Blog Archives - River of Life Church

Happy Old Year!

12/31/2012

I enjoy the close of the year and the beginning of another. The final day of the year is a great time to review the past 365 days. What events over the past year bring fond memories as you recall them?

Reviewing the year is a good practice to celebrate your accomplishments and successes. It is also a good practice to consider if the unmet goals merit another try in the new year.

Five steps to review the year:
1.       Go over your photo albums. They often contain trips you took, celebration gatherings and noteworthy events.
2.       Skim your journal or daily planner. Looking at the year’s entries month by month will remind you of successes and challenges encountered.
3.       Sit down with a family member, roommate or friend and talk about things they remember were a highlight over the year.
4.       On your computer or on a hard copy list those events, celebrations, travels, and anything that has resulted in a positive memory.
5.       Celebrate God’s goodness in the experiences you have had over the year. Light a candle, share a toast, have a special dessert or something that recognizes all the good that has happened in your life.

Sometimes the beginning point is a troubling uncertainty such as a lump, a job change, or a cancelled flight. The outcome was uncertain, but now you have seen how it worked out and are grateful for God lovingly guiding you through.

Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for Him.”

Before you have a Happy New Year, celebrate the Happy Old Year!

Resolve to Resolve

12/28/2012

Every New Year, I get excited about fresh starts and new beginnings that is potential in every new year! I establish goals and write down priorities for the coming year. Many people make resolutions on New Year’s Eve or Day. The top resolutions people make almost every year are:

Losing weight/Exercise more

Quit smoking

Spending more time with friends/family

Most people do not consider getting closer God in the coming year as a resolution or a goal. George Barna conducted a study in 2011 on New Year’s resolutions and found that almost two-thirds of Americans make a resolution. Only nine out of more than 1000 survey respondents mentioned that one of their objectives for the coming year was getting closer to God in some way.

What if your number one New Year’s resolution was to get closer to God?

What if your top resolutions were:

Hearing God more clearly this year

Encountering and experiencing the Lord each day this year

Partnering in God’s work more passionately this year

Most people want to get closer to God, but simply do not resolve to make a resolution. So the most important thing you can do to impact your life in a dramatic way is to resolve to resolve!

Revelations 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.

Boxing Day

12/27/2012

Canada and England celebrate Boxing Day every December 26. Boxing Day has nothing to do with the sport, but was traditionally the day churches opened the Christmas Box of gifts for the poor and shared it among those in need. It has become a day that retail stores offer significant sales and people form long lines before the store opens.

The day after Christmas is also St. Stephens Day, honoring Stephen, whom the Bible records was the first person killed for his belief in Jesus Christ. In Ireland, a wren would be caught and killed with stones just as Stephen was stoned to death. Even stranger, the "Wren Boys" would tie the dead wren on a pole, parade around town and knock at all the houses for money; no longer a common practice.

Boxing Day is a good reminder that a follower and lover of Jesus Christ is called to help those in need. It is also a reminder that following Jesus Christ will result in opposition. There are countries that persecute Christians to the point of death as Stephen was martyred. In countries that allow Christians to worship and follow Jesus freely, the opposition is most often in the form of ridicule or disbelief.

If you notice a box or a wren today, think about your passion of helping those in need and standing strong in your love for Jesus.

Acts 20:35
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Now That The Presents Are All Open

12/26/2012

The day after Christmas and all the presents have been opened. As much as you try to be equally appreciative of all the gifts you have received, there are gifts that stand out above the others. Perhaps you received a gift from one of your children that holds a special value. It may be an unexpected gift that still has you surprised. The gift you received could have been a hand-crafted gift that bears the creativity and skill of the one who gave it to you.

Most often, the hand-crafted gift, has a greater value than what is recognized. There is more hours invested in the gift and a level of difficulty matched with careful attention to detail making certain the gift bears excellence. Only the giver knows the sacrifice of love that was poured into the gift.

Jesus Christ was born in a manger and is the most undervalued gift humankind has received. Those who accept His free gift of salvation are aware of the sacrifice Jesus went through that resulted in being brutally beaten and killed on a cross. We are aware, yet cannot fully know the cost because we will never have to go through what Jesus did for us.

Now that the presents are all opened, it is a good time to thank God for sending the best gift of all.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

Living a Highly Favored Life

12/24/2012

What do you think Favor means? We say things like: “Hey, could you do me a favor?” or “I just need this one favor.” We are referring to favor as help or help in a special circumstance because a person has something that will help accomplish the circumstance.

If an angel said that you are highly favored you would likely think that this was very good news. God, was going to open doors, offer smooth sailing, and life was going to become greatly successful. Mary, did not understand what this favor meant.

Luke 1:26-28
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Bill Johnson shared a message at Bethel Church about favor that I found very helpful. Johnson says that not everyone has the same favor. The Bible records that Jesus grew in favor. Jesus began with less favor than He ended up with.

Extreme favor attracts extreme opposition. Mary was pregnant while engaged to Joseph. Joseph did not believe her story, but planned to put her away. Sometimes favor is misunderstood.

God did something for Mary that was not normal. It was totally God. Favor put her in a position where people talked about her. Favor can cause accusation.

When you have God’s favor, some things work for you that will not work for others. Samson had favor. He did feats of strength that could not be performed by any other person. Samson was favored but his character was foolish.

Favor is an expression of God’s affection. God brings His presence to us as an expression of His affection and as an encouragement for us. This cannot be used to promote us, but God. Our identity must not be based on His favor upon us.

Living as one highly favored of the LORD:
      Ponder it in your heart – Mary considered this favor and made it personal.
      Quiet Confidence – When Joseph was going to divorce Mary, she quietly depended upon her Lord to vindicate her. Confidently trust God to be with you through all situations.
      Authority – Mary was given authority as a young mother to raise Jesus, the Son of God. God will give you authority for whatever He is favoring you to accomplish.

Do Not Mock the Mayan-miss

12/21/2012

The fact that I am blogging today, Friday, December 21, 2012, attests to the fact that the world did not come to an end. The Mayan calendar scare had a small group of people ready for the end of the world, a lot of people wondering if there is a possibility the world would end and most people skeptical.

We have endured Y2K, Nostradomis, and many others predicting chaos or an end of the world including Harold Camping who has been wrong at least three times so far. While I did not expect the world to end today I am careful not to mock the Mayan mishap.

A profound phrase recorded in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible addresses a very unique day coming in the future: The Day of the Lord. Prophets that foretold details about the birth of Jesus centuries before He was born wrote about this coming, Day of the Lord. It is a day that will mark an end and a beginning.

It will be the end of the world as we know it and the beginning of the world as we always wished it could be. A world when Jesus is once again physically on the earth. The world will no longer have any illness, diseases or injuries that limit or end people’s lives. In fact, no one dies in this period of time. There will be no sin, sickness or sadness. There will be perfect justice, infinite joy and lasting peace.

It is a day that follows a perfect court of judging among those who love and follow Jesus Christ and those who did not. Whatever tears occur over seeing someone we care about going to a place forever separated from Jesus, He will wipe away every tear.

Because I am convinced of this day which marks an end and a beginning, I am careful not to mock the Mayan mishap. There really is a day that changes the world as we know it. No person knows when that day will occur, so do not be excited or alarmed when false predictions occur; just be ready now by loving and following Jesus today.

2 Peter 3:9-11(NIV)
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

Are you ready?

Only What is Helpful

12/20/2012

Our nation is approaching one week from the Newtown, Connecticut shooting that took the lives of 20 children and six staff members of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Funerals are being held and an outpouring of attention descends on the community that wishes to discover a new normal. The town is filled with reporters and camera crews. People have come to share in the sorrow and help in whatever ways possible. Silence may be one of those ways.

A reaction to this shooting tragedy is a preliminary debate in various media arenas resulting in arguments over what should be done to reduce such tragedies. Informal forums on social media reveal positions and convictions people hold strongly. Words exchanged, tweeted, facebooked and posted have increased tension instead of bringing any form of resolve.

I have often been guilty of being more concerned that I convince the other that I am right instead of being kind. God calls us to a higher standard.

Psalms 19:14
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Silence may be what is most helpful at this moment.

Menu versus the Meal

12/19/2012

Rabbi Harold Kushner spoke in Minneapolis on dealing with grief and loss in October. Minnesota Public Radio rebroadcast the event as a response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary. Kushner’s talk was about coping with hard times and the lessons that can be learned from the Bible’s book of Job. His newest best seller is “The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person. You may listen to the rebroadcast at http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/12/17/mpr_news_presents/?refid=0.

Kushner did a remarkable overview of the book and I was impacted by his words about Job coming to a deeper understanding about God. Through Job’s grief, Job moves from knowing about God to knowing God.

Job 42:5
My ears had heard of You
but now my eyes have seen you.

Kushner compared it to the difference between reading the menu to eating the meal. The menu tells you about the meal, but cannot compare to the reality of tasting the meal. Job knew about God and he knew pretty thoroughly about God. His grief and struggle to understand moves Job from knowing about God to having a relationship with God. He does not have all his questions answered, but Job meets God and that is all that matters.

Reading the Bible is important. It is a good menu describing God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God reveals Himself through the Bible. It cannot compare with having a relationship with God.

So what can you do that Job did to know God?
1. Stay with God through good times and bad times.
2. Talk honestly to God.
3. Listen for His response.

Psalms 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.

Gaudete Sunday

12/18/2012

The four Sundays before Christmas prepare us to celebrate the arrival of Jesus born in a manger and Jesus the coming King. Advent means coming or arrival and has a double focus on the past and future. The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday which is Latin for rejoice.

The world has many uncertainties that can cause concern: the fiscal cliff, stormy weather, safety for our children, health reform as well as health concerns. The reminder to rejoice and not be anxious may ring hollow to you this year. The call to rejoice this season does not ignore the threats that steal joy. It does point us to the One who can bring peace in the midst of turmoil.

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice, the Lord is near.

Weeping, Because They Are No More

12/17/2012

The deaths of 20 children and six adults in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut brings Christmas tears instead of cheer. Christmas holiday plans are replaced by preparing for the funerals of children and school staff whose lives ended earlier than imagined.

Prayers for peace on earth are earnestly expressed for those families experiencing this tragic loss. The rest of America will gather with deeper thanks with our children over Christmas; grateful for their well-being, but apprehensive of a world that seems to hold fewer places of safety.

Many months after Christ was born, a massacre of children took place in the city of Bethlehem. Wise men, called Magi, came from the east to Jerusalem in search of a baby born the king of the Jews. King Herod was disturbed by word of a king and assembled his counsel for information. They quoted the prophet, Jeremiah, who had written 600 years earlier of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, that will be the ruler of Israel.

The Magi followed the star, found Jesus and presented Him with costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They returned to their country avoiding King Herod because of a dream that warned them. Joseph was also warned in a dream to leave. Historians estimate the number of baby boys Herod killed to be about 30, given the population and birth rate at the time of Jesus’ birth.

Matthew 2:16-18
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”

Mothers and fathers are weeping today because their child is no more. Not forgotten, but no longer with us.

Join the prayers for hurting families everywhere; that Jesus would be their prince of peace, wonderful counselor and mighty God this Christmas.