Just a little insight into a question we'll be asking men this weekend at both of our campuses (The City Life Church) in honoring Father's Day Weekend...
Take a moment to read both of these texts: 1 Kings 6:38 and then compare it to 1 Kings 7:1...what do you see? I see a man who spent 7 years building a house for God and 13 years building a palace for himself.
What about you...how about me?
Pastor Fred
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Some Proverbs
In today's reading, a few proverbs resonated with me that I wanted to share...
The first one is 13:4, "Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper." I am convinced this is more than just material. Being a disciple of Jesus necessitates breaking a sweat! I would humbly suggest that one of deficiencies is Reformed theology is an unwillingness to differentiate between the grace we are desperate to receive for the hope of Heaven after death and the work required of us in this life to have heaven on earth. There is nothing I can do to earn God's favor for Heaven. But when it comes to the my purpose in this life, the transformative journey of character, the labor of sharing the burdens of others...grab some gatorade! "...those who work hard will prosper." I am a sinner saved by grace, indeed...and now one who has been redeemed, ready to labor for my King!! Am I dependent on the grace of God in my labor? Am I dependent on the work of The Spirit for my character transformation? Yes! But without much labor, without much effort, without intentionality I will inevitably "get little."
"Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest." (Proverbs 14:4) If your goal in life is just to have as little crap as possible, you will accomplish very little. Sure, your "stables" can be spotless but what will your life accomplish? Take for example relationships, they can be complicated. Caring for people, making yourself vulnerable to people, relying on people...well, there's crap! But there is also muscle in community. Go ahead and isolate, withdraw, boast of a prestigiously clean, complication free life...that accomplishes little.
Finally, we have Proverbs 15:17. "A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate." This may very well be the first verse in the Bible I have found that will cause me to question its divine inspiration!
Pastor Fred
The first one is 13:4, "Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper." I am convinced this is more than just material. Being a disciple of Jesus necessitates breaking a sweat! I would humbly suggest that one of deficiencies is Reformed theology is an unwillingness to differentiate between the grace we are desperate to receive for the hope of Heaven after death and the work required of us in this life to have heaven on earth. There is nothing I can do to earn God's favor for Heaven. But when it comes to the my purpose in this life, the transformative journey of character, the labor of sharing the burdens of others...grab some gatorade! "...those who work hard will prosper." I am a sinner saved by grace, indeed...and now one who has been redeemed, ready to labor for my King!! Am I dependent on the grace of God in my labor? Am I dependent on the work of The Spirit for my character transformation? Yes! But without much labor, without much effort, without intentionality I will inevitably "get little."
"Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest." (Proverbs 14:4) If your goal in life is just to have as little crap as possible, you will accomplish very little. Sure, your "stables" can be spotless but what will your life accomplish? Take for example relationships, they can be complicated. Caring for people, making yourself vulnerable to people, relying on people...well, there's crap! But there is also muscle in community. Go ahead and isolate, withdraw, boast of a prestigiously clean, complication free life...that accomplishes little.
Finally, we have Proverbs 15:17. "A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate." This may very well be the first verse in the Bible I have found that will cause me to question its divine inspiration!
Pastor Fred
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Proverbs 10:24
The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
the hopes of the godly will be granted.
How's your future looking?
Pastor Fred
the hopes of the godly will be granted.
How's your future looking?
Pastor Fred
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
24
We began a new series this past weekend, 24, which will run for three weeks, culminating Father's Day weekend. In this three week conversation, we will be exploring some of the key aspects of being a disciple.
The title gave us the opportunity to have some creative fun connecting it to the hit series from Fox "24" and building on the theme of that show to give us our big idea...we have a mission, time is short, evil must not win! And in looking into Revelation 12:11 we concluded that our secret weapon is both being and making disciples.
Our connection to the number 24 came from studying George Wood's (General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God) five great growth lists. They are...
Matthew 5:3-10
Romans 12:9-21
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Galatians 5:22-23
2 Peter 1:5-7
And in studying these lists for the past few years, I finally sat down recently in an effort to synthesize them, creating one complete list of virtues that paint a perfect portrait of the fully devoted disciple of Jesus. After taking out all the overlapping virtues, this is my list...
8 from Matthew 5:3-10: humble, emotionally honest, meek, desiring righteousness, merciful, truthful, peaceful, and devoted
4 from Romans 12:9-21: affectionate, fervent, serving, and hospitable
2 from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: faith and hope
8 from Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle, and self-control
2 from 2 Peter 1:5-7: wisdom and persevering
You should try listing all of them and see what kind of list you can find...but more importantly, may we all look deep into our lives and ask a more pressing question, how many do I find within me?
Pastor Fred
The title gave us the opportunity to have some creative fun connecting it to the hit series from Fox "24" and building on the theme of that show to give us our big idea...we have a mission, time is short, evil must not win! And in looking into Revelation 12:11 we concluded that our secret weapon is both being and making disciples.
Our connection to the number 24 came from studying George Wood's (General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God) five great growth lists. They are...
Matthew 5:3-10
Romans 12:9-21
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Galatians 5:22-23
2 Peter 1:5-7
And in studying these lists for the past few years, I finally sat down recently in an effort to synthesize them, creating one complete list of virtues that paint a perfect portrait of the fully devoted disciple of Jesus. After taking out all the overlapping virtues, this is my list...
8 from Matthew 5:3-10: humble, emotionally honest, meek, desiring righteousness, merciful, truthful, peaceful, and devoted
4 from Romans 12:9-21: affectionate, fervent, serving, and hospitable
2 from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: faith and hope
8 from Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle, and self-control
2 from 2 Peter 1:5-7: wisdom and persevering
You should try listing all of them and see what kind of list you can find...but more importantly, may we all look deep into our lives and ask a more pressing question, how many do I find within me?
Pastor Fred
Friday, May 31, 2013
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
Thursday, May 30, 2013
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
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
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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
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
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