Daily Light - October 7, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Create in me a clean heart, O God."

Psalm 51:10

If you will take an objective glance at the Christian church, you will find humanism has made its way into the mainstream. The average best-sellers among Christian books today are self-help books that teach you that you can become a better you. The popular messages from pulpits tell people if they will just speak it out loud their desire will come to pass. There is instruction for the addict to reach deep inside himself and break the chains that bind him. I even heard a whole message the other day from a Christian pastor on how the church needs to be instrumental in reversing global warming. Somewhere I think we get the idea that reformation is all about man and what he does to cause that reformation.

David comes to the Lord in recognition of not just his act of sin but especially his nature of sin. It is in this moment that he realizes that he has nothing good to offer to God in himself. With this broken and contrite spirit he stands as a needy man before a holy God and requests, "Create in me a clean heart." Notice that the understood subject is God. David knew that he was completely incapable in himself of seeing his life and heart be transformed. There was nothing in him that could bring about the change that he so desperately needed. Is this not the fulfillment of the first of the beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit"? How humbly we need to come to God for His help!

I have shared this illustration with many before, but I find it very appropriate. When our daughter was just a new toddler, we saw the first glimpse of her stubbornness. (I am not sure if she got that from me or her mother. You can be the judge!) I was sitting on the couch relaxing when she came toddling in to the room. She wanted to get up on the couch with me, so I reached down to pick her up. She refused, because she wanted to do it herself. She tried and tried to throw her little leg up on to the couch but to no avail. It didn't matter how hard or how long she tried to pull herself up she couldn't do it. Finally, after quite a while, she looked into my eyes and stretched out her hand for help. I gladly picked her up and placed her beside me. She had to come to the point that she realized that without the hands of her father she was helpless.

How greatly the church needs to come to that same realization! We cannot receive a renewal and an awakening by doing the Christian work in our own power. We need a new heart and a power source which is not of this world. Let's throw this humanistic philosophy and doctrine back to hell where it came from and fervently call on God for a work of restoration, reformation, and transformation.

May you hunger and thirst for the Almighty today!

Daily Light - October 6, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters,

and said, 'Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!'

But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking."

Genesis 19:14

Many years earlier Lot and Abraham had to part ways because their families and possessions had grown too large to stay together. Lot chose the well-watered plains outside of the city. When he moved in, he faced his tent toward the city of Sodom. This was the beginning of the end. It is obvious that the allure of the city was great upon Lot's life. It was so great that the next thing we see is that he has moved in to the city and even become one of the elders of this wicked place. Lot is a perfect study of someone who failed to be a spiritual example.

Temptation to sin is so strong, especially to those who refuse to remove themselves from the place of it. The Bible clearly teaches us that by the power of the Holy Spirit we can flee lust and even resist the devil. We must, however, make a conscious decision to do so. Lot chose to put himself in the midst of a sinful environment, and this decision had tragic spiritual and physical consequences for him and the rest of his family.

When God mercifully sent His angels to warn Lot and his family, it is obvious that they did not want to go even though knew about the coming judgment. Finally, knowing that he had no choice but to go, Lot tried to convince his family that they needed to get out. It is obvious from their reaction that Lot had been anything but a man of God. When he started talking about spiritual things, they thought he was joking. I believe that they had never heard him talk like this before. We cannot wait until a moment of crisis to become a spiritual leader. We must lead by the power of God day in and day out. It will be a consistent walk with Christ that will have the greatest influence on the lives of those close to us. Lot would lose his daughters and sons-in-law that stayed behind, all of his possessions, his wife (who looked back against the command of God because she longed for what God despised), and his moral decency (his own daughters would have children by him up in the mountains).

I guess if I had the opportunity to ask Lot one question it would be this: "Was it really worth all of that?" I am sure that he never planned on it going this far the day he faced his tent toward Sodom, but we never do plan for things to go like that, do we? When we give an opportunity to the flesh, it will without any doubt become destructive. Lot once had such a large family and so many servants. When Abraham began to bargain with God to save the city, surely with all of Lot's family and his servants there would be ten righteous people. Of course, we now know there wasn't. Why? It is like the old saying: "Sin will take you farther than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. It will cost you more than you wanted to pay."

May you resist the devil and live as a righteous example today!

Daily Light - October 5, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him."

Luke 5:11

Jesus wants to absolutely transform every thing in our lives, especially the way we work. When He finished speaking, He called on those who had just finished cleaning out their nets to take Him fishing. These exhausted men had worked all night long and had come back empty handed. They were tired, discouraged, and ready for some much needed sleep. After a mild protest by Simon, they decided to entertain this Teacher and take Him out for a short expedition. Little did they know how much this would change their lives!

The key to this whole story is that they submitted to the Word of the Lord. In their own power and flesh they wanted nothing to do with another fishing trip, but they chose to do things with God instead of on their own. When we start working with God and according to His will and wishes, it is there that we experience His power. The nets of the fishermen became so heavy that they had to call back to the shore for help. This was not just a good catch; they knew that this could only be the result of a miracle from God's hand. Working with God instead of our own opens the door for the super-natural to invade our lives. God is now able to work, because we have gotten out of His way. It is then that we are reminded that with God all things are possible.

There are three transformational changes that take place when we see the power of God at work in our lives. 1) We recognize our limitations. The Bible tells us that when Simon Peter saw the vast amount of fish he cried out, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" What did that have to do with catching fish? You cannot step into the realm of God's power and not recognize your own needy condition. Simon Peter and the rest of them knew that they were in the presence of holiness and power. 2) We can never return to the way things once were. Jesus told them that from that day forward they would catch men instead of fish. They couldn't keep doing the same job knowing that there was something better out there. In Christ we have the greatest opportunity of success than any where else. 3) We forsake all to follow Christ. At the point of transformation nothing else matters but Christ. Everything else is a hollow shell of humanity with no hope. Christ is what truly fulfills and satisfies. The choice to walk with Christ alone is an easy one, because you know that with Him your life will never be the same.

May you go fishing with Jesus today!

Daily Light - October 4, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's,

and asked him to put out a little from the land."

Luke 5:3

Availability. This is one of the most important words in the kingdom of God, but it has been the casualty of many other words that men have found to be more important. Men love to focus on words like talent, charisma, or ability. We often laud people who have a certain skill set or a dynamic personality. When we see those types of people, we feel that they will surely make a difference in God's kingdom. If they can't be used, then who can?

As you read this account, you do not see Jesus choose this place or this time for any of the human reasons mentioned above. He needed a platform from which to speak because of the large crowd standing around the lake. There were two boats sitting on the shore while the fishermen that operated them were washing out their nets. We read nothing of the unique characteristics of these boats. The Bible does not tell us how large they were, how they were designed, or what features they had that made them different from other boats. They were simply two normal fishing boats that were available for use. Jesus climbed over the side of the boat and asked one of the fishermen to push it away from the shore so that He could teach. They did just that, and the boat served its purpose very well.

There are times that we feel like those boats. We are docked close to the shore with nothing unique about us. We look around at the lives of others and we see so many more people with a certain set of gifts or abilities that seem to be much more profitable to God. They have talents and skills that we can only dream about. When they walk into a room, every one turns to look at them. When we walk into a room, every one turns to look away. There is nothing special about our lives, or so we think. We want to be used of God, but what do we have to offer? Then one day Jesus walks into our lives. He steps into our frail little boats and says, "I want to use you." Why would He want to do that? He wants to do that, because He is not looking for someone with great ability. No, He is simply looking for someone that will be available to accomplish His purpose. Throughout Scripture God took the small and made it great. Always remember that little is much when God is in it.

May you be available for God's purposes today!

Daily Light - October 1, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Then He commanded them that they should tell no one;

but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it."

Mark 7:36

The ridicule and scorn must have been as difficult as the disability. Not only was this man deaf, but in a society that rejected people because of disabilities his was obvious every time he opened his mouth to speak. He was left like others to a life of groveling for the most meager of wages, but how difficult it was to even do that. Sure, he couldn't hear what they were saying, but we all know that feeling of shame and scorn without a word being spoken. He could see it in their eyes.

Thankfully, there were some that cared about him enough to go to Jesus on his behalf. They had heard of Jesus' power to heal even the most difficult of calamities, and they thought of their friend. They loved him in spite of his affliction, and they desired greatly to see their friend made whole. How many people do you know around you that are suffering from illness or even greater the disease of unbelief? Do you love them enough to bring them to Jesus at whatever the cost? These individuals brought their friend to Jesus and begged Him to do something for him. Oh, how much we need to come to Jesus on behalf of our friends and loved ones and call on Him to do what only He can do!

Imagine this deaf man watching the commotion all around him, completely unsure of what was taking place. This Teacher that they brought him to then started doing something highly unusual. Jesus pulled him aside and put His fingers in his ears. What was this all about? Then Jesus took saliva from His own mouth and touched his tongue. The deaf man must have been thinking this is getting more and more odd. As he looked into the face of Jesus, he read His lips as He said, "Ephphatha, be opened!" Suddenly in his ears he heard a crescendo of noise like no orchestra had ever played. Every sound was crystal clear. He tried to speak and tell those that brought him to Jesus that he could hear, but when he did someone else's voice spoke. It was a resonant and clear voice that seemed to come from his own vocal cords. He experienced the miracle of God personally at first, and then he was able to show others by speaking what had been done in his life. Isn't that exactly what Christ does in the life of the believer? You know first and foremost the change that God has made in your life, and then you spend the rest of your life declaring what great things He has done.

Here is where the story gets interesting. Jesus, because of all of the scrutiny and because of the Father's time table for His death, tells this man and those around him to not tell any one. When I read that, a smile goes across my face. Why? Jesus just told a man that can now hear Him and speak with a perfectly resonant voice to not tell any one. I can see this man's first words to Jesus as being, "Are you serious?" How do you keep something like this quiet? Obviously from the text he couldn't. By the end of the day this man had told every one under the sound of his new and transformed vocal cords of the power of God through Jesus. For the record, we are under no restrictions to be quiet. We are instead commanded to boast of what Christ has done in our lives. He has changed our lives from deaf and silent souls to transformed and speaking hearts.

May you tell everyone what Christ has done for you!

Daily Light - September 30, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."

Job 23:12

I can see this little boy in my mind's eye almost on a daily basis. Two years ago I had the privilege of going to Togo, Africa. In a village in the northern part of the country, a young boy came walking up with the rest of the children. All of the pictures from magazines and television can not prepare you for reality. This little boy's eyes were sunk back into his head. His belly was protruding and swollen in a grotesque fashion as he suffered from malnutrition. To see such a small child literally starving to death is almost more than one can bear.

When I read the words of Job, I am reminded of that moment. We live in a society today that knows nothing of this type of starvation. We have food in such abundance that we have cable channels dedicated to the subject. We know nothing of the term "necessary food'. We think that the abundant amounts that we eat are necessary. Job was talking about the minimal amount that is necessary for survival. Your body needs fuel and that is what food is supposed to do for you. If you have ever been on a prolonged fast, you know that when you come off of it your body craves only those things that are healthy for you. That is your necessary food. Your body is telling you that it needs those things in order to survive.

Job relates God and His Word to this type of food. God was the craving of Job's soul. That is all that he needed, and it was truthfully all that he wanted. He had known what it was to be rich and have the abundance of things. There was a day in Job's life where he lacked absolutely nothing. If he wanted to sit down to a feast with his family, it was just a matter of ordering the servants to prepare it. Now, however, he had lost every thing. When someone has lost it all and has nothing, you find out what their soul truly craves. Job's soul craved only God. He preferred God more than that which would help him survive from day to day. If you study the context of the passage, you will find out something very interesting about Job. He was not craving God because he had lost it all. Job had a desire for God when he had every thing.

What do you crave each and every day? Are you craving the things of this world and what would satisfy you above what would please God? I wonder if we entered into a fast from the things of the world if we would begin to crave God more. Many Christians today are in a spiritual place of malnutrition. Their spiritual eyes are sunk back into their heads, and their spiritual bellies are swollen with a lack of nourishment from God's Word. Make a decision for Christ today that He is all you want and sit at the banquet table of His presence.

May you be filled with God today!

Daily Light - September 29, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Lord, teach us to pray."

Luke 11:1

What would you consider to be the most important aspect of your spiritual life? What would you also say is one of the greatest struggles of your Christian life? Interestingly, many people would respond to both questions with the same answer: prayer. Prayer is something that we know is absolutely necessary to the success of our Christian walk, but it is also one area in which many Christians struggle to be faithful or in their opinion successful.
On a certain day Jesus was spending time in prayer. His disciples sat and waited somewhere nearby as He prayed. I can imagine them watching Jesus pray. I am sure that He prayed with passion and conviction. His times of prayer were not short platitudes to the Father, but they were instead desperate pleas. In these moments you could witness the tenderness of Jesus and the power of Jesus at the same time. The disciples were captivated by this, because they were also firsthand witnesses to each of these prayers being answered. When Jesus rose from His prayer on this day, a certain disciple asked that Jesus would teach them to pray. The one thing that this disciple wanted to emulate in Jesus' life was prayer.
When you think of all that the disciples saw of Jesus, isn't it interesting that prayer was what they wanted to be taught? They did not ask to be taught to preach and teach like Jesus. They did not ask how to walk on water. They did not ask how to divide up small amounts of food so that they could feed multitudes. They did not ask how to heal blind eyes, lame legs, and withered hands. They asked to be taught to pray like Jesus. Why? I believe that they saw that all of the other things in Jesus' life were a result of His relationship with the Father in prayer. There was a communion in prayer that no miracle could manufacture. If they were going to teach thousands the truth of God's way, they knew that only through prayer would they be given power from on high. They saw that when Jesus prayed He was actually communicating one on one with the Father. Prayer was not a religious exercise but a relational communication with the Almighty. They had access to the Father!
How desperate we are today to pray like this again! We need to be able to communicate with the Father on a daily basis in an open and unfettered way.
May you learn to pray like Jesus prayed!