Monday the 31st

Hebrews 11:40

⁴⁰God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

 

Perfection requires imperfection. God needs us each to do our part so that his perfect plan can unfold. It might be a difficult concept to get your head around, but yes God’s perfection requires us, and He KNOWS that we are not perfect. That is right, warts and all, our imperfect best is exactly what God is looking for. That is not to say that we should ever quit truing to advance in our spiritual maturity, but we should never let our short comings be used as a reason to quit trying, or as an excuse to go with the flow. Yes it is true none of us will ever be close to the perfection of Christ, but the Lord loves us anyway, we might never fully get every area of our life under control, but the Lord needs us still. Don’t wait for tomorrow, or when things get better, it is not a matter of if you think you can do it, or if you think you are worthy, the Lord KNOWS that you are. The time is now. Don’t let the moment slip past. Don’t waste another breath on doubt, God has something better for us, let us work to bring that perfect plan together.

 

God Bless,

Brian

Wed the 26th

Hebrews 10: 24

 

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

 

In verse 24 NIV we see the word spur, in the ESV we see the concept “stir up”, and the KJV uses the word provoke. The Greek word used is paroxusmos meaning incitement. Paul did not use this word (provoke, or spur on)  as often as he used the word encourage, and when we look, we see that the word used for encourage is a word meaning to comfort, or to “reassure” so to speak. So here Paul is not simply suggesting to encourage each other, he is urging us to go get involved, take action, do something to incite love, and good deeds. That means that we need to be more than cheerleaders. We have to do more than just say yes I agree, or that is a great idea, or you can do it. Paul is telling us to take a lead role, go out, meet up spread the word actively, then encourage on another. What a tall order huh? Sure it is easy to go along with everyone that agrees with you, it is easy to comfort, and encourage, but to get out there and incite love, and good deeds is to say that we must go where there is no love, to tread where good deeds are not found. It means we must strive to be the one to start that spark….and that is scary, and it can be intimidating. Yet this is exactly what we are called to do by the Great Commission. Go spread the good news! Why you, why me? Think you are not worthy…..I know I think that sometimes…. I know a humble carpenter’s son, born in a barn that I promise you, will not agree with that thought. Inside each and every one of us is that spark, it is ours to hold inside, or to let it out and ignite a fire that will consume those around us. So which will it be? Will you be content to simply encourage, or will you accept the challenge that Paul extended? Will you go out and incite love, and good deeds? There is no place more desolate than a place with no love, or good deeds. Allow yourself to be bold enough to incite it where you find none, the carpenters son showed us the way, let us continue to blaze the trail.

May the peace of God be with you always,

Brian

Tuesday the 25th

Hebrews 8: 13

¹³By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

 

 

Let us not confuse or dilute our message. We are under the New Covenant. The Covenant bought and paid for by Christ Jesus. We Know that Christ told us that he did not come to abolish the old , as a matter of fact not one word was to be changed, what He came for was to FULFILL it. This is why we hear Paul tell the Colossians in chapter 3 that the old laws of food, drink, and festival were a shadow of things that to come, the reality however is found in Jesus Christ. No longer are we to be judged by out ritual, the New Covenant is one of action, but action towards others, it is about control, but it is self-control, and self - responsibility. May we all fly the banner of the New Covenant, a Covenant of love, compassion, forgiveness, and selflessness. May we lay our wrath, greed and jealousy down, and learn to live as Christ did. The obsolete always disappears, may we work to not become obsolete. The aging things always fall by the wayside, may our faith never age. It is my prayer that we each burn with the faith that we felt when we first accepted the Lord. May that light shine upon those around us daily so that they too might come to learn of the New Covenant, and all of the hope, and promise that comes with it. The wrath of God has been put on hold, so that the Love of the Lord might shine upon us all, let each of us do our part to reflect that light. The light of the New Covenant.

 

Peace,

Brian

Monday the 24th

Hebrews 8:1

 

 ¹The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, ²and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

 

 

We serve a higher power. This is the fact that I come back to time and time again. Our laws, our rules, are not decided by man, they have been laid out before us by God himself. I do not understand many things in my life, and why they happen, I do not understand many things in the world ,or why they happen, however there is not a doubt in my mind that there is one who does know, He has known since before the first daybreak, and it is of no matter if I understand it or not. We have a high priest, one who sits at the right hand, one who argues on our behalf . He has already made the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, and He, working within the trinity knows all too well how this all will play out. When I find myself drifting, when I find myself in uncharted waters, I cleave to the true tabernacle, the true authority, and the One that we will all answer to!  Christ is working on all of our behalf. He loves all of us, and I do not doubt that just like when he wept coming in to Jerusalem, he weeps for us today. May we hold ourselves to the standard of our high priest, not the standard of our elected officials. One knows where we are going, the others are still trying to figure it out!

 

 

Peace,

Brian

Tuesday the 18th

Hebrews 6:10

 

¹⁰God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

 

 

It has been said that you can accomplish anything in life, as long as you do not care who gets the credit. This holds very true in history, and today’s world. People seldom remember the accomplishment, as much as they remember the name of the person tied to it. While Paul Revere did make a ride on horseback alerting the colonies to the incoming British invasion, it was Mr. Prescott who finished the ride, Mr. Revere was taken captive, a short while into the trip. Mr. Prescott did the work, but did not get the credit! History can be very unjust. God however is never unjust, he will never forget your works, and he will never forget the love that you show, to him, and his people. This reminds us that doing the right things has very little to do with how we are rewarded here, or who noticed, or if we will ever be known for what we have done. God knows. SO that leave us with a very introspective question, what work are we doing, and whom are we doing it for? Are we “out for ours”, or are we out for the good of others? Are we using our energy to spread love, or are we sowing the seeds of selfish ambition? We make choices everyday that reflect our “true colors”. May those colors be the bright, brilliant colors of the Lord, it is my prayer that when the Lord looks down on us he sees all of us, and those around us glowing with the colors of selflessness, love, and compassion. God, unlike history will not forget us, our work, or the love we have shown, when God recounts our day may he find them full of love.

 

 

Peace,

Brian

Monday the 17th

Hebrews 5:8

 

⁸Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered

 

 

Guess what?  Life is messy, it is hard, and it can be painful at times. However it is at these times that we find out how deep our faith is. It is during the height of our struggle that we will truly find where our strength lies. We learn from our mistakes, and that is the key. These hardships that are placed in our path are not the atonements for past sin, as much as they as opportunities for us to change course, see truths that have been hidden from us, and to realize that our faith, our trust, and our salvation lies, not in our own hands, but squarely at the cross of Christ. It is through suffering that we too learn obedience. Does that sound barbaric? Does that sound too harsh a price to pay? As much as I hate to admit it, I have learned very little in my life from the times of smooth sailing. As much as I do not like to do it sometimes, the hard things in life are the ones that are most sweetly savored. It is when we have come to the end of a long journey, one that has tried our patience, our strength, our emotions, and even our faith, that we can look back and see true growth in our lives. I know that many are going through some dark times now, let this give you strength, hold fast to your faith. For just as Christ’s unshakeable faith in his Father brought him through hard times that we could not imagine, our faith in Him will deliver us to the other side, stronger, wiser, and yes, more obedient.

 

May God bless and keep you,

Brian

Tuesday the 13th

Something a little different today, I was reminded of this story from an e-mail I received this morning, and I wanted to pass it on.

Luke 20:36
and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

I am not sure where the story started from or the name of the Professor that wrote this, but it is a true story. One to remind us all that we are all of the same family.

Who's Your Daddy?

A number of years ago a seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, Tennessee where they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet family meal.

While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table visiting with the guests.  The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife:

"I hope he doesn't come over here."  But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

"Where are you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice.

"Oklahoma," they answered.

"Great to have you here in Tennessee," the stranger said. "What do you do for a living?"

"I teach at a seminary," he replied.

"Oh, you teach preachers how to preach?  Well, I've got a really great story for you."  And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

"See that mountain over there?" (pointing out the restaurant window).  Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother.  He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question:

'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?'

Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, "Who's your daddy?" He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt him so bad.

When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church.  He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, "Who's your daddy?"  But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him,

"Son, who's your daddy?"

The whole church got deathly quiet.  He could feel every eye in the church looking at him.  By now, everyone knew the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy...

'Wait a minute!' he said, 'I know who you are.  I see the family resemblance now.  You are a child of God.'

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said:

'Boy, you've got a great inheritance.  Go and claim it.'

With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person.  He was never the same again.  Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them,

'I'm a Child of God.'

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, "Isn't that a great story?"

The professor responded that it really was a great story! As the man turned to leave, he said,

"You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!"  And he walked away.

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her,

"Do you know who that man was who just left who was sitting at our table?"  The waitress grinned and said,

"Of course.  Everybody here knows him.  That's Ben Hooper. He's the former governor of Tennessee!"

Peace,

Brian

 

 

 

 

Tuesday the 11th

Hebrews 4: 13

 

¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

 

 

You can run, but you can’t hide……..and boy can we run!! You know…..God sees everything, as a result he never asks a question that he does not already know the answer to. It reminds me of when God asked Cain where Able was………God knew good and well, but free will is a wonderful, wicked thing that always allows us enough rope to hang ourselves, and that is just what Cain did! Don’t we do the same thing often?  Hide it, bury it, throw a tarp over it….just cover your tracks!! No one will ever know……..well almost no one. They say that character is measured not by what you do in front of other people but what you do when no one is watching. I would say the same thing for righteousness. It is not the work that you do at the soup kitchen, it is not the big donation that you made that got your picture in the church bulletin, those might be great things; but the test comes when you are by-yourself, in traffic, in front of the computer, in the quiet moments of our lives our true colors are shown to God, for there is no one else around to see them. Where do you go? What do you do? How do you spend those quiet times? I do not bring this up to berate or belittle, we all have moments that we could be a better person, or make better choices; however we should remember that all is seen. God loves you, He gave His son for you, how better to honor that sacrifice than to make those quite times time for the Lord? Use those small bites of time to give thanks, or beg for forgiveness. Strive to fill that time with moments that you would be proud to have the Lord standing next to you! Nothing is hidden from God, so what will He say of your righteousness, and your character?

 

May the peace of God be with you,

Brian

 

 

Monday the 10th

Hebrews 4:12

¹²For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

 

The word (logos, as in the written word, Scripture) is living (NIV) Quick (KJV) (Greek word Zao to live)  I make this point because what is being said is that the written word of God is alive. Zao is a verb, it is the action of living. The word is there, it is alive, and it is working within you.  In today’s world of media frenzy, and overload we should all remember that the Word of God is alive and well. Every word, every lesson, every verbal illustration holds just as much meaning today as it did the day it was written. It is hard to know where to turn today, it is hard to know which side to choose, or who to believe. There is a place that we can find all of the information that we need, and of course it is the written word of God. It speaks to our hears and will give you the direction that you need in a often confusing world. It will cut to the core, and it will judge, reveal, save, and comfort you. God does not care if you Watch Fox or MSNBC, what he does care about is are you following his Word? Are you living with the living Word? Are you allowing your faith to be as active as the word? Pick up the good book, you will find peace, you will find salvation, you will find God’s rest, and you will find the direction that you need in your life. Allow the Word to cut deep into your soul, allow it to direct you to become the person God has planned, not the one the world would like you to become.

 

Peace,

Brian

Wed the 5th

Hebrews 3: 16

 

¹⁶Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?

 

The world is a dangerous place. There is temptation at every turn, and the devil does not take a day off. This scripture reminds us that sometimes our biggest challenges do not lie within the outside world, our biggest challenges can be right next to us on Sunday morning. AS Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness dissension seldom came from outside stimuli. Typically it came from the ranks of the Israelites themselves. A person became disillusioned, and that one person turned into a small group, then the group turned into a larger group until the next thing you knew the people were melting down jewelry and making idols, or cursing God because of lack of food, or water, or some other inconvenience. The point is that we must stay firm in our faith. None of our roads are smooth, we did not get to the point we are at now without trials, and hardship. I can promise you that more wait for us around the next bend or over the next hill. What we cannot do is allow the devil a foothold. Stay alert for those close to you that are growing weary, encourage them, help them, Stand firm, and help them to do the same. Let’s be honest it is far easier and more accepted to “go with the flow” it is easier to join in with the mob, than to stand your ground. SO let us not forget that the mob often starts as a small group that is among us. Let us comfort, not condemn, let us lift up, instead of tear down, and most of all let us encourage each other so that the rebellion never starts!

 

May God bless and keep you,

Brian

Tuesday the 4th

Hebrews 3:12-13

 

¹²See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

 

We encourage each other so that we do not become hardened (from the Greek word  sklērunō meaning to indurate, that is, (figuratively) render stubborn: - harden). We call it jaded or cynical, or fed-up today, but whatever we call it, we all know the feeling. The sin of the world has a way of beating us down, it grinds on us, and if we are not careful we will become hardened. Today many would say that is a good thing, to become hard. When you let yourself become hardened you protect yourself…..at least that is what the world at large will tell you. However all you really accomplish is cutting yourself off from the world, and when you do that you cut yourself off from the Lord as well. No man is an island, we need each other, we have to encourage each other. We must remind each other everyday, that today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice in it! We have to encourage each other to remember that no matter the struggle we face, that struggle is an opportunity to show our faith. Don’t let yourself or those around you become hardened, keep your heart and your mind soft and open to the Lord. Will it hurt? Yes sometimes it will, but the joy, the love, and the fullness you will experience from having that open, soft, and receptive, heart will overshadow any pain, it will tower over the lowest point, it will allow you to experience the unbridled, overflow of God’s love…..and that is worth bearing any pain or any struggle. Let us encourage each other, so that we all might be protected form the deceitfulness of sin.

 

God Bless,

Brian