Family Friday: Bible vs Cell Phone

Psalms 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

I just love this verse!  I can feel David’s heart when he is saying this.  He truly LOVED the Word of God.  He read it, he meditated on it, he cherished it.  Now, I know that there wasn’t near the technology then as there is now, but I wonder what his “cell phone” was.  I wonder if there was something that came along that could’ve possibly distracted him from God’s Word.  I wonder if he picked up his “cell phone” in the morning before he picked up the Word.  I wonder if he talked to his friends about what was new with his “cell phone” before he shared with them what new truth he had found in the Word.  I wonder if he became more concerned about the whereabouts and care of his “cell phone” than he did about the Word.   This is purely hypothetical, but absolutely possible.  David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was an imperfect human just like the rest of us.

I would imagine that if you asked the average Christian if they had to choose between the Bible or their cell phone (or anything that could be a distraction), that they would absolutely choose the Bible.  We know that the Bible is God’s Word.  It is God’s love letter to us, His people.  My question is, how often do we subconsciously choose our “cell phone” over our Bible?  I wonder if we pick up our “cell phone” in the morning before we pick up the Word.  I wonder if we talk to our friends about what is new with our “cell phone” before we share with them what new truth we found in the Word.  I wonder if we become more concerned about the whereabouts and care of our “cell phone” than we do about the Word.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  Technology is great in so many aspects.  Cell phones have become essentials in our day-to-day lives.  I’m just simply proposing that we are making sure that the Word of God doesn’t take second place to our “cell phone”.

I challenge you (and myself) to take a day and carry your Bible around with you and your “cell phone”.   Every time that you have a few minutes where you would normally spend time on your “cell phone”, pick up your Bible instead.   Treat your Bible with the same care and priority that you show your “cell phone”.  Use it to get your “latest news”, to get your “battery charged” and to “stay connected”.  See if it doesn’t change your day!   

Thoughtful Thursday: Give Thanks! - Part 1

Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday, next to Christmas.  I love the weather!  I love the food!  I especially love the attitude of thankfulness that seems to come upon everyone.  Although we should be mindful and thankful every day for all that God has give us, this is when we really take the time to remember how blessed we are.

When I was looking up the word “thanksgiving” and the phrase “give thanks” in the Bible, I found that they are most often mentioned in the book of Psalms. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Psalms 26:7 “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”

Psalms 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Psalms 105:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”

Psalms 106:1 “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The one that I most associate with thanksgiving is Psalms 100:4 -“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving…”  I believe that he is referring literally to the gates of the Temple, which for us now would be the local church.  As we enter the doors of our church, we have much to be thankful for.  We should be thankful for the church itself, a place to go and worship God with other believers.  We should be thankful for a country where we have the freedom to worship freely without persecution, some places don’t have these freedoms.  We should be thankful for the Gospel that brought us the truth of eternal life. 

As we go through the month of November, I’d like to breakdown this verse and use it to remind us of some things to be thankful for.

We Pray Wednesday: The Sweet Smell of Prayer

How do You Smell Today?

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.  (ITim 2:1-6) 

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  (Heb 4:14-16)

It is fairly clear from the preceding scripture that the Lord wants a child of God to pray.  It is also clear that our Lord Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest who is our intercessor in prayer.  Now, how does this have anything to do with how you smell?  Please note the following scripture.

And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon:  (Ex 30:1a)

And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.  (Ex 30:6-8)

And the Lord said unto Moses, take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: and thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: and thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  (Ex 30:34-36)

The high priest of Israel burned incense on the golden altar before the throne of God when he did the service of the tabernacle.  The incense was described as a sweet, holy perfume; it was pleasant to the smell.  The priest’s garments would be permeated with that smell.

When you spend time before the throne of grace with our great high priest interceding for you, your garments may not be permeated with an odor detected by the nose, but your spirit will be permeated with an odor of testimony reflecting the time spent in the presence of our great high priest.  Therefore, how do you smell today?  Note the continued association of the sweet smell of incense to prayer.

Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.  (Ps 141:1-2)

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  (Rev 5:8)

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.  (Rev 8:3-4)

Monday's Message: Don’t be the church tonsil

New life in the church is created through leading those who are spiritually dead and separated from God to the saving knowledge of eternal life in Christ.  God gives each of us a specific function in the church! I do not know what abilities and talents that God has blessed you with, but I am absolutely positive that He gave them to you to use to serve Him through the local church!

I want you to ask yourself this question.  “Am I fulfilling God’s role for me in my church?”

For centuries doctors have known that the human body contains a set of tonsils, yet only in recent years have they establish exactly what it is they do?  We have to be certain that God put them in our bodies on purpose, but it took an enormous amount of research to discover His purpose for them.  I know several people who have had their tonsils removed, and there is little to no set back as a result.  DON’T BE A CHURCH TONSIL!  One, who is not really noticed as a member, that can be easily removed, and in no time it would be as if he were never part of the body at all!

God has never called anyone to simply exist.  We all have a specific job to do for Christ, and if we fail to fulfill that task, we cause the whole body to suffer as a result.  God gives us different abilities for a reason; He has designed the body with only two eyes and two hands, indicating to us that not everyone can have those roles to play.  Could you imagine if your internal organs were to bicker and quarrel over what function they were to fulfill, and if they did not get their way they would just leave!!  Your body would be in serious trouble if that were to occur, yet we have trouble seeing how our behavior would cause the same outcome in the body of Christ.

Please allow me to encourage you to speak with your pastor or church leader, and find the right function for you to be involved with at your church.  There can never be too many servants in the church!!  We are all members of this body once we are saved, but the role we play in the body can and will be developed over time.  If you are right now struggling with the task you have been given, please just keep doing your part.  God will promote you in due time.  If you would fit the description of a church tonsil, please remedy that by getting busy as soon as possible!

  I Corinthians 12:12-27:

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19  And if they were all one member, where were the body?
1Co 12:20  But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1Co 12:22  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
1Co 12:23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
1Co 12:24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
 

Family Friday: Water from The Rock

Have you ever come inside from mowing the grass when it's 95+°? Nothing taste as good as cold water!

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It refreshes. It cools. It rejuvenates.

Nothing else can quench thirst quite like it.

Have you ever come inside church on a Sunday morning spiritually thirsty? Nothing taste as good as the Word of God speaking to you!

It refreshes. It cools. It rejuvenates.

Nothing else can quench spiritual thirst quite like it! Water from the Rock is what I needed so many times over. God speaks through song, or through His message, and a peace will wash over my soul. Just knowing that God is in control, makes everything alright. He can handle all of our problems! He has the water we need today; all we have to do is ask him for it.