Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 44
January 31, 2014
God’s Got This
God’s Got This
Do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:8
Do not fret. Do not fret. Do not fret.
Three times. That’s right—three times. That’s how many times the word fret is used in Psalm 37.
Fret-isn’t that a great little word? Only four letters but loaded with punch. And unfortunately, that punch is usually negative.
To fret isn’t just to worry, it’s to burn, to be consumed, almost to the point of being angry or jealous. But ultimately, fretting is always a bad idea.
Here’s what David said about it in the Psalm:
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Psalm 37:1-2
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. Psalm 37:8-9
Did you notice the two words David used each time before fret? Do not. And in every verse, David also told us why we shouldn’t fret—because God’s got it. God’s got today. God’s got tomorrow. God’s got evildoers and all their evil plans. And God’s got you and me.
Fretting isn’t just a waste of time, emotion and energy, it’s poor theology. And honestly, it’s a insulting to God. Fretting assumes that God doesn’t have our backs or that he isn’t in control; or worse, that he is in control but that he isn’t good. None of which are true. That’s why David concluded his last admonition against fretting with this little phrase—it only leads to evil.
Nothing good ever comes from worry. Fretting never saved anyone. Rather, fretting gives a place to the devil—a little stronghold, a little piece of property, from which he can launch his missiles of doubt and fear into your life. That’s why it leads to evil.
So here’s your new prayer. Here’s a missile of your own to fire back against fret: God’s got this.
*This week only Pray Big for Your Child is available for $1.99 in e-format. Click below to order from:
The post God’s Got This appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
January 30, 2014
Perspective, Part 3
Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8
Once you see God in his holiness, and once you see yourself realistically in light of God’s holiness, everything changes.
That’s what happened to Isaiah. One moment he was weepy and fearful, and the next he was emboldened with purpose. He wanted to represent the God he’d seen. He wanted to speak for this God who was holy, who had revealed his own sin to him, and yet hadn’t judged him.
Isaiah saw God and lived to tell about it. That’s what happens when you see God in his holiness and grace. You live to tell about it.
When you finally see God, everything changes.
It’s impossible to go on through life in autopilot when you’ve seen the exalted King. It’s impossible to keep living for yourself when God shows you your true nature. And, it’s impossible to ignore the people and nations around you after you seen God’s heart for them. Something happens. Something shifts.
And you find yourself standing, both arms extended, saying Here I am. Send me.
Do you have an eternal perspective? Has your knowledge of God changed how you see him, how you see yourself and how you see others? If not, if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, then I’d like to suggest that you haven’t really seen God.
Isaiah’s Here I am response to God wasn’t exceptional. It’s what happens when humans get a picture of something bigger, better, greater and more holy than themselves.
Pray for that. Pray for that picture of God that changes everything for you.
And then tell him, Here I am. Send me.
*This week only Pray Big for Your Child is available for $1.99 in e-format. Click below to order from:
The post Perspective, Part 3 appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
Will’s Letter to ACF, January 30, 2014
Greetings Family! How are you?
Can you believe February is almost here? Time is boogying on by!
Here are the things I want to share with you this week:
This Weekend @ ACF
We conclude the Twenty series with a real treat. Let’s just say we’re going out with a bang.
In honor of the ACFNE lauch (see below), I’ve asked Pastor Billy Hines to speak at our church this weekend. Pastor Hines was Shawn Weekly’s (the pastor of ACFNE) pastor for many years. Pastor Hines has led Horizon Worship Center in east Austin for twenty five years. He is also legally blind. Click here to learn more of Pastor Hine’s story.
And trust me, he’s gonna rock our church! I asked Pastor Hines to “give us a word” for the final message of the Twenty series. I can’t wait to hear what God has given him.
Please invite your friends and neighbors as this is going to be a special weekend at ACF.
Last weekend @ ACF
I taught last week on the values of going and giving at ACF. It was great to revisit some of the history that helped make us a sending church and a church that gives away nearly 45% of all we receive. If you’d like to know more about getting involved with ACF missions, click here.
ACF North East
ACFNE is off and running. We had the pleasure of commissioning ACFNE at last week’s Saturday night Four Points service. It was an inspiring and moving time. That hearty band of believers is ready to help promote the King and the Kingdom in the NE Austin area. Please pray for them as they have their first event (it’s a soft launch/run through) this Sunday and their first service on February 9. If you’re interested, they’re meeting 10 AM at Windemere Elementary School. You can also contact Shawn@acfellowship.org for more info.
A Unique Job Opportunity.
The Christ Together Council of Austin (I serve on this council) is seeking a highly competent individual with a passion for Christ’s Kingdom in Austin to help promote and advance the initiatives of the council. (This is the council that promoted the Explore God initiative in Austin.) The job will offer a unique view of all that God is doing in Austin, the opportunity to get to know and serve with Austin pastors, and to have significant impact in our city. The position is full time and requires a highly motivated/self-starter. To review the job description or for more information please contact Melissa Nelson at mnelson@hcbc.com.
Coming February 8/9 to an ACF Community Near You–Prologue
We’re a week away from our deep dive in John’s Gospel. We’ll spend the last three weekends of February in the first eighteen verses of John in series we’re calling Prologue. John 1-18 serves as the prologue to John’s Gospel and introduces the major themes that run through the book. Again, here are the verses from the prologue that I’m asking you to memorize with me:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1:16-18
See you this weekend! Will
The post Will’s Letter to ACF, January 30, 2014 appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
January 29, 2014
Perspective, Part 2
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5
People often joke about what they’re going to say when they finally stand face-to-face with God. From the human standpoint, we think that we will meet God as peers or equals.
I had one rather foolish man tell me that when he finally faced God he was going to say, “See, I was right!.” Yes, I did step back a bit just in case God sent Holy Fire right then to consume the guy.
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31
Friends, when we stand before God, when we finally see him as he is, we won’t be saying much of anything. And what we do say might be summed up in one word–Woe.
The prophet Isaiah was allowed to see God in all of his holiness. The curtain that guarded God’s holy living room was drawn back, and when Isaiah saw it all he could do was confess. He confessed his own sins and the sins of his people.
That’s perspective, and one we desperately need today. Our collective arrogance–our exaltation of ourselves even above God–is unbridled. We run unchecked in the pursuit of our own pleasure, even at the expense of others.
But when we see God, when we see the white-hot purity of his holiness, we won’t be standing, we won’t be boasting and we won’t be negotiating.
In reality, God’s holiness is all there is. Everything else, even the things we spend so much time promoting and chasing after, will be consumed by God’s holiness. And but for the blood of Jesus that makes us holy, we would be consumed too.
Humble yourself before the mighty, holy God. Search his Word and pray for a vision of how pure and unblemished he really is. And when he graciously shows you how filthy you are compared to his holiness, fall on your knees and praise him for sending Jesus to make you holy too.
*This week only Pray Big for Your Child is available for $1.99 in e-format. Click below to order from:
The post Perspective, Part 2 appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
January 28, 2014
Perspective, Part 1
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Isaiah 6:1
Twenty-eight years ago today, January 28, 1986, the Shuttle Challenger exploded just seventy-eight seconds after liftoff.
The explosion, which played out on worldwide television, took the lives of seven brave men and women and sent a wave of grief coursing through the United States, if not around the world.
It was a terrible day, and I remember it like it was yesterday.
And it’s on days like that, days of grief, pain and fear, that we desperately need perspective.
Consider this verse from Isaiah.
King Uzziah was Isaiah’s cousin, and had been the decades-long ruler of Israel. When he died, not only did Isaiah lose a close friend, but Israel lost a great leader. Even before Uzziah was laid to rest, the enemies of Israel were looking for ways to exploit her in her time of weakness. It was a scary, sad time for the prophet and the nation.
And then Isaiah saw God. Actually, he saw the Lord—Adonai—the ruling one.
He saw that the Lord was high and exalted. He saw that the Lord was seated on a throne.
That’s an amazing picture, and one we desperately need when life appears to be crashing in around us.
In times of either personal or national crisis—and they will both come again—we need to remember this picture from Isaiah’s own time of crisis.
Earthly circumstances never threaten God. He may be moved with compassion by what he sees, but he is never moved out of fear. His reign, his sovereignty and his control are unshakable.
He is still holy. He is still good. He is still God.
That’s perspective.
What crisis, trial or season of suffering are you facing right now? What fears are nipping at your heals? What headlines proclaim gloom and doom? What enemies are circling?
Take a breath, close your eyes, and allow your soul to visit God’s throne room. There you will see a picture of what is real. There you will find perspective.
And there you will see the Lord.
*This week only Pray Big for Your Child is available for $1.99 in e-format. Click below to order from:
The post Perspective, Part 1 appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
Twenty-Eight Years Ago Today . . . .
Do you remember where you were twenty-eight years ago today? I do. It was a terrible, tragic day.
Today, I published a Wake Up Call (my weekday devotional) about how to respond in times of national or personal tragedy. I hope it encourages you.
The crew of the Challenger
Twenty-eight years ago today, January 28, 1986, the Shuttle Challenger exploded just seventy-eight seconds after liftoff.
The explosion, which played out on worldwide television, took the lives of seven brave men and women and sent a wave of grief coursing through the United States, if not around the world.
It was a terrible day, and I remember it like it was yesterday.
And it’s on days like that, days of grief, pain and fear, that we desperately need perspective.
Click here to read the rest.
The post Twenty-Eight Years Ago Today . . . . appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
January 27, 2014
Here’s a Great Pinpoint Prayer to Pray for Your Daughter
Pray that she will love herself and know that she is fearfully and wonderfully made.
When your daughter loves herself, she will know that she is worth dying for.
In Romans 5:8, Paul tells us that Jesus was willing to die for us, even while we were sinners. God loved us enough, even in our sin and rebellion, to send his holy son to die. People who know that will have a different understanding of what makes a person valuable.
According to the Bible, we are precious and irreplaceable to God. The fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made—that we are created in his eternal image—makes us infinitely valuable to him.
That message, the simple message of God’s redemption and forgiveness in Jesus, is the most life-giving and hope-producing message in the world. It is a message that can take a young woman who feels the need to conform to the cultural norms around her and give her the courage to stand up and live a life of holiness for God. When she begins to see her true worth, when she realizes that she is valuable enough for the Son of God to die for—with or without the make-up, a great figure, perfect nails, a cool boyfriend, the coolest clothes and hippest hair—then she will begin to feel confident enough in who she is in Christ to live for him, not for what everyone around her says she should be. Let me offer a real life example.
Nicole, dressed head-to-toe in black, wanted to talk. That by itself could have been counted as a miracle. The counselors and staff of the youth camp that I was the guest pastor at had noticed Nicole on the first day. Even among the 500 high-schoolers who were there, she was hard to miss. She wore the same thing every day to every event—black. Black shirt, black shoes, black pants, black fingernail paint and a black overcoat. Her lovely face was pierced from side-to-side, top-to-bottom. It looked like she had run full speed into a hundred fishing lures.
Nicole’s attitude was as dark as her wardrobe. She claimed to be a witch, or an agnostic, or an atheist, or something else, depending on the day and her mood. Whatever she was, or thought she was, we knew better. Nicole was hurting. She was a sixteen-year-old carrying the hurt and pain of someone well beyond her years. She was also a perfect candidate for a Jesus-ambush.
We started praying for Nicole early in the week. No one actually knew how she had ended up at a Christian camp, but we knew she was there for a reason. So we asked God to introduce her to his Son. And when she asked if she could stay after a service and talk, I wasn’t totally surprised. Thrilled, but not surprised.
Nicole’s story wasn’t all that unusual—a broken home, a disappearing dad, a lost and hurting mom, and lots of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll as pain killers. They hadn’t worked. Nicole listened intently as I told her about Jesus’s love. She’d heard it before. But this time something was different. Nicole seemed to understand that God’s love wasn’t just universal, but that it was specifically for her.
We were talking outdoors, and the wind was blowing. I took a chance and told Nicole that the breeze was God’s Spirit confirming how much he loved her. God was good to us that night—every time Nicole asked a question or seemed to be struggling, the breeze would pick up, as if to confirm that God was hearing her. After about 30 minutes, the tears started flowing, really flowing. Years of pain, rejection, abuse and bad decisions came pouring out. That was my cue to hand Nicole off to a female counselor, but not before praying with her. As we bowed our heads, and as Nicole prayed out-loud and begged God to help her know his love, the wind just blew and blew, harder than it had blown all night. I just love it when God does that.
Pray that your daughter will know that she is infinitely valuable to God. Pray that she’ll look to God, not men, stuff, money, fame, sex, or anything else, for her source of unconditional love. Pray that she’ll know that her value rests in her eternally created soul, not in how people see her.
Pray Psalm 139:17-18 for her: Lord God, I pray that my daughter will know that you think about her all the time. Let her understand that your thoughts about her outnumber the sand, and that even while she sleeps, you are with her and watching over her.
From Pray Big for Your Child, which is available this week only for $1.99 (e-version). Order here:
The post Here’s a Great Pinpoint Prayer to Pray for Your Daughter appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
God Honors Serving
God Honors Serving
Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you. Daniel 6:16
As King Darius watched Daniel being led away to the den of lions, he realized several things:
He’d been duped by his own wise me.
He’d made a terrible mistake.
He was betting on God honoring Daniel’s service.
God did.
You know the end of the story. God landed in that lions’ den and turned those hungry cats into calm kitties—at least until Darius replaced Daniel with the scheming wise men and their families. Ouch.
But I really love the fact that King Darius believed God would rescue Daniel. And he believed it, because Daniel faithfully served God.
Darius has seen how Daniel lived, worshipped and prayed. He knew that Daniel’s faith was the real deal. So when Daniel’s life was on the line, he believed that God would come through on Daniel’s behalf.
God did.
And that’s the point of today’s Wake Up Call: God honors those who serve him.
Honor does not mean that God will make you rich and famous or free you from having to suffer. But it does mean that when your back is against the wall, or that your enemies are surrounding you, or that you need provision of some kind, God will come through.
He always does. That’s what he does. He’s the come-through God. He’s the God who comes through for his servants.
Are you serving God today? Be encouraged. You’re on his come-through-for list.
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:26
*This week only Pray Big for Your Child is available for $1.99 in e-format. Click below to order from:
The post God Honors Serving appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
January 24, 2014
No Rogue Thoughts
No Rogue Thoughts
We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Rogue waves are a sailor’s worst nightmare. They’re random, unpredictable waves that seem to come out of nowhere. Rogue waves can be two to three times higher than average waves, so in a sea of 10-15 swells, a rogue wave can be fifty to sixty feet high. Some are higher.
And as you can image, rogue waves are devastating.
Thoughts are like rogue waves. You are sailing along, enjoying the relatively calm seas of your life, and then you get hit by a monstrous thought that sends you reeling.
One thought. One idea. One pretense. One rumor. One lie. And you’re capsized in a sea of fear.
That’s why Paul tells us not to put up with such mental foolishness. Thoughts don’t get to run freely through our brains, doing whatever they please and leaving all kinds of damage in their wake. Thoughts, like everything else in our lives, must come under the authority of Jesus.
Our minds are just like our bodies and our appetites—they have to be disciplined.
Paul tells us to use the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s truth to blow up the sources of rogue thoughts and to require every thought to check-in with Jesus before it makes it’s way into our psyche.
And you can do it. God wouldn’t give a solution that doesn’t work for every last one of his children. It doesn’t matter how many rogue thoughts have damaged you in the past, you too can train your mind to shut them down.
Try speaking to your thoughts out loud. Say something like, “Rogue thought, you are not welcome in my mind. I command you in Jesus’ name to come under his authority right now! You are a captive to Jesus, so start acting like it!”
At first, you may have to say that a hundred times a day. But don’t worry, pretty soon those rogue thoughts will get the message.
Be encouraged, calmer and safer seas are just ahead.
The post No Rogue Thoughts appeared first on Will Davis Jr.
