Living Beyond the Formula

Jesus > You + X (all your dos) + Y (all your dont’s)! Dear Church People, I used to be a math teacher. You might think, based on this whole writing gig, I would have been an English or Reading teacher… neh eh. I just cannot grade all those essays with all those words. Me? I really like a clear formula. I like a DEFINITE right or wrong answer, no wondering, no questioning. I like that 2+2=4 and will always equal 4. I will never have to ponder if it’s right or wrong. It’s black and white. Objective. You can’t argue it. I grew up in a faith that loved itself a clear formula. I grew up knowing all the rights and all the wrongs, all the dos and all the don’ts, all the get-into-heavens and all the heading-straight-for-hells. Don’t dance. (You’ll get pregnant.) Don’t drink a DROP of alcohol. (You’ll get pregnant again.) Don’t cuss. Don’t have sex. (For obvious aforementioned reasons.) But seriously, don’t touch boys. And I get it. It was a formula. It was a simple, easy-to-follow, surefire way to determine an outcome. X (all the dos) > Y (all the don’ts) = Z (eternity in heaven) It’s simple. Easy to understand. No gray areas. So I grew up tallying marks for and against, learning blacks and whites, and always worrying whether my X > Y. Now, I totally get how this happens. We humans love control. We crave to feel in control of everything. We plan and rationalize because that makes us feel safe and protected, in control of our lives and our destinies. We don’t want to ACTUALLY place something so significant in the hands of something or someone we can’t see or hear or touch. So we construct a formula that makes sense, gives us something concrete to refer back to. But the older I got and the more scripture I read, the more I wondered about the formula. Because the formula seemed to be missing something pretty big. What about Jesus? What about grace? What about my heart? What about the Holy Spirit? (Yikes, the Holy Spirit. Don’t go all willy-nilly.) The problem with formulas (one of them) is that it allows us to take credit for our own salvation (if we do enough and don’t do enough, we win. YAY.) which leads to pride, which leads to judgment, which leads to separation and division, which leads to being Literally The Worst. If you have been following the formula like I did for so long, don’t forget: you need Jesus. Maybe even more than the sinners you’ve been so quick to condemn. Jesus quoted Isaiah when he said to formula-keepers in his day: “‘These people [the Pharisees and teachers of the law] honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’” (Mattew 15:8-9). Rules taught by men = The Formula. Jesus continued: “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile [that person], but what comes out of [that person’s] mouth, that is what defiles…” (Matthew 15:10-11). – – – – – I have a feeling the formula isn’t working for you. Maybe you can’t figure it out, or the anxiety of it all is pressing down against you, or you feel like you’re buried in Ys and will never be able to stack up enough Xs to climb out, to make you feel like you’re worthy. Or maybe you feel like you’ve mastered the formula but in the meantime have found it hard to connect with people. And your heart feels less full of joy and more full of anger and resentment because the world is going to hell in a handbasket and IF EVERYONE WOULD JUST LIVE THE WAY YOU DID… Jesus is saying that what you do or don’t do, what you DID or DIDN’T DO, isn’t what makes you unclean. It isn’t what sanctifies you, purifies you, or makes you worthy of love or redemption or heaven. It’s your heart. And you know how to make your heart clean? Well, YOU can’t. You cannot cleanse yourself. But if you bind yourself, attach yourself like a vine is connected to a branch, your fruit will be good, your heart will transform. You will produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If you can’t see the production of those things in your life, it’s time to reattach. If you see a sinner and your initial reaction is fear and condemnation rather than love and compassion, it’s time to reattach. If you feel angry at everyone, it’s time to reattach. And probably detach from social media because this place will not always restore your hope in humanity. And for those of you who still need a formula, here’s a fool-proof one: Jesus > You + X (all your dos) + Y (all your dont’s)! – – – – – [Jesus told his disciples,] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing [NOTHING!!]. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5-8). Special thanks for the use of images related to Jesus’ ministry from The Lumo Project and Free Bible Images for use on this week’s post.

A Walk with Our Shepherd

What does it really mean for us? I’m not sure on what David originally wrote down the famous shepherd psalm. It probably was sung in the field to calm his sheep before it finally made it into written form. Yet this psalm has brought comfort to millions over the years. With the words to the psalm are simple reflections on the meaning of each phrase. No one is quite sure of the origins of these simple reflections. Hopefully the words and the reflections will be a reminder to each of us how much God loves us and longs for us to build our lives around our his grace. The Lord is my Shepherd … — that’s relationship! I shall not want … — that’s provision! He makes me to lie down in green pastures … — that’s rest! He leads me beside the still waters … — that’s refreshment! He restores my soul … — that’s healing! He leads me in the paths of righteousness … — that’s guidance! For His name’s sake … — that’s purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death … –that’s testing! I will fear no evil … — that’s protection! For You are with me … — that’s companionship! Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me … — that’s security! You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies … — that’s hope! You anoint my head with oil … — that’s consecration! My cup runs over … — that’s abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me … — that’s blessing! All the days of my life … — that’s faithfulness! And I will dwell in the house of the LORD — that’s home! Forever! — that’s eternity!

Have You Caught This Aroma?

What do you smell like? But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, He has triumphed over us so that now wherever we go, He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Gospel like a sweet perfume. As far as God is concerned there is a sweet wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, an aroma to both the saved and unsaved all around us. (2 Corinthians 2:14-15 LB) In February our thoughts turn to love as Valentine’s Day approaches! Can’t you smell the aroma of perfume and the fragrance of the roses that will be in abundance? Beautifully decorated boxes of sweet chocolates will be given to our cherished ones. Hearts of every color and size will be splashed across those gifts so carefully selected in love. We can be grateful for these delicacies God has given us to enjoy, but the aroma that pleases Him most is the fragrance of Christ within us. That is the sweet perfume that He desires we spread to those all around. This year as that special day of love arrives again, I pray that our lives will send forth the pleasing aroma of Christ to both the saved and unsaved. May these hearts that beat deep within us be full of the sweet wholesome fragrance of Christ, as we allow Him to use us to help spread the good news of Jesus around the world. About the author: Melva Cooper is a member of the Just a Minute writing team.

It Doesn’t Fix Everything

What can money fix in your life? Money fixes things. At least, it fixes some things. It keeps a roof over your head and puts food on the table. It makes possible things such as education, medical care, and travel. If yours is a generous heart, it allows you to grace other people with blessings and opportunities they would miss otherwise. Contrary to the opinion of some, the Bible isn’t negative toward wealth and the things it can do. In the very same context where Paul gives his famous and oft-quoted warning about the “love of money being a root of all kinds of evil,” (1 Timothy 6:10) he affirms that it is God “who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17) But money has its limits. While it has the potential for fixing certain things and providing gratification, it won’t fix everything. It can also create a special set of problems unique to substantial wealth. Take Jack Whittaker as an example. Whittaker, 57, burst onstage on Christmas Day, 2002. He won the biggest-ever undivided lottery prize when he hit a record $314.9 million Powerball jackpot. There he was on everybody’s TV screen. Smiling. Big cowboy hat. Already a successful contractor. Ready now to donate ten percent of his lump sum payout of $113 million after taxes to his church and to help other good causes. A picture of the same man two years later hardly looks like the one we saw back then. He looks old. Tired. Whipped. And there are reasons for the change. Whittaker has had hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from his cars, house, and office. He has pleaded no contest to assaulting and threatening to kill a bar manager. He has been arrested twice on drunk-driving charges and ordered into rehab by a judge. He faces charges of groping women at a racetrack. Shortly before Christmas, his 17-year-old granddaughter disappeared. She had been there on the day of his big win. The apple of Whittaker’s eye, he was going to make everything possible for her. She said she wanted a car. She wanted to meet her favorite hip-hop star. Life was going to be wonderful! She was found dead – her body wrapped in a tarp outside her boyfriend’s house. Press reports say she died of a drug overdose. No wonder Whittaker looks whipped and confused. Who wouldn’t be? His story isn’t so much a warning about quick wealth or the dark side of gambling as it is simply a tragedy of major proportions. God help him to get himself together. The next time you are tempted to think money would fix everything for you, remember Jack Whittaker. And focus again on what really matters. True religion with contentment is great wealth. After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:6-10 NLT) Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19) About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades, been a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities and a med school. He is currently Professor of Philosophy & Religion at Lipscomb University. He is the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles.

The Expertise and Artistry of God’s Grace

Grace is the mercy and love of God freely shared with us. Grace is also the style, the way in which God shares this mercy and love For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s grace has a definite rhythm. God pours out his grace freely on us, and then we respond by living to bless others out of that grace. God’s grace always comes first; our actions are our response to what he has already given us (1 John 4:10). But, what is grace? Grace is the mercy and love of God freely shared with us. Grace is also the style, the way in which God shares this mercy and love. A ballerina displays both an artistic expertise mixed with an emotional flair of performance to bring us a gift of grace. Similarly, but on a grander scale, God gives us what only he can supply (his expertise of grace, mercy, and love), yet he also offers this grace with an emotional flair and beauty that is breathtaking – his beautiful rhythm of grace is both the gift and how he presents it to us. This combination of love and mercy first, then our response, along with both the expertise and the artistry of grace, make up God’s incredible rhythm of grace. This rhythm is displayed first in his creation, yet throughout human history, he re-displays this rhythm again and again. Listen to how James describes it in today’s video message: If you can’t see the video, and you sure don’t want to miss it, view it online. For additional ideas to consider and some things to discuss with others, we encourage you to look at the Study Guide. The environment where each of us was raised impacts our approach to grace. However, we must not define ourselves by our problematic pasts, our previous painful relationships, or our current difficult circumstances. We must choose to let God define grace for us. We must allow God to deliver grace with his expertise as he pours mercy and overflows love into our lives. We must allow God to display his artistry in grace as he reveals his beauty in creation, his word, his people, and especially, in his Son. When we allow God to exercise both his expertise and artistry in grace, our lives can be re-written, begun fresh, and re-defined by his beautiful rhythm of grace. But, what does that mean for us? Can we actually discover this rhythm? Is God’s grace accessible to us personally? Can mercy, love, and beauty re-write our story? Can the rhythm of grace add depth and meaning to the beauty already woven into our lives? We certainly believe so. We hope you will choose to join us in seeking and celebrating this grace together! Until next time, let’s stay the course and keep seeking lasting truth about God, life, and the meaning of our journey! About the author: In this series, James Nored and Phil Ware partner two pioneering ministries providing resources to reach coming generations. James is a minister, Executive Director of Next Generation for Christ, and author of the Story of Redemption Film Series, filmed in the Israel, U.S., and around the world. This series is designed to lead seekers to faith and strengthen the faith of believers. Divided into 5-6 minute video segments, it is great to use with social media, small groups, sermon series, families, and friends. Phil is President of Heartlight, Inc., a preacher for 40 years, author of five books along with hundreds of articles & 11 years of daily devotionals, coach for churches in transition, and a resource for missionary renewal. Phil’s verseoftheday.com devotionals are read by hundreds of thousands every day.

Relationships Are Worth the Effort

Excellence in every area of life means relationships, too! Most of us know that excellence doesn’t come through shortcuts or along the path of least resistance. By its nature, quality requires exacting standards and attention to detail. So premium products cost more. More has been invested in them, so their value goes up. You understand that about your company and the product or service. Do you understand the same is true with relationships? A friendship maintained over time is costly. Not only does it take effort just to keep up with someone when both of you are moving around in your first few years of your careers but it also requires even more to deal with personality quirks, misunderstandings, and slights. Lacking the willingness to pay attention and to invest emotional energy, friends become mere acquaintances – and eventually become strangers all over again. Ever wonder why Scripture represents the church as the family of God? Why it pictures its members as sisters and brothers to one another? Maybe your cynical response is to say it is because we are so much like children fussing in the back seat in the family car. Granting that, the deeper truth is that we belong to one another in a significant way and are expected to look out for one another in a pinch, to take up for one another when the neighborhood bully (i.e., Satan) comes calling with the sinister intent of doing real harm to one of us. The most intimate of human relationships is the one between husbands and wives in our marital covenants. With sociologists telling us that about half of all first marriages are failing, something must be wrong with our thinking. Where is the “excellence” we are building into our roles as mates and parents? Research tells us that “till death do us part” has been laid aside as an archaic convention in wedding ceremonies of late. In its place are things like “for as long as our love shall last” or “until our time together is over.” How’s that for being open-ended? For leaving a way out? For some people, what they call “love” doesn’t last into the third month. Their “time together is hardly enough to unpack. “Make it easy on yourself” seems to be the rule of thumb for too many of us. So we are shallow in our faith, careless about our character, and weak in our commitments. We betray our spiritual potential. We abandon the ethical path. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive the one who offends you. Since the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive each other. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:13-15 NLT). Don’t forsake your highest ideals. True enough, you might still fall short of some worthy goals. But you will never achieve them on the path of minimal effort. About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades, been a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities and a med school. He is currently Professor of Philosophy & Religion at Lipscomb University. He is the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles.

Lord, Change Us. Change Me!

Has God really grabbed your heart enough to change your life? God said, “I will also put a new spirit in you and change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart. (Ezekiel 36:26 ERV) Lord, change us. Change me. How can I remain the same when I’ve seen what I’ve seen and heard what I’ve heard and experienced what I’ve experienced. I cannot remain the same. I am not the same person. You have changed me. You are working in me and around me to make me more like You. Lord, change us. Change me. I have heard about children being neglected, abused, kidnapped, ignored, aborted and discarded. Because I have heard these stories I must change. I scan the channels on my television, and I see the faces of children starving to death in a land far away. I hear of programs designed to help these children, your children, and help is being given. I want to do what I can to make sure they are not forgotten. Because I have seen and heard these stories, I have been changed. Lord, change us. Change me. I heard that crime continues to rise. Robberies. Home invasions. Abductions. Murders. Rapes. Some are considered almost acceptable. Some crimes are too horrendous to mention. Because I know these things I am not the same. I know that families are falling apart. A husband walks away from his wife and his children. A wife tells her children, “I just don’t love your daddy any more.” Somehow that is supposed to help them understand why she does not come home at night. Because I know these things happen, because I know some of these people, I have been changed. Because I have stood with my brothers and sisters and poured out my heart in praise and honor to You, I am not the same. Because I have publicly committed my life to You, I am not the same. Because I have surrendered my heart to You, I have been changed. I am not the same. Lord, change us. Change me. Continue to put these truths in my mind. Put these experiences in my path. Put Your people in my life. Show me what it means to worship You. Continue to convict me that I must continue to change so that I can become more like Your Son. Help us to continue to change until we fully become Your people. Lord, change us. Change me. About the author: Tom Norvell is the author of “A Norvell Note” — Thoughts and reflections on God, life, people, and living as a follower of Jesus. He has ministered with followers of Jesus for four decades and loves Jesus, his family, and those seeking Jesus, passionately.

The God Who Believes in You

Where do we turn when no one believes in us… including us? I didn’t like the preacher I sat by on the plane. I know, I know. You’re supposed to like everyone, but this fellow… To begin with, he took the seat next to me. I’d hoped it would stay vacant. The plane was crowded. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I was tired from Sunday morning services. I was speaking that evening in Atlanta and had planned on taking a nap on the flight. But this fellow had other ideas. Though he had been assigned another seat, he took the one next to me since it was closer to the front. And when he took it, he took every inch of it – and then some. Forgive me, but I get a bit territorial about armrests. This guy staked his claim on the one between us and never relinquished his position. Knowing I couldn’t sleep, I figured I’d review my thoughts for the evening lesson, so I opened my Bible. “What ya’ studying there, buddy?” I told him, but he never heard. “The church is lost,” he declared. “Hellbound and heartsick.” Turns out he is an evangelist. He speaks in a different church every weekend. “I wake ’em up,” he growled. “Christians are asleep. They don’t pray. They don’t love. They don’t care.” With that pronouncement, he took on his preaching tone and cadence and started listing all the woes and weaknesses of the church, “Too lazy-uh, too rich-uh, too spoiled-uh, too fat-uh…” The folks around were beginning to listen, and my face was beginning to redden. I shouldn’t have let it bug me, but it did. I’m one of those fellows who never knows what to say at the time but then spends the next week thinking, I wish I’d thought to say that. Well, I’ve spent the last few days thinking about it, and here is what I wish I’d said to the bad news preacher: God’s faithfulness has never depended on the faithfulness of his children. He is faithful even when we aren’t. When we lack courage, he doesn’t. He has made a history out of using people in spite of people. Need an example? The feeding of the five thousand. It’s the only miracle, aside from those of the final week, recorded in all four Gospels. Why did all four writers think it worth repeating? Maybe they knew some preachers like the one I sat next to. Perhaps they wanted to show how God doesn’t give up even when his people do. The day begins with the news of the death of John the Baptist. It continues with the return of the disciples from a short-term missionary journey. Following the disciples are five thousand men and their families. Jesus tries to get away from the crowd by crossing the sea, only to find the crowd waiting for him on the other side. He wanted to mourn in solitude, but instead he was surrounded by people. He wanted to spend time with just the disciples, but instead he got a crowd. He wanted time to think, but instead he had people to face. He spends time teaching them, and then he turns to Philip and inquires, “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” (John 6:5). Keep in mind that Philip has been forcing out demons and healing the sick (Mark 6:13). We’d expect him to be optimistic. A bit of faith would be appropriate. After all, he’s just spent several weeks seeing the impossible happen. But how does Philip respond? He sounds like the preacher I met on the plane. He knows the problem, but he has no clue as to the solution. “We would all have to work a month to buy enough food for each person to have only a little piece” (John 6:7). He can cite the stats, but he can’t see how to help. He can crunch the numbers, but he can’t construct the answer. And though the answer to prayer is standing next to him, he doesn’t even pray. Equally disturbing is the silence of the other disciples. Are they optimistic? Read their words, and see for yourself. “No one lives in this place and it is already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the countryside and towns around here to buy themselves something to eat” (Mark 6:35-36). Come on, guys. How about a little faith? “You can feed them, Jesus. No challenge is too great for you. We’ve seen you heal the sick and raise the dead; we know you can feed the crowd.” But that’s not what they said. If faith is a candle, those fellows were in the dark. It never occurred to the disciples to turn the problem over to Jesus. Only Andrew had such a thought, but even his faith was small. “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people” (John 6:9). Andrew, at least, comes to Jesus with an idea. But he doesn’t come with much faith. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find much faith on the hill that day. Philip was cynical. Andrew was doubtful. The other disciples were negative. The preacher I met on the flight would’ve felt right at home with these guys. Look at them: They aren’t praying, they aren’t believing, they aren’t even seeking a solution. If they are doing anything, they are telling Christ what to do! “Send the people away” (Mark 6:36). A bit bossy, don’t you think? Looks like the disciples are “hell-bound and heartsick.” Looks like they are “too lazy-uh, to rich-uh, too spoiled-uh, too fat-uh.” Let me be clear. I agree with the preacher that the church is weak. When he bemoans the condition of the saints, I could sing the second verse. When he laments the health of many churches, I don’t argue. But when he

Worship Is a Lifestyle

It’s not a Sunday morning deal we make with God! Worship is a Lifestyle, not just a once a week on Sunday deal we make with God! If you will not worship God seven days a week, you will not worship Him on one day a week (A.W. Tozer). To worship is to experience Reality, to touch life. It is to know, to feel to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. … Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father (Richard Foster). The apostle Paul reminds us that worship is offering ourselves: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your act of spiritual Worship” (Romans 12:1). Worship is the way we show our love and adoration to God for who God is and what God has done for us. The disciplines of study and prayer, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, reveals more of who God really is; thus, it leads to the desire to worship Him daily – not just on one morning a week. Worship is a lifestyle! We don’t start and stop worship to God; we live it daily – 24/7, 365 days a year, for a lifetime. The first Christians disciplined themselves to a daily, worshipful, lifestyle: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42 emphasis added). Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47). Worship to God for the earliest Christians was a daily lifestyle. No short cuts. No time limits. No restraints. Worship is spiritual focus: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things… (Colossians 3:2). Right thinking will lead to right focus. When the Word of Christ dwells in our lives, we are able to focus our minds upon God. We put to death all the things that rob our relationship and worship to God. When we focus on being spiritual, we will give attention to good works and worship to God (Matthew 5:16). Worship is praising God in song. The psalmists make clear that singing is an emotion that flows from the heart: Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation (Psalm 95:1). Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music… (Psalm 98:4). Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs (Psalm 100:1-2). Singing to God must not be a meaningless task, but rather an expression of joy that flows from the heart of gratitude toward a God who provides us with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. When the heart is filled with music that is focused on God, it opens up a worshipful spirit that is engaging and praising. Worship is praising God in prayer. The following is a song of adoration and thanksgiving to God that can be used as a prayer of praise: “Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got (Psalm 111:1 MSG). This whole psalm (Psalm 111:1-10) is full of adoration and appreciation to God for all He has done and provided. God loves to hear our praise and love for Him. God shows His love to those who love Him (Exodus 20:6). Prayer is an avenue we can use to verbally worship God by telling Him how much we love and appreciate Him. “Prayer is an opportunity and a privilege rather than a burden” (Kenneth Boa). Praying isn’t confined to a Sunday church gathering. Praying is a daily conversation with the Father. Praying is an opportunity to worship a Father who is deeply in love with his children. We worship God and God only. After Jesus was baptized, he went into the desert to be tempted by the devil. This was a test of will, strength, and discipline. Jesus was alone, tired, and hungry. The entire world was put at his feet if he would just bow down to Satan. Without hesitation, Jesus said: Away from me Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10). God deserves our total and undivided worship. When God is first, houses, cars, vacations, money or jobs will not be as important and we can resist the idolatry of our age, greed (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5). God is worthy of all of our adoration, praise, and attention. Each day, he provides us with all the amenities to sustain us in life. He opens up doors for us to experience joy and feel the presence of hope. He gave up his son so that we could have a relationship with him as Father. God is creative. God is generous. God is trustworthy. God is dependable. God is loyal. Our Lord is worthy of our praise (Revelation 5:12). So if we only make a Sunday morning church gathering the totality of our worship, we will set ourselves up to fail Monday through Saturday. God made each day, not just Sunday. Let’s give all our attention to the Inspiring Artist who paints the most beautiful sceneries each moment and provides for us all the resources we need to get us through each day. Praise God. Honor God. Respect God. Revere God. Bow before God. Live for God. About the author: Brian is preaching minister at Central Church in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He is passionate about preaching the grace of God, the Lordship of Jesus and the indwelling Spirit. Most of all, he believes in preaching Jesus and blogging about practical things that will help believers

More than Falling Dominoes

Is the interconnectedness of our world really such bad news? Recently, a nearby office supply store had a major fire. Since this store was close to where I work, Donna and I had grown very dependent upon it for all of our office supply needs. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been learning just how dependent! On several “duh” occasions, we found ourselves in the parking lot of this store in a rush for a much needed item. We had driven there on “autopilot,” never really engaging our minds. After all, we knew the store was closed because of the fire. Frustrated at our own forgetfulness, angry at our waste of time, and irritated at our inconvenience, we had to stop and think about where we could go to get what we needed. On most of these “duh” visits, we didn’t have time to go to another place. Sitting in the parking lot, we found it way too easy to throw ourselves our own little pity party. Our only consolation was seeing others in the store parking lot with the same exasperated look on their faces as they realized the store was still closed. Meanwhile, the folks most seriously impacted by the fire, the employees, were lost to us in our self-centered perspective. Their loss of income caused them huge problems and then those effects rippled out to their families and to our community. Such is life in an interconnected world! At first glance, this seems to be bad news. However, if we look at this with Christian eyes, we should be greatly encouraged. Our world is interconnected so that one major event impacts whole webs of people. This is true of frustrating and damaging events as well as good and redemptive acts. Rather than cursing the interconnectedness of our world that makes us vulnerable to the bird flu as well as to economic changes thousands of miles away from us, we should rejoice and take strategic action to use this interconnectedness for the Kingdom of God. Our good deeds, our mercy shared with others, our sacrificial help for those in need, and our refusing to return unkindness with unkindness can have a profound impact in the world in which we live. Jesus didn’t have to “get it” – he is the ultimate example of this truth. However, he does want us to “get it”! Strategic redemptive acts can have a profound influence for good on the culture of our community and the people around us. Part of this power is Spirit driven. However, some this influence lies in the incredible power that a good and kind person can have on others. Jesus wants us to resist the cynical and retribution-hungry demons of our fleshly natures. The Lord wants us to live with conviction knowing that our actions matter – not just to him, but also to the world around us. He calls us to believe that we are put where we are to use our influence and our world’s interconnectedness for his goodness! He showed it with his life and said to us with these words: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, then it cannot be made salty again. Salt is good for nothing, if it loses its salty taste. It must be thrown out and people walk on it.“You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. No. People put the light on a lamp table. Then the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that people will see the good things you do. Live so that people will praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 ERV) About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.