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There are a few verses in the Bible which have really been bothering me lately.

John 14.12-14
¹²I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

I underlined the part “He will do even greater things…” because this statement has been keeping me up at night, so bear with me as I try to explain why.

We, as in the entire Christian community,  have missed the boat entirely on what it is we are suppose to be doing.  Christianity has become the butt of jokes and the secular world just looks at us with distain.  We are constantly in the news for the wrong reasons and typically do more harm for the name of Jesus than good.

The reason for this, in my opinion, is because we talk to much.  We preach and promise but never seem to deliver.  That is the fascinating thing about Jesus.  He did not seem like that much of a talker, but a changer.  Everywhere He went, people were changed. He demonstrated the power of God, where as we just talk about it, and I think people are fed up with our broken promises and our empty words.  We tell them that God can heal, but are they being healed.  We tell them that God can protect, save, restore, change, or all the other promises of God, but we continually fail to deliver, and the fault does not fall on God, but on us.  We have been given a job to do and we have done it poorly.  We have traded in the power for “higher education” or selfishness, or cowardice. Whatever the reason, we have missed the boat, and we must return to the place where God can really use us.  The best way to prove or explain God is not in debates, but in demonstrations of his power.

Time is short and the harvest is great. We must commit ourselves to seeking the face of God with the fervency of those recorded in scripture, because God has chosen to accomplish His will through us!

Seek His Face!
Seek His Purpose!
Seek His POWER!

Romans 2.6-8
⁶God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” ⁷To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

The phrase “will give to each person according to what he has done” is repeated two other times in the OT (Ps. 62.12 & Prov. 24.12).  This princinple is so important and it all comes down to the idea that God looks at the heart of men, not just thier actions.

In our culture, we reward work regardless of the motive.  ”As long as stuff is getting done” we say.  This is not the way God works. We cannot separate our doing and our being.  What we do should, and eventually will, show who we really are.

I found it interesting that Paul describes doing as “seeking glory, honor and immortality.”  He did not say it was being a good person, doing good things for others, planting a church, preaching, giving to the poor, or all the other “good” works we are to do.

We are to seek God and His plan.

It is by this standard we will be judged; not how hard we worked at “doing,” but how hard we worked at “seeking!“

I was studying for our student service this week on the topic of love and I felt I should share this.  We will be learning from 1 Corinthians 13.1-8. Here it is…

What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. ³What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others. ⁴Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or ⁵rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. ⁶Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. ⁷Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. ⁸Love never fails!

Now I don’t want to sound like a hippie leftover from the 60’s, but as I was reading, I am reminded that love really is the answer. The only command that Jesus stated from the Law was “Love God… and your neighbor as yourself.”  Love is the secret to society’s problems, family issues, selfishness, hatred, racism, and the list goes on.

The funny thing is, the above description of love is truly a districption of God.

So, let us all stop for a second and look at our heart.

• Are you in ministry for your love of Jesus or love for attention?
• Do you serve others because you love them as yourself or because you love their praise?
• Do you love God or love yourself?

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Here is a statement from the book Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge that really caught my attention.

“To wait on God successfully, we must come to derive more fulfillment by being with Him than by working for Him.”

Living for Jesus is important, but we are also meant to live our lives “with” Jesus.  I have a habit of running to God for the next task and getting frustrated when I feel there isn’t one.  But God has been teaching me lately that the Greatest task is to know Him.  The Bible is a giant reference book to God’s love of relationships.  It’s what He is all about.

So if you are having a difficult time figuring out what God has for you next, He may be waiting on you to realize that He is not just a boss, but a friend.

While you are in a period of waiting, enjoy God for who He is and not what He does.

I have been reading through 1^st & 2^nd Samuel and I came across a passage that really blew me away.

This story is the aftermath of David’s affair with Bathsheba:

• ¹⁵ After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. ¹⁶David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. ¹⁷The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. ¹⁸ On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” ¹⁹ David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. ”Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” ²⁰ Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. ~ 2 Samuel 12.15-20

Several things that jump out:

• David was desperate after God
  • Although this tragedy was a consequence of his sin, David immediately persued God.  If we are not careful, we allow our sin to drive a wedge between us and God. David knew that God was big enough to handle his junk.
• David got up
  • Once he has his answer, even one he didn’t want, David moved on.  He knew that to continue to pray was pointless, God had given him his answer and it was time to move.  We must be ready to move when God movies, even if we aren’t sure about the direction.
• David Worshiped
  • This part blows me away.  As a true man of faith, David knew that God still loved him.  Despite the tragedy of losing a child, David continued to worship God.  This is the reason God deemed David as a “man after his own heart” because despite the circumstances, David continued to worship the Father.  This is an important lesson for us. In the mist of our greatest heartaches and tragedies, God desires our worship.

Worship equals faith. If you are having trouble worshiping God, then you are having trouble trusting God.

• ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ~ Heb 12.2-3

In this age of instant communication, social sites like Twitter and Facebook are all the rage.  This is due, of course, to the short, quick, and to the point statements that force both writers and readers to think and interpret each other’s thoughts with less information.  I was thinking on this phenomenon and began to wonder if I haven’t seen this before… Then bam!! It hit me.  God has a set of tweets of His own; in a book called Proverbs.  Short, sweet, to the point, but still full of incredible wisdom.  I’ll call them “God Tweets.”

Here are my thoughts on one of them…

Proverbs 28:1
The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them;
Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.

• The wicked are edgy…
  • I had a hard time with this one.  I don’t consider myself wicked; I’m a youth pastor for cryin out loud!  But there have been so many times when I have felt “edgy” or uncomfortable with guilt.  And I know I’m not the only one.  You know that feeling you get after you have done something wrong.  Or how about the feeling you get when you know you’re in sin and you have to be around people who you know are spiritual.  You feel like the Holy Spirit might tattle on you or something.   I have been there on many occasions.  So, when I am out of the will of God, I am wicked. Tough conclusion…

• The honest are relaxed, confident, bold…
  • When we honestly walk in the will of God, there is no need for fear.  The lion is a very relaxed animal because it knows it’s the king.  It’s the best – the strongest.  Well, God is the King; He is the best and the strongest.  When we are honest before the Lord in our weakness, He grants us His strength.  You see, many times honesty takes “humility.”  It take the willingness to say that I honestly cannot do this alone. It takes coming to the conclusion that we are wicked.  Yet again, tough conclusion… but honest.

So ask yourself in the quietness of your heart…

Are you edgy?

Are you worried?

Are you ready to run without a pursuer?

Or

Are you relaxed?

Are you confident?

Are you bold?

Are You Being Honest?

This is from my prayer time this morning…

Following Jesus is dangerous.  It can cost you.  It will be difficult.

Jesus warned his early follower of the dangers and hardships they would face.

And still they were willing to go the distance.  They understood what was at stake.  The eternity of those around us litterally hang in the balance and God has called us!

Life is short… very, very short.  We don’t have much time.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb. 12.1)

But he also gave a promise.

So we all must decide… I mean truly decide… are we up for the challenge.

Time is short and God is calling all thrill seekers, dare devils, and all around just plain crazies to change the world.  Are you ready for some danger?

Father, give us each perseverance to run the race you have before us.

God likes ordinary… ordinary people that is.  Throughout history, God has used very ordinary people to do incredible things.  I find stories of people such as  Abraham, David and Peter as testament to this fact.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”

God is the same today as He was then.  He is still in the business of taking regular people and using them the change the world.  Using the unwise to teach the wise; the lowly things to change the great.  God is looking for people just like you and me.

Are you foolish… Are you lowly… Are you weak?  Great!  God’s been looking for you!!