Aware, but not Alarmed

We all have seen the headlines over the last several days.  As it tends to from time to time, tensions in the Middle East have ratcheted up and violence has broken out.  Obviously, we are saddened by the loss of life and wish that the killing would stop.  We are aware of what is happening and feel compassion for all of those living in the line of fire on both sides.  We are not, however, alarmed to the point of being crippled with fear.

Why?  Because we know that despite the best efforts of man to drive his own destiny, God is still in control of the affairs of the world.  The book of Proverbs says, “But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” (Proverbs 1:33, NLT)  The Bible clearly teaches us that tensions between Israel and her neighbors will always be tumultuous.  As a matter of fact, at a time in the future, many of Israel’s neighbors, along with Russia, will attempt to invade her (Ezekiel 38-39).  God will miraculously protect her.

How can we have peace amidst the storms and all the uncertainty?  Only through Jesus.  Only Jesus can give us peace with God and only Jesus living in us can help us have peace with each other.  As a matter of fact, the Middle Eastern tensions will continue as they always have until Jesus comes again.  So, wouldn’t we be wise to connect with the One who holds history in His hand?  Let Jesus calm your fears be a part of your life.  See the Connecting with Jesus page to learn how.

Getting into Spiritual Shape-Learning to Study the Bible

I know a number of people who really like working out.  They set aside some time each day to exercise and to get into peak physical shape.  Well, it’s important for us to work on our spiritual shape too.  The Apostle Paul writes, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8, NLT)

How then do we get into spiritual shape?  One of the things we need to do is develop a consistent time reading the Bible.  Again, to quote Paul, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (Romans 15:4, NLT)  God wants us to spend some time in the Bible so we can grow in our relationship with Him. 

So then, what are some simple steps we can take to get into the Bible?  For one, get a Bible you can understand and will commit to reading.  The New American Standard Bible is a great literal translation.  It can be a little difficult to read if you are not familiar with the Bible.  The New International Version and the New Living Translation are easy to read modern translations.  They are less literal, but great at conveying the thoughts behind the words.  You can read all of these version and many others at www.biblegateway.com

Second, set aside some time each day to read the Bible.  If you have to, schedule an appointment in your cell-phone and set an alarm to remind you that it’s time to study your Bible.  Carve our somewhere between five to fifteen minutes to get started.  You can add more time as you get more disciplined in your efforts.  In that amount of time, you can read at least one chapter of Scripture.  If you have never read the Bible before, begin in a simple book like Mark or John.

Third, make the effort to understand and apply what you are reading.  Take yourself through these steps in each passage or chapter you read:

Ask yourself what does this passage mean?  Try to understand what the author is saying.  You may have some questions about what you read.  Jot them down on a pad or type them into your computer.  When you have some more time, you can come back later and seek out some of the answers to your questions.  You might be able to ask someone at your church or your pastor to help you to better understand some of the things you read.  In the future, we will try to take questions here and answer them for you online.

Then, ask how can I apply this to my life today?  Try to find one point that you can apply.  If the passage is on forgiveness, think of someone you need to forgive or something you need forgiveness for.  If it’s on love, maybe you can think of one way you can show someone you love them today.  Keep it simple.  Simple steps lead to bigger and greater things later.

Finally, pray and ask God to help you understand and apply the things you have read.

The above is just the beginning.  There are a number of really great resources you can get to help you dig into the Bible on a deeper level.  The key is getting busy.  People shouldn’t wait until they can run a marathon to walk around the block.  Likewise, don’t stand on the spiritual sidelines and do nothing.  Get started.  Let’s get into spiritual shape.

Since God Sticks with Us, We Need to Stick with Him

Yesterday we saw how God refuses to give up on us.  What He begins in us, He will continue.  Today, we need to remind ourselves of how important it is for us to not give up on our relationship with God.  In the same letter that Paul encourages us with the promise of God’s abiding work in our lives, he also challenges us with his own example of persistence.  He writes,

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)

The idea of pressing on suggests that we put some effort into our relationship with God.  Although we know He won’t quit on us, sometimes (if we are honest) we quit on Him.  We have a tendency to shut down and quit working to grow.  Let’s not give into that temptation.  Let’s join Paul in pressing on until the prize is reached.  In the days ahead, we will talk about some simple things we can do to grow in our relationship with God.  Today, let’s make the decision not to give up.  He sticks with us, so let’s stick with Him.

God Sticks with Us

Have you ever had someone quit on you?  Whether it is intentional or not, we all know what it is to have someone quit on us, and we have all probably quit on someone else at one time or another.  Well, the Bible tells us that God does not quit on us.  In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

Isn’t incredible that God sticks with us until the end?  He does not throw His hands up in the air and walk away in frustration.  He does not shake His head and give up because of our failures.  He starts a good work in us with Christ, and He keeps working in us until Jesus comes again.  That’s pretty impressive.

If you watch football, you have probably seen players on the sideline holding up four fingers as the game enters the fourth quarter.  That is a reminder that the game is four quarters long and each player must keep playing until the final whistle blows.  Well, God is like that.  He keeps working in us until the final trumpet blows.  So, don’t despair.  Don’t give up on yourself.  Keep letting God work in your life.  He hasn’t quit on you, so don’t quit on Him.

How ’bout them Dolphins

For the first time in many years, I am celebrating the Miami Dolphins being in the playoffs.  I love the way these guys play as a team.  No flash or dash.  Just solid play.  How awesome is Chad Pennington by the way?

Setting Sail

“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…” or so the story goes.  After much thought and prayer, we have decided to set sail on the web!  It is our hope that this website will help touch people’s lives.  We look forward to God doing some amazing things in the days ahead.