What If?

What if? What if the economy had not done what it did? What if we were not at war? What if there had been a different outcome with the election? What if everyone were on the same page? What if? What if? What if?

Well, the economy did fail. We are at war. Obama won the election...(some are happy and some are sad on this fact). And by far many are not on the same page.

We sang a song yesterday that I know Wedgwood has sung a lot...Love the Lord. Based on the greatest commandment that says that we are to love the Lord with everything, we told the Lord we would love Him with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and all our strength. So here is the challenge? This one stings a little! Were we telling the Lord the truth? Were we just wishing that were true in our lives? Or maybe even asking the Lord in an indirect way to get us there? So what does it mean to love Him with all of our heart?

I want to take the next four weeks and break these four parts of this commandment down. Our heart? Does He want us to love Him with our blood pump? What do we really mean when we say we love someone or something with all of our heart? The heart is the center of emotions. So let's break that down a little further. The last part of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control...emotions. When we say we love the Lord with all of our heart that should translate in that He has control of our emotions. Our emotions get involved in our praise and worship, our service, and our commitment to Him. We can go through this life claiming we are born again believers of Jesus, but until our emotions are committed to it, we will always be on the sidelines. Think about something that your emotions get attached too. It might be a sport, a certain style of music or musician, or another person. When our emotions are involved in something or someone, our actions and reactions are different toward that person or thing.

So what do our emotions show when it comes to how involved we are with the Lord? Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10 (which happens to be Wedgwood's key verse) that he wanted to know Him. The word "know" is the same word used in the Old Testament when Scripture says Adam "knew" Eve. Paul wanted to know the Lord intimately.

So how about us? Are our emotions so wrapped up in Him that we want to know Him like that or are we just satisfied to be "pals" with Him? I am not sure there is any place in Scripture that would be His desire. So what holds us back from letting our emotions be ruled by Him and getting intimately involved with the Savior of the world? His heart is for us to live in that deep abiding love with and for Him.

Like always...think about it.

Till next week,

pb

In the Midst

And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. And they went and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” Matthew 8:23-25

Maybe today you feel like the disciples did when they saw Jesus sleeping in the midst of the storm. Perhaps you’re thinking, “God, don’t you care about me? Can’t you see that I’m hurting here?” This is a natural, human reaction when it seems that God is distant or unconcerned in the midst of our pain and struggle. But the fact is… if we are a child of God… He is there in the boat with us. He will either calm the storm or at least brave it with us.

Look at the first line again in the Scripture. When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Sometimes we complicate our struggles simply because we miss the first step. They followed Him. If they had not followed Him into the boat, the disciples would have never experienced what Jesus could do in the midst of the storm.
But until we are on the other side of the storm, we must remember that trusting God produces questions we won’t be able to answer. I think that’s worth repeating: Trusting God produces questions we won’t be able to answer.

If we really stop to think about it, disbelief is pretty easy. Anyone can not believe! That is an easy one. Choosing to trust in God and believe in His promises in spite of our questions… in spite of our problems… that’s the real challenge! To suffer and hurt and not know why… but to keep believing and hoping… that’s extremely difficult.

But no matter what we may be going through today… remember this: Jesus is present in the midst of everything even though He may seem to be absent. In God’s own time and in His own way… if we will wait on Him and trust in Him… He will calm our storms!

It is awesome to know that The One who has power over demons, The One who has power over disease, and The One who has power over death also has power over despair and the pains in our life. Jesus is our peace in the middle of the storm. If we will follow Him into the boat and watch Him in action, we will be amazed.

Phil

FIRST LOVE

On Saturday, I had lunch with a friend of mine and his brother. I had not seen Michael for a couple of years. We email and talk every once in a while on the phone, but we have not physically been in the same place for a while. I listened intently as he described his life and then how his brother described his. These two grew up in church, sang all the songs, loved spending time in the Word. In fact Michael's brother went to seminary. But both have experienced such harsh situations in life that the response was to give up.

I could lay out a list of reasons that both have chosen a different path but it all comes down to one thing...they have left their First Love. It is so easy to do that as the world and circumstances hit life. We wish it could be so perfect. No one prays asking for trials and tribulations. But that is the very thing that matures us as Christians. Our response to the struggles many times determines how these struggles will manifest themselves in our lives.

Many of you have heard me quote the first part of Colossians 3:4 which says "Jesus, who is our life." When I look at my life...when I really stop long enough to take a hard look at my life, what do I see as my life? Do I see my life defined as Pastor of Worship of Wedgwood Baptist Church? Do I see it defined as a musician? OR...do I see my life as being defined by the name that is above all names, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega, the Ancient of Days, JESUS?

So what is the formula? Is it more Bible Study? Is it more prayer? Is it more time at church? Is it more service? No! Do we need to spend more time in Bible Study, prayer, church, and service...probably! But the one thing that helps define our life as "Jesus" is surrender to brokenness. It changes everything. It draws us to our First Love.

So what is it that keeps us from being broken? Again, I could give you a list, but when it is all said and done it can be defined by one word...pride.

So I leave you with this...have we come to the place where we have received the grace that He gives to the humble?

Just think about it.

pb

The Importance of Importance

Value and cost are two different things. We could own an item that costs very little money wise and it have very high value to us. Of course the opposite could very well be true too. An item could cost a great deal of money, but not be of much value to our life. The weight of value or importance we place on a certain item or person makes all the difference. Whether it is a person, place, thing, or even time what determines its worth to us is determined by our own emphasis.

The importance we place on certain things changes as circumstances change. Take for instance a baby being born into a family that has never had children. Suddenly the way time was spent before the baby was born changes because of the importance placed on making sure that baby has the attention needed. Because of what is happening in the economy right now, things that were important to us in 2008 might have to take a back seat to what is important financially in 2009.

There is one specific importance that determines and directs our lives...you guessed it...the importance we place on our relationship with Jesus. I am totally convinced that a person that is not in a growing vibrant relationship with Jesus cannot approach life in a mature way. The drama of life in and outside of the church seems to be guided by lack of maturity. People make emotional and selfish decisions because of lack of maturity. How can we "press on to maturity" if we have no direction from the Holy Spirit to do that? Oh we can press on, but to what...the world's point of view? How empty is that?

The importance of Importance! Is He our very breath of life? Is He really the most important person in our life? The attention and emphasis we give Him, the importance we place on Him determines how we spend money, how we spend our time, and even every other decision we make. The daily decisions that we make all comes down to one question. How important is Jesus to us?

Think about it...love you!

pb