Send Me

When God calls us to do something for the kingdom, why do we hesitate? In Isaiah 6:8, the prophet accepts his charge from the Lord "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah failed at his last assignment and he was a little unsure of himself, but God gave him another chance. Past failures, doubt, culture, our status, etc., may cause us to question God's call on our lives; when God calls us, he gives us everything that we need to fulfill our purpose.

Out of the Closet, Into the Pulpit?

Last Friday, leaders in the Lutheran Church lifted a decades-old ban that will allow openly homosexual men and women to serve in clergy and leadership positions. The resolution, passed by a vote of 619 to 402, supports people in "lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships." How will this decision impact the church as a whole? Will this decision lead to a trend of more denominations allowing openly homosexual men and women to serve in ministry and leadership positions? What do you think?

Many members, one body

The human body is truly God's masterpiece; each part is designed to meet a specific need. The same is true in the body of Christ. Each member is equally important, but they are designed for different functions. In Romans 12:4-5, Paul says "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. " Imagine how painful it would be if you had to walk on your hands instead of your feet; or write with your toes instead of your fingers. You could do it, but with much pain and little effectiveness; the same is true when we try to function in our lives and ministry where we were not designed.

I know I've been changed

I once heard a preacher say "if God can deliver you, he can deliver anybody." Jacob would certainly agree with that. He was a hustler, liar, and cheater for most of his life until he met God face-to-face. In Genesis 32:28, the Bible says that an angel declared"Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." God changed more than just Jacob's name; He changed his nature. Consider the many things that God has delivered you from when you met the Lord face-to-face, and praise God for not only your deliverance, but for the deliverance of those around you.

Love Lifted Me

It's amazing how God knows all about us, and yet continues to pursue a relationship with us. In Psalm 94: 18, the psalmist declares "When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. " Even when you know that you are falling away from your relationship with Christ, when you recognize that you are sinking, further and farther away from God, we only need to call on His name, and He will deliver us and lift us up out of any bondage.

My Source

As people of God, are assured that He will care for us as a father cares for His children. In Psalm 16:2, David declares "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." We can make our own way and struggle on our own, as so many people who choose to live their lives without a relationship with God, but that struggle is unnecessary. God has already provided for us, God has already provided all that we need; we only need to accept God as Father, provider of all good things.

Worship If It's Worth It

In Mark 14:3-6, we see a model for worship, even in the midst of criticism and judgement. The Bible declares that "a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head." The religious leaders criticized her harshly, saying that she has wasted her precious perfume that could have been sold to help the poor, but Jesus defends her in verse 6, telling them "Leave her alone, she has done a beautiful thing to me." This woman sacrificed all that was precious to her, held nothing back, and poured out all that she had on her savior. Sincere worship requires a sacrifice, but the benefits of worship far outweigh the cost, as we show the Lord his worth to us through our worship.

Can't We All Get Along?

Basic principles of Christianity are pretty simple: Christ was born of a virgin, he was crucified for our sins, and he rose again on the third day; these are the basic principles of the Christian faith. In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul says "there is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Considering that, as Christians, we all basically believe the same, why is there so much division in the church? Why should we wait until "we all get to heaven" to rejoice together?

Look Where He's Brought Me

Once we have become entrenched in the culture of church, it's easy to forget the wretched state that we were in before salvation. Unfortunately, some people get so far removed that they discourage those who are still lost. In 1Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul gives his readers a reminder a reality check. He says "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." They were all of those things before salvation, but Christ cleaned them up, just as He cleaned up all of us. Consider where you were before Christ saved you the next time you consider judging another.

Dysfunction Junction

Most of Joseph's young life life reads like a soap opera or an episode of daytime television. In Genesis 37: 3-4, the Bible declares that "Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a coat of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. " Joseph went from his father's house to a pit, from a pit to slavery, from slavery to prison, from prison to the palace. The story of Joseph tells of a life of many challenges, but it is also a great story of God's favor. Despite Joseph's past, his dysfunctional family life, and his failure to carry his annointing with wisdom, God still favored him in every circumstance because he honored God in all that he did.

Waiting for Isaac

When God makes us a promise, it's easy to get impatient. It's tempting to take matters into your own hands and try to help God with fulfilling his promise to us. In Galatians 4:22-23, the Bible declares that "Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise." Isaac was the son of God's promise; even though Abraham was well past his fathering age, God was still faithful concerning his promises. Just as God was faithful to Abraham, He will be faithful to you as well.

Faith and Knowledge

As many prepare to go back to school, remember the foundation of your faith. In I Timothy 6:20, Paul urges Timothy to "guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith." Regardless of the knowledge that you gain from your education, protect what you know in your faith, and be aware of those conversations that are contrary to your faith, as those conversations have caused others to fall away from their faith.

What Do You Say?

In Matthew 16: 13-16, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Jesus asked "But what about you?" Who do you say I am?" Then Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus asked all of his disciples who they say that he is, but only Peter responded. As you prepare for the challenges of the day, who do YOU say that Jesus is? Comforter, Savior, Redeemer, Lord...

Praise God Like You Won the Lottery

It's remarkable how people who are normally sedate spring to life when they win money or get receive it in a large sum. In Psalm 119: 14, the psalmist declares "I rejoice in following your laws as one rejoices in great riches." Our salvation promises to give us eternal life, but riches are fleeting and often give us more problems than blessings. Imagine the incredible worship that we would have if we rejoiced at hearing God's word, or considered all of the things that He has done for us, like we just won the lottery. Try it; you won't be disappointed.

What's on your mind?

In the 1970's and 1980's, there were a string of self-help books that advocated positive thinking for a positive change. Titles such as "Think and Grow Rich," or "Think and Grow Thin," etc., filled the shelves of bookstores and libraries around the country. There is certainly credence to positive thinking; your perception of many circumstances is shaped by your attitude. In Proverbs 23:7, the Bible declares "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." As we embark on this week, think positively about the situations that you may have to face this week; even if God does not immediately change your circumstance, He can certainly change your attitude.

Thank God I'm Free (TGIF)

Without the Lord, we are slaves to sin; Christ has set us free, but it is up to us to stay free and delivered. In Galatians 5:1, Paul declares "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. " Even when we fall into sin and temptation, we can repent and continue in our liberty through Christ.

Don't Quit

As Christians, acting as the hands and feet of Christ, we can become overwhelmed. There is so much to do in ministry as well as in our personal lives; with limited resources, it's easy to become frustrated. In Galatians 6:9, Paul encourages his readers "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." As Paul encouraged his readers, be encouraged with the same promise; at God's appointed time, we will reap the harvest of our labor if we simply don't quit.

Relax!

Several medical studies have shown the relationship between emotions and health; a hot temper, uncontrolled or repressed emotions often lead to an array of medical problems and a limited quality of life. In Proverbs 14:30, the Bible declares that"a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones." Another translations says that "A relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life." Instead of carrying the burdens of this life, particularly when there is little that you can do to change your situation, relax! Only you can change your attitude, even when you can't change the circumstances.

Pursuing Peace

There is no doubt that God is the source of our peace, particularly in such an uncertain world. We pray for peace in many situations, as we should, but sometimes, we need to do more than pray for peace, we should actively pursue it. In 1 Peter 3:11, "He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it." At times, the turbulence in our lives was caused by a decision or action that was contrary to the will of God. In pursuing peace, we also pursue to the will of God.

Doers of the Word

Knowing the scriptures is a great starting point to build up your faith. However, simply memorizing the scriptures is not enough to carry you through the challenges that you face each day. In James 1: 22, James encourages his readers "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” You must hear the word, but don't be fooled; you must move beyond simple Bible knowledge and apply the principles of the message into your life to live the victorious life that God desires.