October 1 - All Things Considered

 Read today’s texts first: Zechariah 10-12; Psalm 126; Luke 14

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Our churches are filled with undiscipled disciples
who think they can just add Jesus to their life. 

Jan and I, along with a group of families from Northside Church, planted a church a few years ago called NorthRidge.  I had the privilege of being the lead pastor which meant I got to speak every Sunday morning.  A surprisingly large number came to the church through the carnivals we put on for the community every year.  They were largely unchurched and I had hoped to see many coming forward to receive Jesus each week after every sermon.  When I asked my brother (pastor of our mother church) why that wasn’t happening, he said that you don’t want them to respond just to an emotional appeal.  You want them to count the cost first because you are asking them to give up their whole life!

The Luke reading starts with an open invitation to everyone to come to the table (the kingdom).  But as the multitudes began following Jesus, He quickly thinned out the crowd with comments like putting Him ahead of your family and your own life, picking up your cross, considering the costs, giving up all of your possessions, and allowing Him to lay a whole new foundation on which to build a completely new life. 

If we want disciples to remain they had better be fully aware of what they are getting into.  Jesus gave His life for us, but He expects a similar response from us – He wants us to give our lives to Him.  We have been bought and paid for with His blood.  Our churches are filled with undiscipled disciples who think they can just add Jesus to their life, but without a completely renovated foundation they will never survive the storms of life.

“Lord, while the costs of following You are considerable, the rewards are literally out of this world.  Show me what I still need to give back to You and what I need to say to others who are still considering the costs.”

October Devotion - Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” she said, “I think I'll braid my hair today!” So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmmm,” she said, “I think I'll part my hair down the middle today!” So she did and had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. “Okay,” she said, “today I get to wear my hair in a ponytail!” So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head. “Yea!” she exclaimed, “I don't have to fix my hair today!”

While that story may not be true, the moral is. Those who choose an attitude of gratitude each day tend to be happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. Thankfulness reduces stress, lifts depression, and apparently improves our heart rate and blood pressure. It also does wonders for our social life – people are attracted to those who look at others with appreciation instead of expectation.

Charles Swindoll once wrote: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than education, than money, than failures, than successes, than circumstances, than whatever anyone might say or do. It is more important than appearances, giftedness or skill.

“The remarkable thing is that we have the choice to create the attitude we have for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the way people act. We cannot change the inevitable. The one thing we can change is the only thing we have control over, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what actually happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”

Paul, the apostle, said it even better, thanks to the inspiration of God Himself: Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18).  Let’s take these words to heart, not just on Thanksgiving weekend, but throughout the month of October - good hair day or not!

September 30 - A City Without Walls

 Read today’s texts first: Zechariah 7-9; Luke 13

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

God’s people, both the Jews and the Church, were sent out to invite people from every nation into God’s family. 

The Jews never quite understood why they were God’s chosen people.  They were not selected because He favored Israel over all the other nations (God is no respecter of persons – Acts 10:34).  On the contrary, they were chosen to be God’s channel of blessing to all nations.  Abraham, the Father of the Jews, was to be the father of many nations (hence the name change from Abram to Abraham).  The Jews were to be kings and priests on earth to represent and model God’s ways for the world to observe and then adopt (Exodus 19:6).  Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute, and Ruth, a Moabite, were so welcomed into God’s family they became entwined in the lineage of the Messiah.  We know the end result of this Master plan is the vision of the great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).

Zechariah reinforces that goal for the Jews rebuilding the holy city and their new identity.  In the vision of the man measuring Jerusalem, he heard the angel say, Jerusalem will be a city without walls (2:4).  It was always God’s intent to include all the nations in His holy city:

People from many nations, even powerful nations, will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to ask the Lord to bless them.  This is what the Lord Almighty says: In those days ten people from nations and languages around the world will clutch at the hem of one Jew’s robe. And they will say, “Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (8:22-23)

“Lord, You spoke this message of international inclusiveness to me back in 2002.  At that time I worked on a national curriculum to help churches embrace this idea and transition to become intentionally intercultural.  But as I read these passages again today I realized that was not a one-time assignment. Show me Lord how I can continue to promote the new Jerusalem as a city without walls.”

September 29 - Royal Priesthood

 Read today’s texts first: Zechariah 4-6; Luke 12

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

When we serve as a priest and a king we can reach up and out, loving God then our neighbour.

The calling to be a royal priesthood applied to both Israel (Ex. 19:6) and the church (I Peter 2:9).  It means we are to relate directly to God as priests (Jesus being our High Priest), ministering before Him daily.  It also means we are to rule with Him as kings (Jesus being the King of Kings), exercising His authority on earth as it is in heaven.  If Israel had lived up to that calling, there would have been no priestly tribe (the Levites took on the role by default – Ex. 32:26) or human king (Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 8:6,7).

Zechariah’s lampstand is the perfect illustration of how those two roles blend together.  The two olive trees on either side represented Zerubbabel, the king, and Zechariah, the priest (4:12-14).  The branches of the trees blend together, holding up the bowl filled with the oil that flows to the seven lights.  The oil always represents the Holy Spirit.  The symbolism is clear – when we hold those two roles in balance we create a reservoir for the Holy Spirit to empower our lives and provide light to those around us.

With that context it’s easy to see the meaning behind this oft quoted verse: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” says the Lord Almighty (4:5).  When we relate directly to Jesus as priest and king, and hold those two roles in proper balance (love God and our neighbour, reaching up and out), then God’s Spirit will enable us to fulfill that high calling in His strength.

“Lord, today I will serve you as both priest and king as Your Spirit alone enables me!”

September 28 - Wash Day

 Read today’s texts first: Zechariah 1-3; Luke 11

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

The “Accuser of the Brethren” likes to make us feel
like dirt, so he can drag us back to our old mud-hole. 

As a kid growing up, I looked forward to Wash Day!  Being slightly hyperactive and living on the edge of a forest meant I frequently looked like Linus on Peanuts, trailing a cloud of dust and dirty footprints behind me into the house.  Mom would make me take my clothes off in the laundry room and head straight to the bath. It was good to get cleaned up, but even better to put on freshly cleaned clothes, smelling good and feeling warm, right out of the dryer.

The book of Zechariah, with all of its Messianic prophecies, talks about a spiritual Wash Day.  Joshua, who represents Israel (and the church) is told to “take off his filthy clothes” (3:3) in exchange for “rich garments’ and a “clean turban”.  This is all made possible because of the coming Messiah who “will remove the sin of this land in a single day” (9), a reference to either the first or second coming of Jesus.  Thank You Jesus for making it possible for me to be completely forgiven and spiritually clean!  Unlike the Pharisees in the Luke 11 reading, we are to be clean inside and out.

This chapter opens up, though, with a rare direct reference to Satan.  We see him as the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:20) standing at the right side of Joshua before the “angel of the Lord” (Jesus), ready to accuse him.  But the “Lord” (that’s how we know the angel is Jesus) rebukes him.  He says that Joshua (applies to Israel and us) has been chosen, snatched out of captivity, and is no longer subject to shame.  Satan’s favorite tactic is to remind us of our past, our failings.  And when we feel like dirt, he can drag us back to our old mud-hole.  But Jesus rebukes those thoughts, and reminds us of who we are now in Him.

“Lord, today and everyday is Wash Day.  You personally cleaned and placed these royal robes on me, so remind me to keep them clean.”

September 27 - One Thing

 Read today’s texts first: Haggai 1,2; Psalms 129; Luke 10

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Never get so busy with the details of serving,
that you miss the one reason for serving. 

Curly, the aged and saged cowpoke, held up his crooked index finger to illustrate for his new friend, Mitch, the meaning of life – “it’s just one thing!”  Of course he died before Mitch could find out what it was – so the rest of his journey was the quest to discover the one thing (City Slickers).

Fortunately, the One who created us already told us the “one thing”.  Israel missed it and Haggai, the aged prophet (likely 70 at the time) was urging the Jews, who have returned from exile, to stop rebuilding their own houses and focus on the house of God (Haggai 1:7-9).  Jesus said the same thing to Martha who was busy with the details of serving, but missed the one reason for serving (10:41).  Mary got it right.  She chose the “one thing that is needed” which was simply sitting by the feet of Jesus and “listening to what he said” (10:30).

“Lord, may I remember the one thing in the busyness of the day ahead.  May I never stray from that place at Your feet where I can hear everything You say to me.”

September 26 - Lose/Win Proposition

 Read today’s texts first: Ezra 4; Psalms 113,127; Luke 9

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

God asks us to give up things to test us.  If we pass
the test, He knows He can trust us with more,
not to keep but to pass on to others.

I’m intrigued by the paradox principles of Scripture: love your enemies, turn the other cheek, give and it shall be given, die and you’ll live, serve and you’ll lead, get under authority to have authority, and today’s word for the day,  lose your life and you’ll find it.  They defy human logic, but tap into divine wisdom. 

While I was working at a Bible college, we rediscovered the powerful principles of giving.  We faced a $50,000 deficit, prayed and then felt God telling us to give more than we ever have.  So we did – in subsidies to students, curriculum to churches and resources to missions.  After a year of serendipitous donations and conference bookings, we closed our books with a $35,000 surplus.  Did the strategy make sense?  Not really.  Did it work? Without question.

We don’t obey the commands to gain anything for ourselves.  If so, we miss the whole point.  God asks us to give up things or ourselves to test us.  If we pass the test, He knows He can trust us with more, not to keep but to pass on to others.  We become a conduit of blessing.  What is true for the specifics of life is true for life in general.

The American dream is founded on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  There’s a movie by that name starring Will Smith and his son.  They are cute together and the story is heartwarming, but its bottom line is the pursuit of money and materialism at the cost of a marriage and a stable home.  The trouble is the American dream usually turns into a nightmare, and happiness, when pursued, will most often give you the slip.  Happiness, joy, contentment, fulfillment – all the things we want in life for ourselves, are only by-products.  They only come when we surrender our lives to the One who created us and knows us best.

“Lord, this day like the rest of my life is yours.  I give up control over my life because I know it’s a lose/win proposition.”