Holy Uprising - Tue Mar 16

Make Every Effort

2 Peter 1:5-9

"…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."

- Goodness

- Knowledge

- Self-control

- Perseverance

- Godliness

- Brotherly kindness

- Love

“Make every effort” to add the above seven characteristics onto our faith. What gives me pause is the phrase, “make every effort.” It is easy to look at these characteristics and acknowledge that these are important or even that we already possess some of them. However, do I make every effort to have them in “increasing measure?"

Am I really seeking these godly values as much as I'm seeking other things in life?

These characteristics have huge ramifications! What do the verses say about the person who possesses these characteristics? Read it again and look. How about the person who does not?

Do I want to be a person who is effective and productive in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ? Or, do I want to be nearsighted and blind, forgetting what I’ve been forgiven from? Put it this way and it is easy to answer. The former of course! Now, asking myself, am I making every effort to increase the above characteristics onto my faith?

John Ortberg, in this book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat says, “We are too often double espresso followers of a decaf Sovereign.” Applying Ortberg’s quote to today’s devotional, we often feel that this list is way too overwhelming. Really, who can have all these qualities?

But look at the passage. God is not demanding perfection. He's using Peter to exhort believers (including us) to “make every effort” to have these qualities in “increasing measure.” We might not be able to double espresso ourselves to having the above list completed in our hearts and minds quickly, but over time, slowly, the Holy Spirit can develop these qualities in our life as we lean into God.

So, today, how are you making every effort to possess these qualities in increasing measure? Think through how you can change your thoughts, actions, and heart in small ways today.
Repentance remember is not just a change of mind - but a change of mind that leads to a change of action. We quit believing in what we can do and begin believing God's promises.

Start today and have God's perspective. Faith + time = Transformation. And before you know it, in a month or a year, you will possess greater amounts of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love added to your faith.

Holy Uprising - Mon Mar 15

"I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." (Psalm 119:15-16)

As I've been Reflecting I've gone back to Psalm 119 quite a bit in the last week. A lot of the time when I'm trying to find my spiritual footing, or find a more firm foot hold, I go back to Psalm 119. That's because Psalm 119 is a treasure chest of Truth about God's Word. Over and over and over the psalmist talks about how God's Word is LIFE.

[And for you trivia buffs Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It is also the beginning of the second half of the entire Bible. Psalm 118 is the 'center' with 594 chapters before it and 594 chapters after it.]


God's Word helps us when we're suffering or in need:

"Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." vs. 49-50

It shows us how to live the life of freedom that God has given us:

"I will walk about in freedom,

for I have sought out your precepts." v. 45

As I focus on the Word it keeps me out of the path of sin:

"How can a young man keep his way pure?

By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you." vs. 9-11

It lifts us up in times of sorrow:

"Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;

then I will meditate on your wonders.

My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word" vs. 27-28

There's no ending. Because God's Word is Living (Hebrews 4:12) there is no limit to how it can impact your life.

As you continue with 40 Days this week, make it a priority to dwell in God's Word. Take a verse or passage every day, write it on a notecard, carry it with you, pull it out every hour, read it and just think about for 30 seconds.

There is no more important Reflection that you can do than on God's Word. Ask Him to use it to transform you.

Holy Uprising - Sat Mar 13

Information Power


"Oh, how I love your law!

I meditate on it all day long.

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,

for they are ever with me.

I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your statutes." Psalm 119:97-99

"Open my eyes that I might see the wonderful Truths in your law." Psalm 119:18


I've been reading a book called Freakonomics -- it's a book written by an economist that's a treasure of history and trivia written in narrative form. I love it (but I love history and trivia!).

In one section he talks about the power of information. He uses the Klu Klux Klan as an example and how their entire power base was formed around their hoarding of information. As soon as the truth (information) was released - their private world made public - membership and activity plummeted. No more information power.

He also talked about life insurance rates - how in the late 1990's rates plummeted. Why? The internet. Beginning with Quotesmith.com websites compared life insurance rates and suddenly everyone had the information to get the lowest rates. Game over.


"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

As follower's of Jesus, God's Word is our primary source of information. To be sure it is more than just information because it is Living and through the Holy Spirit it gives life in miraculous ways.
We all desperately need it. It is the very words of God that the Holy Spirit us to transform us!

"Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:129-130

You need a diet of God's Word EVERY day. I pray that this 40 Days has helped you be consistent in reading God's Word if you were not before. But I pray that you will continue to feast on His Truth.

Without it we languish. With it, we have the information necessary to live transformed lives.

Holy Uprising - Fri Mar 12

The Cycle of Repentance

In this 40 Days we'v been talking about Reflection, Repentance, Renewal.

It would be awesome if repentance was a one time event in our life and we were done! It's not.

That's because sin is not a one time event in our life (at least not mine!). And as long as we have sin we need repentance. Remember, repentance is a GOOD thing, it's God's mechanism for removing that which comes between us and God.

What sin does:

Right after the Israelites went into the Promised Land they conquered the City of Jericho. Next they went to Ai. But it didn't go so good. Stop now and read Joshua chapter 7 and see what happened with the Israelites and a man named Achan.

Keep going here after reading Joshua 7 . . .

In time, the valley of Achor came to symbolize the worst of punishments. It was a place of death and desolation. (This is a pic of the Valley of Achor).

Today, of course, we do not stone those whose sin or irresponsibility has caused others grief. Still, sin has consequences, and though we may not be physically stoned for our failure, the effects of public condemnation can be just as crushing to the human spirit. The fact is, too many of us have known a personal valley of Achor, where our moral negligence or ill-advised actions caused another's suffering.

Perhaps you committed adultery, and since then, your spouse and children are devastated. It might be that your anxious or careless driving caused an accident, resulting in great suffering or possibly even another person's death. Or maybe your lack of Christian example has caused your children to turn from God. The possible ways of falling are endless, but the result is nearly always the same: it is as though a curse rests on your life.

It is bad enough that your own heart condemns you. There are also those individuals who know your failure, whose chorus of criticisms convince you of your hopeless nature. Public censure, cold looks and judgmental attitudes have the same effect on your soul as Achan's stoning had on his flesh, only what dies in you is hope. Where once you could look with anticipation toward the future, now heartache and regret block your view.

Only virtue, made pure and strong by true repentance, can displace the burden of self-condemnation. Thus, the only correct response to wrong actions and their consequences is the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, the enemy has many Christians trapped in unbelief and self-condemnation. They know what they did was wrong and they hate it, but they cannot unburden themselves of the guilt. Remember, Jesus came to proclaim liberty to those who are "prisoners" (see Isa. 61:1).

Is He speaking only of those who are incarcerated in jails? No, His mission is for all of us who are prisoners of our past failures. God wants us to learn from our mistakes, not be held captive to them. Jesus came to deliver and restore those whose dreams lie buried in the valley of Achor.

Are you willing to repent? To confess to God what you have done and truly believe that the status quo is no longer acceptable?

Real repentance is knowing that there is no other way but through Jesus.

Holy Uprising - Thur Mar 11

Forgiven

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)

As we've moved through these 40 Days many different issues have been confronted that hold us back from God. And there is probably no other issue that can lodge itself in our soul as deep as unforgiveness.

Read below what Mark Batterson recently wrote in a blog post:

It's so hard not to harbor bitterness. It's so hard not to hang on to unforgiveness. It's so hard to offer the same kind of grace that we've received from God. But it is the only cure, the cure all. How do you let go and let God?

I think the formula is found in Job 42:10: "And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his three friends."

Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Job to forgive his friends. They added injury to insult as Job suffered tragedy after tragedy. He lost his family. He lost his wealth. He lost his health. And then his friends took away his dignity by attacking his integrity. That's all he had left.

I've found that when someone wrongs me I have a tough choice to make. Either I try to get even in some form or fashion. Or I have to begin praying for that person. I honestly believe that prayer is the only antidote to anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness. You can't just forgive. You've got to pray for that person. Why? Because it will change your heart. You'll find that a supernatural love for that person disarms your anger. Forgiveness will set your free. And prayer is the key.

If Job can pray for his fair-weather friends who turned on him in tragedy, then we can certainly love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

We forgive because we are forgiven. If there are roots of bitterness still growing in your soul, dislodge them by praying for folks who have hurt you and ask God to change your heart!

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:12-13)

Holy Uprising - Wed Mar 10

6 Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ Hebrew ‘Grace, grace to it.’

">*” 8 Then another message came to me from the Lord: 9 “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
(Zechariah 4:6-10 NLT)

Zerubbabel would go on to lead the rebuilding of God's Temple in Jerusalem.
But in these moments he couldn't see it and had no idea how it would ever happen.

Right now some of you can't see it. You're asking God to change a behavior or an attitude. . . something in your life. Or during this 40 Days you're asking Him for a great mission in your life.
From where you are now it's hard to imagine.

And then God tells Zerubbabel: 'Do not despise these small beginnings.' Small beginnings. God loves it when we start. When we believe Him enough to take the first step. Then the second step. Then the third . . . Don't despise that!

We want it all to happen in a day. Because of conflict and opposition it took Zerubbabel and the Israelites 21 years to rebuild the Temple!

I have no idea how long it will take God to go where He is going in your life, but He says that if you will follow Him and His dreams that nothing will stand in your way.

What small beginnings do you need to be thankful for? What small steps do you need to take?

Holy Uprising - Tue Mar 9

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

"Peter replied,'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.'" (Acts 2:38-39)

This was the first sermon by Peter after the resurrection of Jesus. After the people listening were told about the resurrection of Jesus and that He was truly God and came to save them from the penalty of their sins, the people asked what they should do.

This is how Peter responded.

My question for you this morning is: Why did Peter name as the crowning gift of believing in Christ that they would receive the Holy Spirit? He didn't say, 'You will live eternally with God.' (Which is extremely important and the eternal results of having a relationship with God.) He didn't say: 'You will have a great, worry free life.'

It's because the whole point of the Christian life is being a 'little Christ' . . . that the God of the universe now lives IN US! It's because the real and powerful evidence of us having a relationship with God is that the Holy Spirit lives in us!

The point in these 40 Days is that we CANNOT do this alone. We must depend fully on the power of God living in us.

"‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

It is a moment by moment choice of yielding ourselves to God's Spirit and inviting Him to invade every crevice of our lives that changes us.

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18)

It's His Spirit that produces the Godly fruit that we so desire.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22)

So, when you become frustrated or discouraged and say: 'I can't do this!'
I would agree. You can't. You can't change by yourself . . . If we could change ourselves completely, we all would have done that a long time ago.
But God is ready and willing. Just ask Him: 'Holy Spirit, come in and lead me and direct me.' And then be ready to listen and willing to obey.