A quick post today because I failed to get this done this morning!
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 106:13
But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.
OBSERVATION
The people of Israel saw more demonstrations of God's power then any other people group. The Scriptures are full of the stories of God's miraculous interventions and power displays. But even though they experienced God's hand of deliverance time and again, they also turned away from him time and again.
APPLICATION
We are no different from Israel. We are humans and humans have a tendency to forget very quickly what God has done. One day we are convinced He knows what He is doing and are committed to follow Him til the end. Twenty-four hours later we have forgotten all about it and are convinced that He has abandoned us and we know a better way.
We forget too quickly. It is one of our ever present weaknesses. To combat this, we would do well to rehearse God's goodness regularly so as to remind ourselves. We must keep fresh in our minds, because the half-life of our recollections of God's works is altogether too short.
PRAYER
God, help me to keep your goodness ever before me! I will declare your works at all times so that my heart may not forget your faithfulness.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 17:4
4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
OBSERVATION
I love the way Peter is always a man of action. He was the one who walked on water and he's always the first to make a fool of himself. He is always making rash statements and doing rash things — but he's also the one who does walk on water and who declares the true nature of Jesus.
Here we see him scrambling to please Jesus by offering to build three shelters. A silly thing in retrospect for sure. Visitors from heaven most likely need no shelters — they are not subject to the natural realm (thus the whole flying around in the air thing).
Peter's heart is in the right place, but he doesn't stop and think and that sometimes gets him in trouble. I love how Jesus doesn't even bother replying in the story!
APPLICATION
Stop and think. Yes be zealous for God, but pause and see what the Master wants you to do and don't just do what you think the Master would want you to do!
PRAYER
Lord, give me Peter's heart, but someone else's brains!
Matthew 17:4
4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
OBSERVATION
I love the way Peter is always a man of action. He was the one who walked on water and he's always the first to make a fool of himself. He is always making rash statements and doing rash things — but he's also the one who does walk on water and who declares the true nature of Jesus.
Here we see him scrambling to please Jesus by offering to build three shelters. A silly thing in retrospect for sure. Visitors from heaven most likely need no shelters — they are not subject to the natural realm (thus the whole flying around in the air thing).
Peter's heart is in the right place, but he doesn't stop and think and that sometimes gets him in trouble. I love how Jesus doesn't even bother replying in the story!
APPLICATION
Stop and think. Yes be zealous for God, but pause and see what the Master wants you to do and don't just do what you think the Master would want you to do!
PRAYER
Lord, give me Peter's heart, but someone else's brains!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
SCRIPTURE
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
OBSERVATION
Jesus is coming back one day and He will reward us for what we have done. Rewards are different from salvation. Salvation is not a reward for anything we have done or could ever do. It is not something earned — it is a free gift of God. But after salvation, it is clear that our level of commitment and contribution is directly proportionate to the rewards we will receive.
APPLICATION
I need to be more aware of serving and laying down my life and my goals for others. One of the paradoxes of Scripture is that by laying down our life, we find it. I must continually seek out ways to give and serve others.
PRAYER
Lord, open my eyes to see others — to see them as precious commodities that You love and desire me to serve even as you served. Help me to see people the way You see them. Amen.
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
OBSERVATION
Jesus is coming back one day and He will reward us for what we have done. Rewards are different from salvation. Salvation is not a reward for anything we have done or could ever do. It is not something earned — it is a free gift of God. But after salvation, it is clear that our level of commitment and contribution is directly proportionate to the rewards we will receive.
APPLICATION
I need to be more aware of serving and laying down my life and my goals for others. One of the paradoxes of Scripture is that by laying down our life, we find it. I must continually seek out ways to give and serve others.
PRAYER
Lord, open my eyes to see others — to see them as precious commodities that You love and desire me to serve even as you served. Help me to see people the way You see them. Amen.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Jesus is After the Heart
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 15:16-18
16 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.
17 "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
20 These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "
OBSERVATION
In the first twenty verse of Matthew 15, we see Jesus turning the whole system that the Pharisees had created upside down. The Pharisees had invested countless time and energy into figuring out how to best follow the Law of God — the Torah. But in their zeal for God's Law, they had actually ended up ignoring the very thing they set out to protect. They had not only missed God's heart, but they had failed to keep the Law anyway (see verse vss 5-6).
But Jesus didn't stop there, He also challenged some of the basics of Jewish tradition. The culinary rules were followed not just by the Pharisees but by any self-respecting Jew. These rules dictated what you could eat and what you couldn't eat. If you ate the wrong things, you became unclean. To us today, the whole notion of clean and unclean tends to refer only to the external state of a person (are they dirty or not?). But in the Jewish culture, the whole world was divided up into clean and unclean. And whether or not you were clean or unclean determined your ability to interact with others, worship God and generally operate in society.
So a lot was invested in not eating the wrong things and only eating the right things. This is what God laid out in the Law of Moses. It was okay to eat animals with cloven hoofs, but not those with scales. It was okay to eat fish with scales, but not those without. And so forth. Eat the wrong thing and you couldn't go to the Temple, you had to go through ritual ablutions to cleanse yourself and the list went on.
But Jesus turns to His disciples and says, it's not about the kind of food you eat, it's about your heart.
APPLICATION
The whole point of the Law was to try to teach the people of Israel God's heart. But as humans so frequently do, they reduced it to a set of rules and regulations. A set of checkboxes that could be hammered through like a pre-flight checklist. If I do these things, then I'm okay with God.
But Jesus is saying, God is not interested in the list as much as He is interested in the heart. It is not that what you do doesn't matter — because it most certainly does. What you do flows from something internal. You can do the right things for the wrong motives and vice-versa. The heart — the motives — are what is most important. Right motives will result in right action.
We get so fixated on doing the right things, that we forget that what God really wants is a hear that is committed to Him. What we give Him altogether too frequently, is a heart committed to the checkboxes.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me to operate out of a heart that loves You and seeks You first. Far too often I assume that there is a formula that I must follow in order to be close to you and I end up doing the formula rather then seeking your face. Help me to be a man that seeks after you with all of my heart. Amen.
Matthew 15:16-18
16 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.
17 "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
20 These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "
OBSERVATION
In the first twenty verse of Matthew 15, we see Jesus turning the whole system that the Pharisees had created upside down. The Pharisees had invested countless time and energy into figuring out how to best follow the Law of God — the Torah. But in their zeal for God's Law, they had actually ended up ignoring the very thing they set out to protect. They had not only missed God's heart, but they had failed to keep the Law anyway (see verse vss 5-6).
But Jesus didn't stop there, He also challenged some of the basics of Jewish tradition. The culinary rules were followed not just by the Pharisees but by any self-respecting Jew. These rules dictated what you could eat and what you couldn't eat. If you ate the wrong things, you became unclean. To us today, the whole notion of clean and unclean tends to refer only to the external state of a person (are they dirty or not?). But in the Jewish culture, the whole world was divided up into clean and unclean. And whether or not you were clean or unclean determined your ability to interact with others, worship God and generally operate in society.
So a lot was invested in not eating the wrong things and only eating the right things. This is what God laid out in the Law of Moses. It was okay to eat animals with cloven hoofs, but not those with scales. It was okay to eat fish with scales, but not those without. And so forth. Eat the wrong thing and you couldn't go to the Temple, you had to go through ritual ablutions to cleanse yourself and the list went on.
But Jesus turns to His disciples and says, it's not about the kind of food you eat, it's about your heart.
APPLICATION
The whole point of the Law was to try to teach the people of Israel God's heart. But as humans so frequently do, they reduced it to a set of rules and regulations. A set of checkboxes that could be hammered through like a pre-flight checklist. If I do these things, then I'm okay with God.
But Jesus is saying, God is not interested in the list as much as He is interested in the heart. It is not that what you do doesn't matter — because it most certainly does. What you do flows from something internal. You can do the right things for the wrong motives and vice-versa. The heart — the motives — are what is most important. Right motives will result in right action.
We get so fixated on doing the right things, that we forget that what God really wants is a hear that is committed to Him. What we give Him altogether too frequently, is a heart committed to the checkboxes.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me to operate out of a heart that loves You and seeks You first. Far too often I assume that there is a formula that I must follow in order to be close to you and I end up doing the formula rather then seeking your face. Help me to be a man that seeks after you with all of my heart. Amen.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A Little Remodeling
SCRIPTURE
David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces [a] to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. 1 Chronicles 11:7-9
OBSERVATION
There have been many times that God has placed me in situations or places that needed a little "fixin' up". David had to build "up" the supporting terraces..I saw the terraces as places used to "look out" over the the walls for those coming toward the city. The walls were used to "protect" the city. God brings people into our lives to "protect and look out" for us. And they might seem like "rubble" to us in some way. I have to remember that God was there all along.
APPLICATION
The Worship Department Section Leaders are currently going through leadership study together. This scripture reminded me that many people are going to come to serve on the different ministries. They will come from all walks of life...large boulders, medium rocks, little pebbles. They will be different physically and emotionally. As leaders, God is here to help us develop them so that they fit into God's plan for what He's doing in the kingdom.
PRAYER
Father, help me to build up those "walls" and "terraces" in my life that you have appointed to "look out" for me...those that You have assigned to "protect and support" me. What I do in this walk with You, I am reminded daily that I want to please You. I ask that You make me sensitive to the needs of those who do those "small" things that make me and others look big. We reflect that to You....the glory is Yours! I pray for the Spirit of Encouragement on all leaders...parents, teachers, employers, etc..to build up their walls!
Christel Richards
Worship Department
Tenor/Section Leader
David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces [a] to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. 1 Chronicles 11:7-9
OBSERVATION
There have been many times that God has placed me in situations or places that needed a little "fixin' up". David had to build "up" the supporting terraces..I saw the terraces as places used to "look out" over the the walls for those coming toward the city. The walls were used to "protect" the city. God brings people into our lives to "protect and look out" for us. And they might seem like "rubble" to us in some way. I have to remember that God was there all along.
APPLICATION
The Worship Department Section Leaders are currently going through leadership study together. This scripture reminded me that many people are going to come to serve on the different ministries. They will come from all walks of life...large boulders, medium rocks, little pebbles. They will be different physically and emotionally. As leaders, God is here to help us develop them so that they fit into God's plan for what He's doing in the kingdom.
PRAYER
Father, help me to build up those "walls" and "terraces" in my life that you have appointed to "look out" for me...those that You have assigned to "protect and support" me. What I do in this walk with You, I am reminded daily that I want to please You. I ask that You make me sensitive to the needs of those who do those "small" things that make me and others look big. We reflect that to You....the glory is Yours! I pray for the Spirit of Encouragement on all leaders...parents, teachers, employers, etc..to build up their walls!
Christel Richards
Worship Department
Tenor/Section Leader
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Knowledge and Understanding
SCRIPTURE
"To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them." Matthew 13:12
OBSERVATION
If I don't focus on God's word and soak it in word for word, then I will be missing out on the knowledge God has in store for me.
APPLICATION
This scripture teaches me that I need to devote myself to God's word. Through God's word I will gain knowledge. I need to stay focused on his word in order to reap all that God has in store for me.
PRAYER
Dear Lord help me to devote myself to your word. I pray that I keep a focused mind and that I truly listen to what your word tells us. I pray that I seek the gifts that you have for me. I pray for wisdom gained by your word. That way I can use my gained wisdom to defeat the attacks of the enemy. I pray for the abundance of knowledge in your name. Amen.
Caleb DeLaCruz
Worship Department
Tenor/Section Leader
"To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them." Matthew 13:12
OBSERVATION
If I don't focus on God's word and soak it in word for word, then I will be missing out on the knowledge God has in store for me.
APPLICATION
This scripture teaches me that I need to devote myself to God's word. Through God's word I will gain knowledge. I need to stay focused on his word in order to reap all that God has in store for me.
PRAYER
Dear Lord help me to devote myself to your word. I pray that I keep a focused mind and that I truly listen to what your word tells us. I pray that I seek the gifts that you have for me. I pray for wisdom gained by your word. That way I can use my gained wisdom to defeat the attacks of the enemy. I pray for the abundance of knowledge in your name. Amen.
Caleb DeLaCruz
Worship Department
Tenor/Section Leader
Friday, April 25, 2008
Are you an in-law?
SCRIPTURE
“If you had known what these words mean, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matt 12:7-8)
OBSERVATION
This part of chapter 12 highlights the difference between living in the law and living in love. It is actually easier to live in the law because there is a clear winner and loser – you are either in or out based on what you do. Being raised Catholic, I could tell you exactly what my religion expected of me, and I did it (at least when I was at church). It was all about religion, and that religion included building my own stairway to heaven by my good works. Hey, I worked hard for it – I earned it! That’s what I thought, anyway.
APPLICATION
Giving mercy can be harder for our works-based flesh to deal with. We want to be judgmental, especially of other Christians and other churches whose traditions or methods don’t match up with ours. Giving mercy means allowing others to have their freedom in Christ and trusting the Holy Spirit to do His job, convicting, shaping and changing us. Our personal convictions from Him should not necessarily be turned into application for every Christian – we are each different and the Holy Spirit deals with each of us differently.
PRAYER
Oh, Lord, help me to remember to choose mercy over the law – help me to remember You came to call sinners, not the righteous. Help me to love those that religion would condemn. Help me live as the prophet Micah says, “to do justice, to LOVE MERCY, and to WALK HUMBLY with my God”.
Carole Leitgeb
Worship Department
Alto/Section Leader
“If you had known what these words mean, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matt 12:7-8)
OBSERVATION
This part of chapter 12 highlights the difference between living in the law and living in love. It is actually easier to live in the law because there is a clear winner and loser – you are either in or out based on what you do. Being raised Catholic, I could tell you exactly what my religion expected of me, and I did it (at least when I was at church). It was all about religion, and that religion included building my own stairway to heaven by my good works. Hey, I worked hard for it – I earned it! That’s what I thought, anyway.
APPLICATION
Giving mercy can be harder for our works-based flesh to deal with. We want to be judgmental, especially of other Christians and other churches whose traditions or methods don’t match up with ours. Giving mercy means allowing others to have their freedom in Christ and trusting the Holy Spirit to do His job, convicting, shaping and changing us. Our personal convictions from Him should not necessarily be turned into application for every Christian – we are each different and the Holy Spirit deals with each of us differently.
PRAYER
Oh, Lord, help me to remember to choose mercy over the law – help me to remember You came to call sinners, not the righteous. Help me to love those that religion would condemn. Help me live as the prophet Micah says, “to do justice, to LOVE MERCY, and to WALK HUMBLY with my God”.
Carole Leitgeb
Worship Department
Alto/Section Leader
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