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

Psalm 17

Psalm 17
Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation, a Prayer of David

Summary: this psalm is a prayer of David, a righteousness man making a just plea to God. He prays that God will uphold him, and keep him safe. He also remembers that ultimately, he will be in heaven with God in the end. This is a pray for safety and success, while knowing that ultimately in the end David will be in heaven, safe and in a new body with Christ.

Its like watching a movie; I always get caught up in the movie and find myself hoping and wishing that everything will turn out all right, but then I remember, it’s a movie. The main character is in a mess of trouble, but you know that somehow everything is going to work out and somehow by the end of the 90 minute movie, everything will be in its place and everyone will live happily ever after.


I think it is almost the same case in this psalm. Let me explain. Verse one: 'Hear a just cause o Lord, attend to my cry.' David is praying that the Lord will hear his cry and protect him. Verse five: 'Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps my not slip.' He prays that God will guide his choices and paths to safe places. He goes on the pray that God will show his lovingkindness (m-w: tender and benevolent affection) and save those who trust in the Lord. Verse seven: 'O You save those who trust in You, from those who rise up against them.' He prays that God will keep him from those who oppress him and from his enemies. But then he remembers that his enemies store up treasures on earth, but when they die, they have to give all their possessions away. And David remembers God’s promise to His believers, that he will be rewarded in heaven. Verse fifteen: 'As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.' As Christians, our happily ever after is waking up, seeing our Creator, our loving Father for the first time, living in an eternal kingdom with the Creator of the universe, which is far better than 'happily ever after' on TV.

This Psalm reminds me of a song that is all about how we as Christians should live, with the final goal in mind, a heavenly home, a heavenly family. The song is Heavenlies, by Evan Wickham. Check out the lyrics, it's a pretty cool song. But my favorite part is the chorus, I'm living for the heavenlies. Which is kinda what David says at the very end of his psalm, 'I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness', which means David is looking forward to that moment when we are with God and can see Him face to face. It is so awesome that in trial and pain and suffering we can remember that we are living for something more than this world, we are living for a heavenly Father whose love is perfect beyond measure and stores up heavenly treasures for us.

No matter what troubles or trails we face today, we can have the same attitude that David had, God will triumph in the end! And because we are on God’s side, so will we!

Psalm 16 - In Tune

Sometimes we forget about the importance of the being in tune with God - or why we even need to be in the first place. That's what this weeks Psalm is all about.
Psalm 16!


Verses 1-3 - David is a pretty awesome dude. I was thinking about how many distractions we can have in our lives, how many things can make it difficult to fit God into our schedule. It's remarkable how David (who probably had even more than we do) still managed to keep his focus on God. I mean, it's so easy to lose focus in our walks - so easy to get caught up with school, sports, girlfriends, boyfriends, video games, and all the Facebook/cell-phone nonsense that's out there. No, David never had a Facebook, but the first three verses just describe how David lived his life, which helps us understand why he was so in tune with, and focused on, God. In verses 1-2, He looks to God to "preserve" him and to be the "goodness" in his life. David had a wonderful concept of a few verses that was written well beyond his time (Romans 3:9-23). Apart from God, we are not safe from sin, and apart from Him, we can truly do no good. That's what David says here. He knows that he's a sinner, and he knows that he isn't worthy of God. David, a king amongst the greatest kings to ever live, made himself humble before God ... why? Moving back a bit, think of all the stories of the Old Testament - Moses and the Israelites walked through a parted Red Sea, Joshua took the promise land against all odds, Gideon killed thousands with 300 men, David killed Goliath, Samson killed thousands of Philistines (as did Shamgar) and so on. Further down the road, we read about how Jesus' death on the cross shook the earth and tore the vail in the temple - sin once and for all lost its hold on God's people. David saw this - he saw that God had both power to "preserve" and protect - both physically and spiritually.

Verses 4-10 David kind of lays out a warning here. He says that if anyone is to choose a god other than the true and living God, they drink to their own sorrow. If you put anything before God, David promises you an empty life. On that short note, David continues on to talk about the inheritance he has in God - the guidance, the love, the joy, and the relationship he has found in the Father. He says again in verse 8, he has chosen always to set the Lord before himself. Because God is on his side, he will not be moved (Romans 8:31). It's pretty much a list of more reasons to consider God a priority in our lives - which so many of us forget to do sometimes.

Verse 11 We close with a powerful statement here. Jesus came to this Earth and he proclaimed to be the way, the truth, and the LIFE. The choice we make between God and this world is not trivial in the least. To choose anything but Christ is to choose death - literally what David is saying here. David lays it our pretty simply. On the left hand side, we have a world filled with lies and sorrow - with empty promises and pain. But on the right hand side we have a God who gives endless joy and blessings forevermore.

Why Tune-In? When you read the chapter, you might think to yourself why we would even consider the idea of being in tune with God. Basically, the last few weeks have been a struggle for myself. With tests and projects coming to a close, as well as a new job starting up, I have had difficulty in keeping time open for time with God. Because of this, I have been miserable and stressed out to the max. It's important in the Christian life to rely on God not only for spiritual matters but also matters of every day life. It says in 1 peter - "cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you." If you're not in tune with God - if you're living life to the beat of your own drum, you're in for a world of hurt. The picture above makes absolutely no sense, but the idea I get out of this week is pretty sweet. If life was a radio, are you tuned into God's station ... or something else?

Have fun with finals!
-Chris

It's Not An Option ... Go

If God were my Chiropractor

I remember when I was little, I was a lot shorter than most of my friends. Whenever I went to the doctor to be measured, I would stand as tall as I could possibly stand - I would stretch my back, hold my chin up high, and hope to add a few inches to my height just so I could brag the next day to my friends. Needless to say, it didn't really work. Anyway, we ought to have the same attitude spiritually. Simply, we should want to grow closer and closer to God - to stand up as tall as we can, just for Him. The questions we want to look at today - Are you striving and giving your best to God? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying daily? Are you standing up tall spiritually, or are you slouching over? ... and ... If God were your Chiropractor, what would he have to say about your spiritual posture?



Verses 1-2 David opens up by asking the question "who can abide in God's tabernacle?" ... or more simply put, who are the people that deserve to dwell in His presence? David goes on to answer his own question - he says - the people who's works are righteous, who's words are true, aaannndd who stand upright.As Christians, we are called to a life in communion with the Father. The Bible tells us, apart from God, we can do no good. Later in the New Testament, James talks about how genuine faith moves us to action - how our love for Christ brings about a loving actions towards others. Is your faith moving you to action? Are you showing love to the world through the gospel message? Are you living a life that the Bible would classify as righteous? That's what David is talking about. If you want to dwell in God's presence and want to taste the joy and happiness that He has to offer, the Bible makes it clear that we are to adopt an upright lifestyle. I like how David puts it - he describes the Christian walk in terms of posture. Think of it this way. If God was your Chiropractor, would he say that you have good spiritual posture, or would he say that you slouch too much?


Verses 3-5 The picture above is taken from an instructional manual on how to properly operate a vacuum. Basically - apparently the only thing you shouldn't do while vacuuming is lean over. It's a very cool picture of sin. If our spiritual life was described by the picture above, David's instructions to you would be to never lean over for anything. If there is a shiny quarter on the ground, just leave it. If the backpack seems a little heavy - ask for help ... just don't bend over. Literally this is the case for verses 3-5. Things that will ruin your spiritual posture are as follows: backbiting, cheating, lying, fighting, caring to much about your reputation, make false promises. Obviously, the list of sins that you could possibly commit is much larger than that, but to live a righteous life, we have to steer clear from any of these things. Remember why we do it in the first place - to grow closer to God, to stand in his presence, to be called "good and faithful" servants. David says at the end, that if you steer clear from all of these things - you will never be moved. If you want to be a successful young Christian (or maybe you just want to start working on you spiritual posture), start here - read your Bible, pray, and steer clear from the things you know are wrong. The burden on your back may get heavy sometimes, but God promises to never give us something that we can't handle.

The Chiropractor: This week, think about your spiritual stature. If you find yourself to be slouching, I would encourage you to talk to one of the leaders. If your standing up straight but your growth has come to a stand-still, I would also encourage you to talk to one of the leaders about what's slowing you down. No matter where you're at, it's always a good idea, to read the word and to pray - that's a given right? Well then ... are you doin' it?


Have a good week!
-Chris

Psalm 14; Living under the Microscope

That little guy in his business suit up there in this week's picture sort of makes me laugh. He's trying to be all professional and whatnot, but he's super uncomfortable with that giant magnifying glass over him. Maybe it's because he's about to burst into flame, but most likely it's because he doesn't like to be that closely observed. I guess if you think about it, he's a lot like our modern celebrities. I'm sure many of you guys remember Britney Spears' "meltdown," as the news called it, where she shaved her head and whatnot, followed by the famous "Leave Britney Alone" video on youtube. It's kind of funny at first, but then again, you can't help but feel bad for celebrities like her. Constant newscasters and photographers everywhere you go. Crazy Jr. High fans (just kidding :P). As a celeb, the world's eyes are on you 24/7, and they leave absolutely no privacy for you. Celebrities literally live their lives under the microscope, but they aren't the only ones!

Verse 1
To the world, Christianity is foolish. Each one rejects God for their own reason, but the resulting attitude is almost always the same; negative feelings towards christians. When people learn that we are christian, often times they begin to watch our actions to see if we hold up to what we say we are. It is unfortunate, but in this way, we are also sentenced to a life under the microscope. And, since we are all imperfect sinners, we inevitably mess up, and that's when Christianity gets judgements placed upon it, similar to the one we see here in verse 1. "See, look, they don't do what they say they believe in: they messed up. That means that Christianity is a sham." Sadly that is too often what goes through unbelievers' minds, and it leads to bitterness and hardened hearts. It is an event that I see happening around me in my own life, and every time it breaks my heart. It is a foolish and immature action on the part of the unbeliever, but you can't say it isn't fair, I suppose. We are indeed failing to meet our own proclaimed way of life. However, the wondrous fact about our relationship with God is that, through Jesus' death and resurrection, we are made perfect and un-stained. He views each and every one of His children as spotless, and that is the all-important fact that the world overlooks in their judgement.

Verses 2-4
Upon reading this part of the Psalm, my heart is put at peace. Why, you may ask? It is pointing out the depravity of sin, after all, but the grace that I see in this situation is that God is constantly looking for all who may believe! He never deserts us believers, and constantly protects us, but he doesn't stop there! For all of our friends who aren't saved, for all of humanity, He maintains a passionate desire for a relationship. There is always hope for even the hardest of hearts, because He will never give up on them. They may attack God's children, nit-pick aspects of us through their microscopes, or turn a cold shoulder all together upon us and give us over as "outsiders," but through all that, God seeks after their hearts. If He is so crazy about unbelievers, how much more does He go wild over those who have a relationship with Him? Amazingly enough, through all this, though, there are still many who "devour believers as men eat bread;" We will always be inspected by those outside of Christianity, but that is not something to be afraid of! How many more opportunities to set an example as believers will we have, the more they turn up the magnification!

Verses5-7
No matter what the world throws our way, God is always our support! Evildoers may try to bring you down, and they come in many forms. Even a friend having a rough day can sometimes feel like taking it out on you, but these verses tell us that God is always right there with us! He is where we truly draw our strength from. To quote one of my favorite songs at the moment "When you're weak, Love is strong" (Hold On - Phil Wickham). In times of scrutiny or attack, God's love never fails. All we need to do is move our self out of the way, and lean upon His strength so He can work through us. This sort of trusting relationship is exactly the type that comes as a result of "praying without ceasing," to tie back to last week's Psalm. The works that God can do through us are truly amazing, and He will use even the least of us if only we are willing to let Him do so.

Passing Inspection:
One of the scariest things that you can face is opening yourself up for public inspection. Whether you find yourself on stage for a school play, or talking with a best friend about someone you like, you will most likely be sweating bullets. I know that I am extremely self conscious in situations like that, and I'm willing to bet you guys understand what I mean from your own experiences. As Christians though, we always live under the microscope. Non-believers are always going to be there to inspect our Christian attitudes and actions on a daily basis. Thankfully, though, our Father is with us every step of the way, and is always willing to lend us His strength. With Him, we can pass our inspection; He loves using regular people like you and me as examples to those around us, because the best argument for Christianity can often be the believer who shows love to his friend when he needs it most.

My challenge to you guys this week - Set an example through your life that reflects a Christ-like attitude, but don't forget to rely on the Lord's strength to do so.

-Matt