Hanging Out - March 29, 2011

           If you have been anywhere near a teen or tween in the recent past you couldn’t have escaped this term.  Wikipedia defines the term as “friends at ease.”  It goes on to note that friends desire what is best for the other person and demonstrate sympathy, empathy, honesty, understanding, compassion, trust, and reciprocity.  Wow!  Don’t we all need a lot of friends?

            Abraham called himself a friend of God.  That’s sometimes hard for us to think of the creator and sustainer of our universe wanting to be our friend.   In Psalm 8:4, David shared this dilemma when he writes, “what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”(NLT)   Yet David had a keen understanding that God knows us intimately.   In Psalm 139:13, he notes, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” 

            God’s willingness to have a frienship with us is even more amazing when you consider that we have nothing to bring to the partnership.  Jesus, the son of God tells us in John 15:16, “You didn’t chose me.  I chose you.”   How cool that God invites us to hang out with him when we are emptyhanded.   Just imagine a friend that can live inside us.  He want’s us to be friends at ease.   Who better than an all powerful God can desire what is best for the us and demonstrate genuine sympathy, empathy, honesty, understanding, compassion, trust, and reciprocity?   Maybe we don’t need a lot of friends, but we definitely need one true friend in Jesus!   Have some great Hang Time with Jesus.

Silence Please! March 28, 2011

             Lawrence Coughlin use to say, “Don’t talk unless you can improve the silence.  Did you ever notice how Jesus was always slipping away to be alone and pray to His father?   My wife and I even have problems finding a quiet restaurant where we can talk without TVs.  Car steros, I-Pods, cell phones, computers, and other forms of technology all each bombard our feable attempts to find solitude. 

            Perhaps that’s why King David in Psalm 119:147: says, “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words, (NLT).   Notice he had learned the importance of not just spewing out a laundry list to God, but getting ourselves into a quiet atmosphere where we can hear Him speak back to us.  That might be through words from the Bible or by hushed inner promptings from Holy Spirit. 

             Psalm 46:10 says to “be still and know that I am God.”(NLT)   This verse is instructing us to quiet ourselves and come to understand that He is God.  Contemptation on who God is takes time, yet when we make the investment of our time He increases our confidence.  Because we have a better understanding who we are praying to, we are certain that what we ask of Him, He can do.   

            The old testament word for Salvation meant deliverance.  Lamintations 3:26, says, “So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”(NLT)   I wonder how often the Lord has wanted to deliver wisdom, insights or answers to me, but I haven’t done my part to quietly wait before Him?   Why not find a quiet place this evening where you can spend a little one on one time with God?

In Christ - March 24, 2011

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (NLT)”   Your thinking, yeah right, this is Christianity 101.   I can still remember hearing that verse when I first became a Christian, but as I matured in the faith it’s easy to forget that all of the power of the God head now lives inside each of us!

            Ephesians 1:3 reminds me that,“God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”   Because of the sacrifice Jesus made we have hope, love, freedom, forgiveness, and power!   Just doing a quick scan through the Bible, we can see that IN CHRIST we are joint heirs, a new creature, blessed, living stones, delivered, transformed, the bride of Christ, sons of God, children of light, over-comers, adopted, disciples, kings and priests, saved, and friends of God!  

            Always remember the words of Henry Drummond, “Will-power does not change men.  Time does not change men.  Christ does.”   Ready for a change?

March 23, 2011 - MAGNIFY

           A year or so ago, my wife started wearing glasses all the time.   I should have done so too, but I’ve held out.  Why?   Vanity?  Lazyiness?  Haven’t taken the time order them?  You pick the reason.   At any rate, my right arm has gotten quite long.    When I had my cateracts removed three years ago, holy molie!   (No I’m not that old it’s because of the sun).   It was like everything had been run through a car wash.   The world sparkled!   

            In Psalm 34:3, David enourages us to MAGNIFY the Lord with him (NIV).  Other modern translations interpret magnify to mean giving glory to or spreading the good news.  Two other definitions of Magnify are to enlarge or intensify.  How do you magnify the Lord?   Have you ever thought of how to can help others see God in a larger way?   I ask all the time how I can get my friends and associates to share in the intensity and passion I have for Christ?   If you’re having problems magnifying God to the world maybe your God is too small?   Perhaps we could expand their vision of who God is by how we display excellence, show love, offer encouragement, give compassion, demonstrate kindness, remain thankful and faithful in service to Him even when we’re going through trials?

          As fellow saints of Jesus Christ, each of us can benefit from reflecting on Oswald Chamber’s definition of Christian Character.   Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus Christ persistently manifested.   May each of you have a great evening and MAGNIFY! 

March 22, 2011 - Your Sweet Spot

            No, I’m not referring to your back yard pool, best golf swing, favorite candy, special gift, or the finest place to relax.   I’m referring to that gifting or ability you have that is under-utilized amid the chaos of this thing we call life.  

            In 1 Peter 4:10, the Apostle states, Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  Likewise, St. Paul encourages Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6, to fan into flame the gift of God.   

            My father was a great man, but the epitome of a true home-body.   These days I’m having fun watching my newly widowed mother come out of her cocoon and flit around town like a beautiful butterfly brightening the lives of everyone she encounters.   She’s found her sweet spot.   I think to many of us hold onto beliefs, relations, and ridiculous opinions about ourselves that restrict God’s power working through us.   

              I love the challenge Charles H. Spurgeon shares, Serve God by doing common actions in a heavenly spirit, and then, if your daily calling leaves you cracks and crevices of time, fill them up with holy service.   Have a great evening!

ARE YOU A SENSITIVE CHRISTIAN

Of course you say.   How could I have a heart changed by the love of Christ and not have a tender heart?   In Philippians 2:1,2 we find these beautiful words from the New Living Translation: Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?  Any comfort from his love?  Any fellowship together with the Spirit?  Are your hearts tender and compassionate?  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

            It’s so important that we live as compassionate caring Christians, standing out as salt and light to our communities.   However, the flip side of that coin is that we can’t be so sensitive of offending someone that we neglect to tell them the truth.  In fact by doing so we could be loving them into hell.  John 1: 14, 17, reminds us that all grace and truth are found together in Christ. 

            The Christian life demands that we learn to overlook those petty offenses we encounter in life.   Yet, for those weightier matters, perhaps Francis Schaeffer put it best, Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless.

FOCUS FACTOR

As I flip on the porch light I’m reminded of the importance of our aim.   We’re not talking here about some new vitamin supplement that promises greater mental clarity.   It’s that point we focus on that becomes the center of our attention.  Pray with me tonight that the Lord will clear away the distractions and shine His spotlight on those specific areas He wants our focus to be upon.   

In chapter 30 of Genesis, we find an interesting story of how Jacob served his father- in-law Laban.   Jacob had shown great diligence in tending Laban’s  sheep and goats for several years, with nothing to show for it.  In time, the two men stuck up an agreement whereby Jacob could have all the speckled and spotted sheep and goats.   In a dream, the Lord gave Jacob and an idea to increase his herds.   God told him to gather fresh tree branches and peel back the bark leaving streaks on each branch.   Then Jacob was to place these branches at the water hole where the livestock mated.   As crazy as it sounds when the herds came to mate they produced streaked, speckled and spotted sheep.   By the act of giving these dumb animals something to focus on Jacob had expanded his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s herd. 

What gifts and abilities has God inspired within you?  As we focus our efforts on His callings the rewards will follow.  I love this quote by Robert Forman: Success lies, not in achieving what you aim at, but in aiming at what you ought to achieve, and pressing forward , sure of achievement here, or if not here, hereafter.     Have a great weekend.  The next Porch Light devotion will come on Monday.  

We're Expecting You!

Twilight’s come.   At any time within the next two or three hours, I know my son will come traipsing through our front door.   He’s a good son and he’s always on time.  Yet, I’ve turned the porch light on so that he won’t have to walk in the dark, trip coming up the front drive, or not be able to find the keyhole on the door.   Besides, when he see’s the front porch light it’s reinforcement that we’re expecting him.

Do you ever think about the fact that God’s expecting you too?   Yes, He’s expecting us to be with Him in heaven one day.   Jesus told us in His Word that He left this earth to go and prepare a place for us to be with him forever.   But, Jesus has some expectations for us here on earth. 

The word Responsibility literally means that we each have the ability to respond; either positively or negatively, to any situation or circumstance.   We can make a choice to respond positively.   It’s not only the right thing to do, but it also our way of honoring God.   In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father, Matthew 5:16 (NLT)   My prayer for each of us tonight is found in Romans 15:5, May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. (NLT).   Amen.

PILLAR OF FIRE

I stepped up onto the old front porch and took a seat on my imaginary swing.  Beginning to rock, I gazed up and saw a beautiful full moon.  In the book of Genesis we know that God made two lights, the Sun for day, and the Moon for night.  This new evening devotional will be coming to you each evening to boost your spirits at the end of a long day and offer a morsel of scriptural light. 

In the Old Testament, we find the Lord leading his people into the desert, for a period of testing and trial.  In Exodus 13:21-24 we see, The Lord went ahead of them.  He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire.  This allowed them to travel by day or by night.  And the Lord did not remover the Pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. (NLT)  

Each of us needs more of God’s light.  It brings a sense of balance and meaning to our lives.  As I share nuggets of God’s Truth each evening, I pray that they will become as a Pillar of Fire in your heart.  Why not ask Jesus now to burn away those idle passions, worries, or distractions that keep us from becoming consumed with His transforming power.  Let’s stop the swing now as I bow my head with yours and we center our attention upon the Lord.  In the words of Gregory Nazianzen, Let us not ask of the Lord deceitful riches, nor the good things of this world, nor transitory honors; but let us ask for light.”

Have a blessed evening!