Bret's Blog

The Way of God

    One of things that followers of Jesus need to know is that brokenness comes before greatness.  It is a hard lesson to grasp and it is a hard lesson to have to experience.  But the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of scripture is very clear:

"Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." "You don’t know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."" Matthew 20:20-23

The cup of Jesus (above) was the cup of suffering.  When Jesus said "you don't know what you are asking" he meant "you have no idea what is required to get to that place" or "Are you willing to pay the price for what you are asking?"

Jesus also said, ""But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!" Luke 12:50

The incredible suffering of Jesus preceded His great glory.  It works the same with us.

So, don't be surprised when God takes you through the fire.  This is the way of God.

March 4 Why I Haven't Blogged in So Long

I think it's been at least two months since I have blogged here.  I was trying to write out daily devotionals and share my heart a lot.  I had sent out a daily devotional via Yahoo! Groups for about five years straight and then I stopped.

Here's why--  I heard once that you get 10% busier every year of your life.  That's why I laugh whenever I hear a college student comment about how busy they are.  Wow, do they have a surprise in store for them!  Add a full-time job, wife, kids, house, cars, civic responsibilities, church commitments, more and more friends-- it's incredible.

So, in all of the above, I fell behind.  But, I just hired a great lead associate and I can already feel the burden falling off of me.  So I should be able to do some things like before-- like blogging, thinking and writing some more.  Hooray.

The Devil's Anesthetic

Here's an incredible line I heard this last week:  "Discouragement is the anesthetic the Devil uses just before he rips out your heart."   Wow!

January 22 America's Day of Infamy

When American history is finally written in its entirety I think January 22, 1973 will probably be remembered as the lowest point.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jane Roe allowing abortion on demand as a "right" guaranteed by the Constitution.  Since then millions of America's children have been killed.  Some of America's brightest stars (writers, teachers, doctors, inventors, Pastors, leaders, Presidents)-- millions dead.    January 22, 1973.

The Date of the Mountain Meadow Massacre

September 11.....1857

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) denied any involvement by Mormons, and was relatively silent on the issue. In 1872, however, it excommunicated some of the participants for their role in the massacre. Since then, the LDS Church has consistently condemned the massacre, though acknowledging involvement by local Mormon leaders. In September 2007, the LDS Church published an article in its official publications marking 150 years since the tragedy occurred.[30].

Richard E. Turley Jr., The Mountain Meadows Massacre, lds.org, 2007-08-29

Weird.

The Flesh Profits Nothing

Here is an IMPORTANT truth in one line--

THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING

Or in context,

""It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." John 6:63, NASB.

Or, in another place--

"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." "So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:6-9, 12, 13, NASB.

What does all this mean?  We have a daily choice to obey our natural, sinful nature (the flesh) or our new, regenerated Spirit-empowered nature.  If you live according to (empowered by, directed by) the flesh, you will 1) not see any profit; 2) die— that is curl up on the inside; 3) live in hostility toward God; 4) not please God.

So, what’s a good Christ-follower to do:  “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof” Romans 13:14

December 11 Nehemiah's Kind of Praying

I am reading the Book of Nehemiah this week in my quiet time.  Nehemiah was a man of prayer:

He prayed when things were bad:

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:4, NIV.

He confessed his sin and the sin of his people:

"Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly towards you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses." Nehemiah 1:5-7, NIV.

When he was given favor before the King and received a huge opportunity, he prayed:

"The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."" Nehemiah 2:4, 5, NIV.

That’s not a bad place to start today in prayer— pouring out our heart before God for the condition of our people and asking God to work in us and through us.

November 26 What Jesus Had to Eat that I Get So Little Of

Something happens to Jesus in John 4 that I have never heard preached when this familiar passage comes up.  It has to do with Jesus' hunger, thirst and how it is satisfied.  Read with me:

"Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour." John 4:4-6

The sixth hour is noon. Picture it:  probably hot or at least warm...Jesus and his disciples have just walked or rode on donkeys all morning.  They are hungry, thirsty and in need of a break.  It's lunch time!  I don't know about you but this is the time of day when my appetite kicks in the hardest-- right in the middle of the day.  Most of the world has their main meal of the day right in the middle of the day for the very same reason.

"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)" John 4:7-9

Jesus could have focused on his own needs and his own situation- he needed a break, probably well-deserved.  Instead, he reaches out to a poor woman.

Here’s where I have never heard anybody comment.  When Jesus finishes his conversation with this woman and ministry in her life, this happens:

"Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no-one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way towards him. Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:27-34

Apparently, the ministry that Jesus did actually satisfied him to the point where he did not need anything to eat and was not hungry. 

By the way, that is the purpose of fasting— to find in God all that He is apart from our physical needs.  Do you think God could be to you THAT MUCH— more than food and physical desires?

Interesting.  I tell you I would sure love to have a day of ministry like Jesus where the ministry was so joyous and powerful and God-filled that it satisfied every part of my body!

Bret

October 2 My Speech

I am challenged, commanded and encouraged to speak differently as a follower of Jesus.  I am to not use coarse joking or filthy language, instead I am to have a mouth full of thanksgiving and say things that build others up and add value:

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29

"Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes--these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God." Ephesians 5:4

"Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." Colossians 4:6

"Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds." Colossians 3:9

"So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire." James 3:5

Whew!  What a challenge.  Today, I really want to make my words count and say things that bless others and build them up-- words that make a positive difference.

Jesus, if I walked around physically with you today I know I would be stunned by your talk.  I dedicate my lips to you and pray that you will "occupy" them with your power today.  Amen.

Bret

September 24 What Do Warren Jeffs and Osama Bin Laden have in common?

Here's a question to think about for a minute: 

What do Warren Jeffs (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a Mormon sect with over 10,000 followers mostly in southern Utah, northern Arizona and uh, southern Nevada-- some near us!) and Osama Bin Laden (worldwide leader of Al Qaeda, a fundamentalist Islamic sect) have in common?

Warren Jeffs has been in the news because he was convicted (this week) of conspiracy in aiding the rape of a minor by an adult and other crimes.  He could serve a life prison sentence for his crimes.

Here's my answer:  both are the REAL DEAL when it comes to their faith.  Warren Jeffs is a REAL Mormon and Osama Bin Laden is a REAL Muslim.

Why do I say that?  First, Jeffs.  He is following exactly what the first Mormons both taught and practiced.  Joseph Smith had 43 wives and 55 children.  Some of Smith's wives were married to other men and many were minors.   Brigham Young-- similar.  The Mormon scriptures encourage it:

  61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse ^aanother, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

  62 And if he have ^aten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.  (Doctrines & Covenants, 132:61-62)


Second, Osama Bin Laden.  The world is after this guy but he is just a good Muslim.  He is following the Koran which teaches that the whole world needs to convert to Islam, live the good life people lived in 650 A.D., pray five times a day toward Mecca, submit to Allah in all things and, hopefully, die in Jihad so you can be guaranteed a reception in heaven with 70 virgins (see above)-- pretty sexual too by the way.  Oh, a reference:

"Fight those who neither believe in Allah nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not embrace the religion of the truth, being among those who have been given the Book (Bible and the Torah), until they pay tribute out of hand and have been humiliated." (Surah 9:29)

"...restrain their hands, take them and kill them wherever you find them." (Surah 4:91)

"...O Prophet, urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty patient men among you, you shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred, they shall overcome a thousand, for they are a nation who do not understand." (Surah 8:65)

So, with all the commotion, let's not lose our senses-- this is what real Mormonism is and real Islam is.  Pretty scary if you ask me.