Discipleship

There was a quote making the rounds of Twitter and Facebook recently that got my attention. I don't normally write about what I disagree with, but this time it has been rolling around in my head for a couple of weeks and I want to jump in and open a discussion on something. The quote is attributed to George Barna, a man I respect and who is much smarter than I am for sure. However, this time I disagree with the quote. Here it is:

"Evangelism without serious discipleship is abuse."

At first read, it is an "OUCH" statement that hits the church and church leaders in a let's-wake-up-and-get-busy kind of way.

Before I state my disagreement with this quote, let me qualify a couple of things. First, discipleship is a primary function of the church. A pastor's main job description as given in Ephesians 4:11 is to train people, which is discipleship. As the church and as a local congregation it is vital that we have systems and strategies in place to give people an opportunity to grow in their journey with Christ. On the one hand, I believe that is what Barna's point is. I don't know the context in which he said (or wrote) it. Up front, let me be clear that I am taking this statement exactly as shown and addressing that alone. I am not and cannot presume to know Barna's full thoughts on this and in no way intend to suggest anything negative toward him. My comments are handling this as a stand alone, unqualified quote.

In fact, it was more the shear quantity of times and short statements of agreement with this stand alone quote that got my attention. Many even wrote "Ouch!" or some other form of exclamation and seemed to indicated that the church has majorly missed something here. There is no question that we as the church have areas to improve and need to put more energy and effort into this.

My question is this: does it really qualify as abuse to tell someone about Christ and then not make sure they are discipled? Abuse is a really strong word. It invokes images that are difficult to look at and unpleasant to even think about describing. It makes an accusation of someone with malice in their heart. An abuser is generally thought of as evil. I do take issue with that choice of words and all it entails. It also doesn't line up well with scripture.

For this statement to be true as presented here, then Philip, Peter, Paul, and even Jesus were guilty of abuse.

In Acts 8:26-40 we have the account of Philip and the Ethiopian. While they did have time to talk and Philip shared a lot with this man, it was hardly what we classify as discipleship. In fact, as soon as the man was baptized, Philip disappeared.

After bringing healing to the crippled beggar in Acts 3, Peter shares the truth of God's Word with those that had witnessed it and anyone else who stopped near. In chapter 4, he and John were arrested. While they did return, there is no indication of any form of follow up with the crowd that heard that day. Not to mention the day of Pentecost itself. Again, we have no record of any form of follow up or what we call discipleship taking place after this with those who were there that day. Many were foreigners and did not remain in town after that event. There was no way to make sure they got into a new believer's class or anything else.

I know Paul started churches most places he went, but not everywhere. In Acts 28 on the island of Malta, Paul prayed for and healed many people. This is evangelism though admittedly not expressed as such. Then he left. Again, no discipleship program.

Finally, we have Jesus. He went around preaching the Good News and healing people and He rarely stayed any place longer than a few days. One of the better examples of this is found in Mark 5. A man who had been possessed by many demons is freed. As Jesus is leaving the area at the request of the people, the man "begged" (word used in Mark 5:18 NIV) Jesus to let him follow. Jesus told him no. Definitely no discipleship.

It is just hard to use the word "abuse" in this context in light of the Biblical accounts we have. My whole view of discipleship changed upon the understanding and realization of how Jesus approached it, particularly in that last passage.

We are to help each other grow in Christ. We are to train and lead. We are to make disciples. Absolutely.

We should do both: evangelize and disciple.

We are also to tell the story of Christ and share His love. Sometimes, there will be no follow up program to plug people into. That does not mean it would be abuse to tell them anyway. Is it abuse to save a drowning person even if we have nothing else to give them? Or is it abuse to let them die?

I say we do both, but we make sure we are saving as many as we can, even if we have no way of following up in a givne circumstance.

What are your thoughts?

Bible Study

A couple of weeks ago I preached a message on reading the Bible. Due to the electric going out and operator error on my laptop, the message was not recorded. Here is a quick breakdown from that message.

We have all heard it said that we need to read the Bible. Too often that is all that is said. I know I was never really taught how until I was an adult and I grew up in church. I was taught to memorize and even bribed to do so with trophies, candy, etc. But, I was not really taught how.

It's amazing the positive response I get when I bring up this subject and start talking about it. People are hungry to know how to have an effective pattern and life of reading the Bible.

The thing is, it is simple. There are no secret tricks. There's no insider information only given to Reverends. God hasn't made it complicated. He gave us the Word in written form and then provides the Holy Spirit to guide us through and reveal the applicable truth us.

The Bible is called the "Living Word" because it is always applicable and transcends time and culture. For us to have a truly vibrant spiritual walk with God, the Bible must be a significant element in our lives.

Here is a quick run down of how to read the Bible effectively:

• Get a translation you can understand. All English versions are translations of the original. What is important is that you are reading and that it is understandable to you. I even recommend using multiple translations in deep study to get the full essence of what is written.
  

• Pray, ask God to make His Word clear and applicable to your life.
  

• Start with Jesus. It’s all about Him. The books of Mark & John in the Bible are great for reading His story.
  

• Have a plan. Use a study Bible or get a devotional journal or book, pick a topic, study a person’s life in the Bible, whatever, just have a plan of what you are going to read. Random does not work long term and you will get frustrated.
  

• Journal your reading. Get a notebook or journal and write down your thoughts each day while and after reading. This will help you to think on what you have read as well as have a record of what you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the Bible. I have found this to be the best way to process what I have read and keep track of what God speaks to me through His Word.
  

• Have a set time. Know when you are going to read each day. Make it an appointment on your calendar if that’s what it takes. Guard this time.
  

Balance & Boundaries Pt.2

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1
In the previous post I dealt with balance and why I believe the idea of living life in balance is a myth. Let's talk boundaries.
Boundaries are crucial to an obedient and God pleasing life. They give us parameters and a guide where to go and where not to go.
We all have them. The question comes down to whether or not our boundaries are intentionally set based on God's Word or are they there by default based on our past experiences and upbringing. Our sense of right and wrong starts with our built in conscience but is built by our experiences and background and influences in our past. This sense in part sets our boundaries. We are far better off if we can make a serious and intentional effort to set and reset our boundaries according to the Word of God led by His Spirit.
I'm not just talking rules of conduct and accountability here, though that absolutely is a part of it. Yet, boundaries are much more than these.
Boundaries coincide with our core values and motivations that move and lead and guide us. Boundaries work to keep us focused and in tune with our purpose and calling. Boundaries dictate our relationships and where they go. Boundaries affect our schedule and our free time. Boundaries actually bring freedom and not restriction because they remove they bring clarity and understanding and remove the guessing.
In my life, boundaries mean that I do not find my identity in what others say or even in what I accomplish. A very wise pastor who was a mentor and hero of mine would often say, "If you don't get too high when they praise you, you won't fall too hard when they criticize you." Because both will and do happen. This helps me combat pride and depression. Both issues that have had too much control at differing times of my life.
In light of this past weekend's event with the public confession of a pastor, it would be very easy just to focus on moral boundaries. Truth is, we know those. So did and does he. His transgression happened because of a crossing or improperly set boundaries in other areas long before it got to the point of the moral issue at hand.
Boundaries help us live with proper priorities in every area of life. To be a healthy person spiritually we must look after the physical body and keep it disciplined, we must tend to our emotional needs, relationally we must keep all things appropriate, and it is imperative that we keep our personal walk with God tight through everything.
When the boundaries begin to break down or get crossed in the little areas is when we are on the path for the "big" problems. It always starts small and seemingly innocent. I know that those who hold tight to their boundaries can appear rigid and even legalistic, but for many that very thing keeps them on track. We must learn to keep all things in proper perspective and not force our boundaries on others. The standard is God's Word, not our thinking or opinions or ways. This doesn't mean we can't share with one another for the sake of growing together, but it does mean that we do so as equals moving forward together as not in judgment or self-righteous piety.
There is much more I could say on this, but I would love some feedback from you on boundaries and what you have found that works in your life.

What boundaries do you have with your time, family, work, etc. that are helping you move into a life pleasing to God?

(I'll resume the postings on follow-thru with my next post.)

Balance & Boundaries Pt.1

I know it is not usually good to start a series in the middle of another series, but I am going to do it here. Hey, it's my blog and I'll wander if I want to. :-)

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1

A few days ago I asked a question on Twitter and Facebook: "do you think Jesus was more concerned with a balanced life or an effective life of complete obedience to the Father?" I received some comments and feedback on this.

Then, this past weekend the social media sphere blew up with the news of a popular pastor stepping down due to an "emotional and physical affair." Many blog posts and articles and rants on all sides have been written since then. Yes, I am joining the cloud and commenting here also. However, I am going back to the question I asked last week about balance.

A lot of talk goes around about being balanced. You can hear sermons, read books, blogs, participate in discussions, and find tons of resources trying to help us live a balanced life. The idea is we become well rounded (figuratively, not physical shaped) and don't live in the extremes of life. It seems another way to get everyone on the same page of "normal."

In the church we talk about balance as a way to not be part of the weird and fringe elements of religion. I believe that often when someone talks about balance they are just trying to convince others they are right about something. It's one of those spiritual "ace" cards we like to pull. Kind of like, "I've been praying about this and..." "I feel led..." "God told me..." On and on it goes. People can be very good at spiritualizing their opinion in such a way that they bully others into agreeing with them. But, that's another subject and I digress.

The idea of balance is that everything is equal on all sides: equal time, attention, energy, etc. I love it when someone says that balance is Biblical. Not to be smart, but I'm still waiting for the scripture reference that backs that up.

I personally believe that balance in life is a myth. Worse yet, it may be a lie. If we get ourselves so focused on achieving balance we can become preoccupied with the wrong things. Chasing balance can cause us to miss out on what God really has for us. The truth is, we can not live a fully balanced life. It is not possible to spend the same amount of time on each area, family, God, work, and play. It is not possible to be in the balanced middle of all issues and all circumstances. We cannot live that way. I'm not sure we should.

Jesus told us the two greatest commandments were to love God with everything and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That seems out of balance to the human understanding. The human wisdom of balance would say to love God with the appropriate measure so that we can give equal attention to the natural. The idea of balance says we become a well-rounded individual equally good at everything. Impossible. And, not very productive. What is the old saying? "Jack of all trades, master of none."

As I work through scripture, or more accurately, let scriptures work through me, I find a call to an unbalanced life. A life of radical and complete surrender to God. Absolute devotion and commitment to Christ. Fanatical love for people. Life totally submitted to the Holy Spirit. Unwavering devotion. Unhesitant obedience. Leap of faith trust. These are Biblical directives and they are a life out of balance.

I maintain that boundaries are what so many are really defining or leading toward in the conversation about balance. With proper boundaries to guide us and keep life in check, I think we will find ourselves much closer to living a life worthy of the calling God has on each of us.

We'll explore boundaries more in the next post and then I'll resume the posts on follow-thru, though there is corelation between the two.

The Power to Change

“What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

In ministry I have encountered people of all ages in some of the darkest struggles of their life; suicide, cutting, abuse, eating disorders, unwed pregnancy, uncaring parents, family conflicts, death, divorce, and the list goes on. In all of this, there has been one theme that we have endeavored to make clear; only God has the power needed to change their situation. While many of these are still walking through the valley of their current circumstance and struggle, some have experienced God’s power to change, which has brought them freedom and victory. One who has struggled with an area for many years was touched in a marvelous way and is now a testimony to the healing power of God. Another young person recently gave their heart to the Lord out of a great trial in their life as they let faith replace unanswerable questions and doubt.

Each one of us has a past riddled with mistakes and regretted decisions. Thanks to a God who loves us, we can count those things as behind and leave them there. We have no reason to go back and relive the past. As Paul stated in Philippians 3:13, “Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,” (HCSB). Once we have been touched by the power of God to change our hearts and lives we are a different person. When people come to us with such dark and impossible issues, Christian cliches and pithy words won't do them any good. They do not need pat answers or quick fix solutions. Offering human centered advice won't cut it. They need faith in God that will sustain even without having the answers to "Why?".

It is only in the Word of God that we can offer them any hope. Anything else would be hollow and worthless.

Only Jesus can give the power to change.

Holy Spirit Baptism

I'm going to go out a limb here a bit. I received an email with a question from this past Sunday's service. I will post the original email and then my response unedited except for greetings and names. Feel free to weigh in with comments

Original Email

I just wanted to send you a note to let you know how encouraged I am that you are sharing on the topic of the Holy Spirit.
In my personal search for "that single point of truth" there is one scripture concerning the forementioned topic that I would like your input on
1 Corinthians 12:27-30 Says:
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[a]? Do all interpret?
My questions is: Is the gift of tongues the only evidence that one has recieved the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Can someone have the baptism without speaking in tongues?
I look at the impact that many ministries (across denominations) have had on reaching the lost and can't help but to believe that although not all of the practice the gift of tongues, many have experienced fruitful ministries like that mentioned in the book of Acts (i.e. Billy Graham Ministries)
Many of the old Penticostals refuse to believe that you can have the baptism of the Holy Spirit without the evidence of speaking in tongues.
Can you share your viewpoint on this?

My response:

Great question and one that has been asked many times.
I may or may not get to it directly in the next two weeks, so I 'll answer it some right now.
The passage in 1 Cor. 12 is speaking to special gifts of the Spirit. Most scholars and theologians agree this is not a statement regarding all tongues, just the gift of tongues used in public settings or where one speaks fluently a human language they have not learned for the benefit of another. The gift of tongues and the personal edification tongues spoken of in 1 Cor. 14:4 and much of Acts.
In the AG our doctrines state that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence and much of the accounts of Acts seems to support this. However, tongues is not the baptism and should not be the focus. I do believe the AG (in practice more than doctrine) is a bit (or a lot) out of balance in this area as too much emphasis is on tongues. I think it can in some circumstances border on the case of Simon the Magician liking the show of it and seeking the power to make it happen. Too me the real evidence is in the things you mentioned of people reaching the lost, loving, caring, leading, etc according to the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 as well as the gifts in 1 Cor. If there is no t love and a desire or striving for unity, then I have a hard time believing the Spirit is actively working in someone's life no matter how much they speak in tongues, dance, shout, or what have you. 1 Cor. 13:1
I was a little on the fence about my Wednesday night topic coming up this summer, but the response to this past Sunday may have just solidified it as a teaching on the spiritual gifts.

Yes & Amen

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." - 2 Corinthians 1:18

I was going to share this with our staff this morning, but circumstances changed our plans a bit.

Paul is addressing a change of plans himself in this passage. (To be honest the irony of this just dawned on me. You'll have to trust me that this was not thought out this way. I'm not that clever.) Anyway, there were some that were questioning Paul's integrity or at least his sincerity when he had shared his planned itinerary to be there at a certain time. He wanted to make sure that they understood the truth and that the message that was preached was true.

So many times in life we send conflicting messages. While there are times this is unavoidable, as in the case of Paul, most of the time it is simple carelessness or a looseness on our part that causes this. I'm not going to touch on the side where intentional deception comes in, we know that lying is clear cut sin. We can be very flippant with our promises and our words so easily. If we are not careful, we can even do this in spiritual matters. "I'll pray for you," yet, we never get around to it. "I was thinking of you recently," yeah, the moment we saw them or their name popped up on caller ID. "I felt God leading me..." the second we wanted to do something else or got uncomfortable with a situation. On and on it goes.

So quickly our lives and our message becomes "yes" and "no". Our message should be the same as Christ's. His was "Yes." Meaning, His message was sure and it was consistent, and it brought hope and life to all who heard and accepted. Paul continues in this passage and says that our message is to be "Amen". Most of us know that "amen" means "so be it." It is not actually a statement of completion or ending, it is a statement of agreement and alignment.

"Amen" became the ending to prayers out of a desire to express agreement with the prayer just prayed by another. It is an affirmation of what has just been proclaimed or petitioned. The word also means "believe" or "truly". Amen is not a conclusion it is a declaration of faith and faithfulness. When our words and our lives are "Yes" and "Amen" we are aligning ourselves with the Word of God, the message of peace and salvation, and with great faith in the sovereignty of an Almighty God. May our words and our actions consistently portray this to the best of our ability as we live intentionally for Him and for His glory.

My Response

I shared this thought in staff meeting this week, and it has been hanging in me for the last couple of days.

In the Message, Ephesians 3:14 says, "My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth."

Paul was addressing being in jail for proclaiming the Gospel. While, I could say much about the faith and dedication and attitude of Paul, this is striking me a different way right now.

The obvious is to ask the question, "What is my response to the trials of life?" Let's take it one farther, "What is my response to life?" How do we respond to the good, the bad, and the indifferent of daily existence? How much better and more effective would our lives be if this was ALWAYS our response?

Way too often we pray as an afterthought. We relegate prayer to a compartment of our life. We make communication with God something that is separate and sanitized. Communication with God should be as raw and gritty and normal as that with our spouse or best friend. God is the ONLY One who can do anything about what we face, the highs and the lows. He is the One responsible for giving us life and it is His plan that is before us. Why would we NOT go to Him? He will give us comfort in the pain and hurt and trials of life. He is the One who deserves glory and honor in the triumphs.

I know, not every situation allows for us to physically get on our knees. I know some that are not able to anyway due to limitations of the body. Surely, we each understand that this is a visual for prayer. Nehemiah didn't have time to kneel down and pray when the king addressed him. The Bible tells us he prayed "under [his] breath." Nehemiah 2:4. His first response was to go to God.

Our first response should be to go to God. Period. No caveats, no exceptions, no others, just God!

This is easier when we remember that He "parcels out all heaven and earth."

Sunday Unwind

WOW!... WOW! What a fantastic day! God is moving and speaking.

A few thoughts while they are fresh:

• I had a real sense of anticipation for today. I just new God had somethign in store for us.
• The message for today got changed late friday night. Was going to speak on compassion and ended up speaking about Passion. I had been struggling a bit with the preparation of the message that was planned for today. Friday night late I got a stirring in my heart to switch things up. Saturday morning, before playing racquetball, I spent soem time letting the new direction for today burn within me. Then after playing, I spent a couple of hours getting things ready for this morning with the new direction.
• The band was ready this morning. Before the service they were bouncing around and full of energy, I told them to let that energy translate on stage; it did. There was a great spirit in the room and the congregation engaged in the worship.
• We took communion this morning. That is always a cool thing. It isn't about the tradition or the ceremony, it is remembering what Christ did for us. Today, even more than normal, there was a noticeable significance to the moment.
• We also had a couple of kids being baptized today! I love that! I know it was meaningful for Pastor Staci as she was able to conduct the baptisms. The rest of Kids Ignited joined us in the service for the baptism. That was cool having them in there for a few minutes. I'm very glad they got to experience it and cheer on their friends.
• In speaking about passion today, I evoked some in the room when I displayed the Michigan "M". It always cracks me up the reaction that brings, but it made the point. David was willing to be humiliated in his own eyes for God's name and glory. Jesus lived His life with passion and strength. He was passionate about people and passionate about the things of God. We need more passion in our lives! The world would be very different if more of us lived with the same passion Jesus lived His life with.
• I was spent at the end of service today. My voice is still not recovered a couple fo hours later. I don't mind a bit.
  
• Had some wonderful conversations with people today. I love what I do and I love the people of Capital City!
• We've got a couple of things in the works that will be pretty cool when they come about.
• I said it at the end of service today, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Today's message can be heard here.

Motivation - part 2

How do we walk the line of motivation when we don't want to do something, but know it is the right thing? This line of obedience can get quite blurry in life. This is especially true as we navigate life using the Word of God.

This past Sunday, I made a statement about not really wanting people to give money if they were only doing it out of a sense of obligation. A dangerous statement to be sure. One that could easily beg the question: what about obedience to God?

How many times does the Bible give us a command that really we are not all that motivated to do? Love your enemy. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought. Do not covet. The list goes on and on calling us away from selfishness and self pleasing. So, should we do them anyway out of a sense of obligation or wait until we feel like it?

I actually believe the answer to be neither. I don't think we should do the right thing simply because we "have "to. I also don't think we should wait until we feel like doing the right thing either; our flesh most likely will never get there on at least some things. Somewhere, we have to make the decision to please God and let that become our motivation.

We give, share, go, follow, sacrifice, serve, love, and so on because it pleases God. We should not do these things out of fear or obligation or compulsion or guilt or in trying to punch the right buttons on a vending-machine-god to get the right results. When we do these things of a wrong motive, there is no reward and it does nothing to bring us closer to God or closer to His will.

The Pharisees did everything right. They obeyed completely. Many, if not most, did so with wrong motives and as such were called, "Hypocrites," "White washed tombs," and a "brood of vipers." Not exactly what we should hear from God. The Pharisees who did desire to please God, realized that their obedience was a result of a right heart, not anything else.

Today, if we are doing things for the wrong reasons, it does not matter at all if they are the right things, we are not pleasing God. We can only please God when the heart behind the action is right. Even if we don't feel like doing it: even if it is unnatural for us to do: we do the right thing to please God, not self or anyone else. Our motivation must be Him.

So, yes, we can obey with a right motive even when we don't want to do that specific act. As long as that motive is our love for God.

Back to a previous example: when I tell my daughter to do something she doesn't want to do, she can do it with a right motive (love for me), or a wrong motive (selfish gain, fear, etc.). True it is obedience either way, but one is much better all the way around than the other. Much less painful also.

We do what we do for Him and His glory. That is the right way to approach life. This mindset makes it easier to follow and obey, even in the hard things.

to be continued...

A few thoughts

I've got that random feeling again today...

I've been reading some incredible blog posts lately, here's a couple to check out:

• Ben gives a quick encouragement on living life here
• Mark has a great post on trusting God here
• Steven has a good word on being mindful of what is happening in our lives here
• Carey speaks here about clarity
• ...and Dave discusses friendship here

I've already gotten some good response from our new endeavor of podcasting our sermons here from Capital City. I did for most of the time I was in Steubenville. We are working out some kinks and hopefully will have everything as seamless and smooth as possible very soon.

I played racquetball yesterday. Have really regained my enjoyment of that sport and am less sore after each time I play. However, I did hit my left hand with my racquet once when I missed a shot. Sliced my finger right open and ripped part of the nail off. That was not the way I wanted to take a break. We did play two or three more games after that. It is not throbbing much today, thankfully.

My wife and I started the South Beach diet again yesterday. I lost 50 pounds on it a couple of years ago and have kept off all but 15 of it. I want to lose that 15 again and maybe 15 more. I'm not allowed to say much about my wife's results and goals, but she is serious right now, I can tell you that.

I woke up this morning with the old song by Greg Volz, "The Exodus", running through my mind. Specifically the line from Exodus 15, "The Lord is my strength and song, He is become my salvation... my Father's God and I will exalt Him." It has just been there in my mind today. In fact, I'm listening to that song on my iTunes right now. It is also a great thought to carry us through our day. When He is my strength and song and salvation, it is not about me and I can focus on exalting Him and not myself, my agenda, my ideas, or my way.

New Series

We are starting a series on February 15 entitled, "What if...?"

We are going to explore the ramifications of this question from a few different angles and see what God has for us. Get ready for your faith to be stretched, your thinking challenged, and your journey to move closer to God.

The question "What if...?" is a powerful question. What if you suddenly received a million dollars? What if you could start over? What if you knew then what you know now? What if you got that new job? What if you could hear God speak to you every day? What if your prayers were answered? What if your dreams came true?

Also with this series we are going to begin podcasting our messages. This is something I have wanted to do since arriving and we are going to get it up and running. You will be able to subscribe through iTunes or from our website. More details to come.

Updates

Yesterday afternoon I received a notice from my computer that updates were available for some of my software. This is not that unusual as software developers are constantly working to improve their products.

As the updates were downloading and installing, it occurred to me that as people we need to make sure we are getting our upgrades. My computer checks on a regularly scheduled basis for new versions of my software. It could check daily if I desired.

From time to time, the updates stop and the developer will issue an upgrade. This is different in that it often involves more features, not just improvements, and it usually requires spending more money for the upgrade. Updates are free.

We need to check daily if there are areas in our life that need to be updated and even at times upgraded. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible and our prayer time to help us make sure we have the newest “updates” with what God is doing in our lives. There are times that the Spirit will show us an area that needs major attention and we must “upgrade” by changing how we do some thing(s) or the way we think in some area(s).

If we are not participating in God’s plan to keep us up to date, we will miss out on the latest thing He wants to do in us.

A computer that doesn’t get proper maintenance and updates will over time begin to slow down and loose its efficiency and eventually crash as files get corrupted and programs get fouled in their source code: conflicts arise and the operating system gets clogged with too many processes (PC's anyway :-)).

A Christian that doesn’t receive the proper correction and instruction from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word will begin to slow down in their faith. They will loose their trust in God and eventually become cynical and jaded causing a “crash” in their walk with God. This will cause conflicts and compromise to arise within them and their thinking will become clogged with too many distortions of truth.

Romans 12 tell us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. In computer speak this would be a low level reformat of the hard drive which cleans out the old junk and preps it to receive new uncorrupted code. Once that is done, a plan of proper, on-going maintenance is needed to keep the junk from coming back.

A prayer

Psalm 19:14 "May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight"

This verse jumped out at me yesterday in my devotion time. What an awesome prayer! A prayer we should all pray regularly.

Our words have power. Our words have impact. They matter. We all need to be careful what we say and when. People around us make decisions about us based on what we say. Our children repeat what we say. More importantly, our children find their self-worth in what we say. If our words are acceptable to God, then they are right and they are appropriate and true and we can have no regrets over what we have said. I know I have walked away from situations wishing I hadn't said something. If I had made sure that my words were acceptable to God there would have been no regrets.

If we would make sure our thoughts are acceptable to God, then our actions will be as well.

Every day we face situations that bring us to a choice. Will we react negatively or will we react in a way that pleases God?

May we think and speak according to the character of God and that only happens through real relationship with Him.

Just something to think about today.

Humility

Humility is not something we are very good at.
This photo is framed and hangs (for one more day anyway) directly above my desk. It has 1 Peter 5:5 as its caption. “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Without going into extreme detail or getting overly theological, there is one part of that which stands out to me today for whatever reason.
The phrase “gives grace to the humble” strikes me as part of this verse I have never really dwelled on before. This is one of the verses where most of the common translations use the same wording. A couple of exceptions:

• The New Living Translation & Good News Translation “shows favor”
• The Message Paraphrase “But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for - God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people.”

The Greek word for grace here is, of course, ‘charis’ which is where we derive our word charity. Here is a copy of the definition for this word from The New Testament Greek Lexicon: “good will, loving-kindness, favor: of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, creases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues”
This is a gift from God to those who are humble, down-to-earth, unassuming to self. Humility is not self-defacement, nor is it self-hatred. Those are not of God. Jesus clearly told us that we are to love our “neighbors as ourselves.” We can’t love our neighbors very well if we hate ourselves. The Bible also tells us we are created in the image of God and that He formed us in the womb. To deface , despise, or hate ourselves is to hate that which God intentionally made in His image. No, humility is not any of this.
Humility is simply having a realistic view of our humanity and knowing that life is all about God. That is slightly oversimplified, but true. Humility is knowing that others are important to God. Humility is the understanding that God knows what He is doing and His will is perfect. To be humble is to want God to receive all the credit for everything good in life. It means we simply and politely say “Thank you” to a compliment or gift. It causes us to seek success in the things of God for others. It removes personal ambition for the spotlight or prestige. A humble person is one who is focused on the purposes and Kingdom of God.
That person receives God’s gift of grace kindling them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. Simply put, as we serve Him in humility, He gives us what we need that makes it easier and more natural to serve Him in humility and effectiveness.

"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:3-5

The old expression is, "Confession is good for the soul." Truth is, it is good for every aspect of our being. The Psalmist shows us that here in verse 3. The New Living Translation says it this way, "When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable."

I am not one to suggest we walk around and barf our emotions and weaknesses and shortcomings out onto every one we meet.

I also do not believe we have to walk around in shame before God all the time. The Bible also tells us we can stand boldly before the throne because of Christ.

I do want to suggest that we must be willing to ask the hard questions of ourselves and then be willing to deal straight with the answers. We are imperfect. We must be able to confront our own shortcomings and as God enables and strengthens us along with our decisions and willpower, we must overcome our shortfalls and sin. But, it can only happen after we confess and get it out in the open. We cannot bottle it up or suppress it. This will only cause us grief and pain. Besides, God knows about it anyway, so the only one we are fooling is self.

Getting things out in the open is a relative term. The confession should not, in most cases, go beyond the level of the sin. Meaning, we don't need to confess sin to someone who is not aware the sin took place. There are exceptions, but they are few. Most of the time we only need to confess before God and those few who witnessed or are keenly aware of our transgressions.

In leadership, there are times when the sin is well known. The sin of pride would be a perfect example. When a leader is filled with pride and has stopped receiving correction, it is usually obvious to everyone around them. This is a case for public confession.

Most of the time, we simply need to be honest with ourselves and open before God and get it out and dealt with so we can move on in Him. He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Just a few quick thoughts that come to mind as I read Psalm 32 last night.