Desiring Greatness

Do You Want to Be Great?

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?""We are able," they said to Him.

Devotional Reading:

"We all want to move to the top; we want to lead the band.  All of us, want to play Hamlet." We long for the lead role in the drama of life, so we can be someone and count for something. From birth, we are little bundles of ego, who learn to say "I" before just about anything else. James and John, the biblical "sons of thunder," wanted to be seated at Jesus' right and left hands. They asked for places of honor, and they apparently weren't too shy about doing so. But when they did, Jesus asked them a question: "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said they were. "Then you'll drink my cup," He told them, "and receive my baptism. But the seating arrangement is not mine to determine." True greatness is not about getting a great seat for the show. . . it's about following Jesus Christ to the limits of this life and beyond. It's about drinking His cup of suffering, and being baptized into His death. Greatness comes through service. Living comes through surrendering life. James was the first Apostle to be martyred for his faith. He followed Jesus all the way, tasting the cup of suffering, carrying the cross, and ultimately dying for his loyalty to Christ.  John was the last to die, carrying around the knowledge and images of the deaths of all the rest!   Do you want to be great? Think carefully before you answer . . . .

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God's Orchestra

God's Orchestra

Scripture Reading:

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Him.

Devotional Reading:

Someone once asked a famous conductor what he thought was the most difficult instrument in the orchestra to play. Without hesitating, he replied "second fiddle." Have you had that role? Maybe you were second string quarterback, or first runner up to the scholarship winner, or perhaps you were the second or third child in a family of over-achievers.  Or, you are a pastor's wife.  If so, you know what it means to play second fiddle. Andrew knew, too. His brother was Simon Peter - the bold, brash, bigger-than-life fisherman-disciple whose highs and lows pepper the pages of the Gospels. Andrew was the brother in Peter's shadow, but he was reliable, consistent and humble. His agenda was simply to do the work of Jesus, and it didn't matter to him who got credit for it. He brought his brother Peter to Christ. He brought others as well. But as far as we know, he never preached a sermon or led a revival meeting. He was strictly a behind-the-scenes guy. On one occasion, the great Simon Peter stood and preached, and 3,000 people came to Christ. Do you know how many Andrew won that day? Andrew won 3,001 - because it was Andrew who first won Peter. He went home and told his big brother, "I've met a man I want to follow. And you should meet him too." And based on Andrew's recommendation, Peter did go to Jesus. So every time Peter stood and wooed great throngs of people to the Lord, Andrew had a part in that work. Second fiddle, you see, is a very, very important instrument in God's orchestra.

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

Stand Fast

Stand Fast

Scripture Reading:

Exodus 14:13 But Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the LORD's salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.

Devotional Reading:

What do you do when you have followed God into a situation that seems impossible? Three things. First, you eliminate fear. “Do not fear,” Moses told God’ s people as they were hemmed in by the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. Second, you must stand by, or stand fast. God is working, even if you cannot see His hand. Finally, you must see the salvation of the Lord. How do I do that, you may ask? What is the salvation of the Lord? It is a backward look, and a forward look. It is the sum total of all that God has done, is doing and will do on your behalf, for His glory. It is a retrospective look at His past promises and blessings, and a prospective view of His future grace. The Israelites could look back and see God’s promise to Abraham, His provision of Isaac, and His blessings on Jacob. They could see the ten plagues, the Passover, and their deliverance from Egypt. They could see the pillar of fire and the cloud that had led them to this place. But the salvation of the Lord has a future component, too. Based on all that God has done in the past, we can look forward and anticipate with confidence that He will continue to display His manifold faithfulness in the future. Are you in a cul-de-sac like the Israelites? Is a crisis immanent? Fear not! Stand by! See the salvation of the Lord.

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

First In My Life

First in My Life

Scripture Reading:

Deuteronomy 6:14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you,

Devotional Reading:

I Scientist and humorist P. D. East wrote a novel that depicted the world on the brink of disaster. Leaders of the super-power nations were fingering the controls that would bring civilization to a close. Negotiations had ceased. Lines were drawn. Just as the curtain was about to come down, there was a reprieve, and a forty-eight hour moratorium was announced for some sense to be made of the nonsense of war. All the leaders met together, bringing the sources of wisdom from their particular cultures. The Bible. The Koran. Folk wisdom. Social science. All were amassed and the information fed into a giant super-computer. Then they asked the question of the computer, “What is the formula for world peace?” The machine blinked and whirred and groaned until it spoke these words: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” This is the first of the Ten Commandments given to Israel through Moses. These commandments are not the final word on ethics and morality. Jesus gave us that when He said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” The commandments are, however, the precepts on which civilized morality rests. They are still valid, and they are still truthful. You do not break them. They break you. When God instructs Israel to have no other “little-g” gods before Him, He is not seeking to prove His existence. He doesn’t have to. He is the great I Am. He is saying that He alone is to be worshiped, honored and obeyed. Is He first in your life?

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

 

 

 

Take the Plunge

October 26, 2011

Take the Plunge

Scripture Reading:

Mark 10:51 Then Jesus answered him, "What do you want Me to do for you?""Rabbouni," the blind man told Him, "I want to see!"

Devotional Reading:

I once read a list of the world's worst questions - or at least someone's idea of the world's worst questions. One of them was, "Can I ask you something personal?" (Not a good opener.) Or, "Do you remember me?" (Usually, when someone asks this, I don't.) But of all the wild, crazy questions I've ever heard, few could beat Jesus' asking a man who'd been blind almost all his life, "What do you want me to do for you?" It seemed obvious. But it wasn't. Jesus was asking blind Bartimaeus - a man who had asked for alms, bread, and handouts for years - if he was ready to ask for the big thing, the thing he really longed for. When a true miracle worker came his way, would he believe enough to ask for the one thing he needed most? Counselors will tell you that they meet few clients who seem ready to address their central problem right off the bat. They sort of circle around it until they are comfortable enough to dive in. It takes courage, and a certain level of trust, to say "Here's what I need more than anything. Can you help?" Jesus was able and willing to give Bartimaeus that for which he asked. I believe He still walks among His people today and asks, "What do you want me to do for you? What do you really need? What is the deepest longing and desire of your heart?" But because of fear or a lack of faith, we ask Him for alms - the small change, the stuff that doesn't matter much - when what we desperately need is healing. It is almost as if Jesus is asking, "Do you believe enough to ask for the big thing?" Bartimaeus took the plunge. "I want to regain my sight," he said. And immediately, Jesus healed him.

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

 

Being There

Being Right There

Scripture Reading:

Luke 15:13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.

Devotional Reading:

Lost things—and lost people—don’t always know they’re lost. But the one who has lost them knows. Sheep don’t know they’re lost, but the shepherd does. A lost coin doesn’t know it’s lost, but its owner does. The prodigal son didn’t think he was lost. He thought he was living it up and enjoying the adventure of a lifetime, but if you had asked his father, he would have said, “My son is lost.” Where was the father when his son was lost? Some would argue that he never left home, never went after his boy. But I believe the father was in the far country, too. Not a day or night went by that the father was not with his younger son. Loved ones who are left behind know their own special kind of lost-ness. The wife of a man who fights in a foreign country goes to that country in her thoughts a thousand times a day. The loved one of a hostage is held hostage, too. The parent of a sick child fights disease just a surely as their boy or girl does, and feels every pain. Day after day, hour after hour, the father of the prodigal was in the far country, too. He was suffering the anguish and emptiness that a life of excess brought to his son. There’s not a parent alive who has not experienced the hurt of their child if there is real love there. That’s a human picture of the supernatural love of God. He goes where we go. He feels every loss, every disappointment, every pain. And He loves us so much that once, for a moment, He turned His back on His own Son so that we could know that love.

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

 

Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation   Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:11 For the Son of Man has come to save the lost.   Devotional Reading: How do you get lost? How does lost-ness happen? I’ve been lost in more cities and countries than I can count, and I can tell you—I never intend to become lost. It’s not planned. A friend of mine tells the story of getting lost in department store. She was in the fabric department, and going from aisle to aisle. When she looked up, she could not find her way back out. She didn’t intend to get lost, but she did. Sometimes we get lost through carelessness. We just wander away, not considering the consequences. We see something that looks attractive, and we gravitate toward it. Then we wake up, look around, and say, “Where am I? How did I get here?” C. S. Lewis illustrates this in The Screwtape Letters, when experienced tempter Wormwood tells his young nephew Screwtape that a gradual approach is best to lure a Christian away from obedience. “No crises,” he tells Screwtape. “Keep everything calm and placid. The best and surest way to Hell is a quiet, steady slope.” Are you lost? Are you far from God because of heedlessness or thoughtlessness or drifting? If you are, the Holy Spirit is calling you to come home. And God knows just where you are. Cry out, and He will come to you and bring you home again. So many are lost today in a world which continues to throw influence and even religion in their direction... Religion has never saved anyone, only faith in Jesus Christ can set you free! Keep the Son in your Eyes Pastor Ben J Lahay Phil 1:21

The Lean Harvest or Sickly Sheep

America's Harvest is Lean

Scripture Reading:

Galatians 6:7 Don't be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, 

 

Devotional Reading:

Why are so many churches in America stagnant? Why are more people not coming to know Jesus Christ? If the fruits of our labors in soul-winning are so lean, it is time to ask, “what is wrong with the harvest?” I’m from a rural background—and I can tell you that when something goes wrong with the harvest, a farmer will do three things. First, he’ll take a look at the soil. In the case of soul-harvesting, the soil is the hearts of men. Are Americans no longer interested in God? It would seem so, considering the harvest, but this is simply not true. There is more interest in God, in spiritual things, in this day and age than ever before. People are searching for depth and meaning, asking religious questions and exploring a variety of religions. So the soil looks good to me. The second thing a farmer with a poor crop will do is look at his seed. Was the seed bad? Our seed in evangelism is God’s Word. The seed is perfect. So perhaps we are sowing sparingly. The Bible says that if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, and if you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. Are we sowing mingled seed? The Bible mixed with social ethics, psychology, philosophy or anything else is rendered less effective by the mingling. If the soil is good and the seed is good, a farmer will look to himself—the sower. You and I are sowers. Not workers. Sowers. And sowers scatter seed. Until you and I want our friends and neighbors and family members to know Christ more than anything— until that becomes our passion and our focus—we cannot expect a rich and bountiful harvest. How are you doing at scattering seed?

 

Keep the Son in your Eyes

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Phil 1:21

TWO PLACES SELDOM THE SAME

Two Places

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

 

Devotional Reading:

"Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Difficulties must be studied and dealt with, but they must not be magnified by fear." The decision to face fear instead of running from it is always an exercise in character building. We live in a world that can be, at times, a very frightening place. We live in a world where life-changing losses can be so painful and so profound that is seems we will never recover. But, with God's help, and with the help of encouraging family members we can recover.

During the darker days of life, we are wise to remember the words of Jesus, who reassured His disciples, saying, "take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid". Are you willing to face your fears right now? Are you willing to cast of the chains of timidity and procrastination by deciding to do what needs to be down right now, not later? Ask God for courage to step beyond the boundaries of your fears and doubts. Ask Him to guide you to a place where you can realize your full potential-a place free of failure. Don't ask the Lord to lead you to a safe place, but ask Him to lead you to the RIGHT place. These two places are seldom the same.

Keep the Son in your Eyes

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Phil 1:21

The First Thing Always the First Thing!

The First Thing

 

Scripture Reading:

Leviticus 26:1 "Do not make idols for yourselves, set up a carved image or sacred pillar for yourselves, or place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.

 

Devotional Reading:

The first commandment tells us whom we are to worship. The second commandment tells us how we are to worship. We are not to place any object that we can see or touch before our praise and adoration and thanksgiving to God. We naturally desire to put a “face” on God to help us relate to Him. We long to worship something we can see. Frank Borem tells the story of an old Scotsman who, as a boy, had trouble concentrating in prayer. He told his pastor, “I can’t imagine that God is really there and is listening to my prayers.” His pastor suggested that when he pray, he place an empty chair before him and imagine that Jesus Christ was seated in the chair. So at a young age, this Scotsman began a practice that he continued throughout his life. Early one morning he slipped out of bed, and hours later, he was found with his cold hand on the empty chair. He died in the presence of the One to whom he had prayed for so many years. The man in this story used his chair as a visible “cue” to imagine an unseeable God…but he did not worship the chair. He only used it as a reminder of God’s presence. It helped his devotional life, and in this way, he became a strong disciple. But when a created thing becomes the object of our worship instead of a vehicle for it, we are guilty of idolatry. Never let anything come between you and your worship of Almighty God. Not work, not family, not spouse, not children, not even church...keep the 1st thing the first thing!...Jesus Christ!

 

Keep the Son in your Eyes

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Phil 1:21

Yesterday Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 6:11 Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope,

Devotional Reading:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep; and miles to go before I sleep.” Robert Frost spoke these words years ago. Following his address, a young man asked him, “What did you mean, Mr. Frost, by ‘promises to keep’?” Frost said, “I believe we have promises to keep to those who’ve gone before us, to our ancestors. And we have promises to keep to our contemporaries, to those we are living with right now, today. Finally,” he said, “ we have promises to keep to those unborn generations who will follow us. And,” added the great poet, “I have promises to keep to myself, and to God.” I think Frost compiled a list that applies to every one of us. There is no one on this planet who does not have promises to keep. For the heritage that is ours and for the privileges we possess, we have promises to keep to our ancestors. We have commitments to keep and a sense of responsibility to our immediate families, friends and associates. And we have promises to keep to the future generations, whose lives will be shaped by the actions we take, the words we speak and the deeds we do. We have promises to keep. How do we make certain we will keep these promises? We determine to live in obedience to Jesus Christ, claiming His promises, following His commands, seeking His will in all that we do. We become promise keepers by placing our lives under His authority, and by becoming imitators of the Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Keep the Son in your Eyes

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Phil 1:21