Self Feeder
Habitual Godliness
What 5 things could you do today to become more godly? Here’s my list for today:
- Read the Bible – One chapter – today, it’s John 6.
- Pray Scripture – As I read, ask God to give me uncommon wisdom, discernment and understanding regarding His Word, His world, His people and my place in His plan. Ask God to bring His Word alive in me.
- Memorize and Meditate on One Verse – John 6:68, “But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
- Add value to one person who can do nothing for me in return.
- Strengths & Weaknesses – In my giftedness work on my strengths. In my choices work on my weaknesses. One of my strengths is strategic thinking. Today, I’ll work on part of a plan that will help organize how the people of our church work together to bring to life the vision God has given us. When it comes to choices, one of my weaknesses is attitude. I tend to lean naturally toward melancholy. I get uptight over deadlines, things that don’t work right, and having too many irons in the fire. I’ll try to relax. I’ll try to choose joy. There’s no question, I am incredibly blessed – I’ll try to act like it and enjoy it!
John Maxwell, says the key to success in anything is doing the right thing everyday, not all day, everyday. Godliness is the evidence of God in you. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about growing deeper in relationship and similarity to the one who is perfect.
Habitual godliness is a choice you can make today. What are your 5 things?
What Good is Nothing?
How do you feel about where you are in life? Are you where you expected to be doing what you expected to do? Have you fulfilled your hopes and dreams? Are you still working toward happily-ever-after? Have your plans been derailed? Did you have a pie-in-the-sky, change the world kind of vision? How’s that vision working for you?
Whether you feel big or small, whether you think of yourself as successful or an abismal failure, let me remind you of a simple, yet profound truth – I’ll work up to it:
- Genesis – God creates the universe – out of nothing.
- Exodus – God provides manna for the Israelites – out of nothing.
- 1 Samuel – God anoints David. He makes a king out of a shepherd boy (out of nothing).
- Gospels – Jesus serves a meal to 5000 people – out of nothing.
- Peter, an ignorant and unlearned fisherman, meets Jesus and becomes a fisher of men. A no one becomes a someone and history changes forever - out of nothing.
Now read 1 Corinthians 1:26 – 29:
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
Regardless of how you feel about your life, what you think you have or don’t have, what you know or don’t know, what you believe you can or can’t do, in spite of every logical, perceivable, apparent limitation – here’s the simple truth:
If God can make something out of nothing then surely He can do anything with me.
I’ll Never Forgive
There are times in my life I’ve been hurt, disappointed or wounded by others. When compared to what’s normal for me, these hurts are bad. I get frustrated and mad at the person who hurt me. I harden my heart toward the one who caused the disappointment. I find it difficult, seemingly impossible, to forgive them.
So now let’s stop and get a dose of perspective. These wounds, compared to the rest of my life are bad. But how do they compare to the lives of others? No one is shooting at me. I’ve never really been spitefully mistreated. I’ve not experienced abuse of any kind at the hands of someone I trust. My marriage is strong. My kids are happy, healthy and, at the moment, sane. Compared to the stories of others my life is blessed.
Unlike me, some of you reading this have legitimate reasons to struggle with forgiving someone else.
At the heart of our struggle to forgive is a desire for justice. Whatever the wrong, we don’t really want to get over it. We want to get even. We don’t want to forgive. We want to avenge. That’s understandable. Some of you have been abused in ways no one should ever have to experience. You’ve been wronged. Justice demands satisfaction. The need for vengeance saturates every surface of your life. To forgive feels likes you’re letting them get away with it.
That thought reveals our basic misunderstanding about genuine forgiveness. We think forgiveness wipes the slate clean. We believe we must forgive and forget. But that’s not really true.
Biblical forgiveness is a deliberate choice to release someone into the hands of God.
Does that sound like a cop out? Does it leave your desire for vengeance unsatisfied? Consider this. In the hands of God every person who has ever wronged you will experience one of two possibilities. They will either receive God’s mercy and grace or His judgement and justice.
What we want for those who have wronged us is His judgement and justice. We want God to ‘get ‘em’. All the punishments of Scripture. All the curses of hell. We want them poured out on the one who wronged us. When we release someone into the hands of God that’s certainly a possibility. God could give them over to His judgement and justice. In Psalm 58 we see David pray that very thing, “Break their teeth in their mouth, oh God!” That’s a violent thought. It gets more descriptive, “The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked…” This was a prayer of David, the man after God’s own heart. It was a prayer that reflects a kind of forgiveness, a kind of which we are unaccustomed. David released His enemies into the hands of God. He prayed, “God, get ‘em.” He asked God to exert His judgement and justice, but David was satisfied to let God be the one to decide. He didn’t look to exact revenge himself. He gave the wicked over to God and said, “God, I trust you. Here’s what I want. Do with them as you will.” When we release someone into the hands of God they could receive His justice and judgement.
Or they could receive His mercy and grace. Here’s the thing about mercy and grace. It comes at a price. Mercy and grace are not free. If you are a God-follower the forgiveness you receive is a free gift to you, but it wasn’t free to God. It came at a terrible cost. The penalty for your sin and mine was paid for us by Jesus on the cross at Calvary. The Bible describes God trampling out the grapes of His wrath. The picture is clear. In His anger He crushes the guilty underneath His feet. For anyone to receive mercy and grace justice must be satisfied. Jesus took our place and received the penalty we deserved. He did the same for the person who has wronged you. If you give that person into the hands of God they only receive His mercy and grace because justice has been satisfied, the penalty of their sin paid when Christ hung cursed on that tree. When we pray, “God, get ‘em.” We can be confident He will do just that. Sometimes, instead of pouring out His wrath on them He pours it out on His Son and in return gets their life and loyalty for all eternity. He ‘gets ‘em’. In a way that transforms them from the inside out. When He ‘gets ‘em’ the experience genuine remorse over their sin and a desire to make restitution. It’s justice that leads new life and restoration rather than justice that leads to destruction and death.
Jesus gave his life for the wrongs you have done and for the wrongs done to you. We can trust Him with those who have hurt us. Whether they receive from God judgement and justice or mercy and grace, justice is satisfied. The question is whether or not we will give up our desire for vengeance and release them into the hands of God. Will we trust God to deal justly with the one who wronged us?
This is a prayer I pray for myself and others, “God, grant me the gift of repentance and a capacity for forgiveness.” I ask for the gift of repentance because recognizing and confessing my sin doesn’t come naturally to me. I ask for the capacity for forgiveness because my desire for vengeance is strong. God can give me the courage and strength for both.
I don’t know who has wronged you. But I know you can forgive. Forgiveness isn’t about letting someone get away with it. It’s about releasing someone into the hands of God and trusting that one way or another, God’s going to ‘get ‘em’.
Unintended Consequences
There is incalculable influence in the choices you make today.
Alexander Fleming, the scientist who discovered penicillin once said, “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic…But I suppose that was exactly what I did.
According to Nestle, Mrs. Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn was making chocolate cookies and ran out of chocolate. She decided to substitute semisweet chocolate in her recipe thinking the chocolate would melt. It didn’t. She pulled from the oven the very first batch of chocolate chip cookies ever baked.
August 24, 1853, George Crum, a cook at Moon’s Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York, was fed up with the complaints of a customer who kept sending back his potatoes saying they were too thick and soggy. Spitefully, he cut the potato so thin and fried it so crisp the customer couldn’t possibly eat it with a fork. It was the first batch of Potato Chips ever served.
For Peter it was another day of fishing. While his brother, Andrew, had gone once again to hear that preacher, John the Baptist. John introduces Andrew to Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Andrew comes home to introduce Peter to Jesus. A fisherman is transformed into a fisher of men. These ignorant and unlearned men become the first disciples in a movement of God we’re still talking about today.
What will be the unintended consequences of the choices you make today? Will eternity echo with the sound of your influence? Will the next Billy Graham be affected by your actions? Is it possible that today you could be the inspiration for the next business leader, scientist, artist, politician or preacher who will reshape our culture?
Your words matter. Your choices make a difference. Every outburst of wrath, every expression of love, every thoughtful or thoughtless conversation carries unintended consequences.
Give your thoughts, motives, words and action to God. Ask Him to shape the unintended consequences of the choices you make today.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Arrogant Insignificance – a.k.a Right-sizing Our Ego
*WARNING* The beginning of this post feeds my inner geek. Stick with me. There’s meaning behind my nerd story.
In the increasingly misnamed 5 book trilogy, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide the Galaxy” a device has been created to exact the maximum possible punishment on those who are convicted of the most horrific crimes. Typically this punishment is reserved for war criminals, mass murderers, and the occasional politician. It’s been argued that water boarding and even Capital Punishment are more humane than subjecting the guilty to this punishment. It’s called the Total Perspective Vortex.
Though the technology is impressive the concept is simple. The person being punished is placed inside the Total Perspective Vortex and shown their significance in relationship to every other living organism that has ever existed in all of space and time. Basically they’re shown how insignificantly small they really are in comparison to everyone and everything in the universe.
The effect on the person being punished is a form of mental collapse initiated by severe depression leading to total mental and emotional breakdown as the subject realizes how, in the grand scheme of things, their life simply doesn’t matter.
I don’t know what’s more interesting, that we don’t really need a fancy device like the Total Perspective Vortex to feel insignificant or that, regardless of knowing how small we really are, people still strut around in bloated self-importance.
When I watch people – or even take an honest look at myself – there are moments when I am overwhelmed by how insignificant I truly am. I’ve never invented anything. My thoughts aren’t especially profound. My bank account doesn’t demonstrate any massively marketable skills. When I enter a room people are much more likely to remember the friend I’m with than me.
I have other less humble moments too. I’ll stand awestruck staring in a mirror dazed by my dizzying intellect and obviously under-appreciated coolness. I win every argument - in my head. I’ve lost a lot of weight and been exercising. I have abs now. More of a two pack than six but it’s progress. I’ve risen through the ranks in my career. I’m a legend in my own mind.
Arrogant insignificance, an ever-changing state of mind that affects how we relate to everyone around us. Put us in the right room with the right people, we’re commanding, convincing, confident and self-assured. Change the circumstance or the people and we become self-conscious, insecure buffoons.
How we see things, how we see ourselves and others, matters. We must overcome our arrogant insignificance. If perspective is our point of view then we need to figure out exactly which perspective shows us the truth of every moment.
From our perspective that view is distorted. It will lean toward one extreme or another. Like a fish-eyed lens or a carnival mirror we’ll see a warped reality that magnifies some characteristics while minimizing others. How do we see rightly?
- Understand your own point of view. Your history, experience and knowledge have gotten you where you are today. Know what you know and apply it well.
- Take time to understand other points of view. I’ve heard it said, surround yourself with smart people. They see things you don’t. Once you’ve done that surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.
- And the most important of all – get to know how God sees things. His Word is filled with His thoughts on life, the universe and everything. He uses people and circumstances to shape who we are. He’s given us His Word to help us understand His creation. You will know God’s thoughts, His will, His ways when you get to know God’s Word.
Like using a telescope to study the universe, a microscope to study biology and a camera to capture different points of view we can right size our ego. Arrogance is inappropriate. Insignificance is inaccurate.
You’re not the center of the universe, but you matter God, to people – and to me. See rightly and overcome your arrogant insignificance.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
The End of the Beginning
Today – the story continues.
He came. He lived. He died. That was the end of the beginning. JESUS LIVES!
Silence
Silence. That’s exactly what Scripture records for the Sabbath Day of Passion Week. Silence. It might be easy to infer what that Saturday must have been like. The day before the town was filled with gossip and rumor about the crucifixion of Jesus. The end of that story was more remarkable than the beginning.
“Did you hear?” Someone would ask. “Even while hanging on the cross He said, ‘Father, forgiven them. They don’t know what they’re doing.’ Do you think He really did all those things He was accused of?”
“Where were you when the sky went dark?” Another person would say. “It was crazy! And then the earthquake happened! My friend Josiah fell right out of his chair! It’s funny now, but it was scary then.”
“They’re really scrambling today over at the Temple. I heard the vale ripped from top to bottom. If only the High Priest can go in that room how will they ever get it fixed?”
Silence – in the Bible, but certainly not silence in the city.
It was another Sabbath Day – The Sabbath of Passover. Pilgrims would come to offer sacrifice not knowing that the ultimate sacrifice was made on the cross only a few hours before.
Do you think the Disciples went to Temple on this Sabbath Day? I doubt it. I believe they huddled together somewhere in Jerusalem. Scared. Hurt. Confused. Wondering what went wrong. Worrying about what happens next. Not knowing what they should do or who they could trust. What does tomorrow hold?
So, for 24 anxious hours they wait. And in Scripture, there’s silence.
Good Friday
What kind of week has it been?
For the Disciples, the last week of Christ’s life was a whirlwind of excitement and activity. Jesus led them to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was one of many trips they took to this place during their three and half years together. But this time, something was different. There was an intensity in Jesus’ eyes they hadn’t seen before. He was always focused. But what they saw now was more like still waters on the Sea of Galilee just before a storm.
Peter voiced the Disciple’s beliefs the best, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” They believe Jesus was Messiah, the one who would save Israel. Would this be the week Jesus would finally rise up to take his rightful place as King of Israel? Would this be the time when Messiah would lead the Jews to victory over their Roman oppressors? Would they become significant leaders, people of prominence, in a new kingdom?
It certainly seemed so.
- On Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, he rode in on a donkey to the unfettered praise of the people.
- On Monday, He taught the Disciples another deep truth about faith and prayer using nothing more than a small fig tree that had no fruit. Pray and believe and you can move mountains! Remarkable!
- Tuesday was interesting, even entertaining. Jesus told so many stories filled with so much truth. The Pharisees and other religious leaders sure didn’t like it. You could tell by their questions. It was always fun to watch them squirm as Jesus would kindly, yet directly deflect and deflate their questions with another question. You might think these well educated men would be His greatest supporters, yet they were so frustrated they seemed on the verge of wanting to kill him.
- After the excitement of Sunday through Tuesday, Wednesday is silent. Preparations for the Passover and rest before the celebration seem appropriate.
- Thursday starts well. At the house of Simon, the leper, a woman comes to anoint Jesus with expensive perfume. The Disciples are amazed by the lavish gift. Once again the remarkable nature of this man is confirmed. When will He rise to power? It’s the first day of Passover so He sends the Disciples to prepare the meal. Things seem different during this Passover. Before the meal, Jesus washes everyone’s feet. Can you imagine, a Rabbi lowering himself to wash a Disciple’s feet? The end of the meal was just as unusual. He passed the bread around and told them this symbolized his body, broken for sin. He followed with a cup of wine they all shared. He said this was his His blood, shed for sin. It was intimate, meaningful, unforgettable. They sang a hymn and left for Gethsemane. This was a familiar place to the Disciples. They went there often with Jesus to pray. What happens next is a blur of sleep-induced confusion and activity. While Jesus prayed the Disciples slept. They could hear the passion in His voice, but couldn’t keep their eyes open. Until the traitor showed up. Judas, with an army of Temple guards and crowd of people approached Jesus, kissed him on the cheek and the guards take him away. Not before Peter gets a good swing at them. Jesus stopped the fight and healed the man who lost his ear to Peter.
- It’s hard to tell where Thursday ends and Friday begins. No one slept. Jesus was forced into one trial after another. Liars, all of them, stood to tell stories that would convict Jesus of crimes He never committed. He was beaten beyond recognition. His beard ripped from his face. A crown of thorns placed mockingly on His head. The crowd, so adoring on Sunday, turned. They began to cry, “CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!” The Romans were no help. How do these Romans decide when to challenge the people and when to give in? This time Pilate lets a clearly guilty man, Barabas, go free and sends Jesus off with two criminals to be crucified simply because the people demand it. The walk to the cross was long. They force Jesus to carry His cross. Nails are driven into His hands and feet fastening him securely to the wood. Blood and water flow. The agony of the moment is too great. The Disciples, confused, hurt, and afraid stand idly by as hope hangs cursed on a tree. Through excruciating pain Jesus speaks his last words, “It is finished. Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.”
It’s Friday of Passion week. Jesus is dead. Go home.
Bacon Wrapped Tootsie Roll Deep Fried on a Stick
Last year at the State Fair I saw a vendor selling rocks. These weren’t just any rocks. You could warm them up, put them in a blanket and they would keep you warm. They glowed a gentle red when heated and retained their temperature for a long time. The banner above the rock read:
Experience the Life Changing Warmth
‘Life Changing’ has become a common phrase to describe so many things. That movie was life changing. Our trip changed my life. It seems we’ve taken a fairly extraordinary description and used it so frequently that it can now be used to describe something as mundane as hot rocks. Like ‘awesome’, ‘radical’ or ‘unbelievable’, ‘Life changing’ has become just another exclamation of the marginally beneficial but unusual experience.
It’s unfortunate. Words matter. We lose something when we use our most vibrant, descriptive and extreme words to explain the average. We lose the ability to speak honestly about our experiences. A death in the family is life changing. A major career move from one state to another is life changing. Getting married, having children, landing just the right business deal, discovering you’re adopted, deciding to adopt – these are life changing experiences.
But there is a life changing experience that tops them all. It’s what happens when someone comes to understand they are a sinner in need of savior. It’s that moment when we recognize that Jesus, the one described in the Bible, came to give His life to pay the penalty for our sins and that if we trust Him, He will forgive our sin. What Jesus does for us is actually bigger than forgiveness. First He forgives, then He replaces. He forgives the sin we’ve practiced and then gives us the righteousness that He practiced. That’s life changing.
The world has rules. You do something wrong, you pay for it. It’s every man for himself. But with Jesus in your life you don’t have to live by the world’s rules anymore. You’re free from that law that says you get what you deserve. Instead you get what Jesus gives – righteousness, peace, joy and the Holy Spirit – and that’s only the beginning.
Forgiveness is a gift. Discovering the implications of that gift is a process. Every day with Jesus is a day to learn something new about the incredible grace of God and the remarkable life He has for those who trust in Him.
Easter is on the way. The stone that covered His tomb is so much more than a hot rock. It is the doorway that uncovers a truly life changing experience.
What’s your relationship to Jesus?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23
I have an idea for something to sell at the State Fair – A Bacon Wrapped Tootsie Roll Deep Fried on a Stick. I have no doubt it would sell. It may not rise to the level of life changing hot rocks, but I’m certain many would find themselves moved by the experience. 
Epic Stories; Epic Quotes
Shall we play a game?
Can you identify the epic stories these famous quotes come from? Extra credit if you can tell us who said it.
- “In a day and night of misfortune, Atlantis sank into the sea.”
- “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”
- “Say hello to my little friend.”
- “My precious.”
- “How do you know she’s a witch?”
- “May the odds be ever in your favor.”
- “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
- “I’ll be back.”
- “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If it’s money, I haven’t got any. What I do have is a particular set of skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. So you can let her go now and that’ll be the end of it. Otherwise, I will hunt you down. I will find you. And I will kill you.”
- “Go ahead, make my day.”
- “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and slip the dogs of war!”
- “I feel the need, the need for speed.”
- “Be the ball.”
- “Attitude reflects leadership.”
- “Toga! Toga! Toga!”
- “The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading. There is no parking in the white zone.”
- “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
- “You can’t handle the truth!”
- “There’s no place like home.”
- “It take a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”
I’ll post the answers tomorrow, but I’m guessing some google-crazed player will be able to get them all! Use the comments section to play. BTW…there’s a hidden movie quote somewhere in this article. Can you find it?
While you consider these quotes let me make an observation and ask a question. I’m guessing some of these quotes you answered almost immediately. I wonder how much time you spent ‘memorizing’ those lines. Another guess, but I’ll bet you didn’t try at all. For one reason or another simply know. You never sat down and tried to memorize them. You didn’t make it your goal to remember who said, “Live long, and prosper.” But for some reason you do. I can tell you why.
It’s because of familiarity. You’ve heard it so many times and in so many ways, you just know it.
I believe familiarity is the key to Scripture memory. Something else I know for sure about the Bible – we can’t live it if we don’t know it.
It makes taking the time to know what it says and what it means critical to the story of our faith. You can’t live it, if you don’t know it.
Remember that verse that say, “God helps those who help themselves.” What about the verse that says, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”?
You may remember those words, but they’re not actually in the Bible – unless someone recently added the books of First & Second Opinions. You see, when we don’t know what the Bible says it’s hard to do what the Bible says. Worse, it’s easy for someone to trick us into thinking they know what the Bible says. It’s easy for us to be fooled into doing something we shouldn’t.
People make the best decisions they can based on the information available at the time. If only someone had taken the time to write down the wisdom of God so we could learn His thoughts, His ways, His intention for our lives. It would make the choices we face so muh easier.
Wait.
Someone did. You see my point. Knowing God’s will, doing God’s will starts with knowing God’s Word. Knowing His Word – memorizing it and understanding it – isn’t something for the brilliant only. It’s for anyone. It’s for you. You can memorize God’s Word. Memorization isn’t about ability. It’s about familiarity. How can you become more familiar with God’s Word today? What can you do to keep it in front of your eyes, fresh in your thoughts and an ever present help in times of trouble?
You can become familiar with God’s Word. Start with a plan to read it regularly. Write down those verses that seem particularly helpful to you. Review those words that encourage you or challenge you or cause you to think. Become familiar with what He says and the examples He gives. One day soon you’ll look back to discover you know things you didn’t know before. You’ll remember the words of faith that will guide you through times of decision and difficulty. You’ll find your decisions informed by God himself. And suddenly, when the time for difficult decision making finally comes, you’ll just know. You’ll know God’s way because you’ve memorized His Word, not because you’re brilliant or skilled, but because you’re familiar with what it says.
Your life will become the epic story filled with epic quotes inspired by God.
Maybe you could start with words like these –
“So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall accomplish the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
