Archive for Devotional
What is Grace? — Devotional
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What is grace? What a simple yet powerful question! The answer you give to that question will tell you a lot concerning what you really believe about God. How the answer is witnessed in your own life will also tell you a lot about how deeply you really believe what you think you believe. Don’t mean to confuse you, but I do think sometimes we get confused when it comes to grace.
Let’s begin to think about what grace is by considering what it is not.
Grace is not:
- condoning sin
- ignoring sin
- minimizing sin
- changing God’s standard for holiness
- a cavalier attitude toward sin
- bragging about our sin
- excusing our sin for whatever reason…
- Any behavior, attitude, or response contrary to how Jesus lived
- An unrepentant heart toward sin
Also, grace is not:
- condemning the sinner
- ignoring the sinner
- minimizing the pain the sinner experiences
- acting unholy when we have to deal with unholiness
- a cavalier attitude about our self-righteousness
- bragging about how we have not sinned
- excusing our sinful responses to those who have sinned for whatever reason…
- Any behavior, attitude, or response toward sinners contrary to how Jesus lived
- Refusing to respond to repentance
Grace is:
- A gift that you choose to give, just like God did and does
- Freely given, it does not have to be earned or bought by us
- Seeing the destruction in sin while seeing the value in the sinner
- Providing correction to deal with the sin while providing mercy for the sinner
- Tons of acceptance of the person and pardon for the sin
- The willingness to suffer loss and pain so that others can find restoration and peace
- The gift of forgiveness expressed
- The gift of mercy extended
- The offer of hope for the future
- The presence of love in the present
- Refusing to accuse
- An eagerness to intercede
- Choosing life over death
- An humble heart truly grateful for what it has received
- Choosing to live like Jesus even if it costs us what it cost him
- Looking for people hiding in their shame
- Going to war against the enemy who seeks to destroy us all
- What we get from God that we do not find in ourselves
- Living with truth and mercy as our friends
- Acknowledging that religious shallowness is more concerned about what people think than what God thinks and is the same stuff Paul counted as manure (That’s the clean version of what we rednecks call CRAP! Pardon me if this is offensive but no use trying to whitewash it).
- Grace loves and extends mercy to people covered with religious manure because it too is a sin for which Jesus died in order to extend us GRACE!
- Invited by our repentance and humility.
Remember:
- Where sin abounds there is an opportunity for much grace to abound.
- We do not choose to live in sin in order to get more grace.
- We realize that it is the power of God working through grace that brings freedom to our hearts which have been enslaved to sin.
- We all need grace because we all stink without it!
The Grace Question:
In order to keep the compass of our hearts pointing toward God, we must always ask the question, "How did Jesus respond to people who experienced a need for grace in their lives?" Afer all, he was full of grace and truth,
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The Grace Punch — Devotional
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I noticed the other day that the sports news headlines were informing viewers about a first round knockout in one of the big UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) matches. I remember during my younger years watching boxing on television. Some of the fights loom big in my memory. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frasier with Howard Coselle providing color commentary with his very unique but fascinating style.
A fighter wants to win by knock-out if he possibly can. When a fighter is introduced at the beginning of the bout, the audience is informed of their fighting record and the number of knockouts they have scored. A fighter wants to be known for the power of his knock out punch. The two simple things that seem to me to make a good fighter is their ability to land a good blow and their ability to take a blow.
I remember the first time I dunned a pair of boxing gloves. It was in the sixth grade in the elementary school I attended. It was the sixties and we had a principal who enjoyed boxing. Occasionally, he would take us boys to the rec room, pair us up, and bring out two pair of gloves and everyone would enjoy watching us duke it out two at a time.
On the first such occasion, though somewhat fearful, I thought "Those gloves with all that padding can’t hurt very much!" About fifteen minutes later, when it was my time to swing at one of my buddies, I found out that the padding didn’t keep it from hurting. I took a punch to the nose and it HURT! It was at that point that I decided if I was going to box, I might as well get mad, too. So I decided instead of being buddies, I’d clobber him in the nose. The next couple of minutes was a more interesting fight which we both survived. Afterwards, we resumed our buddy relationship but felt proud we had proven that we were blooming toward manhood with a fight in our hearts and a big boxing match to our credit.
Fast forward with me six years to my senior year. It was then we had a football coach who liked boxing. So one rainy day, he gathered the team in our small auditorium, moved the chairs out of the way, and pulled out two pair of boxing gloves. The coach stipulated that we would have three two-minute rounds in our matches. There were some good ones, too! Again I ended up paired against one of my best buddies.
When the coach blew the whistle to start our match, my buddy who always joked around with me, stopped his joking and started beating the stuffing out of me. It did not seem our football team was impressed as I used my face to inflict damage on my buddy’s fists. I was really happy when the coach blew the whistle that signaled the end of the first round. I was afraid my friend’s hands were going to be really bruised up! While in the chair thinking about how I did not want to go back into the ring but afraid to face the notion of being a quitter, something happened. One of my other good buddies came over to me and said this, "He’s left-handed, and he’s killing you with his left hook. Watch out for the left hook. That’s all he’s got." That proved to be golden advice. He was right. Occasionally, we even called my boxing buddy, "Lefty."
The coach blew the whistle to start round two. Those words, "Watch out for the left hook!", were still ringing in my ears. Well, maybe my ears were ringing because of the pelting my skull had been taking. Anyway, actually armed with some advice, I waded into the ring watching for the left hook. I did not have to wait long at all. After the first round had been a walk in the park for my opponent, he came out swinging away with that left. He had decided that he wanted to knock out his good buddy.
The first left hook he threw, I simply raised my right hand and blocked it. I thought, "Wow! This works!" In addition, my face really appreciated the help because up to this point, it had tried to win the match all by itself. He threw another left, I blocked it. From the crowd I heard my other buddy shout, "Hit him!" It is hard to explain but somehow when you are fighting for your life, and you don’t know what to do, the obvious can sometimes elude you. You get stunned. Things you know run away and hide. Your thinking skills become reduced to that of an armadillo. Yet an armadillo can roll up into a nicely protected shell and play dead. I was without such a shell. I heard my buddy again, "Hit him!" So since it was a boxing match that seemed like a sound suggestion to me.
"Lefty" came at me again. He used his left hook. I blocked it again, and then I remembered I had a left hand as well. I don’t know where it had been hiding until that moment, so I called it into action and swung and let my buddy’s face join the action. After all, it had felt left out to that point in the competition. This seemed to surprise my friend. While he was addled and astonished that I had grown a new limb, I followed up with my good hand. I hit him hard with a right. He staggered. Quickly regaining his composure, he came at me with a different look in his eyes. It was not, "Hey, you want to get a chocolate shake afterwards!" It was more like, "There is not going to be an afterwards!"
I remembered the words, "Watch out for the left hook!" True to form, he swung his left. I blocked it and pelted him again..and again…and again. This continued for a minute or so. The match had swung my way and my face was glad to share the glory with my fists. Finally, after my buddy’s left hook had been blocked once again, I was able to counterpunch (though I did know that is what it was) and land a really hard blow. It turned his whole body around. He had been boxing barefooted. When his body was swung around so quickly, a half-dollar sized patch of skin on the bottom of his left foot which was pressing hard against the tile floor was literally torn off. Yep, it was a grotesque site. The fight was stopped. Me and my face were happy. I did feel badly about my buddy. He limped away with me later that afternoon, and we went and got a chocolate shake. My face and his foot were not even made at each other.
The moral of my boxing days is this: When you are fighting for your life and are taking a beating, listen to the friend in your corner (the Holy Spirit). He will give you wisdom about how to fight. When you obey His golden words of advice, grace comes to the rescue and gives you the POWER to get back on your feet and deliver the punch that will turn things around.
Oh yeah! One other thing, "Watch out for the left hook!"
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Six Men and a Tree — Devotional
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Do you have any faults?
Seriously…..do you have any faults?
"Of course," you may be thinking, "I have faults, everybody has faults!"
Okay, you are right. We all have faults. But what are your faults? Can you identify them? Are you working on seeing them changed?
I have been in a season of fault finding, but the Lord keeps reminding me that the faults I need to find or the ones in my own heart. In Ps. 51, David declared that God desires truth in the inward parts. We all easily and readily admit that everyone has faults, but do we really examine what our own faults truly are? It may be a good idea to have a fault list–not where we keep a list of other people’s faults, but one in which we have identify some of the flaws and faults that have our name signed to them. The list should then become a prayer list reminding us to ask God for the grace to change in these areas. Our petitions for improvement may reap some beneficial results for us and others.
The list could also be like a do to list. The list of things we need GOD to do in our personal lives.
The list could also be talk points for you to share with a trusted friend or small group of friends. James wrote that we are to "confess our faults one to another that we may be healed." There is an incredible power released when we expose to others our own faults. What some may misconstrue as a pity party can sometimes culimate in a power party. When we get honest about where we are missing the mark, it brings it in the light. The power of our secrets is broken. The healing process can do its work. God honors honesty. Confession is simply being honest and in agreement with God about our sin.
It is in the dark, that our flesh and the enemy of our souls tag team with one another. It is in the light where we truly fellowship with God and one another (1 John 1:7).
Last week, early on Tuesday morning, six men met under a tree in my backyard. It was a time of being honest with one another about our struggles and our faults. We all decided to risk growing in our relationships with each other. A pulling off the mask ceremony ensued and we took a step toward wholeness together. Risky? Yes! Worth it? For sure!
Most of our relationships are very shallow. I am discovering more that ever before, it is painful to be made whole. It kills our pride. It changes our attiude about ourselves and others. It requires brutal honestly with ourselves. BUT—it is extremely liberating. Embracing and walking in truth brings freedom. One of the first stops in the journey is facing the truth about ourselves and sharing with someone else that we see it. This is called accountibility and it is necessary for true wholeness. Find a tree, a friend, and start the freedom journey! By the way, the tree that gets it done, is the old rugged cross.
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Grace and the Idol Called Church — Devotional
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The Church was birthed because Jesus positioned himself between God and sinners. He allowed his body to be hung on a cross so that his blood would be given to bring sinful man back into relationship with God.
Our call as redeemed humanity is to continue to hold up Jesus before sinful humanity as the means for their relationship with God to be restored. Believers in Jesus are the church, not the structured organization that we have made it. The wonder of the true church is Christ alive in the human heart.
His heart beating through our heart.
His mind filling our mind.
His hands touching through our hands.
His feet walking through our feet.
His eyes seeing through our eyes and ears hearing through our ears.
We have greatly reduced and at times even removed this mysterious wonder from our mindset about "church."
Human-centered theology has made church a building where people meet. Not officially, but sub-consciously we think of church as a place and event. The true church is human bodies through which Christ lives. Church today is presented as an organized structure where people get together to worship and do good things. Nothing wrong with getting together to worship; Jesus directs us to do so. Nothing wrong with structure; God is a God of order. The problem is the mindset that has developed. When we think of "church" as a place or a weekly event to attend, we miss God’s heart and purpose for His Church.
Church is relational not religious routine.
Church is organic not organizational.
Church is fluid not static.
Church is life-expressing not sleep inducing.
Church is a community of people expressing the love and life of Jesus Christ to each other and the world.
Church is sacrificially giving what she has to those who don’t have it.
Church is you and me moving in unity, peace, and love and positioning ourselves between God and sinful humanity in order that they may experience the Christ life.
Church is more who you are not what you do.
It is belonging to Christ and His family everywhere, not just a certain group in a certain location.
Now I strongly believe in the local expression of the Church in a community. I believe we need to belong and be accountable to other believers who live near us and work with us. But it is the relationships not the building. It is about people not a place. It is about suffering together and laughing together. Through the love of Jesus we live life together, the successes and the failures, the good times and the bad.
Yet, we have defined it way beyond this in today’s world. We compete. We criticize. We chew each other up. The result is that we then position ourselves between the Lord and the lost as a dysfunctional family that harbors bitterness, resentment, and hatred. Jesus said that we are to be so in love with each other the world would know we belong to Him ( John 13:34-35 ) and be drawn toward Father.
Right before Jesus ascended back to His Father, he gave some final instructions to the fledglings that he would use to provide leadership in the early church; he basically told them to go get ‘em–speaking of lost people and there’s plenty of them. He said, I will send the Holy Spirit to give you the power to do it ( Acts 1:8 ). Go around the earth and share what I have done with them. Teach them to live the way you have seen me live. We know what happened after that. But what is happening now? Some things are still the same:
We have the same Lord.
We have the same instructions.
We still have a lost world.
We have the same Holy Spirit.
We too are just ordinary people.
But how are we doing? I include myself for sure in this challenge and indictment, for I have failed in so many ways to measure up to the challenge of adequately expressing the truth of Who Jesus is.
Do people really see the love of Jesus in the church?
As to the instructions, it seems we have switched the Lord’s instructions from "go get ‘em" to "come watch this!" Instead of canvassing the globe, we fight over a half/acre. Instead of the Holy Spirit empowering us to witness and position ourselves between God and the world in sacrificial love, we empower ourselves to create walls to keep us away from the lost. We teach our people to be afraid of the people of the world instead of loving the people of the world. It is the system of the world we are not to love.
Maybe in our efforts to isolate God’s people from the influence of the world, we, too, have created a system that oddly enough runs just like the world’s system. It keeps people from really knowing God. We keep God to ourselves. We reduce Him to living in our building. People began to think this way:
To meet Him, you have to go there.
To know Him, you have to spend as much time as possible at His building.
Your spirituality is measured by your devotion to the system that has been created at the expense of really knowing His heart, which is to position your life along with other lovers of Jesus right in the middle of the world system and love people to Jesus. If what we have does not work where we work, then what we have is not what Jesus wants us to have. We do need regular times to meet and interact and to be instructed. We do need spiritual leaders to teach us and hold us accountable. We do desperately need each other. But all this should be with God’s heart for those who are so desperate and don’t even know what they hunger for.
The Christian life is kinda like a football game. Players beg the coach to put them in the game, not to let them sit on the bench. The goal is not to sit on the bench and watch a few people play. The goal is to hit the field and take it to the opponent. For the church, the true opponent is the one behind the system of the world. As long as the wrong belief about church deceives us into believing that the mission is accomplished when we sit on the bench more often and watch more games and maybe even cheer a little louder, we will not impact the world the way we should. And we will also have to start looking at each other as the opponent in order to get a good game going.
How long will we scrimmage against ourselves? What is the good news in all this?
The news is still the same Good News. Fortunately, Jesus still stands between us and the Father and prays for us. I believe because of Who He is and how He loves, those prayers will be answered!
What an awesome sight when God releases grace to all of us and breaks us loose from all the idols built in our hearts. Of course, the idol is anything we love more than Him, even the "church".
You see in the real game, I think the unity and power of God’s team is so awesome, that players on the other team will actually want to switch teams and play for our Coach. Since we are the visiting team right now, we have to play on the other team’s field. But the more of them that switches sides, it won’t be that long, till it will be our field.
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Grace as a Teacher/Trainer — Devotional
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Have you ever considered that one of the greatest teachers in your life is grace?
I am not talking about a woman named "Grace". I am talking of God’s grace. When Paul wrote to his young protege, Titus, he told him that God’s grace had appeared to every man as a teacher. The word means "to teach, to train, to discipline."The result of that teaching is that we learn to live godly lives and avoid lust in the here and now (Titus 2:11).
So, grace is a teacher and the aim of the grace lessons we are taught is to live the way God wants us to live while learning to turn away from the ungodly and lustful desires that arise within us. We learn to live more disciplined lives. And God will release grace to discipline us–to train us.
Therefore, it should not surprise us when we navigate through seasons of our life when we are intensely confronted by unbridled passions, wrong desires, and ungodly thoughts that God requires us to finally face them. I do believe the way we face them is optional. If we are pliable and listening, it will go much easier with us. If we are stubborn and cling to our old patterns of dealing with things, then the heat turns up. Yes, our choices can affect the way the teacher will teach the class on a certain subject.
When we are thrown into the ring with the ungodly monsters who lurk in the shadows of our lives just waiting for an opportunity to rule us, it can get very bloody and messy. Why doesn’t the teacher stop the fight? Maybe, just maybe, the fight is part of the lesson…
-being in the ring and pummeled by your soul’s ungodliness can remind you of your wickedness and weakness in every area that Christ does not rule.
-a fight for your life can also bring to the surface what really matters to you when things are reduced to the very basics of life.
-tumbling on the canvas struggling with your soul can also flip-flop your attitude toward the teacher. You start remembering what the teacher said. You realize that is why the teacher said "such and such" and did ‘such and such". Verses flood your mind. Dreams you had now begin to gain light and make sense. Words that loving friends tried to share with you also confront you.
-Inside the ropes with the enemy one on one, you get a glimpse of just how evil and ugly he is. His charm is gone. What he promised means nothing now. The deception is broken off your mind as you smell his stinking breath and struggle against his slimy sweat. He is grotesque, ugly, vile, and mean. Though he had operated in the unseen, now you can see him for what and who he really is. You not only lose the desire to listen to him, but you rally your heart to defeat him at all costs. Another thing that happens in the ring when it all comes down is that the audience loses its appeal to you. The proud bouncing around you did as you expected to show the crowd how it is done, vaporizes. When you are gasping to breathe, and your heart is pounding on the inside while the enemy pounds you on the outside, you really don’t give a rip about what the crowd is saying. The charm of being their champion is gone. They have seen your weakness. You are exposed. You realize they will look for another champion. You just want to survive and learn the lessons of the defeat in the ring.
Yeah, grace is a teacher. In all the struggles of the season of the great fight, grace is there teaching, just waiting for us to listen and apply. I am just sorry that often grace has to allow my own soul to be subdued so that I will start hearing again.
When the fight is over, grace shifts the mode of teaching. When the crowd is roaring, booing, and talking about the great defeat, grace comes to the center of the ring where you have been knocked out and begins to provide what you need to get back on your feet.
Grace lays out the recovery plan….
-You don’t need to fight for a while.
-You don’t need to do any interviews.
-You don’t need press conferences.
-You need to rest.
-Get your mind back in right order.
-Let your emotions be healed.
-Let you body rejuvenate.
-Do not try to train anyone else till your back on your feet.
-Let others help you and take care of you.
You also realize that the nature of things is for people to want a winner to cheer for. When it is no longer you, then it will be someone else. You realize like never before the kind of people that grace uses to help you when you have been knocked out. You grow to appreciate those who are still in your corner after you lost the title fight. You recognize people you never noticed before because they are there when you are down wanting to help you up.
You also feel like never before when someone else gets the stuffing beat out of them. Whether or not it was their fault. You realize the power of forgiveness as people forgive you for doing what you knew better to do. They know you knew better than to fight with your guard down. They know you did not train sufficiently before the fight. They forgive you for thinking you were ready when you weren’t.
The day will come when you will begin to train again. There will be another fight on the horizon. Grace will prepare you for the next bout. The difference is, this time, you are much more eager to hear what Grace has to say as well the folks who were there with you after the ten count. The result of each fight is we have a deeper appreciation for our trainer, Grace and we live more godly lives.
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The Myth of Out Yonder Grace — Devotional
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God gives us grace in our time of need. We need to have a true revival of the meaning of Grace in all of our lives. God’s grace is absolutely, exhileratingly, wonderful. What is grace?
God’s power given to us to do God’s will.
A gift from the Universe’s greatest giver.
Something we do not have that we desperately need.
Divine ability that becomes humanly available.
Supernatural enablement to accomplish what is best for our lives.
Grace is for now!
When we live "out yonder" we miss right here–right now!
If we live all week just waiting to get back to a Sunday morning service we miss walking and experiencing the presence of God right now. All of our failures occur in the "right now" moments of our lives. How sad when we live "out yonder" in our minds while the rest of our being struggles in the "right now." Our flesh does its work "right now" and that is where grace is needed.
Grace is available on Monday morning to enable us to start another work week.
It is available on a Tuesday night to keep us from yelling at our kids.
It is there on Wednesday to help us refrain from participating in the latest gossip.
On Thursday it will show up to give us vision to see past a cutting remark made toward us to understand the hurt in the offender’s life that needs healing.
When Friday comes, grace comes to empower us to capture and lock away lustful thoughts that tempt us to sin.
Grace also is given on Saturday morning to visit our neighbor who just lost his job to encourage and help.
It will even pop up on Sunday morning in the car on the way to church if it is needed.
Why would we settle for a 1/7th version of grace when we can live in 7/7ths of grace. The Holy Spirit transmits God’s grace to us. He dispenses this power of goodness to us whenever and wherever we need it.
The "out yonder" mentality causes us to yearn for something to come. We think, when it gets here it will gloriously wonderful. All of our needs will be met. We will all be changed and our community will be transformed. I agree that all of this is great, except the part that uses tomorrow as an excuse to refuse grace for today. Whenever or wherever there is true revival, it is because God starts pouring out buckets of grace through His Holy Spirit. Revivals in the past have proven that sometimes this awesome power can cause strange reactions in people. But let’s be very quick to understand, that when the awesome power of grace comes, the main thing that should be in evidence is that we love God and love people more.People start loving more at home, work, and play–not just doing more at church. Grace is a whole lot more about being that leads to doing. It is not doing that leads to being. Grace changes the heart and that changes the actions of the man. A pig can be taught to do tricks, but it is just a pig doing tricks. Now change a pig into a horse and that perk people’s interests. You get the point!
I deeply regret my refusal to step into God’s daily grace during this past season of my life. I found myself preparing for the "next" worship service and not worshiping in between worship services. The "tomorrow" kind of grace does not work. Grace is for the moment. Need by need. Temptation by temptation. Step by step. "Out yonder" living that doesn’t lean into daily grace quickly deteriorates into living to be seen of men. We pretend all is well. We put on our "church" faces. We smile and praise God with our lips, but our hearts grow cold from the weariness of playing the game. Deep inside there is a gnawing sensation that something is wrong, but we suffocate it to get ready for the next event. We even become convinced that since being at "church" seems to be easier than living real life, that it would be good to be at church more. So we keep adding more and more opportunities to escape our daily world in order to "worship." But when we do this without grace, it becomes religious ritual that does not impart life.
Facade replaces reality.
Pride blinds vision.
Appearance eclipses authenticity.
Hiddenness steals humility.
Depression comes and delight leaves.
Deception is embraced while truth is denied.
Missing the grace of now that is given by God can be very costly!
I have come to realize that the grace in time of need comes when we confess our need. Grace is given to the humble. Pride will blind us to our need of it. We listen to others appraisal of how strong and wonderful we are. We become proud within ourselves thinking we can handle it. We can contain our wrong desires. We will not allow them to get too far out of hand. All the while, they entangle us and we find ourselves ensnared. We become blind to truth and our pride blocks the entrance of grace. The grace to break us free in not there because of our pride. But praise the Lord, the moment we confess our need of it with a repentant heart, grace comes rushing to the scene. God gives grace to the humble.
Why can we have grace anyway? Answer–Jesus. The grace of God is available to us on the basis of what Jesus has done for us at the cross. The cross paved the way for grace to come to us. We get God’s gift of grace on Jesus’ merits. We must live with the awareness that all that we enjoy as Christians is due Jesus. Only because of him, can we enjoy the amazing grace of God. As we press into Jesus, we press toward the one full of grace and truth.
The "out yonder" mentality that we need to have is the one that eagerly awaits the return of Jesus for his people. Why? Because when he comes, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. When the great One full of grace and truth comes, we will be forever changed to live in the eternal now! Until then, by faith, we receive his grace to help us in our time of need. And the time of need is always in the "now."
Do you find yourself denying today by looking out yonder somewhere? Get God’s grace now! Humble yourself now. Pray right now. Confess your need now. Today is the day of grace!
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Hummingbirds and Grace — Devotional
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I have always been fascinated by hummingbirds. I am amazed at their ability to hover. They are lightning fast in their movements. And of course, they are so tiny and beautiful. Recently I went to a friend’s house and entered hummingbird heaven. They had a dozen or so feeders and what seemed like hundreds of hummingbirds. They were buzzing the feeders like bees around a hive. I asked my friend questions about his feeders and returned home to give it a try myself. That was about two weeks ago.
Now our yard is beginning to buzz with hummingbirds. I started with one feeder. However, I noticed that one little hummingbird had taken control of the whole feeder. I witnessed many times another hummingbird trying to swoop in and get a good drink of nectar only to be chased away by the self-appointed guardian of the stash. I did not realize these little fellows were so territorial. I thought, "There’s more nectar in that feeder than that one little bird could drink in a year." Yet, he refused to share out of the abundance he discovered. Can you imagine what all the birds were thinking? They had never discovered a "flower" with so much nectar. It was an endless supply of the good stuff. But day after day, the little guardian stood his post.
I found myself feeling sorry for the other birds that tried to get a drink and couldn’t because of the nectar cop. I decided I would buy more feeders, so yesterday, Elliott (my 15 yr.old) and I went to Lowe’s to buy a couple of more feeders. I was excited to see what would happen.
I placed one of the new feeders about 20 feet away from the existing feeder. The other one I placed on the opposite side of the house right outside my study window where I am sitting typing this blog. Let me testify….
Right now as I type I look to my right directly out the window less than eight feet from where I sit and I can see Sergeant number two. Sure enough, he is sitting there and I have already seen him chase other thirsty members of the hummingbird community away from his feeder. Obviously, he has decided that this side of the house is his. He is a beautiful little bird just sitting there chasing away the competition and flying down periodically to enjoy a big swallow of the good stuff. He actually has the fancy feeder complete with a place to perch while you drink. It is the Hilton for Hummingbirds. It is all his….until….another bird proves it can’t be pushed around shows up and takes over his perch.
Now back to the other side of the house….
Things really got interesting when I placed the other new feeder 20 feet away from the original one. I thought I could keep them close enough together to watch both of them easily. I thought maybe since Sergeant number one had his own feeder he would leave the other one unguarded.
Boy, was I wrong!
He quickly demonstrated that he could keep all the other would be nectar seekers away from both feeders. I moved it farther away…..He proved he could still go the distance. Though it required a lot of energy, he was still doing a pretty good job of keeping both feeders to himself. However, he was unable to have much perch time. He was extremely busy keeping other hummingbirds from getting a drink. Occasionally, while he was chasing birds away from feeder two, one of the other sneaky feathered friends would buzz by feeder one and steal a drink. I found myself cheering for these birds who were able to finally taste the sweet nectar for themselves.
Then I decided I would really put Sergeant one to the test. I moved the new feeder about 60 feet away. He continued to try to keep his thirsty neighbors away, but it was too big a job for such a little guy to handle. Finally, he flew back to his original post and sat with his feathered back to the other feeder, as if to say, "If they are going to drink, I don’t have to watch!" I was proud that I had put him in his place.
But the action was not over. As a matter of fact, things were really heating up now….
What followed was an amazing sight. In a few moments there were at least a dozen hummingbirds all feeding from the four portholes on the feeder. I don’t know where they had come from. I had not seen them before, but obviously they were close by. It was as if they were just waiting in the shadows for one of those feeders to be freed up from Mr. Nectar Monopolizer.
In and out, back and forth, up and down….they all enjoyed the sweet nectar. You could tell that a few of them were trying to display some dominance, but it was to no avail. There was plenty for all of them and all of them were drinking away. I called Mikki to the window to watch it with me. We were astonished by what we saw. It was such a beautiful sight. Plenty of nectar for everybody!
So I have three feeders. Two have been taken over. One is still free for everyone. Don’t know how long, but for now, I am sure they feel like they have found hummingbird heaven.
What has this to do with grace? You can easily do the math on this one.
We all are like one of those birds.
There is plenty of grace for everyone.
People are hungry for grace.
Often we fight to keep others from getting it.
People flock where grace is freely given to all.
It often takes more energy to guard a feeder than it does to manage a crowd where everybody can drink.
We should all realize God will always keep the feeders full.
When it comes to grace, give and it shall be given is the Divine order of the day. One struggle is keeping a feeder free from the birds that chase other birds away. The greater struggle is not becoming that bird!
Addendum–I had just published this blog when I looked back out at the feeder. The yard was covered with black birds. They had converged upon our yard. There were hundreds and hundreds of them. Of course, the little hummingbird had left his post. We have lived here over four years and I have never witnessed this in our yard. Other places, yes, but not here like this. Coincidence? Or is there a message in it? Our true battle is not with other hummingbirds. It is with the "blackbirds" that will not be satisfied until there are no feeding places or feeders or nectar or even hummingbirds. The enemy of our souls cannot stand for us to have access to grace.
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Grace is in the Air — Devotional
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday morning we experienced a grace gathering at our house. We call it a grace gathering because it was a gathering for people needing and hungry for the message of grace. We are looking for a permanent location which we will call Grace House. It was absolutely wonderful.
An open air meeting on a beautiful morning.
A soft breeze bringing a cool wind.
The smell of doughnuts and pastries mingling with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
The chirping of birds in the background.
The sound of crunching gravel as cars turned off the highway and started winding down our long driveway.
The sight of people walking up the road and grassy hillside with a Bible in their hand and their kids in tow.
The chatter of conversation as people greeted one another and exchanged hugs.
The sounds of laughter, chuckles, and children shouting.
Watching Charlie work the crowd. Charlie is our hyper-social dog.
Blossoming flowers providing some specs of brilliant color and beauty.
People unfolding lawn chairs in the shade.
The sound of worship being released.
It was like a Biblestock event.
People under trees with their hands in the air.
The beautiful melody and rhythm of music and love given to God.
Lines of people coming to receive communion.
The broken bread given.
The bread dipped in the cup.
The realization of the cross.
Teaching given on Early Church Realities.
A restored broken struggling preacher starting again.
A pattern for the new was shared.
Children grouped outside learning about Jesus.
Little kids in a room having a blast working with their hands and being loved.
Teenagers across the road in a basement learning about being champions.
Lots of fellowship to go around for everybody.
Relationships being formed, renewed, deepened.
People receiving prayer.
Tear stained faces.
Grateful smiles.
Informal, very casual, but truly meaningful.
People reluctant to leave.
People planning lunch together.
We all knew we wanted to do it again and that things would never be the same.
Adventure was in the air.
Love was in the air.
Grace was in the air.
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The Grace to See — Devotional
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There’s lots of ways to say it.
What we behold is what we become.
As a man thinks, so is he. Our focus becomes our future….and so forth.
These are true statements. So….what do we see? Look at what your looking at and get a glimpse of where you’re going.
I find this to be true in the positive and the negative. Our eye gate is an entry point that allows outward realities into our minds. Job said, "I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look upon a young woman." Job realized he needed to have an inner commitment in his mind and heart in order to overcome the temptations presented to him through his eyes.
In a sense we have an internal "eye gate" as well. This enables us to use our imagination for good or evil. We "see" internally. We are able to see something that does not exist and then bring it into existence. Songwriters, architects, musicians, artists, builders, sculptors, and five year olds with boxes of crayons all prove this is true.
Certain spiritual gifts enable us to see and to know information from the realm of the spirit. And on rare occasions, our outward eyes may even be allowed to see spiritual realities. Remember when Elijah prayed for his servants eyes to be opened to see. He saw the mountains filled with angelic warriors.
So seeing is a part of our lives in more ways than one. What do you see?
The war is often over what we see? Jesus said if our eye is filled with evil our whole body is filled with darkness. What do you see?
Remember the three disciples with Jesus at the transfiguration? This was the occasion that Jesus was lifted up and the glory of God began radiating from him. Then Moses and Elijah appeared beside him. This was a little more than your typical Sunday morning church service. The disciples were able to see this and it tripped their breakers. But what did they really see?
Obvious answers–Moses, Elijah, Jesus, God’s glory. Yes, yes yes…they did see those things, but what did they SEE. Sorry to sound confusing.
When this happened they all hit the dirt. Right response and it did not require thinking. But immediately Peter started thinking of a plan to personally capitalize on the situation. Let’s build three booths! We may think that this was good thinking. How noble to want to stay in the presence of God’s glory at the intersection where the past-present-future all converge.
Peter knew he was laying prostrate in a holy place. It was natural to want to stay. In was in his DNA. His forefathers had camped under the glory cloud for years. Yet–a word was released from heaven. This is my beloved son–listen to him. Then it happened, THEY SAW JESUS ONLY.
Not a personal opportunity to live in the glory.
Not a transcendent escape from the realities of life.
Not a place that is so smug and blessed that we forget about all the hurts and pains of those at the foot of the mountain who have not yet seen God’s glory reflected in the beauty of His Son.
THEY SAW JESUS ONLY! In the midst of the manifestation God redirected their attention to His Son.
This is the temptation. To be given opportunity to experience a deeper revelation of God through His Son Jesus and want to somehow convert it to something that will perpetually benefit us personally. What if Jesus had taken on such an attitude? Think of it…. He would not have chosen the cross for our benefit.
Such self-centered thinking can seduce us into thinking that the kingdom is about the next spiritual fix, or high, or experience. We can become blinded to the fact that we have taken what was a manifestation of God’s glory and converted into an opportunity for us to build a booth and soak on the mountain top.
The transfiguration was a huge experience.
It was a real experience.
It was a valid experience.
God chose to reveal Himself to those three guys in a remarkable way.
They were changed by what they saw. Peter was still writing about 20 years later.
It was an experience with a purpose, not a movement within itself.
What was the purpose?
What did God say? "
This is my beloved Son–Listen to Him!"
Then they saw Jesus only.
Everything else vanished. The outward manifestation of glory. The unveiling of their eyes. The presence of Moses and Elijah. The end result was that they saw God attest to the identity and purpose of His Son. He had Moses and Elijah to discuss with him his mission that lay ahead. The disciples had an awesome experience but Father God determined that they would come out of it with a deeper revelation of His Son and a greater desire to hear what Jesus said about things.
They had been taught to listen to Moses and Elijah–the law and the prophets. As much respect as they had for these men, they had to shift and put their focus on Jesus and what He said. What do you see? Or "Who: do you see?
We become what we behold. Since God’s purpose is for us to become like Jesus, we need to make sure He alone is who we are beholding.
Is there a Moses in your eye gate?
Is there an Elijah in your eye gate?
Is there some great spiritual experience that has become your focus?
Is there a movement that has shifted your vision from Jesus to your pursuit of Boothville Church?
It is hard to walk with Jesus down into the valley where the hurting are waiting, if the desire of our heart is to live in our man made booths on a mountain top where there once was a great manifestation of God.
If Peter and his buddies had followed through on their initial plan, they would have found themselves on a mountain top deserted by Jesus who had gone back to the place of the hurting. I am sure they could have lived on the memory of what was for a while. But eventually they would have had to become so desperate that they started seeking Jesus outside their booths or they would have to continue to try to recreate their previous experience. However, the transfiguration did not come about as a result of their planning or even their praying. It was something God did that startled them out of their sandals. Yes it marked them, but thank God they allowed it to change them and they took the experience and hid it in their hearts as they went back down the mountain with Jesus to join the battle of every day reality.
The first reality they discovered was that even though they had been soaking all night in the glory of God they still did not have the faith to cast out a devil in a little boy. No matter what we experience, we all still have a whole lot to learn. The key is to keep our eyes on our teacher–Jesus. God help me and God help us to see Jesus only!
If we choose the mountaintop of yesterday, we may become so confused and desperate that we invent transfiguration type experiences or so bored we use our imagination to come up with something to excite us. How sad because walking with Jesus is the most exciting adventure possible. But it does require we keep our eyes on HIM and listen to HIM and follow HIM.
Of course the adventure is not always easy. The disciples found this out later. They had a difficult time following him when he headed to the cross. It was a mountain top experience of another fashion. Yet very much in the middle of God’s plan and purpose. We all seem to resist going to this mountain. It is hard to even see it as a place of glory and worship. our natural senses are repelled by it. The goosebumps are gone and depression and fear come.
The disciples ran. Yeah they wanted booths again, not to worship in, but to hid in. When it was happening it made no sense. It did not clear up for them until they saw Jesus again. This is our lesson for today. In every thing we go through, look for the face of the resurrected Christ–our Lord Jesus. We are not seeing clearly until we see Him only.
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Grace to Preach Again — Devotional
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Preachers preach!
Preachers preach to people.
There are all sorts of preachers and all sorts of people.
Preachers are people too.
Maybe people are preachers too?
The simple statements above say a lot more than you might suspect on a cursory view. Preachers do preach, but what does a preacher do when he is in a season when he is not preaching. Let us ask the preacher a question. Why are you not preaching? There can be a lot of reasons, let’s ask some preachers who are not preaching why they are not preaching:
The first preacher replies, I am not preaching because no church has called me to be their preacher?
I see, but you do not preach because a church calls you. You preach because God calls you. The waiting world is your audience from the riverbanks to the street corners or maybe your message can be shared through your passionate heart to a stranger over a cup of coffee.
Is it the volume of your voice that determines whether or not you are preaching?
Is it the setting alone that makes it preaching?
Does there have to be pews and rows of people sitting quietly while you wax away?
Or is preaching more about the fire in your heart for others to hear the life changing message?
Is it preaching because of style? Elocution? Homiletic savvy?
If you do not announce and read a text, is it still preaching?
How many people have to hear what you say for it to be preaching?
I am not so sure that it is the people listening, or the place it occurs, or the style of delivery employed that make it preaching. You do not have to be a pastor to be a preacher. You simply have to have a message. God spoke to Baalim through a mule. Hmmmm!
Another says, I am sick and unable to preach during this time.
Rest my friend, heal, allow God to restore your body and it once again will be able to release the beautiful words of the Good News about Jesus’ love for us all. Don’t feel guilty that you are silent. Allow the season of silence to do its work. God knows your heart and your desire. That is what truly counts before Him.
Yet Another says, I am in prison for three more years.
Yes Dear Brother. Your cell is then your pulpit. The prison bars that keep you in also keep other inmates in. You and them are in together. Share your heart and love with them. Allow God to transform you inside out so that when you get out you will still desire to bring others in—in to the light! Many a preacher has been formed inside prison houses. Let God do His work and do the work God has given you at hand.Paul was imprisoned and yet we still are receiving ministry from his preaching. He preached through a quill (pen). We are still reading what he preached. Preach on prisoner! For those who tell you that you can’t preach because of your past, remember your past is not different than theirs in God’s sight. We are all sinners in need of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. If you repent, he will cleanse. When He cleanses, you are forgiven. When you are forgiven, you are released from the tormentors of your past. Don’t worry about those who do not want to receive. the fruit of your ministry will be from those who will receive from you.
The third preacher speaks up, I am not preaching because I chose to sin and now I am discredited.
Ah, dear brother. You have one of two decisions. Continue in sin or stop and turn around. This is called repentance. I highly recommend that you do what the Bible says. Repent, submit yourself to those who are spiritual so they can lead you to restoration. Once restored, you can release your voice again. God will be faithful, He will connect you with those who have a heart to see you restored. They will need to be strong and secure because they will be judged for even associating with you. Remember the pressure placed on Peter by the fire. He denied Christ rather than admit he even knew him. While you are being restored, go ahead and preach. But you should only preach to one person–the man in the mirror. Your season of restoration is a season of healing. Of allowing God to strengthen your areas of weakness. It is a time to be healed and made whole of old wounds and ways of doing things. Once those whom God has led to oversee your restoration give you their blessing, then you can preach again always remembering the grace you have been given.
The last preacher speaks up, I am not sure I am called to preach.
Now here is something to consider. Whom did Jesus command to preach the Good News? Whom did Jesus command to get a credential, attend a seminary, and earn a degree and then preach? I’m not against those things. I have a wall full of them. Maybe we have missed it by separating preachers from the rest of the group. Preachers are people too. As a matter of fact, preachers are just people. Furthermore, maybe, just maybe, every person is a preacher. It may not be to a crowed building whose pews are packed with people. It may not be to a filled stadium. It may not be to a classroom of eager listeners. It may just be at a table at the coffee shop sharing with a hurting soul. But if your lips release the message of the Good News of Jesus great love, then you have preached. We all are releasing one message or the other. What are you preaching?
If you are not preaching, you are either waiting for your body to be restored, your soul to be restored, or you are waiting for no good reason.
I have been one of those whose soul has been being restored. I am the third preacher. Those who are overseeing the process of my restoration have said, you can now begin to preach again. I admit I am a little nervous. I know I will have to wade through criticism and judgment. I will have to battle my own thoughts of what others may be thinking. Yet, deep down in my bones, there is an ember burning, it is the flickering growing message of the great goodness and grace of God that saved a wretch like me. This is the message I must share and it is very, very, very goooooooood news!
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