Thoughts from the One-Year Bible
January 25, 2011
Gen 50:20 - “Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good,....”(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
I have worn glasses, it seems, all my life. The earliest school pictures show me wearing glasses when I was in the first grade. Now that is a long, long time. Several years ago I had a wonderful surgery that transformed my eyes forever. I no longer have my natural lenses, I have implants. My left eye has an implant for reading and my right eye has an implant for seeing things at a distance. It was amazing! The very first morning I got out of bed I could see the clock all the way across the room...with no glasses! Before that surgery my vision was so bad I could hardly see anything clearly within five feet. Once the implants were in place I could see well all the time. In order for me to see clearly my eyesight had to be changed.
How well this little thought fits in with the scripture today. Joseph’s brothers thought they were going to be mistreated now that Father Jacob was dead. You know,... those brothers that sold him down the river and thought they would never see him again? But, Joseph was seeing things a little more clearly than his brothers. His eyesight had been changed. No longer did he view what his brothers did as evil. He saw through what his brothers had done it actually positioned him to be able to help his brothers and all fo their families. His brothers were looking at the situation without the use of God-eyesight. They were looking at the death of their father as floodgate through which all of Joseph’s vengeance would rain down upon them. Joseph was looking at his brothers as opportunities to bless them because of what they had done and how God had used their evil actions.
That is the problem so many times in our own lives - we have bad eyesight. And most of the time the eyesight is nearsightedness rather than farsightedness. To be nearsighted is to “myopic” - note the word “MY-opic”. When we are spiritually nearsighted we see things best at close up range - my range - me range. Things become about us and me and my - case in point...Joseph’s brothers. But Joseph was farsighted - or “hyperopic”. He could see things far away while losing sight of things up close and personal - the hurts and offenses. Too often we are “my - opic” and take everything personal. Our world is a huge failure and everyone is against us. We need to become farsighted, being able to see things at a distance. Everything is not about us and everyone is not against us. In fact, more often than not things that come into our lives are not necessarily for short range understanding, but rather long range transformation. God wants us to be like Him - Holy. The only way we get there from here is with eyesight that sees further down the road than the little things that crowd into “my” space right now. What you are going through right now is either because of less than wise decisions - OR - God is trying to change your eyesight - to see how He is working out everything for HIS purpose. After all isn’t that what life is really all about - transforming our lives and fitting us for eternity with Him?
You are loved,
Pastor Roger
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Correction
Thursday, January 13, 2011 - Thoughts from the One Year Bible
Correction
Proverbs 3:11-12 - "My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
How many times was I corrected as a young boy? Too many to count. What do I remember most of many of those corrections? My father saying to me, "This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you." Wanna bet? At least that is what I thought until one day I heard myself say to my own child, "This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you." I suddenly found myself laughing on the inside as I immediately went back in time and my father's words echoed through the chambers of my mind. Why in the world would he say such a thing? Why did I say it? Discovery - when we love someone deeply, we are grieved when we must bring discipline into their lives. We know it will hurt them in the short term. We risk the possibility of rejection. We risk misunderstanding. We risk a potential break in relationship. We risk creating anger in the one whom we discipline.
The writer of this Proverb came to understand the loving touch of God's discipline. "Don't reject the Lord's discipline...don't be upset when He corrects you...." So why is it we often respond so negatively when the hand of correction comes into our life? I believe it has to do with our heart condition. We tend to believe we are right...all the time. When we do the wrong thing we tend to believe it doesn't affect anyone else and if no one finds out what is the difference? I love my children and in those days of "growing up" it wasn't so much I wanted them to do things my way as it was I wanted them to do things "rightly" or righteously. I wanted them to do things right in the sight of God. I loved them enough to care they grew up knowing the right thing to do and doing the right thing.
So it is with God. He loves us so much He gave His only Son to die for our sins and it only makes sense He loves us enough to see to it we do the right things - not only because He is God and wants us to be righteous and holy, but because he knows what is best for us. He made us and understands us. When we find ourselves doing things that bring sin and harm into our lives, He cares and loves us enough to bring discipline into our lives. I love the analogy of a loving father and would recite the verse this way, "The Lord brings discipline into the lives of those in whom He delights!" God delights in His creation - YOU! Discipline calls us to attention. Discipline calls us to accountability. Discipline from God brings us into a place of character adjustment. God wants us to live life to the potential He created in us. But, for us to experience the God-potential within us we must experience the loving discipline of God.
It didn't happen overnight - it took a while. In fact, it took a few years into my adult life when I finally understood the discipline of my father was most often nothing more than a great big hug and an "I love you". At the time it was like hugging a cactus, but over time the sticker wounds healed and what remained was a better, wiser individual. Don't reject God's hugs - even if there are a few stickers at the time. In the long run you are better off.
You are loved, Pastor Roger
Correction
Proverbs 3:11-12 - "My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
How many times was I corrected as a young boy? Too many to count. What do I remember most of many of those corrections? My father saying to me, "This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you." Wanna bet? At least that is what I thought until one day I heard myself say to my own child, "This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you." I suddenly found myself laughing on the inside as I immediately went back in time and my father's words echoed through the chambers of my mind. Why in the world would he say such a thing? Why did I say it? Discovery - when we love someone deeply, we are grieved when we must bring discipline into their lives. We know it will hurt them in the short term. We risk the possibility of rejection. We risk misunderstanding. We risk a potential break in relationship. We risk creating anger in the one whom we discipline.
The writer of this Proverb came to understand the loving touch of God's discipline. "Don't reject the Lord's discipline...don't be upset when He corrects you...." So why is it we often respond so negatively when the hand of correction comes into our life? I believe it has to do with our heart condition. We tend to believe we are right...all the time. When we do the wrong thing we tend to believe it doesn't affect anyone else and if no one finds out what is the difference? I love my children and in those days of "growing up" it wasn't so much I wanted them to do things my way as it was I wanted them to do things "rightly" or righteously. I wanted them to do things right in the sight of God. I loved them enough to care they grew up knowing the right thing to do and doing the right thing.
So it is with God. He loves us so much He gave His only Son to die for our sins and it only makes sense He loves us enough to see to it we do the right things - not only because He is God and wants us to be righteous and holy, but because he knows what is best for us. He made us and understands us. When we find ourselves doing things that bring sin and harm into our lives, He cares and loves us enough to bring discipline into our lives. I love the analogy of a loving father and would recite the verse this way, "The Lord brings discipline into the lives of those in whom He delights!" God delights in His creation - YOU! Discipline calls us to attention. Discipline calls us to accountability. Discipline from God brings us into a place of character adjustment. God wants us to live life to the potential He created in us. But, for us to experience the God-potential within us we must experience the loving discipline of God.
It didn't happen overnight - it took a while. In fact, it took a few years into my adult life when I finally understood the discipline of my father was most often nothing more than a great big hug and an "I love you". At the time it was like hugging a cactus, but over time the sticker wounds healed and what remained was a better, wiser individual. Don't reject God's hugs - even if there are a few stickers at the time. In the long run you are better off.
You are loved, Pastor Roger
Monday, November 1, 2010
Swallow The Scroll
There is an interesting passage of Scripture in today’s One Year Bible reading. It is found in the Old Testament, Ezekiel 2:9-3:3, “Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, which He unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom. The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. "Fill your stomach with this," He said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
It is interesting the prophet has been called of God to deliver a hard message to a people who He(God) declares as rebellious. Yet, as Ezekiel eats the scroll, representing the Word of God full of pronouncements of doom because of their rebelliousness, he finds it is as sweet as honey in his mouth. You would normally think words of doom and sorrow would be bitter tasting words. I know from my own experiences that moments of sorrow and death, discipline and rebuke are not words sweet to the taste. They are words of bitterness and go down hard. Yet, Ezekiel found them sweet. I think I can understand this. The scroll was the Word of God! If we live to please our Heavenly Father, even when He speaks words of sorrow or rebuke, we find them to be sweet words because they represent His love for us. A loving father will take the time to speak not only the sweet words of love that go down easily leaving us wanting more, but he also speaks hard words to us when we have moments of rebellion and wanting to do things our way. Though these words are distasteful, when received with the right heart and attitude, they, too are words sweet and palatable. We recognize them for the words they really are - words meant to bring about change in our hearts and lives. Words meant to draw attention to our failure - not as though we are “failures”, but because we have failed to bring honor to the one who loves us enough to speak bitter words as well as sweet words.
The message of God through Ezekiel to His people was a message of rebuke and discipline. God was hoping these words would call them to attention and they would turn their lives around. While the message was sweet to the messenger it was bitter to the hearer because their heart was not tuned to the Heavenly Father Whose love was deep enough to say them. I must admit, there are times when the Words of the Father are bitter to me, but if I stay in tune with His heart even bitter words can be sweet. God goes on to say in Ex. 3:10 - “Then he added, "Son of man, let all My words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.”Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Bitter or sweet I will swallow the scroll deep within my being so that I might become the person God wants me to be.
Pastor Roger
It is interesting the prophet has been called of God to deliver a hard message to a people who He(God) declares as rebellious. Yet, as Ezekiel eats the scroll, representing the Word of God full of pronouncements of doom because of their rebelliousness, he finds it is as sweet as honey in his mouth. You would normally think words of doom and sorrow would be bitter tasting words. I know from my own experiences that moments of sorrow and death, discipline and rebuke are not words sweet to the taste. They are words of bitterness and go down hard. Yet, Ezekiel found them sweet. I think I can understand this. The scroll was the Word of God! If we live to please our Heavenly Father, even when He speaks words of sorrow or rebuke, we find them to be sweet words because they represent His love for us. A loving father will take the time to speak not only the sweet words of love that go down easily leaving us wanting more, but he also speaks hard words to us when we have moments of rebellion and wanting to do things our way. Though these words are distasteful, when received with the right heart and attitude, they, too are words sweet and palatable. We recognize them for the words they really are - words meant to bring about change in our hearts and lives. Words meant to draw attention to our failure - not as though we are “failures”, but because we have failed to bring honor to the one who loves us enough to speak bitter words as well as sweet words.
The message of God through Ezekiel to His people was a message of rebuke and discipline. God was hoping these words would call them to attention and they would turn their lives around. While the message was sweet to the messenger it was bitter to the hearer because their heart was not tuned to the Heavenly Father Whose love was deep enough to say them. I must admit, there are times when the Words of the Father are bitter to me, but if I stay in tune with His heart even bitter words can be sweet. God goes on to say in Ex. 3:10 - “Then he added, "Son of man, let all My words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.”Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Bitter or sweet I will swallow the scroll deep within my being so that I might become the person God wants me to be.
Pastor Roger
Keeping The Fire
I preached a message yesterday to emphasize the importance of keeping the fire of God in your heart and life. Last week I spent some time with Dan Bohi and he shared this five finger concept of keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Your little finger, which seems so unimportant at times, is the entry point into the Heavenly places where the fire of the Holy Spirit is burning at all times. Likewise, prayer is sometimes something we do out of habit, at a meal, or because we think we should - let's face it, prayer seems rather unimportant and mundane at times...just like our little finger. Yet, just try to live without the use of that little finger. Likewise, try to live without prayer. You can't - succesfully. Prayer must take on a significance in our lives. Just as you cannot ignore your little finger, you cannot ignore prayer. It is the language of the Heavenly Father - the conversation of Him to me and me to Him. Second, comes the ring finger - Obedience. I don't very often think of the ring finger being much of anything but a place to put a ring. Yet, as I gaze at my left ring finger I see a ring that represents a covenant of marriage with my wife, Kris. Within that covenant is a promise not only to Kris, but to God. I promised, long ago, to obey God's command to cherish and love my wife as Christ loves the church. I do everything possible to obey that command. As I look at that ring finger I am reminded of obedience and how important it is to obey the commands of my Heavenly Father in all things. Then comes the middle finger - Truth. It is longer than the rest and so quite recognizable. It has a longer reach than the other fingers. It reminds me how important it is to reach for truth. I must reach for and secure truth for it is what sets me free. Next comes the index finger - Faith. The index finger is probably the most powerful of all the fingers. Faith is the power base of our experience with God. It moves us to do what we do and live the way we do. Faith motivates us and keeps us. Faith gives us vision and hope - and without it we will not see God. Faith is powerful and is made complete as we pray, obey, and walk in the truth. Finally, the thumb - Anointing. The Word says we cannot please God without faith. Why? Because faith comes from hearing the Truth - the truth gives us a reason to obey - and obedience puts us on our knees in prayer. If we want the anointing we must pray, obey, walk in the truth, and excercise faith. When the anointing comes it enhances our desire to pray, obey, walk in the truth and have a faith great enough to say to the tree - "Be uprooted and thrown into the sea!"
Stretch out your hand - memorize these five truths - live in them - walk in the anointing - keep the fire of the Holy Spirit of God in your heart and life.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Afterglow
I have been basking in the Presence of God today recalling the wonderful things He has done in the last 72 hours of my life and the life of our church. People forgiven, people sanctified, hurts healed, offenses surrendered, the past placed in the past…the list goes on. This thought sums up the entire 72 hours – “People prayed, God spoke, people listened, God spoke, people responded, God sent forgiveness, freedom, His power, His Presence, people received. Waco Community Fellowship is forever changed. Changed into a reflection of who God desires us to be. Changed into a people without fear and bondage. Changed into a people with courage to tell our community about Jesus. Changed into a people who desire to praise God with their lives and lips.
Last night Dan spoke about the “Burnt Offering” and the significance of “taking out the ashes” so the fire can once again burn brightly and intensely, as fire is quenched when we keep ashes in the fire pit. Nearly 30 people came to the altar taking ashes to the ash heap – letting go of the past, letting go of offenses. A couple of folks went back more than once as it was obvious they were obeying the voice of God in their hearts Who told them there were more ashes to throw out.
I am listening intently to God to know just how to approach Sunday as our entire atmosphere has changed. A Sunday School teacher even asked what they should do on Sunday – as they, too are basking in this incredible new freedom. What a wonderful place to be – no preconceived ideas about what should be, only an absolute surrender to what will be as the Holy Spirit guides and directs. Advice? Stay in the Word and on your knees. What is supposed to sung, shared and preached will flow from the heart of God into the Sunday School teachers, the children’s workers, the youth pastor and the pastor – then we will have what we call church.
Thank God that He does not change. Thank God that He is faithful. Thank God that He still wants to inhabit the praises and the hearts of His people.
Pastor Roger
Last night Dan spoke about the “Burnt Offering” and the significance of “taking out the ashes” so the fire can once again burn brightly and intensely, as fire is quenched when we keep ashes in the fire pit. Nearly 30 people came to the altar taking ashes to the ash heap – letting go of the past, letting go of offenses. A couple of folks went back more than once as it was obvious they were obeying the voice of God in their hearts Who told them there were more ashes to throw out.
I am listening intently to God to know just how to approach Sunday as our entire atmosphere has changed. A Sunday School teacher even asked what they should do on Sunday – as they, too are basking in this incredible new freedom. What a wonderful place to be – no preconceived ideas about what should be, only an absolute surrender to what will be as the Holy Spirit guides and directs. Advice? Stay in the Word and on your knees. What is supposed to sung, shared and preached will flow from the heart of God into the Sunday School teachers, the children’s workers, the youth pastor and the pastor – then we will have what we call church.
Thank God that He does not change. Thank God that He is faithful. Thank God that He still wants to inhabit the praises and the hearts of His people.
Pastor Roger
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Revival Comes To Community Fellowship
Little did I know that I would once again see the Presence of God enter into the church. I saw that when I was 16 and now 42 years later I have been blessed to see it again. Some would contend that two and half hours of church on a Sunday Morning would be enough for the next couple of weeks, but then to spend four hours in the evening is just simply…fanatical. Well, then mark me down as fanatically in love with being in the Presence of God. I watched in wonder, amazement, and joy as the Presence of God broke through in our church today. Evangelist Dan Bohi spoke, later I learned not on what he had planned, about Elijah, a man “just like us” and Moses, “not the right person for the job”. He asked the question as to why we are not living in the miracles of God and the Presence of God. He asked where the passion and the fire have gone. I watched as 100% of this congregation rose to their feet in response to needing a fresh fire and wanting a fresh fire of passion rekindled in their hearts. Not 99% - 100% - every person that was there! In my church? I never thought I would see that. Fifteen or twenty, but all 130 people? Then the altar filled, not with every person, but to capacity and still no one left. The Presence of God filled the place and revival fire began.
Tonight – where do I start and what do I tell? I will make it short – Dan’s message of the necessity of “Spirit” and “Word” coming together in the church again, brought us to the understanding of why it is so difficult for these two to come together - Sin and fear. Sin and fear keep us from experiencing the beauty and power of God in our lives and in the church. After laying the Word out to us he invited those who had sin to confess and fear to shed, to come forward and do so. It started, and Lord forgive me, much to my surprise, it didn’t stop for the next three plus hours. Person and after person confessing sin and repenting, being filled with the spirit, asking for and confessing complete heart purification. From confessions of pornography to confessions of hatred and bitterness from a childhood of abuse – person after person came forward to be cleansed and filled. God did not fail to show up nor did He fail to cleanse and fill with His Holy Spirit. In a dry and desert place, rivers of living water came flowing and refreshed the heart and soul of this group of people at Waco Community Fellowship tonight. No more fear, no more night – and this is only Sunday. WOW – Wonder of Wonders we have Monday and Tuesday to go. It is not yet complete, but the Glory of God has indeed broken through in Waco. To God be the glory!
Tonight – where do I start and what do I tell? I will make it short – Dan’s message of the necessity of “Spirit” and “Word” coming together in the church again, brought us to the understanding of why it is so difficult for these two to come together - Sin and fear. Sin and fear keep us from experiencing the beauty and power of God in our lives and in the church. After laying the Word out to us he invited those who had sin to confess and fear to shed, to come forward and do so. It started, and Lord forgive me, much to my surprise, it didn’t stop for the next three plus hours. Person and after person confessing sin and repenting, being filled with the spirit, asking for and confessing complete heart purification. From confessions of pornography to confessions of hatred and bitterness from a childhood of abuse – person after person came forward to be cleansed and filled. God did not fail to show up nor did He fail to cleanse and fill with His Holy Spirit. In a dry and desert place, rivers of living water came flowing and refreshed the heart and soul of this group of people at Waco Community Fellowship tonight. No more fear, no more night – and this is only Sunday. WOW – Wonder of Wonders we have Monday and Tuesday to go. It is not yet complete, but the Glory of God has indeed broken through in Waco. To God be the glory!
Fresh Winds Of The Holy Spirit
If one was pleased with what God did on Sunday, then what expression could one use to describe what God did last night? As a pastor I could do nothing but laugh. Laugh? Yes, laugh - not a laugh brought on from some sort of a joke, but a laugh brought on by the Holy Spirit as I stood "dumbfounded" at what He has decided to do with our church. About 100+ people came to the service - about 65 of those came to an altar to "sanctified" - filled with the Spirit - emptied of self! I laughed with pure joy as I saw this most incredible response to the call of God. I want to share a portion of an email from one of our people - "I woke up at 5 this morning and could'nt go back to sleep. I can't wait until the service tonight. We went to ...... church for 29 yrs and we have been in Community Fellowship for 7 years. I have never been in a service like last night. This is exactly what we have been praying for. This is what its all about. Jesus definitely was there and I could feel a love of all the people for Jesus and each other. It was overwhelming. I didn't want it to end."
What else can I say? One more service tonight - what will God do? This does, however leave a pastor in an incredible delima - after standing before people who were not "getting it" before this week, I will now stand before a people who do "get it". What's the delima? What/how do I preach? The whole atmosphere is changed and charged. Well, I really do know the answer to that, it's just a question I never thought I would ask myself. I realize that as I listen to God, His Holy Spirit will equip me with His Words - just like before - only now I can truly expect a response and more importantly I can expect a people to be listening with different ears. This demands more time in the Word and more time on my knees in order to be so filled of God and empty of self that the Spirit flows through me. No longer will people listen with "passive" attention. They will listen "intently" expecting to hear from God through me. No more "self-effort" to try to bring about some sort of response to the Word of God. The effort now is reading enough of the Word and praying enough in the Spirit to insure the people DO hear from God - not from a pastor who preached from the "barrel" or preached a sermon given to someone else and given a tweek here and there to make it sound like my own - and nearly every preacher knows what I mean.
Come Holy Spirit - we NEED You! I will check in tomorrow with another report of an incredible God Who has done another incredible thing at Waco Community Fellowship.
Pastor Roger Huff
What else can I say? One more service tonight - what will God do? This does, however leave a pastor in an incredible delima - after standing before people who were not "getting it" before this week, I will now stand before a people who do "get it". What's the delima? What/how do I preach? The whole atmosphere is changed and charged. Well, I really do know the answer to that, it's just a question I never thought I would ask myself. I realize that as I listen to God, His Holy Spirit will equip me with His Words - just like before - only now I can truly expect a response and more importantly I can expect a people to be listening with different ears. This demands more time in the Word and more time on my knees in order to be so filled of God and empty of self that the Spirit flows through me. No longer will people listen with "passive" attention. They will listen "intently" expecting to hear from God through me. No more "self-effort" to try to bring about some sort of response to the Word of God. The effort now is reading enough of the Word and praying enough in the Spirit to insure the people DO hear from God - not from a pastor who preached from the "barrel" or preached a sermon given to someone else and given a tweek here and there to make it sound like my own - and nearly every preacher knows what I mean.
Come Holy Spirit - we NEED You! I will check in tomorrow with another report of an incredible God Who has done another incredible thing at Waco Community Fellowship.
Pastor Roger Huff
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