Tag Archive - Devotional Thoughts

Against Spiritual Pride

August 9, 2011 in Posts with 0 Comments

People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines the heart. Proverbs 21:2

This was the very last verse in my daily Scripture reading today. One thing that I have been hearing from God during my time in devotion lately is a warning against spiritual pride. We don’t talk about pride much in the church. We are good at ranting on materialism and sexual sin, but pride is not something we often discuss. Yet, pride might be one of the most destructive sins of all.

Here is the thing, even when we do the wrong thing, we fail to admit it. We justify our actions through rationalization or from comparison. We easily shift the blame to circumstance or to others.

Spiritual pride is another matter. Many of us are so convinced we have God figured out. We know we got a direct pipeline to him. We become offended when anyone might challenge our assumptions of what we believe to be from God. We may not necessarily say it, but we believe in our heart we are never wrong.

Are you in a place where you are teachable? Are you open to correction or admonition? Unfortunately, our pride prevents us from really hearing what God has to say to us because we think we already know what he has told us.

I have learned that as much as I grow and mature, there is still so much more that I have to learn. The more I come to know, the more humble I become because I realize there is so much beyond that I have failed to grasp. God is so much bigger. His knowledge is deeper. His power is wider. His love is beyond imagination.

I think about Paul’s prayer we examined in last week’s message:

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV

I have a long way to go to reach this. It is presumptuous for me to call myself a teacher or an expert. Yes, I am a pastor, but that doesn’t mean I have all the answers. I may have a few more answers to some questions. But every answer raises at least two more questions.

We are on a journey together. We can only see what is in front of us. God gives us his Holy Spirit, his Word, his Sacraments, and each other. As we navigate we rely on each of these. Sometimes we will take a wrong turn. Are we willing to admit our mistake and turn around?

Lord, I confess my pride. Who am I to be so presumptuous before you? Forgive me. Teach me the way of humility that when you examine my heart, you will find pure and refined gold. Help me open my mind and your heart to follow your lead. Amen

Time and Motivation for Good Intentions

July 21, 2011 in Posts with 0 Comments

I have a lot of good intentions. But many of my good intentions never come to fruition. Maybe the reason my good intentions never come to fruition is because I never tell anyone about my good intentions. Therefore, I have no one holding me accountable.

If you have something on your mind worth doing make sure to tell someone else. Telling someone else is where good intentions cross the line from being good intentions to becoming goals.

I know I have a reluctance to share my good intentions because I know if I share my good intentions the secret will be out. If I share my good intentions I will need to follow through with more than just good thoughts. I will need to follow though with the right actions. It is sort of a scary thing because that means I might need to stop doing some of the things I am currently doing in order to do the thing you I just told someone else I was going to do going to do. That is a frightening prospect.

The truth is however, you are already doing too much. Most people could quit doing about half the things they are currently doing and no one would notice. What a freeing thought! You have more time to accomplish what is important to you than you realize.

God gave us 24 hours in a day. That is more than enough time to accomplish everything he gave you to do. If 24 hours is not enough time then it is highly likely you are doing more than God intended for you to do. If 24 hours is not enough time then you are working outside the will of God. If 24 hours is not enough time to do everything you need to do it is sort of saying God did not know what he was doing when he made the day to be a 24 hour period of time.

I was once told the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap. There is some truth in that. In the Bible the beginning of the day started at the end of the day. What I mean is that the day started at sunset. At sunset you would quit work, go home, relax, and then go to bed. These were the first things you did. When we start our day, we get up out of bed and get to work and then relax after a hard day of work. But when we begin the day at the end of the day we start by resting. It just changes the perspective. It is a way of putting faith in God. We know there is much to accomplish, but instead of jumping into our labors we rest in the arms of God, knowing he will help us accomplish everything he has set for us to do. It is a way of saying I will not accomplish my plans by working harder or longer, but by trusting in God and living in obedience to his will.

So back to my original thought. Don’t be afraid and tell someone else what you believe God has called you to do. Be bold. Be courageous. And then relax. Trust God. Know that he has given you everything you need to accomplish his will, including hours in a day.

Cultivating Grace

July 18, 2011 in Sermons with 0 Comments

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This is the third part of the July Cultivate Message Series from Sunday, July 17. This message was shared by Brian Zielke who works with education and youth at Lord of Life. Brian recently completed his Director of Christian Education at Concordia University, St. Paul, MN and has been on staff at Lord of Life for the past 8 years. Here is a picture of Brian on his tricycle:

In this message Brian looks at John 15:1-17. Spiritual maturity does not happen by trying harder. See the try-cycle illustration Brian used in this message:

It happens when we are connected to Jesus. Jesus says if you remain in me you will bear much fruit.

Cultivating Godly Vision

July 12, 2011 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

Where there is no vision, the people perish . . . Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Our time is short. We are not here for very long. We don’t have enough time on this earth to waste on meaningless endeavors. As believers we are called to live with a greater sense of urgency. Make the most of today, because there might not be a tomorrow.

The way to do this starts with having a godly vision. If we are to make the most efficient use of our time it will be guided by having that godly vision. Without the clear vision you will miss out on accomplishing what you were put here for.

Cultivating a godly vision is as much about doing the right things as it is about avoiding the wrong things. We live in a world that is filled with distractions. Satan’s number one weapon he uses against us is to keep us busy. We end up trying to do so much, that we end up doing nothing. We make things to be important that are not really that important. We make them important because they seem urgent. Or we make them important because the culture and the people around us tell us to make them important. It is not God who has made them important.

Often times the distractions are seemingly good things. It is not that we are doing bad things. We can be distracted doing things for God. The problem is our focus. We are doing so many things we are not focused on any one thing. So none of the things we are doing really get our best effort. We feel pulled in many directions.

This is why we need that godly vision. It is so we can say yes to the best. It is so we can say yes to what God desires of us and let go of the rest. If you are like most people, the problem is not that you are doing too little. The problem is that you are doing too much.

I want to ask you some important questions:

1) What is your God given vision? Do you have that vision? What do you use to guide your decisions?

2) If you don’t know what that vision is, what are you doing to discover it? If you know God’s vision, what are you doing to confirm that vision? Are you spending time in prayer? Are you spending time in the Word? Are you spending time with other believers to help you sort it out?

3) What are you doing to achieve that vision? Has the vision moved you to action? Or is it just good intentions? What steps can you take towards accomplishing the vision? Do you have anyone to encourage you? Hold you accountable?

4) What sacrifices do you need to make to achieve the vision? Anything is worth doing will not be easy. There will be sacrifices to make. Have you determined what those sacrifices are? Are you prepared to make them? Last week we celebrated the 4th of July. We remembered those who sacrificed their comfort, their security, their fortunes, and even their lives for the sake of freedom. May we be willing to do the same for the sake of the gospel.

In the end, it is so important our vision originates with God. If it is not God’s vision it will fail. Psalm 127:1 says, “unless the Lord’s builds the house, it laborers will labor in vain.” John 15:5 says, “apart from me you can do nothing.” At the same time Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” The point is if we are doing God’s work it will endure for eternity. If we are not doing God’s work it will not really matter what we do. Everything we see in this world will one day be gone. We will be laboring in vain.

If you are interested in hearing last Sunday’s message on this subject you can listen online at lolchurch.net/sermons.

On another note, I am planning upcoming messages for the Fall and the Winter. If there are any ideas that you might have for a Sunday morning message or message series, let me know. If you have a question you want answered or if you have a topic or an interest you would like to hear more about, then please visit lolchurch.net/sermonideas to submit it.

Counterfeit Holiness

July 11, 2011 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Do you know how bank tellers are trained to recognize counterfeit currency? They are trained by handling the real deal. The more familiar they are with the real stuff, the easier it will be for them to recognize the fake. when they see a counterfeit bill they will recognize something is not right. They were not given 10 characteristics of a counterfeit bill. It fact it was quite the opposite. Nothing was done to help them distinguish the fake bills other than their experience with the real ones.

When it comes to holiness, there is counterfeit holiness all around us. And before we start to point the finger at the counterfeit holiness in others, we need to recognize the counterfeit holiness in ourselves. If we are to recognize it, the best way to do so is to familiarize ourselves with the real deal. That is Jesus. He is 100% true and holy. There is nothing counterfeit in him. The more we encounter his holiness the easier we will see the fake stuff in us.

One way counterfeit holiness manifests itself is by trading vice for vice. We may admire a person for their work ethic. They work very hard and there is no hint of laziness in them. But the truth is that laziness in their life has simply been replaced by selfish ambition and greed. Take away the hunger for more money or career advancement and they will become as lazy as the next person.

Counterfeit holiness also happens out of a lack of opportunity. It is hard to fall into the temptations of the rich and famous if you are not rich and famous. It is much easier to be holier than thou if you are not Thou. How do we know we would not do the same things as Thou if we were in Thou’s shoes? It is not that you are not given to certain temptations, but simply that you have not encountered such temptations.

A third type of counterfeit holiness is social acceptance. Our holiness is not about godly living, but about people pleasing. We display a certainly holiness in a public manner. We go to church on Sunday morning. We avoid hanging out at certain other places. We are careful in the language we use. But when we go home and no one looking we don’t take as great of care with what we watch on TV or what we view on the Internet. It is social acceptance we are concerned more about than holiness to God.

So what other types of counterfeit holiness manifest itself in your life? It is more important than ever we be testing the spirits. Not everything that claims to be of God is of God. Very little is as it appears. It is much easier to see what is on the surface than what is on the inside.

My prayer today is that God would purify me. That there would not be any counterfeit holiness or pride in me. I pray that I would also have discerning eyes to be able to distinguish the real from the fake. I know the only way I can do this is by knowing the one who is 100% the real deal.

The Answer is Jesus

July 7, 2011 in Weekly Email with 1 Comment

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

This sounds like a long way from where many of us are. Many of us are limping along. We are exhausted. We are depressed. We sucking wind. It is not joy that fills our hearts, but grief. We feel like we have been beaten up. We are stressed to no end. We don’t know of this bounty that is spoken of in Isaiah.

If this is where you are at, I have a simple message for you: Receive God’s love shown through Jesus Christ. That’s it. It’s that simple. Receive God’s love. Create space in your life for Jesus to wash your feet and to cleanse you.

I have been a pastor now for 11 years and this is something I have learned the hard way. It is easier to go and do things for God, than it is to sit and to be with God.

It is easy to loose Jesus in the church. There are meetings to attend, strategies of church growth to study, sermons to be prepared, and worship to be planned. It is easy to focus on the business of the church rather than a relationship with Jesus.

You maybe heard the story about the pastor who was sharing a children’s message. He asks the question, “what is furry, lives in trees, and likes to eat nuts?”

One of the boys raises his hand and the pastor calls on him to answer. The boy replies, “it sounds like a squirrel, but I know the answer is Jesus.”

We’ve been conditioned to know the answer is Jesus. We talk about him. We sing about him. Everything we do as a church is about Jesus. We know the answer is Jesus. It is hard to miss. And yet, Jesus too often turns up missing even in the church.

We make it about a lot of different things. We make it about worship. Is worship contemporary or traditional? We make it about the programs. Do they offer what I am looking for? We make it about the pastor. Is he a good preacher and teacher? We make it about facilities. Are they accommodating and comfortable?

If it is not about Jesus, then nothing else matters. Psalm 42:1 says, As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. We cannot live apart from God. He is our real need above all else.

In John 6:35 Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” In Jesus there is 100% satisfaction guaranteed! We will never be lacking no matter how much or how little we have.

So is there a place where you are feeling unsatisfied? I will give you a simple answer: “Jesus!” Any place where you are feeling less than satisfied there is a very good possibility he is either missing or lacking in that place in your life. Receive his love! Stop trying to find satisfaction anywhere else. Let him give you living water.

Getting Away with Murder

July 6, 2011 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I have been feeling overloaded with all the stuff about the Casey Anthony trial. Go to any news site and it is filled with headlines and analysis. Everyone is posting their opinion on Facebook and Twitter.

For the most part it seems everyone has judged her guilty. They are blasting the judge, the jury, and the prosecution for letting this lady get away with murder.

Did she commit the crime? I don’t know. But Casey Anthony and God know what really happened and God’s Word declares that all things will be revealed.

The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! Luke 12:2-3 NLT

Will she get away with murder if indeed she did commit the crime? The answer is no. One day we will all stand before the righteous judge, Jesus Christ. We will give an answer for the things we have done and the things we have left undone. No one gets away with anything. No crime is left unpunished.

It is easy to point the finger at someone like Casey Anthony, but we are not that much different. I have never murdered anyone but I think about all the things in my life that I have gotten away with. I thank the Lord that I have not been treated as my sins deserve (see Psalm 103:10 and Romans 6:23). I thank Jesus that he took the punishment for my sins. Jesus died that justice would be served and that I might go free.

Never fear! Justice is served! God makes all things right. But just as much praise him that his grace abounds.

Seeing the Best in Others

June 17, 2011 in Weekly Email with 1 Comment

Last Sunday I shared about celebrating the success of others. There is plenty of God’s favor to go around. He is a big God. There is no reason to be jealous when someone else appears to be getting all the recognition. If our heart is on the kingdom, we will celebrate kingdom success no matter who gets the credit. If our heart is on ourselves we will be jealous and envious of others.

On a similar note, along with celebrating the success of others, we can believe the best in others as well. It is easy to see the fault and flaws of others. Faith in God gives us the ability past the faults and flaws and to see the potential in that person to be used by God.

When Paul came to Jerusalem after his conversion he was looked upon with suspicion (see Acts 9:26-28). Everyone saw what he had been. He had persecuted Christians. He had been an evil man. But God changed his heart on the road to Damascus. Yet, it was not the changed heart most people saw in Paul. They still saw the old Saul, who was out to destroy the Christians. It was only Barnabas who could see past that with the eyes of faith to see the great potential in this man.

I can almost see it now how the Christians in Jerusalem were whispering how this man Paul was up to no good. They talked among themselves how they believe he was infiltrating their ranks so that he could destroy the movement. Paul was looked upon with suspicion and people did not want much to do with Paul. I imagine the more people talked about it, the more the perception seemed to become reality. In the midst of all this Barnabas defended Paul when no one else did. He knew there was a different story to tell than the one that was being told.

As believers we are called to defend one another and stand up for the reputation of those doing the things of God. It is clear that those who are serving the Lord in the greatest ways are often the biggest targets for criticism and even hatred. The first thing we agree to on our membership covenant at Lord of Life is the refusal to gossip. Not only do we refuse to gossip but we will confront it and call it out when others participate in it. It has no place in the church.

The moral of the story is to see the best in others even when everyone else only sees the worst. It is much easier to be a critic especially when everyone around us is being a critic. Critics love company. Your role is when others are the critic you be the one to see the potential in the other person to be used by God. After all, it is God who sees the potential in you to be used by him in spite of all your own flaws. He is your biggest cheerleader and there are many who need you to be their cheerleader.

Consulting the Lord

June 3, 2011 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

Yesterday morning in our Crossways Bible Study we were studying the Book of Joshua. In chapter 9 there is an interesting story about the Gibeonite deception. The nation Israel had recently destroyed the towns of Jericho and Ai. The people of Gibeon knew they would be next. So they hatch a brilliant plan. They sent a delegation to the leaders of the Israelites. The Gibeonites wear worn out cloths and pack stale and moldy food in their pouches. They pretend like they have travelled from some distant land giving no hint they are actually from just down the road.

The Israelite leaders are easily fooled and this Gibeonite delegation proceeds to make a peace treaty with the Israelites. Tucked into this story is an important verse. “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord” (9:14).

The point is simple. The Israelites simply did not seek God’s direction in this matter. Sometimes we make God part of what we consider to be our big decisions, yet fail to consider what he has to say about our little decisions. The problem is that those seemingly little decisions become big problems when we fail to inquire of the Lord. God desires to be a part of more than just our big decisions, but every decision.

Living in the urgent, we are often quick to act. Some decisions require immediate action, but there are many decisions in life that allow us to wait. When you have one of these decisions choose your path, but then sleep on it for a day or two. Ask a friend or trusted confidant what they think. Seek God’s Word to confirm that decision and then act on it.

I wonder what would have happened if the Israelites waited on the decision to make the treaty with the Gibeonites. What if they said, “let us take a day or two to consult the Lord. This treaty does not need to be entered today.” I imagine the outcome might have been very different.

You have a major purchase to make. What if instead of making that purchase on the spot with the salesman pressuring you, you go home and sleep on it? Read an online review of the product? Maybe you might even ask if this is a necessary purchase and if the money might be better invested in serving those in need.

I imagine we would all be a little better in so many ways if our first inclination was not to take action, but to take a posture of prayer to consult the Lord.

A Greater Faith

May 27, 2011 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

We are a people of faith. Faith is and the center and the heart of who we are. Yet, faith is so often misunderstood. Faith is misused and abused. Our first and foremost Biblical calling before anything else is our calling to faith and if we we miss this most basic premise, we will miss everything else which follows.

To understand what faith is we must understand that it is more than optimism. Some will hold faith is about keeping a positive attitude that everything will get better. But faith does not necessarily anticipate a better circumstance, rather it clings to a greater God. Your financial crisis might get worse. The illness you are suffering may become more severe. That relationship which is struggling may turn into a crisis. Yes, faith holds God will win the victory, but tomorrow may not necessarily be a better day than today. It might get much worse, before it gets better. Faith needs to be more than being hopeful everything will be ok.

Second, faith must be more than comfort for my soul. Faith is balm to heal the wound. Faith is there to soothe. It is medicine to make me feel better. It helps me to cope with the circumstance or situation I find myself in. It gives hope when all feels so hopeless. It gives me the confidence to hold my head up when all I really want to do is fall down and give up. It will give me peace and serenity amidst the storm of anxiety. This is great and wonderful news! But the problem is that if this is all faith is, then when life is good, without any worries, we are not going to have much need for this type of faith. Like medicine, this type of faith will be put in the drawer only to be pulled out when needed in times of distress, disease, death, and devastation.

Faith must also be more than a get out of jail free card. I accept Jesus died for my sins and rose again from the grave. I accept this as fact. I believe this happened. Because of this I believe I shall receive the gift of eternal life. Those who do not accept this, are left to a place which is not so pleasant called hell. But again, faith must be more than just intellectual acceptance of a historical person and events. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” In other words, the demons have no problem accepting the fact that Jesus died and rose again, but that doesn’t do them much good. Faith must be more than an intellectual exercise as a get out of jail free card.

When we look at God’s Word, Jesus talks about having faith to move the mountains. In the Old Testament we saw faith cause the sun to stand still and waters to be parted. In other places faith would heal the sick, make the lame to walk, and raise the dead to life. Faith would turn the most hardened sinner to God. Faith is not just something that happens in me, but is something that is shown through me. Faith is not a personal thing buried in my heart, but lived out loud. Faith does not ask what’s in it for me, but what can I do for the kingdom of God. Faith is expressed in the way we talk, the things we do, the places we go, and the way we live our lives. Faith moves me to live with such confidence in the promises of God, that I live my life now as if they had already come to pass.

Last weekend, there were 1000′s of people convinced the world was going to end. As a result they quit their jobs, sold their homes, and spent their life savings. To their credit, no one could question their resolve and their commitment. Their faith was revealed. The only problem they put their faith in the wrong thing. God’s Word says no one knows the day nor the hour. Jesus will come like a thief in the night. Their faith may have been misplaced, but what an incredible example of faith so many of them displayed.

Imagine if we might we live with such confidence in what God has truly promised. Our lives would be transformed along with many others around us. Yet, many of us still live by sight rather than by faith. We have so many excuses that hold us down in survival mode. We are stuck with a faith that is more along the lines of wishful thinking than confidence to live in the fullness of the life Jesus won for us.

So here is one challenge I would like to leave you with. Write down one way you can positively impact another person in a tangible way in the next week. Stop reading. Do it right now! Don’t read the next paragraph until you have written down that person’s name.

And now go do it. Forget about all the excuses. I don’t have the time. I don’t have enough money. God has put another person upon your heart to serve that person. Take a step of faith and go do it. Don’t wait. Believe God will give you everything you need to make it happen. Faith is given to serve the needs of others and to change the world. And it is faith which will overcome anything that will hinder the work of the kingdom through us.

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