James 1:14–A Note On Temptation

James 1:13-14–"Let no one say when he is tempted: 'I am being tempted by God.' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."

It is a common misconception to think that it is God Himself who tempts us in order to 'test' us.  To be sure, this is a perverse misunderstanding both of God's holiness and also of His character, too.  God's holiness demands that He is absolutely pure, meaning that He cannot and would not taint Himself. Additionally, God's character is one of love, grace, mercy, and compassion.  Because of His loving character He could not and would not tempt people out of His great love.  We should never, not ever forget this truth, but we should let it stir and bind our hearts in adoration and exaltation of God!

Psalm 19:14–A Prayer

Psalm 19:14–"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

This is a simple but profoundly sincere prayer.  It is a request for devotion, as if the psalmist is actually asking that God would direct his heart and mouth towards a posture of praise and worship.  But the psalmist is requesting more than a mere "attitude adjustment."  Instead, the writer is asking for a complete internal transformation.  But this is more than a verse, it is a plea, an earnest prayer for faith. Let it become our own prayer too!

1 Chronicles 16:8–Give Thanks to the Lord!

1 Chronicles 16:8–"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people! Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!"

One of my favorite hymns goes like this:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all peoples here below!
Praise Him above ye heavenly host!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Today, this day, is a great day for praise!  Get at it!

James 1:17–Every Good Gift is From Above

James 1:17–"Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Turkey day arrives.  And, like all the years before, it is on this day that people gather around tables to feast with friends or family.  We mix giving thanks between forks full of mashed potatoes and fit gratitude somewhere between the turkey and the stuffing.  But this year, while engage in those well-worn family traditions, I pray that we might consider the great faithfulness of God.  In the end, this should always be our praise as we consider the awesome things that God has done for us.  So let us keep thankfulness at the forefront of our minds this Thanksgiving, giving thanks for all the greatness of God!

Hebrews 12:28-29–Let Us Be Grateful and Worship!

Hebrews 12:28-29–"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

How many of us can say that we are truly grateful?  Or even more so, how many of us have responded to that gratefulness by offering an acceptable worship to God?

Additionally, to consider God a consuming fire should inspire only reverence and awe.  But how often do we think of Him this way?

As Thanksgiving week continues on and the quest for turkey draws near, I urge you to take this passage to heart.  Dwell on it.  Let it rest in your mind and in your heart.  My prayer is that I would see God as He is and offer up sincere praise that is thankful and reverence.  Let us all strive for a prayer as this!

Colossians 3:17–Whatever You Do, Give Thanks To God

Colossians 3:17–"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, give thanks to God the Father through Him."

In case you, like I did, read over this verse without taking it in, let me point to the important part: whatever you do...do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Consider the ramifications of such a comprehensive proposition.  There is not supposed to be anything, not a single aspect of our lives that is not to be done for Jesus.  Additionally, this is to be done with thankfulness.  Let us make this verse foundational to our lives as we strive to live out our Christianity with sincerity and effort!

Colossians 2:6-7–Walking In Him

Colossians 2:6-7–"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

This is a call for Christians live a life committed to Christ, and to always remember whose we are.  We belong to Christ; He has purchased us with His blood.  It is this singular truth which rests the whole of Christianity.  Because of this, not only is it vital that Christians would remember who we are as children of the heavenly Father but, even more so, we need to live a life that corresponds in faith to that lineage. This is what this passage is about, challenging us to actually be the children of God that He has called us to be.  Let us, then, make this foundational to how we would live and who we will be in Christ!

Psalm 100:4-5–"Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving!"

Psalm 100:4-5–"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!  Give thanks to Him; bless Him with Praise!  For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations!"

This is a command, request that we would come before God with a specific posture and attitude. Essentially, it is about thankfulness, as if thankfulness were the very definition of praise, the precise qualification of coming before God with reverence and humility.  The reason that thankfulness is of such vital importance for the action of entering the presence of God is that thankfulness, by its very nature, causes us not only to recognize the greatness of God by remembering all the awesome things that He has done, but it also forces us to be humble by that recognition.  In a way, this is the very essence of the Christian experience, we would do well to make it central in our lives.

Col. 3:15–Let the Peace of Christ Rule

Colossians 3:15–"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful."

This is an exhortation but in the context of this chapter of Colossians it can actually seem like an after though, as if Paul is saying: "Oh yeah, and..."

But I do not believe that is the intention of this verse whatsoever.  God is calling us, quite directly, to let the peace of His Son rule in our hearts.  Now this does not mean merely that we would give some sort of ascent to peace, or even that we would 'try' to be more peaceful.  No!  This is about supremacy; it is about submission.  The point, or the goal, is that we would truly let the peace of Christ reign in our hearts and in our lives.  This means that the peace of Christ will be ever set before us as our guide and our chief, keeping us inline as well as promoting a specific sort of life ethic.  Let us then strive to make this verse a reality in our own lives so as to submit fully to the will of God in Christ!

Titus 1:9–A Call to Bible Study

Titus 1:9–"He must hold firm to the trustworthy Word as it has been taught, so that He may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it."

Paul's entire letter to Titus is about leadership in the Church, in particular, qualifications and responsibilities for leaders.  This passage, from the first chapter, gives us a distinct and certain exhortation about the need for sound biblical knowledge.  The necessity of the Bible cannot be overstated.  Aside from prayer and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the Bible is the single most vital resource for Christians in regards to learning who God is and who we are in Him.  We must not ever lose sight of this.

Recognizing the utter importance of sound biblical knowledge in the life of the believer prompts me to ask some simple, contemplative questions:

• Have you read the Bible today?
• Have you read every book?
• When was the last time you read an entire book of the Bible in one sitting?
• Are there parts of the Bible you don't know well?
• have you memorized any verses lately?

Ultimately, the Bible is our toolbox and our weapon.  We must become totally acquainted with so that we could wield it expertly and appropriately.  I don't ask these questions to convict but if you are convicted, then...you know what needs to be done.

Psalm 95:1-2–Come to Him With Songs of Praise!

Psalm 95:1-2–"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!"

This is as much a prescription for worship as it is an exhortation.  It is a simple thing to read, that we are to make a joyful noise to the Lord, but it is another thing altogether for us to actually make a joyful noise to the Lord.  However, it would seem that this is precisely what this passage is compelling us to do.  When considering this, I ask myself: what does it mean to make a joyful noise to the Lord?

My response to the question is that making a joyful noise to the Lord requires at least two things: (1) a right perspective, and (2) a willing heart.  A right perspective means that we would see the greatness of God and the distinct beauty of His creation.  This can only result in a response of awe and praise.  It is at this point that a willing heart leaps into action, so that we can pair that praise with deed.

In a sense, this is the very essence of worship.  Let us make it our aim to bring a sincere joyful noise to the Lord!

Much Will Be Required Of Those Who Have Been Given Much

Luke 12:48–"Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required..."

This is one of those distinctly Christian principles: that those who have been blessed are responsible to reflect that blessing unto others.  To be sure, this instills an immense responsibility to those who have been blessed.  In truth, though, every person has been blessed with immense riches beyond measure. Thus, by extension, everyone of us is to be held accountable for the gifts that God has given us. Keeping this perspective before us will go a long way to keeping our focus fixed and our feet from wandering.

Matt. 22:37–Fundamentals

Matthew 22:37–"And He said to them, 'You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"

This is one of my favorite verses.  In fact, it is one of those verse I would claim for my life, a foundational assertion from Jesus about how we are to relate to God.  This verse is without ambiguity, lacking any doubt or obscurity about the manner of life that God commands of us.  I think of this verse fundamentally, as in it encompasses everything we need to know and to do in regards to our relationship with God.  If we could keep this verse before us in every decision we make, we would go a long way.  According to this, our love for God is to encompass every little bit of who we are.  This is the commandment and this is our aim.  Let us put it before us always.

Psalm 119:105–A Lamp for Our Paths

Psalm 119:105–"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

This is one of those great verses.  And while many a song has been written because of this verse, but how much do we actually agree with it?  Is God's Word really the lamp for our feet and light for our path?

To be sure, this is about attitude and posture as much as it is about commitment.  We have to intentionally decide that God will in order to make the truth of this verse a reality for our lives.  It demands that we would make the Word of God the very real guide for our lives.  This is about considering every decision, action, and thought with an eternal perspective, considering the everlasting weight and value of everything we thing and do.

Let us make this verse the plea and cry of our lives as we strive to put the Word of God before us always!

Psalm 119:18–Asking to be Opened

Psalm 119:18–"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law."

It is a simple thing to ask.  But is it as simple a task to ask for the right things.  In the case of the above verse, the most profound thing that we could ask for is eyes to see what God has desired for us to see. This is a prayer, a request for vision.  More directly, it is the request for 'right' vision to see what God has made and who He is.  We should also pray for this just as the psalmist has.  Let us take some time to make this request our own!

Psalm 119:143–Delighting in the Lord's Commandments Amidst Strife

Psalm 119:143–"Trouble and anguish have found me out, but Your commandments are my delight."

Life is a sequence of undulations.  Waves of highs and lows can seem to pound our lives with such force and power that, if we are not grounded, we can easily fall into the undertow.  Because of all this, it is of vital importance that we continually reset ourselves.  After all, our lives are so naturally unstable that we need to frequently realign ourselves with something sure, something stable, and something eternal.  This is the point of this verse, that we would always find our peace and our delight amidst the undulations of life in God and in His Word.  O that we would!

What Are the Obstacles to Worship?

As a worship leader, there is a tendency to think of leading worship as a task in creating moments.  Some of my colleagues do this through developing worship services that are emotionally compelling and musical excellent, as if the production quality and the emotionality were the key to effective worship leading.  The goal, ultimately, is to create an environment conducive to heartfelt, authentic worship.

However, I fear that this perspective, though appealing, might miss the point about what worship is and why sometimes it can be so difficult.  In truth, the great hindrance to worship is not environment or whether the worship leader is compelling.  No!  The ultimate obstruction to true, authentic worship is and has always been a heart matter.  Worship is only possible from a penitent posture that is honest with self as it is honest with God.

This is why it is so important that whenever we find that we are struggling to enter into times of worship that we not look at the particulars of what we're doing but we would rather assess where our hearts are at. 

1 Peter 2:15–A Statement Doing Good

1 Peter 2:15–"For this is the will of a God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people."

This is an interesting verse, as is most of Peter's epistle.  Peter is saying, quite plainly, that Christians are called to live a certain life, with a specific ethic.  We are commanded to live lives of character and of integrity, recognizing that we should give no reason(s) whatsoever for anyone to discredit Christ due to the flaws in our own lives and testimonies.  It could be said that this is one of the primary ways in which Christians are called to evangelize and minister to the world: by living lives of authenticity and character.  This is our task.  Let us pray for the strength and wisdom to fulfill this task with excellence and honesty.

The Widow Who Gave Abundantly Out of Her Poverty

Mark 12:41-44–"And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched people putting money into the offering box.  Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  And He called His disciples and said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.'"

This is a fascinating and sharp observation that Jesus makes.  Sitting in the temple, watching the people worshiping and offering their sacrifices to God, and He sees this one particular woman.  As you read the chapter, this episode comes at the end of a series of teachings in which Jesus is attempting to define in no ambiguity the nature of the Kingdom of God, in particular what kind of worshiper this Kingdom demands.  He has just finished warning people,"Beware of the Scribes," because they do their acts of religion only to be seen and praised by men.

It is at this point that Jesus notices this one woman, this poor widow.  Jesus watches her as she casts two small coins into the offering box and He remarks with the most interesting comment.  Jesus says that this gift, be it small in the eyes of the world, is lavish in God's eyes.  Although it could be said that it was the immense personal cost that made this such a substantial gift to Jesus, I submit that it was something more: it was what the personal value of the gift symbolized.

To be quite sure, the gift was precious to the widow monetarily, amounting to all she had; however, the true value of the gift resided much deeper.  The gift served to symbolize at least two profound things: (1) she was willing to give up everything for her love of God, and (2) because of the cost of the gift, she knew she would have to rely on God to sustain her.

Our prayer should be to take this widow's part in the Gospel to heart, recognizing that this is the kind of devotion that God is asking from each one of us.  O that we would be willing and eager to love Him like this!

1 John 2:15–Do Not Love the World

1 John 2:15–"Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

For John, and by extension the Holy Spirit, there is a sharp distinction, a distinct dichotomy between that which is of God and that which is not.  In fact, it could be said that throughout the scope of Scripture this is a major theme that continues to develop as the contrast becomes both more clear while also being more subtle and nuanced.  Because of this, it is of vital importance that we as Christians keep our focus fixed on Christ and not be swayed to the left or the right.

There is a story of Secret Service Agents who are trained in recognizing counterfeit bills.  Instead of spending their time learning the intricacies of the false bills.  No, they become so well acquainted with the real thing that they can instantly tell whether a bill is true or counterfeit.  Similarly, Christians need to become so well familiar with the things of God that there would never be a question about whether something was of God or not; we would just know.

This is our call as Christians: that we would know God so intimately in the depth of our beings so that we could always choose Him over any counterfeit impostor the world could offer!

Job 37:5–God's Mighty Voice

Job 37:5–"God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things that we cannot comprehend."

This is a great verse.  It speaks of God's majesty and His holiness.  It talks about His great and mighty voice and the sheer incomprehensibility of His deeds.  This is not to say that we cannot assess what God does, only that we are unable to truly understand all the vastness of His works.  He creates by the power of His Word, and He sustains us from moment-to-moment by that same method.  This is a profound truth and mystery.  And it deserves our reverence, our interest, and our investigation, all wrapped up[ in the sincerest faith and devotion.  Let us then meditate on the reality of this verse today!

Psalm 16:8–I Shall Not Be Shaken

Psalm 16:8–"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."

From time to time in my life I have been shaken.  In fact, there have been times that I was shaken, then stirred, then drank, then spit out too.  These were times in my life in which, for whatever reason, I felt too weak or unable or scatterbrained to handle the scenario(s) that I was facing.  I can speak from experience that in my pre-Christian life, when I hit turbulence, it was prone to shaking me loose from my hinges, unable to keep myself together.  Conversely, since coming to Christ I have found that, although life still bombards like a never ending tremor of earthquakes, I am constantly held secure in my Lord and by His unwavering hand stilling my heart and my life.

To this I can only say: Amen! Praise be to God!

My prayer is for those who do not know Christ to find this strength and courage through a sincere relationship with Him.  And for those who do know Christ, I pray that we would never forget the security that is found only in His name!

Synopsis of the Gospel

God is.  He is holy, meaning that He is without blemish, pure, and unlike anything else that has ever been.  He made human beings and commanded them to live by every word that flowed from His mouth.  But His creatures were unable and unwilling to adhere to those commandments and thus became tainted by sin, which needs to be washed in order for a right relationship with God to be restored.

Only a truly atoning act could overcome the sin of man in order to reconcile creation to God and for God to remain just and holy.  This is the story of the Gospel.  Jesus is the perfect, atoning sacrifice that has restored humankind to a right relationship with Him.  God remains just as He judged all sin in Christ.  While God also proves to be faithful, fulfilling all of the covenant promises that He had made for centuries.  This is the profound beauty of the Gospel.  Remember: "For God so loved..."

It is through faith that this reconciliation is received and applied to the person.  And while faith is a good thing and worthy of consideration at a later time, we should not forget the distinct content of our faith.

This is the Gospel in a nutshell.

1 Timothy 2:1-2–Prayers Are to Be Made For The Leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-2–"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made to all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."

It seems appropriate on the week of the midterm elections for this verse to come up as a verse of the day.  We often forget that this is actually a major theme of Scripture, that we would maintain a certain deference and respect for our leaders.  Part and parcel to this perspective is that we would pray, recognizing that, ultimately, it is God who has placed the leaders in their places for His purposes (Romans 13:1).

Because this, and a whole host of other Scripture verses that support this same position, our prayer should be that we would be humble and reverent in prayer for our leaders and those people that God has placed in leadership positions.

Exodus 20:1-3–No Other god(s)

Exodus 20:1-3–"And God said all these things, saying, 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me.'"

There is so much here but I intend to keep it brief tonight.

This is God speaking to the people of Israel just after He has pulled them out of Egypt through the Red Sea with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.  And yet even now, when they have seen and experienced the very real and active power of God, the people turn to a golden calf in worship.  It is truly remarkable how easily the people of God will turn away from Him to worship something that is less worthy.  This is why it is such a profound moment in history, such a distinct context for God to call His people out directly and to challenge them to live lives of utter and total commitment to Him and Him alone.

Similarly, this is God's call to us.  We have been pulled out and saved from the bondage of slavery to sin.  But even under these circumstances of salvation, we are prone to turning to idols instead of continually and fervently worship Him alone.  He sits on the throne of our lives.  This is how it needs to remain at all times.  Let us strive to keep this focus among us!

Colossians 3:17–Everything For Him

Colossians 3:17–"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

There is a principle that is always in play for the believer, and that principle is submission.  It is, in many ways, the very cornerstone of all Christian theology.  Think of the very call to believe unto salvation.  This is a call to submit our faith unto Christ.  Or the exhortation to devote ourselves to loving God with every bit of who we are; again, this is a call to submission.  But the submission does not end with theological assertions; it is a real, a practical submission.  In a real way, Christians are called to give everything, do everything, say everything, all for the glory of God.  There is no compartment of our lives that is to lie outside of that purview of submitting all we are and do to His name.  But what's more profound is that this submission is not done begrudgingly or with grumbling, but it is to be done thankfully and with great adoration.  This is our call and this is our task.

Let us pray to become better at giving everything to Him and doing it all with excellence for the glory of God!

The Presence and Practice of Piety

1 John 3:9–"No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."

There is something profound, if not outright provocative here.  John and the Holy Spirit that inspires him are saying at least two conjoined and challenging things.  The first is that the believer, in whom God's seed (the Holy Spirit) abides, no longer has to sin.  Even more so, though, they are saying that the believer cannot keep sinning because he/she has been born of God.  In other words, not only will the one who is born of God no longer make or develop a practice of sinning but they will not even be able to keep sinning because God's seed is abiding in them as they are born of God.  There is so much here, more than the space of this particular blog will provide.  I highly suggest that you take time today to read the whole chapter and see how seriously, how sincerely John exhorts believers that they are no longer sinner but have been transformed into children of God.  It is about identity as much as it is about the practice of piety, which is really about recognizes who we are in Christ.

A Moment of Praise

While it must be said that Christians are called to live lives of praise and worship, it should also be said that life is a series of moment strung together.  Using this understanding of life, as but string of moments, we can begin to reduce life's great endeavors to the value of individual moments.  What I mean to say is that when we think of the devotions of life and the disciplines that conjoin and advance these devotions.

Because of this, today I exhort you (and me) to value the sincerity and the pleasure of the moment. Every moment is a powerful opportunity to be and to do the will of God and to praise His name.  Let us take this attitude and posture among us to take advantage of every single moment to worship God's name!