If you are like most people, then you want to know that you life counts for something - you want to know that you matter. The classic telling of this 'story line' is illustrated in one of my all time favorite Christmas movies, 'It's a Wonderful Life.' In this movie the main character (George Bailey) works hard for years only to see it all go for naught through the mistake of a relative (sound familiar?). Well, his response to this 'crisis' is to wish he 'had never been born.' His wish is granted and he has the unique opportunity to witness life as if he had never been born. Throughout the story he finds one relationship after another in disrepair. Even the community he loves and lives in has become the victim of reckless greed and pride. Over time he begins to realize just how much his life did matter - just how many people depended upon him! When it's all said and done, George gets his life back and is ever grateful for the life he lives and hopeful for the difference he is making.
The movie begs the question: how can one who is making such a difference fail to notice it in his or her own life? The answer: by confusing style and substance. George was a man of substance, who got 'hoodwinked' for a moment by style. You see, George was like the 'family wagon.' It might not be the prettiest or fanciest car in the neighborhood, but it is the car that aways gets the job done. When I grew up we had a family wagon - it was dependable and it could be counted on - it always (to my recollection at least) got us from point A to point B. In our society we value the fanciest cars and the trendiest things, because we value 'style' or 'image' over substance (the wagon). But, life that makes a difference - that makes an impact, that has a positive result in this world is the life that 'faithfully returns' - it is the life, it is the person who is dependable, the one others can count on.
In Kingdom terms I wonder what my life's impact is on those around me. What of the impact of Westside Community Church on the community around us? Am I vigilant in not only living, but also sharing the Gospel message in my world? Do I rely upon Christ and His Word in and through all things? Or, am I 'hoodwinked' by the next best seller offering hope, happiness and health in place of trust, struggle and fruitfulness?
Further, am I wise or discerning enough to tell the difference between the two? I mean, for goodness sakes, do I even notice the stark difference between 'church members' and 'committed Christians,' or 'professional pastors' and 'those called and compelled by the grace of God'? Will I stand for Christ when it comes time to stand? Will our church hold fast to the Gospel of Grace and the God of glory when the storm swells around us? Will you follow Christ even if or even when all others blatantly refuse to do so? Will you follow Him even if doing so may cost you your very life?
This weekend, we are wrapping up our focus on the Life of Daniel. We will see this great man of faith at the end of his life, which has been a life well lived! Daniel's life is a model of devotion and faithfulness in the most uncertain and perilous times! His is, indeed, a life to be modeled. So, what was the difference in Daniel's life - what helped him stand firm when on the surface nothing had ever really gone right for Him. Exiled for his entire adult life, he saw not return of his people to his homeland. He saw the evil nation in which he was an exile get more and more reckless, in spite of his firm faith in their midst. In fact, king after king (Daniel served with several) took pride, self absorption and reckless living to new levels. Yet, through it all, Daniel remained stead fast and rock solid - what a life - what an impact, what a great hope his life gives you and me today!
So, let's let me give you a few keys to this type of living (we will explore them more on Sunday). First, Daniel was truly Engaged in a growing relationship with God. He was faithful day in and day out to go before the Lord in prayer and depend upon him - no matter what! So, when is the last time you prayed? When was the last time you put Christ and His will first in your life? This is where you and I must start if we are to make a difference and have an impact for His Kingdom in our communities.
Secondly, Daniel was Equipped with sound teaching and the truth of His Word! Remember, Daniel was trained and educated in all the myriad of pagan idol worship that dominated Babylonian life, yet he still knew the Truth! Daniel was a student of the Word of God, even in the midst of a world opposed to God's Truth! So, when is the last time you read your Bible? When was the last time you were involved in a Bible Study on a weekly basis where you studied God's Word? No, T.V. preachers and teachers do not count - most of them - YES MOST - preach their own version of the truth and could be compared to false prophets of olden days - they are 'tickling' your ears and mine. If you want to make a difference and have an impact in the Kingdom of God, then you must be Equipped with sound teaching from the Truth of His Word!
And, lastly, Daniel was willing to be Enlisted in the service of the Lord! When Daniel was asked to 'stand for God' or to serve the Lord in that pagan culture, he didn't say, 'oh, wait, I am not trained,' or 'I don't know my spiritual gifts,' or (my personal favorite), 'I just don't have any time at all.' Nope, Daniel was a willing vessel. So, how about you? Are you serving the Lord today? Do you have an active personal ministry in your work place, school or community? Are you actively involved in service and ministry through your church - or are you letting some else do that? If you are going to have an impact and make a difference in the Kingdom of God, then you must be ready and willing when you are Enlisted in the service of our High King!
There you have it: Engage, Equip and Enlist - that's how our lives make a difference (hmmmm, sounds familiar doesn't it?)
See you Sunday!
Biz
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Daniel 3, Take a Stand, Make an Impact
On the wall in my office sits three pictures. In each of these pictures one of my children is front and center, the highlight of the frame, their human lives captured for a moment, as toddlers - cute and awesome - a true blessing to behold! On my computer desktop display sits one picture with two young men and one young lady front and center, again highlighting the frame. They are, all three beautiful and wonderful, a blessing to behold.
The 'in between' times - that span of time between picture one (on the wall) and picture two (on the desktop) is where life is lived. It is that place where the great experiment of family and fatherhood is lived out - for better or for worse, it is a real as it gets! Being a father is one of the greatest adventures I have in this life. From day to day I never know what I will encounter in this adventure or how quickly I will come to the limits of my own ability (usually around 7:42 a.m.). To be honest with you life outside of pictures and video images is really all a blur. We don't live life in a 'still' frame. Rather, the living of life is more akin to a ride on a roller coaster or a journey through a storm. Life truly does come at you fast and confronts you with realities you never dreamed you would have to face and experiences for which you are totally unprepared.
Which leads me to a very important question as we approach this Father's Day: 'How do I get this dad thing right?' I would love to know on the front end how to live in such a way as a father (really as a person) to be sure that the back end turns out all right. That more positive than negative, more joy than shame, more victory than loss, become the story of my children and the legacy of my fathering, parenting, husbanding, serving - really just LIVING!?!?
Of course, I cannot tell how the 'back end' will work out for any of us. And, in fact, my wishes and desires for my life and my children may be off. Afterall, they (my wishes and desires) are marred by the human heart, which is or can be, wicked beyond our own ability to know (see Jeremiah 17:9). Yep, sometimes, oftentimes, I can and do get in the way of that for which I hope to see happen in my kids life. So, what is one to do? This is not only applicable to father's but to everyone of us who desires to live for God in this life and to represent Him and His purposes in our world.
Fortunatley for us, Daniel 3 provides two lessons to move us forward in this area and to help us live for Him. Number one is for us to follow/obey God's Commands. No, I may not be able to get everthing right as a dad or parent or Christian. No, I will not always do right by my kids and I will not always be there for them and yes there will be times that even when I am there for them, that I will simply not be enough for the moment or not have enough to do what needs to be done. So, what can I do? I can follow God consistenly in this life. I can commit my life to the obedience of God's will and live in such as way so that over time this truth is the core marker/identity of who I am and how I lived. This consistent commitment will go a long way toward forming our children and those around us!
The second thing I can do is trust in God's Will! No, I cannot make a plan for my kids life and expect them to follow it (by the way if you are doing this, then you are ruining (yes - destroying) at least two lives, yours and theirs and, to be honest probably more). No, I cannot assure my children that there will be more success than defeat or more joy than pain. But what I can do is display an unflinching trust in God's will and care over me that holds firm even in, especially in the darkest days, which are sure to come! Living life in this way will show my children that even when I am not in control and that when life knocks me down, even for a long count, that I always have hope, because my hope is not in this world but in God Himself.
There you go. This is not only for dad's (though they will be my focus for this weekend), this is a story for us all! Obey and Trust - or as the old hymn says it, 'trust and obey for there is no other way . . . '
See you Sunday!
Biz
The 'in between' times - that span of time between picture one (on the wall) and picture two (on the desktop) is where life is lived. It is that place where the great experiment of family and fatherhood is lived out - for better or for worse, it is a real as it gets! Being a father is one of the greatest adventures I have in this life. From day to day I never know what I will encounter in this adventure or how quickly I will come to the limits of my own ability (usually around 7:42 a.m.). To be honest with you life outside of pictures and video images is really all a blur. We don't live life in a 'still' frame. Rather, the living of life is more akin to a ride on a roller coaster or a journey through a storm. Life truly does come at you fast and confronts you with realities you never dreamed you would have to face and experiences for which you are totally unprepared.
Which leads me to a very important question as we approach this Father's Day: 'How do I get this dad thing right?' I would love to know on the front end how to live in such a way as a father (really as a person) to be sure that the back end turns out all right. That more positive than negative, more joy than shame, more victory than loss, become the story of my children and the legacy of my fathering, parenting, husbanding, serving - really just LIVING!?!?
Of course, I cannot tell how the 'back end' will work out for any of us. And, in fact, my wishes and desires for my life and my children may be off. Afterall, they (my wishes and desires) are marred by the human heart, which is or can be, wicked beyond our own ability to know (see Jeremiah 17:9). Yep, sometimes, oftentimes, I can and do get in the way of that for which I hope to see happen in my kids life. So, what is one to do? This is not only applicable to father's but to everyone of us who desires to live for God in this life and to represent Him and His purposes in our world.
Fortunatley for us, Daniel 3 provides two lessons to move us forward in this area and to help us live for Him. Number one is for us to follow/obey God's Commands. No, I may not be able to get everthing right as a dad or parent or Christian. No, I will not always do right by my kids and I will not always be there for them and yes there will be times that even when I am there for them, that I will simply not be enough for the moment or not have enough to do what needs to be done. So, what can I do? I can follow God consistenly in this life. I can commit my life to the obedience of God's will and live in such as way so that over time this truth is the core marker/identity of who I am and how I lived. This consistent commitment will go a long way toward forming our children and those around us!
The second thing I can do is trust in God's Will! No, I cannot make a plan for my kids life and expect them to follow it (by the way if you are doing this, then you are ruining (yes - destroying) at least two lives, yours and theirs and, to be honest probably more). No, I cannot assure my children that there will be more success than defeat or more joy than pain. But what I can do is display an unflinching trust in God's will and care over me that holds firm even in, especially in the darkest days, which are sure to come! Living life in this way will show my children that even when I am not in control and that when life knocks me down, even for a long count, that I always have hope, because my hope is not in this world but in God Himself.
There you go. This is not only for dad's (though they will be my focus for this weekend), this is a story for us all! Obey and Trust - or as the old hymn says it, 'trust and obey for there is no other way . . . '
See you Sunday!
Biz
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Life of Daniel - A Mystery Revealed
The news, at some level, must have been stunning. Daniel and his buddies, along with all the other 'wise men' of the kingdom were to be killed. The King had ordered it, so be it! Why, you ask? Because the wise men couldn't interpret the King's dream. Well, not actually. For the King, you see, didn't tell them the dream that he wanted interpreted. In fact, he demanded that the wise men first tell him what he had dreamt that so disturbed him and then interpret the dream!
Yep, you read that right. It would be somewhat like me telling my children that if they cannot tell me what I am thinking of, then I will punish them on the spot. Who could do that? Well, the wise men got it right - 'no one, O great King, but the gods can accomplish this feat,' they replied. Well, King Nebuchadnezzar, being the benevolent and humble King he was . . . flew into rage and demanded not only their death, but all with the title of 'wise men' (or even wise men in training) to be killed. And sometime you think we got it bad with our leaders?!?
In the midst of impending death, Daniel does something extraordinary: he throws Himself on the mercy of God and seeks His face! No, he doesn't try to reason with a mad king. No, he doesn't try to claim 'foreigner' status or 'in training' status do get out of the punishment. No, he doesn't try to run, hide, argue, fight, be right, etc. He throws himself on the mercy of His great God. In verse 18 of Daniel 2 we find these words, "and (Daniel) told them (his buddies) to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Verse 19 tells us that God revealed to Daniel the mystery which he sought!
What an amazing thought. That is that when no one else is able and when no one else can answer, God is both able and can answer the deepest mysteries life has to offer! The first step for you and me is to actually seek Him out! Deuteronomy 4:29 is probably a Scripture Daniel stood upon during this difficult time, "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." The same is true for us today. Are you looking for salvation and deliverance? Are you looking in all the wrong places and listening to all the wrong voices? Slow down the pace and take some time to seek Christ and His Kingship in your life! He is the great deliverer and He has done a work for you and me that we cannot do for ourselves.
When Daniel receives his answer from the God of Heaven he pulls no punches before this 'great and powerful' King. He confronts him and lets him clearly know that there is none in his kingdom with this ability, but there is a God who can 'reveal' such knowledge. Read the words of Daniel himself in 2:28 - 29, "Daniel answered the King and said, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery the King has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days." Booyah! No one the King has trained can help him and the implication of this is that the gods whom the king serves are inadequate as well - in fact, they are no gods at all, they are merely idols - wood, stubble and hay, that have no power and pose no solutions in life!
Daniel only has the answer because the God of heaven has revealed it to Him. You know, this same God reveals mysteries to you and me as well. In fact, the greatest mystery of all, the one mystery that still causes men and women of all tribes to stumble today, is the mystery of the Gospel. This, too is revealed by God and only by God. Paul sums it up in Romans 1:16 - 17 when he says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." There you have it - Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel because in it God's power of salvation unto righteousness has been 'revealed.' That is what God has done for you and me today!
The news should, at some level, be stunning to us today. We are on a path toward death. Yep, we begin dying the moment we are born. The only one EVER to defeat death is the person of Jesus Christ. He defeated death so that you and I might live with Him tomorrow and for Him today! Seek Him First today! Hear clearly His mystery of salvation as revealed to you and me in and through Jesus Christ! Respond and Believe so that you, too, my escape judgment and death and stand as witness before Him in this world!
Immeasurably More!
Biz
Yep, you read that right. It would be somewhat like me telling my children that if they cannot tell me what I am thinking of, then I will punish them on the spot. Who could do that? Well, the wise men got it right - 'no one, O great King, but the gods can accomplish this feat,' they replied. Well, King Nebuchadnezzar, being the benevolent and humble King he was . . . flew into rage and demanded not only their death, but all with the title of 'wise men' (or even wise men in training) to be killed. And sometime you think we got it bad with our leaders?!?
In the midst of impending death, Daniel does something extraordinary: he throws Himself on the mercy of God and seeks His face! No, he doesn't try to reason with a mad king. No, he doesn't try to claim 'foreigner' status or 'in training' status do get out of the punishment. No, he doesn't try to run, hide, argue, fight, be right, etc. He throws himself on the mercy of His great God. In verse 18 of Daniel 2 we find these words, "and (Daniel) told them (his buddies) to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Verse 19 tells us that God revealed to Daniel the mystery which he sought!
What an amazing thought. That is that when no one else is able and when no one else can answer, God is both able and can answer the deepest mysteries life has to offer! The first step for you and me is to actually seek Him out! Deuteronomy 4:29 is probably a Scripture Daniel stood upon during this difficult time, "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." The same is true for us today. Are you looking for salvation and deliverance? Are you looking in all the wrong places and listening to all the wrong voices? Slow down the pace and take some time to seek Christ and His Kingship in your life! He is the great deliverer and He has done a work for you and me that we cannot do for ourselves.
When Daniel receives his answer from the God of Heaven he pulls no punches before this 'great and powerful' King. He confronts him and lets him clearly know that there is none in his kingdom with this ability, but there is a God who can 'reveal' such knowledge. Read the words of Daniel himself in 2:28 - 29, "Daniel answered the King and said, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery the King has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days." Booyah! No one the King has trained can help him and the implication of this is that the gods whom the king serves are inadequate as well - in fact, they are no gods at all, they are merely idols - wood, stubble and hay, that have no power and pose no solutions in life!
Daniel only has the answer because the God of heaven has revealed it to Him. You know, this same God reveals mysteries to you and me as well. In fact, the greatest mystery of all, the one mystery that still causes men and women of all tribes to stumble today, is the mystery of the Gospel. This, too is revealed by God and only by God. Paul sums it up in Romans 1:16 - 17 when he says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." There you have it - Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel because in it God's power of salvation unto righteousness has been 'revealed.' That is what God has done for you and me today!
The news should, at some level, be stunning to us today. We are on a path toward death. Yep, we begin dying the moment we are born. The only one EVER to defeat death is the person of Jesus Christ. He defeated death so that you and I might live with Him tomorrow and for Him today! Seek Him First today! Hear clearly His mystery of salvation as revealed to you and me in and through Jesus Christ! Respond and Believe so that you, too, my escape judgment and death and stand as witness before Him in this world!
Immeasurably More!
Biz
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Life of Daniel: Unshakable Confidence in Challenging Times
Last weekend I asked the following question, "Is there ground in your life upon which you simply refuse to give?" or "Are there values that form you, values and convictions that you hold so dear, that you will never compromise them, no matter what?"
This weekend I ask you this: 'In what or whom do you place your confidence and trust?' Or better yet, 'Is there a confidence you and I have, as believers, that is unshakable and that remains steadfast, no matter what may come or how trying life may become?'
It may seem like a 'radical' question - even one that you never hope to have to answer. But, in my own experience I find that we all will face a day when answering this question will provide the future upon which we may have to stand. Indeed, there will be a time when the 'rug is pulled out from under you' or the 'wheels fall off the cart.' What holds you then, to what truth do you run or what hope do you have?
While there are many places one may turn, there is only one to which we can turn to find a rock solid foundation in the midst of the storm. That place is really a person - the person God Himself. In Daniel 2 the king has a dream that disturbs him to such a degree that he asks all of his 'wise' men (i.e. read foolish, according to the apostle, Paul) to interpret the dream BEFORE he will even tell it to them. They confess this power is not in them and resides only in God - this answer,though ironically correct, is unacceptable to the King so he decrees that they all be put to death - Daniel and his friends among them.
Daniel asks for audience with the King, goes before his three comrades and then goes before the throne of God - in confidence. Why did Daniel have confidence in the face of impending death in the midst of a foreign land? Well there are three reasons, really three attributes of God, which give Daniel and you and I confidence in the midst of lives most desperate moments! I would like to take just a moment and focus on these three attributes and the hope the provide to you and me today!
The first attribute in which Daniel takes confidence is the Power of God! In Daniel 2:20 - 21 we read, 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.' Daniel knows that in God resides power and might - enough power to change the times and seasons (circumstances and situations) and the depose and establish kings (rulers and authorities). You see Daniel knows who God is and because of this he has a confidence in the presence of a very powerful and evil king because Daniel's God has power of even this king and his decrees.
The second attribute in which Daniel takes confidence is the Wisdom of God! In Daniel 2:22 we read, "he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." Daniel further knows that God is the God of all Wisdom and He freely gives this wisdom to those who seek Him. No, the magicians in Nebuchadnezzar's court do not have this wisdom (they already confessed that God alone could know the King's dream), but God's people are given wisdom from God, when we seek after Him. In First Corinthians 2:15 - 16 we see this clearly as Paul tells us, "The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ." Who has understanding from God? His people, who have put on the mind of Christ and are no longer being conformed to this world, but transformed by His Word! We have confidence in this truth today! The question is, do you have the mind of Christ today? Or is one of your feet in the world?
The third attribute in which Daniel takes confidence is the Revelation of God! In Daniel 2:22 we read, "he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him." While this is somewhat similar to wisdom, the difference lies in the fact that even when there is nothing but darkness and confusion around us, our God is the God of Revelation! He is the very revelation of the way, the truth and the life for you and me and this attribute alone is enough to hold us in the darkest mysteries of life! Daniel takes confidence in this truth because in it he finds a hope the world does not provide and a truth it does not know!
So, I ask again: "in what or whom do you place your confidence?" Join us Sunday at 9:30 or 11:00 to explore more these great truths and the hope they should provide!
More than Before!
Biz
This weekend I ask you this: 'In what or whom do you place your confidence and trust?' Or better yet, 'Is there a confidence you and I have, as believers, that is unshakable and that remains steadfast, no matter what may come or how trying life may become?'
It may seem like a 'radical' question - even one that you never hope to have to answer. But, in my own experience I find that we all will face a day when answering this question will provide the future upon which we may have to stand. Indeed, there will be a time when the 'rug is pulled out from under you' or the 'wheels fall off the cart.' What holds you then, to what truth do you run or what hope do you have?
While there are many places one may turn, there is only one to which we can turn to find a rock solid foundation in the midst of the storm. That place is really a person - the person God Himself. In Daniel 2 the king has a dream that disturbs him to such a degree that he asks all of his 'wise' men (i.e. read foolish, according to the apostle, Paul) to interpret the dream BEFORE he will even tell it to them. They confess this power is not in them and resides only in God - this answer,though ironically correct, is unacceptable to the King so he decrees that they all be put to death - Daniel and his friends among them.
Daniel asks for audience with the King, goes before his three comrades and then goes before the throne of God - in confidence. Why did Daniel have confidence in the face of impending death in the midst of a foreign land? Well there are three reasons, really three attributes of God, which give Daniel and you and I confidence in the midst of lives most desperate moments! I would like to take just a moment and focus on these three attributes and the hope the provide to you and me today!
The first attribute in which Daniel takes confidence is the Power of God! In Daniel 2:20 - 21 we read, 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.' Daniel knows that in God resides power and might - enough power to change the times and seasons (circumstances and situations) and the depose and establish kings (rulers and authorities). You see Daniel knows who God is and because of this he has a confidence in the presence of a very powerful and evil king because Daniel's God has power of even this king and his decrees.
The second attribute in which Daniel takes confidence is the Wisdom of God! In Daniel 2:22 we read, "he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." Daniel further knows that God is the God of all Wisdom and He freely gives this wisdom to those who seek Him. No, the magicians in Nebuchadnezzar's court do not have this wisdom (they already confessed that God alone could know the King's dream), but God's people are given wisdom from God, when we seek after Him. In First Corinthians 2:15 - 16 we see this clearly as Paul tells us, "The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ." Who has understanding from God? His people, who have put on the mind of Christ and are no longer being conformed to this world, but transformed by His Word! We have confidence in this truth today! The question is, do you have the mind of Christ today? Or is one of your feet in the world?
The third attribute in which Daniel takes confidence is the Revelation of God! In Daniel 2:22 we read, "he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him." While this is somewhat similar to wisdom, the difference lies in the fact that even when there is nothing but darkness and confusion around us, our God is the God of Revelation! He is the very revelation of the way, the truth and the life for you and me and this attribute alone is enough to hold us in the darkest mysteries of life! Daniel takes confidence in this truth because in it he finds a hope the world does not provide and a truth it does not know!
So, I ask again: "in what or whom do you place your confidence?" Join us Sunday at 9:30 or 11:00 to explore more these great truths and the hope they should provide!
More than Before!
Biz
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