a way of life that is best of all

Scripture

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 1 Corinthians 12:28-13:3 NLT

Observation

Paul just got done telling us about how we weren’t independent of one another, then he mentions Spirit gifts, and how Christians are to function together like a body, and the way of life that is best of all shows how this is possible. The way of life that is best of all is a life that is thoroughly motivated by love.

Gifts don’t matter if we don’t use them in a loving way.

The best organization doesn’t matter without love to smooth over wrongs and faults.

Amazing achievements are tarnished-even negated if they are not done out of love.

Application

Self-reflection: Over the next couple of days I will take a good, hard look at my life and my actions and ask the hard question: were my actions done out of love?

Prayer

You, God, are love personified. Help me to love selflessly as you have loved me. Give me the gift of your Spirit that I might live this way of life that is best of all! Amen.

Not Independence, but Interdependence

Scripture

But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women.  1 Corinthians 11:11 NLT

Observation

Much has been said about the need for rights of the individual – and to free people from oppression. I am not disagreeing with that here. But I want to lift up the biblical idea that there is something better than independence. The truth is we need each other. If we are mature, we recognize our own limits and failures. In order to compensate for our lack of perfection we need to learn the discipline of interdependence. Independence is important… but it is a goal that is not the end. The wiser one knows that although there are differences in gender and in roles – we need each other.

(make sure you read on in 1 Corinthians to see what Paul’s answer is to how we are to live this out interdependently!)

Application

I need to need people. I am not independent. Even though I have been gifted to lead, I am not independent. I will seek to empower and teach others to lead with me, remembering that we are stronger when we are functioning like a body – each part making its contribution to the whole.

Prayer

Lord, in a society that exalts independence above many other virtues, help me to surpass independence and strive for interdependence – acknowledging my need for others. Amen.

Worship is a Response

Scripture

Sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvelous things;

his right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him. Psalm 98.1

Observation

I appreciate the reason given here that we sing and worship God. It’s not just based on us – our needs, longings, or desires. We worship because of what God has done first. Our action is response – God has already done these marvelous things.

Application

Tonight when I have worship rehearsal, I will begin by reading this psalm and remind the other worship leaders of this fact. So we are reminded that our worship is not based on a feeling or a style. All of our worship (if it is truly worship) is a response to what God has already done for us.

Prayer

Again, dear Lord, I thank you for what you have done for me – for all of your mercies (unmerited favors) that are new every morning. Help me to remember that when I desire to worship this is not something that I create in me, but that it is my spirit responding to the completed and ongoing work of your Spirit. Amen.

Power – Not Talk

Scripture

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Corinthians 4.20)

Observation

As the only pastor and regular preacher of Bethany Covenant Church, I sometimes feel like I talk too much. I have loved the testimonies that we’ve heard this summer about “Life Change at Bethany”. These testimonies are revealing in a more powerful way than I could describe on my own the power of the Holy Spirit at work in, around, and through us and the ministries of our church over the years.

I want my ministry to be marked by a powerful moving of the Holy Spirit – more than one of eloquent words. I’ve already seen this happening, and pray that it continues.

Application

Even after our summer focus of “Life Change at Bethany” has changed to the new topic or theme, I want to remember that people need to see power and hear stories of lives changed. Here is evidence of the Kingdom of God – where there is life change!

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, come Kingdom of God ~ may people come to know Jesus because they see the power of God that is revealed in my weakness – not in my words. Give me the strength to be weak, and to rely on you, God. Amen.

A Fire of the Lord

Scripture
“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.”
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Observation
Having just taken time out for breakfast at a little French cafe with my wife this passage about love stands out to me. Love is as strong as death, it cannot be quenched or drowned; its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Love is the very flame of the Lord. I take this to mean that in my love for Kari I see part of who God is. This flame is representative of how God feels toward his people – first Israel and now the Church. This is a good image to carry with me throughout my day.
Application
I will love my wife today! In the ways that I seek to bless, woo, and love her I will remember that God does this for his children, too.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for the way you love the world – so much so that you didn’t even withhold your only Son. Give me the grace to love Kari this much. Amen.

God wants

Scripture

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.

I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

Observation

There are many things that we think that God wants. We place many of the desires of our own hearts on God’s lips, assuming that he is just like us. But God is not. Here as God speaks through his servant Hosea, we see that God first wants our love rather than our sacrifices, a relationship rather than offerings.

These sorts of intangibles are hard to base a religion on. It’s easier for us to quantify sacrifices and burnt offerings – but this is not what’s highest on God’s list.

Application

This is quite straightforward for me as a child of God and as a pastor: I need to encourage people to deepen their relationship with God first. Duty comes later. It’s about following the Great Commandments.

Prayer

Holy God, I want to love… I want to know you… help me to seek these before all other things. I don’t want my worship to get in the way. I desire to give you the service with which you’ll be most pleased! Amen.

Seasons Change

I wanted to update this site, and note that I am not blogging regularly so far this year: it happens to be March, and this is my first post in 2010. My responsibilities have changed, and am still reading (almost) daily and loving it – I am just not taking the time to blog my SOAP.

I pray that as you dig into God’s word, he will reveal himself to you – not merely words, but his true character.

Grace and peace

This is Good News!

Scripture

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called mighty oaks,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Observation

Here in this Old Testament prophetic book, we hear the good news of the gospel! Jesus quotes this passage in Luke 4 in reference to his own ministry – this is such a beautiful passage of how God will restore his people, and their relationship with him.

Check out this list:

• good news to the poor
• bind up the broken-hearted
• proclaim freedom for the captives,
• release from darkness for the prisoners
• the year of the LORD’s favor,
• the day of vengeance of our God,
• to comfort all who mourn,
• provide for those who grieve in Zion,
• to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
• the oil of joy instead of mourning,
• a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
• They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

This is good news!

Application

I am not sure how to apply this – other than to be in awe again, of what God has done for me in the person of Jesus!

Prayer

Prophecy fulfilling God, bring these words to fruition. May it be so, Amen!

Eat this Book

Scripture

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ “ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. (Revelation 10:9-10)

Observation

The angel instructs John to ingest the scroll containing the prophecy. If he is to be a prophet, he cannot merely read the words, they must come from within.

Recently, Eugene Peterson published a book entitled, Eat This Book, in this book Peterson uses this image from Revelation to make clear what the intent of Christians reading the Bible is. We are not only to read for information, but we are to ingest the message so that we can live it out as prophets and priests. An excellent book that I commend to you.

Application

As I have worked through the Bible this year (and plan to do again in the New Year) my goal has not been to get all the way through the Bible, but rather that by God’s Holy Spirit, his word would get all the way through me. I have chosen to eat this book – and oh, what a feast!

Prayer

Make these words your words of life to me! Amen.

what the Spirit says to the churches

Scripture

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:29)

Observation

Oh that Jesus would speak like this today! In a world where there is division and strife, quarreling and polarization the Church desperately needs to hear from Jesus. I am not deluded enough to believe that all the churches would receive congratulatory words from ‘the one who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.’ This did not happen in John’s day and wouldn’t in ours either. But to hear clearly what the Spirit says to this church is my deep desire! I don’t want our lampstand to be removed; I don’t want the calamity that could to befall us. I want Bethany Covenant Church to regain it’s initial love that has been lost; I want us to stand firm in the midst of changing culture; I want us to hear Jesus say, “well done!”

Application

I know that God continues to speak – the issue is not as much with the speaking as it is in the hearing. I will commit to spending time in prayer listening to what the Spirit would say to this church.

Prayer

Speak, Lord, for your church is listening. Amen.