right set of beliefs? Where do you get your beliefs and convictions? Mine come from a God who created everything, knows everything, and can do all things. They come from a hope of something that is eternal, because if that weren’t true what purpose would I have for being here? Why would I be needed on earth? I believe that it is because Adam, being the most awesome first human ever, was led to sin and we are still trying to redeem the world because of it. We are all put here to fight the good fight, and finish the race. I’m not saying that the race won’t suck and be extremely hard, I’m just saying it gives me a purpose and a goal in life. It causes me joy and gives me a significance that I probably wouldn’t have without it. A significance that gives me a title. The title Finisher. The title Child of God. The only title that matters. Forgiven and Redeemed!

“We can never know the profoundest joy without conviction that our life is significant”

 –Henry J. Goulding

9/23/13:

TFTD: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the work of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:13-18

The armor of God is a very well-known passage in Ephesians, and is usually talked about piece by piece describing what each piece means and how to use them. I want to look at this passage in a little bit broader way. Back in the time when the bible was being written this analogy of armor was perfect for them, because when they were at war they had to wear all of these things. Helmets, breastplates, and shields were all important for the safety of the men during battle. My question is what happened when their armor got damaged? I am sure they took it to someone who had the tools to fix or repair it so that they could continue to be the best soldier that they could be.

            I think today we are a lot like those soldiers. We all wear the armor of God on a daily basis, and sometimes we get dings, scratches, or holes in our armor and have to bring it to someone who knows how to fix it. They obvious way to resolve this would be to tell you that God is our blacksmith who will fix and repair our armor, which is all well and true, but it’s not where I am going with this. We as soldiers are not fighting this battle alone. We are in an army, and there are a lot of other soldiers here with us. We are designed to be in this army together and not by ourselves, which means that we are all responsible for those who are around us. When another person is struggling to put on the belt of truth, help them out. Help them to understand the truth and put that belt on. We are called into this great fellowship called the army of God so let’s do our best to keep fighting the good fight and helping others do the same.

“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” –John Ruskin

9/17/13:

TFTD: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:14-15

Have you ever thought about time? Not necessarily the time of day or how many hours in a day, but time in the broader sense. The average person lives around 72 years or so, but how long is that in comparison to how long the world has been around. If we agree that creation was some 6000 years or so ago a 72 year old person has lived just over 1% of the time that the world has been around. 1% isn’t very much, and when you think about it on an even broader scale to the time that God has been around it is that much more insignificant. In the book I am Not but I know I AM by Louie Giglio he makes this comparison and talks about how truly insignificant we are. He also mentions that we have one of the most significant gifts ever. First of all we have eternal life with Christ because of what He has done for us, but also we have a personal relationship with I Am. With the maker of the universe who holds all time in His hands.

            So what then is your life? Do you count it as the time for you to live hard, love hard, work hard, and play hard or do you count it as God’s gift of time to you? His gift of time that we need to use to His advantage because ultimately He has the plans laid out for us.  Am I saying that we can’t do all of those things I mentioned before because we need to leave and do mission work for the rest of our lives? No, unless that is your gift, than yes! What I am saying is that we should live our lives as good stewards of the time that God has given us and incorporate Him into all we do. Even though we are about 1% we can do our best to make that the most significant percent this world has ever seen. To quote Propaganda we have “the greatest story ever told, that’s hardly ever told” and all we have is time to tell it.

“The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God’s law and to show the nature of sin.”

 –Martin Luther

9/16/13:

TFTD: “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” James 3:13

Who is the smartest person that you know? What makes them that way? Is it their head knowledge or maybe their handiness? Or maybe it’s their street smarts or common sense. Okay, decided who that is? Now, how do they act? Are they kind and caring, or are they snobby and proud? I know in the case of some they flaunt their knowledge in front of others to prove that they are the smartest. My favorite example of this is Sheldon from the TV show The Big Bang Theory. He claims to be the smartest and the most knowledgeable about everything, and he has no problem letting those around him know it. They part that makes the show funny to me is that he is so smart and knows so much but can’t seem to put any of it to practical use. He knows how to drive and swim but can’t actually do them. He especially has difficulty with social ques. He understands the concepts of them but can’t quite seem to grasp how to use or interpret them.

            How much are we Christians like Sheldon? We have the most intimate relationship with the person who knows all and others are aware of it, but the one thing that we have trouble with is the practical side of things. We have trouble putting that love and knowledge of Christ into action. The best part for us is that there is an instruction guide. The problem is that too often we forget to use it. James gives us the perfect example. “Who is wise and understanding among you?” He is asking the same question I started with, but he goes on to say “By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” He gives us the answer for how to use our intelligence. Do the hard and right things and do them because you are smart enough to know that, that is what you are supposed to do, not because you have to. In 1 Corinthians 10 it says this “Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God.” What an awesome way to use our wisdom. To promote the smartest person I know, so that others can get to know Him too.

“The best portion of a good man’s life: His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” –William Wordsworth

9/12/13:

TFTD: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim. 2:1-2

Last night after watching Duck Dynasty we were surfing through channels and came across a show about the presidents gatekeepers. It was about those people who were in the white house or other positions who were in charge of keeping the president on track and weighing all situations and decisions that had to be made. It got me thinking this morning. There are people in place to make sure that the President doesn’t do something irrational without at least talking through it with someone else. On top of that there is a nations worth of people who can, if the president still makes an irrational and detrimental decision, do something about it.  Paul in his first letter to Timothy makes it clear that we as the nation have a responsibility. We are to pray for those who are in positions of leadership because they have great responsibility and can either do great things or not so great things.

            When we think about ourselves in this situation it is difficult to want to pray for, or even be nice when talking about those in leadership positions. They make choices that we don’t want them to or we don’t really like them in the first place. But what are we called to as followers of Christ? First of all we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. That is difficult because we love ourselves a lot. More importantly, however, we are called to be servants. Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed the disciple’s feet, which couldn’t have been very nice, implying that the disciples were more important than Himself. We are to do the same thing. We are to take on the attitude of servant and place all others above ourselves, implying that everyone, even those who you don’t like or can’t stand, are more important than you and could use a prayer. So in your spare time today say a prayer especially in the leadership of our country and our world, but also for those around you who you are serving on a daily basis.

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” –George Washington

9/11/13:

TFTD: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

I am almost positive that today you will be overwhelmed with information or reminders of the tragedy that happened 12 years ago today, and I am no different. Already I have come across the like and share pictures from Facebook as well as statuses that say something to the effect of “9/11 never forgotten… God Bless America.” It can be annoying and obnoxious but to some people it is a much deeper reminder of the tragedy that happened because they lost someone. I was fortunate and didn’t know anyone that was involved, but I can vividly remember where I was, what I was doing, and what happened. I was in 6^th grade math with Mr. Tischler when my homeroom teacher came running in a panic. We turned on the TV and watched the coverage of what was happening and saw the second plane hit the World Trade Centers. Needless to say we didn’t do much of anything during school that day.

            I tell you this story out of remembrance and respect for those who were affected, but also to bring a reminder of hope in the solemnness of the day. What is the number that we are taught to call in case of emergency when we are little. 911 right? Well there is a different 911 that we should always remember as well. It’s God’s 911. We are reminded in Psalms 91:1 (clever isn’t it) that “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” If we trust God and remain in Him for all things, He will never fail us. He is the Almighty God who makes the stars, sky, earth, planets, galaxies, and through all that still has the time to be a personal God to each and every one of us. He knows you by name and knows your struggles, He knows if you are sad or rejoicing, and He knows how to take care of you. I know that my redeemer lives and is the ultimate hope and joy that we have in this life. That one day we can say I live with my redeemer.

“Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.” –George Müller

9/10/13:

TFTD: “And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.” Mark 7:33-36

Reread the passage one more time. It seems like just another day for Jesus right? Traveling from place to place, telling the world about God’s love and curing those who need it. But if you look a little closer you might notice the part about not listening. How often when you were a little kid did your parents or someone in charge tell you not to do something. Like not to touch the stove because you will get burned, or don’t go off that jump with your bike because you will hurt yourself or maybe they told you to do something and you really didn’t listen. I can remember countless times when my parents told me to do the dishwasher or laundry or some other chore, I told them I would do it during the commercial break from whatever I was watching and proceeded to forget about it whether intentionally or unintentionally.

            Most of the messages we hear from pastors and people in the ministry include something about the great commission. “Go and tell the nations because they need to hear.” We hear those words so often that it becomes like a daily chore that you want to put off because it is not high on your priority list. I wonder what would happen if we told people not to go and share the Good News of Christ. Don’t get me wrong. I would love to see people lining the streets declaring the Gospel message (in an effective way, not a bible thumping kind of way). I just don’t see that happening. Maybe if we treat it like the best kept secret, we would be like the people who were with Jesus that day and go tell others about Jesus because we aren’t supposed to. Because it is the “taboo” thing to do. It worked for Jesus. The more He told them not to tell others about what happened, the more they told people. So today why don’t you keep the secret of Jesus to yourself. Don’t go tell anyone. It’s something that you should keep to yourself because it is too special to share with others. Don’t do it. It’s a bad idea. People don’t need to hear the message of Jesus, it’s just for you. But really, you know what to do.

“If you truly want to measure the success of a man, you do not measure it by a position he has achieved, but by the obstacles he has overcome.” –Booker T. Washington

9/9/13:

TFTD: “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” 2 Corinth 4:15

For those of you who didn’t know already football is back in season. It started last Thursday with a great game between the Broncos and the Ravens. In fact it was a big night because Peyton Manning the quarterback for the Broncos tied, broke, and set a few different NFL records. Now I am a Vikings fan and although I didn’t get to watch much of the game at all I saw the statistics. Maybe you all heard about the fantastic night that our quarterback had. More than likely you didn’t because it really wasn’t that impressive. Don’t get me wrong, he did a much better job than I could do in the NFL, but it was less than stellar in comparison to a majority of the rest of the league.

Peyton Manning has, as long as I can remember, always been a game changer. He has knowledge about the game of football that is incredible and on top of that has a very humble attitude towards his abilities. There is one theme in the bible that I would consider the biggest game changer of all. Any guesses? No? Alright I’ll tell you. It’s GRACE. Without grace we would be put in a situation to try and get to heaven on our own good works, and that would be a mighty let down because we aren’t capable of being good enough or doing enough good works to earn our way to heaven. It just isn’t possible. (Insert terrible Vikings comparison here.) Because of grace we can try, mess up, be forgiven, and try again and never have to worry about our eternity because Christ has paid it all for us. I’m not big on acronyms but this is one of my favorites: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. G.R.A.C.E. The game changer of a lifetime.

“God's mercy and grace give me hope - for myself, and for our world.” – Billy Graham

9/5/13:

TFTD: “I know you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

Philippians 4:13 is one of the most quoted verses in the bible and it says “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”, but when you think of the story of Job it is more applicable. Job, the wonderful God fearing man that he was, went through trials and tribulations because God let satan do those things to him. Job lost his family, flocks, got sores and a multitude of other things while he was being tried by the devil. The worst part of all was that his friends were telling him that he must have done something to deserve such a punishment from God. Earlier in Job he questions everything that is happening and questions God Himself. Do you ever find yourself questioning God like Job did? Wondering why things are going the way they are or why something has happened because there is no logical reason you can find for it? I know I have, but what if we took a different approach to it.

In chapter 42:2 Job changes his attitude. He says to God “I know you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted”. HOLY COW! He has just gone through the worst time of his life, the most trials and tribulations that a person this side of heaven can handle, and how does he respond? Granted there was a bunch of legitimate questioning in the middle, Job just lays his troubles at the feet of God and says I can’t do this anymore God. You have plans here and I don’t understand them. I trust that there is a reason behind what you are doing but I can’t see it. What if we had that kind of attitude? Admitting that God can do all, and has a purpose for all. That’s tough, but being able to let go and let God is one of the easiest ways relieve stress and grow in your faith. So next time something happens that you don’t understand, try and face it with the attitude of Job (in chapter 42 haha).

“Adversity is the diamond dust heaven polished its jewels with.” –Robert Leighton

9/4/13:

TFTD: “But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinth. 12:8-10

Two Sundays ago we had a guest preacher come in for our mission Sunday and preach. He works for an LCMS organization called POBLO which stands for People Of the Book Lutheran Outreach. The mission is focused on outreach to the Muslim communities. He goes around to Lutheran churches to raise money for this organization so that they can continue their work elsewhere in the world. They have many pastors and missionaries who are spread throughout the world and more specifically in the Middle Eastern region of the country. That Sunday during Sunday school he told us a story about when he was working in Saudi Arabia. He told us that in order to worship God they had to meet privately and park blocks away and walk to the home where they were to meet because it was illegal to be a Christian. So illegal that if you were caught you would spend 10 years in prison and the pastor would be beheaded. Not so nice.

            This story, as harsh and terrible as it is, is the reality that some Christians live in. Their faith and belief is persecuted and tried daily. They are in the business of God in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. But how does this relate to us? When we are at school or in the work place and are being ridiculed, regardless of what for, that is when we can boast in Christ the most. He gives us the strength to persevere and the grace for when we mess up. When we don’t have the skills to do what is necessary, that is when God shines through. He equips us and leads us in ways that we never thought possible. In our weakness, that is when God shines the strongest.

“The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.” –Charles Haddon Spurgeon

9/3/13:

TFTD: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted, I had a busy week and unfortunately I let it go by the wayside. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal that I missed writing and posting my thought, if you think about it, it shows where my priorities lie. When I got busy I focused so much on what I had to do for the day or week that I neglected my time with God. He was the first to go. Isn’t that how we all treat our lives? When we get busy and things aren’t going too bad we think that we can do everything on our own and put God in the “spiritual holster” until we really need something. Isn’t that the silliest thing that we could possibly do? To me that would be like going somewhere you’ve never been before and ignoring the GPS because you think that you know a better way.

            In Proverbs Solomon, in all of his wisdom, makes a lot of very profound and intelligent statements. In my reading this morning this one stood out to me. “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (V.20). Don’t we all want to be wise and know our way around? Isn’t being wise and learned what Adam and Eve wanted in the garden? To be just like God? To have any insight into what God knows or has planned we need to walk with Him. We need to be in relationship with Him and constantly ask for His guidance so that we don’t fall into sinful foolishness. I know that your friends are pretty awesome, I know mine are, but we can all make some pretty dumb mistakes. We need a guiding light to put us on the right path, so we can walk with the wise. And God is the wisest of all so why not walk with Him?

“Some men see things the way they are and ask ‘Why?’ I dream of the way things could be and ask ‘Why not?’” –George Bernard Shaw