Psalm 72

In this Psalm, verses 18 and 19, we find the key to the favor that Solomon found with God.  "Praise the Lord...praise His glorious Name...let the whole earth be filled with His glory!"

Last week we were in Lima, NY for the annual Elim Conference, the fellowship that City Life has joined.  Mark Batterson was one of the keynote speakers there, amazing author, church planter, pastor, and champion of The Kingdom!  On his opening night, he shared many profound insights, very Solomonesque!  But one that was especially poignant was this.  Even if you are doing exactly what God has called you to do...  Even if you are walking squarely down the center of the road God has called you to journey...  Even if you are pouring your life out for the purpose you were created to champion... God still may be resisting your efforts.  Why?  Because of James 4:6, that God will always oppose the proud.  If in our Kingdom calling, our divine purpose, our project of existence...we are motivated by self-exaltation, we will be striving against God.

It is not enough to be given to the right purpose.  We must be given to that purpose with a Psalm 72:18-19 heart...all for His glory!

Pastor Fred

Psalm 119:1-88

Psalm 119 is most commonly known for being the longest chapter in the Bible...but it is also one of the most creatively poetic.  The psalm is an alphabetical acrostic, consisting of twenty two stanzas, eight verses each (The Expositor's Bible Commentary).  Each of the twenty two stanzas correlate to one of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet.  And within each stanza, there are eight lines with each line beginning with the corresponding letter.  Simply, there are 22 divisions of this psalm, each division has eight lines.  If we were using the English alphabet, all eight lines of the first stanza would begin with "A" and each of the remaining stanza's eight lines would follow this pattern with the next letter in the alphabet.  This pattern escapes us obviously because we are reading an English translation.

I would like to suggest however that the psalm's structure is not just to be creative.  I believe it is instructive.  There is supposed to be an order to life, a living symmetry.  In fact, the poetic structure of the psalm is in keeping with its theme...a life structured around the wisdom of God found in His Word.  There are eight different words used for God's law in this psalm:  law, word, laws, statues, commands, decrees, precepts, and promise.  This is a great study, digging around in the meaning of each!  This is not redundancy but rather emphasis.  Symmetry is defined as the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis.  Every part of my life is supposed to be facing, centered around the wisdom of God's instruction, my eternal axis!

In reading the first 88 verses today, I am fixated on one verse, 35.  "Make we walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found."  If your orientation to Christianity is trying to do the right things so you avoid punishment, you miss the heart of God.  We pursue righteousness not to avoid punishment but rather to reach hard for the depth of fulfillment in life that can only come from embracing "the way" of God (sounds like a great idea for a blog title!).  His every yes and every no is motivated by having our best interest at heart...can you trust Him?

Pastor Fred

Psalm 37

These are a few excerpts from Psalm 37...be encouraged in His way today!

Trust in the Lord and do good.
    Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,    and He will give you your heart’s desires...

Commit everything you do to the Lord.
    Trust Him, and He will help you...

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for Him to act...

Stop being angry!
    Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
    it only leads to harm...

It is better to be godly and have little
    than to be evil and rich...

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand...

Put your hope in the Lord.
    Travel steadily along His path...

Be well today!!

Pastor Fred

1 Chronicles 26

I want to refer back to yesterday's reading because in 1 Chronicles 26:6-8 we find a leadership principle that has been a part of my philosophy of leadership for many years.

I remember being in an orientation for newly licensed ministers with the Assemblies of God in 2002.  We were at the Potomac District Headquarters in Gainesville, VA and the Pastor Bob Rhoden, who was at that time the district superintendent, made the following statement, "Your gifts make room for themselves."  He went on to say that the piece of paper we would soon receive declaring us to be credentialed ministers was in no way a permission for entitlement to ministry, title, or office in our respective church homes...our gifts had to make room for our ministry.

That has been a part of my approach to leadership ever since, for myself and for others.  People who say they just need a title, an opportunity, authority...fail to understand how the Kingdom of God works.  Here in 1 Chronicles 26:8 we find this principle in action!  Verse six could not be more clear, "...sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority..."

Lazy leaders want to show up and take advantage of a crowd that others have sacrificed and labored to gather.  They don't have the work-ethic or character to build a community of people so they invade someone else's.  We see this happening all the time in local churches.  Another sign of lazy leaders is that they have STRONG opinions about how things should be done but they don't want the responsibility that comes with being a leader.  Healthy leaders understand the importance of deference, working with teams, loving people more than their own opinions, serving others at the expense of their own preferences, long meetings, much prayer, and great sacrifice.  Lazy leaders bristle a the thought of such commitments but expect their opinions and perspectives to be heard and acted upon nonetheless.

I love City Life for many reasons but one of the lead causes of my deep affection for this precious community of faith is that we believe in 1 Chronicles 26:6-8...that one's gifts make room for themselves, that authority is earned, never granted...learn how to capture someone's heart before you expect to have their ear!

Pastor Fred

Memorial Day

The timing of today's reading is wonderful!  As I read 1 Chronicles 27, the heading in my translation (New Living Translation) is "Military Commanders and Divisions."

I was talking with a pastor friend recently who lives out of state and he asked about City Life and what about this church where Vannessa and I are privileged to serve is so special to us.  One of the first things I shared was the profound sense of gratitude I have for those who serve our country through the military.

The Newport News campus is easily 25% active military and the Williamsburg campus breaks 50%.  They are patriots, setting the greatest of examples for citizenship, simply stellar, each and every one! On this day of honoring, we applaud you, celebrate you, acknowledge you...with as much respect as a human heart can feel, ours overflow for each of you!

Pastor Fred

Commend, part 2

She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God...

This is 2 Kings 4:9, part of a story I hope you take the time to read today (2 Kings 4:9-37).  Continuing from yesterday, we are weighing the meaning of Jesus' last eight words on the cross, "Father, into thy hands I commend My spirit" which is part of a series 47 Words, all 7 of His last saying during the last six hours of His earthly bodily existence.  Admittedly, as with all Scripture, there is a vast body of truth that flows from every line of text!  One of the profound principles I believe we find here is that our destiny is desperate for us to know how to trust the right people with the right things at the right time.

If that stirs your iterest, you can find our most recent sermon that connects that statement to the text on our church site (www.thecitylifechurch.com).  Already, between the sermon and yesterday's blog, we have introduced three thoughts that flow from that statement:  recognizing culminating moments, a dream too big for two hands, and having the courage to trust again.

This morning I want to suggest the importance of the right people.  The story in 2 Kings in verse four is an example of a moment we too must find...certainty about people.  As you read the story, you find that this family had a destiny that was dependent upon the help of someone esle, a powerful metaphor for each of us...our destiny is desperate for us to know how to trust the right people with the right things at the right time!  Here are four questions you should be asking before you step into a trusting relationship with someone:

• How long have you know them?
• What is their reputation amongh others?
• What is the fruit of their lives?
• What do others you trust say about them?

I am leaving New York today after having been here for the annual Elim Fellowship conferance.  When our church was searching for a movement to join, the answers to these four questions were critical in our search.  So too they have been for me personally...and are equally prominent in our leadership team's discussions about inviting new people into new places of leadership.  Even Jesus in His final, culminating moments had a dream too big for two hands and He knew exactly who to trust...do you?

Pastor Fred

Commend

We finished our series 47 Words this past weekend, listening to Jesus' last words, His last 7 sayings, His last 47 words in His last 6 hours.  Luke 23:44:49 gives us the final 8, "Father, into thy hands I commend My spirit."

This moment wasn't Jesus being melodramatic, theatrical, broadwayish...He was speaking volumes of truth through every one of the 7 sayings and this last one is certainly no exception.  I believe one of the Kingdom principles Jesus was teaching in His final moments was this, "Your destiny is desperate for you to know how to trust the right people with the right things at the right time!"  In our weekend services (you can catch the podcast at www.thecitylifechurch.com) we introduced this principle by talking about culminating moments and a dream for your life that is too big for two hands.  We did not quite make it to the last two points at both campuses.

The third point was having the courage to trust again (we hit this one briefly in NN but not in WMB).  You might be saying, "Don't talk to me about trust...you don't know what I've been through."  That is true, but we are told what Jesus has been through and if His life is a study of anything, it is most certainly a study of betrayal!  We have Lucifer's betrayal in the Heavens, there is Israel's betrayal of rejecting their own Messiah, of course there is Judas, and also Peter.  He knows what it is like to have His trust betrayed.  And yet, at the very end, He trusts.  That is what this word that is translated "commend" in the text means...trust.  Without trust, we will never fulfill our destiny because the dream God has dreamed for us is too big for two hands!

Deuteronomy 32:30 reminds us that while one can put one thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand to flight!  Can you hear Him today?  I can hear Him saying, "Your destiny is desperate for you to know how to trust the right people with the right things at the right time!"

We'll cover the last point tomorrow...

Pastor Fred