Thursday, December 08, 2011
Pursue or Float? Life is very much like a river. I’m sure you’ve seen a river, such as the Arkansas River, when there’s been a lot of rain and it’s almost at flood stage. The water levels are higher, and the current is rushing. All sorts of debris is being pushed downstream as the water gushes on. Anything that doesn’t have the strength or ability to go against the direction of the water is naturally pushed in the direction the river flows, and usually pretty quickly.
By nature, the human life is moving in a direction that takes us away from God. Mankind isn’t getting better with time, contrary to popular belief. The farther away from the Garden of Eden we get with the continuing of time the darker our sin and sinful natures get. If anyone attempts to debate the theory of evolution when it comes to mankind, I simply point to the degrading condition of morality as a sure sign that, if anything, we are devolving.
So it stands to reason that if a person is simply floating through life they are drifting farther away from God, believer or not. So many come to Christ thinking they can simply get their “fire insurance” and that’s all there is to it. And to be honest, for years some of our teaching and preaching may have reinforced that. Trust me, I’m the biggest advocate of the Biblical teaching of security in Christ that there is. But friend, Christ doesn’t save us into a simple freedom from hell. No, the Christian life is so much more than that.
We’ve been called to “draw closer to God.” His promise is that when we draw closer to Him, “He’ll draw closer to us.” That means that we can, actually, get closer to Him with time as we live in relationship with Him and actively pursue that closeness! Just let that soak in: the God that created everything that exists and has existed Himself forever WANTS to be CLOSE to US! That should blow our minds every time we think about it!
Here’s the problem: closeness with God doesn’t happen naturally. Actually, the opposite is the natural process, as we’ve already discussed above. The simple fact is that if I’m not actively pursuing Christ in the relational ways He’s given me to draw closer to Him (time in Scripture, prayer, worship, showing Him to others, loving Him and people, fellowshipping with other believers through faithfulness to His Church, etc), then I’m floating into greater distance from Him.
I believe Scripture teaches that once we are in a saving relationship with Christ we are held securely in that relationship with Christ until the day He “completes” His work in us and we are home in heaven. However, the drawing closer to Him is up to us. And call me crazy, but my understanding of Scripture leads me to believe that if we truly know Him, within us will be a desire to know Him better, and deeper, and closer. If that desire doesn’t exist whatsoever, maybe we should closely examine whether we truly know Him.
I want to be pursuing Him with every moment I’m alive. I don’t want to be a floater. Would you join me in actively pursuing Christ – drawing closer to Him – so our love for Him would shine for all the world to see how truly amazing He is?
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Snow Way!
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Snow Way! I woke up this morning at around 1AM (see Monday’s blog for an explanation…ha) to a surprise outside. My dogs were barking, so I glanced out the back door to make sure they were ok, when what to my wondering eyes should appear! No, not Santa Claus…but something almost as shocking! The ground, the trees, my vehicle – all of it – covered in a pretty thick layer of snow!
If I remember correctly, when I listened to the weather man yesterday, he predicted no accumulation in our area. Yes, snow flurries were expected, but only in Eastern and Northeastern Arkansas were they to expect to actually see it sticking. And, because a slim majority of the time the weatherman is right, I took him at his word. There’s only one problem with his forecast: we have a few inches on the ground outside right now.
No, I’m not hating on the weatherman. He makes mistakes, we all do – big deal. But if there’s ever been a time to remind ourselves of Who really is in control of our weather systems, it’s right now.
It’s always funny to me when folks tell a weather person to make it snow, or to make the rain stop, or to “put in an order” for sunny weather. Sometimes they humor us all and pretend they’ve done their best to bring us a good forecast. We all know, though, that they simply report what is already going to happen. They have no control over the weather.
But He does. Throughout Scripture we see examples of weather that came as a result of the hand of God moving. He’s the same God today as yesterday; the same in AD 2011 as in 2011 BC. He knew we’d have snow, even when the “professionals” didn’t.
Weather, though, is such a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Sure there’s snow on the ground, but we’re still having school today, folks are still going to work – life still goes on.
Maybe this issue of weather control should remind us of another great Truth: God has His hand in a lot more than the weather. He’s still in charge. He’s still all-knowing. He’s still all powerful. And He is still truthworthy.
So today, remind yourself that God’s in control. Lay your life into His hands and allow Him to accomplish His purposes and plans with who you are. Snow is great, but an even greater, more exciting adventure awaits those whose lives are under the complete Lordship of Jesus.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Snow Way! I woke up this morning at around 1AM (see Monday’s blog for an explanation…ha) to a surprise outside. My dogs were barking, so I glanced out the back door to make sure they were ok, when what to my wondering eyes should appear! No, not Santa Claus…but something almost as shocking! The ground, the trees, my vehicle – all of it – covered in a pretty thick layer of snow!
If I remember correctly, when I listened to the weather man yesterday, he predicted no accumulation in our area. Yes, snow flurries were expected, but only in Eastern and Northeastern Arkansas were they to expect to actually see it sticking. And, because a slim majority of the time the weatherman is right, I took him at his word. There’s only one problem with his forecast: we have a few inches on the ground outside right now.
No, I’m not hating on the weatherman. He makes mistakes, we all do – big deal. But if there’s ever been a time to remind ourselves of Who really is in control of our weather systems, it’s right now.
It’s always funny to me when folks tell a weather person to make it snow, or to make the rain stop, or to “put in an order” for sunny weather. Sometimes they humor us all and pretend they’ve done their best to bring us a good forecast. We all know, though, that they simply report what is already going to happen. They have no control over the weather.
But He does. Throughout Scripture we see examples of weather that came as a result of the hand of God moving. He’s the same God today as yesterday; the same in AD 2011 as in 2011 BC. He knew we’d have snow, even when the “professionals” didn’t.
Weather, though, is such a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Sure there’s snow on the ground, but we’re still having school today, folks are still going to work – life still goes on.
Maybe this issue of weather control should remind us of another great Truth: God has His hand in a lot more than the weather. He’s still in charge. He’s still all-knowing. He’s still all powerful. And He is still truthworthy.
So today, remind yourself that God’s in control. Lay your life into His hands and allow Him to accomplish His purposes and plans with who you are. Snow is great, but an even greater, more exciting adventure awaits those whose lives are under the complete Lordship of Jesus.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sleepless Solutions.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Sleepless Solutions. We have solutions for everything, don’t we? If we have a headache, we take aspirin or Tylenol. If we have an upset stomach, we take a medication for that. If we can’t sleep, we have sleep aids. My struggle, as of late, has been with the last one mentioned…
I’ve not been sleeping much lately. The raccoon circles under my eyes that some have asked about recently are a sure give away, too. I lay awake for what seems like forever, and when I do finally fall asleep it doesn’t seem to last long. I wake up, on average, 3 or 4 times a night. So, almost every 2 hours I’m waking up for some reason. The problem is that the longer this goes on the more likely it is that I’ll have a new sleep pattern for some time to come. That’s not an exciting thought to me, at all.
So I’ve asked around to some folks for ideas on sleeping better. I even had a long conversation with a cousin who is a pharmacist the other day. I’ve been given several ideas, but she told me about a natural option called melatonin. Turns out our bodies produce it naturally to help us sleep, and this is a vitamin you can take that sort of stimulates your body’s natural process. She said it does wonders for her.
So last night at Wal-Mart I picked up some. I got home, and you would not believe my eagerness to give this a try. I walked straight in, got ready for bed, and took the tablet. The only thing going through my mind was the exciting thought that finally, for the first time in months, I would enjoy a FULL night’s sleep again!
About an hour later I finally dozed off…and about 3 hours after that I woke back up. 2 hours after that I woke up again. And about 2 hours after that I woke up again. The next time I would wake up would be about 10 minutes before my alarm would go off, signaling the end of my night’s attempt at sleep. I’ll try them again tonight, but I think it’s safe to say vitamins aren’t my solution.
But do you know what occurred to me this morning? I haven’t prayed about this.
Now folks, I’m a minister. My life revolves around helping folks grow in their relationship with God, and when folks come to me to talk about issues in their lives we always pray about it. It seems like almost daily I tell people that there isn’t anything to trivial to talk to God about – it all matters to Him! Yet here I am, searching in every direction for an answer to my sleeplessness, all the while never talking to God about it!
Don’t we all do that?
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with medication, at all. I believe God uses doctors and things like that, sometimes, to bring relief and even healing to us. However, it suddenly occurs to me that our first stop on the journey to healing or help should be the Great Physician, the Creator of all that is!
So today, when a dilemma comes before you, try taking it to God before taking it anywhere else. We can all cultivate a deeper life of prayer, don’t ya think?
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Sleepless Solutions. We have solutions for everything, don’t we? If we have a headache, we take aspirin or Tylenol. If we have an upset stomach, we take a medication for that. If we can’t sleep, we have sleep aids. My struggle, as of late, has been with the last one mentioned…
I’ve not been sleeping much lately. The raccoon circles under my eyes that some have asked about recently are a sure give away, too. I lay awake for what seems like forever, and when I do finally fall asleep it doesn’t seem to last long. I wake up, on average, 3 or 4 times a night. So, almost every 2 hours I’m waking up for some reason. The problem is that the longer this goes on the more likely it is that I’ll have a new sleep pattern for some time to come. That’s not an exciting thought to me, at all.
So I’ve asked around to some folks for ideas on sleeping better. I even had a long conversation with a cousin who is a pharmacist the other day. I’ve been given several ideas, but she told me about a natural option called melatonin. Turns out our bodies produce it naturally to help us sleep, and this is a vitamin you can take that sort of stimulates your body’s natural process. She said it does wonders for her.
So last night at Wal-Mart I picked up some. I got home, and you would not believe my eagerness to give this a try. I walked straight in, got ready for bed, and took the tablet. The only thing going through my mind was the exciting thought that finally, for the first time in months, I would enjoy a FULL night’s sleep again!
About an hour later I finally dozed off…and about 3 hours after that I woke back up. 2 hours after that I woke up again. And about 2 hours after that I woke up again. The next time I would wake up would be about 10 minutes before my alarm would go off, signaling the end of my night’s attempt at sleep. I’ll try them again tonight, but I think it’s safe to say vitamins aren’t my solution.
But do you know what occurred to me this morning? I haven’t prayed about this.
Now folks, I’m a minister. My life revolves around helping folks grow in their relationship with God, and when folks come to me to talk about issues in their lives we always pray about it. It seems like almost daily I tell people that there isn’t anything to trivial to talk to God about – it all matters to Him! Yet here I am, searching in every direction for an answer to my sleeplessness, all the while never talking to God about it!
Don’t we all do that?
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with medication, at all. I believe God uses doctors and things like that, sometimes, to bring relief and even healing to us. However, it suddenly occurs to me that our first stop on the journey to healing or help should be the Great Physician, the Creator of all that is!
So today, when a dilemma comes before you, try taking it to God before taking it anywhere else. We can all cultivate a deeper life of prayer, don’t ya think?
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Short and Sweet.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Short and Sweet. Today’s blog will be short and sweet. I ran across a few verses of Scripture in my quiet time this morning that I’d like to share. Instead of interjecting my own two cents on this text via my blog this morning, I thought it might be nice to simply give you the text and let God give you His two cents.
“Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33 – 36)
So this morning, join me in reading this Scripture and asking God to reveal to us what exactly He’s saying to us that would fit our own lives. I’m pretty sure I got the message this morning in a big way, and I’m praying you do too. GIF
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Short and Sweet. Today’s blog will be short and sweet. I ran across a few verses of Scripture in my quiet time this morning that I’d like to share. Instead of interjecting my own two cents on this text via my blog this morning, I thought it might be nice to simply give you the text and let God give you His two cents.
“Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33 – 36)
So this morning, join me in reading this Scripture and asking God to reveal to us what exactly He’s saying to us that would fit our own lives. I’m pretty sure I got the message this morning in a big way, and I’m praying you do too. GIF
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Quitter?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Quitter? I’m now living in my 14th year since I surrendered my life to the ministry of preaching God’s Word. I fully realize that many share their “tenure” with others as sort of a “bragging right.” At times, it’s almost as if some preachers wish they could wear stripes on their sleeve so the world could see how long they’ve been serving God in ministry as if it were a badge of honor. Don’t get me wrong, ministry is the greatest calling and life-focus on the planet, and I believe that with all of my heart. However, my length of service to Him isn’t a reason to brag on myself, but rather is something that impresses me about Him.
You see, it’s not that I’ve somehow remained faithful to Him all this time because of some great thing in me. Honestly, why wouldn’t I continue serving Him? After all, He’s so good! I’ve got everything to gain in this scenario! The past 14 years haven’t been years of great “sacrifice” or laboring with no reward. It’s actually been just the opposite! Ministry is the greatest “job” of sorts in the world – and I have had the greatest “Boss” anyone could ever ask for. Serving Him isn’t a great sacrifice at all – it’s the most rewarding and blessed life there is. So why wouldn’t I have “hung in there?”
The remarkable thing isn’t me at all, friend – it’s Him! You see, for 14 years now He hasn’t quit on me! That’s incredible!
In any given week I give God dozens of reasons to quit on me. I fail so much more often than I succeed, and no matter how passionate or committed I think I am for Him, I’ll find ways to drop the ball. If there’s anyone that pushes the limits of grace it’s me. Paul said he was the “chief of sinners,” but that was before I lived.
Yet He has never walked away. Time after time after time – failure after failure after failure – in times when I lived more by the flesh than by faith – He was and still remains always faithful.
So no, I’ve never walked away from God and been a quitter as it relates to the life of ministry, but that’s not remarkable. It would be crazy to walk away from this God I know.
The incredible truth is that He has never quit on me. If there’s anyone that deserves a pat on the back for tenure and longevity, it’s Him, by far.
Join me today in praising Him for His unmatchable, unquestionable, mind-blowing, amazing grace! Commit your day to bringing Him honor, glory, and praise for His maintained and continuing faithfulness toward us.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Quitter? I’m now living in my 14th year since I surrendered my life to the ministry of preaching God’s Word. I fully realize that many share their “tenure” with others as sort of a “bragging right.” At times, it’s almost as if some preachers wish they could wear stripes on their sleeve so the world could see how long they’ve been serving God in ministry as if it were a badge of honor. Don’t get me wrong, ministry is the greatest calling and life-focus on the planet, and I believe that with all of my heart. However, my length of service to Him isn’t a reason to brag on myself, but rather is something that impresses me about Him.
You see, it’s not that I’ve somehow remained faithful to Him all this time because of some great thing in me. Honestly, why wouldn’t I continue serving Him? After all, He’s so good! I’ve got everything to gain in this scenario! The past 14 years haven’t been years of great “sacrifice” or laboring with no reward. It’s actually been just the opposite! Ministry is the greatest “job” of sorts in the world – and I have had the greatest “Boss” anyone could ever ask for. Serving Him isn’t a great sacrifice at all – it’s the most rewarding and blessed life there is. So why wouldn’t I have “hung in there?”
The remarkable thing isn’t me at all, friend – it’s Him! You see, for 14 years now He hasn’t quit on me! That’s incredible!
In any given week I give God dozens of reasons to quit on me. I fail so much more often than I succeed, and no matter how passionate or committed I think I am for Him, I’ll find ways to drop the ball. If there’s anyone that pushes the limits of grace it’s me. Paul said he was the “chief of sinners,” but that was before I lived.
Yet He has never walked away. Time after time after time – failure after failure after failure – in times when I lived more by the flesh than by faith – He was and still remains always faithful.
So no, I’ve never walked away from God and been a quitter as it relates to the life of ministry, but that’s not remarkable. It would be crazy to walk away from this God I know.
The incredible truth is that He has never quit on me. If there’s anyone that deserves a pat on the back for tenure and longevity, it’s Him, by far.
Join me today in praising Him for His unmatchable, unquestionable, mind-blowing, amazing grace! Commit your day to bringing Him honor, glory, and praise for His maintained and continuing faithfulness toward us.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Bruised Shins.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Bruised Shins. Common sense would tell you that wandering around in a dark house is dangerous. Most people would agree that simple furniture such as coffee and end tables aren’t in dangerous places unless the lights are off. And anyone that is the average height would also agree that the heights of the aforementioned articles of living room furniture are strategically and coincidentally the same as the average person’s shins.
I suppose this is a good time to mention that I, personally, have two deeply bruised shins right now. Both bruises were not earned at the same time, but rather are two separate and equally exciting examples of my desire to do things my own way. They are distinct and noticeable, not just in color but also in shape, as they are both nice sized knots on both shins. Each time I catch eye of them they are simple reminders of my terrible abilities to both see and navigate an all too familiar house while in the dark.
Darkness makes things dangerous. A familiar parking lot during the daytime can become a haven for crime and violent acts after dark. Simple roads that are easily driven during the day suddenly become dangerous and risky when the sun goes down. And yes, even a living room can become a virtual minefield for the average person when the lights are off. But there’s a simple solution to the presence of darkness.
Light shatters darkness. The inability of darkness to exist in the light should serve as a huge dose of truth to us every time we see it. Each time we turn on a light switch we should, at least for a moment, take into account and allow ourselves to remember that darkness flees from the light. This is so very true in the spiritual realm.
Our lives are often filled with bruised shins, right? Spiritually speaking, we find ourselves bruised and beaten by sin time and time again. We wonder how sin can continue to defeat us over and over, often in the same ways. And darkness is never satisfied with partial control, but rather once sin begins to sneak in, eventually its chains bind us in total ways. Darkness never stays confined to a corner, but will slowly but surely take over a room if light is turned off.
My shins would be okay today if I’d made a simple choice the other night. You see, there is a switch, a simply operated switch, that could have eliminated BOTH my painful experiences. I was in a hurry, however, and simply thought I didn’t have time to reach for that switch. I could just get what I came for each time and go back to bed. And now my shins are paying the price.
Take the time to turn on the switch, friend. Spend regular time with God in prayer, and let Him speak back to you through His Word. “Hide His Word in your heart that you might not sin against Him,” as the Psalmist said. Darkness will flee when the Light is turned on. Don’t let yourself become convinced that darkness isn’t that big of a deal. The truth is, a life lived in darkness will produce a lot more scary consequences than simple bruised shins.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Bruised Shins. Common sense would tell you that wandering around in a dark house is dangerous. Most people would agree that simple furniture such as coffee and end tables aren’t in dangerous places unless the lights are off. And anyone that is the average height would also agree that the heights of the aforementioned articles of living room furniture are strategically and coincidentally the same as the average person’s shins.
I suppose this is a good time to mention that I, personally, have two deeply bruised shins right now. Both bruises were not earned at the same time, but rather are two separate and equally exciting examples of my desire to do things my own way. They are distinct and noticeable, not just in color but also in shape, as they are both nice sized knots on both shins. Each time I catch eye of them they are simple reminders of my terrible abilities to both see and navigate an all too familiar house while in the dark.
Darkness makes things dangerous. A familiar parking lot during the daytime can become a haven for crime and violent acts after dark. Simple roads that are easily driven during the day suddenly become dangerous and risky when the sun goes down. And yes, even a living room can become a virtual minefield for the average person when the lights are off. But there’s a simple solution to the presence of darkness.
Light shatters darkness. The inability of darkness to exist in the light should serve as a huge dose of truth to us every time we see it. Each time we turn on a light switch we should, at least for a moment, take into account and allow ourselves to remember that darkness flees from the light. This is so very true in the spiritual realm.
Our lives are often filled with bruised shins, right? Spiritually speaking, we find ourselves bruised and beaten by sin time and time again. We wonder how sin can continue to defeat us over and over, often in the same ways. And darkness is never satisfied with partial control, but rather once sin begins to sneak in, eventually its chains bind us in total ways. Darkness never stays confined to a corner, but will slowly but surely take over a room if light is turned off.
My shins would be okay today if I’d made a simple choice the other night. You see, there is a switch, a simply operated switch, that could have eliminated BOTH my painful experiences. I was in a hurry, however, and simply thought I didn’t have time to reach for that switch. I could just get what I came for each time and go back to bed. And now my shins are paying the price.
Take the time to turn on the switch, friend. Spend regular time with God in prayer, and let Him speak back to you through His Word. “Hide His Word in your heart that you might not sin against Him,” as the Psalmist said. Darkness will flee when the Light is turned on. Don’t let yourself become convinced that darkness isn’t that big of a deal. The truth is, a life lived in darkness will produce a lot more scary consequences than simple bruised shins.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Monday, November 28, 2011
Idol Minds.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Idol Minds. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” We read those words from the 10 Commandments, and automatically our minds go to the idolatrous worship that Israel found itself wrapped up in so often in the Old Testament, or at least my mind does. We think of a golden calf or some strange little statue of a 2-headed god sitting in some false temple somewhere. We think of pagans, or of those foreign to the true worship of the One, true God. But maybe that command should land a little closer to home for us.
A “god” or an idol can be defined as anything that steals the worship away from the One who is truly deserving of it, Jehovah God. Worship can be defined as the giving of adoration or the highest place of priority in a life. So if worship is giving someone/something the first priority in our life and a “god” is anything that steals glory from the true God, so much of what we consider everyday life is a god today!
We need not go down a list of things in our own lives and ask the question, “Is this a god?” We only, really, need to ask ourselves the question, “Does this matter more than Him?” And please, when you ask that question, give yourself and Him an honest answer. He knows your heart anyway.
Does this extra hour or two of sleep on Sunday morning matter more than Him? Does this dinner or entertainment matter more than Him? Does this hobby matter more than the worship He deserves? Does this animal that grunts, snorts, oinks, quacks, or has a trophy rack matter more than giving Him the praise and worship He deserves?
The more I’ve thought about this issue over the past few weeks, the more I’ve come to believe that so many of my generation feel as if they have a minimum requirement they have to fulfill with God. In other words, so long as we give Him our Sunday morning we can keep our Sunday nights and be ok. So long as we’re serving Him enough on other nights of the week, we can skip times when we need our rest. We’re bargaining with our worship to a God that doesn’t NEED it but DESERVES it at every single opportunity we have to GIVE it to HIM.
When our walk with God becomes more obligation and necessity than a relationship motivated by a LOVE for a Savior Who is deserving of every single ounce of who we are, our minds become focused on doing the least we can for Him. We begin to compare ourselves to others, and that becomes our justification. After all, we’re still more faithful than someone else. The only problem is that our lives are measured against someone else.
We all have some work to do in this area of idolatry. All I’m asking is that we honestly examine our hearts, and ask God to do the same. When He begins to show us things or areas where we are lacking, let’s give them to Him. Let’s recommit ourselves to a life of whole-hearted commitment to Him. Let’s allow ourselves to fall in love with a God that is head over heels in love with us. Let’s treasure every single privileged opportunity that we have to worship Him, whether it’s Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, or some other blessed time when the doors of the church are opened and we can worship with other believers.
Let’s put Him first, and not allow any other “god” to be before Him in our lives, not even for a minute. He’s worthy.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
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Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
Idol Minds. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” We read those words from the 10 Commandments, and automatically our minds go to the idolatrous worship that Israel found itself wrapped up in so often in the Old Testament, or at least my mind does. We think of a golden calf or some strange little statue of a 2-headed god sitting in some false temple somewhere. We think of pagans, or of those foreign to the true worship of the One, true God. But maybe that command should land a little closer to home for us.
A “god” or an idol can be defined as anything that steals the worship away from the One who is truly deserving of it, Jehovah God. Worship can be defined as the giving of adoration or the highest place of priority in a life. So if worship is giving someone/something the first priority in our life and a “god” is anything that steals glory from the true God, so much of what we consider everyday life is a god today!
We need not go down a list of things in our own lives and ask the question, “Is this a god?” We only, really, need to ask ourselves the question, “Does this matter more than Him?” And please, when you ask that question, give yourself and Him an honest answer. He knows your heart anyway.
Does this extra hour or two of sleep on Sunday morning matter more than Him? Does this dinner or entertainment matter more than Him? Does this hobby matter more than the worship He deserves? Does this animal that grunts, snorts, oinks, quacks, or has a trophy rack matter more than giving Him the praise and worship He deserves?
The more I’ve thought about this issue over the past few weeks, the more I’ve come to believe that so many of my generation feel as if they have a minimum requirement they have to fulfill with God. In other words, so long as we give Him our Sunday morning we can keep our Sunday nights and be ok. So long as we’re serving Him enough on other nights of the week, we can skip times when we need our rest. We’re bargaining with our worship to a God that doesn’t NEED it but DESERVES it at every single opportunity we have to GIVE it to HIM.
When our walk with God becomes more obligation and necessity than a relationship motivated by a LOVE for a Savior Who is deserving of every single ounce of who we are, our minds become focused on doing the least we can for Him. We begin to compare ourselves to others, and that becomes our justification. After all, we’re still more faithful than someone else. The only problem is that our lives are measured against someone else.
We all have some work to do in this area of idolatry. All I’m asking is that we honestly examine our hearts, and ask God to do the same. When He begins to show us things or areas where we are lacking, let’s give them to Him. Let’s recommit ourselves to a life of whole-hearted commitment to Him. Let’s allow ourselves to fall in love with a God that is head over heels in love with us. Let’s treasure every single privileged opportunity that we have to worship Him, whether it’s Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, or some other blessed time when the doors of the church are opened and we can worship with other believers.
Let’s put Him first, and not allow any other “god” to be before Him in our lives, not even for a minute. He’s worthy.
That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake
This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com
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