01/31/17 - Matt 22

Jan 31, 2017 - Matt 22

'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob'... not the God of the dead but of the living." Matt 22:32

Dead people don’t worship God, living people do!

Jesus can say more in one sentence than most people can say in a lifetime.  Consider this powerful statement from Jesus:

“I am” --- Jesus associates himself with the I AM – the God who has no beginning & no end.

“I am the God of Abraham…” – God not only created men, but chose to be available to them as their God.  He was ready & willing to come to their call, meet their needs, care for their eternities.

“I am the God…” – God is STILL their God – meaning they are NOT dead!  Not “I was their god”, but “I am their God”.  Abraham, Isaac & Jacob are still alive in eternity, a great hope for us.

“God of Abraham” – He is still their God, so they are following Him.  Eternity is still about following God.

“Jacob” – even for deceivers and manipulators, God is willing to be our God forever.  There is no sin that can separate us from God if we choose to seek His forgiveness.

“Not the God of the dead” – dead people don’t worship God.  Nobody who worships God stays dead.  By the same token, even if your heart is beating and your lungs take in air each minute, you can still be dead if you’re not a worshipper of the Lord.

“I am God … of the living” – Being alive means being in a relationship with the God of the Universe.  We are most alive when we are connected to God Himself.  Jesus came to bring us life eternal, and He will never forsake us if we don’t forsake Him.

One powerful sentence, and there is much more to unpack.  Jesus meant it – you and I have true life when we worship Him.  We’re dead without Him.  Dead people (breathing or not) don’t worship God, but living people do.

Are you feeling alive these days?  Don’t be deceived by what the world calls life.  Embrace the living & true God who is worshipped in heaven and on earth.  Join the praise of Abraham, who has been alive for thousands of years with God.  Celebrate the blessing that we are granted life and called to be with the God who never dies.  If He is still God of Abraham thousands of years later, He can provide you life that lasts just as long.  If He can rescue a liar like Jacob and turn him into a nation of nations, God can do incredible things with your life as well.  Don’t be a dead man (or woman) walking, come alive again with Christ.

01/30/17 - Matt 21

Jan 30, 2017 – Matt 21

My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers. Matt 21:13

Those who pray for God’s help without helping God’s Kingdom are robbers, not followers.

Being robbed has a feeling of violation that is hard to get rid of.  It’s happened to me several times, from a few car break-ins, to a stolen car, to robbing the business where I was working.  While the thief was just looking for free income or merchandise, there was a sense of personal attack associated with it.  They may have only taken cash or radios or other items, but I noticed a piece of my spirit was stolen, and it seems to always take a little time to recover from that loss.

Without knowing it, people are often thieves in the house of God as well, robbing not only His Kingdom but stealing a piece of His Spirit every time.  It may not be personal to us as thieves, but it is definitely personal to Jesus.  He sees the selfishness and the violation behind the act, and has no problem telling us the truth.  That’s why Malachi says we are robbing God when we without our offerings for ourselves.  It’s also why Jesus calls us robbers when we are more interested in what God can do for us than what we can do for God.  With or without money involved, it is still robbery, because we are taking the gift of the Spirit and abusing it for our own self-centered desires.

Strong language, but something we all need to hear.  Too often, our prayers are more about us than about God.  Too many times, we’re more interested in what God should be doing on our agendas than what God’s agenda is.  How is it that worship takes a back seat to weekend activities?  Or why do people often talk about praying to God for help, but never seek to know God in His Church?  We can justify it all we want, but it still is robbery.

Jesus was indignant that day when He entered the temple to see how far worship had declined.  Temple leaders were using the church to make money.  Money-changers and vendors were leveraging the church to be their market.  Worshippers were satisfied paying for forgiveness with their sacrifices instead of seeking the face of God.  The whole scene was a sham, everyone satisfying their desires but NOBODY worshipping the Lord…  they had all become white collar thieves!  And it was acceptable behavior in the Kingdom of Israel.

It may be acceptable in Israel, and even in some churches today, but robbing God is NOT acceptable to Him.  He is looking for followers, not robbers.  Jesus calls us to be disciples, not merchants.  Our salvation is for the purpose of serving the Father’s Kingdom, not growing our own kingdoms.

We need to stop robbing God!  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Come before Him in joyful song.  Bring the whole tithe (offerings & service) into the storehouse of God.  Freely you have received, freely give!  Let all who call on the Name of the Lord bring Him praise.  Be a follower, not a robber.

Who knows… it might just change the results of our prayers too!

01/27/17 - Matt 20

Jan 27, 2017 – Matt 20

Whoever wants to be first must be your slave.   Matt 20:27

Salvation doesn’t mean we are entitled, it means we are called to surrender.

Entitlement is the standard of our age.

I’m embarrassed to bring it up, because it has become so prevalent in our lives.  Think of the thousands of ways we live with entitlement these days:  Injuries are entitled compensation.  Drivers are entitled to drive 5 miles over the speed limit or turn slowly at stop signs.  Patrons feel entitled to a reduced bill when the food isn’t exactly right.  Golfers are entitled mulligans.  Losing our job entitles us to government support.  Bankruptcy can even entitle us to get out of debt.  The list goes on and on.

Jesus had a different rule for His Kingdom.  Instead of entitlement, Jesus calls for surrender.  Entitlement would have kept Jesus in heaven, but instead he surrendered to the nativity.  Justice would have entitled Jesus to live, but He surrendered to paying for sin on the cross.  Israel would have kept Christianity to itself, but surrender sent Paul out to bring Christianity to the world.  Entitlement focuses on self, but Jesus calls us to surrender ourselves to others. 

Slavery is not our favorite word, but at the root of slavery is the loss of entitlement.  When you become a slave to something, you release all rights and expectations in surrender to what owns you.  When the owner is human, you may be given blessings, but the slavery is to an imperfect person.  When the owner is possessions or addictions, you are headed for disaster.  But when the owner is God, then you are back where you started, in the hands of the one who created you to be used for His purpose.

Jesus didn’t die to free us from God, He died to free us from sin and self.  We no longer are slaves to everything else, so we can be under the ownership of God.  That is surrender.  Some people believe God is supposed to given them their entitlements – happiness, long life, paradise, love – but God doesn’t want to condemn us to slavery again.  He wants to free us from entitlements so we can discover the true blessing of surrender.  That’s why people who are FIRST in His eyes are truly slaves to righteousness.

This would be a good time to re-examine your entitlement list.  What are you expecting from God?  What do you believe you deserve, or have earned?  Check your entitlement behaviors and choose to surrender them.  After all, if it weren’t for God choosing to give us life & breath today, we would have nothing to feel entitled about!  Recognize that Jesus gave us salvation so that we would surrender to His calling, instead of feeling entitled to pursue our own.

Don’t let Entitlement be your standard in this age.  Discover the freedom of surrender.

01/26/17 - Matt 19

January 26, 2017 – Matt 19

Again, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.   Matt 19:24

Let nothing of this life hinder us from pursuing the kingdom of God.

A friend shared with me over coffee his struggles to make worship a priority.  Between family obligations and soccer schedules with the kids, he was not finding any time to attend worship, and it was affecting his devotional life, marriage relationship and personal growth.  Asking for my advice, I told him that he already knows the answer: he needed to say ‘no’ to the world’s schedule and make Jesus first in his planner.  Knowing that was true, his response was classic: “It’s just not that easy.”  Little did he know that his ‘riches’ were creating the real problem.

Many read this story and think that the rich are people with great wealth, far greater than the money they have.  However, riches are often not about the amount of money we have.  Riches are those worldly elements that make us want to attach ourselves to this life.  In our culture, the riches show up in hobbies, pleasures, time and toys.  The things that keep us from God these days tend to be sports, amusements and enjoyments.  That makes ALL of us potentially rich people.

Simple truths are often not easy.  Jesus made it clear that entering heaven is simple, but not easy.  We’re not just accepting God’s forgiveness, we’re choosing to follow His Way.  If the only entrance into paradise is thru a small gate (which some translate the “eye of the needle” given in this reference), or actually through the eye of a true needle, wouldn’t you do anything required to find a way through it?  It may not be easy, but getting to the other side is necessary.

Consider this man’s problem.  What was being risked by making the change?  Would it upset his family?  Probably.  Would it risk disappointing his kids?  Likely.  Would it sacrifice some opportunities in their lives?  Maybe.  But what was sacrificed by not changing?  Instead of his family growing a relationship with God, they were grabbing the wealth of the world.  It may not be easy to change, but the outcome is far worse than doing the hard things. 

Loving God means letting NOTHING in this life hinder us from pursuing the Kingdom of God.  That means doing the hard things sometimes – letting go of the pleasures and distractions holding us back.  It means believing that God can do more through our example of faithfulness than we can in our compromise.  It may even mean we care more about playing for God than playing for the local soccer team.  Choose today to not let ANY wealth of this world keep you from entering the gates of Jesus.

01/25/17 - Matt 18

Jan 25, 2017 – Matt 18

For where two or three gather in my Name, there am I with them.  Matt 18:20

Agreement with Jesus and with each other brings power that nothing on earth can rival.

This is Super Bowl season – when the entire NFL season comes down to one game matching the two best teams in the league.  In this year’s game, one of the most prolific offenses led by Peyton Manning will be challenging the best defense of the year from Seattle.  Both teams spend two weeks preparing and practicing their formations and plays, but the game will be won by the level of unity in execution.  Running the plays as a complete unit has incredible power, even beyond calling the right play or defense. 

In a text where Jesus deals with disruption and failure in the church, He uses unity as the solution.  When the church is united against a behavior, the person misbehaving is stricken with guilt.  Then Jesus shares a principle that is one of our most powerful tools in life – when we are united under His Word, then His power shows up.  There is NOTHING ON EARTH more powerful than a group of people fully united under His commands.

So much of our problems in life is due to a lack of unity between us and God.  We choose not to trust His Word, lack patience in maintaining obedience, or try to shortcut our way to a result through sin.  When we don’t follow Jesus, even in little things, it damages the play and robs us of power.  The best way to experience the power of God in our lives is to be fully obedient in running His play.

But Jesus also gives us another secret about having power in our lives… it comes in the form of a team.  We discover the power of His Name when we’re together as a group.  We lack power alone, but when we are connected to others as a team, with Jesus as our play-caller, there is great power available.  That is even true for Jesus, because He is connected to the Father and the Holy Spirit!  How much more when we as a church body agree and obey to His Word, and share in unity with His Spirit.

If you’re struggling in your life, maybe you need to return to the Church and connect with other believers.  Maybe you’re trying to go alone without the power of a team.  Or maybe you’re not really united to His Word and His Body.  If you have disconnected from Jesus, come back to His Word.  If you are not connected to His Body (the Church), then eliminate the barriers and get back to God.

He’s ready to join you, just get back in the huddle.

01/24/17 - Matt 17

Jan 24, 2017 – Matt 17

Go throw out your line, take the first fish you catch, and open its mouth to find a coin.  Give it to them for my tax and yours.  Matt 17:27

God has equipped you with skills and abilities to use for receiving His blessing – so that you can pass it along.

The Pharisees were searching for any way to criticize and condemn Jesus’ ministry, and finally asked about paying taxes.  Much like today, people often tried to minimize or even cheat the Roman IRS and keep the money for themselves.  But since Jesus had no property or income, that was not much of a problem until it came to the temple tax required by all Jews.  When the Pharisees asked about that, Peter defended his mentor, but then realized he needed to check with Jesus to confirm the answer was right.

Jesus’ response was quite ironic:  The one who you pay the taxes to is not required to pay them to himself!  If you think about it, that’s a little silly.  Why pay money to yourself you already have?  But then Jesus said something even more ironic – to set the example of obedience, go fish and use the coin you catch to pay our taxes.  REALLY?  A coin in a fish’s mouth?  That’s crazy!  First of all, fish don’t eat coins.  And secondly, how do you get a fish to bite that already has his mouth full of metal?  And then … what makes you think that the first fish you catch will be such a fish!  Crazy!!!

But Peter obeys (that’s crazy too), and sure enough, there’s a fish with a coin to pay both of their taxes on the first try.  Jesus had Peter use his fishing skills to catch the fish, but then used the fish to supply the blessing, so that the blessing would help both Peter & Jesus (the Kingdom). 

God has given all of us skills and abilities.  Some of those came at birth in the form of natural giftedness.  Others have been trained along the way.  But all of those skills are useful to God as a source of receiving blessing.  That blessing is not a product of our skills, but of Jesus’ provision.  We don’t create the blessing, Jesus provided that.  All we do is use the skills and Jesus provides the catch.  And when we get the catch, it’s not just for our use alone.  Just as Jesus told Peter to use the coin for BOTH of their taxes, Jesus wants us to use the resources He gives us for both our needs and His Kingdom’s needs. 

Sometimes we forget God’s hand in our blessing.  We think it’s because of our skills, or abilities, or efforts, and that whatever we catch is for ourselves.  But we didn’t create the fish.  We don’t make the fish bite our hooks.  We don’t supply the fish with the needed blessing.  All of that was God’s doing, just like our abilities & skills were His doing.

Don’t miss out on the blessing by ignoring your skills.  And don’t misuse your skills to selfishly amass blessing.  Use what God has given you to receive His blessing, and pass some along for His Kingdom.

01/23/17 - Matt 16

Jan 23, 2017 – Matt 16

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. Matt 16:24

The path to heaven is not written on a map, it is given from the Guide who knows the way.

Some people don’t like maps, but I prefer them.  While the age of technology now permits a driver to program in a destination and be guided through every step of a journey, I always liked being able to visualize the path and know in my head what was coming.  A map gave me the clarity of knowing how to get to the destination, what routes were available, and the ability to anticipate each step.  In reality, a map gives me control, while a GPS takes control from me.

Many people just want the “map” to eternal life.  They want the pathway, and the route options, and to know what’s coming along the road so they can avoid difficulty and traffic.  By knowing the map, they maintain control.  Maybe that’s why Jesus didn’t give us the map!  Maybe that’s why He said: “I am the way”.  Jesus doesn’t lay out the 5 Steps to Find Heaven.  He just gives us one plan:  Follow Him. 

To give up the map and follow the GPS means letting go of control – that’s denying ourselves.  Faith is not about being in the driver’s seat, it’s about letting God drive.  If we want to go where Jesus is going, we must stop trying to control the route.

To give up the map also means overcoming the obstacles along the way – that’s taking up the cross.  Faith is not about preventing circumstances, it’s about trusting God in spite of the circumstances.  If we want to travel with Jesus, we must be okay with the route He chooses.

There is no map to get to heaven – the only self-driven route was destroyed by the landslide of sin back in Adam & Eve’s day.  We can only find our way to heaven by asking Jesus to drive, and moving into the back seat.  He is the only one who knows the way, and the only driver capable of overcoming the obstacles as we go. 

So … these days, I’m trying to let go of the map and trust the GPS.  Honestly, it’s a daily challenge, but the Guide has proven thousands of times that He knows better than I how to get where we need to go.  So I’m learning to be more attentive to His daily route instructions, and less worried about the route or the speed. 

How about you?  Are you still trying to control using the map, or trusting in the guide to get to heaven?  Maybe it’s time to give up the map and try the Guide again!

01/20/17 - Matt 15

Jan 20, 2017 – Matt 15

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Matt 15:8

The measure of worship is not just the volume of music from our mouths, it’s really more about the chords of obedience from our hearts.

Like many mothers, I was taken to piano lessons as a young child and required to learn how to play piano for 2 years.  While it was not a terrible experience, it proved to be very difficult and not something I enjoyed doing.  (Years later, I now see the error of my choice to quit.)

The first thing I really learned in piano classes was not Middle-C, or the scale, or how to hold my hands.  If I’m honest, the first important lesson about playing the piano was that louder volume doesn’t necessarily mean better music.  In fact, louder volume and hitting keys harder only accented more the LACK of music I was playing!  Often I would find myself hitting keys harder, as if by doing so my fingers would force the music to be accurate.  It actually had the opposite effect, creating terrible music and making the ears hurt when listening to it.  In fact, the poor music was a distraction to me as I played it!!!

Loud music is not foreign to God either.  He knows well that volume of sound from our lips doesn’t equate to harmony and accuracy from the heart.  That’s why God doesn’t pay as much attention to the sounds of our voices as He does to the heart singing them.  He hears passion far more than pitch.  His desire is to feel the rhythm of our obedience, not the pounding of our false praises.

Great worship is far more than talented singing.  Take our church's worship director as an example.   I thoroughly enjoy her musical talent and love listening to her sing. She is recognized by everyone as a great worship leader on Sundays.  But her musical gifts would be a resounding gong if it weren’t for the fully devoted heart for God she lives Monday thru Saturday.  She is a great worshipper not because of her voice, but because of her commitment to God's values.

Whether or not you sing in a church, God is listening to the sound of our hearts every day.  God can tell when people live out of praise for the Lord or pride in themselves.  He hears the harmonies of love even if the voice sings in monotones.  He also detects the ugliness of sin even when it comes from soothing vocal sounds.  God is not fooled by the volume, He has perfect pitch in hearing our hearts.

Jesus is not impressed with our verbalized intentions, nor our powerful volumes of praise, if they don’t come from a heart tuned to His Word.  And worse, Jesus recognizes even more than we do that if the heart is far from God, the mouth won’t be sticking around long either. 

Let your life sing music to God’s ears!   Choose one way to obey Jesus & His Word today – and pick one that is not your normal range.  Show the Lord that you want to sing from your heart, not just your lips.  You will discover that the music may not be quite as loud, but certainly will be much more in tune.

01/19/17 - Matt 14

Jan 19, 2017 – Matt 14

Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," Jesus said. Then Peter walked on the water toward Jesus. Matt 14:28-29

Jesus doesn't limit a person from coming to Him.

It had to be one of the most incredible moments in Peter’s life!  Being so late at night, it may have felt like a dream … how could anyone walk on water?  Yet, that’s what he was seeing when Jesus was walking toward their boat in the middle of the lake.

Then Peter (only Peter), had the boldness to ask Jesus for permission to walk with him on the water.  The request must have sounded ridiculous to all the rest of the disciples, but Jesus responded with an even more ridiculous answer – COME!   Jesus called Peter out, and Peter trusted him enough to try.

Imagine those first steps out of the boat.  Would Peter have been conscious of what was happening?  Was he so focused on Jesus that he didn’t see the water?  If you were one of those disciples, would you have tried to stop Peter?  Or just been speechless?  Or maybe wished you would have had the boldness to ask it of Jesus yourself?

Peter’s walk didn’t last long.  In just a few steps, Peter stopped focusing on Jesus and started focusing on the wind & waves around him.  As soon as Peter’s focus changed, his circumstances changed too.  Focusing on Jesus opened up possibilities in his life.  Focusing on the elements closed them quickly.

Humans live in a limited world.  We are under the structures of time, space & body.  We let those limits affect the size of our faith.  Seeing the world through limits makes us limit people and limit God as well.  But Jesus didn’t see the world that way.  He saw beyond the elements, beyond life span, beyond rules.  After all, Jesus had set the rules, so He was allowed to change them. 

God doesn’t put limits on Himself or on us.  He is willing to overcome the limits in order to expand our faith.  That doesn’t mean Jesus is a rule-breaker.  He is a rule-maker.  He decides what limits you, not the world.  Peter forgot that – even though he had just seen Jesus feed over 5000 men with a couple of loaves and fish, and had watched Jesus walk on water.    

Have you told God “no” to something lately?  What have you dismissed as an unrealistic dream or vision?  What have you put limits on when it comes to your walk with Jesus, or how have you limited the walk of others?  Don’t be a limit-maker, seek to get out of the boat and start walking on water to Jesus.  When we keep our focus on Jesus, He removes the limits.

01/18/17 - Matt 13

Jan 18, 2017 – Matt 13

The seed among thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. Matt 13:22

You can either have daily worries or eternal wisdom, but you can’t have both.

Some of the most common stories are just worth repeating.  One of those stories is about how farmers eliminate the monkey problem in their orchards, but creating a trap using a jar & a banana.  The greedy monkey will reach his hand in the jar and grab the banana, only to find that the jar opening is too small to bring their hand out with the banana.  Instead of letting go of the fruit, the monkey continues to hold onto the prized fruit, leaving itself trapped by their greed.  Wisdom would let go of the banana and pursue other fruit, but greed & worry keeps hold of the banana!

When Jesus taught the parable of the seed, He was speaking to farmers who dealt with thorns every year.  Trying to eliminate the thorns in their fields was very tedious, and always damaged the plant.  Letting the thorns grow would eliminate the harvest.  So they would burn a field to remove all the thorns, then reuse the field with fresh seed.  Farmers already knew that trying to manage the thorns was useless … they needed to remove them as problems.

That is a principle God has been saying for thousands of years, and Jesus taught clearly to people.   Worry & greed are huge traps in our life, and only through wisdom can we let go of their fruit.  Unfortunately, humans are not much better than monkeys when it comes to grabbing for the ‘bananas’ of this life – we still want to hold the wealth AND have the freedom.  You cannot hold onto your wealth and have eternal wisdom.  To have freedom, you must get rid of worry & greed.

How do we burn worry & greed out of your life?  We get rid of greed by generosity.  We get rid of worry by work.  Generosity helps us see God as the supplier instead of ourselves, and allows God to use us as distributors of wealth instead of being accumulators of it.  Work keeps us focused on what we can produce today, instead of worrying about what we will have tomorrow.  By simply focusing on the work God has given us to do today, we don’t have time to worry about tomorrow.

Don't let daily worries or greed distract us from eternal wisdom.  Stop managing worry & greed – and burn them out of your life through work & generosity.  Then the seeds of God’s Word will produce fruit in your life --- a harvest that is far greater.

01/17/17 - Matt 12

Jan 17, 2017 – Matt 12

Jesus Said: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. Matt 12:25

You can't grow and control at the same time.

When a cell wants to grow, it doesn’t try to keep control of all its chromasones.  Instead, it let’s go of control and permits the DNA strand to split into two strands, multiplying itself into two cells, and then four, and so on.  If the cell tried to maintain control, it would not grow.

When a child starts to learn how to ride a bike, they never learn balance by having the parent continue to hold the bike.  The only way a child can grow their skill is for a parent to let go of control.

When a marriage hits a problem, the spouse’s first instinct is to assert control in the relationship.  But by doing so it creates authority issues and stagnates growth in their intimacy.  The only way to grow their life together is to not grab for control.

Satan is the worst control freak of all creation.  His biggest lie is that we have the right and responsibility to assert control of our lives, just like he did, and by doing so we will grow.  But controlling your environment and your circumstances only creates division and disharmony.  The Pharisees see that Jesus is not trying to control people, nor following their rules.  So they try to assert control by accusing Jesus of being demonic in his actions.  Jesus doesn’t react to their accusations, He teaches against the theology of the Pharisees by talking about control. In their desire to maintain control over the people and over Jesus, they were actually damaging themselves and destroying God’s work in their lives.  They could not grow by maintaining control. 

Try an experiment.  For the next 48 hours, choose NOT to assert control.  Instead choose to grow.  Find out how God wants to use your adversities to grow you.  Look for ways to grow in your opportunities.  Don’t worry about grabbing for control, seek to grow.

01/16/17 - Matt 11

Jan 16, 2017 – Matt 11

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28

The answer for our struggles is to get up & walk to God, not sit around and wait for change.

Sofas are incredible pieces of furniture.  It’s amazing how much they can help remove my weariness and support my burden when I am feeling exhausted.  Laying down on my sofa and watching a movie or TV show seems to push away my burdens and soften my struggles.  That is … until I have to get back up again and discover the problems and burdens are still there.  Apparently, it’s only a temporary burden remover, returning them to me every time I leave.  Maybe that’s why some people spend so much time on their sofa --- trying to avoid the burdens and lessen their worries.

Jesus offers us a solution far better for dealing with burdens.  Instead of being a sofa that returns them to us after a short time, Jesus offers to replace our burdens with rest.  He is willing to take our burdens and swap them out.  But here’s the catch … I have to get up and Go To Him!  For the swap to work, I must carry those burdens to Him.  So my best plan for dealing with burdens is not a temporary sofa snooze, but packing up and traveling to Jesus.

If we are really honest with ourselves, we use the sofa method way too often.  Instead of putting the work into solving our problems, we sit around and wish they would change.  Instead of praying for Jesus’ help, we try our own way first.  I’m afraid all too often I settle for the sofa instead of seeking the solution, and watch small burdens grow into large problems.

Maybe it’s time to be ‘tired of being weary’ and go get some rest.  We don’t need a snooze on the sofa, we need restoration of our souls and spirits.  Jesus promises to swap out our burdens for His rest --- what a deal! 

Question: What’s the burden you are dealing with today?  Take it to Jesus and turn it over to Him.  Let go of it and instead allow Jesus to restore your spirit.  And DON’T come back home with it.  Trust Jesus to manage the burden.  Then you won’t need to use that sofa as much.

01/13/17 - Matt 10

Jan 13, 2017 – Matt 10

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.   Matt 10:39

Don't fall in love with life, fall in love with the God who gives us life.

The term is ‘sugar daddy’.  I always thought that was a type of candy bar, until someone educated me on the real meaning of the term.  To my surprise, there were some people who were willing to date or marry someone far older for money & material possessions.  Apparently, there were a few women in the world that married for money.  (I knew you would be shocked to hear that too!). 

Surprisingly, it’s not just a few women.  There are many people who are married for what they get out of the relationship.  There are men who love what their wife provides more than they love their wife.  There are also many women who care more about what their husband does for them instead of what they can do for their husband.  The transaction may not even be about money and sex.  Some love the false sense of security they receive.  Others simply like having help for running the house, or someone to do life’s activities with.  Many times, you see people who are more in love with what the relationship gives them than the person themselves.

Jesus sees through all of that.  He is not interested in being our “Sugar Daddy”.   Jesus wants us to love Him for who he is, not just for what He does.  Jesus wants a true love relationship.  If you’re looking for God to make your life happy, then you’re missing the relationship He is looking for.  That’s why Jesus shares one of the strongest statements in the Bible to all people:  “If you’re looking for your life on earth, you’ll lose it.  But if you’re looking for me, you’ll find me AND find life.” 

Don’t fall in love with what life offers.  Fall in love with the God who gave you life.  Finding a relationship with God will not only help you discover His design for your life, it will lead you to find life for eternity.  You can’t have both.  You have to choose which life you’re living for – the stuff God gives or the God who gives it.

01/12/17 - Matt 9

Jan 12, 2017 – Matt 9

Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field."   Matt 9:38

Instead of asking God for results, ask Him for the opportunity to serve.

Jesus is walking again with his disciples.  He’s been moving from town to town, healing people and preaching the message, inviting Matthew to join the group, and demonstrating his authority.  But the more work Jesus does, the more needs Jesus notices.  Not only are the crowds growing, the burden is growing as well. 

So Jesus does what the greatest leaders always do … He empowers others to take on the work with Him.  That would be a challenge for any organization leader because of the gap in skillset between the lead person and staff.   How much more of a gap would there be between Jesus & his disciples!  If you were worried about the results, you wouldn’t send these guys, you would send Jesus.  But results are not the first priority for Jesus.  Jesus doesn’t focus on the results, He focuses on the opportunities.  He tells the boys to pray for more workers, not for more results.  Jesus knows if you pray for more workers, then you will get more results.

This is a huge lesson for our prayer lives!  So often, our prayers are about results.  We pray for answers to health issues, relationship problems, financial needs, and personal desires.  The prayer list of a typical church is mostly about the harvest.  But that’s not what Jesus instructed us to pray for.  Certainly, those are all valid issues, and asking God for them is not wrong.  Jesus suggests a better approach to our prayers.  Don’t pray for the harvest … it’s already plentiful.  Pray for more workers … that’s where the need really lies!

Instead of praying for more days of life for your loved ones, pray for more life in their days.

Instead of praying for more out of your relationships, pray for more energy to invest in them.

Instead of praying for an increase in your finances, pray for God’s hand on how you manage them.

Instead of praying for family or friends to know Jesus, pray for more people to share Jesus with them.

Don’t just pray for the harvest.  God is already Lord of that.  Pray for more opportunities to support God’s harvest!  Pray for God to use you and many others, so that the results can happen.  Remember, it’s God’s Field already!  We don’t need more results … we need to leverage our opportunities.  Don’t worry about the results, ask Jesus for more chances to serve.

01/11/17 - Matt 8

Jan 11, 2017 – Matt 8

Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."   Matt 8:22

Don’t let worldly responsibilities distract us from following Jesus.

Time may not be our friend, but it is definitely not our excuse.

Often, we are quick to blame our busy schedule for not having ‘time’ to do the things we know we should.  We tell God we don’t have enough time to read His Word.  We excuse ourselves from serving God’s Church family because we can’t schedule the ‘time’.  Simple chores don’t get finished because we ran out of ‘time’.  It’s as if we keep chasing ‘time’, and it’s always running away from us, like a cat chasing a tail!

The problem with busy lives is that some people find the time to do those things anyways!  There are some people (and not just pastors), who take ‘time’ to read the Word of God daily.  There are many others who support God’s Kingdom by serving His Church with their ‘time’.  Many are able to juggle busy lives and still find the ‘time’ to perform their daily chores.

Jesus is traveling with his disciples, and He notices a potential leader worthy of getting involved in the ministry.  So Jesus makes the man an offer to join them in the work, and the man says “I’m busy with family obligations and can’t go yet.  Maybe after I take care of my father’s estate and get the business set up properly, and have everything taken care of in my life, THEN I will have enough time for you Jesus.”  Jesus’ response was thought-provoking:  “Follow me, and let the dead bury the dead”. 

The fact is that EVERYONE has been gifted with the same amount of time.  We each receive 24 hours every day to choose how to use, and have the ability to accomplish the same things with it.  Our time is not the problem, it’s our choices that prevents us from doing the things we should.  We have the choice of using our daily time for Eternal Life-Giving activities, or use it for death-giving ones.   The truth is, we have enough time, we are just filling our time with the wrong choices.

How tragic that we use ‘time’ to excuse our lack of discipline and devotion to Jesus.  Is there anything more worthy of our time than knowing God?  Is our Savior not important enough to offer some of our precious time? 

Look at your schedule this week.  What needs changed, so that you have some time for Jesus every day?  CHOOSE to make some changes in your ‘time’, so that you can follow the Giver of Life.

01/10/17 - Matt 7

Jan 10, 2017 – Matt 7

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.   Matt 7:21

It doesn't matter how good we think we are, what matters is how obedient God thinks we are.

Some people may find this strange, but I have never been bothered by attending funerals or showing up at a visitation.  I find those moments to be some of the best at connecting with people on a deeper level, and being a caring friend or family member.  As a pastor now, I find true what many other pastors have told me: they would rather perform a funeral than a wedding.  Not that weddings are bad, but the importance of ministry at a funeral can plant seeds and be life-changing unlike any other setting.

However, one of the difficult things at a funeral is struggle some have finding reasons to believe their loved one is in heaven.  When the deceased didn’t live like a believer, people default to “the list” (that list of good things they did, or things they liked about the person).  The list of good deeds is wide & varied.  Here’s some examples of good deeds that earned a loved one’s entry to heaven:

-          He made us laugh

-          She was always taking care of us kids

-          He played (you name the sport) and was part of the championship with us

-          He gave me money when (you name the need)

-          He was good to his pet dog

-          She was a good friend

-          She/He was a good person

-          He didn’t pray much, but kept a copy of a prayer I gave him

-          She didn’t attend church, but helped with the local charity

All of those things can be good memories to hold on to when people die, but our longing to know they live forever in eternity somehow twists them into reasons for wanting to belief they were saved.  Jesus made it perfectly clear that Salvation is not based on works, salvation is based on accepting His death and living for Him.  It’s a relationship with Jesus that is demonstrated in our works.

Jesus gives us a clear warning.  Don’t base your security of salvation on your works, base it on obedience.  Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength?  Is that love being demonstrated by your care for other people?  Are you producing fruits of the spirit in your life?  Is your life becoming more like the image of Christ?  Just because you say a formula of words, or do something good for another doesn’t qualify you for eternity in heaven.  Your entry is through a relationship with Jesus.

Don’t leave your loved ones in a quandary, trying to desperately come up with enough good things you did to make their hearts have peace about your eternity.  Start your life walk with Jesus, and leave no doubt that you continue to walk with Him in heaven.  It makes the funeral much less difficult.

01/09/17 - Matt 6

Jan 9, 2017 – Matt 6

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:34

Worrying about tomorrow wastes the time we could get things done today.

It is said that the only creature who thinks about tomorrow is the human being.  While planning and preparing can work to our advantage, worry & anxiety about tomorrow doesn’t.  Some doctors claim that the root of many of our illnesses is associated with worry.  Yet humans treat worry like it is their God-given right and responsibility.  We hold on to our worries like they are our friends, and think that holding them will make them never happen.

Worry is a deadly sin.  It’s associated with pride, at the top of the list of God’s most hated behaviors, and is a form of idolatry of the mind.  By worrying, we place more trust in our own abilities than in God’s.  Jesus did not give us a formula for managing worry, He told us to get rid of it… to stop doing it.  But in His prescription about worry, Jesus gave us a clear instruction on how to push worry out of our lives --- stop focusing on tomorrow and start doing what you are supposed to do today.

Worry is a thief that steals time.  It bankrupts my day and robs me of energy for today’s tasks, pushing more tasks onto tomorrow.  So by worrying, I am actually creating the circumstances that worry me.  Here are some examples:

-          The dad who is spends time worrying about finances and works too much, creating health issues that send him to the hospital where the medical bills damage his finances.

-          The mom who worries about her kids so much that she overprotects them from lessons today, which leads them to experiment and rebel later in life, creating the consequences she worried about.

-          The boss who worries about employees leaving, creating unrest in the environment that makes their employees want to leave.

-          The student who worries about their grades so much that it affects their thinking, and they tense up on a test instead of simply answering what they already knew.

-          The person who is so worried about their retirement plan, that they miss the direction of God and bypass God’s way of taking care of them in their later years (let alone missing out on a saving relationship with Jesus).

There’s no diet or exercise plan to manage your worries, and you can’t straddle the fence on them.   To end worry in your life means trusting God with your tomorrows and focusing your energy on what needs done today.  STOP WORRYING.  Kick that thief out of your house.  It’s killing you.  Just make the best of what you have today.  And celebrate the joy of what you accomplished today.

01/06/17 - Matt 5

Jan 6, 2017 - Matt 5

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt 5:6

The Answer for a full life is not in activity, but in righteousness.

Imagine you walked into your favorite coffee shop, and ordered a vente coffee of your favorite variety.  Paying the charge, you wait expectantly for your go-go juice, and in a few minutes the barista calls you up to receive your cup.  You start to take a sip and notice something wrong – the cup feels light, and nothing is coming out.  Instead of coffee, it’s just a vente cup.  Pretty cup, with a heat shield, and quality lid… but no coffee.  You ask the barista to fill the cup, and they apologize immediately, then fill the cup and bring it back to you.  This time you open it and discover it wasn’t filled with hot coffee, but lukewarm tap water!   What is up with that!?!  This would not be a place you visited ever again.

Emptiness is defeat.  When something was created to be filled, it loses purpose when it’s empty.  Ask any coffee drinker when the pot is empty, or the race car driver when the tank is running on fumes, or the soul when it feels lonely.  And filling the emptiness with substitutes does not help.  Substitutes may take up space, but they don’t generate the purpose.

Jesus started his greatest sermon with a list called the Beatitudes, a list of blessings that fill properly our empty moments in life.  And Jesus doesn’t prescribe substitutes, He fills the voids with Exactly what must be given in order to regain fullness.  In the middle of the list is a prescription that speaks to the cup of our soul.  Jesus teaches us that those who hunger for righteousness will receive a full cup of it. Hungering for the truth instead of substitutes is like a permanent lifetime refill machine.  Jesus promises that those who do will not be disappointed.

Unfortunately, hungering for righteousness is too uncommon.  More often than not, people are satisfied filling their cups with substitutes like selfishness, materialism, worldliness and more.  But in the end, the substitutes leave us empty and sick, needing even more a filling that only comes with Truth.

The beginning of a year is a good time to check out your cup.  If your soul is feeling empty, start seeking the Truth & righteousness that only comes from God.   If you have been filling your soul with worldly substitutes, change your thinking and start thirsting for pure refills from the Lord.  Don’t live another day with emptiness, let Jesus fill your cup.  He is a barista that never lets you down.

01/05/17 - Matt 4

Jan 5, 2017 – Matt 4

At once they left their nets and followed him. Matt 4:20

When Jesus asks, act immediately ... hesitation leads to failure.

Someone once said: “He who hesitates is lost.”  I don’t know how lost they might be, but certainly the one who hesitates loses an opportunity.

Lost opportunity is not uncommon.  We are given new opportunities every day --- when to get up, what to eat, what to wear, where to work, and much more.  Opportunities may be large or small, but one thing is consistently true: every opportunity has a short lifespan.  The key to opportunity is discerning quickly and taking action.  Hesitating either closes the door of the opportunity, or permits someone else to take advantage of it.  Many times, the hesitation itself creates negative inertia that is much harder to overcome.  Failure comes because we didn’t act, or because we didn’t give it our all.  Action doesn’t guarantee success, but hesitation guarantees failure.

While life offers opportunities, Jesus doesn’t.  He offers callings.  Periodically in life, He makes a request and gives us the option to act on His prompting.  Normally it’s not multiple choice, Jesus is clear in His request.  Often, Jesus warns of the costs, and shares a simple vision of where it leads.  Seldom does Jesus tell us all the details, and He prefers it that way.  After all, callings are not about knowing the cost, but pursuing no matter what the cost is.  So in the moment Jesus makes the request, our answer will either immediate: take action or hesitate. 

That’s where Peter & Andrew found themselves when Jesus called them to become His disciples.  After a teaching session in their boat, Jesus invited them to a new mission in life – catching men’s souls instead of fish soles.  Given the situation, many good intentioned people would be slow to respond, hesitating to consider the cost.  But these two brave men didn’t hesitate.  They just got out of the boat, left everything behind, and started following.  Not only did they take action, they took it immediately.

Faith is learning NOT TO HESITATE.  When we believe fully in Jesus, it doesn’t always  mean we have to leave our careers or dreams behind, but it does mean we start taking action immediately whenever Jesus asks us to do something.  That could be feeding a homeless person, forgiving an enemy, sharing your testimony, giving to the work of the Church, or a hundred other instructions.  Faith doesn’t hesitate, it takes immediate action.

You may feel like you missed out on a calling.  Many people do.  Don’t waste time rehearsing the past.  Choose today to take action whenever Jesus asks.  Decide to trust in His calling, and act immediately.  No more hesitation, no more regrets.  Get out of your boat and leave the nets behind.  They will be there if Jesus has you return.  Make hesitation a thing of the past and discover the calling as you obey.  You’ll be glad you did.