Intentional Blessing

As many of my regular readers know, I often wake up with a distinct song in my mind. Many times these songs—which I believe are God-given—prepare me for my day. (I know it may seem like an unusual way for the Holy Spirit to speak to someone, but, hey, it works for me!)

Today’s song is an old hymn. One part of it goes like this…

Out in the highways and byways of life,
many are weary and sad;  
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
making the sorrowing glad.
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing,
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.

I want to be a blessing to others, but I don’t want to be an “accidental” blessing.

I think it’s a good habit to pray through my day before the day even gets started. I can then begin to think about my coworkers, my breakfast appointments, my board meetings, my classmates, my friends, even my family. I can begin to pray specifically for those interactions that God will give me the specific words to say in that moment that will bring the greatest blessing.

Of course, there will often be those unplanned interactions where you can bless someone. But let’s make sure we’ve done our part to be ready for those planned interactions.

I pray that you are letting Jesus shine out of your life and that you are being an intentional blessing to someone today!

No Commentary Needed

Sometimes it’s best to just let the Bible speak for itself, without any commentary. This is one of those passages. It comes from Psalm 49, using The Message paraphrase.

Really! There’s no such thing as self-rescue,
pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
The cost of rescue is beyond our means,
and even then it doesn’t guarantee
Life forever, or insurance
against the Black Hole.

Anyone can see that the brightest and best die,
wiped out right along with fools and dunces.
They leave all their prowess behind,
move into their new home, The Coffin,
The cemetery their permanent address.
And to think they named counties after themselves!

We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
who only look out for themselves:
Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
They waste away to nothing—
nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
      He reaches down and grabs me.

Buying Into It

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)

There is something basically wrong with our Christianity and our spirituality if we can carelessly presume that if we do not like a Biblical doctrine and choose not to “buy” it, there is no harm done.

Commandments which we have received from our Lord or from the apostles cannot be overlooked and ignored by earnest and committed Christians. God has never instructed us that we should weigh His desires for us and His commandments to us in the balances of our own judgment and then decide what we want to do about them.

…Of course you can walk out on it! God has given every one of us the power to make our own choices. …We have the power within us to reject God’s instructions—but where else shall we go? If we refuse His words, which way will we turn? If we turn from the authority of God’s Word, to whose authority do we yield? Our mistake is that we generally turn to some other human—a man with breath in his nostrils. —A.W. Tozer

Notice that Peter tells us being holy comes before doing holy things: “Be holy in all you do.”

  • I cannot do holy things unless I am holy.
  • I cannot be holy unless I have the life of the Holy One in me.
  • I cannot have the life of the Holy One in me unless I totally buy in to His Lordship.

I’m buying in to holiness today. How about you?

The Pittsburgh Steelers, The Devil & Me

The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV. Or did the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Super Bowl XLV? The Steelers committed three turnovers in the game, which led to 21 points for the Packers. Could the Steelers have pulled it off if they had eliminated those interceptions and a fumble?

Have you ever had a “turnover” (gave in to temptation) and said, “The devil made me do it”? Maybe he did make you do it. But I know that the devil is not omnipresent; that is, he’s not with you everywhere all the time. But you are with you everywhere all the time.

So maybe it’s more accurate to say, “I made me do it.” When it comes to “turnovers” (sin), I think I am often my own worst enemy.

Both the Steelers and the Packers got to the Super Bowl this year largely because of their defensive skills. And when you and I are trying to fight against temptation, defense is the best offense.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Submit to God (defensive) before you try to resist the devil (offensive). Don’t be your own worst enemy! God can help you live a turnover-free life!

How Do You Feel About Today?

A friend’s status update on Facebook this morning read:

(Me having a chat with the day): Listen here, Day, I gotta lot of stuff to get done, so don’t get any ideas. And btw it’s going to take more than missing homework and wetted beds to stop me! Muahahahaaa!

This reminded me of a conversation the old preacher Smith Wigglesworth had with an acquaintance:

“How do you feel today, Smith?” the friend asked.

“I never ask Smith how he feels,” Wigglesworth replied. “I tell Smith how he feels.”

Great advice from both my friend and Smith Wigglesworth: Don’t wait until you feel like doing something before you do it. Tell your Day how it’s going to go—and then tell yourself how you’re going to feel about it—and then just do it!

Carpe diem! Seize the day and make it a good one!

Thursdays With Oswald—The Test Of A Preacher

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

The Test Of A Preacher

       The test of an instructor in the Christian Church is that he is able to build me up in my intimacy with Jesus Christ, not that he gives me new ideas, but I come away feeling I know a bit more about Jesus Christ. Today the preacher is tested, not by the building up of saints but on the ground of his personality.

From Facing Reality

It’s natural to want to be popular. To that end, we often choose charisma over character, style over substance, entertainment over intimacy. Even those who are called to preach the Gospel can fall prey to this.

My prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to know You more; I want to become more intimate with You. As I do, may I always preach out of the overflow of that relationship. Never preaching just to please people, but merely sharing with others how much I love You. Search my heart, Holy Spirit, for any shred of envy that I’m not as popular as the-other-guy. The only applause I live for is that from the nail-scarred hands of my Savior Jesus Christ.

Rookie Of The Year

I am a proud member of the Cedar Springs Ministerial Association, so I faithfully attend all of the monthly meetings and stay up-to-date on our Facebook group page. So imagine my surprise when I found out about the Annual C.S.M.A. Awards.

I didn’t know we had any awards … I didn’t know I was nominated … and I certainly didn’t know I had won!

Here’s how the announcement read:

Rookie of The Year

Nominees: Kristi Rhodes, Ryan Black, Craig Owens

Winner: Craig Owens

Recap: Despite the joy and hope that both Ryan and Kristi have brought to the community and how their churches are now moving with excitement, it was Craig Owens who ultimately walked home with the hardware. Craig dazzled the C.S.M.A. with his witty humor, provided us all with sermon material through his daring and insightful blog, and regularly posted hip Facebook statuses such as “Off to church… about to get my Praise On!” and “Donuts for breakfast!”

Then I noticed something else at the bottom of the announcement that I also didn’t know: apparently I was also a member of the awards committee.

Hmmm, it appears that all of the award winners were also members of the awards committee…

…it appears this is all a big joke!

Oh, well. Now, do you see why I so enjoy being a part of the C.S.M.A.?

Hmmm

Feats of thinking may create reputation, but habits of thinking create character. —A.W. Tozer

If this is true, then I’ve got some questions to ask myself:

  • How do I think?
  • How am I processing the world around me?
  • Do I see the hand of God in daily events?
  • Can I find His truth at work?
  • Am I learning from what I experience each day?
  • Do I think positively or negatively?
  • Do difficulties cause faith or fear?
  • Am I thinking long enough?
  • Do my thoughts produce a Christ-like attitude?
  • Do I take time to think about my thoughts?

Two more thinking quotes for today:

Life consists of what a man is thinking about all day. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. —Philippians 4:8

Let It Go

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Have you ever had an “awkward” handshake with someone?

You try to grab their hand, but they’re going for the fist bump. Or you’re thinking fist bump and they’re going for a high five?

That’s sort of what’s happening in these verses…

God is extending an open hand of forgiveness to you, but your fist is tightly clenched as you hang on to a grudge.

If you want to grasp God’s hand in forgiveness, you must let go of the slights, wounds, hurts, insults, sins, and grievances you have against others. You probably have every right to hang on to those things.

Just as God has every right to hang on to your sins against Him…

…but He doesn’t.

SO LET IT GO!

It’s the only way to be able to hold onto those nail-scarred hands of Jesus that bring forgiveness.

New Music

I’m so privileged to know this guy. Dilip is an amazing, Spirit-led worship leader. His first CD is coming out soon, but you can check out the first single now.

Go to iTunes, download this song, and then get ready for even more incredible music when his full CD is released in about a month. Trust me on this one…