A Quick Template for Prayer – From Part 1 of the P90X Series

For those of you who have made a commitment to pray this week in alignment with our P90X series, here’s the quick guide from I Timothy 2 for your prayer times this week:

1. Requests. Bring your needs to God. Where do you need wisdom or a miracle or provision? Bring your requests (or supplications) to God. Where do you need “supply”?

2. Prayers. This is the relational part. God wants to spend time with you. Come to Him as Father & with confidence. (More on that this weekend…)

3. Intercessions. This is where we get to stand in the gap for some other people. Who is far from God in your world? Pick 3 or 4 people & begin interceding for them this week.

4. Thanksgiving. Never miss an opportunity to thank God for all of the blessings in your life. What you focus on is what you’ll get more of…especially in prayer! Focus on thanking God for all that He’s done for you & given to you.

There you go. It’s that simple. Spend some time with God this week and watch how your reality begins to change.

(You can listen or watch the message from last Sunday by going to: www.NextLevelChurch.com/video)

Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest”

When it comes to my devotional life, I struggle to find consistency. In fact, I have this on-going theory that just about the time I get into a routine or rhythm with my prayer life/Bible reading life/devotional life, God makes me change it up.

Anyway, about a week ago, I bought a copy of Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for His Highest.” It’s a true classic daily devotional in the Christian world. I’m not sure when he originally wrote it but his language sounds like 1940′s England. None the less, if you don’t rush through it, the duffer’s got amazing insights into life. I can’t believe how each day it’s like he’s talking to me.

I want to share a few quotes with you, and throw in some personal insights from me.

Here’s one: April 1st: “Beware of getting ahead of God by your desire to do His Will.” He goes on to say that it’s possible to run ahead of God Wow. What n eye opening statement! Running ahead of God. Yeah… I probably do that way more than I’d like to admit. Ready, fire, aim. That’s me.

One more: April 1st: “If a burden or pressure came upon while not in an attitude of worship, it will produce a hardness in our heart.” Come on Oswald, that’s just sick! When we don’t amintain an attitude of worship, the pressures of life cause our heart to get hard. Stop it already man!

Chew on that for a while. Feel free to comment back if you want,

Just a bloggish thought,

Keller

Playing Keep Away!

I was reading 1 John 5 today in my devotional time and couldn’t help but be captured by the last verse. In the New LIving Translation (NLT) it says:

“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

Do you remember playing keep away in elementary school? There would be 1 kid who everyone else was trying to keep the ball away from. We could spend entire recesses just running around the playground trying not to let the 1 kid touch the ball. I remember the creative things we used to do to keep the ball away from him.

This verse tells us that we need to play “Keep Away” from anything that might take God’s place in our hearts.

I love the word “MIGHT”. This is that conditional phrase that eludes to: “If you think there is ANY chance of something taking the place of God in your heart, RUN!”

This requires creativity and discernment on our part. I continue to be amazed at how subtly things can creep in and take the place of God.

A great way to start this week is by pausing for a moment, and reflecting on the question:

“Have I let anything take the place of God in my heart?”

If the answer is “yes” then confess it, ask God to forgive you, rearrange your life to remove it, and get God back to His rightful place of #1 in your heart.

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

“The Greater the Suffering, The Greater the Anointing.”

I am preparing for our Upcoming Series called, “CAGED” that premieres this weekend at NLC. It’s all about the subject of forgiveness. It’s going to be incredible. First Trust, now Forgiveness. There is a real sense that God is taking us into the deep places of our hearts right now as a church. If you missed any of the “Pete’s Blog” series on Trust, you gotta listen to them. Just click the link on the side of this blog to listen.

Anyway, RT Kendall, a pastor, author and speaker, has much to say on the subject of Forgiveness. So this morning I’m listening to one of his messages and he made a statement that I think is so appropriate for us during this time of “Trust” and “Forgiveness.” He said…

“The greater the Suffering, the Greater the Anointing.”

Now Anointing is a Big Bible Word that basically means, “God’s power on us for service.” In other words, what RT is saying is, “For those of us who have suffered greatly, God desires to use us greatly.” He went on to say that, “Some of us have suffered so much, we are literally sitting on a Gold Mine of opportunity to be used by God.”

The key factor is being willing to not let the suffering defeat us, but teach us. Here are a few questions for us to consider on this idea:

1. What are you learning in your suffering?

2. Who can you learn from that has experienced what you’re experiencing?

3. Who needs to learn from your experiences?

Even if you’re not on the other side of this thing yet, God wants to use your story to impact someone else. Your greatest anointing lies in your greatest pain.

Change your perspective on suffering and you change your world!

Just a Bloggish Thought,

Matt

Good Advice from a Great Friend

This morning I ran across a motivational thought written by Max Lucado, a Christian author. Since we’re in a series on Trust, I thought this was so amazingly appropriate. If you’ve been struggling with trust, then this is for you.

The same God that gave us commandments such as “Do not commit adultery, do not murder” said, “Do not worry.” It’s a violation of our relationship to God to question his authority by worrying.

Has any good ever come out of any worrying that you’ve ever done? Worry only compartmentalizes us and makes us unable to do what we set out to do. If you are worried about a problem, what you need to do is simply trust the Lord and do good.

The word worry comes from a word taht means “to divide.” When you worry, you divide your energy.

Amazing insight isn’t it? A few things that jumped out at me:

• “Do not worry” is a commandment of Jesus. It’s not just a nice suggestion. That means Jesus thinks we can actually do it… not worry, that is.
• To worry is a violation of our relationship with God. As a command of Jesus, then to not do it is… a violation.
• No good comes from worrying.
• Worrying compartmentalizes us. In other words, it breaks us down instead of builds us up. Worry really does divide us.
• Worry keeps us from doing what we know we need to do… Trust Him and Do Good.

Great advice on a Thursday,

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Resources for “Life Interrupted” – Part 2

Thanks everyone for checking out the Resources I mentioned in Part 2 of Life Interrupted. Here are several that our staff put together this week. This is just the tip of the ice berg, but it should be a great start. I hope you’ll push past any “Intellectual Excuses” and engage your mind to encounter Jesus in a new way. There is a link on the right side of this page to the message if you didn’t hear it or want to refer it to a friend. Let’s start with…

The Bible – written by God – This book is a collection of writings from Jewish and Christian scholars. Some of the authors tell engaging stories, some give amazing instruction, and some just feel the need to tell you the genealogy of someone. (I know I’m being tongue & cheek, but seriously… if you’re not reading it, start. the Book of John is a good place.)

How to Study the Bible for all It’s worth – Henrietta Mears – This is a great resource for an overview of the 66 “books” contained in the Bible.

How Good is Good Enough – Andy Stanley – This book looks at the popular mindset that, “good people go to heaven.” Using scripture and logic, Stanley unpacks that line of thinking.

The Normal Christian Life – Watchman Nee – This book dives into what it means to live life as a Christian. It attempts to break down what it would look like to live a, “normal,” Christian life.

Desire of the Everlasting Hills by Thomas Cahill – A great look at history
and the world before and after Christ. An enjoyable read.

Evidence that Demands a Verdict I and II - Josh McDowell – McDowell started out on a quest to prove Christianity wrong and wound up one of the most convinced people on the planet. These two books are his findings. Great stuf.

More than a Carpenter – Josh McDowell – This is a quick read that digs into the claims of Jesus . It’s a must read for anyone with questions about Jesus as, “The Son of God,” “The Only Way,” etc.

A Case for Christ – Lee Strobel – Lee has a whole line of “A Case for…” Books. These are great for practical data and proof on any number of Christian topics. He even has a “Case for Christmas.”

Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster – Great stuff on what it means to live a life surrendered to Jesus Christ.

The Life You’ve Always Wanted - John Ortberg – I like the way Ortberg writes and I think he takes many of the Celebration of Discipline concepts and puts them into everyday terms. This is an awesome book for the person who wants to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Velvet Elvis – Rob Bell – Rob has this way of using conversational language to dig into this crazy cool Bible History, Jewish culture stuff. This book reads so easy, it’s like you’re listening to him talk. Gotta, gotta, gotta read this book!

Crosswalk.com – A website I visit often. This website is FREE and has every kind of Bible reference guide, or translation you can think of. I use this website as a resource for almost every message I ever give. They have everything from daily devotionals, to message transcripts, and even some advertisements. (ha)

Thanks again for digging in deeper into your faith.

I love being your pastor, NLC, This is truly the best church EVER!!!

Matt

Paul played the Opposite Game Too!

Alright, so I’m reading in 2 Corinthians 12 today, and it appears that the Apostle Paul played the opposite game too. Apparently, Paul’s got this “thorn in the flesh” problem, as he calls it, that just won’t go away. He asks God 3 times to remove it from his life, and No Dice…

So then he comments on God’s response back to him in v. 9… “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” Then he goes on to write, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in dufficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Okay, seriously, who talks like that? Nobody in our world, right? Paul flips it all around. The world around us says, “hide your weaknesses, cover them up, work on them, etc.” Paul says just the opposite. Recognize that God uses that weakness to keep us dependant on Him. In other words, if we could beat this stuff in our own strength, then God wouldn’t get any glory. So He leaves a certain amount of weakness in our lives, just to keep us leaning into Him.

I have read this verse or quoted it literally a hundred times in the past 15 years, but today it just seems more real and true then ever.

Thank you Jesus…

Are you dealing with a “weakness” you can’t seem to get over? There’s a good chance it’s there, to make you lean into God daily… “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

What kind of crazy opposite game is that?

Keller

Jesus and the Opposite Game

Do you remember playing “The Opposite Game” when you were a kid? Whatever your friend (or sibling) would say, you would say the opposite, until they got so annoyed that you either got punched, or they walked away? Well, it would appear that Jesus was familiar with the opposite game as well.

I was reading the “Beattitudes” today in Matthew 5. I couldn’t help but notice that everyone of the things that Jesus says indicates a “blessed” life, is the exact opposite of what the world today says a “blessed” life is.

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” The world today says that being “poor” in anything is never a good thing. But Jesus says that being “poor in spirit,” in other words, emptying ourselves of ourselves is a great thing!

2. “Blessed are those who mourn.” The world does everything in it’s power to move past “pain or mourning” as quickly as possible. “Quick give me something so I don’t have to feel this pain…” Is it possible that Jesus understood that pain woudl be a mighty teacher in our lives, if we would learn to not move past it too quickly?

3. “Blessed are the meek.” The world promotes strength & power & any sign of weakness or even meekness (which are not the same things, by the way) is seen as a bad thing.

4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst…” The world convinces us every 30 seconds that we shouldn’t “want” anything. “Do what you must, but you HAVE to HAVE this new product, or gadget, or toy, or restaurant, etc.”

5. “Blessed are the merciful.” The world declares with compelling directness that “Ruthlessness wins.” Never relent. Never retreat. Never show mercy.

6. “Blessed are the pure in heart.” The world wants us to contaminate our hearts with anything and everything we can find. Purity is mocked on every TV show today. Wow.

7. “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The world is looking for a fight. “It’s a dog eat dog world out there…” type of thing. Jesus promotes the opposite.

8. “Blessed are those who are persecuted.” The world wants to so water down truth, in the name of everyone feeling comfortable, & thus doing away with any sort of ill-will related to a belief that could be seen as “unpopular.” Jesus says there are going to be times when believing in me isn’t going to be easy or popular.”

9. “Blessed are you when people insult you.” Nobody likes to be insulted or put down. But Jesus says that the “Blessed life,” looks different than that.

Interesting stuff, isnt’ it? Does the world around us consider you & I blessed? Based on what? Who would consider our lives more blessed, Jesus or the world around us?

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Watch Over!!!

I was reminded of Psalm 127 today on my prayer walk & I just feel strongly that someone needs to be encouraged by these words. 5 times in 8 verses, the psalmist uses the phrase, “Watch Over.” In other words, he wants to be very clear that our Heavenly Father “Watches Over” us at all times! Check this out… Here are the verses, (with my thoughts in paratheses)…

v. 1 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains (that’s the most high & lofty place around) - where does my help come from?” (In other words, he could be implying any number of things… a. my help doesn’t come from worldly high places, b. my help comes from the High places of God, c. when I face mountains that I know I am to climb, I gotta know where my help comes from)

v. 2 “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Perhaps he clears up his intentions in this verse by recognizing that God created this whole world that we live in, and since He created it, He knows how to get us through it!)

v. 3 “He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber;” (I love that he changes his verb tense right here… He moves it from 1st person, personal, to 3rd person. He is now speaking to someone other than himself! I love that boldness. He had to internalize the message 1st, & then share it with others! Did you catch the 1st “watches over”?)

v. 4 “indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (2nd “watches over”. He speaks of Israel as the people he knows and loves. He is confident in God’s ability to “watch over” the people he knows & loves.)

v. 5 “The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand;” (3rd “watches over”. I’m not real sure of the reference to God being their shade at their right hand. Perhaps it has something to do with them living in a desert climate and needing protection from the scorching heat that can drain you. A potential metaphor for how being in the thick of a battle can drain you, and make you feel like you need relief, like a shade would provide. It kinda makes me want to do some study on that…)

v. 6 “the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” (Again, not sure about how the moon can harm someone, but I bet he’s saying something really powerful right here. In any case, he is declaring God’s ability to “watch over” us anytime, day or night. He’s always near, always watching, never sleeping!)

v. 7 “The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life;” (4th “watch over”. This time from “ALL HARM!” Wow, what a declaration! Notice, he’s increasing in the magnitude of his declarations of what God can do, will do, and is doing for them! He’s building a case for the greatness of God in their lives!!!)

v. 8 “the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (5th “watch over”. This is the big culmination. No matter where you go, or when, God is watching over you!!! Picture having an umbrella that is always over head, protecting you from the scorching sun, but always available to shield you from storm, day or night, wherever you go, now & forevermore! That’s a picture of our God.)

May we walk with that kind of boldness this week as we dig in & live for Him!

Hope that encourages you today,

Matt

Getting Set Up!!!

So I’m reading Proverbs 24 today and this one verse jumps off the page at me:

v. 14 “Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Here’s the deal: He’s talking about wisdom & how important it is to have in your life. Of course this isn’t new info for most of us… ( think “Best Question Ever” stuff…) but then he connects it to a benefit that will appear in our lives later if we do: Future Hope.

Basically what he’s trying to say is: “If you put wisdom in play in the decisions you’re making now, it will set you up for a Hope-Filled Future later. And that hope will never end!” (Echos of: What the Wise thing to do? huh?)

Wow, what a perspective. Here’s why: It’s so easy to think that the “seemingly small & insignificant decisions” we make on a daily basis only effect the here and now, but this verse challenges us to think more Long Term! What if the “small & insignificant decisions” we make today will effect our future in 20 or 30 or 40 years? What if our daily decisions have that much power?

Imagine the implications on our lives, if that’s true. Never underestimate the power of a small decision made today in it’s ability to “set you up” for the future!

Today Matters, Make every Decision Count, (That’s easier said than done…)

Matt