Psalm 56 - Father's Love

3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

We have some good friends in Corpus, the Willises. I actually graduated high school with both of them. Prior to moving to Austin, we served with them at our previous church.
Over the past several months...and it may be even longer, they have been going through the adoption process of a girl from China. Recently we found that the girls name was Faith, and the Willises over the last couple of weeks, have taken their family to China to meet and pick up their daughter.
What a change.
Not only for the Willises who have had one daughter for 11 or so years, but for Faith, who I could imagine living in 'the system'. Probably orphaned early on, being cared for by people who's job it was to care for you and many other children. Never really having anyone to call your own...to hug, to cry with, to laugh with and to love.
Enter the Willises.
Well, last week we finally got a glimpse of Faith and she is beautiful. You can see in the pictures the wonderment and maybe a little apprehension of the whole situation. There was one particular picture that really gave me a glimpse of a New Believer or possibly a Prodigal Son returning. The amazing thing about this picture to me is that Faith had just met Jeff. She had probably heard about him for a while, saw pictures, maybe even heard stories.....but she had never met him....and what did she know about a father's love?
But in this moment...she was frightened, maybe overcome with what was going on, maybe nervous about the reality of leaving the life she had always known....and then....the only thing Faith knew to do, was run into the arms of a Father who had adopted her, picked her, made her an heir, grafted her in.....where she would be safe.

Psalm 55 - Shouldering the Load

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

You ever had one of those verses that meant a whole lot to you….but you never knew where it was. This is one of those verses for me.

The word cast literally means to throw down or hurl….the picture I will give, I don’t expect you to understand unless you have teenagers…..but the way they come in the door and cast aside the backpacks and head to the fridge or TV. They don’t care where they landed, and they have no intention of going to pick them up….they expect us to.

I was at the low point of my life….literally, and I was struggling, emotionally, spiritually, I was losing weight (Ha! Probably not….but I should have been), I had rage and hatred toward those who were (in my opinion) attacking me, and I was as close to depressed as I knew. When I was at that point, the only place I knew to turn was God.
My pastor (Sam Douglass) at the time was correct in telling me that this burden wasn’t meant for me to carry alone. By telling him, and him directing me to Christ….he said Christ would carry the load.
He also explained to me about my sinful human nature…and pride and that those things always make us want to go back and pick up that burden. Why is that? DO we believe God isn’t capable of taking care of it. Now in my instance, there were obligations I HAD TO HANDLE….but Sam told me to take care of what I needed to take care of….but to allow God to carry the burden.
Seriously…I slept better, I didn’t worry….I gained all my weight back…and then some, because I knew that I had to leave it with God. This time in my journey did a lot to shape my direction over the past 12 or so years. I actually thank God for those that were my apparent adversaries during this troubling time.

Psalm 54 – Peace Through Pain

Psalm 54 – Peace Through Pain

7 For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

In light of where David was in his journey….he surely has had troubles, and more to come. But David didn’t ask God NOT to have troubles….he just prayed through them and thanked God for delivery from them.

I am super pumped about this coming Sunday and the videos we will be showing. They are real life troubles that people have experienced…C. S. Lewis said God whispers to us in our pleasure and shouts at us in our pain. In these true life stories….God is doing a lot of screaming…and its through that pain, that we get to experience His Peace.

I know its counter-everything-we-are to pray FOR troubles…..but it is in those times that I have leaned more on God. I saw an article one time on this subject…..
Whether suffering and pain created more Atheists or Believers. I tend to think the latter. I think that as we walk through life….fat, dumb and happy....the thought of a higher being, a greater good, someone who is sovereign doesn’t seem to make it on our radar. But interject 9/11….now, people begin to ask the questions. Have a loved one die….and folks are grasping for answers.

Times is Tough

You know in tough economic times we really rethink a lot of our spending...and one thing Jenny and I are doing is taking outside work to help supplement our income. She is substitute teaching over at the High School..and I am working as a street performer for tips.
You know actually this is a friend of ANC, Johnny. He plays his bucket on 6th street. Brandon and I stopped by last night to see him, and I actually sat in with him and Chris....a 17 year old, who rapped (flowed) with us.

Psalm 53 – Seek/Find

Psalm 53 – Seek/Find
2 God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God.

We are promised that if we seek…we will find. But I don’t think that God is playing a celestial game of hide and seek…..and that once we find him, we arrive. I believe that God reveals himself, his will to us through his word, other believers, circumstances and prayer. This may be weak theologically, but I think when we find him…we are finding small portions of him….so that we remain in the process of seeking him. He is saving the big reveal for eternity.
The Hebrew word for seeking here means treading (walking with)…or to follow. Another word that is used to define seeking in verse two…is to frequent. The relationship is fostered when we frequent, and when we tread and follow closely.
I think this is where we lose a lot of people. A lot of professing Christians, are just that….professing. There is no following, and definitely no frequenting. People dabble in the occult as a means of seeking God or spirituality. People pursue wisdom and cannot comprehend God…so they wirte him off. And tons and tons use works as a means to impress God and get his favor….all these are not means of seeking God.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Matthew 7:7
[ Ask, Seek, Knock ] "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:9
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Acts 17:27
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

I have found the process of seeking God, this past year, to be the most amazing chapter of my journey. No, I don’t get frustrated that the more I learn of God, of his heart, of his character…the more I find that I need to seek. I just rest in another promise of the bible, draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

Psalm 51 – Do anything

Psalm 51 – Do anything
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
I think this is an awesome perspective. David has just, in his own words, ‘sinned ONLY against God’ by committing adultery with Bathsheba. Nathan has confronted him about his sin. But what about Bathsheba, what about the murder of Uriah the Hittite? Yes there were personal offenses….sins even……but David recognizes that ultimately….the offenses…even the LUST and the LYING were infinite offenses against an infinite God.
And here David comes in verse 12 and 13….and says, (paraphrased) God…do what you need to do (Hebrew) tear me down to build me up. Physically break me, restore my joy of salvation you gave me.
A friend of mine in construction from Corpus once told me….in renovations of older homes…you can never have enough money in job to cover the cost of what you can’t see. What lies behind the walls or under the floor is always a risk. The walls are a veil to the mess that lies beneath.
In this weekends Serve Austin Sunday project (at Soli Deo Gloria), we got to experience some of that first hand. We were to replace the subfloor of the bathrooms (because they were old and squishy), replace the tile, and reset the fixtures. Easy enough, until you cut into the subfloor and find moisture. Not only has their been a water leak, but the sewage line, that is all gravity fed….is running uphill (not a good thing). It may have even been originally built this way. So several things now have to be TORN APART to be made right.
That is what David is saying here…. God, I know I was born this way….5 Surely I was sinful at birth, 
sinful from the time my mother conceived me…so no matter the mess, no matter the cost, no matter the pain, tear me down, to restore me…..so then I can help restore others. In the Hebrew…the word ‘restore’ in verse 12…is exactly the same as ‘turn back to you’ in verse 13.
At ANC this is what I hope to see happen time and again. To see people come to faith, or return to faith, so that they in turn can point others to the joy of Salvation in Christ alone.

Psalm 50 – God’s Hunger

Psalm 50 – God’s Hunger

12 If I were hungry I would not tell you

This is God speaking to Israel….and this is so profound…yet we do things for God all the time as if he needs us.
Israel believed that God was pleased with their sacrifices….when in fact, he in essence says, you are continually sacrificing to me…how bout instead, you live in communion with me….know me…pray to me…and be thankful in the blessings you do have, the victories you do win and the family and friends you have.
We do the same things….to keep God at bay. We do just enough. We offer up some crappy prayer at dinner….sometimes. We give a little something in the plate, and we try NOT to cuss. I bet God is so impressed with us!
The God who created the universe and everything in it…..doesn’t need our sacrifice….he wants the very things that he leaves us as stewards of; our time, our love, our finances, our relationships and our hearts.
It’s so true though….if God was hungry, do we think we could create a meal fitting for God? Something to appease His appetite? Do we think that with everything God has to choose….he would ask me to cook him dinner?
I am thankful I am not saddled with that task….that he brings ME into his banqueting table…and his banner over me is LOVE.

Psalm 49 – Good Ole Boy Theology

Psalm 49 – Good Ole Boy Theology

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; 17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.
I have been the funerals of some very wealthy and locally influential people. And like the Psalmist tells us here…..death equals the playing field.
I have never heard mention, at a funeral, how much someone made, what fortune they amassed (I’m sure there have been some), how well the wife and kids will live. No, most of the time you hear one of two stories.
One, you hear about what a great guy, husband, father, grandfather they were. Sometimes you hear about some accomplishments, deeds or accolades. You hear about….what a good guy he was.
But the funerals I like are the ones who say, you know ‘old Bill here’ he did all that stuff, got all these things…or maybe he didn’t, but today we know Bill is with Jesus…because of he lived his life, surrendered to the King.
You know, one of my least favorite lines in a secular funeral is….you know ‘good old Bill’ is in a better place, no more pain, no more suffering. Really? What about sin, what about grace, what about God…and His righteousness. What do you do with the sin? I wanna say these funerals may help perpetuate the ‘good old boy theology’. If you are good enough for the pastor to talk good about you…then you must be in a better place.
David, and subsequently Solomon knew that anything you amassed couldn’t substitute for knowing the redeeming grace of our creator.

Psalm 48 - God of this City

Psalm 48 – God of this City

You know…I think the Psalms are so cool. Just when you think you can’t think of another way to praise God…..his majesty, his beauty, his love, he compassion, his strength, his forgiveness…..the Psalmist praises God for His city.

Here God is praised for the beauty and splendor of His city. For the tremendous strength she (Jerusalem) represented. Her walls and her towers strike fear in those that would attack her….yet within the heart of the town, lies God’s temple where the people could meditate and seek God is peace.

I pray ANC continues to be such a church….not the physical 4 walls…..because we don’t have that, but I pray that the church (the body of Christ) continues to be a place of peace, comfort, joy, forgiveness, hope, and light. A body that will always welcome a ‘Sojourner’ .
We got to film 3 testimonies yesterday….we plan to use for Easter. They are about what God is at work doing within the hearts of those at ANC. I am blown away at the congruity between the 3 testimonies of people who didn’t prepare what to say, weren’t led any particular direction and they all come from different backgrounds….yet they all talked about the love, the acceptance, the community, the ease of entry, and the lack of condemnation they experienced.

I am also so proud of the work that the PlantR Network is doing. PlantR (http://www.plantr.org) is a group of Austin Area Church Planters who have come together to bring God to this city. What is awesome and unique (in my limited) experience is the level of camaraderie and unity there is in this group. Everyone involved seems to make themselves available to anyoen else there…..to be used as a resource. There is definitely a team approach…and there is a recognition that God is up to something huge in Austin.

Another soldier in this city is Alan Graham..and the work he is doing through Mobile Loaves and Fishes. ( http://www.mlfnow.org) I pray for Alan and others as they will spend the next 72 hours on the streets, to raise awareness, get some great time with God and experience what the streets are like…..some (not Alan) for the first time.

I also applaud the efforts of everyone involved with Cap City Kids. Last night we attended a benefit concert and met those involved with the non-profit. Cap City Kids (http://www.capcitykids.org) provides basic needs (school supplies, clothes, backpacks) as well as mentoring to the 4000 homeless kids in Austin alone. I was blown away by one 6th grader who is an example to not only homeless kids, but kids in general.

My prayer is that Austin becomes such a beacon of hope for revival throughout this land…and it is looked on as a city of God.

Psalm 47 - Inheritance

Psalm 47
4 He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah

The way I’ve always thought about it…. an inheritance is usually a large some of money and limited to the wealth of the bestower.

When Jenny’s mom died, we were 21 years old. Jenny had grown up poor. But her mom over the last 10 year or so of her life had begun to be able to save…and when she died….she left her ‘estate’ which consisted of a small house (which Jenny’s little sister got) and maybe $30,000 to her kids. Well….divided by the 6 of them…it amounted to a dining room table for us. I’m sure, she would have love to have given us way more…..but she was limited.

I think the Writer of this Psalm is rejoicing that the God, the infinite creator of everything….would not only choose us, but then……choose our inheritance as well. And not an inheritance limited by anything we could imagine….but one that no matter how many times you give it away….its still as vast and rich as it was before any of it was given.

Psalm 45 – From the Inside Out

Psalm 45 – From the Inside Out
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
As I pray to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, I am reminded of how this feels and manifests itself in my own life.
In the Hillsong United song, ‘From the Inside Out’…the lyrics are
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out …..Lord.
This is really when we allow God’s holy spirit to consume us. To so closely associate with the things that Christ was passionate about… that they become our passions, to take our will and conform it to His.
A friend and I were discussing tonight….and his concern was that God made us individuals….and while this is true….God’s one desire is for us to be HIS reflection. Not that we are all to be robots….but that Christ would magnify the very things that He placed in us as individual creations, that bring Him the most glory.
His will above all else…..the writer of this Psalm was obviously filled with the spirit of God and used his God given ability and allowed God to enhance them to write this beautiful Psalm which is a picture of Christ as the Bridegroom.

Psalm 44 – Kicking and Screaming

Psalm 44 – Kicking and Screaming

Although this it is a kids movie….Kicking and Screaming is one of my favorite and most quoted movies. It may be because I have listened to this movie over 50 times while traveling…and it is playing on the DVD in the car (but I cant see it).
One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the little league soccer coach, played by Robert Duval trades his own grandson to another team. Duvals son played by Will Farrell confronts his dad about the trade….and his dad admits…”well I didn’t GET anything for him.”
I guess this is about as low down as you can feel….David admits this is Psalm 44. He has a sense that God has turned his back on them….that his worth to God is ‘craigslist’ cheap. You know….the crap you put out by the curb with a sign that says FREE on it…..and inevitably someone will take it.
Verse 12 says, “You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.”
Then is verse 26 he asks God to complete the transaction, “rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.” The last verse of the chapter he asks this of God, not because of any worth that we have….remember we are worth a pittance….but because God’s love of us.
One of my favorite shows when I come across it is Antique Roadshow. I don’t Tivo it or anything…but I always stop on it…and watch it for a while. The premise is that people bring ‘finds’ on the show and appraisers tell them how much their stuff is worth.
I love when people say, “I found this at a garage sale…..and paid $4 for this painting” or “ this was in the back of my grandmothers closet…and it was given to her by her grandmother…..” and the appraisers will say…”well what you have here is a Rembrandt….dated the turn of the 17th century….and this is one of the better preserved of his works…and I’ll place a value at somewhere in the neighborhood of $460,000 - 500,000.”
One of the things I was reminded about in last nights sermon…was role of Peter. And when Christ called him out…and said Peter…upon a faith like yours…I will build my church….Peter stepped up his game. His self worth increased to the value that Christ saw in him.
The grandson in the movie….the benchwarmer…..the grandfather traded for nothing…..and David is saying in Psalm 44….though in your economy….I am worth a pittance… buy me back.
Today….this side of the cross…..our value should never be in question. Christ paid the ultimate price for you and me. He laid down his very life…because of his unfailing love.

Esther 10 - Rhino Focus

Esther 10 – Rhino Focua
Mordecai never served his own interests…..just those of his people. I think the great example he leaves us….is that we are called to the task at hand. He never thought about becoming second in command in all of Babylonia….he responded to what called had called him to. For Mordecai, it was life and death….but simple in nature. Stand up for his people and work for their good.
I know sometimes I get all sidetracked by the end result and not concentrate on what is before me. I love Matthew Hansens tattoo of the Rhino…..it is a representation of the faith he has and wants to keep.
Rhinos are very near sighted…so much so, that they can only see several yards in front of them. So as they step or walk or charge….they are focused on what is just in their short sighted range.

Esther 9 - Observance of God's Deliverance

Esther 9:28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.

March 10th 2009, was the day that Jews celebrated Purim this year. They mark this even by celebrating, giving gifts to the poor…..and cooking traditional meals for family.
I think Brandon did a great job this week telling the story of ANC, casting the vision, getting folks up to speed and telling of some pretty amazing things going on right now in the life of our church. Our story of what is going on, in my opinion….makes for an extraordinary working of God. Much like the Jews deliverance from the Babylonians, God’s hand is at work…and I believe that we should brag about these things….not for our glory…but for His. (Gal. 6:14)
I am so excited about the One Year Celebration we will have at ANC. I am humbled to be on this journey…and I get an upclose and personal view of the life change Christ is making in the hearts of people.
We are hearing great stories that people want to tell and we plan to video them….as a powerful tool and witness about what God is doing.

Esther 8 – You cant take it with you!

Esther 8 – You cant take it with you!

I know we’ve all heard the joke about…you never see a hearse with a U-haul behind it. Well….Haman certainly proved that. In all his boasting and in all his self-righteous posturing….he could have never imagined that the very things that he took the most pride in, were given to the man who never honored such things in him.
It made me wonder about the legacy we leave behind. Is the stuff we are amassing here, in this life, all we are about. Are we more than the position we hold, the car we drive, the neighborhood we live in? What defines us?
What did Haman’s family say about him after he was hanged? Based on his character, I have to think they had some pretty disparaging remarks, for him. I don’t think that his family could have been too pleased. Because the very thing he took the most stock in….he couldn’t deliver to them.
However, if we are imparting love, faith, wisdom, right living, charity, dignity and honor into our kids…..even if stripped of every material thing we have acquired…..they still have love, faith, wisdom, right living, charity, dignity and honor.

Esther 7 – Well what do ya know…..

Esther 7 – Well what do ya know…..

Putting your foot in your mouth is one thing….but your head in your own noose…..thats irony.

"A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman's house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king."

We’ve all done it though in some form or another. Me, “ oh…when are you due?” Crickets……darn. I have an even more recent one….I was trying to reach out to someone ministerially speaking….and I find out that the very transparency that endears me to this person….also is my downfall with them.

The Lord really has been teaching me some things lately about my heart, my beliefs, my love and my background and the Tradition that I come from. Its not all good….and I have laid it bare before God in prayer. But in my heart, what I believe, God will have to change….as he already has….. about many many things. God continues to reveal himself to me in new exciting ways, and in turn He is shaping my heart to be more like his.

Esther 6 – Narcissism

Esther 6 – Narcissism

Okay, first off….I need a book of chronicles. Seriously, the king couldn’t sleep so he decided to have his peeps read to him about himself. Cool thing was, it reminded him about Mordecai…and how he had saved his life.
Haman is starting to believe all his own hype. He has become narcissistic in his thinking and his actions. In his mind, the only thing that is worth talking about or honoring in this entire kingdom is Haman himself.
What a blow to Hamans psyche, after constructing the Honor to end all Honors….to have to place it on the man that you despise and have plans to kill.
So while he is still reeling, he heads home, tells his wife and friends all the junk that just went down….which to be honest with you, is a surprise to me. A guy so proud and full of himself, may have spun that a different way to make himself look better….but he didn’t.

Esther 5 – Pride and Arrogance before the Fall

Esther 5 – Pride and Arrogance before the Fall
Two things that struck me about today’s reading…was Haman and how awfully insecure he must have been. Not only did he feel the need to invite all his friends to come to his home so that he could brag about his position, his wealth and his sons, but he felt threatened by a ‘lowly’ Jew at the city gate….who didn’t show him the respect that he thought he deserved.

Esther 4 – Catch Me!

Esther 4 – Catch Me!
Its foolish to think that the Creator NEEDS his creation to do anything. We were created for his pleasure, to bring Him glory and to honor Him. But what about our purpose?
I’ve had several Esther moments in my life…..some I’ve stood up and done what I felt compelled by God to do….others I’ve shied away from. Never once was I faced with peril though.
Mordecai brought great perspective to Esther. He said in verse 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
I think that I’ve thought of this verse, coupled with Romans 12:1. in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[ act of worship….. whenever I am making, what I believe to be critical Kingdom decisions, no matter the size.
Not that my action or inaction will affect the Kingdom of God one iota…..but it will affect my faith….and possibly that of a few people around me.
Mordecai, pointed this out to Esther when he told her that if she remained silent, help would come from somewhere else….I don’t think this was desperate attempt to get some ‘insider help’ as much as it was a spiritual gut check. Granted the stakes were very high for Esther, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews in Babylon, but Mordecai was reminding Esther of the God who took Moses to the edge to the edge of the Red Sea, the God who caused David to pick up the stones, and the God who told Joshua to march around the walls of Jericho…..all reluctant heroes of FAITH.
In the summer…..Tate and I play a game in the pool called Catch Me. No matter where each of us in the pool….if we yell to the other….CATCH ME!.....the yeller takes one last breath and curls up in a cannonball and plunges under the water. The saver…swims as hard and fast as they can….and catch the human ‘bobber’ and bring them to the surface….loads of fun.
But when Tate asks me to do the Trust Fall with her…..on dry land…this is only going to work one way…and that way is if the one capable of catching (me) is the one being trusted. As much as she’d like me to….I just can’t trust her to catch me, if I were to just fall back toward her.
When we are faced with Kingdom decisions (loving our neighbors, talking about our faith, standing up for injustice, serving outside of ourselves, living on mission) ….I think that it is key to trust the one capable of catching/rescuing us. God wants us to take that small (relative to Esther’s) step of faith and trust him to…..CATCH ME!

Esther – 3 Marked with the King’s Seal

Esther – 3 Marked with the King’s Seal

Haman was apparently very important to Xerxes. He was elevated to the highest honor of any of the kings nobles (whether worthy or not)….and he was trusted with the king’s signet ring. With the ring, Haman could put the king’s very name to any decree, in the form of a seal, and it would be as if the king himself had written it.
Seals were introduced around 5000 b.c. by royalty as a means of proving ownership and issuing decrees and edicts. Seals were very identifiable and impossible to mess with or reproduce. Seal’s carried weight because of who was behind it. It proved authenticity and ownership.
I once had my watch stolen. I luckily had all the original paperwork and serial numbers to the watch…so the police added that to the police report. Two years later, out of the blue, I get a call from the Manassas Virginia police department….they have come across my watch in a database…and wanted to know where I wanted the watch mailed to. The serial number I had, proved my ownership.
Though in the Esther story, the seal Haman placed, was done with cruel and malicious intentions….Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians uses this metaphor of the seal to give us the image of being joint heirs, marked with the King’s (God’s) own seal….the Holy Spirit.
That is God’s mark, His indelible image. God’s seal on us is His Holy Sprit. The Holy Spirit can’t be copied, His mark is genuine, He proves our ownership and under who’s headship we live. By his Spirit, we are heirs in His Kingdom.

Eph 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession.

Esther 2 – Wrong Place at the Right Time

Esther 2 – Wrong Place at the Right Time

A great subplot to the story of Esther and Mordecai was….why were Jews in Susa in the first place? Susa was a town in the Persian Empire (modern day Iran) When the Babylonian captivity ended years earlier….(probably 2-3 generations) the Jews were freed from captivity, to go home to Israel. Free to return to the place of their spiritual heritage yet some chose to stay. Why?

Probably some of the same reasons we would choose to stay. They had grown comfortable, they had climbed the corporate ladder (Mordecai was a Jew in the citadel…a government official), their family had attained status there. So you can’t really blame them…..but it’s like biting the hand that feeds you….God the author of life, giver of all good things, the deliverer of your very people……orchestrates a plan to free you from the bondage of slavery and tyranny, and deliver you to “The Promised Land”….yet they remained. They (those that remained) thumbed their nose at God….and basically said…”yeah, I know you have your plans…and they are good, but I’m fine where I am at.”

I think about addictions, how some people are given all the opportunity in the world to free themselves from the very thing that will kill them, yet when given the opportunity of rehab or support or accountability…they choose to remain an addict. ‘Giving the bird’ to family and friends that care about you…and don’t want to see you die.

So just so we know…Esther being “chosen” was really God’s hand in a mess. Xerxes was harvesting virgins to have sex with and dispose of….it just so happened that Esther found favor. This is why we pray for favor at ANC….because as jacked up as we make it sometimes….if we remain in God’s favor, he can choose to bring glory to himself through it. (Another practice of the Babylonian Empire was harvesting young men, and making them Eunuchs. Xerxes, it is written, would harvest up to 500 men and women per year.)

I know none of us has been plucked from our families to become servants in an evil empire….but we do become enslaved by our work, our hobbies, our dreams, addictions or agendas…and maybe we find ourselves far from God, or not exactly in a God-honoring position….. But it’s not unthinkable that God won’t choose to use us……and we may have been born, been in the position we are in, for such a time as this!

Esther 1 – Behind the Scenes

Esther 1 – Behind the Scenes
I am a HUGE Esther fan. I guess reading this first chapter the thing that Lord is laying on my heart is how he is constantly working. Behind the scenes, when we are sleeping, when we are unaware, in other believers, in those that don’t claim God…..He works. And like in;
Romans 8, I believe that He “works for the Good of those who love him and been called according to his purpose.”
We will learn later on….all that is unfolding for Esther…and how God plans to use her to save his people….and she isn’t even aware of it right now.
Back in 1998, I was at a place in my life that was very distant from where I am right now. I was a believer, but nominal at best…one that Christ would have spewed from him his mouth….neither Hot or Cold.
God was using circumstances and people that I believe don’t even know him (or at least they didn’t act like they did) to draw me closer to Him. He placed people in my life, who pointed me to Him, challenged my faith, my convictions, and who I thought God was.
I have been on that journey ever since. Sometimes closer than others….but realizing that I am not the center of my universe…..God is.
I honestly believe that God is preparing EVERYONE…for works of service….it’s just a matter of obedience.

Psalm 40 - Hidden

Psalm 40 - Hidden
10 I do not hide (secrecy) your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.

There are times that I must admit, that I have hidden God’s righteousness, because I am unrighteous. This is the very thing that makes us hypocrites…..we wait until we feel righteous….when in fact….we are not. Which literally makes us ‘self-righteous’.
I was watching the movie “religulous” last night…..knowing that it would turn my stomach. Bill Maher always turns my stomach…..but some of the questions that he posed were dead on. He exposed many of the things that are the ugly underside of ‘religion’.
I particularly enjoyed him talking to a self-proclaimed Doctor of Theology. This black pastor had no degrees at all. Bill called him out on his $2000 suit, cars, homes and extravagant lifestyle that the pastor defended with some ‘Prosperity Gospel’ crapola…..but Bill quickly pointed out that Jesus lived in opposition to this. The pastor mumbled through and changed wording of Christ about ‘poor in sprit’, ‘blessed are the poor’….wait….errrr…….In a very strange and refreshing way, Bill was dead on.
If we hide Christ’s righteousness inside of us….we hide the only righteousness we have.

Psalm 39 - Life is Fleeting

Psalm 39 – Life is Fleeting
Life has this way of reminding us what the Psalmist is saying in this Psalm…..’Each man's life is but a breath.’
A few weeks ago we had a young man Glen, who was being cared for by one of our Restore Communities. Glen was introduced to them, by an organization that cares for those who have advanced stages of AIDS and cancer. One of the last things that Glen was able to do in public….was to attend one of our ANC services. I believe that Brandon was preaching that day….and Brandon had no clue Glen was there. At ANC we rarely do an ‘invitation’ but this day….there was a presentation of the gospel and Glen trusted Christ with his life.
Glen passed away last week.
My dad, 6 years ago….played golf on a Saturday morning, was settling in to watch the Alabama vs. Arkansas game, and had chest pains. He got my mom to take him to the hospital. As he walked into the ER and sat down, he was telling the nurse his Social Security number……and died.
A dear sweet couple from my last church, she suffered from Rheumatory Arthritis and he has just been diagnosed with cancer….. were driving to Houston to visit family. On the road between Corpus and Refugio, I have driven 1000 times, a truck blew a tire, swerved into their lane, hit them head on and killed them both instantly.
David, asks for what he already know….”let me know how fleeting is my life.”
James puts it this way ‘You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.’
We all have someone that we know, who has died…..some closer than others. But isn’t it amazing that people continue to live life as if death will never come, that somehow death will escape them.
I praise God for those I have mentioned who knew Christ…and have stepped from this life to eternity with their Creator. All their testimonies are completely different, but they all….at some point recognized God as the Author of Life, and the source of Salvation.

Psalm 38 - Weight of Sin

Psalm 38 –
As I read this Psalm, I am reminded that David is living under the consequence of his sin. David agrees with God in his punishment…only in one he asks to lessen the severity of it. David wholly owns the punishment…and in his confession, agrees with God’s sense of justice and appeals for his mercy. Not that he deserves it…but because David knows God loves him.
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me. 3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. 4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. 5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
This passage makes me even more mindful and thankful that Jesus bore the consequence of our sin.

Psalm 37 - Faithful Giving

Psalm 37 – Faithful Giving

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously

There is no doubt the Psalmist is talking either about money or some sort of currency. And I’m sure we’ve all seen both sides of this….I know a LONG list of people that I would consider generous givers. I have seen people give way more than I thought they had to give….because they believed in the cause.
There are philanthropists all over the US who give millions and millions of dollars to research and projects and causes that are all good things.
But what the Psalmist is NOT saying is that generous givers are righteous people….he is saying that righteous people give generously.
In the mid to late 80’s my dad and uncle had been very successful in Real Estate speculation. What that means is that they had foresight and the “Midas Touch” when it came to finding a good deal…and making it happen.
That whole time….my dad modeled generous giving for me. We were wealthy and I might argue now, that we lived a little extravagantly….but he was a faithful tither….even on all the money he made.
I’ve often thought…..with what I make…I’ve never had a problem tithing….but what if I make 5 million dollars on a deal, could I write that $500,000 check. I hope I get the chance.
The two of them were in a business venture called Tristar Development….and if you are thinking….”Tri” means 3….so who is the third. Well there was a man who at the time was the money man. His name was Mr. Hafez and he was from Lybia. Supposedly at the time, he was on Muammar Gaddafi’s hit list. He fled Lybia with his family and millions of dollars. He provided backing in the form of cash…and deep pockets, which the banks loved to see when lending money to Tri-star.
Well in the oil and real estate bust of the late 80’s Mr. Hafez decided he’d had enough, and he bailed, leaving my dad and uncle in multi-million dollars worth of debt…with really no means to pay it back.
It was here that I may have gained the most respect and admiration for both my dad and uncle. They decided that they would repay it all. They sold what they had to, went to the lenders, worked out deals and paid for years….to repay every penny, without ever considering bankruptcy. Well I’m sure it crossed their minds….but my dad always told me that, real men….repay their debts. It’s a biblical concept…and a lasting legacy that my father has instilled in me.
And last on a lighter note….although it was common practice to leverage what you had to buy more….and to an extent we do this when purchasing a home.…I also learned you don’t buy stuff you can’t afford. I’m pretty sure it’s biblical too….at least Dave Ramsey would agree….the borrower is slave to the lender….and you cannot serve two masters.

Psalm 36 - "Old self" perspective

I first started reading this Psalm as if David was wrestling with sin…..but I believe in this Psalm, David is reflecting on his own past sinfulness and God’s goodness to rescue him from that. I feel he is referring to “the sinful man”, the man Paul refers to as, the Old Self (the one that devised evil and pursued evil.)
Psalm 36:1b There is no fear of God before his eyes.
Romans 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
I was talking with an old friend yesterday…..a guy that I should have literally DIED with, or at least been arrested with. Luckily neither of those things happened. He was in town to lobby at the Capital with some leaders in his industry. We were talking about all the trouble that we got into…and even more we should have gotten into. He and I have talked online via email and Facebook a little but he asked me……”How did you get from where WE were, to where YOU are?”
He asked for it….so he got it. I don’t know if he is searching, but I know that was a Spirit prompted question.
I talked to him about a Paul-like rescuing. I told him that God leveled me, took me to my knees and made me know that my worth, my security, my joy, hope and my salvation were all found in Christ alone.
Okay, maybe I wasn’t killing Christians, but my best friend in high school…..died not knowing Christ, my best friend! In high school (when I knew this friend) I wasn’t a reflection of the miracle of salvation….I wasn’t even a dim reminder. I was more concerned about the pursuit of “the Dream” than I was of the Eternal ramifications of sin in my life or my friends’ lives (or how my sin impacted not just myself....but them as well).
I know that something is different about me now, Christ is changing me more into His image. I pray that as I relate this picture of salvation, and completeness in Christ… it somehow resonates within people to want to know more about Him.
So I think its wise to reflect on a time before Christ, to think of the Old Self…and give glory to the One who plucked us from that existence, and to constantly be praying about sharing that story with ‘seekers’ (which is NOT a bad word).

Psalm 35 - Wait

I noticed a couple of things in Psalm 35, the David/Jesus correlation is strong in this Psalm. It is thought that this Psalm was written with either Saul or Absolom pursuing David. I think the practical application for us is to wait on God.
David was mocked, lied about and literally fearful for his life. In all instances David continued to rely on God. And when God didn’t immediately answer….he waited some more.
I look at this Psalm as a prayer…and recalling what Matthew taught about this past week…I was looking at the posture of this prayer. David….though concerned of his own well being, was MORE concerned with the glory and fame of God.
The reasons to me are obvious…..David waited on God to do things His way…..that David was very capable of doing by his own hand. We know from 2 Samuel that David had multiple opportunities to kill Saul….yet he waited.
Another thing I noticed is that David approached God in confidence. Not that God owed David anything…but in that confidence a child might approach a parent, a comfortable confidence.
God I pray you take me back to that place where your will presupposes my own. God it hasn’t been that long, but it’s so easy to take back.

Psalm 34 - Banana Pudding

Psalm 34

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good

I am reminded of the horrific ‘Banana Pudding’ night at the Pruet house.
There is almost no dessert that I love, more than my wife’s banana pudding. I can’t remember who she got the recipe from…..but it was one of those things….when I tasted it for the first time, I was like,
“Honey!!!!! you have got to get this recipe.” And she did, and now it is her recipe..and it is devine.
Well one night, it had been a long time since Jenny had made it, and I said….”sweetheart, how bout making some banana pudding?” (and I was making sad puppy dog eyes) Of course she agreed.
Well that night at dinner…I was so excited to eat the banana pudding, and I couldn’t remember the last time we had it. So I was excited for the kids to join me in this awesome delectable treat.
So as dinner finished, I said, “Who wants banana pudding?” and I was raising my hand at my own question…and my son….didn’t. I was like….what’s wrong with him? He cant be my son….So I asked, why don’t you want any? And of course is answer was, “I don’t like it” to which I responded, “ How do you know you don’t like it, if you’ve never tried it?”
Anyway, this escalated to the point of him crying and me screaming that he would just try the banana pudding. He became irrational and I became incensed. It ended up being a battle of wills…..of which I don’t believe I’ve ever lost one of those. He eventually tried a bite…but that small amount of deliciousness….gave him the same reaction that I get when I tried liver….he gagged and almost threw up. Why? Because he had convinced himself that whatever he tasted was going to be rancid.
Needless to say, I don’t believe that I handled the who Banana Pudding incident correctly….but I did want him to try something that I loved. And I think, so many times we try to force Jesus down the throat of people…who for whatever reason, don’t think that they like Him. It offends us…..they become irate…..and it escalates to the point that they may never try Jesus again
This is what I love about “Loving Our Neighbor” and “Serving our City”…..people get a “taste” without ever stepping foot in a church building. They can make a rational judgment on Jesus based what we know Jesus to be about….. loving.

Psalm 33 - Atheistic Truth

16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
David really has an interesting perspective. Here he sits with wealth like no one else, armies that will die for him, personal triumphs over giants, horses and chariots at his command….and no means to save himself.
David truly relies on the Lord for his strength, his hope, his joy and his salvation.
This reminds me of the story of the rich young ruler…who asked Jesus, what must I do to be saved…and Jesus told him to sell everything first. Jesus looked into the soul of this man…and saw that the thing that stood in way of following was his wealth. David on the other hand, had the wealth…but it wasn’t a stumbling block for him.
I was reading on an atheist website, and they pointed out this apparent conflict in today’s society. How there is this western ideology/theology of ‘prosperity’ gospel, when in fact Jesus taught just the opposite. Hmmmmm…..strange when you learn truth from atheists.

Psalm 32 - Not Guilty? ...then quit acting like it

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "—
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

One interpretation of the word Selah is thought to mean…”think about it”. It is a pause in musical score of a Psalm….to give rest so the listener would actually digest the fullness of what the writer had penned. It is also similar to an Amen….or I agree with this!
So, this morning I paid attention to the verses immediately preceding Selah, and this one jumped out at me.
Brandon has said this, and I agree…that we cannot surprise God. No sin goes unnoticed and therefore, as believers….unpaid for….but the guilt of sin weighs us down, Satan beats us up with it, and we somehow become slaves to a forgiven offense. David is saying here…..not only is the sin forgiven….but the GUILT as well. And I love what Matthew Henry said about this….then ”God applies the healing balm by his Spirit”.

Psalm 29-31 Total Reliance

Psalm 29
God’s power, strength and hugeness.
Psalm 30
Joy of the Lord, mercy and favor
Psalm 31
David is in distress and he is calling to his rescuer, his rock, his fortress.

Actually a couple of things hit me this morning. One is all the worship songs and praise choruses that get phrases from these three Psalms. And two, what a roller coaster ride David is on.
In Psalm 31, David is under several types of persecution….he senses betrayal, a sense of worthlessness, and disdain for those who are bringing him grief. And he still relies on God to deliver him.
I guess it should be some comfort to those of us who waiver in between times of blessing and times of trial. One thing that David recognizes is that God remains constant. Our circumstances change….but God is faithful and just, merciful and mighty to save.

Psalm 28 - Roots

In the middle of this Psalm I am reminded that saying we love our neighbor or ‘going through the motions’ isn’t loving your neighbor. Verse 3 says;
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
I was talking with a friend of mine last night and we were talking about how, sometimes that it is just plain hard to ‘Love Your Neighbor’. When people act and aren’t lovable…we kinda let ourselves off the hook. If we are wronged by our neighbor….and let me say this….our neighbor may be a;
co-worker
in-law
ex-spouse
bully
boss
opposing party in a lawsuit
an actual neighbor
or a friend who has hurt us
we may say we love our neighbor….but the Psalmist would consider us evil if we harbor malice. Loving our neighbors isn’t a negotiable, Jesus calls it the one of the greatest commandments when he is asked by the Pharisees, “what is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
What David is onto…and later Jesus….is that harboring malice is the root of sin. Like roots, you may not see it at first, because it is below the surface,
Romans 11:16b states that; ‘if the root is holy, the branches are too’ conversely, if the root is contempt or bitterness…the branches or fruit is sin.
What this is saying is…what is below the surface will eventually come out…that is why we are to pray for our enemies…..it’s not really for their good fortune….it’s actually for our own hearts.
I’ve fallen short in this so many times, but when I truly forgive someone who has wronged me (who didn’t ask for it) or unconditionally loved someone I may not normally God heals my heart and builds or restores the relationship.
A lot of the time we think….well….I don’t want that relationship restored ….friends, that is sin.

Psalm 27 - At home?

Psalm 27: 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life
As I drive around Austin, there are so many gorgeous houses, huge multi-million dollar homes that overlook beautiful greenbelts with awesome views of the city and hill country. The lots themselves are valued in the million dollar plus range. I have been to parties, and been invited guest of people in these homes….and it’s a place where I think…..I could get used to this.
But seriously, I can’t afford it. I couldn’t pay the power bills on these homes…let alone the taxes or the mortgage. And another thing…as much as someone may say, “make yourself at home”….I can’t. No way. I can’t do the things in their home that I can in my own. I can’t take off my clothes and go lie in bed.
In this verse….the psalmist is saying….not only will I seek to find, but that I will strive after dwelling in the house of the Lord, it is worth striving for. Paul writes for us to “continue to work out your salvation” this work is the type of striving…I see the Psalmist talking about.
You know…much like I can’t afford the big houses in Austin, I cannot afford by any means this house of the Lord…..but Christ can….and heirs can. And an heir can dwell….or live in, make themselves at home in…the House of the Lord.

Psalm 26 - Welcome Judgment

Psalm 26
Vindicate me! Deliver me! Judge me! Redeem me! And be Merciful to me!
I don’t know if anyone short of Christ could stand before God and ask him to judge us. I read a book one time, sorry cannot remember the name, but it was talking about God’s judgment. It said, one of the things we have messed up….is that we think of judgment from a fallen world prospective. That we have seen people who judge as bad, we have seen bad judgment, we have seen judges in trials botch it…and overall we don’t want to be judged.
The bible talks about standing before God..at the White Throne of Judgment…and honestly, that makes my knees weak thinking about it.
Rev 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books
But God’s judgment, though severe, is perfect. In God’s judging us, we are going to be made more into the image of His son. But, there will be a sense that through this…..we will know, this is right. God will not judge imperfectly….and David, in this Psalm projects an image of Christ.
11 But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me.12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.
God you are truly worthy of all our praise, and honor and glory. Thank you for your mercies and also…thank you for your judgment. Thank you for lifting us out of hell…and putting us on the solid ground…the solid rock of Jesus.

Psalm 25 - Where does my help come from?

Psalm 25:15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

Lately, I have been asking and paying more attention to people’s testimonies. Not just when, they entered into relationship with Christ….but what were the circumstances. What brought them to the place of dependence on Christ ALONE for salvation….and 9 times out of 10, people are (as the verses say) afflicted, lonely, troubled, sick or distressed. They are ensnared.

It’s in these times (either being without God or separated from Him) when we have tried everything else….we’ve used our resources, we’ve tapped our knowledge, we’ve read books, we’ve ask those around us for help......

Where does my help come from?

….in my case, I saw my lawyer, I cried with my wife, I cussed, I drank, I withdrew…..only to look up and cry out. I turned to Jesus…I went to my pastor….who gave me biblical counsel. And Christ met me in my crisis. He led me through the tough times…not that He solved my issues….but He gave me hope in the darkness and courage to walk with Him. He refocused my joy only on things eternal and not temporal.

Psalm 24 - Clean Hands

Psalm 24:3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?
Halt…..who goes there….and what gives you the right, the privilege of entering this place?
What can wash away my sins?
What can make me whole again?
This is all my righteousness…..
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Verse one says the Lord made the earth and everything in it. It just them makes sense that The Creator would then also determine what gives clean hands and a pure heart (makes one righteous). How arrogant some are to even claim righteousness, that somehow WE are the center of our own existence.

Psalm 23- Spare the Rod

I love this Psalm. Everyone knows this Psalm like they know “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue”… As I read this again….I thought…what a great shepherd. Shepherds give stability, they love, they guide, they feed and they also correct.

As parents we are to do all these things as well. We would be really bad parents if we didn’t discipline our children …and yes, there should be pain involved. Not necessarily physical pain…but I have always been a big fan of a nice swift swat on the butt.

But the connection I’ve heard made before is the ‘rod’ that comforts in the 23rd Psalm…is the rod of discipline. As parents, if we love our children…we are to correct loving with the rod of discipline. We’ve all heard “Spare the rod, spoil the child” the bible say we not only spoil them…we hate them.

Proverbs 13:24
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

We know that God disciplines those that he loves…
Hebrews 12:6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

So its that discipline that comforts David in Psalm 23. When we are being disciplined….take heart, God loves us too much to let us continue in sin.

Psalm 22 - Comfort and Praise

To understand Christ’s ‘question’ on the cross, we don’t need to look any further than Psalm 22: 1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? “
We know in Christ’s day students of the law didn’t have their handy pocket NIV, but they knew scripture. They didn’t know it like we may recognize scripture….they knew the Torah…they knew the Psalms. Backwards and forward, by memory they knew the scriptures.
As Christ was hanging on the cross for all the worlds sins….his captive audience (those who knew scripture) caught the first line of Psalm 22. Needless to say, those listening…..immediately recited (in their own hearts and minds) the rest of the Psalm, which was actually more of praise than a cry for help.
In the 22nd Psalm we find;
- I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
- All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads
- I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint
- they have pierced my hands and my feet
- I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me
- They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing
Which are all realities for Christ on the cross.
The rest of the Psalm is basically a praise;
- O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
- I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.
- You who fear the LORD, praise him!
- All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
- Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
- They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn-for he has done it (in other words….”it is finished”)
Jesus in those few word, found a way to comfort those around him, to make them aware that all was going according to God’s plan, and to praise God.

Psalm 21 - Strength Sandwich

Remembering back in Psalm 20…David and his men were going to war. “some boast in chariots, some in horses…but we will boast in the name of the Lord”.
Now they have just returned and seen the mighty strength of the Lord displayed again and David is thanking the Lord for granting the things that he asked for in 20.
Victories
Desires of his heart
Requests of his lips
Rich blessings
Crown
Long life
Glory
Majesty
Eternal Blessings
Joy of your presence
Unfailing Love
In 21 David…. rejoices in the strength of the Lord(beginning of the Psalm), and exhalts the Lord in his strength (end of the Psalm). Those are the things that make all the gifts in the middle of the passage pleasing to God, because David does give honor and glory to God in these things.
Let's not forget to praise and give honor to the Lord in things we ask for...and even the things we dont. He will not share his Glory with another.

Nehemiah 13 - Second Fiddle

Nehemiah 13:6 But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king.

You know, it doesn’t take that long for us to forget the blessings of God. The same God who gave Nehemiah the vision and the provision and the hands to rebuild the wall…was the same God worthy of huge celebration at the end of Nehemiah 12….was now second fiddle to the Israelites own desires.

They were working harder (longer weeks), overextending themselves, not keeping/desecrating the Sabbath, not taking care of the priests, and intermarrying (becoming unequally yoked).

I’ve seen kid after kid….at youth camp….make a profession of faith. I’ve literally seen hundreds, if not thousands come to Christ. What a great time that is. Youth who recognize that they don’t need to outperform others, and admit that that it is their own failures (sins) that require a Savior. And in that moment, God calls them….and they respond.

Then on the last night of a 5 day camp, the veterans of youth camp….speak at the final gathering….saying, “we’re not just gonna let this a camp experience”, “we’re going to set the example when we get home”…..and 9 times out of 10….those same kids are doing the things they swore not to do that last night. How quickly we forget!

God I pray we keep You in the forefront of our minds, all the time. Not just when we are around other Christ Followers, not when it’s convenient, not when we are in times of blessing and closeness…..but even when we feel distant. I thank you for being faithful…even when our faith wanes.
Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Nehemiah 12 - Passion445b.c.

Nehemiah 12:28 The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem…….for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

One of the things that ANC is passionate about, is our corporate time of singing. We are blessed with a very gifted worship leader…..I am reminded by this in this chapter.

Back in this time….the singers were the worship leaders….and I read that they formed little communities of worship leaders to support each other and set themselves apart for this purpose.

There is a huge difference between someone who is a great singer and someone who is a great worship leader. It takes a special person, who is in union with God. I’ve seen great worship leaders, turn into okay worship leaders…and vise versa. And it’s really in their posture and attitude of Christ-minded focus. We at ANC are so blessed to have Chris Kipp and his heart and abilities. And when Chris goes down….so far….God has provided us with the likes of Andy Melvin and Lindsey Kane.

check out ANC worship on the new website; http://www.austinnewchurch.com/

So for the ‘grand opening’ (dedication) of the wall…they assembled the best of the best. If you will…. imagine, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Steve Fee, David Crowder, Christie Knockles, Lindsey Kane, Andy Melvin…and our own Chris Kipp….coming together and us worshiping our guts out. I can imagine this wall dedication being a Passion445b.c.!

Nehemiah 11 – Move Us

Jerusalem wasn’t safe, there was much work to be done, it was different, there were just a bunch of strangers there, it wasn’t home. So many reasons for the Israelites not to want to be there….but many ‘were called’ to live there. Many felt the pull of national pride, or maybe it was just the ‘greater purpose’ of being a part of a movement of something larger them themselves.
I can totally relate.
I would bet that many of the men had wives, who were beside themselves. They were probably thinking about the kids, the security, the problems that they would face, the relationships they would leave behind, the family that would be hurt…and ultimately the hardship of the work and the constant fear of being in the ‘enemy’s’ crosshairs.
Austin was our Jerusalem. Jenny and I had to decide that ultimately wherever God called us, was the place we would be. The strange part was…we had never trusted God in a decision of that magnitude….never. That time of decision was truly a God thing. To move us his direction, he affirmed us in the little things. People that we thought might be hurt the most…or call us crazy….supported us.
Nehemiah 11:2 The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
I am removed by a year and a half from that time of decision and God moving in my life. But I am still humbled by it, like it was yesterday.

Feed Your Soul - Nehemiah 10

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says it all about Nehemiah 10;

When every one helps, and every one gives, though but little, toward a good work, the whole will come to be a large sum. We must do what we can in works of piety and charity; and whatever state we are placed in, cheerfully perform our duty to God, which will be the surest way to ease and liberty. As the ordinances of God are the appointed means of support to our souls, the believer will not grudge the expense; yet most people leave their souls to starve.

“yet most people leave their souls to starve.”

We pray at ANC to be generous….as a church we have set the tone for those who have been around even a little while. We don’t give crazily…we are good stewards to what God entrusts to ….but we give liberally.

As a recovering materialist, I have to admit, I am selfish. An area in my life I had to give God, is our finances…and to bring Him first fruit. Tithing isn’t as much about the money as it is…..OUR SOULS. Yet so many folks never feed their soul through this ordinance, this act of obedience and worship.

One of the coolest things about bringing ‘first fruit’ is you come to recognize that fruit as NOT YOURS. You learn to do without it. You manage your life around what’s left.

This is indicting…but oh well….I caught a little bit of Dr. Phil the other day (the whole show)…..and he had on one of these crazy families that were supporting their kids well into there 20’s. The kids had no responsibilities or jobs…and mom and dad were footing the bill. Mom and dad were in debt over $100,000 while the kids were driving around in cars, talking on cell phones and partying with friends.

They had to teach these 20 somethings that, if you don’t earn, you don’t need a car or a cell phone…you cant afford it. It’s a basic principle….but we fall victim to the same line of thinking. This is why people run up so much debt. They buy stuff they don’t need and can’t afford.

The last thing they showed them was a piggy bank. It wasn’t a normal piggy bank, it was divided into 4 sections. There are 4 things we can do with our money. Spend, Save, Invest and Donate. Most of us, and I’ll admit we don’t plan as well as we should….we just spend. We say we try to save…but this all takes planning and living within the money we make. We would also like to donate….it sounds good….but again takes planning, and a change in our hearts and minds.

Like these folks in Jerusalem, they all gave their portion…a relatively small amount…but when combined with others….the whole will become a large sum. At ANC, we celebrate the things we are doing in the community and the world, we bless people, we take care of needs, we do larger things as a whole…than any of us could do individually…..and that feeds our souls.

Leading With Love - Nehemiah 9 (kinda)

So I’m reading Nehemiah 9, this a.m. and I am thinking again as the passage reads;
3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day…..here again, like yesterday…this reverence for God’s word, this expectance of those who were ‘believers/followers’ and I think about another verse (totally unrelated) but I guess its what I have been thinking about this week.
1Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
And this thought struck me….why would we lead with anything but love? Why have I led with doctrine my whole life? Doctrine (the message of the cross) is foolishness to those perishing….the bible even says it.
As we talked about in Community Group last night….feeding the homeless a hot dog or a hamburger…is a loving thing to do….its a token from us to begin a conversation. A lot of these folks can find a free meal all over the downtown area…..maybe not quite as tasty as the burgers we serve up….but they can get nourished and filled.
But the token of love is so that we find out their greater needs. We may feed 400 to find out the needs of 3. But even then, it may be shelter, it may be medication, it may be assistance wading through the maze with governmental agencies, it may be a job, it may be a dress for an interview, it may be supplies for his/or work….and these needs we can meet. Still leading with love, meeting the needs…..and ultimately….God may whisper to that person….ask them why they do what they do.
I believe the easiest less messy thing to do is lead with doctrine. Most people are intolerant of folks cramming religion down their throat….they recoil, yet we’ve done our job, we’ve ‘planted the seed’ ….. now it’s up to someone else to cultivate (i.e. love and nurture). If we can take an example of farming a bit further. Their soooooo much work that must be done prior to planting the seed. Farmers till the fields, fertilize, herbicide, retill and pray for rain at the appropriate time…..even before the seed is planted. Much love and work go into the crop on the front end prior to the ‘seed being planted’.
On a time scale…way more time is spent in the fields before the crop is growing…and being harvested…than the actual time to reap. It’s just messier, it’s less glamorous and you don’t get to see the results.
Leading with love is tilling the fields, its priming the pump.

This is why Christ asked….”do you want to be healed” to those that didn’t know him…and reserved “who do you say that I am” for those who knew and followed him.

Respectful & Ready - Nehemiah 8

“As was custom in the Old Testament….let us stand for the reading of God’s word!” I always wondered where my old pastor used to get this from.

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

The word of God was due honor…and attention. As a servant would rise in respect to his master….he would also stand at the ready…..in case of instruction. This is why the people stood when Ezra opened the word of God.

We generally reserve worship for singing…these people worshipped at the reading of God’s word.

Higher Plane - Nehemiah 6

Many times the enemy uses friends and foes alike to distract us. How many times has a well-meaning person been a distraction from the work we know we are suppose to be doing?
Nehemiah’s example is to focus even more on the task at hand….and even call on God to strengthen his hands….so that he could do even more work.

I think something Nehemiah knew, that we should remember is that, when we get close to our goal….or whatever God has called us to do…the more “warfare” we will encounter. And it doesn’t always look like warfare either.
Sometimes it an email, veiled in concern, wrapped in gooey compliments…and then…. a divisive element.
My response all too often is knee-jerk, defensive …and sometimes offensive. We would be wise to follow Nehemiah’s response;
"I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"

Something I just realized…that last sentence….why should I stop and go down to you….isn’t one of superiority…but in the instance of the email….one of a higher plane. Why should I stoop to the level that you are drawing me to. Conversely, we need to be careful NOT to be used to divide, or confuse, or quench the spirit.

I think Nehemiah’s discernment allowed to see the motives of those who would cause him harm, disguised as a meeting of the minds, and just allowed Nehemiah more resolve and focus.
Holy Father, give us wisdom and discernment. Reveal your plans to us and give us supernatural insight into those who may distract or cause us to stumble.

Above Reproach - Nehemiah 5

Sometimes in order to lead, sacrifices must be made. Nehemiah made a point to never use his position and office as one to take advantage. Especially in this difficult time, when his people were working so hard, and doing without….he made sure that;
- I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
- we did not acquire any land.
- I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
I was reminded of an article I read last week about the inauguration. The cost of all the balls and galas totally over $150 million dollars, and in this time of economic crisis and people are hurting….The President could have really made an impact with what he didn’t do…or what he refrained from. According to the article…there were some cut and some things that were cancelled, but this Inauguration was the most expensive by far. Honestly, I’m sure the next one will be too.
But President Obama missed an opportunity to put his money where his mouth was. In light of our current economy and as a proponent to the poor and middle class….it would have made a lot of sense to under sell the Inauguration pomp and circumstance. Just so you know…I’m sure McCain would have done the same thing.
In this way Nehemiah’s motives were never questioned. I think this is a great lesson for believers and leaders. We walk a fine line anyway….but this is a way to live above reproach.

From that Day On – Nehemiah 4

Nehemiah 4:16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall.

When the Lord is up to something, Satan is there with the attacks. We should not be surprised when faced with an attack….we should question if we are doing the will of God if there are NO attacks.

“From that day on” 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"
“From that day on” 21 we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.
“From that day on” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

Nehemiah’s awareness, leadership and ability to encourage and communicate clearly, turned back the enemy. This story shows me the importance of prayer. To remained focused on God, to allow his to show us the enemy and give us clarity and vision.

We went to a PlantR meeting the other day, and Rob Campbell, the pastor Cypress Creek in WImberly was the speaker. He told us the number one need of a church….is intercessory prayer. And he basically said that I don’t have that gift, but someone in the body does…and we should pray for God to raise them up.

God, I pray right now that you raise up someone at ANC to pray over us. I pray they will come before you on our behalf all the time…and that you will hear their prayers. God give us wisdom in dealing with and looking for the enemy. Make us aware of him and his ‘doings’…..From this day on.

Pearl of Great Price - Nehemiah 3

Nehemiah 3:1 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place…
32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

The Sheep Gate was a very significant gate. It was the gate that opened up to the market where the sacrificial lambs and sheep were bought, and then brought into the city.

Sacrificial lambs were ‘born to die’. I was thinking about this the other day, as we were about to have church service at Akins. Four girls walked up with their 3 sheep and 1 goat. The girls bought these animals when they were babies and raised them with a specific purpose in mind…..the livestock show. It is a show in the spring where livestock that 4-H members take their sheep, goats, chickens and hogs…and sell them at auction for money to use for college. Usually some big business leaders in town (who previously took part in 4-H as a kid) participate and drive up the prices so that the money brought in, becomes like a college scholarship. Much like the purpose these animals have, the sacrificial lambs in the market were born and raised with the specific purpose of becoming a sacrifice. The more ‘perfect’ (without blemish) the animal….. the higher the price. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, we know was without sin.....and was the “Pearl of Greatest Price”.

The Sheep Gate was the first gate that was rebuilt because of its importance, and so important that the Priests were the ones who rebuilt it. I don’t know, because it wasn’t mentioned….but I would assume that they had some pretty specific ‘specs’ that they wanted to make sure the gate was built to.

Ultimately, for believers, the Sheep Gate represents Jesus and salvation through his sacrifice. We’ll remember that in John 10, Jesus referred to himself as the gate. Much like the shepherd would lay down in the gap in the fence, to become the gate, Jesus came lay down his life for us.

Sheep Gate also led to Golgotha, really completing the picture of the sacrificial lamb being led to its purpose. I also noted that the significance in this chapter that it was the first gate (v. 1) mentioned and the last (v.32). Much like Christ is the Alpha and the Omega…the beginning and the end.

On the Fly - Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah 2:4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven _____________

I had a pastor one time, always talk about praying on the fly, off the cuff…and what he was talking about were minutes just like this….when you are being questioned, sharing your faith, or just generally in a pinch.

Nehemiah, needless to say, walked into this situation as the kings cup bearer (to do his job)….but God used the situation (Nehemiah’s countenance) to open a dialogue with the king. I don’t think Nehemiah was prepared….I don’t think he had ever rehearsed what he might say to the king….and this was probably very ‘out of character’ for a king.

So ‘on the fly’ Nehemiah prayed…I don’t think it was an Our Father type prayer… I would guess it would have been something short and sweet like;
God give me your wisdom and the kings influence to bring you glory…Amen.

As it turned out, God spoke through Nehemiah and the king blessed Nehemiah and gave him literally full reign to do what the Lord was calling him to do. We are faced daily with opportunities to bless people, share our lives with people and share our faith. I believe we should always we praying and looking for these opportunities and when they come……pray ‘on the fly’.

God Moves Us - Nehemiah 1

Nehemiah 1:3-4 The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
God uses events to break our hearts and move us. Nehemiah is being moved by God not only to finish a project….but according to some commentaries I was reading….but God, from the beginning, had set His plan of redemption into motion, and Nehemiah was playing his part.
Nehemiah was living the good life. He had trusted people under him that basically did his job for him. As a cupbearer, you are to taste the cup of the king...to make sure it isnt poisoned. But as cupbearer to the king....you basically lived like the king...he was a trusted companion. Nehemiah had all the reason in the world to NOT listen and NOT care about the news he heard about Jerusalem.....yet God broke his heart.
Apparently, 100 years prior to Nehemiah, Daniel had prophesied about the coming of Christ, the Messiah. According to Daniel, Christ would come 483 years after the decree was issued to rebuild the wall. We could do the math, but the commentary I read, stated that it was exactly 483 years between the time Artaxerxes issued the decree and when Christ came into Jerusalem on the donkey, 5 days before his crucifixion.
Think about this now….Satan knows about the wall, he also knows about Daniels prophecy, and he knows about God's plan of redemption through Christ.….so we are about to see some MAJOR spiritual warfare going on.
I think about our own journey to ANC. How God used events and people to break Brandon and Jen’s hearts for the poor, the marginalized and the hurting. Then he used certain people and events in their previous church to move them out. Not only out of the church they were serving in....but out of their comfort zones. It would have been a much simpler process to plant a similar church to where they had been. Similar in style, similar demographic as where they had come from....but God wasn't really interested in simpler...
When I began praying about moving to Austin, God had been working on me for years….and even though it wasn’t an easy decision to leave…it was a fairly overwhelming sense that He was moving us out as well.
Its been amazing to see what God at ANC in the past 9 months. Not only as a church, but in the communities, among our partners, the influence God has given us and especially how God continues to break our hearts for those he originally he called us to minister to.

Boast in Cinnamon - Psalm 20

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

The strongest of the strong armies had horses and chariots. It was how your measure the strength and proficiency of the army. They were the most advanced weapon of war and when you had victory over another army….you got to keep their chariots. So amassing chariots was one way to keep score. You were not only saying that you were wealthy….but also saying that when we fight…..we win.

This verse (NIV) says trust….but other translations say boast. The Message translation says that some are polishing their chariots and grooming their horses. This reminds me of when I was a teenager…and I would spend hours and hours waxing my car and polishing the wheels and Armor Alling the inside of car and the tires……to showcase what was important to me.

We spent about 30 minutes last night in worship (at the FMC conference) just thanking the Lord for what he has done for us…..not just the obvious (family, health and salvation)….but the obscure. One guy thanked God for cinnamon and chocolate and coffee…… and in that time some of us laughed. But he seriously wanted us to remember to take pleasure in the little things. That God created them.....for our pleasure.

God, I pray that all my boasts are now in you, the giver of all good things.

Oxymoronic - Psalm 17

Psalm 17 :1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer- it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

In the previous Psalm, David is broken….knows that apart from God…he has nothing at all to offer good. But in this Psalm, David still knows the source of strength….yet holds himself to right living and good character.

Think about the sins that men most often succumb to;
Lust of the eyes
Deceitful talk or slander
Impure hearts or motives.
There may be others, but these are the biggies, and they are spoken about in the first three verses of Psalm 17. And I think that even as we lay in our beds at night, that when we pray (this is true for me) ….there are things that went on during the day, that we need forgiveness for. But David here….is saying…. Search me, probe the depths of my heart and examine me. Bold!

In Leviticus….God tells Moses to tell the Israelites, “be holy, because I am holy.” Our Holy creator, knows that we cannot achieve holiness, but He calls us to strive for holiness. In Moses time, he had just introduced the law…the Israelites lived under the law. Now, in Christ, we are now made holy.

How we go about holiness depends on our journey….
Freedom vs. Legalism-
I know that God knows my heart…but what I cant always count for is for others to know my heart.
There are both positive and negative things that a legalistic mindset produce. Likewise…freedom in my opinion, must be exercised with caution as well.
There is a balance, probably most people are legalistic early in their faith, or when they’ve been brought back ‘into right relationship”. Usually, if this is the case, there have been some deep dark transgressions, and the best way to overcome them…is through abstinence…and legalistic abstinence may be the most effective. Sometimes though, legalists never get beyond that and or to experience freedom.
Those exercising freedom, must always (in my opinion) temper freedom with the weakest among them in mind. So then, are we truly free?
Its been taught that children experience the most freedom, when they are given boundaries. Children with no boundaries typically become a mess. We likewise must temper our freedom, and use sometimes “legalistic” guidelines. I mean if we were totally free…..laws wouldn’t apply….but they do.
Oxymoronic…..yes.

Goodness - Psalm 16

Psalm 16:2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

I think here is where secularists and Christians part ways. You will have to forgive me for just copying and pasting….but I found this wikipedia…and I, of course can’t put it any more succinctly.

The doctrine of total depravity asserts that people are by nature not inclined to love God wholly with heart, mind, and strength, as God requires, but rather all are inclined to serve their own interests over those of their neighbor and to reject the rule of God.

This also means that even the good which a person may intend is faulty in its premise, false in its motive, and weak in its implementation; and there is no mere refinement of natural capacities that can correct this condition. Thus, even acts of generosity and altruism are in fact egoist acts in disguise.

Take for example, Oprah Winfrey. I can’t think of a more visible, giving person to use…and I am not the true judge in this instance…but just using her for an example. But her ‘selfless’ giving has done nothing to her monetary value, but increase it. I hate questioning motives…but she has increased her net wealth by arranging to give of her empire. I’m more likely to believe that she leverages her position to use influence on folks to give stuff away in her name. Which would tend to make me believe that her actions are more about her empire than those receiving the gifts….which, still a nice by-product, isn’t cause to claim ‘goodness’.

Matthew quoted a scripture last night, as he was leading us in communion…., ”All of our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” These two scripture confirm for me that I cannot do enough good stuff…I cannot earn the grace I’ve been offered and that we must ‘tap into’ the goodness of Christ….so that his love can be poured out through us.

Stripped- Psalm 14

Psalm 14: 1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

I dunno, I was thinking this morning. The bible says the foolish believe there Is no God, and the atheists say to believe in God is foolish….you wonder why there are so may people who just wanna fly below the radar.

Honestly, there aren’t THAT many vocal atheists. Most Christian’s too, by their own admission would tend to be less outspoken. So I just wonder if the apathy and the silence is due to just ….self-preservation. I don’t want to be/appear foolish so therefore I’ll remain silent.

Christian….WE DON’T HAVE THAT LUXURY!

Remember just a few short weeks ago we read….

2 Samuel 6:22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.

David would dance and leap for the Lord in a manner reserved for fools.

Last night in community group, we talked about the posture of humility. It might all do us some good to wash some feet…to get us in that pride-less posture before those we serve.

God, strip me of my pride (gently) so that I might relate to, find commonality with and be better equipped to serve those you have called us to serve.

Allowing that "Say" - Psalm 13

As the comedian Steve Martin once said….”A day without sunshine, is like……night!”

In the Psalms and now specifically in Psalm 13, David is obviously use to a dialogue with God. And at this point, for some reason, God is remaining silent.
David recognizes his ray of light, his source of strength, his abiding love and source of hope are in God alone. David submits himself to God….and in turn God provides life.
I think about Donald Trump, Lance Armstrong, Hugh Heffner, and Oprah Winfrey….they wake up in the morning and piss excellence….yet at the end of their day, THEY do not submit to anyone. When they lay their pillow at night, they do not thank God for the day, the wealth, the good fortune or the very breath that keeps them alive….they believe that THEY are their own source of life, THEY are the provider of all good things.
I find it fascinating that David…who’s wealth and fame far surpasses all these people combined, remained so humble, grounded and faithful.
In the book I am currently reading (The Reason for God, Keller) , there is a line in that states:
“You cannot enter into a deep relationship and still make unilateral decisions or allow your friend or lover no say in how you live your life.”
And it is THAT giving up the “say” in how you live your life that threatens so many people.
David was in that sort of relationship…and therefore he was ‘out of sorts’ when the Lord remained silent….he yearned for that direction, that correction, that connection and the overall sense of guidance that the Lord provided.

oh behave.... -Psalm 11

Psalm 11 gave me great comfort this morning. When so much of the world is in chaos, I was reminded this morning that we aren’t called to retreat into our homes, to the mountains or a cave. We are still called to GO. God is still in control, He is still sovereign and the world will not overcome Him…. The earth (this world) is God’s footstool, His Creation.

4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.

I believe as Christians, it is important that we know this….which I believe we all do, but more importantly, I believe we are called to ACT like we believe this.

As 1999 came to a close, Christians were losing their minds. Computers were going to go haywire, the economy would shut down, you couldn’t get money out of the banks….why because the computers were going to freeze up. Supposedly programmers in the 60’s and 70’s never allowed for the change to the year 2000, thereby creating a year 00 that would have been thought it was 1900….and this would freeze them up.
You heard that programmers were being hired to solve the “crisis” worldwide, but no one knew how widespread the failures would be.
So Christians everywhere latched on to this as an “End Times” catastrophe. A noted Christian author, Steve Farrar who had previously written “Point Man” a staple in Christian books, now wrote “Spiritual Survival During the Y2K Crisis”. My pastor at the time, had Steve come speak to our church (I think he paid him $10,000 for this privilege) …..as a service to the Christian community. It was then, that I realized that this guy was a kook. And that he better be correct, or he would lose a lot of credibility.
The description of his book read;
Are you prepared for Millennium Meltdown? Best selling author Steve Farrar attacks the issue with candor and reason. And most important, he examines Y2K through the lens of Biblical truth. Without God's perspective and the practical answers of Scripture, you will be ill-equipped to handle the pressing questions of the coming crisis. If you want to avoid the fear, confusion, and panic surrounding Y2K, Steve Farrar will help you discover a biblical and practical plan for your family.
We had families in our church, hording gasoline, dry goods, weapons, ammunition, water, livestock, generators in an undisclosed location. Now its one thing to be prepared, but these folks are still eating Y2K beans.
Well, we all know what happened, nothing. And like I thought, Steve Farrar took a hit. He actually is still writing books, but his website, is void of any mention of the Y2K book. Good call Steve.
So as I look back at that crazy time, I’m reminded of our own, with the finacial markets a mess, housing in shambles, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, even a black democrat taking the office of President of the United States (I would venture to guess the same Y2K kooks are up in arms about this crisis too) ….God still knows what he is doing, He is still on His throne, and His plan is still in the works. Let’s act like it.

True Refuge - Psalm 9

Psalm 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Oppression is the use of power to disempower, marginalize, silence or otherwise subordinate one social group or category, often in order to further empower and/or privilege the oppressor.
Psalm 62:3-4 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

I was watching on the news this morning, and this Michael Newdow, an attorney and noted atheist is wanting to remove the “so help me God” from the presidential inauguration. My first thought was….this is an ‘attack’ on Christianity at it’s core. At it’s core? Really? How myopic is that? That removing some ‘words’ from an inaugural address, is some sort of attack. Don’t get me wrong, I’d hate to see it happen. But we think an awful lot of us and our culture. Our economy, our president, our ‘way of life’, our media, our religious freedom....dont really amount to much globally or even in God’s economy. Meanwhile, the church is exploding in areas where oppression is at it’s highest.

Then I think of the countless numbers of churches in Asia, being persecuted….people jailed for their beliefs and those who face being cut off from their families because of their stances. I think of my friend Mari, who is going as a missionary to Northern Africa…and she has to writes letters and emails asking for pryer, or asking the L for guidance, or praise the name of J.

We say we are so blessed to be in this country where we aren’t persecuted….where we have freedoms….where it isn’t a crime to worship the Lord with other believers. Really? Why is it then….does Matt Thomas (and other missionaries) want so badly to get back to places where religious freedom doesn’t exist? Do you possibly think the real blessing comes from finding refuge in Christ alone?