Connecting Points

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Today’s Topic: Where is Our Treasure…Really?

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:162 (ESV)  I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.

This morning as I drove in to work I heard a song on one of the Christian Radio stations in the area that captured my attention. It was a unique sound from a group I had not heard before, and the message of the song follows up on yesterday’s Connecting Points devotional.

Now I know that the subject I dealt with yesterday is not very popular or comfortable to deal with, and maybe you avoided it, but it is essential that we take the time to come before the Lord with this part of our lives. It is obvious to me that the Lord wants me to think more on it because He hit me with it first thing this morning through this song.

So without any other words on my part, here is the song. Read it, listen to it, and digest it. Let it truly take you to a place of confession and cleansing.

Simple Living

http://youtu.be/xX-a_ibnHB0

A rich young man came to ask of Christ:
‘Good teacher, will you tell me,
What must I do for eternal life?
I’ve kept your laws completely.’
‘Sell all you have, give to the poor,
Then heaven’s treasure shall be yours.’
How hard for those who are rich on earth
To gain the wealth of heaven.

Now Jesus stood by the offering gate
As people brought their money:
The rich they filled the collection plate;
The widow gave a penny.
‘Now she’s outgiven all the rest,
Her gift was all that she possessed.’
Not what you give but what you keep
Is what the King is counting.

O teach me Lord to walk this road,
The road of simple living;
To be content with what I own
And generous in giving.
And when I cling to what I have,
Please wrest it quickly from my grasp;
I’d rather lose all the things on earth
To gain the things of heaven.

Stuart Townsend, Keith & Kristyn Getty
Copyright © 2011 Thankyou Music & Getty Music

Connecting Points

Monday, February 11, 2013

Today’s Topic: What Excites You?

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:162 (ESV)  I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.

When I was a 10 years old my family moved from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to the lower peninsula town of Oscoda. We lived in a church parsonage right next to the church just north of town. Across the highway was Lake Huron, and behind the house were woods with a small creek running through them. Next door to the north was another church, and in its back yard were small sand dunes left from an era when Lake Huron was much larger.

I will never forget the treasure hunting I would do in those sand dunes and along the edges of the woods. The reason was because I would find old arrowheads that had been carved out of stone. I wish I still had some of them, but they were all lost somewhere in subsequent moves.

How fascinated I was with imagining how they had been made, by whom they had been made, and how they had been used. Every arrowhead held a different story for me. I never grew tired of looking for another one, and I would be overwhelmed with joy whenever I would find one. Not only was it a treasure to find, but it held unending possibilities for my imagination.

I still find treasure today, and I still rejoice in it. Last month’s IRA report had treasure in it. I anticipate this year’s income tax return to have treasure in it. Sports heroes that get awards cause us to shoot off an immediate text and post to Facebook with varying levels of enthusiasm. And if our team just so happens to be playing in a big game, we jump and leap and shout for joy with every play that benefits us. We even start to cheer at harm that is caused to the opponent.

But I am discovering that the rejoicing I do over earthly treasure generally exceeds the rejoicing I do over spiritual treasure. Why is that? Why is it that we can jump and shout in a crowd of people watching a concert or sporting event, but we hold back from any visible display of emotion when worshipping Almighty God? When will the discovery of truth be to us as great a treasure as the discovery of material wealth?

Here’s one suggestion for us today. Count the number of text messages, Facebook posts, Tweets, emails, and phone calls you made yesterday. Now, count the number of all those that related to spiritual things. What does it reveal about where your treasure is? Did not Jesus say, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”? (Matthew 6:21)

I believe it’s time for a heart check. So here are some helpful verses to get us started on re-evaluating our priorities and treasures. Please take the time to read them carefully, prayerfully, and humbly. Ask the Lord to reveal any inconsistency in our heart so that He alone is our treasure and the reason for our rejoicing. Are you ready to discover some treasure?

Proverbs 2:1-10 (ESV)
¹ My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, ² making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; ³ yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, ⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. ⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; ⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, ⁸ guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. ⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; ¹⁰ for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

Proverbs 7:1 (ESV)
¹ My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;

Proverbs 15:16 (ESV)
¹⁶ Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.

Matthew 13:44 (ESV)
⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Luke 12:19-21 (ESV)
¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:33 (ESV)
³³ Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 18:22 (ESV)
²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

2 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 (ESV)
¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

And this final word of warning for us all from the brother of Jesus –

 James 5:1-5 (ESV) ¹ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. ⁵ You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

What a test this is – can we now rejoice at God’s Word like one who has found a treasure, or will we turn away from this challenge and return to the comforts of our own making?

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, February 08, 2013

Today’s Topic: Three-Way Light Bulbs

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:159 (NIV) See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love.

When I was a child, I remember thinking that three-way light bulbs were pretty cool. I can’t find any reference on the internet to when the first 3-way bulb was introduced, but it seemed like they were fairly new when I was a kid. Any of you that are older than me remember having them?

I was fascinated by the way you could change how much light came out of one bulb just by turning the switch. I remember the two 3-way lamps in the living room of our house, and how my dad would constantly ask if we really needed the light to be that bright. He loved saving money. I liked playing with the lamps.

Now they have dimmer switches for everything with infinite possibilities, but somehow it’s just not the same for me. You see, with dimmer switches, it’s too easy to just leave it on full and forget we actually have the ability to change the brightness. But with three-way switches, we have to go through all of the levels to get back to off, thus reminding us with each and every use of the opportunity for cost savings and mood creation.

I see a correlation to three-way lamps in today’s section of Psalm 119. Three times the Psalmist uses the phrase “preserve my life,” and each time a little more light is shed on our incredible relationship with our heavenly Father. Look at the three verses with me:

• ¹⁵⁴ Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.
• ¹⁵⁶ Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws.
• ¹⁵⁹ See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love.

Each time the Psalmist asks God to preserve his life, it is for a different reason, and each request reveals a brighter intensity of the relationship.

• Preserve my life because you promised to.
• Preserve my life because you are just.
• Preserve my life because you love me.

A thorough reading of verses 153 through 160 reveals that the Psalmist is in trouble. He is suffering at the hands of enemies who are persecuting him. He asks for deliverance and redemption. He asks for his life to be restored to a place of security. In the darkness of the day he remembers that there is a light that will surround him with safety if he will just turn it on. He reaches for the switch, and turns it on.

Preserve my life because you promised to, and you cannot break a promise.

After spending a few moments letting his eyes adjust to the light that now brings hope to his heart based on the remembrance of God’s promises, he turns the switch one more time.

Preserve my life because you are just, and everything is happening according to your laws. Those who break your laws are guaranteed to be held accountable to you, and those who live in righteous obedience to your laws will be rewarded.

He confesses those areas of personal failure to obey God’s laws, and the compassion and forgiveness that sweep over his soul restore his faith in God and His justice. The light shines brighter in his heart as he gives thanks for God’s grace and releases his plans for vengeance to the One who is the final Judge. He turns the switch once more.

Preserve my life because you love me, and I love you. Everything that has happened has been approved by your love for me to bring me to a place of rest in your arms.

The light can shine no brighter than this. If we are not content with the love of God, and turn the switch again, all will become dark. The promises of God bring some light. The grace and forgiveness of God bring more light. But the love of God is the full expression of His light to us. Jesus is the Light of the world, and when the Light of God’s love shines fully in our hearts, we need nothing more.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Today’s Topic: How Near Is He?

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:151 (ESV)  But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true.

A young boy was having great difficulty with math. He avoided it as much as he could. His dislike for it was a result of his initial inability to understand it, and as a result he chose to not even try any more.

After several meetings with school teachers and officials, the parents decided to enroll him in a private school where he could get more specialized attention. After only one day of attendance his parents noticed him doing math homework. Every day the first subject he talked about was math. They called the teacher to see what had happened, and she had no explanation other than the fact that he was determined to do well.

When asked by the parents why the sudden and drastic change in attitude and performance, he responded, “They take math really seriously at this new school. Right on the wall in the front of the class is a plus sign with a man nailed to it.”

 Trouble has a tendency to change our perspective on truth. The Psalmist was in that predicament as he wrote today’s verse. In the preceding verse, Psalm 119:150, he had written, “They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law.” His perspective was that the trouble was near. Then, in a moment of truth, he recognized that no matter how near the trouble, his Lord was nearer.

The Hebrew word translated near brings depth to our understanding of the nearness of our Lord. There are three contexts in which the word near appears:

• Near in location
• Near in relationship
• Near in time

What marvelous truths these are. Our Lord is ever-present with us. He will never leave us. His location to us is more near than anyone or anything else, for He is in us. By the regenerating and indwelling power of the Holy Spirit the Lord Jesus Christ lives in those who by faith in His sacrifice for sins are saved eternally. This is what the Apostle Paul refers to as our hope of glory – Christ in us! The Lord is near.

He is near in relationship, for by abiding in us we are in constant fellowship with Him. He cannot and will not forsake us, for we are His children by rebirth. We are heirs of all things in eternity with Jesus Christ himself, with all the rights of a family’s first-born son. Our heavenly Father honors for all eternity the birthright that was granted to us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Brother.

The Lord is also near in time. There is never a need to make a future appointment to deal with present trouble. Never do we have to stand in line to see Him, talk to Him, or hear from Him. And after hearing from Him, while we may wait on Him to do His work in His time, we do not wait for His presence to keep us constantly at peace. He is instantly available, immediately accessible, and intimately approachable.

The enemy may be drawing near. Trouble may be approaching. BUT YOU ARE NEAR, O LORD!

May this promise be our constant perspective, for it is truth!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Today’s Topic: Ears of Love

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:149 (ESV) Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;

Babies cry. It’s the only way they can communicate for the first few months of their lives. It’s God’s gift to them and to the baby’s parents. It’s hard for the parents to accept this gift at 3:00 AM, but nonetheless it is a gift. The love that the parent has for the baby looks hears the need not the annoyance. Love focuses on the person not on the imperfections of the communication.

This truth thrills my soul when I meditate on it from a spiritual perspective. Many times to my Father in heaven I am a crying baby, vocalizing nothing but murmurs and groanings. Yet with ears of love He hears my deepest need. He answers me according to His lovingkindness.

Charles Spurgeon writes this in his classic work entitled The Treasury of David, of which I am so blessed to have an 1884 second edition printing of all seven volumes in my office. Thank you Grandpa.

When God hears prayer according to his lovingkindness he overlooks all the imperfections of the prayer, he forgets the sinfulness of the offerer, and in pitying love he grants the desire though the suppliant be unworthy. It is according to God’s lovingkindness to answer speedily, to answer frequently, to answer abundantly, yea, exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or even think.

Our hearts long to know the surrender of our will to the extent that we fully trust the lovingkindness of the Father. Questions arise in our minds and are answered as soon as they are asked:

• When are we ever worthy of asking the Lord for anything?
• When have we earned the answer we seek?
• Are not all of our prayers to be voiced with this attachment – answer me according to your lovingkindness?
•  Is this not the only way we can be assured of any answer at all?

Father, teach us to pray with the humble cries of a child. Teach us that it is not in our abilities and perfections that we receive your grace and love, but in our brokenness that you hear us and extend your lovingkindness. Grant us the faith to understand that your love surpasses our weakness and inabilities, and that only good answers come from your heart, and only answers that come from your heart are good for us. Thank you for hearing us with your ears of love! Amen.

Connecting Points

Monday, February 04, 2013

Today’s Topic: Sleepless Nights

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:147-148 (NIV)  I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. ¹⁴⁸ My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

I’m blessed to be able to sleep very soundly. I find that I don’t sleep for very long in that state, but it’s very restful. I fall asleep fast, sometimes in the middle of sentences, and I don’t move much for the first four hours. After that anything can happen. There are no guarantees of sound sleep after 2:30 AM.

Most of the time I’m able to go back to sleep right away, but if there’s been stress in my life my mind starts racing as it looks for solutions. Sleep comes harder then. Worry can set up a stronghold more powerful than caffeine.

I am convinced that if we took a poll of our friends and family we would discover that sleepless nights are common. We would also find that the cause of sleeplessness is also common – the cares of life. We literally spend hours each week lying awake at night thinking about how to fix life’s problems.

Worry is not always the problem. I also don’t sleep well when I am exciting about something I get to do the next day. It’s especially bad if that event starts early in the morning, like a summer fishing trip. I might as well not even go to bed the night before, because all night I will be looking at the clock wondering if it’s time to go yet. Enthusiasm is an equally powerful stimulant.

The Psalmist admits to sleepless nights caused by enthusiasm. His early morning wake-up calls and his middle-of-the-night ceiling stares have nothing to do with worry, but rather with the enjoyment of time with his Lord and Savior. He confesses that he needs help, but his sleeplessness is not cause by his own problem-solving efforts or ownership of the issue. Instead, every time an issue keeps him from sleeping, he turns to the Word of God in which he has placed his hope. He even proclaims that he intentionally uses the times his eyes open in the night to meditate on God’s promises.

I have discovered the incredible blessing of sleepless nights when my mind is at rest in Christ rather than racing to find solutions to problems. I have discovered the incredible strength that comes from God even when I have had less sleep because my hope is in Him.

Saturday night I went to bed confident of what God had given me to preach on the next day at church. I had determined that I would not go to bed early, as I typically do on Saturday nights, and that I would not rise extra early to spend more time in the Word. I was sure I could sleep in because I was prepared. Or so I thought.

At 4:45 AM my alarm went off. I had not set it. I had not intended to wake up at that time. As I quickly reached over and shut it off to reduce the risk that Denise would wake up, my very next thought was this- “What do you want, Lord? There must be a reason you want me up this early.” I argued with His answer for only one minute, and then rose, got dressed, and headed to the office to see what He had planned. As I drove I looked carefully for any opportunities along the way that He had prepared for me. There was nothing – no accidents, no hitchhikers, and no stranded motorists. There was nothing out of the ordinary at the convenience store when I got my coffee. As I drove the last few blocks to the office I wondered what He was going to show me.

When I arrived and opened up my notes for the sermon, the Holy Spirit clearly revealed that there was more He wanted me to know. So for the next two hours I did more research, more praying, and more writing. It was an incredible time with my Lord before the dawn. I hadn’t even cried for help, but He knew I needed it and woke me to fulfill His promise of constant care for me.

As I reflect back on that early morning I now understand what the Psalmist means when he says his hope is in God’s Word and he meditates on His promises. Not once on Sunday – not early in the morning nor mid-afternoon nor early evening – did I ever feel tired or regret having been awakened by the Lord. It was especially significant to me that after being awakened, every thought of my mind was focused on what God’s purpose was for getting my attention. It was truly a time of walking fully in the Spirit of God.

How about you? What causes your sleepless nights, and what do you do with your time?

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, February 01, 2013

Today’s Topic: Leap for Joy!

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:143 (ESV) Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.

I am so thankful for the time I was given growing up to live in a rural farm community. There’s something about the farm that captivates my heart. As I drive through our scenic state my heart is most often moved by the sight of a farmhouse with outbuildings nestled into a grove of trees surrounded by rolling hills of pasture and cropland. It brings a peace to me that only being on the water in a boat can rival.

One of the visual images I have in my mind from some days on the farm in North Dakota is a scene that involves young calves. They have been penned up overnight in a small enclosure with adequate room to move and find water, but with not enough space to run and jump as calves love to do.

I arrived at the farm at dawn to help my friend move the calves to pasture. We re-positioned all the gates of the feed lot so that the calves would be funneled to the wide-open spaces of the pasture. The funnel was intentionally narrow to control the calves’ behavior. The final gate we opened was the gate that held back the energetic young steers. We did not have to coax them to go through the opening.

They proceeded quickly through the one-hundred yard passageway, generating more speed with every step that drew them closer to what they considered to be freedom. They had done this before, and knew that very soon in comparison to where they had been there would be no more restrictions. Within five steps on exiting the last gate every calf started jumping and running and twisting and turning and leaping. They were exuberant. FREEDOM! That word exploded from every release of energy every calf made.

That is the picture that came to my mind this morning as I read the words of Psalm 119:143. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. What brought that picture to my mind was a verse used by Charles Spurgeon today in my daily promise devotional called Faith’s Checkbook. The verse is found in Malachi 4:2, and it says, But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Sometimes, and probably more often than not, we feel like those calves penned up in a stall. The troubles of life have us caged in. We are being nourished just enough to stay alive, but we are far from feeling free enough to leap for joy. But as we begin to recall the previous experiences of freedom found in the commandments of the Lord, the light of dawn begins to appear. Hope rises in our hearts when we hear the sound of Heaven’s voices coming from the mansion on top of the hill. The Son of Righteousness has risen, and He is coming to open the gates.

We quiver with anticipation as each promise and command of our soul’s Farmer is remembered. We delight in each one as they produce the sound of creaking and clanging as the gates swing open. Then at last the Master stands at the final gate that has locked us in, and with one word of permission he sets us free. At last we can see a passageway to the pasture where we can be fed again. We move towards it, not caring any longer that our movements are still restricted by the same barriers that seconds earlier had penned us in. There is now an opening in the cage, and our hearts and minds are fixed on making our way to it.

When the last barrier has been removed, we begin to leap for joy. We run and don’t get weary. We jump and don’t get injured. We have been released into the great pasture of God’s promises. FREEDOM! That word explodes from every part of our lives as we move about in the spaciousness of God’s grace.

Whatever has you penned up today, there is hope for freedom in the commandments and promises of God. The Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings, and you will soon go out leaping for joy if you pass through the gates He is opening.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Today’s Topic: Put Them to the Test

Today’s Text:  Psalm 119:140 (NLT) Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.

I haven’t seen one for a long time, but it used to be that in every pair of new pants I would buy there would be a little white piece of paper in one of the pockets. On it were printed the words “Inspected by” followed by a number or a name. It was the manufacturer’s promise of quality control.

I also noticed that mechanical devices are stamped with a symbol like this –    Underwriters Laboratories is a safety consulting and certification company established in 1894 and has participated in the safety analysis of many of the last century’s new technologies, most notably the public adoption of electricity and the drafting of safety standards for electrical devices and components. Their stamp on devices we purchase is a promise of quality control because we know they have been thoroughly tested.

There is a difference between inspecting and testing. I’m pretty sure that Rudy, the pants inspector, didn’t personally try on every pair of pants that passed by him. My pants weren’t tested, but they were inspected. However, the new microwave or refrigerator or television was plugged in and tested prior to packaging – at least it would be by a reputable company.

When we purchase something, it comes with certain expectations of performance. We love things that work, and we get frustrated at things that don’t live up to the sales pitch. Several years ago, when a good friend of mine left for the mission field, he left some things at my house that he couldn’t take with him. He left a very nice rechargeable air pump with several other options built in. He said he wanted me to keep it for him. After a year of looking at it, I finally decided I needed to use it. I plugged it in, and after 24 hours came back to use it. It didn’t work. The battery would not charge. It was worthless. Sorry Dudley.

I was disappointed. It was a nice unit, but it did not fulfill the expectations it had promised. The same can be said about the Axe body spray he left behind. Not all things can do what the creator of them says they can do.

But there is a Creator who faithfully and completely fulfills promises. He has appointed us testers of them. His very nature eliminates the need for testing, and yet He says “Put them to the test.”  When we do, we discover what the Psalmist was able to say when he wrote, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 18:30 ESV) King Solomon wrote, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Proverbs 30:5 ESV)

Every promise of God has been thoroughly tested by the fire of God’s holiness. Now it is time for us to test them so that we can say we truly love them.

Yesterday, as I was communicating with a friend about a trial of fire he was passing through, I wrote something to him that caught my attention. That happens a lot with me because I trust the Holy Spirit so much to give me the right words to say, so that when something comes out its as much a surprise to me as to the people who hear it. Here’s what God said – “Every day holds God’s glory, and is designed by Him to build our faith so we can see it.” Every day is filled with fiery tests that are designed by God so that we can test His promises. Once thoroughly tested, we will love the promises, and we will love the Promisor more.

What is God doing in your life right now that is His invitation for you to test His promises?

Pastor John