Private Lunch

Thoughts from a pastor's devotions.

A Noble Man

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 09:33

 Isaiah 32 8 "The noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands."  Within the context of Isaiah 32, this verse speaks powerfully to the impact a righteous king has upon the land.  When the king is righteous, the whole of society is elevated.

I want to surround myself with noble men! 

SMJ

A life untormented

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 11/02/2010 - 07:40

 I have had the privilege this week of reading some thoughts written by a friend before he moved to heaven.  On the one side of the page are the wanderings of his mind.  Reflecting on life.  Facing the tensions and fears of any thinking man.  On the other side of the page were simply a list of Biblical references.  They proved to be a powerful antidote to the thoughts which arose in his own mind.  

Nearly everyone has doubts and fears.  Many allow those doubts and fears to control their lives.  Despair becomes a way of life rather than a moment along the journey of life.  My friend had obviously looked to scripture to answer his concerns and tensions of life.  

The passages he had referenced ranged from the expected (like I Corinthians 13) to the unexpected (like Joel 2:28-29).  He found solace from the broad spectrum of scripture, from the law, the history books, the poetry, the prophets and the epistles.  It is obvious from his writing that he read and studied and took to heart the teachings of God's word.  

That only happens as we are committed to regular study of the word!

SMJ

It's cold outside!

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 10/26/2010 - 08:32

 Woke up this morning to the thermometer reading 32 degrees outside.  Frost on the windows of the car (a garage is for junk - my car would be insulted to be stored there with all that low class stuff...) wondering which jacket to wear, even wondering if I should search out those nice gloves (that steering wheel is COLD).  But eventually I make it out and then into the word.  Decide in honor of the cold I would read something that referenced cold.  Hence, Proverbs 25:25

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."

Okay, on a morning like this (admittedly not very cold by the standard of colder climes) instead of cold water I would prefer a nice hot shower or a cup of hot chocolate.  Still, the point is well taken.  When we are weary, (especially in summer) a cool glass of water is great medicine.  

Good news from a distant land.  When this was written, it was perhaps more meaningful since there was no internet, no 24 hour news channels.  It took news much longer to reach you.  And as such, it was often a real surprise.  Surprised by good news - now that is a surprise we all like to get.

SMJ

The day Moses talked God out of destroying Israel

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Wed, 10/20/2010 - 12:39

 Exodus 32 contains one amazing account of how Moses talked God out of destroying Israel.  The text recounts the making of the Golden Calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the ten commandments.  Verse 10 has God telling Moses "leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them."  When my anger has become inflamed, I often just want people to leave me alone so I can act upon my anger.

When God was angry with Israel, Moses, found favor in his eyes (v11), and reminded Him of His love for the people - even though they were a stiff-necked people (v9).  Ultimately he relented of his threat to destroy Israel (v14).  

It makes me wonder, who has stood in the gap for me?  Who has approached God and intervened when God was angry with me?  Whoever those individuals might be, I thank God for them - and that that our Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin (34:6-7)

SMJ

 

Some Reflections on Psalm 28

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Wed, 10/06/2010 - 09:17

The other day Michele sent me these reflections from Psalm 28 - I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.

I don't know when David wrote this- but he probably wasn't all that young when he was still making some pretty major errors in judgement leading to very serious sins. Sometimes I remember all the wrong things and focus on my mistakes or stupidity rather than on Who loves me.  If He makes the choice not to look at us with those things in mind, we should try to do the same.
 
Funny he starts out the next Psalm Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life:  I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
 
So Hmm, he is blameless in  that he trusts the Lord, but he falls flat on his face when it comes to temptation or good judgement sometimes anyway.  
 
I guess David is just like us!  So if you are beating yourself up for long past or very recent mistakes or sins- realize that God has chosen you and chosen to view you with eyes of love.
 
SMJ (quoting my darling wife!)

Lies We Believe

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 09/21/2010 - 09:17

 As i study for the present sermon series, I keep thinking about a whole range of dumb things smart Christians believe.  Dumb things I often find myself believing.  Some of them are outright lies.  Some we choose to believe because it somehow eases the tension we feel in our quest for Christ-likeness.  Polls have consistently shown that most people think they are better than average at most normal things people do.  We tend to think we are pretty good.  But the scripture reminds us that none of us are good.  

I referenced Psalm 14 in my message a couple of weeks ago to show how taking phrases out of context can lead to saying things which are nonsensical - like "the Bible says there is no god."  (Leaving off the first half of the sentence, "the fool says in his heart...  That Psalm goes on to say that God is looking from heaven to see mankind and "all have turned aside, there is no one who does good, not even one."

It is a lie we choose to believe that we are pretty good...

SMJ

His Great Mercy

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 14:54

 I Peter 1:3 says: "In his great mercy he has given us new birth..."

It seems as though the longer I have been a believer, the less I feel the need for his mercy.  I mean, let's face it, I've learned sin management techniques.  I avoid the situations which tempt me to sin.  My dependence upon mercy is reduced as I seek to live a righteous life.  And yet, that is a significant part of his mercy.  As "righteous" as I may at times feel - I am always in need of his mercy.  I think it could be argued that I may be more in need of his mercy the more righteous I feel.

When I begin to believe the lie of my own righteousness (of course I was made righteous by faith in Christ - but somehow begin to feel that after his initial work was done it is up to me to maintain that righteousness) I think that I become like Buzz Lightyear int he movie Toy Story.  When Woody seeks to convince him (Buzz) that he is just a toy, Buzz responds "You are a strange little man, and you have my pity."  Yet is was Buzz who had it wrong.  (A fact he discovers later in the movie.)

God is perhaps most merciful towards me when I get a little full of myself!   SMJ

Psalms of Despair

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Wed, 01/06/2010 - 06:38

 Reading some Psalms makes me thankful for where we live and the incredible provision God has made for us.  Psalm 88 is one of those Psalms.  "I cry out before you...my soul if full of trouble...I am set apart with the dead...my eyes are dim with grief..."  And it goes on, finally ending with "the darkness is my closest friend."  No real resolution in this Psalm.  Just crying out to God.  And while it makes me glad for my life situation, it also reminds me that there are times in life when we remain in the emotional hole.  In our Burger King world, where we can have in our way right away, we want God to rescue us from our despair immediately.  But sometimes he doesn't.  Sometimes we go to bed still in distress - and that is okay - when we do, Psalms like this resonate with our souls as we continue to call out to God even when it seems as though he has abandoned us.     SMJ

Do not Fear

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 08:15

Each Christmas season I am amazed at the words of virtually every angel who takes part in the Christmas narrative.  They almost always say "Do not be afraid."  It seems as though we have so many things in our lives which create fear.  We go to the doctor for our annual check-up.  The blood test shows our cholestoral is high, or our blood pressure is higher than the present norms.  So we fear the effects.  There are so many physical issues which could arrise - cancer, diabetes, the list seems endless.

Then there are the non-medical issues we can worry about.  The health care system overhaul.  The economy.  Will our job still be there next year?  Will we be able to afford the basic necessities of life?  And our reputation - what will people think of us?  Will people love us if we get fat?  Or disfigured?  We are afraid of an aweful lot of things.

And yet the angels say: Do not be afraid.  It is good advice.  If we believe that God is really in control - even if we don't particularly like the way he exercises his control, we ultimately choose to trust.  And trust helps eradicate fear.  It doesn't take fear away completely, but it certainly helps.  If God is in control, and God is loving and kind, the fears which so often control our lives ought to be temporary.  We can get through it.  We do not go through the issues of life alone.  Christmas reminds us that we do not need to be afraid - God IS with us.   SMJ 

How Long? Thoughts on Psalm 13

Submitted by Pastor Steve on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 06:20

Psalm 13 brings up the question of why God seems to not act on our behalf.  Of course I do not have the type of enemies David had - nobody is seeking my life - my enemies, to the extent that I have any, are fairly inocuous individuals who have little impact upon my life.  I don't konw of anybody who will rejoice over  my falling.  But still, this Psalm speaks to me about those dry times in life when it seems as though God is distant.

I especially resonate with verse two - "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?"  It seems so easy for me to entertain thought patterns which are out of character with my redeemer.  All the morons on the road whom God loves.  Discouragement over unmet goals and desires which I cannot seem to shake.  Sometimes my thoughts triumph over me.  And I am sad when they do. 

Then I cry out to God to reveal himself to me.  To let me see and experience his love so that I can reflect it to others.  To let me see and experience his hope so I can give hope to others.  To remember, that no matter what "enemies" I may see in a day, God is with me and God is good to me.   SMJ

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