The Fountain of Youth

In 1513 a man by the name of Juan Ponce de Leon began a search for a treasure that promised riches beyond the wildest imagination of man. With unmatched pride, he set out with the expectation of finding the fountain of youth - drinking from which would ensure eternal life to its finder. With a following of over 200 of Spain's finest conquistadors, Leon toured the Carribean coast in order to find this mythical treasure, and for years he searched lands that had previously never been explored by any European people. In his frantic search for the fountain, Leon eventually stumbled upon the land we know today as Florida. Although many regarded this as a major success, it just wasn't enough for Leon. Stepping away from the history lesson (as this isn't in any history books), I like to think about how many times Leon bent down to drink from a stream or river thinking that he had finally found the fountain. Even into his last days I can assure you that Leon had thoughts lingering in the back of his mind about the fountain of youth. Juan Ponce de Leon died in 1521 at the age of 46. He did not find what he was looking for.

Often times when I read a Psalm like the one we're going to read this week, I find myself point my fingers at "sinners" - people that make me feel like my life is in check. People that I choose to instrumentally make me feel a little more like Jesus Christ. Sadly, I'm not the only one. After reading this Psalm, I came to realize that these same sinners are no different than Leon - they are looking for something that they cannot find. They are bending down and drinking of the fountains that are offered in this world only to find that they promise nothing. Rather than life, they bring death. It was Jesus who said, "whoever drinks of the water I give will never thirst - the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). We have found the fountain of life - one that rests in Jesus Christ. For me, reading this Psalm helped me realize that these "convicting" Psalms are not about pointing fingers as much as they are about helping people find the fountain of life. Psalm 36




Verses 1-4 It doesn't take much to realize that this section is talking about people living apart from the will of God - outside of the family of grace and love in Jesus Christ. This section talks of sinners. People who live their lives for themselves pursuing the lusts for every type of sin imaginable. This is the part in the Psalm when it becomes easy to detach ourselves and begin to pick on the sinner. Problem is - this section is as much about us as it is about the "worst" sinner in the entire world. We are the wicked. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of perfection. Psalm 58:3 is even a little more up front, telling us that we are wicked from the womb - we are born sinners. The only difference between us and most of the world is that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Does that make us better? Not necessarily, but it does tell us that we have found something that the entire world is looking for (whether they know it or not). Just think about a time you struggled with sin - where you felt distant from God's presence. That's where most people spend the entirety of their lives. Rather than pointing fingers, we can show are friends, relatives, and class mates that we have found happiness, joy, and contentment in the love of God the Father.

Verses 5-10 This is the dividing point - where we as Christians have become separate from the entire world - to live in it but not of it. What act did you do that made you worthy to be called a son or daughter of Christ? What aspect of your life makes you worthy of the kingdom of God? Nothing ... nothing but the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-10 is an excellent passage that talks about God's grace in the context of the fact that he would have none perish. Once again, we were born sinners - we were born unworthy, but our God is rich in mercy and love. Our God is jealous for us, so he sent his only son to die on a cross as a payment for our sins. That we may freely enter into his presence. You didn't do anything to do it. You did nothing to earn it. As much as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses would teach it otherwise, your works are but filthy rags before the Father (Isaiah 64:6). King David wrote knowing that the heart of our God was one filled with grace and compassion. How can you impress an infinite God? You can't. How can you know that an infinite God love you? By looking at the work he has done in Jesus Christ. Verse 9 talks of the fountain of life as well as "the light." Jesus once said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Also, think about the previous verse in which Jesus promises living water. It is in Christ and Christ alone that we have found eternal life.

When the world searches and searches
for the fountain of youth, know that
you have found it in Jesus Christ.

- Chris

Psalm 35 - The Anatomy of Justice

When I was young I never thought that God wanted to hear my problems. I never believed that my pains and my aches were any of his concern, that He had much better things to do. I thought that maybe God was too busy for me and that's why he gave me parents. Fortunately, I was wrong as we'll see. 1 Peter 5:7 says that we are free to "cast our cares" upon God, frankly becasue he cares. In second grade, I remember having a bully who was four grades ahead of me and a lifetime of growing beyond me in size - he was huge. Anyway, I remember when my five foot mama heard about this during our car ride home - she was furious and drove me straight back to school to take care of business. She confronted the boy that was actually probably bigger than she was, but the young man quaked in fear. I don't even know what she said, but the boy never bothered me ever again - simple, swift justice. Now, you might be thinking - Chris, you just told me that God wants to deal with my frustrtations and my worries so why doesn't God take care of my "bullies" in life like your mom took care of yours? Great question. Although God is a just God, His timing is specific - allowing people like you and me to have a chance to understand his love in Christ Jesus. God is just, but God is also love. Because its frustrating anc confusing at times, today we get to study the anatomy of God's justice - Psalms 35



Verses 1-9 King David seems to spend a lot of time in the Pslams talking about his enemies and his afflictions - which seems weird as the Psalms is generally looked at as a book of praise songs. Anyway, this section of the chapter is devoted to David voicing his concerns and his desire for revenge, but he wrote it in a poetic pslam - weird. David is probably one of the few men to ever walk the Earth that understood our first postulate in the anatomy of God's justice - "God is no slack concerning his promises" (2 Peter 3:9). I could recite that verse over and over, but I think my heart is set on a scope of instant justice. In a world with microwaves, airplanes, text messaging, and all the other modern ammenities, it's easy to become impatient with God. When something crummy happens, we wonder why God doesn't just get to business. When a jerk shoves us into a locker at school, we wonder why God doesn't consume Him with righteous flames. When someone cuts me off on the freeway, I always with that I had the ability to pop their tires with a simple prayer, but such is not the case. One of the biggest problems with our understanding of God is that he is not on the same time scale that we are in. When we consider God's work to be too late or too early, He acts precisely when He means to. When God makes a promise to avenge us and to judge the wicked, he will follow through (Rev.). In verse 9, after pleading his case, David is joyful as he truly understands God's timing in regards to justice. The first important aspect of God's form of justice (backed by an infinite amount of wisdom) is that it is timed precisely perfectly.

Verses 9-21 Even though nothing has happened in regards to finding justice, David says that he will rejoice in God. One of the major concepts I struggle with personally is the idea that bad people get away with what they do. Sure, they pay the consequences of their actions, but most of the time, in my humble opinion, they reap a far less "punishment" than they deserve. Even more so, there are people in the world who prosper off of their evil - how is that fair? How can God let this happen? In the Old Testament, there is a book named after a prophet named Habakkuk. In this book are the complaints are a very disgruntled man. As Habakkuk looks at the world, he cries out for God's justice to sweep throughout the world so that all the evil men would die. In Habakkuk's opinion, God was being trampled on. He was being disrespected. King David shows us an interesting aspect about God's seemingly "delayed" punishment for evil. Galatians 6:7 tells us that God is not mocked. That means in God knows what is happening and he has a plan. The verse continues to say that a man will reap what he sows - both physically and eternally. Hebrews 10:29-30 tells us that those who trample on the name of Jesus Christ will be trampled on in return. King David is able to rejoice in the understanding that God has already won. There is no one like our God - no one that can match his power. So why should he wait? Why shouldn't he just show us his victory now by taking out evil once and for all? Well ... that is because God's love is unmatched as well.

Verses 22-28 At the end of all things, we know that evil will not stand. There will come a day where all in the world that is wrong and spiritually numbing will be washed away; that there will come a day when Jesus Christ returns to claim his bride (the church) and destroy all those who tried to corrupt her. Deuteronomy 32:35 (as well as Hebrews 10:30 & Revelation 12:19) tells us that vengeance is God's and not ours. King David was a man filled with joy - known for music, his outbursts in dance, and his life of praise. David understood that it was not his job to take care of his troubles - that he was not in charge of keeping evil in check. What a relief - to know that God is in control. Know that God is in control with good reason. If I were in charge of destroying evil ... a lot of people would be dead ... including people who need to hear the love story of Jesus Christ. Reading the second part of 2 Peter 3:9, it becomes clear that God's primary objective is not too kill all that is evil, but to weed out even the smallest portion of good that exists in mankind. God's wish is that all would come to know the redemption He has provided in His son as a sacrifice. Why does it seem like God is taking a lifetime to do business? Why does it seems sometimes like He's turning a blind eye to the evil that plagues this world? It's because he's giving our lost brothers and sisters a chance to come back home. The anatomy of God's justice is preceded by the potency of His love.


- Chris

Psalm 34 - Surviving Finals Week

Well, it's been quite a while, but I'm glad we got back into this when we did. This week [or next week], as some of you might know, is finals week. We all know how stressful finals can be, how boring studying is, and how frightening it is awaiting the outcome of our grades. On the other hand, the title of this weeks Psalm, at least in my Bible, is "Happiness of Those Who Trust in God." No matter what aspect of life you look at, the stress that amounts to it can never be compared to the peace that we have found in Jesus Christ. This week, we look at a few things that king David did to make sure that he stayed focused on God rather than the worries of this world. Psalm 34




Verses 1-3 One of my least favorite parts of finals week is hearing the complaints that come out of peoples mouths. I know that I am just a guilty, but every year, without fail, there are always people wandering the campus ranting about how they are going to "fail" their classes. I love king David ... he is way too awesome sometimes. The first step, in my humble opinion, to finding peace in Christ is to recognize that His praise always deserves to be on your lips. Think of what God has done for you - the list is, not surprisingly, endless. Now think on the other hand, what God asks from you. I'm so glad that our God is not a God that demands perfection. On the contrary, God is more concerned with the effort you put forth. Knowing that none would ever attain perfection, Paul constantly talked about "the race" in the New Testament. God knows that all of his sheep are failures ... sounds kinda sad right? WRONG! God adores His sheep. He is jealous for His sheep. God knows what you are capable of and fully understands your capability. It really is marvelous. 1 Peter 5:7 says to cast all of your cares upon Him for He cares for you. Your complaints are not to be shouted from the rooftops - rather your worries are to go to God. Now that he has taken the words right out of our mouths, all that is left is praise. First lesson of the week - get rid of all your worthless mumbo-jumbo and lift up the Lord in praise and adoration. How much better would this world be if Christians as a whole stopped talking of their personal sorrows and began speaking the wonders of our maker. Let the praise of the Lord always be on your lips.

Verse 8 I think often, when it comes to the youth, there is this feeling that God is for old people. That you can only be a real Christian later in life when your married, have kids that have kids (grandkids), and you're roughly 3-4 years away from dying. This is not so. I think this thought process comes from this problem that youth are not "tasting" the fruits of the Lord. Growing up, there were foods that I did not want to eat, but my friends or parents insisted - "It's good." Today, cheesecake is my favorite desert thanks to my dad ... just saying. I urge you to do the same thing - taste and see that the Lord is good. Maybe the previous paragraph was a little difficult to swallow. Maybe there have been times in your life that your thinking about that seem to be much more than God can deal with. I promise you - taste and see that the Lord is good. Let his praise be on your lips - see what that does. Get up early and read your Bible - see how your day changes. Lesson number two - taste and see that God truly is who he says he is. Find the peace in Him that he promises.


Verses 13-16 Lastly, and I'll be quick on this one, is to stray from evil. At the beginning, we talked about the "negative nancy" people that always like to complain and grumble. Let me be the first to tell you that God's children are not grumblers. Keep your tongue from evil - whether its inappropriate words, or more so, grumbling and complaining. Why? Why does it matter? God's eyes are fixed on the righteous - those who are praising him. Lesson 3 - "Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it!"


The end.
- Christopher

God's Power > Any Other

I was part of my school's baseball program for six years. Every year, the boys and I would get a new jersey (at least "new" to us) or some article of clothing that had a particular verse written on it - Zechariah 4:6. Even though I was a part of the program for quite a long time, I never took the time to look up the verse. Around my junior year in High School, I picked up a Bible and read this verse:

"Not by power, nor by might,
but by my spirit, says the Lord."

What an encouraging verse right? I mean, it doesn't matter what you encounter in this world - at school, at home, with friends ... God is bigger. God is stronger. Around the same time in High School, I adopted Romans 8:31-39 as my favorite passage in the Bible, it starts:

"What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?"

If you take these two scripture references and put them together, you in essence get the message presented in Psalm 33. As young Christians, we need to have the mentality that God is unmatched in every aspect of our lives. Whatever it is that has you weighed down, bring it to God and lay it as His feet. God is on your side - He refuses to surrender to the pains and struggles you face in life. Don't believe me? Let's check out Psalm 33




Verses 4-5 I think it's easy to come to the realization that God is unlike any other. Aside from his power, the words to desribe his nature are beyond comparison. These two verses give us a little insight into who God is - faithful, unfailing, true, and righteous. God is faithful - he always pulls through. The word tells us that God makes all things work together for our good. I have enough problems trying to find matching socks in the morning, but God seems to have my life in his mighty hands - he will not let me down, and he will not let me go [speaking of course from personal experience]. God's love never fails. As Jesus hung on a cross, bearing the sin of the entire world - there was only one thing on his mind - forgiveness. God's thoughts towards you are more abundant than the sand on the sea shore - the cross is no exception to that, for He died on an individual basis - for you, for me - knowingly. God is true. Try to find a book like the Bible - flawless, perfect, God-breathed (2 Tim). The perfection and intricacy of the word is just a mild reflection of who God is. These are simply a few of the words that we use in the English dictionary to describe our God, who truly is unlike any other.

Verses 6-9 Obviously, this next section talks about creation. By God's very word, the entirety of the universe was poured out in the orderly fashion He saw fit (see Genesis). I like this so very much. No matter where you look, creation is of the most complex pictures we see of our God. David says that even the stars are a result of his mighty breath. Our God is power. I wish that I could make things happen just by saying a command. I cannot, unfortunately, but my mighty God can. Our God is big. David uses the analogy that our God is able to store the oceans in a jar - just like you're able to fill your cup with water from a faucet. God spoke, and it happened. Period. Now think - if our God is big enough to create all that we see, is he not powerful enough to take care of you? Yeah ... He is.

Verses 10-11 This part is so cool. From the beginning of time, man has had the audacity to stand against a might God. These verses tell us that nothing can stand up against God - it's a hands-down victory for our might God. Daniel painted a wonderful picture of a statue made out of all sorts of metals and clay - this statue was smashed by none other that the rock, Jesus Christ. What does this mean for us? Well first and foremost, it means that there is nothing on this Earth that is comparable to our God. Secondly, it means that we should continually check our hearts to see where we stand. Are we grouping our selves with God - letting him govern our lives and dictate our daily paths OR our we settling for less. Are we choosing the easy way out? Are we serving another master? If we are, we're going to get smashed too - we're going to fail. On the other hand, God is infinite - His reign and power are without limit (awesome)!

Verse 12 David says that the man who places his trust in God is a blessed man indeed. Think about your life. What are you holding onto? What is your protection? What or who are you serving? If you're not finding safety in the arms of our almighty God, than you truly are missing out on the profound mystery described in this chapter.

Our God is Big
Our God is Strong
Our God is Power
Our God is Unmatched

-Chris

Movie Night!!!!

Details:
- Friday Night 6:00pm - 10:30pm
- Pizza and Drinks Provided
- If you have the chance, please bring a snack to share :)

God of Sinners

Looking for a job, it is almost impossible to get hired with a felony on your record. If you have been stained with the swift justice of America, you will have a difficult time getting back on your feet. Such is the nature of wrong - such is the nature of sin. You can look left and right, up and down, but no one wants to hire a criminal - no one wants to trust a man or woman who has been labelled a liar, cheater, thief, or murderer. Now, time for some heavy words - you are a spiritual felon. Matthew 5 says that you don't actually have to be commit a crime to be labelled a criminal. For example, Jesus says that he who hates is guilty of the same judgement as a murder - they are labelled the same way. You a spiritually unwanted - you are untrustworthy and deserving of nothing but swift justice of a mighty God. Well, why doesn't He just get it over with? Our God is just, but he is also merciful and full of grace - God wants sinners - not sinful people, but ones who have been stained with title of 'spiritual criminal.' How do I know this? He sent his only begotten Son to hang on a cross and bleed to death so that he could welcome me into His forgiveness. The God that wants to call sinners His own ... leaves me speechless. Psalm 32



Verses 1-5 I remember when I was in first grade - beanie babies were hot stuff - so I decided to steal two off of my teachers desk. The guilt of my sin weighed so heavily on me, I couldn't even play with my newly acquired best friends (the stuffed animals), so I threw them under my bed and refused to play with them. I found the toys later on in life and thought to myself how stupid I was - how foolish the decision I made looked, gazing back in the past. Guilt is serious business - it's painful and dangerous - it eats away at you. So it's no surprise to us when David says, "blessed be the forgiven." Basically, how lucky we are to have a God who is faithful and just to forgive us of all of our mistakes - no matter how big or how small. But there is a catch right? We have to be honest - we have to show Him our "criminal record" and make ourselves vulnerable in His presence. A convicted felon could finish his sentence in jail, falsify his records, and get a job, right? He could lie about who he was and where he came from ... but he would never break free of reality - He would not be restored or cleared of his conscience, of who he really was. Even if you want to dodge God and pretend to be "holy," He knows what's going on. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God's eagle eyes penetrate to the heart. David is right, the only way to be freed of your guilt is to ask for God's forgiveness (faithful as the morning - 1 John 1:9). But this is cool right. So many religious systems are governed by conviction - you have to earn you forgiveness right? You have to do so many hail mary's and confess to the Pope, right? WRONG. God's forgiveness is eternal - it's fulfilling and beyond measure. Ephesians says that we have been saved through grace and nothing else (not even works) ... but that God chose to want a relationship with sinners - with us.

Verses 6-11 [Side-track] If you have never heard the cry of a donkey and seen tears fall from its beautiful face, then you have not experience true sadness [end side-track]. I love what David says here - don't be stubborn. People are so angry at God when it comes to sin ... why? PRIDE. Nobody likes to answer for their mistakes. Nobody likes to be told their wrong. Nobody likes to humble themselves before an almighty God ... it's not easy and it's not comfortable. The world is stubborn, are you? If so, you're missing out. David continues to say that the sins of the world are numerous, but God's love is so much greater. God's ability to forgive is so much further beyond anything we could possibly add up to in sin. Have you been forgiven or do you still have guilt? Are you rejoicing in Christ or are you throwing yourself a pity party? God always wants the sinner, but for some reason the sinner doesn't always want God.

Just some stuff to think about
- Chris

Back and Forth and Back and Forth

When I was younger, my little brothers were younger too. Make sense? Anyway I remember when my little brother went through this "yes/no" phase. My mom would ask if he would like something to eat; he would say yes. When my mom brought out the food, he would change his mind and say no. When the food was gone ... he was back to "yes, I want food." The cycle never ended ... until my mom gave up his little "yes/no" game. Just so you know, this wasn't just with food - it was with everything ... my little brother lived his life under the strict policy of the "yes/no" game. When I read the Psalm this week, it reminded me a little of the yes/no game. You'll notice that king David goes back and forth on his focus - First, it's on God, then his enemies, then back to God, and again back to his enemies. What's the chapter about? ... Well ... both. Psalm 31



Verses 1-5 So we start out pretty basic right? David is just talking about God the way he normally does. God is our strong tower, He is our fortress, and our defense. So many times in life when we face a difficult situation, we tend to dwell on the thing going wrong in life. As you'll see, David is dealing with a few issues himself, but the first thing He does - goes to God. Why do you think he would do that? It goes back to the principle of the three little pigs right? Do you want to build a shelter out of wood? out of straw? No, you need to make a shelter out of bricks; sooner or later the wolves of this world will come huffing and puffing on your shelter - will it stand? 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 gives us this same picture. You can choose to build your life on the hay, straw, and bricks of this world but these aren't the materials the "wise master builder" should be using. "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." David has chosen a mighty fortress - an unshakable shelter to keep him from harm. David commits his life to the hands of a strong God [strong's an understatement really ... no words can describe God's might]. Anyway, he chooses God as a shelter ... here's why ...

Verses 6-13 At the beginning we see a little bit of this "God/enemies" game David seems to be playing in this chapter, but here's a list of some of David's troubles: he's depressed (9-10), He's fallen prey to sin (10), he has enemies who hate him (11), his neighbor's can no longer stand him (11), people have forgotten him (12), he has been let down, people are trying to KILL HIM (13). If you thought you had a lot going on ... think about David's list. Even so, you might read this and think, "man, this David dude is a complainer." Well ... what is he doing? He's taking all of his problems and all of his frustrations to the God he knows will take care of it - casting all his cares upon God because he has faith in the fact the God loves him (1 Peter 5:7). That's a man of God. That's the King David I have come to know and love. Just a quick check for ourselves - how often do you we lay our problems out before the king of kings? ... probably not very often right? So we've gone from God to enemies ... back to God

Verses 14-16 I like this. After complaining about his problems, the first thing David asks God is for God to make His face shine through in every situation in life. We're never too quick to hand over our problems to God, let alone, surrender our emotions to His will. From David, we could all learn just a little bit more what it means to be trusting of God - to give Him not only our problems but also allowing Him to handle the situation for us. "Let your face shine upon me" should be the basis of our prayer - that God would shine through us in every situation or choice we make in life. Just a quick note: Matthew 5:14 calls us the light of the world and a city on a hill. The thing most people forget is that when the people of this world look at you, they ought not be impressed with you, but with how God works in and through every situation of your life. How'd you become the light of the world? By God's grace, His love, and his never-ending mercy. Back to the bad guys ...

Verses 17-18 David continues here to talk about his enemies. He cries out for justice - for his enemies to be buried by a righteous God. Is that okay? Absolutely. Our God is a just God - he knows His right and wrongs - no way about it. He knows the way he has asked us to live our lives and holds us all to it. I think this section flies back up two paragraphs - David here is giving God the situation. Rather than being the 5-year old boy who says "I'm gonna kill him," David expresses his feelings honestly to God and trusts that God will do what is best. David was honest in prayer ... not afraid to express how he felt - something we could all learn to do just a little bit better.

Verses 19-24 If you see anything you want to add here, then go ahead - there is a lot of good stuff, but we've made our point ... which is: We go to God first to be our shelter - before we go anywhere else. We share our problems and our struggles with Him honestly/truthfully ... why? He cares. Lastly, we ask that He shine through in our lives in every way possible - even in tough situations that you might feel you want to face alone.


Have a great week guys!
- Chris

Faithfulness and the Morning

One of my favorite songs on my current playlist is Beautiful by Phil Wickham. In the song he sings:

I see your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside your eyes

There's something special about a sunrise. Every morning as the sun rises, you can watch the light chase the darkness across the sky - it's new, it's refreshing, it comes without fail. So, it's true, God's eyes are filled with grace, faithfulness, and unfailing love. I remember one year when I was in Costa Rica in a hotel room dubbed "the unicorn palace" - no air conditioning, hundreds of mosquitoes. On the other hand, this room was also roughly 200 feet from the Caribbean Ocean. Every morning when I woke up, I got to watch the sun rise over the water - a simply breathtaking way to start the day. The morning is such a beautiful picture of God's grace and mercy - "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning" [Lamentations 2:22-23 (ESV)]. Without fail, God will forgive (just as the sun is faithful to rise). This week, we feature a verse that says "joy comes with the morning." Have you found joy in forgiveness? Is God's mercy something that you are excited/joyful about? Or did you forget just how beautiful it is?



Verses 1-3 I like to call sections in the Bible like this, the "you have's" ... All David does here is say, "God you have [fill in the blank with something wonderful]." Think about it though, what does this speak of? What does this tell us about our God? He is faithful. Unlike pretty much everything else, he pulls through for us ... all the time. The last 29 chapters of Psalms are riddled with David's praise, but also his petitions and requests to God - here, in chapter 30, they are answered. Maybe you don't feel the same way ... maybe you feel like you and God just don't have a "you have [fill in the blank]" type of relationship. I pose this question: Have you asked? Have you made your request known to God? Have you given him 29 chapters of your life so that he can faithfully answer in the 30th? James 4:2 says, "you do not have, because you do not ask." You can't expect an answer if you don't ask. You can't expect provision if you do not ask (granted, God surprises us from time to time, right?). In Psalm 3 (27 weeks ago), we talked about a word "selah." We can almost replace that word in the Bible with "stop and think." I encourage you to stop and think. To meditate on God's word daily (even if it's just for a little bit). I would ask you to consider a time of prayer where you give God you day and make you requests know to Him. In Jesus' model prayer, He even says to ask: "give us this day our daily bread." Make your desires known to God and He will faithfully answer - more faithfully than the morning sunrise.

Verses 4-5 I like how verse 5 reads. I really like it. Think about before you dedicated your life to Christ - before you "purposed in your heart" as the book of Daniel would say, God seemed convicting - God seemed angry. I think that people who struggle to accept God are intimidated by the fact that their standing on the opposite side of the battle field facing God. God hates sin, and that's scary. On the other hand, He loves us. Think about the times you have fallen into a period of sin - you felt convicted, you felt like you were fighting against God ... detached, maybe even scared. David says here, God's anger is but for a moment ... why? It only takes a moment for person to step from sin and to walk into his mercy, grace, and forgiveness. It's easy not easy to step out of sin, but the reward is the Father's favor of a lifetime. Forgiveness - it brings joy like the morning - faithfully, on time, without fail. This whole section is a highlight. David is so enamored by God's faithfulness that he can only describe the feeling by pointing to creation - to the morning ... to the sunrise (see last week). What do we do about this? (v4) Sing praise, give thanks, and remember/never forget how good God is to us.

Verses 6-12 Just read this for yourself. It's kind of off our topic for this week , but there is still some very excellent stuff in here. Favorite: "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing" (v 11). If you think something is really cool, post on it in the comment section :)


It's so easy to overlook a sunrise ...
Don't make the same mistake with God's faithfulness.

-Chris

Creator - Kind of an Understatement (29)

Today when I was driving to visit my parents for dinner at their house, I turned on the radio and listened to a man named Jack Hibbs teach a message on defending creation. He did a fantastic job explaining the holes in evolutionary logic and an even better job explaining the poor approach people generally take to seeing God as our creator. As we have been reading the gospel of Luke and looking at the truly perplexing history of Jesus and the disciples, we have come to realize that the Bible is no ordinary story. In fact, it seems obvious that we have come to the conclusion that the attitude we have had all along while reading scripture is not the one we should have. The Bible is crazy. The Bible is out of this world. The stories about Jesus life are intense and uncomfortable. Guys ... our creator is not boring. Our creator is not dull or unimpressive. Look around. Our God - our mighty God - created all of this. All that you see and all that you have ever been impressed with in nature comes from an awesome creator (by awesome, I mean jaw dropping - knock your socks off). Just think. The roar of the ocean show us his power. The beauty of a sunset shows us his passion and creativity. The sound of the wind blowing though the trees shows us his gentleness. The list can go on and on ... the term creator is not one to be taken lightly. In fact, our creator revealed himself to us in the masterpiece of his creation - all for the sake of His love for us. He is the creator ...



Verses 1-2 So what's this Psalm about anyway. We read it and we find David pleading with us to do something. What exactly is he asking? He wants us to "ascribe" to the Lord - or in other words "give credit where credit is due." When I work very hard on something, I always anticipate someone giving me a 'pat on the back' - telling me my project looks nice, that I did a good job on my homework, that my GPA is impressive, that I did a 'good job' ... we all do it right? We're so prideful - quick and ready to receive applause but slow to dish it out. What this Psalm is about is taking a step back, looking around at the world, and realizing the credit that God deserves. Just look up at the stars, watch the clouds, have a staring contest with the sun ... I don't care what you do as long as you take David's challenge seriously - ascibe to God. Ascribe to the mighty creator.

Verses 3-9 I'm pretty sure I don't need to say much here. Think about the mightiest storm you've ever been in. One year when I went to Costa Rica, there was a hurricane hitting a neighboring country which obviously dragged some storms to where I was staying. For the first time in my life, raindrops hurt my skin ... thunder shook the very core of my being. For once ... real thunder - not wimpy, not boring, not lame ... but powerful, body shaking, intimidating. David says here - our God's voice is like thunder (just a crazy picture of who God is right?). David even says that God's voice is powerful enough to shatter one of the worlds strongest trees ... that's the real deal. God's creation was intended to give us a picture of who he is. Think about it a little bit - Jesus says that even when we fail to represent Him, the rocks will cry out. CREATION SPEAKS. Creation tells us of the power of our God, or at least gives us a slight glimpse of it. David doesn't even stop with the thunder. God is more brilliant than lightning (brightening up even the darkest of places). God's presence strips forests bare. You can tell a lot about a painter by what they paint. On a greater scale, you can also tell a lot about God by observing pieces of his creation.

well what now? I remember the first time I heard a message like this. I can't drive in my car the same way anymore. I can't go a regular day without thinking about at least a small piece of God's creation. Take it to heart. Look at creation. Observe the masterpiece that surrounds you on a daily basis. God is our creator ... what does that mean to you? Perhaps that he kinda just threw the universe together? ... nope ... he painted a picture for you to know who he is and who he wants to be in your life.


Creator ... kind of an understatement yeah?
-Chris


Verses 1-4

What's your Tone? - Psalm 28

Dillon smells. Dillon smells really bad. This is mostly because he thinks that Martin guitars sound better than Taylor guitars ... which is false (opinion based). Needless to say, every guitar has a distinct tone - Martins are known for being dark, full, and bluesy whereas the Taylor guitar (cheaper) are known for their well-rounded range, and rich sound. It's amazing to think of all the things that play a role in the making of a quality guitar - professional guitar makers have even studied the effects of different woods on the overall sound of the instrument. Even more so, those three little knobs in the picture below also play a huge role in how an amplified acoustic guitar will sound. We're not even going to talk about all the important components to a guitar, but there are so many things to think about when it comes to buying [or making] a guitar - fret board, woods, action, shape, glues, bolts, etc. There's just an unbelievable amount of things that goes into the making of a rich sounding guitar. Luckily, as Christians, the choice of our spiritual "tone" is much easier - as there is only one choice that truly outweighs the competition. Do you have an attitude that resonates beneficially with people that surround you? Does your live "sound" like Christ's? Are you using the right materials (reference: the Bible), or are you filling your life with worthless junk? The question today is - what's your tone? Psalm 28



Verses 1-5 Sometimes when I read the Psalms, I get really confused - it almost seems at times that David, the king of kings (other than Jesus), is crying like a baby. Why would the manliest of men be in such a questionable state? When I cry, I hide my face, but David shows himself openly - what in the world is going on? The answer is pretty simple, and we'll form it into a question - what's David's tone? Even though kings David was probably one of the most powerful men to roam the Earth, he knew one who was more powerful - the Living God. The tone here is one of desperation - "God, I know I can't do this, but you can!" David is a man who recognized that he could not answer his own prayers, that he could bring contentment to his own heart (or others for that matter), or that he could protect himself from evil. What a mighty man of God - found where? On the floor crying for God. Are you getting the picture here? Jesus was found once washing the disciples feet - talk about "practice what you preach." Jesus also said that we are to humble ourselves if we are to be exalted (Luke 11:14). The fact of the matter is that you cannot bring about spiritual success in your life unassisted. If you try, you will fail. Paul constantly talked about the death he experienced - but he was still alive at the time (obviously) ... what? He said that it was not he who lived, but Christ in Him (Gal 2:19-20) - because Paul recognized the truth of Christ's preaching ... he understood king David's tone - that God is the answerer to our prayers, the strength in our weakness, the light in our darkest our, and the Father to all who come to him. My dad changed my oil on Saturday - because I'm a loser, and he does it 13422034502754 times faster than I could ever do it. I wish that in my life I gave more control to God - that I would trust Him to work in my life 6423984392834 times better that I could ever. This is just the first tone of two - one of humility, desperation, and need. Do you have it?

Verses 6-9 The second tone is one of praise, but it will never come before the first one. Even to obtain salvation, the Bible talks of a repentant heart - joy comes at the price of self-sacrifice. Even so, the man who a few verses was crying, has come to the realization that God is all of those things in his life that he had asked for. It takes a big heart to humble yourself, but God rewards those who do with a heart filled with joy, peace, patience [insert the rest of the fruit of the spirit]. I just love how this Psalm ends - start with a tone of desperation and end with joy in God's fulfilled promises. So we go back to the beginning - what's your tone? Are you desperate for God? Are you hungry for the word? Are you living a life in pursuit of an intimate relationship with an interested creator? If so ... Are you living in joy? Are you abounding in happiness? Have you found shelter in the God that calls himself our rock and shelter? I leave you with this ...

Let Him "be your shepherd and carry you forever"

There is an illustration that talks about history when shepherds would brake their sheep's legs when the sheep disobeyed or did something stupid. The shepherd would then carry the sheep until the wound healed. The picture shows us, the sinner, being brought close to God in order to learn to stay near to Him. I don't know about you, but I never want God to put me back down (even if i'm "not a sinner anymore") ... I want Him to carry me forever.


See you later!
-Chris

What's Yous Battle Cry? (27)

One of my favorite aspects of every war movie is the emotion captured by scenes with men in the heat of battle. For the most part, every movie that has war involved has some sort of battle cry poured out from the very soul of the warrior before (or just as) he enters into battle - whether it be a cry for vengeance, a chant for ones country, or a wail of agony and desperation. Just watch! As the two opposing sides approach each other, the men begin to scream in a manner that sends shivers down your spine. What's your battle cry? Psalm 27


Verses 1-6 In honor of our senior pastor Jim, the above picture was taken back in the day when he (personally) fought for the freedom of Scotland. Well, not really ... the picture is actually of the character William Wallace from Braveheart. If you know anything about this movie, you know that it is filled with some of the most powerful battle cries known to man. As listed above, there are cries for the country, cries for vengeance, and for pain as well - bellows that shake the very core of your being - powerful, heart-felt, intimidating. As we get into the Psalm, we must recall that we are in the midst of spiritual battle (Eph 6:10-20). We start this chapter and we see David question - "whom shall i fear?" Great question right? ... the answer: no one (Rom 8:31). God is our light, our salvation, our protector, our shield, and so much more (read the last 26 Psalms). David continues in this segment of the Psalm to preamble his war cry - why is he making the cry in the first place. This is not a cry of desperation. This is not a cry of fear. This is not a cry of pain, sadness, or defeat. This is a cry of victory. David says that when his enemies advance on him - in the brink of battle - he knows where to go. My parents are currently teaching my dog max how to swim as he recently fell into the pool and almost drowned. The hope is that when he falls into the pool next time he knows to swim to the steps and exits the pool instead of flailing around like an idiot. Basically the first question we approach is - do you know where to go in the heat of battle? Do you know where to find your refuge? David says that his head is lifted above all his enemies (even before the battle starts). So i guess ... is God your victory?

Verses 7-14 This is our battle cry - "Your face, Lord, I will seek." In Him our paths are made straight. In him we find grace, mercy, and peace - not to mention safety from attack. One of my favorite passages here is the one about our parents (v.10). I have amazing parents (as I'm sure you do too), but I have found from time to time that they still fail me. I have found that as amazing of an example they both are for me, they're sinners to . They let me down, they break my heart. Never has God let me down. Sure God has broken my heart, but it was because I chose to abandon Him and pursue something I shouldn't. What a good shepherd - one that whole-heartedly pursues me, a sinner (Hosea). I am confident, as David was confident, that I will find goodness in the Lord. So I leave you with this:

"Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord."

That's just the pep-talk before the battle. What will be your battle cry?

-Chris

What's Your Habitat?

When my uncle, Jeremy, graduated high school, he took a one way ticket straight Hungary. There, he learned the native language, worked at a local church, and eventually got married to a nice, little Hungarian lady named Izabella. A few years later, his wife gave birth a child I like to call "the tornado" - his real name is Ezekiel. A few months ago, Jeremy started thinking about moving back to Hungary to continue missionary work, and Ezekiel was thoroughly upset with the idea. At pre-school, my four year old nephew constructed a poem in which he expressed his love for his "habitat." He talked on and on about why it's not good to leave your "habitat," and why he didn't want to go back to Hungary. Despite the odd word choice, "the tornado" was onto something. He understood that there are places that are good to live and places that are not. For example - hundreds of thousands of people live in Southern California right? What about death valley? What about the Gobi Desert? What about on top of Mount Everest? Yeah ... didn't think so. So let's think about this spiritually. God has put rules before us - He's given us an outline of the way that we should live our lives ... why? Because we are in control of the spiritual habitat that we choose. You can purposefully live where God wants you to ... or you can be an idiot and choose to live somewhere else (spiritually speaking of course). The question: Are you living in a spiritual desert? Or are you like a tree planted by the rivers of water? (Psalm 1)

Psalm 26


Verses 1-7 A lot of the times when you read the Bible, you realize that so many of the characters have the same heart and the same passion for God. In Ezekiel 11, we see that God makes a promise to His people to give them an undivided heart ... so this makes perfect sense. Although God has separate plans for each and every persons life - an individualistic adventure that He has set aside for you, the heart behind it is always the same for a person who chooses to follow. Daniel, the guy that almost got devoured by lions, has a famous Bible verse set apart to describe his life. It talks about how he purposed in his heart to not to live in sin, but to set apart his life for the purpose of pursuing the Father (no matter the costs). David echoes some similar thoughts in this Psalm. David says that he has "walked in integrity" - that he has walked in "the Truth" of God's word. David even asks God to examine his life and point out any areas where he might be stumbling. Michelle (my beautiful girlfriend) and I just started reading the book of Hosea. The book is such a wonderful reminder that we are all sinners. As Jesus would say - there is no one good but God. We fall short - we do not hit the mark, but are we living in a way that allows God to fix that in us? David continues and gives us an idea of how we are supposed to live our lives. He says that he chooses not to dwell in the midst of evil-doers - that he will not sit with the wicked (read Psalm 1:1-2). HAVE YOU CHOSEN A SPIRITUAL HABITAT THAT IS SUITABLE? If you're struggling with swearing, don't hang out with people who swear. If you're struggling with temptation to abuse drugs and alcohol, don't hang around people who will cause you to even be tempted. It just makes sense. In fact, I would encourage an even stricter policy - just don't hang out with bad people. Lambs don't drink water where the wolves are close by. Warthogs won't go to the fields where a pride of lions is hanging out. Humans don't camp in a cave full of bears. Why would we do that spiritually? In the new testament, Jesus says that if an eye causes you to sin, pluck it out (Matt 18:9). Maybe a bit extreme (don't rip out your eyes please) - Instead, I would encourage you to choose a "habitat" that is spiritually sound. Use discernment when choosing friends, places to hang out at, or even in participating in something you love. I have a friend of mine who plays college baseball - he tells me that he struggles with sin just because of the people on the team. How did I encourage him? What did I say to do? ... quit baseball. Easier said than done. It's much more important to build up barriers between you and sin than between you and God. period.

Verses 8-12 I don't want to go on very much longer, because I don't want you guys to fall asleep reading this ... but this is important. David says that he loves the "habitation" of the Lord's house (NKJV). He desires to live in a spiritually healthy place - in the presence of "living water" and not in a desert. He will choose to walk in integrity - meaning he will not choose a life of sin (or live in the presence of sinning people). Instead he will dedicate his life to glorifying God. Have you chosen your habitation out of love for God or something else?

Hope you guys are having a blast before school starts!
-Chris

The Lame Men Walk, The Blind Men See

Psalm 25
Don't get me wrong when I say this, but this is a longer Psalm than I have time to deal with. I mean, come on, it would take forever to finish every last detail of these 22 wonderful verses. This is just what you have to understand about the Bible - there is too much good stuff to cover for how short life is (start studying now ... you will never reach an end of good study). Even so, the show must go on. We've got to cover something right? Right! SOOOOO ... Let's talk about Jesus. Let's talk about how He not only had the power to make the lame walk and the blind see but also the love and compassion to reach out to those people in the first place. Our God is an awesome God, but chooses to make Himself open to forgiveness ... ready to offer second chances ... joyful in the opportunity for new lives to be started in Him. BUT ... are you choosing Him or something else?



Verses 4-5 Imagine being on a freeway overpass about to go to school. You mom/dad passes the normal exit you would take to head to a long, boring day of learning. For a moment, you get unbelievably excited because you think that you're off the hook for the day - no quizzes, no tests, no challenges, no teachers, nothing to worry about ... until ... your driver turns onto the next freeway entrance (which is supposed to be an exit) and you find yourself in a minivan going nearly 100 miles per hour in the wrong direction on the highway. DANGER. EXPLOSION. BIG ACCIDENT. HOSPITAL ... and you still make it in time for school. What a day right? Well here's the deal. The truth about God's plan for your life is that it's not always going to be fun or easy. Psalm 37:4 tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. There's a big difference here between getting what you want and what God wants for you. If you delight yourself in the Lord, your heart will grow to be like His - His desires for your life become your desires for your life. The fact of the matter, though, is that God doesn't force his desires upon us (which is key in understanding the existence of both "free will" and God's plan for your life"). You basically have two choices - follow God's plan for your life, no matter the difficulty you may face OR make up your own plan (after all, you are a genius right?) ... and then SELF-DESTRUCT! If you make plans for your life, they will never work out the way you intended them to... but there is an almighty God whose plans for you are filled with promises of a bright future and the hope of salvation (Jeremiah 29:11). So VERSES 4-5 shows the mindset that we ought to have. We've been forgiven - just like Jesus cleansed the lepers, just like he made the blind see and the lame walk - His work on the cross has taken your rotten life and provided you with a second chance. This is not to say that sin itself passes away, but we choose a lifestyle in Christ rather than in sin. In Galatians it says - It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Think about the lives that Jesus touched - the radical transformation that took place in all the people who were healed. Do you feel you've been set free? Do you feel that you have tasted God's grace? These men had - and Christ said to the majority - "your faith has made you well."

Verses 4-5 SO, you probably thought we were moving on right? Well too bad ... buckle up and let's keep movin'. Right, so Jesus said "your faith has made you well." These men, for the most part, had faith enough to know that Jesus could make their lives whole - that Jesus could make their "story" a million times greater than it was. How do you feel about what God is doing in your life? Do you feel bummed out about Jesus? Well ... rethink your priorities. David says "Show me your ways Oh God ... teach me your paths." Why? Because God is the God of our salvation. He saved me. He saved you. How much more would a person have to do to have your trust? How much more would God have to do for you to pick up a life that glorifies Him? There's this song called "Let Everything that Has Breath" that says:

Praise You when I'm laughing,
Praise You when I'm grieving,
Praise You every season of the soul.

Maybe you are hurting right now ... who better to go to than the God that knit you together in your mother's womb? (Psalm 139:13) Maybe you're in a very comfortable time in your life right now. Praise God, right? In all situations in life, God asks that we give him the wheel. God asks for faith (trust) ... with which He will do great and mighty things. In fact, Habakkuk tells us that God is planning to do things in our lives that we wouldn't even believe if we were told (Hab. 1:5). How crazy is that? The God of the universe ... the creator of all ... wants to do a work in you. Let Him.

Chapter 25 If you read the rest of the Psalm, you'll really see how much David trusted God. He put his life in the Lord's hands for joy, mercy, restoration, peace, deliverance, and all sorts of things that we've talked about in the last 25 weeks (crazy huh?). It's almost like David made himself to have the attitude of a blind man. He made himself nothing, cause he knew the power that our God has. Why did the blind men call out to Jesus? Why did the lame men crawl to his feet? Because ... in our weakness, God is always strong. When our plan fails us and we turn our hope to God, He always has a plan to pick us back up on our feet (Isaiah 40:13).


Hope to see you all this week!
-Chris

God ... Everything ... and You

So as the title for this week implies, our psalm talks a little about God and everything (everything includes you), but it also steps back and touches on the opportunity to have a one on one relationship with the God who created everything. We have a really short Psalm this week, but it's one that is quite powerful ... Pay Attention! - Psalm 24



Verses 1-6 As a boy growing up, there were times where I had a horribly messy room - maybe not as bad as the picture above, but sometimes it felt like it. On the other hand, even when my room looked like a tornado rolled through it, I was still able to find the things I cared about - my cell phone, my back-pack, my computer, my baseball stuff. There was always so much going on in my room, but I had it under control - it was no longer a messy room to me ... it was just artistic living. Now think about GOD. David says that God is the creator of everything ... the grass in your front yard, the tree you fell out of and broke your arm, the lake your family visits every year, the massive oceans separating continents, the earth, the sun ... the universe. Man, talk about a messy room. Not to say that God is chaotic, but He certainly does have a lot of stuff going on - a massive list of things He has to know. But David continues ... who can stand in the presence of this Holy God? Who is worthy? Who is able? Me? You? ... no way jose'. Even though God is the creator of the universe, and even though He literally has a million other things to worry about ... He drops everything - just to be with you. Amazing. Psalm 139:17-18 tells us that God's thoughts towards us are as numerous as the grains of sand on the Earth. Jeremiah tells us that God has planned to give us a future and a hope. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John showed the reality of these promises through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Does that mean for one second that we are worthy? Does that mean the answer to David's questions is "MEEEE"? No, but ... just like when I was a young boy and my room was filled with garbage - God looks at creation and he knows where you're at. I cared about my computer ... God cares about you.

Verses 7-10 The second part of this Psalm is a bit different, but the question we're basically given here is this - Is God your king? Are you loyal to Him and no one else? Do you bow at His feet? Do you heed his commands? Truly, these are questions worth considering. If the "King of Kings" is willing to search through creation to find you ... as little as you are ... are you willing to return the favor? God is the "King of glory" ... but is he yours?

See you all later this week!
-Chris

What a Good Shepherd

This weeks Psalm is probably the second most famous passage in the Bible – just behind John 3:16. Here it is – Psalm 23



Often times when I read a section of the Bible that I have previously read, I tend to see things differently. Usually when I read this Psalm, I see a picture of lamb and a loving shepherd … a picture of comfort in knowing that God loves me and protects me. Although that is a wonderfully perfect way to look at it, this time when I read the Psalm, I saw something a little differently – this time I saw a list. A set of qualifications. A description of who my God is and what he does for me – a truly Good Shepherd

Verse 1 – The Lord is my shepherd? What in the world is that supposed to mean. Well, think about it – if we are the sheep and He is the shepherd, that would mean his job is to provide, to sustain, to guide, to protect – obviously the list goes on. In a nutshell, this simple verse that people tend to glaze over to get to the “meat” of the chapter is somewhat the most important. The Good Shepherd has claimed ownership over us. In other sections of the Bible, we are told that we have been adopted (Ephesians 1:5). How crazy is it to think that the owner of the universe would take the responsibility of making you His son or his daughter. We're told that his thoughts are endless towards us – it simply blows my mind. In this Psalm, we'll see just what it means the Lord is our Shepherd.

Verse 2 – God makes us as sheep lie down by still waters. He puts us in the greenest of pastures. If that makes absolutely no sense, think about the most peaceful place you've ever been. When I was a freshman in High School I sat on a rock in the middle of a river waiting on the Lord – peace. As our shepherd, God has taken on the responsibility of giving us a safe-haven, a place of rest, and most of all a place of peace. Sometimes I find myself questioning this idea – does God really give me peace? The answer is a resounding yes. The only times I find myself in danger or in pain is when I stray from the plan that He has for me – when I take my life in my own hands. Check out the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). This section of the Psalm also talks of abundance and life. In Psalm 1, we're told that we are to be a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit. God has given us the opportunity to find peace, as well as an opportunity to grow spiritually – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 3 – Here it is again. God has called us His own. As we make our way down the checklist, we find that our God is a God of restoration. Many of you are probably familiar with this cultural tidbit, but bear with me. In old times, shepherds were known for breaking the legs of misbehaving sheep – if they walked too close to a cliff … BOOOM … broken leg via a mighty swing of a staff. What happens next? Well the shepherd carries the injured lamb on his shoulders to teach it to stay close – to build a strong relationship between the sheep and himself. That's what God is constantly doing with us. So putting it together – restoration hurts … it's not fun. On the other hand, we have a Shepherd who uses situations in our lives to teach us more about Him and to keep us in line. We have a God who will do whatever it takes to call us his own – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 4 – Sometimes God uses the rod on us – to protect us right? On the other hand, think about what damage he can do to those who try to mess us up – uhm … like the devil. The last several Psalms that we covered talked about God as a rock, as a foundation, a shelter, etc. This week, we see an active portrayal of what God truly is as a Shepherd – He is our protector. I go to a Bible study every Tuesday (almost) … It's led by a guy named Mario. Before we start every week, Mario likes to say something along the lines of, “If there are any wolves here, I'll protect my sheep.” Although I like Mario very very much, he will never be able to save me from the wolves of my life. He will never be able to defend me in the way our Almighty God can. Truly, as he has promised time and time again, God will protect us and keep us from harms way – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 5 – Out of all of the descriptions of a shepherd, this is the weirdest to me. Never in my life have I ever heard of a Shepherd preparing a feast (a Thanksgiving Style feast) for his sheep. Animals are meant to eat slop. I loved my pet pig, Kramer. Even so, I fed him garbage – cause he ate it. Think about it this way – even though we are but sheep in the presence of a mighty Shepherd, He has gone above and beyond – preparing us a feast in the presence of our enemies. He, after snuffing out a wolf, shares the triumph with us. God is our victory. Not only that, but he blesses us with so much more than we will ever deserve. People have asked me time and time again – why does God love us? … Too which I generally end up at - “I'm just as confused as you.” The question is not why he loves us but HOW HE LOVES US. God has chosen to provide for us in abundance, give us peace, make our lives fruitful, restore us, adopts us and give us belonging, protect us, bless us, and share in his triumph with us – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 6 – So we lay it on the table. Truly, if you recognize the truth of these statements, then you can say - “I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever … and ever … and ever ...” can you?


It's good to be back home!
Look forward to seeing all of you guys!
-Chris

Psalm 22

A Psalm a week: Psalm 22

This is a long one, full of great verses and ideas; here are only a couple of the big ideas. Read it for yourself here!

This Psalm of David is really cool because, as I learned it at school, it contains prophecy that Jesus fulfills. After reading the first part of verse 1 (“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”) you may recognize this statement. Many years after this verse was written, Jesus was hanging on a cross and said the same thing (check out Matt 27:46 or Mark 15:34).
Why did Jesus say that? One reason is as follows. The Pharisees, with all their biblical knowledge, would recite passages from the Bible in a funny way. One of them would start by saying the first verse and then the rest of them would finish it. Jesus knew this, and so He appropriately started speaking the words of a Psalm that contained prophecies He fulfilled, so that the Pharisees that surrounded and watched his crucifixion would think to themselves the verses that follow. As we will see, the Psalm continues (verses 16-18) with random statements that happened to Jesus in the moments following his crucifixion. In John 19:24,36,37 we see these verses of Psalms repeated… “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots”, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken”, and “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” It is really amazing that years before Jesus was even born, God was putting prophecies in the Bible that His Son would fulfill. It is just further proof that God had to inspire the words of the Bible, for 40 different men could not have written such perfectly prophesied words and verses. Awesome.

So besides this Psalm being an amazing testament to the perfectly, inspired word of God, it also has great comfort for Christians today. The title of this Psalm in my Bible says “A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise”. Repeated throughout this Psalm, we see cries of pain or loneliness, a cry for deliverance, then we see a song of praise remarking on how holy and awesome our God really is. The first two verses are a cry of anguish, a cry for deliverance from words, but David remarks in verse three “Yet You are holy.” Again we see the reoccurring theme that in pain and times of trouble, God is there for us. Holy is such a weird word, what does it even mean? Upon researching this word, it means “pure, loving nature and separate from evil”. God’s holiness demands a response of worship, which is where David’s songs of praise come in. “22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. 23You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you [e] will I fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him those who cannot keep themselves alive.”
So, to sum it all up, God is all knowing (fulfilling prophecies in Jesus and composing the Bible in perfection) and God is comforting to those who diligently seek His face, worship Him, for He alone is worthy of praise, and live to give God the glory in their lives.

God bless!

p.s. sorry for the delay this week :/

A Good King

Psalm 21


Every king is marked by his kingdom. This is how I know that the Burger King is the most disappointing king of them all. Burger King's food doesn't even taste good ... that should tell you something. Anyway, let's think about real kings. As we all know, any successful king that has ever walked this planet has taken two things very seriously - his nation, and his people. Every king's pride is found in his people, and every king's status is marked by the prestige of his nation ... If that doesn't make sense, it will in a little bit. Today, we're going to see a king that didn't place his trust in the wealth of the world or the stone that help up the walls surrounding his city. Rather, the king we study today is the one that found his wealth and his protection in the father - one that truly showed our God is worthy to be called the King of Kings.

Verses 1-6 So this guy ... this David character - a remarkable man and notable king - He didn't even think he was worthy to stand before God. On the flip side, he entrusted everything to God. Think about your most prized possession - maybe a cellphone, Xbox, car ... you name it. David gave his entire kingdom over to God. Why? Maybe because he understood that stone walls around his city were only so strong , that his money was only worth a particular amount, and that his people would only put up with him for so long. ON THE OTHER HAND, he knew that the protection God could provide would be impenetrable, and because of it, David basically makes God the general of the kingdom. Continuing on, David knew that the riches he possessed would only last so long, but the gifts that the Father could provide would be eternal - gifts including [but not limited to] eternal life! For this, David made God his treasurer. Lastly, David knew that people would love who God was and what he would do for them - and for that, David made God his King. It's amazing to put it this way, but David gave his entire kingdom to the Father - for all the reasons we've seen in the past 20 Psalms and more. The question you need to ask yourself is ... HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT INTO THE FATHER'S HANDS? Is your life so important that you need to be in control? ... Uhm sorry to say, but you will fail miserably. David teaches us that even the mightiest, richest, and most powerful of men still have to give God the reigns in their lives. Boom!

Verses 7-13 Some of you might have read the last section and thought, "Well Chris is stupid and he doesn't know a thing about my life." Although that is probably true, let me tell you a fact. No matter how difficult life may be for you ... no matter what trial is being thrown your way at this time in your life, Verse 7 (along with countless scripture) tells us that the love we have from the Father is unconquerable - that nothing can separate you from Him. If you give him your world ... he'll give you a new one ten times better. Time and time again I find myself questioning the power and love of our God ... only to slap myself in the face and either realize 1. That i'm pulling myself away from that love and need to get back 2. Or I was just stupid and forgot it was there for a few days,weeks, or months. There's really no need to talk about the last verses if you truly understand the consequences of verse 7. As a true king to a spiritual king (that's you if you haven't surrendered your life to the Father, David has made you a promise that God will never fail you. How awesome.


That is all.
Chris

Some may trust in horses ... Psalm 20

When I was a baby, my parents gave me a checkered blanket with patches of all different colors on it. For some reason, I thought that this blanket would protect me from all sorts of danger - whether I was pretending to be a superhero jumping from couch to couch, or simply hiding under the covers from the monsters in the closet. Looking back, I'm sure you'll all agree that the blanket did nothing for me. If anything, it was the reason I tripped down the stairs all of the time - it did nothing to protect me. Today, we look at the question - where do you place your trust? Is it in a checkered blanket or in the arms of the Almighty God?

Verses 1-6 So, first off ... why would I place my trust in God anyway? The fact of the matter is that God will always protect you. We have been talking in Luke about a lot of nerve-wrecking stuff. For instance, it's not always the easiest thing to proclaim Christ in the midst of your piers, especially when they are living in sin, but (and this is a big but) when we come to realize that God is our defense - we become spiritually unstoppable. Romans 8:31 says "For if God is for us, who can be against us?" If you're truly living a life according to God's will, there is never such a thing as defeat. God is victory. God never loses. As David says, God is our sanctuary, God is our rock, our defense, and our purpose for celebration. David says, let's rejoice and raise the banners. God has saved us, he has heard our cries, and he has been with us through the highs and through the lows of our lives. Think of how many times even your best friend has let you down. Now think about a time when God let you down (truly, never ...) God truly is the best friend you will ever have, and He is worth of honor, glory, and most of all - your trust.

Verses 7-9 This section is pretty simple. Basically David says, if you don't place your trust in God, good luck finding somewhere else to put your trust it. Just think about verse 7. Back in the day, so many men placed their trust on horses and chariots - as symbols of their power and status in society. Do we still us chariots? Do we see horses riding up and down the freeway? I think not! Time has passed and horses and chariots have lost their importance, but God has remained the same. Psalm 18:2 says that God is our rock, our foundation, in whom we should place our trust. Time and time again, for all eternity God has proven himself to be of a solid reputation.

Some may trust in horses ... So what do we get out of today's Psalm? What does that mean for me? You may not have to worry about what brand of chariot you're going to stroll into school with, but I'm positive that each and every one of you worries about how you talk around friends, what you wear, what type of cellphone you have, and all that nonsense. When I was in school, I struggled with the same things - I worried about what was popular and what wasn't. The minute I graduated high-school (some wonderful 2 years ago), all of that just went away. I don't even see anyone I went to school with, nor do I care what they think about the fantastic blue shirt I'm wearing right now. I don't care what they think that I don't drink, swear, or do drugs - why? Cause it doesn't matter. Because man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Man looks at what is temporary, but God is concerned with that which is eternal. Let me tell you this - If you place your trust in popularity, it will fail you. If you place all of your trust on your cellphone plan, you will get a dropped call now and again. If you place all of your trust in friends, they will skip out on you from time to time. If you place your trust in the Father, He will always be there for you, he will not drop your call in the middle of a prayer, He will not look at you funny because of the clothes you wear, and He most definitely will not turn you away ... That's the God that has earned my trust.


Sorry for the jumbled mess that I call a Psalm a week - my brother is on his Xbox killing zombies at full volume - rather distracting.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Have a nice week!
- Chris

Creation Cries Out His Majesty

Psalm 19



Reading this chapter I couldn't help think about art. I remember being a young boy in elementary school. Every once in a while we would have an art project that I would bring home to my parents. Always - somewhere on the picture I would sign my name, put my initials, or leave some sort of unique mark that would tell my parents - "hey, your son is the wonderful artist behind this creative wonder of art." Needless to say, my creative skills were limited. Even to this day, I still have trouble drawing proportionate stick figures. The point I'm trying to make is that art always has a tie to the maker - that every stroke and every detail is thought out intentionally to send some sort of message. Some of the more famous painters that you might know spent years on end to create their masterpiece - a work of art that would stand the test of time and show their handiwork to future generations. OUR GOD IS AN ARTIST. Today, we see that His creation was intentionally thought out - it was pieced together with foresight and purpose. God, just like any artist, left his masterpiece for us to better understand who He is. Bottom line, creation cries out His majesty.

Verses 1-6 In the gospel message, there came a time where the disciples were bold and outspoken for Jesus. In response, the Pharisees silenced the disciples in the name of the law. Jesus, being awesome as usual replied, "Fine, but even if you silence the disciples, the rocks will cry out" (Luke 19:40). Here it is again in Psalm 19 - creation, as David explains it, is simply God's handiwork. Man can create cars, planes, bridges, and houses - but God created the entire universe by the work of his hand. The attention to detail is fascinating. We live in a society that claims that the world and all that is in it is accidental - that one day, there was some massive explosion and after billions of years - life. Well, that's not how the Bible tells it. David says that creation reveals His knowledge and his foresight. That God created the universe with intention - that you are not merely a statistic of chance. Aside from the facts, just think about the Earth. It has water, an atmosphere, oxygen, sunlight (but not too close or too far to be ineffective), it has plants that convert nitrogen into breathable air, it houses species upon species of animals, a moon so that we can see at night, and of course it has us. There is zero chance that this was an accident - just look around and you will see the elegance and precision of creation. Like Jesus said - even the rocks will cry out who God is.

Verses 7-14 The phrase comes to my mind - "if you can't beat em, join em." Creation will never stop being amazing, and it most certainly will never stop being a testament of how awesome our God is. So, David adopts a pretty good attitude - if we're part of creation, why aren't we living in a way that glorifies Him? God intended for all things to work a specific way - that's simply his nature. He didn't just give us a body and say "go" - he gave us lungs, a heart, a brain, and so much more. Even so, God calls us his own. Yes God loves his creation, but He is so much more concerned about you. Jesus once said that if the Father is faithful to clothe the fields in grass, and feed the sparrows, how much more He will care for us? Well, a lot more. David flips a switch here and turns the page in the middle of the Psalm - why are there rules to Christianity? Why do we have to live a certain way? Well, simply, that's how God wants us to live. Just as God created gravity to work a certain way, he created us to have a relationship with Him. You have to remember, Adam and Eve were created without sin - but sin brought death to man (separation from the Father in a spiritual sense). Sometimes, we look at the law and we see a ball and chain. We feel like we're restricted and held down, but David says that the law is sweet, that it brings freedom, and for obeying it, we receive great rewards. David encourages to not sin - to live like the rest of creation and serve the Father. Read it ... it's pretty self-explanatory.

Creation Cries Majesty Think about creation this week. Think about how many hours you have spent on school projects that looked absolutely ridiculous, and then think about what God made in 7 days (knowing that he could have made it instantaneously). Every artist has a story to tell - God's story is a story of love. He made this - all of this so that you could know Him that much better.


[Explosion]
-Chris

World's Strongest Man - What a Joke

So this week is our longest Psalm yet - Psalm 18

As you all know, one of my favorite sports series ever to be invented is the World's strongest Man Competition. This might be because I could probably be labeled as one of the weakest men ever to walk the earth, or maybe it's just that I am fascinated with the fact that there is a man on this planet with a bicep larger than my head. With that said, it is miraculous how impressed people get when they see a man pull a train, tow a aircraft, flip a car, or throw massive objects a few feet in the air. No offense if your dream is to become one of these people, but seriously - it's not as impressive as I always thought it was. I mean, have any of these men calmed a raging sea? Have they pulled a man out of a wheelchair and told him to walk? Have they ever harnessed the power of an electrical storm or a tornado (which would just be awesome)? Or ... wait ... maybe they were the ones to create the entire universe and hold it in the palm of their hand. Oh yeah, that wasn't them - that was God.

Verses 1-15 It is remarkable how fragile the human body is. We, on a basic level, rely on air, water, and food - without which we cannot exist. There are several organs in your body that would cause you to die if they were absent - not to mention the thousands of diseases and illnesses that account for a majority of the deaths on this planet. Sometimes I consider it a miracle that I'm still alive today. The list goes on and on - just like you and me, each of the "strongest men in the world" are subject to the same sensitivity of life. Moving on, King David points out the fact that GOD IS STRONG. There is no word in the English dictionary to explain the power, might, and majesty that is the Father. This strength is your fortress, this might is your foundation, this power is your refuge. When I read verses like Romans 8:31 (For if God is for us, who can be against us ...), I consider the facts of who God is and what he is capable of. David says that God has thwarted the enemies, that they are no match for who He is ... but why? Well, let me tell you ... His breath is as fire, the Earth quakes at his presence, the mountains tremble at his glimpse, He is as swift as the wind - and apparently he can ride it too, He has authority over thunder and all of the Earth, hailstones and coal pour out from the power of his voice, the sea and the world give ear to his commands, and he loves us so very much. That's a God of power and of safety.

Verses 15-29 How true is this - that God has come to your rescue. No matter the predicament or situation, God has made it a point to pursue and protect those who eagerly follow him. When I graduated High School, our principal knew the severity of the sin that most of the guy students were struggling with. In all of our diploma's he placed his phone number and told us boys - "you get one call. No question's asked. Anytime. Anywhere. I will come to get you." As much as I appreciate it, I love how with God, the calls are endless - he doesn't just give us one chance, but he promises to come to the rescue as many times as we need it. Even the World's Strongest Man needs a rescue from time to time - it might as well be the mighty God we just talked about above.

Verse 30 I absolutely love this - and it's a verse I've been looking forward to sharing with you guys. God's way is perfect. There's nothing more to be said about it. In life, you will find things that bring you 80% happiness or maybe 60% joy ... But God's way has a guarantee of 100% satisfaction. I like this as well. A lot of people consider the word to be binding - like hand cuffs for the soul maybe. But I will tell you this, that the word will always prove true. If you give God's way a shot - truly pour all that you can into it - it will repay you with an overflow of joy, happiness, and contentment. Booyah.

Verses 31-50 I don't want to go too much longer, but this section reminds me of a verse from a song - "God is my victory, and He is here." All the triumph and glory that David received, he accredited to God. All the victories he had, he shared with God (after all, God was the reason for those victories). The fact of the matter is that God truly is all that this passage claims Him to be - are you relying on this or on something else. Is your fortress in God or in something else? Well you all know what the answer should be ... Nuff Said.

World's Strongest Man? We skipped over a lot in this passage. I encourage you to read it more than once - it's a very powerful chapter in Psalms. Over all, there are so many people in the world who put their trust in things like the World's Strongest Man. People are impressed that a man can tow an airplane, when the world he tows it on was made by a much much mightier God. Are you impressed by who God is and what He is capable of?


Boom! Explosion!
-Chris