Quick to Hear

James 1:19

As we continue to mature spiritually, our first reaction in any situation should be to listen. Listening should become our first reaction. It should be instinctual. We don't even have to think about it before we do. We just listen quickly to lead to all other responses. Then, speaking and anger come later. They come slow. They are thought out responses to our initial reaction (listening). They are not instinctual. React (listen) and then respond (speak/anger).

This sometimes flies in the face of our natural tendencies, but this is the path to spiritual maturity.

1. Quick to Hear - first reaction; the instinct; no thought
2. Slow to Speak - thought out response to the reaction; not instinctual
3. Slow to Anger - thought out response to the reaction; not instinctual

It is hard to grow up!

Brandon

Consider it ALL Joy

James 1:2 - Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

Consider (hegeomai /hayg·eh·om·ahee):

1 to lead. 1a to go before. 1b to be a leader. 2 to consider, deem, account, think

Isn't it interesting that the Greek word for consider also means "to lead" or "to go before?"  Joy should go before our trials.  It shoud be the leader in the midst of trials.  We look to leaders when we need to know where to go.  Leaders are the strength and wisdom that know the goal and how to get there even when it is hidden to those following.  Joy is to be our leader in trials.  It is the strength and wisdom we hold on to in the midst of trials.  Joy understands the end even when we can not see it.  But James makes it clear that it is not just a little joy mixed with your grief and fear, but "ALL" joy - or "PURE" joy.  There is nothing mixed with it.

Sometimes this scripture just seems too big, too unattainable, or just plain unrealistic.  Maybe that is the point.  In trials, we don't see very clearly, and James is giving the one thing that can lead us through it.  We don't have to understand but just follow and trust where a pure joy will lead us.    

God Always Remembers

Psalm 106 and 107

Over and over Israel rebels and forgets the greatness of God's lovingkindness.  They rebelled.  They got lost in wickedness.  Over and over we do the same thing.  We do not see the hand of God at work in our lives, and when we do see it, we soon forget and find ourselves rebelling or grumbling against God...

...Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name. 

...Nevertheless He looked upon their distress when He heard their cry; and He remembered His covenant for their sake.

You have forgotton His abundant kindness; nevertheless He remembers His promises to you.  You have become rebellious; nevertheless, He shows mercy.  Over and over you have turned from God's ways; nevertheless he hears the cries of the sincere heart and saves them.  How easily we forget!  But God always remembers!

Our response as we remember today:

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Your Deliverer?

Psalm 108:12

Oh give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain.

A couple of things hit me from the last phrase of this verse. First, deliverance is possible by man, but second, deliverance by man is worthless.

Many times we will look for help and deliverance from man and maybe even feel we have found it. The army of Israel could fight and possibly win the battles against their enemy, but David understood that if they did not do it through God and with His help it was all in vain. God is our deliverer and our help. Only with Him and through Him do we find true deliverance that matters.

Too many times we have our deliverance defined and we work for it in our own strength. But we should look to God's deliverance to walk through any challenge with Him. We might find deliverance in our definition, and people might call that a victory. But if it is through our own strength it is worthless and in vain.

Lesson: I would rather walk through challenging circumstances with God than share in victories by man

-Brandon-

Awaken the Dawn!

Psalm 108:1-5

I love David's passion around worship and music.  I think we sometimes forget this man was a world ruler, yet he loved to lose himself in worship towards God for all the nations to see and hear.  Music was his tool.  David understood and embraced music as a powerful tool of worship.  I long to worship like that, to embrace music for its intended purpose.  I believe everyone has this desire built in them to worship God with our fullest emotions and in complete abandon.  At some point, we just begin to suppress it or de-value its importance.  Music is a powerful key to the heart.  It is the language of emotions, and it is not something to shy away from when we use it in worship toward God.  Instead we should fully embrace music as David did.  David told the instruments to wake up because he was going to awaken the dawn with his praise to God!  I love that!

What if all those who were followers of Christ had this perspective of worship and acted accordingly?  

Awaken the Dawn!

How to Deal with Problem People

Psalm 109

Straight talk from David to God. David does not sugar coat his words in this one. He definitely has issue with some people in his live, and he is crying out to God to bring judgment on them. Here are some actions steps to learn from David on how to deal with problem people.

You can break up David's action into private and public actions. Many times our first response when dealing with someone is to take matters into our own hands and confront the people that have done evil to us. But look what David does. First (Psalm 109:1-20), David takes his issue to God alone and trusts God to judge and repay this evil. (Take note that David was extremely hurt by this accuser and is asking God's heavy judgement. The key is all of his language asks God to deal with it). Secondly (Psalm 109:21-29), David takes his needs and hurts to God alone and trusts God to deliver, heal, and help him. Thirdly (Psalm 109:30-31), David takes his public action, the action that all can see and hear. This is the time when his accusers can see him and hear him. What does he do? David passionately praises God!

Private Action

1. Take your issue about the person to God and let it out!
2. Trust God to judge and repay them
3. Take your needs and hurts to God
4. Trust God to deliver, heal, and help you

Public Action

1. Praise God

Wow that makes it so much easier!

Brandon

Jesus, King and Priest

Psalm 110

Such a strong passage about the Messiah, which was written hundreds of years before Jesus had entered humanity. We see a revealing conversation between God the Father to the coming Messiah. Just to read this passage is to be reminded of the authority and power of Jesus. The powerful thing is Jesus was said to be a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was not only a priest but he was a king. Not only do we serve a king with the authority and power to judge entire nations and to deal with major world leaders, we also have an eternal priest who intercedes to God on our behalf. David and the Israelites got this Psalm as a revelation of the Messiah to come. We read it and know this eternal priest and king personally by name...Jesus.

Brandon

Caused to Remember

Psalm 111

What a great passage about the works of God! The words that jumped out in this reading was the first part of verse 4: "He has caused His wonders to be remembered." God is purposefully causing us to remember what He has done. Just recall when God has worked powerfully in your life. For me it is easy to remember the major works of God in my life. It is interesting that the biggest works of God on my behalf were through the biggest challenges and pains. Those moments of great need created a perfect opportunity for God to work mightily on my behalf, and at the same time, they created strong memory markers.

Brandon

Delight - The Next Level

Psalm 112:1

The man who fears the Lord and who greatly delights in His commandments is blessed. Two words in this verse caught my attention, "greatly delights." Is that how I would describe my relationship with God's Word and His commands? Maybe obey, respect, honor...but greatly delight? Too many times I am lost in the obedience. I am striving to obey God's commands. I am holding them in high regard, but I am missing the next level, delighting. Do you realize that when you get to this level of delighting all the others are a given? When you delight in God's commands, obedience and respect is a natural part. But then delight brings some things the others do not. Delight automatically brings a sense of joy. Delight brings sense of ownership. Obedience does not. Obedience is usually seen as the end goal, but it is just a step towards delight. I think I have shot to low for my relationship with God's Word and His commands. I'm ready to get to that next level.

Who is Like the Lord our God?

Psalm 113

This Psalmist's first words are "Praise the Lord!" and his last words are "Praise the Lord!" and right in the middle there is this question, "Who is like the Lord our God?"  What a great question to ponder and reflect on in the middle of our worship.  Do you remind yourself of your answer to this question?  If we don't remember our answer to this question, our worship will become religiously robotic, unauthentic, and stale.  The Psalmist recalls what can be done by only the Lord our God.  Maybe we should consistently write our own personal Psalm 113.

My personal Psalm 113:

Praise the Lord!  Who is like the Lord our God?  Who can bring salvation and hope to a life that does not deserve it?  Who has authored all of creation yet longs for personal interaction with me? He chooses to use me in His epic plan that spans eternity.  He has given me true life.  He has given me freedom.  His love never fails.  Praise the Lord!

-Brandon-

The Power of Memory

Psalm 114

This Psalmist recalls the power of God displayed in Israel's history, when the red sea was split and the Jordan was stopped. This Psalm is an example of Israel remembering what God had done for them, remembering His powerful work. Many times we do not remember the powerful work of God in our past. God has done amazing things throughout history. That is why God has given us His Word. God has done amazing things in our lives. That is why God has given us a memory. Too many times we use our memory for the wrong things. Memory is a blessing, not a curse. Remember the awesome power of God, recall His great works!

-Brandon-

Trust the Lord in Every Circumstance

Psalm 115

I wanted to pull some thoughts straight from this passage in light of our US economy and our response as followers of Christ. An abridged Brandon version. That is what hit me as I read, so here it is:

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory. Why should the nations say, "Where, now, is our God?" But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. The nations idols are silver and gold, The works of man's hands.

You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is your help and your shield. The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; he will bless those who fear the Lord, The small together with the great. May the Lord give you increase, You and your children. May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!

Sometimes we hit those moments in our life and our faith where the rubber meets the road. We are forced to live out our belief. We face one of those times now. I pray that my faith lived out lines up with my faith spoken out. Praise God and trust him through any and every circumstance.

-Brandon-

Pay Back Through Praise

Psalm 116

Do I see all the great things God has done for me? For all of that, what can I possibly give back? How can I pay him back, if even a small portion? This is the question the Psalmists answers. His solution is praising God in the congregation. Public worship for all to hear and take part in: celebrating God's salvation, calling on the name of the Lord, paying public vows to the Lord, and offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Corporate praise is the opportunity to remember what God has done and publicly pay him back. Twice the Psalmist declares: "Oh may it be in the presence of all His people." He passionately wants to praise God with others. What would happen to our times of praise through music and corporate scripture reading if we all truly had this mindset? It is pay back time!

Better to Take Refuge in the Lord

Psalm 118:8-9

The beautiful truth is I don't have what it takes.  I know how tiring and impossible it is to try to live up to others opinions, to try to carry everything on my own, and to try to control and fix everything around me. 

Verse 8: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Verse 9: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

It seems a simple statement, but it is so terribly difficult to live like you believe it. Here is the truth I am reminded of: It is BETTER to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man’s opinions. It is BETTER to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in your own abilities. It is BETTER to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in governments or leaders. It is BETTER to take refuge in the Lord…period. All these things are good. It is just BETTER to take refuge in the Lord.

Leadership Friction Principle

Matthew 26:31-75

There is something that hit me while reading this.  This is the infamous passage that ends with Peter’s denial of Christ.  This is a dark moment in a great leader's life, but I believe it sheds light on an important leadership principle.  

Here are some quick highlights of the passage.  Jesus predicts that all the disciples will fall away and that Peter will deny Him.  Peter passionately declares his faithfulness to Christ, and all the other disciples follow suite and say the same thing.  Peter follows Jesus when He is taken by the guards, and all the other disciples desert Jesus and flee. Peter then denies Jesus, and all the other disciples...well they were not even there to make the mistake. There it is!  I will call it the Leadership Friction Principle.  

___________________________

Leadership Friction Principle:

Doing what no one else would (following Jesus) put Peter in a position to make a mistake (denying Jesus) that no one else could.

But the flip-side of this principle is true as well…

Doing what no one else would (standing to preach Jesus’ resurrection in the same place Jesus was condemned) put Peter in a position to experience results (3,000 saved) that no one else could.

___________________________

As a leader you will find yourself doing what others have not done and going where others have not gone.  In exchange, you must understand that you will make mistakes no else can and feel pains no one else has.  Many times this will bring criticism that others don’t have to deal with…just think of all the attention Peter’s BIG mistakes has gotten him.  The great news is that you will also experience victories and joys that no else could.

Be encouraged; embrace the friction; and lead on!

Man's Traditions vs God's Commands

Mark 7:1-13

Verse 9: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! "

To often our traditions become as important as God's commands. Many times they become more important. The problem is as innocent and worthy as a tradition starts, it can actually become a barrier to fulfilling God's commands. Traditions are a powerful thing, and the church has had a very difficult time remembering the difference between their traditions and their God given commands. Verse 9 was Jesus words to the religious leaders, who had become blind to God's heart because of their traditions.

I have been leading an Internet Campus for the last few years, and it has forced me to contemplate the difference. I don't want to dishonor God, and at the same time, I want to passionately spread the gospel to the world with whatever means possible. It is amazing how big of a hold traditions have on all of us. Being clear on the distinction between God's orders and our traditions is a worthy goal.

Law of Attraction

Mark 2:15-17

Jesus did more than hang out with tax collectors and sinners. He attracted followers. Verse 15 says that these "sinners" were actually following Jesus. Wow, how many times does this happen for me? Those who are sinners following me and wanting to just hang out. That is another whole level beyond just finding and befriending sinners. It is actually being so attractive to them through our words and our lives that they want to go where you are going. As followers of Christ, we are called to go to the "sick" and the "sinners," but this is not the end. We should be so attractive that they are compelled to follow who we follow.

God's Word - Everything you need

Psalm 119

This is the mother of all Psalms with 176 verses.  Although it is extremely long, it is extremely single-minded.  Here are some impactful information and thoughts from this very cool Psalm.

• Big idea: Word of God contains everything man needs to know
  
• This Psalm was written as an alphabetic acrostic in Hebrew; each stanza (8 verses) is devoted to a successive Hebrew letter;  each verse in that stanza starts with the same Hebrew letter
• 172 verses are addressed to the Lord
• 173 verses uses one of ten different terms that refer to God's Word (Word of God, law, promises, etc.)

There is ONE CLEAR thought throughout this long Psalm...God's word is so important!  This Psalm reminded me of the blessing we have to stand on.  I take it for granted too many times. 

Here is  a snapshot: 

• What we should do with God's Word:  walk in, live by, obey, consider, learn, keep, hide in our hearts, recount, rejoice in, delight, meditate, rejoice in following, run in the path, set your heart on, long for, trust in, seek out, speak of, remember, turn steps to, do not forget, believe in, value, put your hope in, do not forsake, ponder, love, do not depart from, always have regard for, stand in awe of, sing of
• What can happen as we engage in God's Word:  be blessed, way is pure, not be put to shame, receive counsel, see wonderful things, strengthened, gain understanding, hearts set free, walk in freedom, not be ashamed, receive hope, perserved life, find comfort, wiser than enemies, more insight than teachers, more understanding than elders, light our path, become joy of our hearts, our heritage forever, gives light, gives understanding to the simple, sustains us

God's Word enough said!

He Answered

Psalm 120

The first 15 psalms from 120-134 were used by pilgrims going to the festivals in Jerusalem three times a year. These were troubled times. People all around were speaking lies and promoting war. This Psalms starts off these thoughts, but the first verse could summarize it all.

"In my trouble, I cried to the Lord, And He answered me."

I realize that our world is in troubled times. May we cry out to God as if we believe we need him because when we do, He answers.

Personal God

Psalm 121

1b: From where shall my help come from?

2: My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

The Keeper of the nation of Israel is the same keeper of me, personally and individually. He is not just a big picture God, but he is into the details of each of our personal lives.  He does not sleep or take a break.  He is our shade, our protection, our soul-keeper, our guard at all times.  

Incredible reminder that an all powerful protector is intensely personal!