(3-29-07 Hendersonville, TN at the Spear’s 5:45AM)
Divine Providence has led me to this place
Our broken roads have been filled with grace
To prove to ourselves and God above
That He alone can sustain love
And so, in this divine moment
I rest in Christ’s atonement
For He set me free from the bondage of sin
At the cross, His Presence transcends
Uniting my heart to yours in His Soveriegn will
I promise to love you in valleys or highest hills
Vowing my heart before God to you
With the eternal words, “I do!”
I know you were made just for me
For this reason, I’ll not neglect my bended knee
You are a gift from God showing favor to this man
Mine to be before time began
For richer, poorer, till death do we part
Jenna Renee will be stamped into my heart
Never to leave nor forsake a love so real
With these simple words, this covenant I seal.
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Celebration of Marriage
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Have you ever been mesmerized by looking into the marriage of a husband and a wife? Growing up, this captured my mind so often. There was something about the holiness of God within my parents that I respected, revered and was amazed at how they worked everything out. Every morning, my mom would prepare breakfast for my dad and me and my sister. She would kiss him everyday before he left for work and would welcome him every evening when he came home. Their bedroom was for the most part off-limits unless invited in to. They ran the home together with distinct roles and brought their children up in the admonition of the Lord.
One of the greatest object lessons in the Christian faith is the institution of marriage. God ordained marriage between man and woman in the Garden of Eden, blessed it and told them to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth and have dominion. For the past year, I have been learning what this is all about. On March 31, 2007, I exchanged vows with and entered into a covenant marriage with the young woman that God had brought to me. We did not sign a contract, but we covenanted together to be husband and wife until death do we part. These were strong words that were spoken and are not to be taken lightly. If I broke my word, I would be striking against the character of God in me. Today, this seems to be the norm, and it causes tragic consequences for the relational stability of both the spouses and the children that are involved. Sin destroys and distorts the beauty of everything God created, however, He has provided the cure for the death and destruction that it brings—Jesus Christ. In Christ, all things can be made new and restored to its magnificence and beauty!
Over the past year, I have learned a lesson that I would like to remind and share with you. First, the foundational characteristic of any good home is that it exists to glorify God. This first begins with each individual in the home having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. With the Holy Scriptures being the standard to live by, there is a greater authority to go to instead of each other’s personal opinion. Searching out the truth and living by it causes our hearts to change, adapt and be purified as the Holy Spirit speaks in the home. You might ask, “How does this work in the home?” Have you ever gotten mad or upset at your spouse? If you have been married for 3 months or longer, this has happened. If we want to have a peaceful home, then the situation must be discussed and resolved in a loving way. Living a Christ-centered life will cause you to apologize and forgive your spouse. Keep a clean slate with the Lord and your spouse. This will greatly benefit your ability to sleep at night! I have never slept well when I left everything festering inside. The situation only gets worse in the morning and hearts begin to harden. Jesus said in Matthew 19:8, “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.”
Living by the Word of God changes everything! If I want to fully worship God then things must be right individually with the Lord and with my spouse. This involves good communication (prayer), financial sense (stewardship of resources), and every other area of my life. The greatest part of marriage is that it reminds us that we are works in progress. If we are not progressing in love and godliness then there must be a breakdown somewhere. In some ways, marriage has trapped me because I can’t worship God and be mad at my wife. Actually, marriage has freed me from the self-righteousness that I sometimes think I possess. God reminds me often of my sinfulness as my character is reflected by my spouse. It humbles me and shows me that I need His grace more and more each day to be all that He wants me to be. If we can get it right in the home, then the church will be holy instead of hypocritical and our children will be disciplined instead of disillusioned. May God bless your marriage or singleness. His design for both is that we be pure and holy before Him in love!
Have you ever been mesmerized by looking into the marriage of a husband and a wife? Growing up, this captured my mind so often. There was something about the holiness of God within my parents that I respected, revered and was amazed at how they worked everything out. Every morning, my mom would prepare breakfast for my dad and me and my sister. She would kiss him everyday before he left for work and would welcome him every evening when he came home. Their bedroom was for the most part off-limits unless invited in to. They ran the home together with distinct roles and brought their children up in the admonition of the Lord.
One of the greatest object lessons in the Christian faith is the institution of marriage. God ordained marriage between man and woman in the Garden of Eden, blessed it and told them to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth and have dominion. For the past year, I have been learning what this is all about. On March 31, 2007, I exchanged vows with and entered into a covenant marriage with the young woman that God had brought to me. We did not sign a contract, but we covenanted together to be husband and wife until death do we part. These were strong words that were spoken and are not to be taken lightly. If I broke my word, I would be striking against the character of God in me. Today, this seems to be the norm, and it causes tragic consequences for the relational stability of both the spouses and the children that are involved. Sin destroys and distorts the beauty of everything God created, however, He has provided the cure for the death and destruction that it brings—Jesus Christ. In Christ, all things can be made new and restored to its magnificence and beauty!
Over the past year, I have learned a lesson that I would like to remind and share with you. First, the foundational characteristic of any good home is that it exists to glorify God. This first begins with each individual in the home having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. With the Holy Scriptures being the standard to live by, there is a greater authority to go to instead of each other’s personal opinion. Searching out the truth and living by it causes our hearts to change, adapt and be purified as the Holy Spirit speaks in the home. You might ask, “How does this work in the home?” Have you ever gotten mad or upset at your spouse? If you have been married for 3 months or longer, this has happened. If we want to have a peaceful home, then the situation must be discussed and resolved in a loving way. Living a Christ-centered life will cause you to apologize and forgive your spouse. Keep a clean slate with the Lord and your spouse. This will greatly benefit your ability to sleep at night! I have never slept well when I left everything festering inside. The situation only gets worse in the morning and hearts begin to harden. Jesus said in Matthew 19:8, “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.”
Living by the Word of God changes everything! If I want to fully worship God then things must be right individually with the Lord and with my spouse. This involves good communication (prayer), financial sense (stewardship of resources), and every other area of my life. The greatest part of marriage is that it reminds us that we are works in progress. If we are not progressing in love and godliness then there must be a breakdown somewhere. In some ways, marriage has trapped me because I can’t worship God and be mad at my wife. Actually, marriage has freed me from the self-righteousness that I sometimes think I possess. God reminds me often of my sinfulness as my character is reflected by my spouse. It humbles me and shows me that I need His grace more and more each day to be all that He wants me to be. If we can get it right in the home, then the church will be holy instead of hypocritical and our children will be disciplined instead of disillusioned. May God bless your marriage or singleness. His design for both is that we be pure and holy before Him in love!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Can I get a witness?
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Have you ever been the person who had to see something before they believed it? Naturally, we are skeptics, and it is good to some degree to be able to properly assess situations and people. We learned this rather easily with our friends growing up. In Junior High Basketball, the cool thing was to be able to slap the bottom of the backboard when doing a lay up or to touch the bottom of the net. What lofty goals we had back then! Of course, everyone would talk their game until we actually got on the court and were put to the test. Many were all talk including myself sometimes, yet a few backed up their words with their actions leaving everyone else mesmerized and wanting to say “I believe you now.”
As I have been studying through the Gospels during the past few weeks, fresh realities have been flowing from the Word. In John 2:19 Christ spoke, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”The Jews were confounded, because the actual temple in Jerusalem had taken 46 years to rebuild. They questioned and didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking about his body. These words were weighty, and the full reality of them had not been realized. He even told his disciples on the night of His betrayal, “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). The possibilities seemed to be more impossible with each passing moment. He was betrayed by Judas, arrested, treated with injustice, and the disciples hope of a reigning King seemed to be lost.
During Christ’s first trial, he told Annas, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret (John 18:20). Jesus didn’t hide anything. He didn’t have anything to hide. When Caiaphas, the high priest, questioned if He was the Son of God, Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). During the forth trial, Pilate asked Him if he was the King of the Jews. Jesus responded, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Have you heard his voice? He spoke these words just a few hours before He was crucified for God’s glory and our redemption.
Almost five years ago, I would have told you this was a true story and that I believed what Jesus said in theory. Being raised in a home that feared God, I grew up hearing these truths over and over. Like the Jews, I was a skeptic and kept church at a distance from the daily realities of life. Work, play, and church were at times compartmentalized. After a while, simple truths, straight forward answers and conviction began to infiltrate my heart as I realized that I could not shake the claims of this Man of Galilee. Finally, I surrendered and God’s grace and peace flooded my soul. With this new life, I have seen my love for sin and the things of the world diminish. Jesus is all I need to live everyday.
Just as He promised, Jesus met His disciples in Galilee after being raised from the dead. He gathered His flock, promised them the power of the Spirit and ascended to Heaven. While the disciples watched, the angels asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11) Ten days later in an upper room praying, the church was given power and men stood with boldness and wisdom from above proclaiming the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Although the basketball courts will be watched by millions today with the beginning of March madness, Psalms 84:10 reminds us, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”No longer am I mesmerized by mere men slapping back boards and hanging on rims to show their talents, but on Christ who hung on a cross and rose again to save the souls of men. God proved His love through giving His Son. I believe Him now. Can I get a witness?
Have you ever been the person who had to see something before they believed it? Naturally, we are skeptics, and it is good to some degree to be able to properly assess situations and people. We learned this rather easily with our friends growing up. In Junior High Basketball, the cool thing was to be able to slap the bottom of the backboard when doing a lay up or to touch the bottom of the net. What lofty goals we had back then! Of course, everyone would talk their game until we actually got on the court and were put to the test. Many were all talk including myself sometimes, yet a few backed up their words with their actions leaving everyone else mesmerized and wanting to say “I believe you now.”
As I have been studying through the Gospels during the past few weeks, fresh realities have been flowing from the Word. In John 2:19 Christ spoke, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”The Jews were confounded, because the actual temple in Jerusalem had taken 46 years to rebuild. They questioned and didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking about his body. These words were weighty, and the full reality of them had not been realized. He even told his disciples on the night of His betrayal, “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). The possibilities seemed to be more impossible with each passing moment. He was betrayed by Judas, arrested, treated with injustice, and the disciples hope of a reigning King seemed to be lost.
During Christ’s first trial, he told Annas, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret (John 18:20). Jesus didn’t hide anything. He didn’t have anything to hide. When Caiaphas, the high priest, questioned if He was the Son of God, Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). During the forth trial, Pilate asked Him if he was the King of the Jews. Jesus responded, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Have you heard his voice? He spoke these words just a few hours before He was crucified for God’s glory and our redemption.
Almost five years ago, I would have told you this was a true story and that I believed what Jesus said in theory. Being raised in a home that feared God, I grew up hearing these truths over and over. Like the Jews, I was a skeptic and kept church at a distance from the daily realities of life. Work, play, and church were at times compartmentalized. After a while, simple truths, straight forward answers and conviction began to infiltrate my heart as I realized that I could not shake the claims of this Man of Galilee. Finally, I surrendered and God’s grace and peace flooded my soul. With this new life, I have seen my love for sin and the things of the world diminish. Jesus is all I need to live everyday.
Just as He promised, Jesus met His disciples in Galilee after being raised from the dead. He gathered His flock, promised them the power of the Spirit and ascended to Heaven. While the disciples watched, the angels asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11) Ten days later in an upper room praying, the church was given power and men stood with boldness and wisdom from above proclaiming the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Although the basketball courts will be watched by millions today with the beginning of March madness, Psalms 84:10 reminds us, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”No longer am I mesmerized by mere men slapping back boards and hanging on rims to show their talents, but on Christ who hung on a cross and rose again to save the souls of men. God proved His love through giving His Son. I believe Him now. Can I get a witness?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A Simple Penny
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. (Psalms 139:17-18)
What kind of intimate moments do you share with Christ? Are there little things in your life that make you look up and realize that He has been watching over and protecting you ever day? It is a great blessing to be a child of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. It is not something that is just written on paper, but it is a living reality. He is so gracious to speak in the small moments of our lives. I heard a story about a preacher a few years ago who made a deal with God. This was the simple deal that he made in his heart with the Lord. Every time he saw a penny on the ground whether it was on heads or tails, he would pick it up and think about the innumerable thoughts that God thinks toward His children everyday.
One day, the old preacher was getting a little tired and weary and needed a good boost. Of course if you are a true child of God born from above by the Spirit of God, we must realize that our Lord Jesus will give us the sustaining grace that we need for every moment of every day. The old preacher needed a little reminder, and as he was shaking hands with the congregation one Sunday outside the church, he came to a little girl who had found a penny on the ground and wanted to share it with her pastor. The old preacher was elated by that little penny, because it had more worth than a cent and pointed him to the eternal truths of God’s holy word. God’s thoughts toward us are deeper than the oceans, higher than the sky and vast as the grains of sand of the earth. Isaiah 26:3-4 reminds us, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”
Over the past few years, I have used this same reminder in my own life. Every time I find a simple penny that has been dropped, thrown by the wayside, or buried in dirt, I pick it up and remind myself that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and caring for me as His son. I realize not everyone will understand what it means to be a child of God. It comes through repentance of sins and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, was buried and was raised to complete the work of redemption. It is not enough to know the facts but actually know Christ personally. I was born by God’s Spirit on April 7, 2003 in my bedroom one night when my heart was convicted and condemned by my sin. That night I found peace for my troubled soul. Ever since then, I have tried to walk with the Lord though failing often. A simple penny reminds me of God’s abundant grace to pardon guilty and common sinners like you and me.
I am learning more and more that Christ is concerned with every area of our lives and truly is Lord and Savior. Recently, I have been trying to find a different car for my wife. With gas prices going up, we wanted to get into a more economical one. After much prayer on when, where and what to buy, I found one that would fit our needs. Of course, I had to go through all of the talks with the sales managers to get a fixed price. We went back and forth a few times, and finally, I gave them my final offer. The salesman went to talk with his manager and came back with a smile and bad news. He told me that they couldn’t reach my final price no matter how they worked it. He said, “every time we put the numbers in the computer, we were left with a one cent difference.” He placed a penny on the desk, and I laughed inside when I told him I would take the car. What a wonderful joy to have a Lord and Savior so near!
What kind of intimate moments do you share with Christ? Are there little things in your life that make you look up and realize that He has been watching over and protecting you ever day? It is a great blessing to be a child of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. It is not something that is just written on paper, but it is a living reality. He is so gracious to speak in the small moments of our lives. I heard a story about a preacher a few years ago who made a deal with God. This was the simple deal that he made in his heart with the Lord. Every time he saw a penny on the ground whether it was on heads or tails, he would pick it up and think about the innumerable thoughts that God thinks toward His children everyday.
One day, the old preacher was getting a little tired and weary and needed a good boost. Of course if you are a true child of God born from above by the Spirit of God, we must realize that our Lord Jesus will give us the sustaining grace that we need for every moment of every day. The old preacher needed a little reminder, and as he was shaking hands with the congregation one Sunday outside the church, he came to a little girl who had found a penny on the ground and wanted to share it with her pastor. The old preacher was elated by that little penny, because it had more worth than a cent and pointed him to the eternal truths of God’s holy word. God’s thoughts toward us are deeper than the oceans, higher than the sky and vast as the grains of sand of the earth. Isaiah 26:3-4 reminds us, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”
Over the past few years, I have used this same reminder in my own life. Every time I find a simple penny that has been dropped, thrown by the wayside, or buried in dirt, I pick it up and remind myself that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and caring for me as His son. I realize not everyone will understand what it means to be a child of God. It comes through repentance of sins and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, was buried and was raised to complete the work of redemption. It is not enough to know the facts but actually know Christ personally. I was born by God’s Spirit on April 7, 2003 in my bedroom one night when my heart was convicted and condemned by my sin. That night I found peace for my troubled soul. Ever since then, I have tried to walk with the Lord though failing often. A simple penny reminds me of God’s abundant grace to pardon guilty and common sinners like you and me.
I am learning more and more that Christ is concerned with every area of our lives and truly is Lord and Savior. Recently, I have been trying to find a different car for my wife. With gas prices going up, we wanted to get into a more economical one. After much prayer on when, where and what to buy, I found one that would fit our needs. Of course, I had to go through all of the talks with the sales managers to get a fixed price. We went back and forth a few times, and finally, I gave them my final offer. The salesman went to talk with his manager and came back with a smile and bad news. He told me that they couldn’t reach my final price no matter how they worked it. He said, “every time we put the numbers in the computer, we were left with a one cent difference.” He placed a penny on the desk, and I laughed inside when I told him I would take the car. What a wonderful joy to have a Lord and Savior so near!
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