Friday, September 11, 2020
Brokenness
Friday, September 4, 2020
Disciple
Friday, August 28, 2020
Friday Fodder - Flavor (8/28/20)
Colossians 4:6 reminds us to “let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…”
Seasoned with salt...when I cook I like to experiment with different “flavors”. Whether it is chicken, pork chops, hamburgers, steaks, etc., I like to put different flavors on them or have them marinade in a new flavor overnight before they are cooked. Some people like spicy flavors while others prefer the sweeter flavors. And, still others, prefer a combination of the two. Some want a lot of kick; others, not so much (we call them wimps).
As Christians, our speech--our conversation, our lifestyle--should have a specific flavor to it. The flavor of our speech should simmer, boil over even, in the flavor of Christ. The flavor of our lifestyle should be the flavor of the kingdom of God, that which is not attached so closely to the things of this world.
Does our speech, our conversation, leave people wanting more of Christ, thirsty for Christ? Does our speech move them in the direction of Jesus? Does it have the flavor of Christ in our words, our responses, or our reactions?
Does our lifestyle--our values, pursuits, longings, desires, activities, attitudes--have the flavor of the kingdom of God, the things of God & the eternal or the flavor of the world?
When people hear our speech or watch our life, what do they taste?
Friday, July 10, 2020
Friday's Fodder - July 10, 2020 - Remember
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Be Like Christ
From that day, the basketball goal on the tree in the backyard at the parsonage of Oak Grove Baptist Church went up (and everywhere else we lived), and a million times, I took "the shot"...tongue hanging out with the clock running down. Then, in the summer of 1982, I was at the Campbell University basketball camp...yep, the man himself was there...live and in person.
In May of 1982, I was introduced to someone else...Jesus...by my dad. Yeah, I had heard dad preach the gospel every Sunday, but this was different...he sat me down and personally shared the gospel with me. In October of that same year, God opened my heart to believe the gospel...I knew I needed a Savior...not MJ, but Jesus, the one who gave his life in my place.
Fast forward 11 years...the summer of '93 working at the BEST camp in the world...Camp CaRAway. And, what is one of the most popular songs in the country at the time...yes, "Be Like Mike"...the Gatorade commercial...the single...
Well, I had the single...I would play that song EVERY morning to wake up my campers that summer...oh, yeah, I got roasted for it at the end of the summer by my friends...
It wasn't that I really wanted them to "be like Mike" -- that one or even this one...the goal was to call these young men to "be like Christ" every single day. It was really about making disciples...like Jesus did...like Paul did..."follow me and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:18-22) and "follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).
So, did I have a little fun with the song...of course I did...even the rap in the song...but, it wasn't really about that...it was about making disciples.
And, sure, did I want to "be like Mike" in my basketball game...you bet...tongue out, baggy shorts, and the wrist band...but in life...I just want to "be like Christ" (Philippians 2:5-8).
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
The Struggle is Real
With the "quarantine" having been in full force the last few weeks, it has reminded me that while there is an enemy I'm wrestling against outside of myself, sometimes, no...many times...no, most of the time...I am my own worst enemy in this battle.
Sometimes, I feel like screaming with Paul, "Wretched man that I am!" The struggle is real! The fight for righteousness and joy in Christ is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, like Martin Luther wrote in the hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God, the right man is on our side.
"Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
We fight, we wrestle from the position of victory in Christ--that we've been given everything we need to win the battle.
So, keep fighting today...in the immortal words of Jimmy V, "Don't give up, don't ever give up!" (yes, I quoted a coach from NC State)
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Wherever You Are
Where are you spiritually? What are your spiritual vital signs?
Wherever you are...start there. Maybe, just maybe, this is the time for many of us to get our life compass re-calibrated to true north...toward Christ, His mission, His purpose for our lives..toward a vision of life that reflects a view of those things that matter for eternity.
Sure, it will take some self-reflection, asking and answering some honest questions about ourselves, our decisions, and our habits. But, it will be worth the time and effort when we come out of this time with a better sense of God's purpose & direction for our lives and a greater love for Christ moving forward.
A friend of mine was preaching on 2 Peter 1:3-11 this past Sunday. And, as the Lord would have it, He has been moving me in the direction of that text for this coming Sunday as well for our church.
Maybe this holding pattern is the perfect time to apply the principle of 2 Peter 1:5, "for this very reason, make every effort (be diligent) to supplement your faith with virtue..." Putting this instruction into practice is not simply a matter of "pulling ourselves by our boot straps".
The application of this principle is grounded in the gospel, the power of God toward us who believe. 2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire".
For this reason...because of what God has done for us in Christ through the Holy Spirit...make every effort...pursue godliness, pursue Christ-like character, pursue God Himself.
Wherever you are...start there...make every effort...start today.
Friday, April 17, 2020
All Mixed Up
As I was reading this morning, I came across the following statement: "Our minds often are so mixed with the world's way of thinking that we need to be reoriented to God's way of thinking".
That sentence struck a chord with me. Proverbs tells us that "as a man thinks in his heart so is he". We have the capacity as humans to choose what we think about. What we think about, concentrate on, focus our mental attention on, allow to influence our mind becomes the grid through which we interpret our circumstances and make decisions in the midst of those circumstances. What we think about and how we think determines the person we become -- whether we are growing more like Christ or more like the world.
And, unfortunately, we are oftentimes like Hannah Montana -- we want the "best of both worlds". Our thinking becomes "all mixed up" when we yield our mental attention to being more influenced by worldly, humanistic viewpoints rather than biblical ones.
What has a greater influence on our thinking today? Is it the voice of the world or the scriptures? Are we developing the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) through consistent exposure to, meditation on, and obedience to the scriptures (Hebrews 4:12)?
Maybe, just maybe, this time of quarantine could be the turning point for many of us -- that God could use this time in our lives to reorient and renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2) toward His kingdom rather than the world.
I pray that He will do just that -- in me, in us all.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
"For your name's sake"
Recently, I have been praying about something and asking the Lord to intervene in a situation. This morning, as I was finishing up my workout, it struck me, "Why do I want God to intervene? Do I want him to intervene to alleviate the struggle? Do I want him to intervene to bring relief? Or, am I asking God to intervene "for his name's sake" and "for His glory"?
That was an "aha" moment. While God is our Father and wants us to bring all our petitions to Him and we all want relief when going through times of difficulty, I wonder about my own deeply held motivations in asking God to intervene sometimes. Thankfully, God's mercies are new every morning (my devotion this morning) and in my weakness, his strength is made perfect.
Father, let the motivations of my heart's desires truly be "for your name's sake".
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Becoming What we Worship
That statement has struck a chord with me today. Dever makes the comment after this quote saying, "Our lives are like those old Polaroid snapshots. They are slowly but surely developing into a picture of the god we worship" (p. 123).
I thought about this in terms of "who" we are becoming as we develop. "Whoever" we are becoming reveals that which we love -- however & in what direction our character is developing reveals the thing we love and the thing we are chasing after. If we are chasing happiness in the things of the world, we will become more like the world, loving the things of the world, thinking like the world thinks. If we are pursuing Christ & our happiness in Him, then our character will develop accordingly--the fruit that is borne in our life will reflect that pursuit in the fruit of the Spirit, conformity to the character of Christ and obedience to the will of God.
While those who are without Christ are always chasing after happiness in the world because it is their default position, it is sad to see a professing Christian distracted by the world and begin to chase happiness in the world. When that happens, it reveals one of two things: either the person has not been converted truly (cf. Matthew 13, parable of the sower) or the person is converted truly, but has lost their way as a believer like James 5:19-20.
What, rather who, are you chasing today?