February 20, 2018
Who’s Driving?
Romans 7:21-23
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind...

I love God’s Law, I agree with all his ways, and I truly desire to live in his structure. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind... God’s Law shows me who I want to be, and my human nature reminds me daily how hard that is to accomplish by myself. I typically do what I don’t want, and don’t do what I mean to do just like Paul says in Romans 7. It’s ridiculous. I’ve been a Believer forever. Why does this still occur?

When Rob was teaching on Sunday, he said, “The Law drives us to the Cross not to ourselves.” People who drive themselves say, “I’ll try harder next time” when they mess up. But a person led by Jesus says, “Jesus, I need you right now.”

When I look at how I mean to be versus how I actually am, I realize that many times in a day I need Jesus. I don’t need to try harder next time. I need Jesus right now.
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Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for being with me. Thank you for Bible verses and songs and thoughts that come from you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit guiding me and giving me wisdom and joy. Thank you that I can ask you for and receive these things all day everyday and that I don’t need to try harder tomorrow, I just need to keep being with you. I love you and thank you and pray in your name, amen.

February 16, 2018
God’s Kingdom
Matthew 5:3-10
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

In school, we learn about the plant kingdom & the animal kingdom.  A kingdom in a science book is the scientist’s way of dividing up like things. Spiritually, we could divide up the kingdom of the world (see Ephesians 2:2) from God’s Kingdom. But unlike every other kingdom in existence, God’s cannot be contained. No other kingdom crosses over into another one. There is no half plant/half beast  that claims in 2 different places. However, God’s Kingdom belongs in heaven, yet he makes it readily available to us NOW.

Rob has been teaching from Matthew 5 on Sundays lately. He has been reminding us that Jesus cares about and rescues our hearts and lives in all it’s stages while teaching the beatitudes. He said, “God increases His Kingdom in our hearts.” That phrase really clicked with me.

Believers have God’s Kingdom available to us now. The world may frown upon a humble and merciful person, but God doesn’t. In our hearts, we experience God’s economy everyday, and it is way more preferable to try to keep up with or get approval from the society around us.
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Dear Jesus,
Thank you that no matter my station or status in life today, you grow YOUR KINGDOM in my heart. You make everything good and right now even before it actually is. There is nothing else like this, no relief or refuge, I could drum up myself or find elsewhere. You have the words of LIFE, the WAY of life, and a blessed life in store for me that you’ve graciously given to me now. I am so thankful and I love you and praise you and thank you in your name, amen.

February 5, 2018
Remember Leeches?
Psalm 33:4
For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.

When I read this Bible verse this morning, I immediately remembered a recent quote by a popular comedian. He was not being comedic at the time; he was being totally and completely serious when he said:

 “Science is constantly proved all the time. If we take something like any fiction, any holy book, and destroyed it, in a thousand years’ time that wouldn’t come back just as it was. Whereas if we took every science book and every fact and destroyed them all, in a thousand years they’d all be back, because all the same tests would be the same result.”

And the interviewer’s response was, “That’s good.” He actually thought the guy was making a good and cohesive argument, and so did the audience by their applause. (You can read the interview here.) But, I immediately thought of leeches. Leeches were the approved scientific methodology for all illnesses for literally thousands of years, so those dug up science books have indeed been disproved. And how do we know a thousand years from now doctors won’t look at our current practices like radiation and chemotherapy as absolutely worthless and barbaric too compared to what they’ll be doing by then?

It would make sense if he was only talking about scientific laws like gravity being eternally reliable, but he was also talking about specific scientists and how we can trust their predictions (about black holes, climate change, etc) because, in his mind, over time “science” always is proven true, so we can go ahead and trust it now.

But I remember being skeptical of my eighth grade public school science book’s information about population, pollution, and earthquakes and its solid predictions for the new century (that we now live in), and absolutely none of those things have happened. In fact, those books aren’t in circulation anymore because reading all that made up, out of date information today would be ridiculous. Forget one thousand years –  that “scientific” information didn’t last 3 decades.

There is only thing, and it also happens to be a literal book, that can be dug up thousands of years from now and still be true, and that is God’s Word. An atheist comedian might not think so, but he is putting his faith in some books that have been or will be proven fallible, so why not trust the Bible? The Bible hasn’t actually ever been disproved only disliked.

Romans 1:19-25
They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools... They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created (including scientists with smart sounding ideas)  instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

Dear God,
Thank you that we don’t have to guess or make up our own theories and religions. Thank you for real science and matter and atoms and scientific laws that are further discoveries of how amazing you are. Thank you for technology and medicine and amazing smart people and their inventions. But my hope and trust is in you and all that you have made and not what man does with it. Thank you for the truth of your Word and that I will never be ashamed  or regret believing you and in your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.