10.27.08
Protected: Week of 10.27.08
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10.24.08
Consciences Can’t Be Trusted
Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Theme: Only God can judge our true hidden motives. Key verses: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (v. 2) “…indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (v. 3b-4) “…He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (v. 5b) What God said to me: Dwayne, be very very careful not to get lulled into thinking you are OK, and that I am OK with your inconsistencies, your wondering eyes and thoughts, your little breaches of integrity. Don’t assume that just because you can wake up the next morning and move on with your day and life that your behavior from the day before is forgotten and of no consequence. Remember, your heart cannot be trusted. It is deceitfully wicked. It is so deceitful, in fact, that it can even deceive you into thinking it is pure and its motives are good. When was the last time you excused your actions by saying to yourself, “Well, I mean well. I have a good heart. God knows my heart is to serve Him.” Oh, do I? Dare you presume to know what I know and see what I see? Dare you think for a moment that you can decide what is OK and acceptable about yourself before me? I am your creator and your judge. I will decide what will pass the test of fire, and one day when you will stand before me, I will expose for all to see what your true motives were. Be sure you humble yourself and obey everything I say. Be quick to confess and forsake every sin. Then and only then should you rest well at night, knowing you are forgiven and fully following me. Only then will you receive my praise. What I said to God: Oh, I knew this one was going to be ugly. Thank You, heavenly Judge, for caring enough for your child to give me a heads up about my motives. Please forgive my presumptions that I can be my own judge. I cannot. I must not be so arrangant and foolish. I surrender my all to You now — that means turning from my wicked ways and allowing You to clean out any closets in my heart that I have not been willing to give over to You. Oh Lord, I want to love You with my life, and I want to prove that I am faithful to the awesome trust You have given me.
10.21.08
Putting Us In Our Place
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 Theme: We do not need to vie for position or find our identity in certain people since we belong to Christ. Key verses: “If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a ‘fool’ so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” (v. 18-19) “So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” (v. 21-23) What God said to me: Dwayne, think you’re pretty smart, do you? Think you’re doing a good job “navigating” your way through these opportunities of late? If it weren’t for your incredible persistence and careful strategizing some of these doors would not even be open. Is that what you think? Well, news flash for you: You belong to me and all is therefore yours. Any open door you have has come to you because I ordained it and because you are in me. Any favor you notice from other godly people comes because of the favor you have found in me. Now on the other side of that coin, be very leary of those who will want to rally around you and claim your theology as their own. Some will love you to the point that they will not even scrutinize what you write or say. (By the same turn, others will despise you despite what you write or say.) Keep your eyes and ears and heart turned upward toward me. Give me every ounce of credit and seek me with every decision and before every email or phone call you make. Furthermore, be real quick to point others toward me and away from you. It is fine if they compliment you and it is wonderful if they encourage and appreciate you. But they, like you, need to be reminded of Whose dirt ball you are spinning on, and of Whose you are, and what I have made you to be in me. What I said to God: Holy and Righteous God and Master and Creator. Elohim and El Shaddai, I worship You alone. Forgive me for those moments when I think I am crafting my life and scheming my way to success. Any true success I have ever had or will ever have is Your doing, not mine. I know I must remain faithful to You and follow You, but You are the One who makes me a fisher of men. Please help me point those men, women and children straight back to the Source of true satisfaction and peace and eternal life — You, my Father, Savior, Shepherd and Friend.
10.10.08
God’s Temple Now
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Theme: We are God’s temple, so don’t mess with it. Key verses: “…you yourselves are God’s temple and…God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” What God said to me: Dwayne, I don’t need to say much to you about this. It is very explicit and straight-forward. I live in you. My Spirit has made His home inside you. Yes, you should feel honored and humbled. But you should also feel some fear and trembling when you think about that awesome truth. You take me everywhere you go. You subject me to everything you do. You are my house, my home. You wouldn’t mistreat your home, would you? You wouldn’t take a sledge hammer to it, or pour horrible and destructive chemicals on it or in it. No, I see how well you treat your house. You paint it and clean it. You keep it up and then show it off to your neighbors. I want my house treated the same way, with just as much care. I have some showing off to do of my own — to the world and those I died for, and ultimately to anyone and everyone in the ages to come. I am proud of my house. I am proud to be in you. I have give you care over my house, my temple. Now, don’t let me down… What I said to God: Holy Lord, I thought You didn’t have much to say to me today? That was a mouthfull! And I am more than a little convicted! Thank You for moving into my heart and life. Thank You for wanting to take my nothing and make it something. Thank You for cleaning out my house so You could live and reign there. I surrender my life, my mind, my thoughts, my body, my will to You today.
10.08.08
Careful How We Build
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Theme: Building into others’ lives requires careful and correct materials and blueprints. Key verses: “I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.” (v. 10b) “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation…his work will be shown for what it is…and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.” (v. 11-13) What God said to me: My son, no more important a warning could be given to you as my servant and follower. Notice three profound instructions from Paul in this passage: First, the foundation has already been laid — Jesus Christ. Paul was very specific to use both His names. This is not just any Jesus; this is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. You cannot improve on perfection. My Son is the perfect, holy and anointed One, who is the Rock on which all lives should and can be built. Second, you must be careful how you build. Don’t settle for other ultimately sandy foundations. Accept no substitute, no idol, no get-rich-quick scheme, no sure-fire, supposedly proven alternative path to happiness and peace. My Son is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Furthermore, don’t place on top of Him man’s philosophies and half-baked doctrines that will lead people astray. Be most careful when you teach and how you live in front of others. They are watching your life; they are forming your statements and actions into little building blocks they hope to use in their own lives. So walk straight and humble and consistent in righteousness before me. Finally, Paul uses the word “if” — if anyone builds. You see, you must choose to deliberately pour into others. Not everyone is a builder, and certainly not an expert builder. Choose today to pour your life and your wisdom and experience into someone else. Tell someone who needs to know of my love and forgiveness about the love and forgiveness you have discovered. Encourage one of your brothers or sisters in Christ to love and trust me more. Build on the foundation that was laid 2000 years ago. Build using quality stones of truth from my Word. By my grace, be an expert builder to someone today. What I said to God: Father, I accept this assignment. I cannot live up to Your expectations and the needs of others without Your grace and help and power. May I begin with building into my sons and my wife today. And lead someone across my path who needs to know about You.
10.07.08
Grow Up! We’re All Just Servants
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Theme: We need to see ourselves and our leaders as God sees us — as His servants, each doing his own part. Key verses: “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ.” (v. 1) “For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” (v. 3) “What, afterall, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task.” (v. 5) “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (v. 7) What God said to me: Dwayne, notice how matter-of-fact Paul was here. He sincerely saw nothing special about himself — he was simply my servant doing what I had called him to do. He was not more important than his fellow laborers in his mind. That is a powerful statement and show of maturity in the faith. For a man of his stature and accomplishments to not only say he was no more special, but to really believe it, could only mean he was seeing things from my perspective rather than some greatly short-sighted, immature, and worldly point of view. All too often my people try to idolize and celebritize preachers and musicians and other church leaders. Yes, you are to be respected and appreciated and followed. But servants are in no way glamarous. Furthermore, my little ones want to vie for position among themselves. If they would only realize the highest calling in heaven is the lowest position on earth. What I said to God: Thank You, my precious Lord, for speaking to me and meeting with me this morning. I am so thankful You never give up on us, but You keep on forming us into Your Son’s image — one that is mature and complete, lacking nothing. Please help me gain and maintain a heavenly perspective on my place and calling and service. I am not more special or needed. My work, my assigned task is not more important than anyone else’s. Nonetheless, I am incredibly privileged to have and know my task — and no one else can fulfill my purpose from You. Hallelujah!
10.06.08
We Have the Mind of Christ
Text: 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16 Theme: Those with God’s Spirit have Christ’s mind. Key verses: “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (v. 12) “This is what we speak…in words taught by the Spirit, espressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (v. 13) “The spiritual man makes judgements about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgements: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (v. 15-16) What God said to me: Dwayne, the world has nothing it can judge you on. People who are carnal and without my Spirit will never understand or comprehend your motives or actions in my name. That is why they will reject you and scorn your words. Indeed they will judge you, but their judgements will be unfounded and pointless in the heavenly realms. I have given you my Spirit, who knows and understands the deep things of me. Living inside of you is the One who has all wisdom and understanding. Listen to the Spirit. Follow Him and trust Him to guide you each and every day. No need to ever be intimidated by man’s wisdom when you have my wisdom available 24/7. What I said to God: Father, thank You for this beautiful fall morning. You have given us such an incredible gift in your nature and in our health and senses. I praise You this morning for Your more incredible gift of salvation and Your Son. Thank You for the Spirit You have placed inside me as a deposit of my salvation and as my guide and comforter. I choose to listen and obey that still small voice inside me today. I cannot fully comprehend the words from Paul that I have the mind of Christ. Such truth is too wonderful for me. I do thank You for that profound statement and all the power and possibilities it entails. I do choose to praise and adore You and lay my life before You today, and walk in Your wisdom, utilizing Your mind within me — through Your Spirit.