"And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:17
Jonah suffered from what used to be know as a hard head. It is clear from scripture that Jonah was God's man; he was a prophet. A prophet's whole reason for being was to carry out the will of God, in part, through the sharing of His word with the people. God sent him to a place called Nineveh, home of a people who were the enemy of God and His people, to preach repentance. Because Jonah did not agree with what God said to do, he found himself pursued, then caught by God and ultimately banished in the belly of a great fish.
Beloved, how often in life do we think we know better than the Father? How often do we decide to go our own way despite what He has told us to do? Sometimes we think ourselves crafty and somehow able to outsmart Him by hatching and executing our own plans. Nevertheless, things always seem to catch up to us: "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light," Luke 8:17.
Be careful about attempts to confound the will of God. As Christians, we should especially know that His will be done, if not by and through us, then certainly by and through someone. And if you find yourself in an uncomfortable and restricted position not of your choosing, give the air a sniff to see if you detect the scent of fish. God may be trying to get your attention.
In Revival,
Lee
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Stone Praise-DD12/9/2010 (Repost)
"I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."
Luke 19:38
When Jesus made his triumphant yet ill fated entrance into Jerusalem, the bible records that the people spread their clothes on the ground for his mount to walk upon and that "they began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." Naturally, not everyone felt that same jubilation. In fact there were those who did not understand what all the fuss was about and were clearly irritated. They asked Jesus to shut them up.
Beloved it is right for the people of God to praise Him. The scriptures are replete with encouragements to "praise ye the Lord!" There are also many scriptural examples of people who stood against the Lord and those that praise Him. Now as then, the sons and daughters of the Almighty should never allow anyone to legislate nor dictate our adoration for the Lord. He is indeed worthy of any and all glory and honor we can muster, for He is the great I AM! The redeemed of the Lord who have seen His mighty hand ought to say so!
If we do not praise our Father for all He has done, is doing and is about to do, the very stones of the earth will cry out. I don't know about you, but I'm not about to let a rock out praise me!
PRAISE THE LORD!
In Revival,
Lee
Luke 19:38
When Jesus made his triumphant yet ill fated entrance into Jerusalem, the bible records that the people spread their clothes on the ground for his mount to walk upon and that "they began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." Naturally, not everyone felt that same jubilation. In fact there were those who did not understand what all the fuss was about and were clearly irritated. They asked Jesus to shut them up.
Beloved it is right for the people of God to praise Him. The scriptures are replete with encouragements to "praise ye the Lord!" There are also many scriptural examples of people who stood against the Lord and those that praise Him. Now as then, the sons and daughters of the Almighty should never allow anyone to legislate nor dictate our adoration for the Lord. He is indeed worthy of any and all glory and honor we can muster, for He is the great I AM! The redeemed of the Lord who have seen His mighty hand ought to say so!
If we do not praise our Father for all He has done, is doing and is about to do, the very stones of the earth will cry out. I don't know about you, but I'm not about to let a rock out praise me!
PRAISE THE LORD!
In Revival,
Lee
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Challenges of Child Rearing-DD 12/8/2010
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Eph 6:4
Being a parent is one of the most challenging blessings many of us will ever enjoy. Even while we remember the struggles of our own childhood, often recalling with a wince the things we put our parents through, we still contend with our own mightily. Every generation seems to have its own unique set of circumstances that put a strain on the relationship between parents and children. Some may recall the differing perspectives (depending on what side of the generational gap one finds oneself) regarding things like blues music, rock and roll, recreational drugs, "free love," hippie and psychedelic culture, rap music, parental advisory lyrics, the advent of the Internet and reality television. It is these and other things that contribute to driving the wedge.
Parents often attempt to keep the negatives at bay in a variety of ways, one of which is the use of severity. We criticize their choices, influences and activities and often proactively punish them without fully understanding the culture and times in which they are growing up. We seem to have lost sight of the fact that we wished our parents would try to understand our lives when we were growing up. This is not to say that certain activities do not need to be addressed or even nipped in the bud, but the bible speaks about the way this is to be done.
A Christian parent's role is to guide, direct, instruct and correct if necessary. To punitively punish when it may not be warranted is to provoke the children to wrath, which typically serves only to push them further away. This usually happens as the children enter their teen years and sometimes become more subject to the influences of friends and other outside sources then that of the parents. Though we need not necessarily endorse their choices, it is best to first attempt to gain understanding which, in turn, will provide a platform to discuss those choices from a godly perspective.
That having been said beloved, if these occasions prompt the introduction of God into the home, the proverbial horse may have already left the barn and closing the doors at this point is tantamount to an exercise in futility (though hope springs eternal). The clearly stated key here is to nourish the children with the sincere milk of the word of God as part of their diet throughout their growth and maturation process. Doing so will fortify them against the many negative influences that society is continuously refining and redefining. Of course, the children will, as we did, make their own choices and ultimately have to make their own way, however, it is our responsibility to put them in proximity to God in the hopes and prayers that their own relationship with Him will ignite and burn brightly, warding off the darkness that so vigorously pursues them.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Being a parent is one of the most challenging blessings many of us will ever enjoy. Even while we remember the struggles of our own childhood, often recalling with a wince the things we put our parents through, we still contend with our own mightily. Every generation seems to have its own unique set of circumstances that put a strain on the relationship between parents and children. Some may recall the differing perspectives (depending on what side of the generational gap one finds oneself) regarding things like blues music, rock and roll, recreational drugs, "free love," hippie and psychedelic culture, rap music, parental advisory lyrics, the advent of the Internet and reality television. It is these and other things that contribute to driving the wedge.
Parents often attempt to keep the negatives at bay in a variety of ways, one of which is the use of severity. We criticize their choices, influences and activities and often proactively punish them without fully understanding the culture and times in which they are growing up. We seem to have lost sight of the fact that we wished our parents would try to understand our lives when we were growing up. This is not to say that certain activities do not need to be addressed or even nipped in the bud, but the bible speaks about the way this is to be done.
A Christian parent's role is to guide, direct, instruct and correct if necessary. To punitively punish when it may not be warranted is to provoke the children to wrath, which typically serves only to push them further away. This usually happens as the children enter their teen years and sometimes become more subject to the influences of friends and other outside sources then that of the parents. Though we need not necessarily endorse their choices, it is best to first attempt to gain understanding which, in turn, will provide a platform to discuss those choices from a godly perspective.
That having been said beloved, if these occasions prompt the introduction of God into the home, the proverbial horse may have already left the barn and closing the doors at this point is tantamount to an exercise in futility (though hope springs eternal). The clearly stated key here is to nourish the children with the sincere milk of the word of God as part of their diet throughout their growth and maturation process. Doing so will fortify them against the many negative influences that society is continuously refining and redefining. Of course, the children will, as we did, make their own choices and ultimately have to make their own way, however, it is our responsibility to put them in proximity to God in the hopes and prayers that their own relationship with Him will ignite and burn brightly, warding off the darkness that so vigorously pursues them.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Prov 22:6
In Revival,
Lee
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Selective Hearing-DD 12/7/2010
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,"
2 Tim 4:3
The apostle Paul gave this great warning to his young protege, Timothy. Though it is a message to ministers even to this day, it is likewise a message to all believers. In fact, the men of God have always been unpopular among some. Noah, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Jesus, among others, come to mind as those whose message was not welcome.
Now as then, people do not want to hear the things of God that are contrary to the sensual way they wish to lead their lives. Whether it involves worshipping other gods, indulging in immoral lifestyles, failure to obey or consistently indulging in a variety of temptations, most have no desire to hear that they are wrong and that their habits are outside the will of God.
This is a big enough problem but it multiplies exponentially when we warp the worship of God around our indulgences. Whether this is building a religious organization around something God condemns or simply hiring a preacher that only talks about the "good and happy stuff," the issue is the same.
Beloved, all of God's word is for us. Through it, He blesses us and chastises us. He does both of these because He loves us. We need to hear that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. We also need to hear that we were lost because of sin. We need to hear that all of our needs will be supplied. We also need to hear that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We need to hear that we should love each other. We also need to hear that we should love our enemies.
Let us always pursue the whole will of God and not just the parts that we want to hear. The soundness of the doctrine (teaching) is in its truth and its completeness.
In Revival,
Lee
2 Tim 4:3
The apostle Paul gave this great warning to his young protege, Timothy. Though it is a message to ministers even to this day, it is likewise a message to all believers. In fact, the men of God have always been unpopular among some. Noah, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Jesus, among others, come to mind as those whose message was not welcome.
Now as then, people do not want to hear the things of God that are contrary to the sensual way they wish to lead their lives. Whether it involves worshipping other gods, indulging in immoral lifestyles, failure to obey or consistently indulging in a variety of temptations, most have no desire to hear that they are wrong and that their habits are outside the will of God.
This is a big enough problem but it multiplies exponentially when we warp the worship of God around our indulgences. Whether this is building a religious organization around something God condemns or simply hiring a preacher that only talks about the "good and happy stuff," the issue is the same.
Beloved, all of God's word is for us. Through it, He blesses us and chastises us. He does both of these because He loves us. We need to hear that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. We also need to hear that we were lost because of sin. We need to hear that all of our needs will be supplied. We also need to hear that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We need to hear that we should love each other. We also need to hear that we should love our enemies.
Let us always pursue the whole will of God and not just the parts that we want to hear. The soundness of the doctrine (teaching) is in its truth and its completeness.
In Revival,
Lee
Monday, December 6, 2010
Unsurpassed Love-DD 12/6/2010
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor 5:21
What must it have been like to cause His only begotten to "become sin?" Everything we know about our God involves holiness and righteousness. We also know that he cannot be around sin and ultimately forsook Jesus, for becoming the sin he came to earth to be.
Interestingly enough, it is we who first committed sin. Through the temptation of Satan, our ancestors committed the unpardonable and passed on to every living human being that very same nature. Over time, we progressed from lying and disobedience to everything we know sin to be today. This being the case, we find ourselves outside of the original relationship God designed for us to enjoy with Him.
Beloved, God still desires that original relationship. Due to His requirements regarding truth and justice, it was necessary that a sacrifice be made, a payment be given to satisfy the debt we created. Due to his perfection, Jesus' was the only sacrifice sufficient to pay that debt. He was able to do so by taking on (becoming) all the sins of mankind. What a marvelous and remarkable gift! Through Christ, the righteousness that we once lost is now available to those willing to reconcile through him. Praise be to the Father for His unsurpassed love, grace and mercy.
In Revival,
Lee
What must it have been like to cause His only begotten to "become sin?" Everything we know about our God involves holiness and righteousness. We also know that he cannot be around sin and ultimately forsook Jesus, for becoming the sin he came to earth to be.
Interestingly enough, it is we who first committed sin. Through the temptation of Satan, our ancestors committed the unpardonable and passed on to every living human being that very same nature. Over time, we progressed from lying and disobedience to everything we know sin to be today. This being the case, we find ourselves outside of the original relationship God designed for us to enjoy with Him.
Beloved, God still desires that original relationship. Due to His requirements regarding truth and justice, it was necessary that a sacrifice be made, a payment be given to satisfy the debt we created. Due to his perfection, Jesus' was the only sacrifice sufficient to pay that debt. He was able to do so by taking on (becoming) all the sins of mankind. What a marvelous and remarkable gift! Through Christ, the righteousness that we once lost is now available to those willing to reconcile through him. Praise be to the Father for His unsurpassed love, grace and mercy.
In Revival,
Lee
Friday, December 3, 2010
"Born Again" Christian-DD 12/3/2010
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3
The thought of being a "born again Christian" still has resonance in our society, but what does it really mean? Aside from the fact that Christians are not born again, but created through sinners being born again, what is the relevance of the phrase?
Jesus famously told Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council who came inquiring of him under cover of darkness, that it was necessary. He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. If we ever want to see our creator, our original birth is necessary but wholly insufficient. There must be a second creation to live a second life.
Nicodemus understandably asked how this could possibly be accomplished. Jesus replied that it involved water and The Spirit, saying that things born of the Spirit are spirit. Rather than get into the argument about the presence of water at our original birth, suffice it to say that when we are baptized, we come into contact with water by immersion and the Spirit meets us there. Physically, we simply get wet, but spiritually, a great transformation takes place when we are brought out of the water by the Spirit, leaving our past lives dead and buried in the water while we experience being reborn into the Spirit by coming newly created and alive out of it. It is the closest we come to Jesus' resurrection until we all experience it ourselves just before judgment.
It must be said, however beloved, that being baptized, in and of itself, neither saves your soul, nor makes you a Christian. You must first believe and then a transformation must take place in your mind, heart and body. Revelation 2:10 states that we must live faithful lives until death to receive our great reward. And that great reward, consisting of far too many things to list here, is what being born again to become a Christian is all about. Oh blessed be our God and Father who loves us and His son who sacrificed that this may be possible.
In Revival,
Lee
The thought of being a "born again Christian" still has resonance in our society, but what does it really mean? Aside from the fact that Christians are not born again, but created through sinners being born again, what is the relevance of the phrase?
Jesus famously told Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council who came inquiring of him under cover of darkness, that it was necessary. He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. If we ever want to see our creator, our original birth is necessary but wholly insufficient. There must be a second creation to live a second life.
Nicodemus understandably asked how this could possibly be accomplished. Jesus replied that it involved water and The Spirit, saying that things born of the Spirit are spirit. Rather than get into the argument about the presence of water at our original birth, suffice it to say that when we are baptized, we come into contact with water by immersion and the Spirit meets us there. Physically, we simply get wet, but spiritually, a great transformation takes place when we are brought out of the water by the Spirit, leaving our past lives dead and buried in the water while we experience being reborn into the Spirit by coming newly created and alive out of it. It is the closest we come to Jesus' resurrection until we all experience it ourselves just before judgment.
It must be said, however beloved, that being baptized, in and of itself, neither saves your soul, nor makes you a Christian. You must first believe and then a transformation must take place in your mind, heart and body. Revelation 2:10 states that we must live faithful lives until death to receive our great reward. And that great reward, consisting of far too many things to list here, is what being born again to become a Christian is all about. Oh blessed be our God and Father who loves us and His son who sacrificed that this may be possible.
In Revival,
Lee
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Salt of the Earth-DD 12/2/2010
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men." Matt 5:13
What an amazingly elegant but simple metaphor for Christian duty. One of the great things about Christ and his method of teaching is that he always used common examples and parables to make deep and relevant points. They were simple enough for a child to understand, but could confound those whose hearts were not humbled and whose vision was not tuned to the spiritual.
In this case, there are truths that we all understand about salt. First, it adds flavor. We as Christians have been both empowered and commanded to enrich the lives of others. We have the responsibility to provide an other-than-worldly view and example. Through our relationship with the Lord, we can share a way of life that accomplishes good and looks to eternity. What has become known as the beatitudes in Matt 5 come to mind.
Salt also preserves. Before there was refrigeration, there was salting to keep meat fresh and consumable. To be sure we are preserved against the fate of those who do not believe. Similarly, by sharing the faith, we can, "...let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." James 5:20.
Finally, salt was once used as currency because of its surpassing value and necessity. We have the ability to add value to whomsoever we meet. We do so in a variety of ways that include being examples, "doing good to all mankind," "loving others as we love ourselves," being more blessed by giving than receiving and sharing the good news of the gospel of Christ.
Beloved, we must also know as Christians that without these and other qualities, we serve no purpose but to be walked upon in disregard. Let us always endeavor to be the salt of the earth.
In Revival,
Lee
What an amazingly elegant but simple metaphor for Christian duty. One of the great things about Christ and his method of teaching is that he always used common examples and parables to make deep and relevant points. They were simple enough for a child to understand, but could confound those whose hearts were not humbled and whose vision was not tuned to the spiritual.
In this case, there are truths that we all understand about salt. First, it adds flavor. We as Christians have been both empowered and commanded to enrich the lives of others. We have the responsibility to provide an other-than-worldly view and example. Through our relationship with the Lord, we can share a way of life that accomplishes good and looks to eternity. What has become known as the beatitudes in Matt 5 come to mind.
Salt also preserves. Before there was refrigeration, there was salting to keep meat fresh and consumable. To be sure we are preserved against the fate of those who do not believe. Similarly, by sharing the faith, we can, "...let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." James 5:20.
Finally, salt was once used as currency because of its surpassing value and necessity. We have the ability to add value to whomsoever we meet. We do so in a variety of ways that include being examples, "doing good to all mankind," "loving others as we love ourselves," being more blessed by giving than receiving and sharing the good news of the gospel of Christ.
Beloved, we must also know as Christians that without these and other qualities, we serve no purpose but to be walked upon in disregard. Let us always endeavor to be the salt of the earth.
In Revival,
Lee
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