Category: From Pastor

Today’s devotion is based on Week 2 of “Tough Love”: Challenges Perspective! (WATCH HERE)

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It’s hard to see another perspective.

 

Ask any experienced fisherman on the Sea of Galilee and he would have said, “Jesus is not the one you want giving you fishing advice.”

Throwing your nets into deep water was not the optimal or preferred setting for a successful fishing outing.

But that’s what Jesus told Simon Peter to do.

Peter’s perspective was this.  They fished all night and caught nothing.  It was time to clean the nets and go home.

When your experience tells you something, it’s hard to see someone else’s perspective.

How many times have you heard the phrase, “We already tried that.  It didn’t work.”

Our perspective is built on our personal experiences and when those personal experiences have resulted the same each time, it’s hard to do the same thing or something slightly different and expect different results.

Sometimes our perspective prevents us from experiencing a different result.

If Peter would have objected AND stayed on the shore, he would not have experienced what happened next.

There was one thing that changed his perspective.

Jesus.

Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 

“Because you say so…”

This powerful statement of faith moves us from a perspective that is governed by human limitations to one that is open to see what the power of God can do.

Having no idea if they would catch anything, Peter trusted the words of Jesus and let down his nets.  The result was two boats on the brink of sinking because the catch was so large.

Jesus taught his Word.  Now he demonstrated the power of his Word.

Jesus wanted his disciples to move beyond the perspective of their human limitations to the power of Jesus’ words and the impact of his promises.

What if we did the same?
When we are hesitant for whatever reason to trust and live out the promises of God, we must set aside our human perspective and see God’s power and promises.  Our ineffective excuses that keep us limited by our abilities must be set aside to see the power of God at work in our hearts and lives. Our perspective must shift from seeing life only from our ability to do something to the power of God that is at work in his promises.

Here’s how the Apostle Paul saw things:

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

It is hard to see things from another perspective, but when that perspective starts with a Word from Jesus, maybe all we need to trust is “because he said so” he is going to show me a new perspective that brings great blessing.

 

Apply: What promise of God is hard for you to belief and act on because your personal experience has been completely different?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to live life from your perspective simply “because you say so.” AMEN.

Today’s devotion is based on Week 2 of “Tough Love”: Challenges Perspective! (WATCH HERE)

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Over the last two basketball seasons, I have enjoyed officiating basketball.  There are two things that are emphasized to officials.  1. Be in your rule book…so you know the rules.  2. Be in position on the court to have a good look at the call you make.

The rule book provides the content.  The positioning gives the context.

It has been a benefit to work with and talk with officials who have had much experience seeing the game through the lens of the rule book and making calls and interpretations to the best of their ability.

In life we are constantly confronting situations that need decisions and action.

The question is, what will be the perspective with which we evaluate those situations?

The options?

My own experiences and personal conclusions.

What I have been taught in schools or experienced at home.

What is popular in culture and promoted by the majority.

Is this a safe way to interpret and see life?

What if I called a basketball game based on my experience playing it?  Or watching the NBA or what the fans would like?

It would be a mess.

What if I called a basketball game based on the rules for a debate team or a football game.

Disaster.

The point is I want to view the game through the rules of the game.

The same is true of life.  There are many different philosophies and perspectives on life.  They may work at times or seem right at others.

But would it not be best to see and “call” the realities of life through the lens of the One who created life?

Seems like that would be best.

Jesus felt the same.  He spent much time teaching people the Word of God.  They wanted to hear his insights, his authority, his truth so much that they would crowd around him.  Jesus knew that the best way to view the world, was not through the world, but through his Word. So he taught the people.

Luke 5:1-3: One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 

The best way to navigate all aspects of life is viewing it through the Word of God.  Jesus himself said, (Matthew 7:24) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 

Jesus’ advice to us today?

1. Be in the Word and 2) view every aspect of life through it!

Apply: How can you find more time to be in the Word.  Think of a situation you are addressing currently in your life.  Does your approach change as you view it and seek to understand and make a decision when you see it through the perspective of God’s Word?

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to always see life through your word!  AMEN.

Today’s devotion is based on Week 2 of “Tough Love”: Challenges Perspective! (WATCH HERE)

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“That’s your perspective.”

This phrase is often at the conclusion of a conversation in which two individuals are discussing a matter and finding no agreement.  They see the situation differently.  They have different conclusions and the only alignment they can find is to agree they have different perspectives.

This could be in the area of politics.

This could be a relationship dispute or difference.

This could be a child’s behavior or performance in school.

Perspective.

It’s the way we view not just a situation in life, but actually the way we view all of life.

Perspective.

It’s been fashioned by our life experiences, the inputs of people we trust, and what our mind has concluded is correct.

Perspective.

It’s hard to change.  Especially if it has been a perspective you have held for years.

Perspective.

It’s hard to challenge.  Especially if the topic will create conflict or uncomfortable conversations.

Perspective.

Sometimes we have to challenge them.

And that’s tough.

But that’s what tough love does.

Does a parent challenge the perspective that a young daughter has on a young man that is taking advantage of her?  Of course.  You love her too much not to.

Does an employer challenge the perspective of an employee that is underperforming due to drug and alcohol abuse.  Of course.  You care about the person and the work of the company not to.

Does God challenge our perspectives that come naturally and are skewed by our sinful nature?  Of course.  He loves us too much to live in our sin and find the eternal destruction an ungodly perspective has.

That’s what tough love does.  It challenges our perspectives…especially the ones that are not seeing the world through the lens of God’s truth.

This week God will do just that.

Why?  Because he loves us enough to show us tough love and challenge the perspectives that are not spiritually beneficial, biblically correct, or eternally lasting.

This is God’s heart for every person of every generation.  Since sin entered the world, he has been willing to confront perspectives that are fashioned from our heart of sin and replace them with the perspectives of a heart of his Spirit.

Here’s one example to reflect on today from the prophet Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 36:22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

 

Apply: What perspective are you holding on to that you know God is wanting to change in you?

Prayer: Lord, again thank you for your heart of love that is willing to challenge our perspectives and align them to your heart, your word, your truth.  Keep my heart willing to conform to your heart and my perspectives to your perspective.  AMEN.

Today’s devotion is based on Week 1 of “Tough Love”: Sets boundaries! (WATCH HERE)

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Perhaps one of the toughest things to do is to say “No” to someone you love and care about.  Perhaps some situations are easy.  To the teenager who wants to go to a party with lots of drinking and drugs, “No.  No you can’t.”  To a job that will pay less and move you to a part of the country you have no desire to live?  “No, sorry I will not accept that offer.”  

But often times saying “No” is hard.

To the toddler having a fit in the middle of a busy store.  Do you give in or say “No”?

To the impulse to stop at Sonic and buy a milkshake in the middle of a diet plan?  Do you say “No” to yourself?

Sometimes the implications are minor for not saying “No.”  However sometimes the in ability to say “No” somethings prevents us from saying “Yes” to important things.

Here’s Jesus teaching in Matthew 6:

Matthew 6:31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

It is hard to say “No” to worry because it’s hard to say “No” to all the material, worldly things we focus on, spend our time on, and expend our finances on.  It is hard to say “Yes” to the things that matter most and focus on our eternity because the tangible, the urgent, and the world around us clamor for our attention.

It’s hard to say “No” to things in our ability to buy to say “Yes” to giving generously to the Lord’s work.

It’s hard to say “No” to the extra sleep to say “Yes” to regular time in the morning with the Word of God.

It’s hard to say, “No” to a job that pays more to say “Yes” to the importance of being in worship and Bible study on a weekly basis.

It’s hard to say, “No,” to the agenda that we had planned to say “Yes” to a friend that needs a listening ear and godly counsel.

It just is.

It’s why Jesus had to remind us that the eternal things matter more and much longer than the temporal.  We can’t take material things with us to heaven, but we can take our faith in the Lord Jesus.  We won’t get to the end of our life and wish we had worked more, but rather we wish we would have spent more time in prayer, in worship, and in the Word with the people and family we love.  

Fortunately we have a Savior who perfectly said, “No” to the things that he had to in order to say “Yes” to the mission he was on to “seek and to save the lost” of which I am one.  What a gift of God’s grace that in essence Jesus said, “Yes” to me in the process of saying “No” to all that would have kept him from securing my salvation.

Now that’s tough love.  Love that prioritizes the eternal over the temporal and does all to ensure us that we are loved, forgiven, gifted children of God.

Don’t worry.  Jesus has promised that when we say “Yes” to the eternal, kingdom of God things, the things we have to say “No” to will pale and fade in the background because chances are they are all temporal anyway.

 

Apply: What is one thing you need to say “No” to in order to say “Yes” to something that advances the kingdom of God in your own life or the life of another?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for knowing perfectly what to say “No” and “Yes” to.  We thank you for putting our salvation first and doing ALL that was necessary to secure our trip from the temporal to the eternal.  AMEN>

Today’s devotion is based on Week 1 of “Tough Love”: Sets boundaries! (WATCH HERE)

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Steven Covey is known for his books on productivity and ensuring that a person does things that don’t just keep a person busy, but effective.  His book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is one that has been a best seller for years.  In this book, he outlines four quadrants of productivity and how to determine what we should be doing, but what often gets a majority of our time.  In reverse order…

Quadrant 4: Not Important/Not Urgent

Quadrant 3: Not Important/Urgent

Quadrant 2: Important/Not Urgent

Quadrant 1: Important/Urgent

Covey’s advice for these quadrants is this:

Quadrant 4: “Quadrant of waste; avoid escaping here (spending time here)”

Quadrant 3: “Try to reject or avoid these things.  Delegate to someone else.”

Quadrant 2: Plan to get done, allow time for these.

Quadrant 1: Quadrant of necessity…Do first or else!

In order to spend time on Quadrant 1 priorities, one has to say no to activities that fall into the other three quadrants. 

How do you determine what is in your Quadrant 1? Quadrant 1 are those things which help to advance your mission, your purpose. Other things, while they might be important or benefit others might have to be let go.

Jesus understood this well.  His purpose?

As he said to Zacchaeus, Luke 10:9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus’ mission was to bring the good news to the hearts of people so they would believe he was the Savior and secure their salvation.

So…at times he had to say no to other good things he was able to do.  

After the day of teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, healing Simon’s mother-in-law, and healing many more and driving out demons, the next morning he did this:

Luke 4:42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Healing people was important and one might say “urgent.”  But it was secondary to proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God to more people.

What if Jesus spent all his time healing people and driving out demons?  He could have said, “Healing people and taking care of their physical needs is important.  I just didn’t get time to proclaim the good news to others because there were so many sick people that needed my attention.”

He could have.  But tough love prioritizes the mission.  So Jesus set a boundary to ensure the most important and urgent thing got done: Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

Perhaps there are opportunities for us to do the same.

 

Apply: Evaluate the things you do in your day/week.  Is there opportunity to prioritize the bringing good news to the people around you?  Your family?  Your friends? Coworkers?  Maybe you have to say “No” to something to be part of Jesus’ mission.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank your for doing so many important things, but especially prioritizing the spread of the good news to the hearts of people…including me.  AMEN.