I am always humbled when people ask how to pray for me. I definitely need it. I can think of no prayer better than this…
Ephes. 6:19-20 (NIV)
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, [20] … Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 54:1-57:13; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8-9.
You can tell a lot about the spiritual maturity of an individual by the way they drive a car. This is not good news for me. My pet peeve is the careless driver who pulls out in front of me without looking (an all too common occurrence on Ojai Avenue). My response: I refuse to slow my pace, even if it means coming within inches of colliding with the offending party. Ridiculous. And of course, Christy is quick to tell me so. Clearly I have yet to master the words of Ephesians 4:2 which say,
Ephes. 4:2 (NIV)
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 45:11-48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4.
I am a saint! Now, most of you who know me will seriously question that. Sadly, there are far too many times in my life when I have not acted “saintly.” If I have disappointed you in the past with my behavior, I sincerely apologize. I have wronged and hurt many of you. For that I am truly sorry. But the truth is that when Jesus Christ came into my life, his righteousness was imputed (credited) to me. Now, when God the Father sees me, He sees a saint, because He sees Christ. What a marvelous mystery. This is why the Apostle Paul begins the book of Ephesians by saying in Ephes. 1:1 (NIV) “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:” Now the challenge is to live up to the title I have been given through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 38:1-41:16; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 23:25-28.
You are such a burden to me–and that is exactly what I need. I need your burden to take my focus off of me. I need your burden to give my life purpose beyond myself. I need your burden to allow Christ to work through me. I need your burden to demonstrate the compassion of our God. I need your burden. And you need mine. This is part of the genius of the Church. Is it messy? Yes. Is it inconvenient and draining. Yes. But it is exactly what I need. Thanks for sharing your burden with me.
Galatians 6:2 (NIV)
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 36:1-37:38; Galatians 6:1-18; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 23:24.
One of the things I have always loved about sports is that there is always a score to measure how you are doing. One of the things I have always been frustrated about ministry is that there is no clear way to keep score. How do churches measure how they are doing? In our culture, we tend to use the two “B’s”, butts and bucks, to keep score. The more B’s you have, the better you are doing as a church. I guess Jesus wasn’t very successful, because he had very few B’s. From my youth pastor days, I know that all I had to do to draw a crowd was announce that there would be free pizza. Was this success? I don’t think so. Likewise, we can draw adult crowds to our churches with the right mix of entertainment elements and ear tickling message. But is this success? I think a better measuring stick is whether or not a church is fruitful. Specifically, are they growing in their ability to manifest the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
I believe this is God’s scoreboard. It is harder to read than butts and bucks, but it is certainly more meaningful.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 33:13-35:10; Galatians 5:13-26;
Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 23:23.
Psalm 63:1 (NIV)
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
When I was a kid, I thought Twinkies were the best food in the world (now that I am a mature adult that title is now bestowed upon Krispe Kreme donuts). Of course as kids we were told not to eat “sweets” before dinner because it would ruin our appetite for foods that actually contained nutrients. I find that principle to be true spiritually. If I fill up on lesser things, my appetite for God can be ruined. I don’t long for Him like I should, because I have filled the place that rightfully belongs to Him with spiritual Twinkies–momentarily satisfying but ultimately leaving me empty. Do you hunger for God, or lesser things? How do you satisfy the spiritual craving of your soul?
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 30:12-33:12; Galatians 4:21-5:12; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 23:22.
Isaiah 29:16 (NIV)
You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
“He did not make me”?
Can the pot say of the potter,
“He knows nothing”?
Sin is all about role reversal. We take the place of God. We know better. We will rule our lives. As Isaiah says, “We turn things upside down.” We live in an upside down world. What is truly valuable is diminished and what is worthless is held in high esteem. We desperately need to return to our rightful role as clay in the hands of a wise and loving potter who truly knows what is best for His creation.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 28:14-30:11; Galatians 3:23-4:20; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 23:19-21.
Proverbs 23:12 (NIV)
Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.
Really mature, intelligent people realize how much they don’t know and how much they need to learn. They seek knowledge more than displaying their knowledge.
Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading: Isaiah 15:1-18:7; Galatians 1:1-24; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 23:12.
With My Own Eyes 