Timing and Fundamentals

Timing and fundamentals are everything. In order to get my golfball to fly as far as I want it to fly and in the direction I intend for it to go I have to apply correct fundamentals and their application has to occur at exactly right time. Therefore, my golfball rarely ends up on the green. Either my fundamentals are flawed or my timing is off. I am absolutely amazed how often I can stand facing the direction I had wanted my golfball to go, staring at the target I intended to land near and be unable to locate any relationship between my intentions, my ball and the target.

I have noble intentions for my life. I have a book of fundamentals and good examples of their application all around me. And, God's timing is perfect. And, yet, how often do I stand staring into space at where I had hoped to end up groping around for any relationship between my intentions, my actions and God's timing. God's word in inerrant. God's timing is perfect. Therefore, we know where the problem lies. Here's hoping I'm not in an unplayable lie.

Before he created the universe, God planned out every detail for all time. Think about that for just a second. Every little thing, and big thing, that happened in your life (and everyone else's) today was put on the agenda for today some time back before God spoke and created light. Sometimes we get behind schedule early in a meeting and that pushes everything on the agenda back. Imagine if God didn't get around to starting a meeting with Adam quite on time and everything after that was pushed back. You think you get upset now when God seems to show up late. But he doesn't. He never does. He's never early, either. Everything plays out when it was planned to play out.

His timing is perfect. He reveals his word to me at exactly the right time. Jesus is the word. Jesus spoke the word. The Holy Spirit speaks the word. I get exactly what I need from God exactly as I need it. All I have to do is apply it.

My fundamentals are flawed. That's why we have a book like Titus. Paul wrote it so our faith, knowledge and godly behavior would grow. As I study this, I hope my life flies straighter and farther than my golfball.

So, how's your ball flight?

I Give Up

I'm a Christ-follower. Let's take notice of the obivous. I follow by choice. That's the application of being a bond-servant. So, in theory, at least, I wait for Jesus to lead out then I follow in step and go wherever he leads. Even if he takes the seemingly most ill-conceived path to get where we're going it's not my role to question, just follow.

The biggest problem I have is my ego urges me to evaluate where it appears Jesus is leading me and how he's getting us there. So, I make course corrections. I make improvements. Please try not to laugh out loud as you read the obsurdity of my logic. You can imagine how my improvements add to my stress level and frustration. I cannot believe that the life Jesus offers me is intended to have this level of stress and frustration.

It isn't. There is enough trouble living in a post-Genesis 3 world. But, in Christ that trouble is manageable. It becomes unmanageable when I veer off Jesus' course and take my own. That's when I am living my own life.

"Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Mt. 16:25).

So, I give up. I give up my life and give everything I've got to make sure Sara, Alyssa, Jason, Jared, the people of Grace, and those who cross my path really live. I have now found my life. When I pour myself into the lives of others Jesus breathes life into me.

I surrender.

Are You Alive?

So, what does it mean to live (zoe)? What goes on inside a man who's really alive? Sometimes, the easiest place to start in defining a term is to start with its opposite. What's going inside a man who isn't alive?

There are a lot of confused men. I want to be alive. So, I look for other men who show evidence of life. I also see men live like they're dead. There are many more of the latter than the former. Every man goes through midlife but not every man has a crisis. It would seem that a man who's not alive cheats. He cheats on his wife and his taxes. And, a man who is alive is honest and has integrity. But, even this isn't clear cut.

Can a man who is a Jesus-follower live like he's dead? If not, why would Paul write so much about choosing to live like you're alive if you know Christ?

I believe I'm alive. I love my wife. I live my children, though sometimes I really don't like them. I really like my house. I enjoy what I do for a living and the people I do it with. Does this make me alive or is it just general evidence that I am?

So, men, are you alive? It would seem that you have to be alive before you can live like you are. And, from what I see the men who really are alive, live that way much longer and are generally much happier.

Paul wrote that God made a promise before the beginning of time to give us life. What do you think? How do you live like your alive? How can we help each other live?

More trust, less trouble

Do I really believe what God has promised me? It's easy when I don't need the promise to be true. But when I'm in a situation that requires that I claim that promise I have to get passed the stress and trust God.

For instance, Satan would love for me to believe that I'm all alone in the world. Yet, God has promised me that he will always be with me. I will never be alone. And, not only am I not alone, it is the Creator of the universe who accompanies me even into the darkest corners of my life. I might think they are too ugly for God show up. But, who am really kidding? God knows my ugliness better than I do and he still made the promise.

There is strength is numbers. I can be strong in the most difficult of situations when I know someone has my back. God has my back.

"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the (deepening) of the faith of God's elect and the (growing) knowledge of the truth that leads to (more) godliness -- a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time," (Titus 1:1-2)

The only places where I have to trust God are the ones where I am stressed beyond my ability to cope. At first I will hang on with a clenched death grip trying to gain control. But I'm fighting a losing battle. It's when I let go and hang on to God that my situation improves and my stress level eases. That's where I grow in my knowledge of him because I have a greater understanding of his character. All this leads to me acting better, that is, more godly behavior.

Can I trust God? Unequivocally, yes! I can still behave in a manner worthy of God when I my stress level goes off the charts. I can love my wife, lead my children and pastor our church. The more I trust God the less trouble I have in my life.

This is just a little of what God laid on me through the study for Wake Up Call and to preach Sunday the message of Genesis 32:1-21. I trust he's taking you places that stretch you, too.

Flying Thru Titus

All right fellas, we're flying now! It only took us 2 weeks to get through 1:1. We should pick up the pace a little bit once we get into a groove.

Titus is about our growth. As we apply what God lays on us from this letter our faith will grow, our knowledge of God will grow and our behavior will improve. Your mother and your wife will appreciate that a lot!

As you meditate on what we've done so far, what sticks with you? Typically, God will remind you of the things he wants you to get. Is there a word or phrase from v.1? Was there something someone said Wed morning? Or, has God brought something new to you since that didn't even occur to you at the time?

Thanks for contributing to my life by participating in Wake Up Call.

Summer 2010 Launch - Titus

Hey guys. I am excited about launching our study of Titus for this summer at Panera. Good discussion this morning as we talked about expectations and past Bible study experiences.

This will be a different format for this group and I have very high expectations of what God is going to reveal/teach me through each of you. Since we will be using the Inductive Bible Study (IBS) method we will each be spending time with the passage before we meet so we will have great discussion.

I've included a link to the outline of the IBS method below in case you need to print out a new copy or feel free to pass it along. See ya next week at 6:30.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AV-yCVLji0G8ZGNwcThyczRfMGdtcmJ2Y2hi&hl=en

Blessings,

Roger

Worship

It was good to be back together after taking a break for a couple of weeks. This morning we jumped in to 1 Kings 3:1-5.

We see in this passage that “Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statues of his father David”. But it goes on to say “except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places”. So why was that not okay”

The high places were used to worship pagans gods so this had to be offensive to God. So why did Solomon do this? When we look at 2 Chronicles 1:3 it tells us "... for God's Tent of Meeting was there ...". The ark was still back in Jerusalem but the tabernacle was at Gibeon, “the most important high place”.

So it appears that Solomon was “trying” to worship God in the right way at the right places. And it appears that God blessed him for that by telling Solomon to “ask for whatever you want me to give you”.

The question did come up, “Did God bless Solomon for worshipping Him or did God choose to bless him to accomplish His purposes in spite of his flawed worship? Good question - thoughts?

The thing we talked about the most was how do each of us worship throughout the week – apart from Sunday? What connects you to God in such a way that you ascribe worth to Him? Is it music, service, meditation, etc? Actually, everything we do should be an act of worship.

Most of the time I don’t do too good at this. How about you? What is it personally that brings you to the point of really worshipping God in the midst of the routine of life?

Feel free to add to the conversation.

Blessings,
Roger