Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 70

Friday Fire Starters–Focus on Creation

Friday Fire Starters are simple ways to kick-start your quiet time with God. Here’s today’s suggestion:

Focus on the truth that God is the Source of creation.  Every created thing is from Him and of Him.  We can create beautiful things–music, literature, art–but only out of the elements he gave us.

But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. Jeremiah 10:12
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Psalm 24:1-2
It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. Isaiah 45:12

Reflect on the scriptures above and praise God for the specifics of his creation and the things he chose to create that bless your soul.

Top Ten Benefits of Living with Enough

You’ll have more time. Money and things requires management. That takes time.  And, your “stuff” will cause you to spend more of what you can’t get back–time.
You’ll have more peace. Having more than enough often increases your stress and distracts you from the things in life that really matter—pursuing God and loving the people he has placed in your life.
You’ll help your relationships. You’ll have more time and emotional energy to invest in your loved ones and even in those friends, neighbors and co-workers that God might be calling you to serve.
You’ll be more content. Are you tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses? (By the way, have you ever talked to the Joneses? They’re not content either. If they were, they wouldn’t need to be kept up with. Think about it.) If you’re in the habit of collecting, chasing, pursuing and admiring the stuff of more, then there is always going to be something else you want. But when you declare that you have enough, suddenly contentment will become much more second nature to you.
You’ll have less or no debt. If you stop spending money on stuff, you’ll have less debt and eventually be debt free.
You’ll be prepared for tough financial times. World economies are going to ebb and flow. Natural disasters, war, poor leadership and other economic factors are going to cause the respective values of our currencies to wax and wane. Interest rates are going to climb, gas prices will increase, the cost of goods and services will go up, and then—maybe—they’ll come back down. You do not want to be in debt and have significant financial overhead when those difficult days come calling. But if you’re living with enough, you’re much more likely to have the financial means to navigate those difficult times.
You’ll be better equipped to respond to need. Even though Israel was a homeless group of former slaves for over forty years, God still expected them to care for the poor and needy among them. He expects the same of us. God wants you to enjoy the fruit and joys of helping others right now. He wants you to be like Joseph and the Egyptians when the seven-year famine hit. Not only will you have what you need, but you’ll also be in a position to help others as well.
Your life will be simpler. The more material and financial overhead you have—the less simplicity you’ll enjoy. Simplicity and stress have an inverse relationship. The more you have of the former the less you’ll have of the latter.
You’ll have better intimacy with God. If living with enough breeds simplicity, and simplicity helps our relationships, then it stands to reason that it will help our relationship with God as well.  Actually simplicity enhances spirituality; it creates an environment for your relationship with God to thrive. That’s why monks and others seeking to know more of God don’t retreat to the Hamptons or Beverly Hills; they go to the desert. Stuff—riches and material things are spiritual distractions.  They divert our attention not just from God, but from spiritual matters entirely.
You’ll have more joy. This is by far the best reason to embrace enough. Joy has nothing to do with circumstances, but it has everything to do with perspective. When Jesus promised to give us abundant life, he wasn’t talking about wealth. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have died for us. He could have just written each of us a check. Jesus’ death shows us that what we need most is access to God, and that’s something riches can never give us.  Joy can’t be bought, but it can be snuffed out. Joy thrives best in an environment of less, not more.

From Enough: Finding More by Living with Less

Don’t be a Disciple Dropout

We don’t hear much about it, but there were times in Jesus’ ministry when he actually lost momentum and popularity. They are infrequent, but there nonetheless. Can you imagine someone actually choosing to walk away from Jesus? Think about it–the rich young ruler, Judas and Peter, and the people here that John mentions–each of these rejected Jesus in some way. Have you?

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. John 6:66

Notice in this verse that those who John mentions were disciples. Strange as it seems, these were not border-line people. These were not fringe followers. Those who walked away from Jesus were time-tested disciples. They had been with Jesus for a while, long enough at least to be recognized as one of his followers. And yet they ceased following. Why? What makes a disciple stop being a disciple? In the example of John 6, it was Jesus’ words. His teachings were so extreme, so radical, that many who had been following decided that they could no longer afford to do so. The side show was over, the miraculous feedings had ceased, and now Jesus was getting down to the nitty-gritty of what it meant to follow. In short, he was talking about a relationship with him. He wanted his followers to feed off of him, to live for him. And that was the deal breaker. After hearing that, many no longer wanted to follow him.

Why are you following Jesus? What is your motive? What draws you to him? He certainly is an attractive figure—offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life; but in reality, he wants more. He wants a relationship. He wants his disciples to live for him as he died for them. He wants them to worship him as the only true God. He wants them to meditate on his teachings. He wants them to teach others how to be his followers as well.

Have you been looking to get out of the discipleship business? You will be somebody’s follower in life. You will call someone or something Lord. Why not recommit your life to Jesus right now? Don’t be a disciple dropout. Commit to follow Jesus for the long haul. Stay with him when times, circumstances, and even his words get tough.

The Truth

My friend Dave Panos wrote this on a recent mission trip to Uganda. For any who have experienced or have even considered a short term mission trip, this is well worth the read.

Much has been written about the short-term mission trip. Why we go. Where we go. How we go. What we gain. What we give. And even what we hurt when we try to help.

For me, all of this is summed up in one idea, and that is, the mission trip is the closest I can ever get to the truth.

The truth about the world, how it works, and its divine creator. The truth about each of us, and certainly, the truth about me.

The truth is, there are really only two commandments. Love God; Love His Children. We make this way more complicated than it is. And when we love “the least of these”, our purpose in life is revealed and nothing can be the same again. You can learn this truth on the trip.

Dave Panos and friends

The truth is, the body of Christ has no boundaries. He knits us together with brothers and sisters we didn’t know last week, whom we’ll know as family the rest of our lives. You play on a team that is bigger and more amazing than you ever imagined – you just needed to meet them.

The truth is, we really are holy. We are priests filled with Christ’s spirit, and when you actually start living like that’s true, a supernatural power is unleashed that cannot be stopped or explained. On the mission trip, we encounter people who live like they are holy and we are in awe. On the mission trip, some see this in ourselves for the first time, drawing upon the supernatural within us, doing things we didn’t know we were capable of.

The truth is, earth is a place full of overwhelming pain and suffering that leaves you wondering where God really is in all of this. And then you realize God is in you, and you are here, and if we were any good at all at following those two commandments we’d put away so much of the physical side of the suffering. It may take two, or twenty trips, but you can learn this truth from going.

The truth is, God answers prayers. When you go and serve, and change the world of someone you meet – if only for a day – you are the answer to somebody’s prayers. It brings new meaning to the phrase “on mission” when you realize that its God’s plan to use you in the prayer answering business.

The truth is, when we are living according to his will, the stuff that used to matter doesn’t. On the trip, we get a real taste of living for Him, away from the stuff that distracts and ensnares us. You can hear and see him so clearly. You have your first real taste of freedom. And you finally learn what joy is.

The truth is, Jesus hasn’t called us to a garden walk. One where we can just stop after saying, “I believe in you”. He calls us to get up on the cross with him. To suffer, as he did, at the sight and sound and smell of the human condition. And then He calls you to die to self for it like he did. He calls us to the cross, he truly does. You can see that clearly on the mission trip, but please don’t let that stop you from going.

The truth is, that Jesus is the truth. It all starts and stops with Christ. Because of Him and for Him, we live and we love and we go.

Friday Fire Starters–Celebrate Your Friendship with God

Friday Fire Starters are simple ways to kick-start your quiet time with God. Here’s today’s suggestion:

James 2:23 says Abraham believed God and was then counted in right standing with God.  He was counted as a friend of God. Think of the implications of being right before God and being considered his friend.  Pray a prayer of faith, thanking God for making you his friend.

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. James 2:21-23

The Power of Thankfulness in the Midst of Pain

In the twenty-second Psalm, David confessed, My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest, (Psalm 22:1-2 NASB-U). David acknowledged that all he could do was groan before God, and even that was ineffective. He felt no connection to his Heavenly Father. But then he continued, “Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel,” (Psalm 22:3 NASB-U). The first four words in that verse may be the most important words in the Bible to a believer in a season of pain–Yet You are holy. In that simple phrase of confession David reminded himself that God was still sovereign and that he was still in control of his circumstances. His moment of worship gave him the eternal perspective he desperately needed.

Worship and thankfulness do that. They remind you of God’s holy nature and his absolute control. They help you see things from God’s point of view. Along with the discipline of Bible reading, Christians in times of spiritual blackout need to immerse themselves in worship settings. Their praise of God will usher them into His holy presence and grant them the hope and perspective they need.

In the early 1990’s, my favorite worship album was called Lion of Judah and was led by a relatively unknown worship leader from San Antonio named Dave Bell. His music was some of the most inspiring and stirring that I had ever heard. Dave’s lyrics spoke to me and led me into God’s presence in a unique and powerful way. For over two years I used Lion of Judah as a worship prompter in my own heart. Gradually, I stopped listening to it as much. I eventually lost track of the tape altogether. It had been in my office, but was lost in our church’s multiple moves and office settings over the years. I tried to buy another copy on several occasions, but the music was out of print and no copies were available on the internet. I gave up trying to find it. But I did miss it. I found that in very special or critical seasons of my life I really longed for some good Dave Bell-led worship. The death of my close friend Carie was one of those times.

Two days after she died, I was standing in the office of our church’s Director of Creative Arts discussing Carie’s funeral plans. As I turned to leave, my eyes caught a cassette on the bookshelf. It was Lion of Judah. I had been in that office and looked at that bookshelf countless times before and never seen that tape, but on that day, there it was. It was like a gift from God.

I devoured it. I kept it playing in my car whenever I was driving. Those old songs helped me express my love for God and my confidence in him at a time when my heart was overwhelmed with pain. The moments of worship I had alone with Christ in my car sustained me through those difficult days and prepared me for what lay ahead–Carie’s funeral. I honestly didn’t know how I could lead it. I couldn’t pray and I certainly couldn’t preach. How could I possibly lead others through their efforts to grieve for Carie? The answer came through the Holy Spirit’s pinpoint prayers for me and through the eternal perspective I gained in worship.

The night before Carie’s funeral, I had to teach at our church’s midweek worship service. As I was leading the church in prayer (or rather, trying to), I saw a vision. It wasn’t a vision like the Book of Revelation is a vision or Joseph’s dreams were a vision; it was more just a mental picture. I saw a massive throng of people, much like a huge crowd at a football game, standing in joy-filled worship before God’s throne. I was aware that there were many people in the crowd, but the only face I could see completely was Carie’s. She was there before God in completely undistracted and joyful worship of God. While I was seeing that picture, I was up on our stage praying before the church. Actually, I know the Holy Spirit was praying through me and for me, because what I said at that point in the prayer was something I’d never said or thought before. I said, “Lord, we’re minus a worshipper tonight . . . ,” and then the tears came. I just broke down sobbing. I couldn’t even finish the prayer. I sat down and cried during most of the worship segment, my pain just spilling out of me.

I was crying out of grief and sadness no doubt, but I was also crying out of the sheer profundity of what I’d seen. Our church had lost a worshipper, but heaven had gained one. For some reason, the weight of that reality just blew me away. Seeing Carie in that crowd humbled me and gave me a completely different perspective. I am convinced that what prepared me for those brief moments of insight was my own private worship of the Lord with the help of an old, worn out worship tape. God softened the soil of my heart and prepared me for what he wanted to show me. He used worship as a means of communication with me when I couldn’t pray, and that’s what had saved me. God met me in worship. Yet You are holy.

The next day, I was able to lead Carie’s funeral with strength, confidence, and even a little joy. It was still difficult, but the edge had been taken off. My simple acts of pinpoint worship when I couldn’t offer pinpoint prayers had set my captive soul free.

From Pray Big.

Are You Raising a Boy? You’re Gonna Want to Pray This

The book of the Bible most dedicated to the teaching of wisdom is Proverbs. The thoughts, collections and sayings of Solomon, arguably the wisest man in history, are offered in Proverbs for all who would seek to live wisely. I find it very interesting, almost ironic, that the book of the Bible most dedicated to the propagation of wisdom begins with several chapters warning of the folly of sexual sin. I find it even more intriguing that these warnings are offered by the son of a known adulterer.

Solomon grew up in a household that formed as the result of sexual sin. Murder, conspiracy, lies, the death of an innocent child, and decades of war and extreme family conflict followed David throughout his life as a result of his adulterous actions. Solomon, having witnessed firsthand the devastation that such behavior brings, committed the first portion of his wisdom collection to teaching young men about the need for sexual purity.

Listen to his words:

Proverbs 2:16-19, (Wisdom) will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
Proverbs 5:3-5, For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
Proverbs 5:15, Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
Proverbs 5:18-19, May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer– may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.
Proverbs 5:20, Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?
Proverbs 6:29, So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
Proverbs 6:32, But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

I could list several others.

Do you hear the passion in Solomon’s pleas? Can you feel the pain of lessons hard-learned in his instructions? Aren’t you glad the Holy Spirit led Solomon to include those teachings in Proverbs? Solomon has set a great example for us, and we would do well to be equally diligent in teaching our own sons about the sexual high road. Your diligence in teaching and praying for your son can be fueled by the knowledge that even though Solomon knew these lessons and taught them, he ultimately didn’t listen to them. Solomon ended up losing his kingdom because he rejected his own counsel.

Don’t hide these verses in Proverbs from your son. Read them to him, talk to him about them, and pray them over him.

Pray that your son will be sexually pure until he’s married.
Pray that he will be afraid of sexual sin and that he will quickly run from it.
Pray that he will respect women and always treat them with the same love and dignity that Jesus did.
Pray that he will have friends and date girls who are equally committed to their own sexual purity.
Pray that he will be repulsed when exposed to pornographic images.
Pray that he will be immediately caught if he ever begins to practice any form of sexual sin.

From Pray Big for Your Child

 

Ms. Pelosi is Wrong. Period.

House Minority Leader and Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commented late last week that she opposes pay cuts for Congress. Said, Pelosi, “I don’t think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we do. I think it’s necessary for us to have the dignity of the job that we have rewarded.”

While I agree that our elected officials are due a certain level of respect, I do not in any way agree that a person’s salary represents the dignity of his or her job. That’s bad thinking.

The average annual pay for congressional leaders is 190K or higher. Would a cut to 150K or even 100K really lessen the dignity of the job, especially considering that all of our founding fathers who served were volunteers?

Consider this–Some of the most important positions in our society make far less than congressmen and women. Does that make their jobs less dignified? Here are a few examples:

The average schoolteacher’s salary is 50K
Medical First Responders–less than 40K
Police Officers–39 K
Fire Fighters–42K
Military–less than 50K

And as I write this, men and women who make $2.13 and hour plus tips are waiting on me and others here at Waterloo. Most of them do so because they’re committed to meeting their family’s needs or paying off their student loans, even if they have to wait tables.

Are we really supposed to believe that these jobs are less dignified and/or important than what our elected officials do? I think not.

While Pelosi’s thinking is normal, it’s flawed on two fronts. First, she’s wrong to think that leadership jobs have more dignity than other jobs. Real leaders know that their roles are more serving-based than ruling-based. While the trend these days is toward the VIP/Celebrity leader, fame and riches are rarely part of great leadership. True leaders exalt and promote others, not themselves. And when tough times come, real leaders know that they are the first to take the hit–the first to take the pay cut and the last to get the bonus.

But even more importantly, Pelosi is mistaken on another front. It’s what I’ve been harping on for several months now and it’s a major theme of my book Enough. Pelosi’s comments suggest that how much money one makes really is a good indicator of a person’s value, dignity or worth. In reality, how much money a person makes is no indicator of a person’s dignity or worth at all. Today’s VIP mindset promotes a class system where the rich and powerful have certain rights, entitlements and even protections simply because they’re rich and powerful. If you happen to be a poor or common person, well, you’re just not as important as the big shots. If you take such thinking to its logical ends, you end up with a system that doesn’t see the inherent value of a special needs child or a homeless women or a senior adult lost in the fog of Alzheimer’s. These folks have just as much dignity and value as the highest paid CEOs in the world and the most powerful political leaders.

I have no ax to grind with Pelosi or any other political leaders. I do think that leaders should be the first, not last to embrace sacrifice in difficult times. But let’s not make the mistake of connecting a job’s dignity to its financial value. If that’s true, then the most dignified jobs in our culture are those in the NBA and NFL. I think we all know better.

Source links:

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/283341-pelosi-congressional-pay-cut-undermines-dignity-of-the-job-#ixzz2KyXQskqp

 http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm

http://www1.salary.com/Public-School-Teacher-Salary.html

http://education-portal.com/articles/First_Responder_Salary_and_Career_Information.html

 http://www.indeed.com/salary/Police-Officer.html

http://www1.salary.com/Military-Salaries.html

 

 

Are You Good at Mulitiplication?

Week three of the Linked series at ACF. We learned about Multiplication. Click the image to watch or listen.

Friday Fire Starters–Yours O Lord, is the Greatness . . . .

Friday Fire Starters are simple ways to kick-start your time with God. Here’s today’s suggestion:

Read 1Chronicles 29:10-12, and then respond in your own words.

So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

 

 

 

 

 

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.

 

Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:10-13