Pipe Dream

I sat down the whole day yesterday reading scripture, reading A.W. Tozer, and Francis Chan, and watching the video podcast from the church where Francis Chan preaches. One idea or concept keeps coming back to haunt me and convict me. It's the idea that if we call ourselves Christians and have the power of God in us, our lives ought to show evidence of that power. I mean just listen to that phrase... when we believe, we are filled with SPIRIT OF GOD! When we say we are Christians, we are saying to the world that we have the SPIRIT OF GOD inside us. If that's true shouldn't that Spirit be very apparent to all those we come in contact with. I am convicted by this deeply lately because I think its very possible that the secular world I come in contact with wouldn't know me to be any different than anyone else. Is the Holy Spirit so evident in my life that people could look at me, people who didn't really know me that well, and would they know that I am who I say I am?
Francis Chan had a really good analogy on a video podcast sermon I watched yesterday. Let's say we played basketball in a church basketball league and all the while we were playing you knew me to be a very average to less than average player. Then in the off season one day I come up to you and explain that I feel that the Spirit of God has really filled me and has supernaturally enabled me to be amazing at basketball, and that next season I am going to be completely amazing at basketball because the Spirit has enabled me to be so. Then when the season comes around, you discovery that I am the same old out of shape and slow Rick, and I am no better at basketball than I was the previous year. How would that look? What would you think of me? You'd think that either I am liar... or a fool... and it would appear that I had just made a mockery of the Holy Spirit. Is it not the same in life. If we profess to be how we say we are, should it not show? Anyway, deeply convicted of this lately I wrote a new song yesterday. It's got some harshness and aggressiveness to it, but I wrote the song to myself and I do feel strongly that its something the Holy Spirit has been laying upon my heart lately. So my hope is that this song will push some buttons for other people as well and get us all thinking about what it is that we really believe, and how we are portraying that to the world around us. It's called Pipe Dream.

Pipe Dream

You say you believe
but you live like you're diseased
you make the whole world laugh at me
as if I'm only your pipe dream

cause what I see in your life
is that opposites deny
the very truth you keep inside

and that you only love when you've been loved
and only give when you've had enough
and you keep the least of these away from me

You say you believe
but you live like you're diseased
you make the whole world laugh at me
as if I'm only your pipe dream

so tell me one more time
that you want me in your life
cause I can see right through your lies

and that you only love when you've been loved
and only give when you've had enough
and you keep the least of these away from me

You say you believe
but you live like you're diseased
you make the whole world laugh at me
as if I'm only your pipe dream

maybe dreams mean more to you
maybe you're more false than true
maybe I'm not real to you
maybe we are nearly through

My Utmost - November 27, 2009

http://www.myutmost.org/11/1127.html

It Is Finished

Galations 6:14
“By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Key Passages

• If I brood on the Cross of Christ, I do not become a subjective pietist, interested in my own whiteness; I become dominantly concentrated on Jesus Christ's interests.

• Our Lord was not a recluse nor an ascetic, He did not cut himself off from society, but he was inwardly disconnected all the time.

• He was not aloof, but he lived in another world.

• He was so much in the ordinary world that the religious people of his day called him a glutton and a wine-bibber.

• Our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual energy.

• We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual energy.

• Consecration is our part, sanctification is God's part; and we have deliberately to determine to be interested only in that in which God is interested.

My Own Thoughts

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be consumed by that which concerned you. The things that you cared about, I want to care about Lord. I pray in your Son Jesus Christ's name that you would consume me with these matters. I pray Lord that you would use me in this world to accomplish your will, but I pray that you would keep me from allowing the world to consume me with its desires. Give me the desire to follow you only Lord, and not myself. Give me eyes to see the world the way you see it. While you have me in this world, keep me in it, but not of the world. Show me how to reach an unbelieving and hurting world around me, all the while, not getting caught up in it, but longing desperately for my true home. Be with me Lord, and convict me when something comes between you and I. Keep my focus right, and locked on you.

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 329

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/329

Nehemiah 13

14 Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

22b Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

• I love this whole chapter. Nehemiah is giving an account of how he was trying very hard to keep the people of God from sinning, and falling out of favor with God yet again. He will tell of something he did to try and correct the people, then appeal to God to remember him for all that he was trying to do for God.

• Nehemiah has some amazing zeal and love for God and His reputation, and some real frustration and trying to deal with people.

• Nehemiah went completely and utterly out of his own way to make the reputation of God great. Even when it was very difficult and he couldn't get the people to go along with him, he worked very hard to uphold the reputation of God, and to make His people holy. If only there were more people like Nehemiah at the time, and even now. Nehemiah wasn't the priest, or even part of the temple workers. He was just a guy who became cup bearer to the king, who had a desire to see the reputation of God made great and he was willing to do what it took. Even confront the High Priest on his wrong doing, he confronted the people on their sinfulness, not to mention he organized the complete rebuilding of the city walls and the city itself pretty much. Amazing guy!

Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah's Prayer

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,

2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

5 Then I said:

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you.

7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.

11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.

Amos 5

21 “I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.

22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.

23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

2 Timothy 2

3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs–he wants to please his commanding officer.5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

• God give me the desire to meditate upon your words and your instruction

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;

12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;

13 if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

• I really like the “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful.” that is encouraging to me today.

• From the Amplified Bible... “11 The saying is sure and worthy of confidence: If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him.12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us.13 If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.”

19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

• God give me the ability to flee from the desires that still try to direct me. Give me the desire to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. I want to call on you with a pure heart Lord. Give me the ability to be a peacemaker, to not be a quarreler, and to be humble.

My Utmost - November 18, 2009

http://www.myutmost.org/11/1118.html

Winning Into Freedom

John 8:36
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Key Passages

• We are designed with a great capacity for God; and sin and our individuality are the things that keep us from getting at God.

• God delivers us from sin: we have to deliver ourselves from individuality, i.e., to present our natural life to God and sacrifice it until it is transformed into a spiritual life by obedience.

• God does not pay any attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His order runs across the natural life, and we have to see that we aid and abet God, not stand against Him and say - “I can't do that”.

• God will not discipline us, we have to discipline ourselves.

• God will not bring every thought and imagination into captivity; we have to do it.

My Own Thoughts

I have to somewhat summarize this passage to make it more understandable to myself. What I think he is saying here is that we all have an immense desire to know God. To know and be known. We also are a broken people with selfish desires and drives, and sins we fall into routinely. God can and has delivered us from the effects of the sin. If we believe in His Son Jesus Christ and that His death on the cross covered over our sins making us blameless in the sight of God, then God has delivered us from the outcome of sin. He doesn't automatically take away the sin as a source of temptation however. The temptation will still exist to follow our own desires and to commit those same sins that have a foothold in our lives. We have to go about the work of “dying to ourselves” so that we don't follow our own desires, and so that we don't continue to fall into the sins we are prone to wander into. If you struggle with a porn addiction don't imagine that its just going to stop being a source of temptation because you believe in God. If anything the temptation may increase because the enemy wants us to fail and to feel defeated. We have to conquer that temptation by practicing self control and obedience to the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:1-5

1By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! 2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We can say we believe all we want, but still have to do the work of dying to ourselves so that we can follow Christ and reflect Him to those around us. You wouldn't just say you believed in exercise and eating right and expect that belief to be enough to transform your body. Even though it is true that these things will transform your body... you have to actually choose to do them yourself. So if you say you believe something, but never follow through with the discipline it takes to actually live that belief, did you ever really believe it in the first place?

John 8:34-36

34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

If you were a slave for your whole life, and one day you were set free, would you know how to stop being a slave instantly? You'd no longer have the effects of slavery, but you'd have to learn and choose to be free and to live like a free person. Look at the Israelites when taken out of Egypt. They were made free, they walked for a little while, and decided that freedom wasn't for them because they didn't know how to live it. They wanted to go back to Egypt and live in slavery again. It looked better to them than freedom. How ludicrous does that sound? But its very true that its way easier to sit where things are comfortable and easy, rather than choose to live be free and have to do the hard work of being a free man. But we are called to it because thats what it means to follow Christ. If the world sees and hears us professing to be Christians and supposedly having this “higher standard”, but then they see and hear us living it totally opposite, Christ will be made a joke to them. A late night talk show comedy bit about the failings and hypocrisy of Christianity.

Nobody said it would be easy. But if you believe, tough choices and hard work will follow. That is the life of the honest and true follower of Christ.

My Utmost - November 17, 2009

http://www.myutmost.org/11/1117.html

The Eternal Goal

Genesis 22:16-17
“By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, that in blessing I will bless thee...”

Key Passages

• Abraham has reached the place where he is in touch with the very nature of God.

• “My goal is God Himself. At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.”

• “At any cost, by any road” means nothing self-chosen in the way God brings us to the goal.

• When Jesus says “Come” I simply come; when He says “Let go” I let go; when He says “Trust in God in this matter” I do trust. The whole working out is the evidence that the nature of God is in me.

• By the discipline of obedience I get to the place where Abraham was and I see Who God is.

• I never have a real God until I have come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ, then I know that “in all the world, my God, there is none but thee.”

My Own Thoughts

Dear Heavenly Father make that my desire today... that “my goal is God Himself. At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.” I want to know you for who you are, not who I have made you out to be by my own feeble understanding. As I tell my kids all the time... “when I say to do something, just do it”, and I tell them this because I want them to do what I say not out of fear, but out of obedience and love for me. It takes discipline to be obedient, and to raise kids to be be obedient it takes discipline. God give me the desire to be obedient to you at all times that I might see who you are, and truly know you. I want to come face to face with you Lord and know that there is none but thee. None other to pursue but you Lord...

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 321

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/321
Nehemiah 4

14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

• The story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is a great story. These men were being attacked on every side, but they persevered and trusted the Lord, who they knew to be great and awesome, and who had allowed them to return to their home land and rebuild it.

• God fought for this group of people that longed to see the city of God returned to its glory. They wanted it for the right reasons and I believe this is why God put His hand upon the project. It must have seemed like an impossible task because of the amount of work, and the opposition. Nehemiah however knew God's had was upon the work, and that He would deliver them through the persecution, and that ultimately they would be successful. I wish I had this kind of faith.

Hosea 14

1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God.
Your sins have been your downfall!

2 Take words with you
and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
“Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

• “the fruit of our lips” offered up to God after He has forgiven us and graciously accepted us... Christ' work on the cross completed this, thus we can offer up the fruit of our lips at all times. Nice opening for a praise and worship set sometime...

4 “I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.

• Dear Heavenly Father, heal my waywardness. My heart wanders Lord. I am drawn away by my selfishness, self interest, and personal pity. Love me freely Lord... Thank you so much that your anger is turned from me Lord and that I am forgiven.

9 Who is wise? He will realize these things.
Who is discerning? He will understand them.
The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.

1 Thessalonians 3

5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.7 Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?

1 Thessalonians 4

3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

• A lesson in self control and an area for all believers to differentiate ourselves from unbelievers. Not in some prideful, holier than thou way. But in a way that is quiet and not “in your face” as it goes on to say in verse 11....

11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody

• lead a quiet life, and mind your own business... 2 things I am not good at doing, as well as a good portion of the Christian community I think. Let your daily life win the respect of outsiders... let your life, submitted to God, be proof that you believe what you say, and that it is all true.

• I am drawn again to the way that Christ confronted sin differently with those outside the church, “the sinners”, and those inside the church, the Pharisees and religious hierarchy of the day. To “the sinners” he was loving, and gentle, and he drew out their sin in a way that was firm and truthful, but he had a way of doing it that didn't make them think he was just some judgmental jerk. He had a way of doing it that made them understand their need for saving and made them want it. To the religious people, he took them to task and came right after them calling them a brood of vipers, and hypocrites. Hypocrites is a pretty strong word which according to the dictionary means “a person who pretends to be something he is not”. It gives you the feeling that the people outside the church are safer from the wrath of God than the people within the church because we are being judged by the standard we profess to believe. We aren't being judged by a standard we had no idea existed.

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

• Be encouraged today, that we who have believed that Jesus died and rose again will be raised to life eternal with the Lord forever.

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 313

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/313

Ezra 3
Key Passages

11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good;
his love to Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.

13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

• I want to be a part of a group like this. Some were unbelievably happy to see the beginning of a new temple being built, signaling a time of return to their religious roots. Some were unbelievably saddened to see their old temple completely covered over and lost forever. Either way they were deeply impacted by the establishing of the new temple and felt it deeply. I want to feel deeply when it comes to matters of the heart and things I believe.

Ezra 4
Key Passages

23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Hosea 6
Key Passages

1 “Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”

6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

• I love how both these sections stress acknowledgement of God. He wants us to be in relationship with Him and actually listening to what He says. He is here. He is with us. How can we ignore Him? “He will appear, He will come to us like the winter rains, like the springs that water Earth.” Father God I ask that you appear to me and show me yourself. I acknowledge your presence in my life. Give me the desire to know you for who you really are. Not who I've heard you are. Not who I've made you out to be in my own mind. Show me who you really are.

Acts 23
Key Passages

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

• “... the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage!'...”

• There have been many a time in my life when I needed to hear that very thing from the Lord. There are times in my life right now when I need to hear it. Take courage, He has a plan, and you're in the midst of it. Be patient.

Acts 24
Key Passages

14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

• Something I've loved to see happening here in this area of acts is that we are exposed to the genius of Paul, or I guess we could say the genius answers he is given by the Holy Spirit when questioned by all the officials. The guy knows how to get out of trouble if there is any possible route out of it, and he knows how to answer every question in a very well thought out God honoring way. Not to mention he's under some pretty intense pressure here...

• Verse 16 reflects how Paul is able to answer and be completely God honoring. He seeks to keep a clear conscience before God and man.

24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.25 As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

• I find this section humorous considering the next section. Felix was made afraid as Paul was speaking of righteousness, self-control and judgment to come. He was talking about these things to Felix, who we find out in the next verse was meeting with Paul in hopes that Paul would offer him a bribe. Not exactly the most righteous or self-controlled thing to do.... and worthy of coming judgment.

26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long–I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

• I love the insight we are given into the heart of Paul here. He truly cares that all men would come to know the Lord. He doesn't care how long it takes. His only care is that we would all become the kind of person he was, because he is talking to us today as well.

• What type of person was Paul? He was a Christ follower. The most authentic and genuine form of Christ follower you can be. He gave his entire life for furthering the message of Christ.

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 310

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/310

2 Chronicles 35
Key Passages

17 The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.

• What an amazing event and day that must have been really to see an entire nation return to the God who chose, loved, and delivered them. What would that look like in our nation? I'd love to see this happen here in our nation.

Hosea 3
Key Passages

1 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

• “Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites....” How difficult is it to love an adulteress spouse? I am blessed that this is not something my own marriage relationship has fallen into, because I can't imagine what it must feel like to have a person you love, trust, and cherish turn their back on you and seek someone else to share their most intimate of relationships with.

Acts 18
Key Passages

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

• The Lord is with me as he was with Paul. The difference is that I have literally nothing to fear because no one is going to attack me for talking about God. So why am I still silent?

Acts 19
Key Passages

1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John's baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

• Paul asks them if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed, and it seems to me that he is eluding to the question of whether they had shown signs of filling of the Spirit... speaking in tongues and prophesying... They say they have received the baptism of John which Paul then calls a baptism of repentance. My question then becomes how many have received the baptism of repentance, but not the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist himself says in Matthew 3:11 that “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” I have a desire to have this baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I want to receive it as the people here received it. They had no idea what was going to happen. They were not privy to debates about tongues and prophesy as we are today. They simply received this baptism of the Holy Spirit and things started flowing out of them that they couldn't explain other than to say that the Holy Spirit had invaded them. I want the Holy Spirit to invade me as He did here.

11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

• This story is comical and amazingly powerful at the same time. I think its hilarious how the evil spirit just decimated these 7 guys who were using Jesus' name as some sort of tinker toy power tool. Then we are told what happened immediately after this... the hearts of the people were revealed as well. They had all been treating His name in the same way. They all made little of him as if the could wield the power of the Holy Spirit anytime they wanted to accomplish their goals and glory. At this event it says they were seized with fear, because they were all thinking the same as these 7 sons. When they realized the power they were up against and that Jesus' name was really the only thing powerful enough to defeat it, they began to genuinely believe and cling to the truth of who Christ was. He wasn't just another trinket for them to throw in their purse and pull out to bring about some glory and recognition for themselves. He was the real deal, and the only thing that could save them from the power of evil and deliver them from their sin.

23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen.25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business.26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” 28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater.30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. 32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.33 The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash.37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” s41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

• I gotta say the first thing that struck me in this story is that the Ephesian people who were rioting still seemed more reasonable than a lot of other people the apostles had encountered. They did riot, but at least when reasoned with and confronted on what they were doing, they calmed down, the crowd left, and no one was hurt.

• I also have to wonder how much these silversmiths and workmen in related trades actually cared that Artemis was being “dissed” by Paul and the message coming from the apostles, or if it was all just that they were losing money and livelihood.

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 309

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/309

2 Chronicles 34
Key Passages

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

• Seems beyond imagination that an 8 year old was made king to rule over Israel. I see my son now who is almost 7. I can not imagine him as a king over a nation. Yet this young man did rule a nation, a tumultuous one at that, and he did it in a God honoring fashion even from such a young age. If God can use an 8 year old boy to rule a nation and bring it back to Him, then he can use me as a father and husband to be the spiritual leader of my family.

Hosea 2
Key Passages

7 She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’

• Chasing after other lovers is the past time of choice for most people including myself. I go after whatever I think is going to make me happy. I've chased other lovers, and have not caught them because they can not be caught. I've sought happiness wherever I thought I could get it, and found that it is not in any of the places I've looked. I need to get back to my first love. The only love that satisfies.

14 “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. 15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.16 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ 17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.

Acts 16
Key Passages

14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.

• Lord open my heart to respond to your message. Lord give me a desire to know you the way you are. Reveal yourself to me Lord. Open my heart Lord so that my desire is to respond to You.

18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

• There is so much power in the name of Christ. It says “At that moment the spirit left her...” there was no hesitation. That spirit knew what it had to do, and the authority that flowed out of Paul through the name of Jesus Christ showed no hesitation, fear, or doubt. The spirit that possessed that young girl had only one response and that was flee simply at the name of Christ spoken in authority and power by Paul.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

• The first thing I would be doing if I were thrown in a jail cell is praying. I'd be praying like crazy. I know for a fact that I'd be praying unceasingly and I know this because I know myself. My prayer would definitely be much different than Paul and Silas' prayer though. While they were praying and singing praises, I'd be sitting silently probably scared to death praying that God would get me out of there. The last thing on my mind would be to sing praises to God. This is a true testament to the power of God in these men's lives that they thought to praise God in a very bad situation that I am positive they didn't want to be in. They saw their imprisonment as a blessing, and the other prisoners were listening to them and being ministered to through it. I hope that someday my life would be changed sufficiently so that in my darkest moments of life I would sing praises to God and have no fear.

Acts 17
Key Passages

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

• “...they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

• God give me that same desire so that I receive your message with great eagerness, and I examine and study your word every day.

23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To an Unknown God. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

• God determined the times set for us and the exact places we would live and he did all this so that we may reach out to Him. God set us in the place and time we are because He wanted us to reach out to him. He engineered our lives so that we'd be placed in the best position possible to reach out to him. And in this place He has placed us, His Spirit dwells, and we quite literally live and move and have our being in Him.

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 308

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/308

2 Chronicles 33
Key Passages

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.11 So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

• Another great story of a completely wicked and twisted man, made broken by God, who turns his life around and is completely changed by the grace of God.

Hosea 1
Key Passages

2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”

3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

• Gomer symbolizes the people of Israel in that day because they had forgotten their first love and become completely adulterous. What an amazing symbol God gives of His love for His bride, despite her adultery.

Acts 14
Key Passages

8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed

10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

• Another amazing healing story that actually leads the people of Lystra to believe that Paul and Barnabas are gods... Paul tries to tell them that they are not gods, and he tries to point them to the one true God, but the crowd still is trying to sacrifice to them, and then all the sudden...

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.

20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

• Ouch! Fickle crowd I guess. One minute they were calling them gods and trying to sacrifice to them, the next verse they are suddenly trying to kill Paul by throwing large rocks at his head. Paul wakes up from his beat down and what does he immediately do... he goes back into the city. The city full of the people who just stoned him. Ballsy for sure... The next day they leave for Derbe. So was Paul doing ok at this point or did he have some broken bones? Maybe a few huge knots on his head...

21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

• Derbe seems to go much better... then you'll notice they go back to the towns that they were just in where they got treated like crap, and stoned. They went to encourage the believers there, and how do they encourage the brothers in those towns, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”... That message probably delivered while Paul was still healing up from a severe stoning he received in their town.

• We get another reference to fasting... fasting combined with prayer.

Acts 15
Key Passages

5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?

11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

• An encouraging word from the apostle Peter... we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, just as we are, not because we have done anything... stop trying to earn what you already have...

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them,38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

• Maybe the first recorded story of a “church split”... sort of. However you see that they did not make this into a big deal. They disagreed, they parted company, they left commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. It doesn't talk about how their split destroyed anything because it didn't. They split and their disagreement actually served to further the spread of the gospel because it was going to more places now. They didn't trash each other.

YouVersion Daily Reading: Day 307

http://www.youversion.com/reading-plan/robert-roberts/307

2 Chronicles 32
Key Passages

6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words:7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.

8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of men's hands.
20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this.

21 And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.
22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.

30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook.

31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

• I am curious how this test turned out. It doesn't say here in this passage how Hezekiah faired in the testing God put him through

Daniel 12
Key Passages

1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

• Am I wise...? Do I understand? This is actually a fear of mine, that I will somehow miss the boat when God arrives or I'll be looking the wrong direction

Acts 13
Key Passages

2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

• There seems to be lots of fasting to go along with their praying... Is this something I should be doing? It sure sounds that way. What is the role of fasting?

26 “Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

• This message was sent to those who were already believers in God. The message of salvation through Jesus was sent to them. So the message is for us today... salvation is found in no one else. Now take that to the world around you.

38 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

• “... and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”... what does that mean exactly that those “appointed” believed? God chooses us specifically. There is a whole debate wrapped up in this verse.

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.50 But the Jews incited the God fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.51 So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

• I love that the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit upon being kicked out of a town. It seems as though this had to come as a sign to them that they were on the right track with what they were doing. Jesus told them they would face persecution and this type of thing. So they knew they were fulfilling their calling from God because what He said would happen... happened.

My Kids...

If only every interaction they had could be like this one...

Grace, while searching through her Polly Pockets toys finds 2 pieces she's been looking for forever...

Grace: "My wish came true!!! Jack did you pray for these?"

Jack: "Yup".

Grace: "You're the best friend ever Jack!"

Me: "I love my kids..."

My Utmost - Oct 31, 2009

Go here first...
http://www.myutmost.org/10/1031.html

Discernment Of Faith

Matthew 17:20
“Faith as a grain of mustard seed...”

Key Passages

• We have this idea that God rewards us for our faith.

• … we do not earn anything by faith; faith brings us into right relationship with God and gives God His opportunity.

• You earlier life of faith was narrow and intense... then God withdrew His conscious blessings in order to teach you to walk by faith.

• You are worth far more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight and thrilling testimony.

• Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him – I will remain true to God's character whatever He may do. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

My Own Thoughts

This is actually a really encouraging passage to read. Hearing that sentence, “You are worth more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight and thrilling testimony...” that is right where I am at and right where I want to be. I always ask the question “why can't things be like they were?” You know like back when I was new to Christianity and I was very young and all life seemed easy. Then I moved out, went to college, got married, and had kids... now life has gotten complicated to say the least. Things aren't so simple in the world these days. Faith becomes more real in times like this, at least for me. It's not just a word you say... its something you have to practice because there are some times when all you can do is believe that God is real, and trust that He is in control.

Something strikes me lately, and convicts me... and this is pretty much unrelated to this post... I can read books about the Bible very easily, but to actually jump into the Bible and read it and take down my thoughts has proven quite the challenge for me for a very long time. Lately God has been convicting me of this... I don't believe it to be wrong that I have been reading Oswald Chambers and taking notes, but I have done it at the neglect of reading the actual Word of God... so in regards to this I think I am going to be changing my (somewhat) daily entries here... instead of entries from Oswald Chambers, I'm going to read through a section of the Bible and take down some notes and thoughts to share with the 1 person who reads this blog entry :) I am not sure where I am going to start yet, but I'll start somewhere. Maybe I'll start going through the 1 year Bible, or jump into a gospel... who knows... We'll see what happens. Your relationship with God is just like any other relationship, if you want it to work, you have to spend time with that person. How do we spend time with God? Prayer... reading the Word... so I need to start actually doing this...

There's my confession to you. I haven't been reading the Word, or at least not consistently and not for a very long time. How can we challenge each other to do this? How can we spur each other on towards stronger and deeper relationship with God? We must get into the Word and keep each other accountable. Who's got my back?

My Utmost - Oct 30, 2009

Go here first...
http://www.myutmost.org/10/1030.html

Faith

Hebrews 11:6
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

Key Passages

• Faith in antagonism to common sense is fanaticism, and common sense in antagonism to faith is rationalism. The life of faith brings the two into a right relation.

• Nothing Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, it is revelation sense, and it reaches the shores where common sense fails.

• To turn head faith into a personal possession is a fight always, not sometimes.

• God brings us into circumstances in order to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make its object real.

• Faith is the whole man rightly related to God by the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

My Own Thoughts

“To turn head faith into a personal possession is a fight always, not sometimes.”... That really feels like the fight I have been in for about 3 years now. Taking all this stuff I was told and taught and making it my belief. Not just something I say I believe, and regretfully do not live. I can see God working in lots of circumstances in my life, which makes it all the more amazing that I struggle so much... I know He's there, I see Him moving, I see Him acting, and yet I fail miserably at living the life He wants me to live. The life of bringing the kingdom to those around me and those I come in contact with in any way... I love that line “... the nature of faith is to make its object real.” I can feel that. I no longer sense a desire to believe, but I sense an amazing to desire to see what I have believed in. I know its there, I just want to see it clearly, without the veil. Even if its just the edge of his robe, the train of His glory as He passes by me...

The other night I was at a worship event at my church and it had to be one of the most intense worship experiences I have been a part of, at least in a very very long time. I had trouble settling into the service for a while because I felt like I needed to get something out of it. Like I needed to be ministered to. Then about 3 songs in, something in my head snapped. I realized suddenly that I was there to worship God... this is not a time for me to be worried about getting anything out of this. This was a time of giving God glory no matter what the circumstances were in my life, and what I thought I needed to get out of this experience. I had to worship Him because He is God, and that is all there is to it. When this snapped into my head I had a sense come over me like a warm blanket that He was in the room with me right at that moment. I almost felt like I could see Him. My faith for that instance seemed to be more real than ever. Then we took communion, and I've never taken a communion like it before. It seemed very literal and real. When they elders who were handing out the bread and wine said “this is Christ body broken for you” and “this is Christ blood poured out for you”, I've never felt a closer connection with communion. It basically ruined me... I lost control of myself emotionally for a little while and it took a lot of work to get my usual tough guy persona back. But through the experience and afterwards I was so amazed at how real my faith became when I stopped thinking of myself and what I needed, and I was able to praise God simply because He is God and He deserves our praise.

So the short of it, take your eyes off yourself and your own need for one minute and see how real God can become. Stop thinking of yourself for just a little while. God could show up and do something amazing, or He might choose not to sometimes. Either way, He is worthy to be praised, despite how we feel.