Apply God's Commands

Deuteronomy 6, as the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land, a bountiful land that God was giving them to process, the people are told to obey God's commands. 

The Israelites are told to obey God's commands so that they may enjoy long life and so that all may go well as they increase greatly in the land. 

The foundation for God's commands to the Israelites - and the foundation for all God's commands to us today - to know that God is the Lord of all and to love Him with all heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

And in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 God gives instruction for applying His commands to our children - and the generations to follow.

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Applying God's commands to the next generation is a multi-step process. 

First, we as adults, are called to apply God's commands to our own hearts. We must know God's commands for us, know why they are important for our lives, and live as they are important for our lives - with faith and obedience. Only after we have applied God's commands on our hearts can we seek to lead the next generation. 

Next, we are to impress God's commands on our children - and to the next generation. We are encouraged to impress God's commands on the next generation by talking about them, writing them out, and using symbols to commit them to memory. We are called to impress God's commands on the hearts of our children in all ways at all times, because it is vitally important. 

So, let me encourage you today to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let me encourage you to write God's commands on your heart - faithfully submitting to Him. Let me encourage you to teach them to the next generation - applying them in all ways at all times. 

That you may enjoy a long life and all may go well. 

Relational Break

I was reading in Genesis 3 this morning and I began to think of the effects of our sinful acts. Of course there are the effects of our sin that are far-reaching, but the immediate effect is a relational break.

Look at the immediate effect of Adam and Eve's sin (vs. 7-8);

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

this is the first relational break that our sin brings about - a relational break between us and God. This break is a wedge that has been driven between God and mankind since the first sin and it still exists today.

Yet, God in His grace, invites us into His presence (vs. 9-11);

But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

We are invited to draw close to God, however sin drives us further and further away from His presence. And still, even in the midst of our sin, God calls us back to Himself. In love and grace, God gives us the opportunity to confess our sin to Him and to be reconciled.

However, what we see is more evidence of the relational break that sin brings about (vs. 12);

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

This relational break, this distance that sin puts between us and God - this distance that sin puts between us and the ones we love - it does not have to exist.

God, in His infinite love and grace sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay our sin debt and we no longer have to bear the shame, the guilt, and the pain of our sinful actions.

In the garden God shed blood to cover the shame of Adam and Eve in the Garden (vs. 21);

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

In much the same way Christ Jesus shed His blood on the cross to cover the shame of all of mankind (Isaiah 53:5);

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Let us no longer be separated from God and one another. Christ has paid the price and made communion available to all.

Nearing Home

Finished a book tonight, "Nearing Home" by Billy Graham. The subtitle of this book states, "Life, Faith, and Finishing Well". 

My wife has been asking why I decided to read this book right now, given my age and stage of life it seemed odd. However,  I would summarize my reasoning for reading this book with a line from the first chapter. On page 4 Billy Graham writes "I wonder. What home are you preparing for?"

As a follower of Christ, I am called to prepare for my heavenly home with The Lord. As a husband and a father, I am called to prepare my family for their heavenly home with The Lord.  As a pastor, I am called to prepare the people in my church for their heavenly home with The Lord. In every area, my call is to prepare. 

So, ask yourself, what home are you preparing for?

Phone Issues

For the past few weeks I have been dealing with "phone issues". 

It is standard practice to, each evening, plug the charging cord into my phone and lay it on my nightstand, allowing it to charge overnight. Yet several weeks ago simply plugging the cord into the phone was not enough. After plugging the cord into the phone, I wiggle the cord until it would make a connection with the phone. Days later wiggling the cord was not enough. After plugging the phone in, I would wiggle the cord until it would make a connection and then I would prop the phone up allowing e weight of the phon to rest on the charging cord. More recently, the weight of the phone was not enough. In recent days I have used stacks of books - even a gallon of milk - to offer more weight and make a connection to charge the phone. 

And then it happened, on Wednesday evening, my phone refused to charge. After a couple hours of plugging and unplugging, wiggling, wiggling, and wiggling some more, using a stack of books, a gallon of milk, and an iron to bring weight, I was unable to make a connection - unable to get a charge. 

So, I pulled out an old phone, changed the SIM card, plugged it in and, "DING", I was back in business. After a few adjustments and updates on Thursday morning I had all of the functions of my phone back. I had my phone back, that is, until today.

This evening, as I plugged the phone in, to charge, nothing. I went to work, doing everything that I could to get the cord to make a connection and bring a charge to my phone but nothing worked. Finally, around 8:00 this evening, as I watched the final bit of battery drain from my phone, with no other options, I accepted the reality that I would be without a phone. 

Moments ago, I laid down in bed, looked over at my nightstand and decided to give it one more shot, I gently plugged the charging cord into my phone and, "DING", it's charging. 

Amidst the rejoicing over my phone - now gaining battery life by the minute - I began to think about another source of power, the is The Holy Spirit. As a Christian I believe that all power comes from The Holy Spirit and that apart from Him I have no power to live, to act, and to to succeed.

I began to reflect on the amount of work I put into getting a phone to charge - the amount of work I put into getting the power to my phone. And I began to reflect on the lack of work I sometimes put into gaining the true and total power of The Holy Spirit in my life. Often times, when things get difficult, I stop pursuing His power in my life.

I believe that what God calls us to is a commitment and a dedication to pursuing His presence and His power in our lives. I believe that Gos calls us to pursue His presence despite difficult time - in spite of difficult times. However, we do not find His complete power through our labor - just as I did not find a charge for my phone through the hours of labor that I put forth. Instead, God grants us His power after we have shown complete commitment - and complete dedication - to Him. Yet God grants us His power once we stop labor intensive on our own and gently allow Him to take control. 

So, as I lay down to rest tonight - my phone charging nearby - I will let go and let God take control. 

Complaints

Everyone else in the family is asleep at this hour. I just flipped through some channels and found nothing good on television this evening. And so, I scanned through my phone and landed on Facebook. 

Looking through my Facebook timeline I found a common theme. So, I decided to spend a few minutes complaining about the amount of complaining that people participate in. 

The Greek word for “complainer” means “one who is discontent with our lot in life". Complaining steals our joy and our peace, and it rarely productive. Perhaps we find one or two others that agree with us yet they are rarely ones that can bring results and answers to our complaints. 

Often we complain to one person, which leads to complaining to another, and then several more. I've thought before that if we call it "venting" then it is still acceptable. Yet our "venting must stop before we are "steaming" lest we "boil over". 

And I wonder if complaining on Facebook doesn't do more harm than anything else. Does the occasional "like" mean that much to us? Does it bring with it a feeling of worth or acceptance? For ever comment of support, keep in mind, that dozens are reading and disagreeing with your argument - and your attitude. Keep in mind that, with each complaint you broadcast, you are building on to the culture of discontent, impatience, and hatred. 

We have been complaining since the very beginning. The very first complainer was Adam who, after he and Eve disobeyed God, he complained to God that “the woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it”. 

So, what does God think of complaining? What are we - as Christians to do when we are "disconnect with our lot in life"? Two passages come to mind, the first is a command, the second is a teaching. 

(Philippians 2:14-15) Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.

(James 4:1-3) What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

What are we to do? Stop grumbling! Stop complaining! Start praying! Seek God's heart! Ask God for our desires! And be content in Him! 

Unity Through The Holy Spirit

Romans 15:5-6,13

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow  Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As The Church - established in Christ - we must find endurance, encouragement, hope, joy, peace, trust, and power. This can only be accomplished through unity and this unity is only possible through the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore, let us - as The Church of Jesus Christ pursue the unity of the Holy Spirit - so that we may glorify God with one heart and one mind and one voice.