By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is , the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
When you give thanks, you are offering a sacrifice of praise to God, according to Hebrews. And it says to do so "continually". As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, let us give thanks...but let us remember to keep that Spirit of Thanksgiving with us even after the turkey's eaten, the game is watched, and we've all returned home or watched our guests leave. Giving thanks shouldn't be a one-day deal, after which we return back to the regular grind of jobs, school, etc and forget that we are thankful.
I'll be away for a few days. Until then, everyone have a great Thanksgiving, safe travels, and remember...most of all...to be truly thankful. We have so much to be thankful for, so take some time to stop and think about it.
Challenge for Today: What are you thankful for?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is probably the first verse I ever memorized, as my parents bought my sister and I a small coat-and-purse rack to hang in our room that had this verse printed on it in decorative letters, along with a picture of two little girls playing together. I think it was my parents' reminder to us to not kill each other in a preschool dispute.
Our world today desperately needs peacemakers. Everywhere we look, people are just looking for an excuse to be angry, it seems. How about being one of the people who diffuses a situation instead of expanding it? (Or, worse, starting it.)
Being a peacemaker doesn't mean just breaking up a fight, either. It doesn't mean temporarily getting people to settle down. It means helping to resolve the issues that caused the problem in the first place. This starts by ending any immediate fight or yelling match that's going on, but it continues by helping the two parties to come to terms and smooth the situation over.
We can first look at where we're not being peaceful people. But this verse extends far beyond that. It doesn't just say that people who have peace and who are peaceful are blessed. It says those who actively MAKE peace...those who foster an environment of peace around them. Let's be that kind of people.
Challenge for Today: Look around you for a situation where there is a lack of peace between two people. If it's that you need to go make peace with someone in your family or workplace or circle of friends, that's the first priority. But many of us already heed the words to "be reconciled to your brother". Today, turn your attention outward and look for situations around you where you can help people come to a peaceful solution or diffuse the problems in a relationship that's going sour. Maybe it's in the conference room at work where things are getting heated and you can be a voice of reason. Or maybe you have the privilege of counseling a friend who is hurting and having troubles with their own family. Urge them towards peace.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is probably the first verse I ever memorized, as my parents bought my sister and I a small coat-and-purse rack to hang in our room that had this verse printed on it in decorative letters, along with a picture of two little girls playing together. I think it was my parents' reminder to us to not kill each other in a preschool dispute.
Our world today desperately needs peacemakers. Everywhere we look, people are just looking for an excuse to be angry, it seems. How about being one of the people who diffuses a situation instead of expanding it? (Or, worse, starting it.)
Being a peacemaker doesn't mean just breaking up a fight, either. It doesn't mean temporarily getting people to settle down. It means helping to resolve the issues that caused the problem in the first place. This starts by ending any immediate fight or yelling match that's going on, but it continues by helping the two parties to come to terms and smooth the situation over.
We can first look at where we're not being peaceful people. But this verse extends far beyond that. It doesn't just say that people who have peace and who are peaceful are blessed. It says those who actively MAKE peace...those who foster an environment of peace around them. Let's be that kind of people.
Challenge for Today: Look around you for a situation where there is a lack of peace between two people. If it's that you need to go make peace with someone in your family or workplace or circle of friends, that's the first priority. But many of us already heed the words to "be reconciled to your brother". Today, turn your attention outward and look for situations around you where you can help people come to a peaceful solution or diffuse the problems in a relationship that's going sour. Maybe it's in the conference room at work where things are getting heated and you can be a voice of reason. Or maybe you have the privilege of counseling a friend who is hurting and having troubles with their own family. Urge them towards peace.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Are We Praying? - We Should Be
I decided to take a detour from the Beatitudes today. Don't worry, we'll get back to them. But this was just laid on my heart, and I wanted to speak about it while it is fresh and relevant.
Consider this verse, one that most of us know well (at least the second portion of the passage):
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV).
Now think about our nation's situation. We may not have plagues of locusts at our door or a drought across the entire land (though some portions of the country have certainly felt that pain), but our nation is about to go through a lean and dry time financially. It has, in fact, already started. We are hurting, and the downturn in the financial markets, the mortgage crisis, the possible failure of the large car manufacturers, and the failure of myriad other small businesses casts a shadow on us. Other problems are likely looming on the horizon, as well, in this regard.
Read that verse again now. It says "If my people, who are called by my name," will pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways...then the land will be healed. It doesn't say if everyone in the nation converts (though we should certainly be evangelizing as part of that seeking God's face). It doesn't say if they leaders get things right. And it doesn't say if everyone will pray. It says if my people will pray.
Are we praying? Do we care if our land is fixed? (Surely we all do.) Then why aren't we praying, seeking, and turning?
Challenge for today: Pray. Pray for our nation. Pray that you know how to seek God's face, and take one step to seek Him today. Pray that He shows you anything that you need to turn from...and make a 180-degree. Don't think about turning tomorrow or consider if you really need to turn from it. If there is something that you need to make a break with, a known sin, something that God lays on your heart while you are praying and seeking Him, run from it. And then KEEP PRAYING.
Consider this verse, one that most of us know well (at least the second portion of the passage):
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV).
Now think about our nation's situation. We may not have plagues of locusts at our door or a drought across the entire land (though some portions of the country have certainly felt that pain), but our nation is about to go through a lean and dry time financially. It has, in fact, already started. We are hurting, and the downturn in the financial markets, the mortgage crisis, the possible failure of the large car manufacturers, and the failure of myriad other small businesses casts a shadow on us. Other problems are likely looming on the horizon, as well, in this regard.
Read that verse again now. It says "If my people, who are called by my name," will pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways...then the land will be healed. It doesn't say if everyone in the nation converts (though we should certainly be evangelizing as part of that seeking God's face). It doesn't say if they leaders get things right. And it doesn't say if everyone will pray. It says if my people will pray.
Are we praying? Do we care if our land is fixed? (Surely we all do.) Then why aren't we praying, seeking, and turning?
Challenge for today: Pray. Pray for our nation. Pray that you know how to seek God's face, and take one step to seek Him today. Pray that He shows you anything that you need to turn from...and make a 180-degree. Don't think about turning tomorrow or consider if you really need to turn from it. If there is something that you need to make a break with, a known sin, something that God lays on your heart while you are praying and seeking Him, run from it. And then KEEP PRAYING.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
What does it mean to be "pure in heart"?
I pondered this for a long time. It doesn't mean being "pure"...because why add the "in heart". But does that "in heart" mean you keep your heart pure? Or that you're trying to be pure? (Much like old people can be "young at heart", but they are not physically young?) Or does it mean having a higher standard of purity...not just outward doing what is right, but actually meaning it and having that come from your heart? What exactly does it mean?
We've all heard this verse many times, and we all apparently just take it for granted that we know what the words "pure in heart" mean and how to apply them. But as I tried to think of something to write, I found that I really don't know what the phrase means. I can intuitively take a guess at what it means, and that's probably pretty close to the mark. I looked it up in other translations, and all the major translations (not paraphrases) use the exact same phrase, so apparently it's supposed to be self-explanatory.
Well...it is. I can tell you that "pure in heart" means just what it says...and we ought to just know what it means. But I certainly can't explain it to anyone else...so while it may be self-explanatory...it is not easily explained.
Anyone care to take a stab at defining the meaning...or even making a reasonable commentary on the subject? I find myself at a loss and invite other readers of the blog to have a try at today's verse. Especially if you have some extra knowledge or schooling that might help. (For example, you can go read it in the Greek and translate it to find out what the phrase means in the original.)
I dislike saying "I don't know..." because I am (but should try not to be) a know-it-all by nature. That's why I've been dragging my feet and not posting...I was trying to think of what to say. But on this one, I have to just say I don't know.
What does it mean to be "pure in heart"?
I pondered this for a long time. It doesn't mean being "pure"...because why add the "in heart". But does that "in heart" mean you keep your heart pure? Or that you're trying to be pure? (Much like old people can be "young at heart", but they are not physically young?) Or does it mean having a higher standard of purity...not just outward doing what is right, but actually meaning it and having that come from your heart? What exactly does it mean?
We've all heard this verse many times, and we all apparently just take it for granted that we know what the words "pure in heart" mean and how to apply them. But as I tried to think of something to write, I found that I really don't know what the phrase means. I can intuitively take a guess at what it means, and that's probably pretty close to the mark. I looked it up in other translations, and all the major translations (not paraphrases) use the exact same phrase, so apparently it's supposed to be self-explanatory.
Well...it is. I can tell you that "pure in heart" means just what it says...and we ought to just know what it means. But I certainly can't explain it to anyone else...so while it may be self-explanatory...it is not easily explained.
Anyone care to take a stab at defining the meaning...or even making a reasonable commentary on the subject? I find myself at a loss and invite other readers of the blog to have a try at today's verse. Especially if you have some extra knowledge or schooling that might help. (For example, you can go read it in the Greek and translate it to find out what the phrase means in the original.)
I dislike saying "I don't know..." because I am (but should try not to be) a know-it-all by nature. That's why I've been dragging my feet and not posting...I was trying to think of what to say. But on this one, I have to just say I don't know.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
This verse, with its topic of mercy, brings up images of a judge presiding over a trial, passing down a sentence. Every accussed hopes for a merciful judge. And we all, of course, hope for (and are assured of, if we have a personal relationship with Christ) a merciful judgement from God. To show mercy means to not give to someone what is due for their sin or offense.
We may be tempted, because the majority of us are not in a position to judge anyone in any legal sense, to think, "When can I ever show mercy?" But we can show mercy every time we do not pay to someone what is due to them for an offense they have made against us.
When someone cuts in front of you on the highway, do you blare your horn at them and perhaps yell at them (maybe even using colorful language that you wouldn't use if anyone else was in the car)? When your spouse forgets it was their night to do the dishes, do you rip into them for it or, worse, give them the cold shoulder?When your best friend gossips about you, do you turn around and gossip about them to settle the score?
All of those are very natural, human reactions...but not merciful ones. Mercy would let the offense go, move on, and not seek to make the other person "pay". At the risk of letting you know how country I am, I'll tell you that one of my favorite phrases is "like water off a duck's back". It means when someone does something mean to you...or something bad happens to you...you just let it go. The water just rolls right off, like it would off the water-tight wings of an aquatic bird. I know it's not scripture, and there's probably something more theologically profound that should come to mind, but I think of this phrase often when tempted to respond in a viscious manner to something I perceive as a wrong against me.
Today's Challenge: Find one time when someone offends you. Instead of getting even, making them pay, or crticizing them unkindly, show mercy to them and let the offense go.
This verse, with its topic of mercy, brings up images of a judge presiding over a trial, passing down a sentence. Every accussed hopes for a merciful judge. And we all, of course, hope for (and are assured of, if we have a personal relationship with Christ) a merciful judgement from God. To show mercy means to not give to someone what is due for their sin or offense.
We may be tempted, because the majority of us are not in a position to judge anyone in any legal sense, to think, "When can I ever show mercy?" But we can show mercy every time we do not pay to someone what is due to them for an offense they have made against us.
When someone cuts in front of you on the highway, do you blare your horn at them and perhaps yell at them (maybe even using colorful language that you wouldn't use if anyone else was in the car)? When your spouse forgets it was their night to do the dishes, do you rip into them for it or, worse, give them the cold shoulder?When your best friend gossips about you, do you turn around and gossip about them to settle the score?
All of those are very natural, human reactions...but not merciful ones. Mercy would let the offense go, move on, and not seek to make the other person "pay". At the risk of letting you know how country I am, I'll tell you that one of my favorite phrases is "like water off a duck's back". It means when someone does something mean to you...or something bad happens to you...you just let it go. The water just rolls right off, like it would off the water-tight wings of an aquatic bird. I know it's not scripture, and there's probably something more theologically profound that should come to mind, but I think of this phrase often when tempted to respond in a viscious manner to something I perceive as a wrong against me.
Today's Challenge: Find one time when someone offends you. Instead of getting even, making them pay, or crticizing them unkindly, show mercy to them and let the offense go.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Many of us, when we first became Christians (and again every time we go to a retreat, revival, or some other kind of event that gets us "fired up") instinctively thirst for righteousness. It is a natural response to drawing near to God. We know, somewhere in our souls, that not only is righteousness the RIGHT thing to do, but it is the thing that will, more than anything else, fill up the hollow parts of our life.
I think that in this verse "they will be filled" doesn't just talk about being filled with righteousness, which is what we are to hunger and thirst for, but it means being filled as in having the empty spots within us filled up...to be fulfilled and to be content. To have the spiritual equivalent of the full belly that we all anticipate physically on Thanksgiving Day.
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness leads us to follow God's commands, obey his principles for our life, and in so doing, we will find contentment that the things of this world just can't bring. So often, we hunger for riches, thirst for pleasure, and maybe even hunger and thirst for contentment as an end unto itself. We need to change our perspective to hunger and thirst for righteousness...and let the contentment work itself out as a result.
Challenge for Today: Find one place in your life where you are not seeking a righteous path. It may be your entertainment, the way you conduct your business, a relationship you have, or any number of things; then think of one way you can "seek righteousness" in relation to that.
Many of us, when we first became Christians (and again every time we go to a retreat, revival, or some other kind of event that gets us "fired up") instinctively thirst for righteousness. It is a natural response to drawing near to God. We know, somewhere in our souls, that not only is righteousness the RIGHT thing to do, but it is the thing that will, more than anything else, fill up the hollow parts of our life.
I think that in this verse "they will be filled" doesn't just talk about being filled with righteousness, which is what we are to hunger and thirst for, but it means being filled as in having the empty spots within us filled up...to be fulfilled and to be content. To have the spiritual equivalent of the full belly that we all anticipate physically on Thanksgiving Day.
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness leads us to follow God's commands, obey his principles for our life, and in so doing, we will find contentment that the things of this world just can't bring. So often, we hunger for riches, thirst for pleasure, and maybe even hunger and thirst for contentment as an end unto itself. We need to change our perspective to hunger and thirst for righteousness...and let the contentment work itself out as a result.
Challenge for Today: Find one place in your life where you are not seeking a righteous path. It may be your entertainment, the way you conduct your business, a relationship you have, or any number of things; then think of one way you can "seek righteousness" in relation to that.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Results - How Do We Respond?
This is a side-item to our regular Bible challenge. I sent this email today to some friends, and I got so much response from it that I thought I should post it here, in case anyone else finds it enlightening or encouraging:
All,
I really felt led to write this and send it out to a few people I knew would appreciate it. I'm sorry that it's wordy.
You all know that my choice for President would not have been Obama. (That's putting it mildly.) But, that is the decision we now have. Now we get to see what "change" means...if it means anything at all.
In all this, I know that many Christians, myself included, were praying for the elections, for our country, for the people voting to be given wisdom...and for the outcome of the election to be something used for God's glory. And we all know that it will be. Regardless of the outcome, there is a purpose to it.
And I just thought that, in the Bible, is says to be obedient to the powers in place in your government, and to respect them, and not to speak evil of them. (And it never says "as long as they are good rulers".) Obviously, there are times when we will need to speak out and speak up on some issues, and that is our right because...technically...each of us voters is "the ruler" of the country in some small measure. And it is our duty because we are Christians and are to do what is right and speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.
But there are other times when we will want to say something bad, something that is not constructive, something that is mocking or rude or even profane, because of how strongly we feel about the candidate chosen. This doesn't come from a legitimate desire to change policy, but just from a desire to vent our frustration and tear someone else down. And I can't really feel that that is right. I think as Christians, we ought not. But that is just my opinion.
I think that, whether we like his policies or not, we now have a President-elect, and there are several ways we can respond to that, such as getting more engaged in the political system and changing it. But there is one major way that we need to respond to that, and that is prayer.
Prayer for our nation. The kind of prayer many times a day, pleading with God to change our country...that we have been doing in the weeks leading up to this election. What will God do if we have that kind of repentence and focus on praying for a change of heart in our nation constantly...not just when an election looms. Many of us will be tempted to say, "Well, now that's done," and quit praying like we were. Don't! Just because the election is over doesn't mean we don't need prayer...we probably need it even more now with the new road our country may find itself on.
Prayer for Obama. (Yes, even if you don't like him personally.) We need to pray that he is prepared, that he makes wise decisions, that he has wise counselors around him to smooth out his inexperience, that God moves his heart to make moral and right decisions, and that he has the strength of character to stand up in the face of crises, international pressures, and domestic deficits.
And if you REALLY don't like him...all the more reason to pray for him, since the Bible says love your enemies and pray for those who spitefully use you. We as Americans need a President (no matter who he is) that is lifted up in prayer, as...like him or not..he's the one going to have to get the job done, and he will not and cannot do it right without some prayer. No one can. We've all stood behind our current, unashamedly Christian, President with prayer, and we need to stand behind the next one with the same prayer.
We don't need to pray that he'll get what he wants done. We don't need to pray that he puts his policies in place. We do need to pray that he has strength, courage, and most of all wisdom!
It's not unrealistic to think that even deep-rooted policies and beliefs will change on his part with enough prayer. He has claimed repeatedly to be a Christian. I don't know the state of his soul, which is between him and God, but I for one want to believe him on that and haven't seen any reason to think otherwise. Some of the things he thinks are misguided, and I think he is decieved on some points, but I don't see any reason to try to judge that he is not a Christian if he says he is. And if he is, then he is open to the moving of the Holy Spirit more than most, if we just pray for that conviction for him.
It's completely not far-fetched to think that, no matter his beliefs and convictions, they can change. I just want to leave you with this one verse to that effect:
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Proverbs 21:1
The surrounding verses nowhere imply that the king, whose heart is in the Lord's hand, is a good king to start with. But that God turns the king's heart as it pleases him. Pray for that kind of turning.
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