Luke 7:2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.
Luke 7:6-9
Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.
"Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
"For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does [it]."
When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
I love this! I was reading this recently and noticed something I never had before. Two times the Centurion confesses that he is "not worthy."
Self-worth is a big area of discussion these days. In the Christian's life, we die to our self so that Christ can be magnified.
I love how the Centurion ACKNOWLEDGES who Jesus is and confesses that he is not worthy of Jesus actual presence in his home...The Centurion realizes Jesus' Word alone has the power to heal. We need to trust Jesus at His Word too.
Just today I was reading about the prodigal son and the "older brother."
The older brother was angry that his father had a party for the younger brother (recall he returned from his spending the inheritance foolishly), "these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat; that I might make merry with my friends" Luke 15:29
Today, the Holy Spirit revealed to me the focus of the older brother. The focus was self.
"I" and "my" and "me."
Five times the older brother says "I" or "me" or "my." (read it again and look for I, my, or me.)
Who's agenda was the older brother focuesed on? Why was he upset? He was upset because he felt cheated. He felt he was worthy of a party like this but nooooo....the father has to have a big party for the foolish younger son. This is selfish thinking and opposite from the centurion in the earlier picture.
The older son was focused on his own self worth. "I've worked hard! I deserve that kind of praise." He didn't get the Father's heart! The centurion got it...I trust your Word Jesus. I am not worthy of you and only AT YOUR WORD my servant could be made whole. The centurion didn't care about his own self worth or agenda. All he cared about was that his servant be healed and restored...
The older son felt cheated. The father in the story said, "'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found'" Luke 15:32
We must remember our self worth. We are NOT worthy of the LORD and if our heart is to be alligned with the Father's we are to say like the centurion, "I am not worthy" and trust God's Word. We are to rejoice like the prodigal son's father when others are saved...and we are to be careful not to become self-righteous in our good works and feel something is owed to us.
We are not worthy...we were lost and now we have been found. We were dead and now we are alive. I think we can all agree that at some point in our lives we related (or can relate) with each person in these illustrations...
As Easter approaches, may we pray for MANY to return to the Father or come to know Him for the first time. May we ask God to give us a heart of humility to say, "I am not worthy" and may we refrain from any self righteousness in our self because apart from Him we can do nothing.
LORD Jesus, you are worthy. I am not worthy. You lived and died and rose again. I am not even worthy to be in your presence, but thank you that by calling on your name I am forever saved and I fall in love with you more and more each day. I love your presence. Please Jesus reveal yourself to many people this Good Friday and Easter. Thank you for your pouring out your life so that we may enjoy eternity with you. In Your Holy Name, the only name WORTHY to be praised Jesus, AMEN.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Worship and Bacon
I know. The two words sound weird together right? Well let me explain.
My kids love bacon. They are 3 and 5. We cook “turkey bacon” in our house but it is just as tasty…
Anyhow one day I was making breakfast. My daughter wakes up and comes straight to the kitchen. “Mom, are you cooking baking? Is it ready? Can I have some?” Isaac who doesn’t talk yet comes by and stands on tip toes with an expression that is the same, “I want some!” The smell is intoxicating. The smell is inviting…Best of all…the smell invites you in.
I know it might seem strange…but I think of this often. The sense of “smell” I mean. I love fragrance. Perfumes, scented candles, night jasmine in bloom, a clean baby’s hair…etc. One of the best scents I love is the smell of bacon cooking over a campfire in Yosemite. There is nothing like it! You have the combined scent of fresh air, pine trees and the wonderful smell of “outdoors” with the smell of fire wood burning and bacon cooking.
A couple of weeks ago I was cooking breakfast for my family. Olivia and Isaac congregate around me waiting for the bacon to be cooked and consumed. I realized--- this is exactly what worship is. It is a sweet smelling aroma. It draws you in. Worship is a fragrance of a sacrifice. Recall in the old testament God directed Moses to burn the “fat” to the LORD. This is the best part. When the fat of an animal is burned it smells so good! That’s what God wants from us. He wants us to be drawn into Him so that our worship is a sweet smelling aroma and it is so fragrant, so inviting that OTHERS want to be near the LORD too.
'and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD's. Leviticus 3:16
I bet people passing/travelng by could smell it and notice and think to themselves, "someone is probably making an offering to the LORD."
Our life is to be lived out sacrificially to the LORD. Jesus gave Himself as an offering and the Word says His sacrificial, surrendered life was a “sweet smelling aroma” to the Father.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:2 Our praise and/or singing is often called “worship.” The same idea applies. Worship is (or should be) like bacon. It is a sweet smelling aroma to the LORD and it draws others into the presence of the Almighty. Some of my favorite worship artists are Keith Green, Phil Wickham, Mary Barrett, Sherri Youngward, and Jeremy Camp. I often weep when I listen and worship to their songs. The songs are so powerful that I am brought to a place of worship with Jesus. The artist lived a life (or is living a life) poured out to Jesus and you can hear their love for the LORD through the song. The song causes you to want to love God like that! You hear the song and it turns into a prayer…
Here's my personal application…
Sometimes in church services I get distracted during worship. People walking in, a cell phone rings, I can’t find my pen…(it’s somewhere in this purse), the worship group leader got a new hair cut, I see a friend of mine sitting close by, etc. I notice my heart is unsettled. I close my eyes and say this simple prayer, “Just me and you Jesus.” I then try to focus in on worshipping him. I pray and I focus on the words of the song. I ask the Spirit to fill me so I can worship in spirit and in truth. I desire, just like you do, for my worship to be a sweet smelling aroma to the LORD. God desires our sacrifice to be sweet and pleasant. The result--When we have a worshipful heart we are drawn into His presence and others will see Christ through you and they will be drawn in too.
LORD Jesus, help us to have a worship that smells so good to you…May our worship rise to you like the yummy intoxicating smell of bacon cooking on the grill….everyone can smell food cooking and knows it is something good. May our worship please you and also affect our lives so powerfully that others are drawn to you by the aroma our life produces. We know this can only be done through the Spirit, prayer and meditation on your Word. Fill us with your Spirit and make us true worshippers so our life brings you glory and honor and praise. In Jesus Holy Name, AMEN
My kids love bacon. They are 3 and 5. We cook “turkey bacon” in our house but it is just as tasty…
Anyhow one day I was making breakfast. My daughter wakes up and comes straight to the kitchen. “Mom, are you cooking baking? Is it ready? Can I have some?” Isaac who doesn’t talk yet comes by and stands on tip toes with an expression that is the same, “I want some!” The smell is intoxicating. The smell is inviting…Best of all…the smell invites you in.
I know it might seem strange…but I think of this often. The sense of “smell” I mean. I love fragrance. Perfumes, scented candles, night jasmine in bloom, a clean baby’s hair…etc. One of the best scents I love is the smell of bacon cooking over a campfire in Yosemite. There is nothing like it! You have the combined scent of fresh air, pine trees and the wonderful smell of “outdoors” with the smell of fire wood burning and bacon cooking.
A couple of weeks ago I was cooking breakfast for my family. Olivia and Isaac congregate around me waiting for the bacon to be cooked and consumed. I realized--- this is exactly what worship is. It is a sweet smelling aroma. It draws you in. Worship is a fragrance of a sacrifice. Recall in the old testament God directed Moses to burn the “fat” to the LORD. This is the best part. When the fat of an animal is burned it smells so good! That’s what God wants from us. He wants us to be drawn into Him so that our worship is a sweet smelling aroma and it is so fragrant, so inviting that OTHERS want to be near the LORD too.
'and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD's. Leviticus 3:16
I bet people passing/travelng by could smell it and notice and think to themselves, "someone is probably making an offering to the LORD."
Our life is to be lived out sacrificially to the LORD. Jesus gave Himself as an offering and the Word says His sacrificial, surrendered life was a “sweet smelling aroma” to the Father.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:2 Our praise and/or singing is often called “worship.” The same idea applies. Worship is (or should be) like bacon. It is a sweet smelling aroma to the LORD and it draws others into the presence of the Almighty. Some of my favorite worship artists are Keith Green, Phil Wickham, Mary Barrett, Sherri Youngward, and Jeremy Camp. I often weep when I listen and worship to their songs. The songs are so powerful that I am brought to a place of worship with Jesus. The artist lived a life (or is living a life) poured out to Jesus and you can hear their love for the LORD through the song. The song causes you to want to love God like that! You hear the song and it turns into a prayer…
Here's my personal application…
Sometimes in church services I get distracted during worship. People walking in, a cell phone rings, I can’t find my pen…(it’s somewhere in this purse), the worship group leader got a new hair cut, I see a friend of mine sitting close by, etc. I notice my heart is unsettled. I close my eyes and say this simple prayer, “Just me and you Jesus.” I then try to focus in on worshipping him. I pray and I focus on the words of the song. I ask the Spirit to fill me so I can worship in spirit and in truth. I desire, just like you do, for my worship to be a sweet smelling aroma to the LORD. God desires our sacrifice to be sweet and pleasant. The result--When we have a worshipful heart we are drawn into His presence and others will see Christ through you and they will be drawn in too.
LORD Jesus, help us to have a worship that smells so good to you…May our worship rise to you like the yummy intoxicating smell of bacon cooking on the grill….everyone can smell food cooking and knows it is something good. May our worship please you and also affect our lives so powerfully that others are drawn to you by the aroma our life produces. We know this can only be done through the Spirit, prayer and meditation on your Word. Fill us with your Spirit and make us true worshippers so our life brings you glory and honor and praise. In Jesus Holy Name, AMEN
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Not a Better Life a NEW LIFE
Jesus went to the country of the Gadarenes and when he arrived he was met by "a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs..."Luke 8:27 The man was often seized by he demons and was "driven by the demon into the wilderness" Luke 8:29b We all know this story. Jesus casts the demon "Legion" into the herd of pigs and the herd runs off a cliff and drowns. Later the people from the town "found the man from whom the demons had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." Luke 8:35 I think there is a temptation (in fact I KNOW there is a temptation) to say, "God clean my life up and then use me for your glory" I do not think this is the correct way to approach God. We must ask God to GIVE US A NEW LIFE not just a clean sterile one. When you have walked with the LORD for a while you know many truths from God's Word. You know that you need Jesus and apart from Him you can do nothing (John 15). However, there is a temptation to ask God to change your life. We ask God to refine us to change us to clean us up...but we forget the simple prayer made at altar calls the prayer of repentance is not "Jesus give me a changed life" the prayer is "give me a new life." Of course we pray like David, "Create in me a clean heart Oh God" asking God for the daily cleansing of our sins when we repent and confess and approach the Holy throne to obtain mercy. But look at the next part, "renew a right spirit within me" Psalm 51:10 The Revised Standard Version says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me." Let's face it. We need a NEW life. Not a changed and improved life...but a new life. This has been on my heart because I think we can easily fall prey to walking in our own strength in stead of in the Holy Spirit's strength. We can say a quick prayer, read our devotion and go about our day to day tasks, but are we really walking in NEWNESS of life? Jesus healed the demon and gave him a NEW life. Jesus gave him a new mind so that he could sit at Jesus feet and learn from him. He changed and transformed him. The man went from living without clothes, sleeping in tombs, walking as "dead" to a totally transformed man with a "right mind." The man now sat, clothed, in his right mind, in a right state of thinking, and NOW he was able to sit at Jesus feet and learn from Him. Only after the man became NEW could he be used by God. "Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." Rev. 21:5 Jesus didn't say, "Behold I made all things changed" He said behold I make all things "new." "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 Abba Father, please forgive us for walking in this life in our own strength seeking change and modifications in our lives instead of asking for your Holy Spirit to fill us afresh and anew. We have prayed and asked for you to change us...but please don't just change us to make us better in our own finite minds, make us new with a new Spirit so we may walk in newness of life in accordance with your will. May we have your Spirit living in us, guiding us into the things you want for us. Help us to be humble and to seek to live new lives and be the new creations you desire us to be. In Jesus Mighty name, AMEN.
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