Quiet Time: Don't Go to Church

Don't Go to Church

 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

That's right, I'm saying, stop going to church!

Instead, grow in the church.

Notice, I didn't say grow the church. We have plenty of programs and market based ideas that will help anybody with have a mind to fill seats in an auditorium, but it takes an individual man or woman with an engaged head and open heart to the Word to actually grow in the church.

The apostle Paul encourages us to stimulate one another toward love and good deeds on a regular basis whenever we get together (Hebrews 10:24-25). Back in his day, they probably met in homes and public meeting places. Today, we build buildings, preferably with really good air conditioning systems if you live in the South, where several hundred of us can meet. Whether in a home or building, the command is the same, "...do not forsake assembling together..."

Did you go to church yesterday? Well, if your intent was to simply go, but instead you chose to do something else (it was a good beach day, in Florida, right?!) Then, I have to say you didn't miss much and you probably weren't missed much. But if your desire was to grow in church yesterday, and for whatever reason you didn't make it; sad to say, you really missed a lot and you were indeed greatly missed.

Okay, so you missed church and now you feel miserable. Then make sure you go .... uh....grow in your small group bible study this week; we need you as much as you need us.

And, make sure you never go to church again...

GROW IN CHURCH!

Quiet Time: What Do I Care

What Do I Care

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. – Philippians 2:4

I have a confession to make. I don’t stop to help people on the side of the road much.

 Frankly, it isn’t because I'm uncaring, but because there are so many weirdos around.

   

However, on my way to church the other morning, I stopped to pick up a guy walking to work.  When I pulled up beside him I noticed that he had grease on his hands and dirt on his pants and shoes. The interior of my car is tan, and I’m pretty meticulous about keeping it clean. I’ve got to say, I was working hard not to show the frustration of him dirtying things up; but I went ahead and asked him to hop in; and, he did!

He asked where I was headed; I told him and added that I was the worship pastor at the church around the corner from his business. We had a pleasant conversation and we parted with him saying what I’ve heard so many times before, “May-be I’ll come by and visit your church.” The fact is that I’ve never, I repeat NEVER, had anyone visit any church at which I’ve ministered after giving me this line. 

Actually, I’ve come to take the phrase the same way I consider the greeting, “Hi, Doug; How are you doing?” I know they really don’t care how I’m doing; they’re just being cordial. But what if, the next time we asked someone how they’re doing we actually stop to shake their hand, look them dead in the eye, and wait for them to genuinely respond? I’ll wager they’ll stutter before answering.

By the way, the inside of the car had a long grease stain that never completely came out, but I’m glad I stopped to help. Who knows, may-be I was the only guy who cared.

You may enjoy reading the parable of the Good Samaritan again.

Here’s the link: (Luke 10:25-37)

Quiet Time: What Is Required

What Is Required

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? 

– Micah 6:8

To be skilled as a musician requires consistent dedication.  No matter how skilled he becomes on an instrument, he can never stop practicing the basics. 

I remember waiting in an underground offstage wing at Disney World. Our band was scheduled to perform at the Tomorrow Land Theater. We were required to be in place 45 minutes prior to the show. As I waited, I listened to a highly trained (and paid) Disney cast member practice scales on his clarinet. Over and over he moved tediously through the basic routine that I know most musicians learn in the first few months of study.

As I took my place on the rising underground platform I marveled at the clarinetist's dedication as he continued to practice. 

After an hour, our show completed and the stage dropped itself back to its original position below ground. You can imagine my surprise when the first thing I heard after the platform came to rest was the sound of a clarinet smoothly gliding up and down the chromatic scale.  Two hours of practicing nothing but arpeggios! Now that’s going beyond what is required!

If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves in the company of complacent Babylon; demanding God’s discipline and intervention (Isaiah 47:10). Oh, we may still attend church, give our money and talk as if we’re doing just fine, but in our hearts we’ve become rebellious and out-right sinful (Micah 6:7).  

Look, God doesn’t want our half-hearted attendance or our attempts to buy Him off with sacrificial gifts. In fact, He doesn’t ask for any sacrifice at all, but the sacrifice of all. Everything that keeps us from acting right, loving right, and walking right in humility with our God must go (Proverbs 21:3).

Suggested Prayer: Father, I acted judgmentally toward _______ today, please forgive me and help me to make it right with him. Lord Jesus, I don’t want to be unmerciful or unkind to others, please change me. I lay my heart in your hands; mold me into who You want me to be. 

 Men will part with any thing rather than their sins; but they part with nothing so as to be accepted of God, unless they do part with their sins. – Matthew Henry

Quiet Time: Be Noble Minded

Be Noble Minded

Using The Straightedge of Scripture

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. – Acts 17:11

“Douglas, don’t check your brain at the door”, my dad would say when he thought I was being a little too gullible. He taught me to check everything against the straightedge of Scripture. (Knowledge is an obvious “must have” while journeying with Jesus).

I like what a pastor said, “Beloved, the key to adequate living is not the Bible plus a lot of stuff, it is the Word of God pursued with readiness and eagerness and searched out every day of one's life. It's a daily diet...a daily diet.”

I’m so encouraged that many of the visitors to Brother Doug’s Devotions use the blog as a daily quiet time. However, I sincerely pray that the devotions generate a hunger in each of us to dig deeper; to be fearless explorers.

Like the Berean Jews, may we be noble-minded and ready to receive the message God brings with great eagerness while examining the Scriptures to see if what we are taught is true.

In other words, “Don’t check your brain at the door - see if it's so.”

PRAYER POINT: Perhaps, a terrific daily prayer would be to ask the Lord to revive us (Psalm 119:25) and to purify our hearts renewing a steadfast spirit with us (Psalm 51:10). To build in us a desire for the Word like a bottle to a baby (1 Peter 2:2). To cause us to hunger and thirst after righteousness as we never have before (Matthew 5:6). 

Quiet Time: Dig Deeper

Dig Deeper

Job 26:13-14


13 “By His breath the heavens are cleared;

His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

14 “Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;

And how faint a word we hear of Him!

But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”



I had a professor in college who insisted we study nothing but poetry in his class. No classic novels, no inspiring biographies, and certainly nothing written prior to the nineteenth century! My first essay garnered a low “C” grade and I soon discovered from fellow classmates that my grade was high.

So, I decided to find out what the prof wanted since obviously none of us students knew. I began by first keeping copious notes listing everything that he thought was important with the piece of poetry we were studying. Next, I highlighted every passage that he chose to camp on and wrote his key words and phrases regarding these passages in the margins. Finally, when the day came for the class to write another essay, I made sure to include the professor’s thoughts, I parroted his key words and phrases, and quoted the highlighted passages within the body of my essay. The result? I never received a grade lower than a “B” for the remainder of the class.

Of course my fellow students wanted to know how I turned things around. So, during one of our mid-class bathroom breaks I called them all together. “Listen”, I said, “This guy doesn’t care what you think. He wants you to know what he thinks. And, he wants to know, that you know. So give him what he wants and you’ll get what you need to pass the class.”

Like poetry, the bible can be tough to understand. But, that fact shouldn’t keep us from digging deeper. And it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to find out what others have discovered when we’re not sure about a passage. There are so many commentaries and bible helps available these days that there is no excuse for any of us being tripped up or confused. And, sometimes, we may find that it’s OK to simply say, “I don’t know what that means.”

The point is this: Dig deeper. Your Professor wants you to know what He knows.

Quiet Time: Loving God Out Loud

Loving God Out Loud


In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. - Matthew 5:16 (NLT)

So, you love God and naturally you want to please Him. This desire leads you to read the bible regularly. Before long you begin to notice verses like “do your work heartily as unto the Lord” (Col. 3:23), “be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19-20) or “let no unwholesome word proceed from out of your mouth” (Eph. 4:29). You’re struck by the practicality of it all and think, “Here’s something constructive that I can begin to do. It’s in the bible, so, I know it’s what God wants me to do, and something God will actually like.” Next, you pray asking God to help you walk in the light of this scripture. God being Who He is “Faithful and True” strengthens you through the Holy Spirit to actually do what the word says to do. That’s what I mean by loving God out loud. Your love is seen not just heard.

Before you know it, someone may notice your attitude at work is different. You’re actually happy to work hard at the stuff co-workers avoid. Or, your family members begin to recognize that you’re a better listener. You don’t interrupt them as much and you are able to hear them say stuff that you don’t agree with, without getting angry or saying something you later regret. That’s walking with God and that opens a door for you to share the practical side of your walk with Christ.

Doesn’t this sound feasible? For example; someone may ask, “Man, what’s gotten into you? Why are working so hard lately”? To which you can reply, “I read something in the bible the other day about working as unto the Lord. It motivated me to do my job as if it matters to God; as if God gets a kick out of watching me work for Him. So, I figure, if He likes it, then it must be a good thing to do, right?”

Who knows, this “loving God out loud” thing may even give you an opportunity to share how Jesus is a personal and integral part of your everyday living. If nothing else, it’ll offer you a chance to give the glory back to God; and that’s a good thing!

Quiet Time: Cliff Hanger (part 2) Don't Look Down

Cliff Hanger (part 2)

My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. – Psalm 63:8

Keep clinging – keep climbing and don’t look down. The higher you climb the closer you come to His face and freedom.

The movie Cliff Hanger with actor Sylvester Stallone has a heart wrenching opening scene. He plays the part of a rescue mountain climber who lets a fellow climber slip through his grasp to her death on the valley floor below. That’ll never happen with Jesus, but that fact doesn’t mean we’ll continue to climb.

The problem with many of us believers in Christ is that we’re not followers of Christ. He says, “Climb, follow me” (Matthew 16:4), but instead we look down and freeze. We see the obstacles, the challenges, our past failures, and future fears and there we stay. Stuck to the side of our perilous cliff, neither falling nor ascending, just stuck. The odd thing is, the longer we stay in that position the more comfortable we feel.

That’s when God loosens His grip just a bit to wake and motivate our faith in Him. A lump rises in our throat, our hearts beat faster, and we are acutely aware of the fact that we are not where we ought to be. That’s when we realize the scary truth. God never lets go, but He’s not against shaking us out of our complacency (Hebrews 12:13).

So Paul says “I press on and grab the hand that grabbed hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). Like Paul and the Psalmist, we need to be quick to respond to the prodding’s of the Holy Spirit. We need to press on toward the upward call of Christ (Philippians 3:14).

Press on: accelerate, elevate, and propel yourself forward in your relationship with Christ. And, whatever you do, don’t look down.

Song Series: No Better Place

No Better Place
Living here today as if we're gone tomorrow

Read: 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18


while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal
– 2 Corinthians 4:18

I haven’t known many heavenly minded people.

Frankly, most of the Christians I’ve met over the years are a lot like me. We believe in God the Father and His Son, Jesus. We believe in the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives. We believe in heaven and hell, and we even believe that prayer changes things...um, sometimes. We’re considered good citizens and most people would like to have us as neighbors. We’re not unreasonably pious or prejudice and we’re quick to give a hand up, as well as, a hand out. All in all, I’d say we’re not that bad, really. Of course, we’re not that Christ-like, really, either.

From what I can tell, and I readily affirm that I could be way off base here, most of us like the thought of being Christian more than the action. It’s almost as if we think that our wanting to live with Jesus counts as actually living with Him. I think part of the problem is we’re so connected to the stuff around us that it makes it really hard to see past the temporal to the eternal.

Paul reminds us that God is a living personal presence. Get this; He is personally present with the guy or gal who’s eyes have been opened by Him to believe in His Son, Jesus (John 6:44) (2 Cor. 3: 16-18). Therefore, the believer actually lives in His presence every moment of every day. I think we just kind of forget this fact after a while of living here on earth. It’s like the eternal slowly gets overshadowed by the temporal. May-be one good way to regain a heavenly frame of mind is to practice walking with Jesus in the little things that make up the mundain moments of our day.

I like to read a little book from time to time called, “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence. It’s an old classic, but this guy seemed to have the whole “walking with Jesus daily” thing down. If it is indeed a true account of Lawrence’s life, I’ve never met anyone like him (ever). He was so “in the moment” with Christ that something simple like peeling potatoes took on a whole new perspective!

I believe, like the Chapman song says, that “there’s no better place on earth than the road that leads to heaven”. I guess I just need help from time to time remembering that being heavenly minded means living here on earth as if I’m already there.

Here’s a link to the book “The Practice of the Presence of God” http://www.practicegodspresence.com/brotherlawrence/practicegodspresence09.html

Here’s a link to the song “No Better Place” by Steven Curtis Chapman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8XUGtGBrAM

Song Series: O Come All Ye Faithful, Come Let Us Adore Him

Come Let Us Adore Him
"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." - Exodus 3:5

The word “adore” does not appear in scripture, but it is felt within the heart of several texts.

Adore: to worship; to express reverence and homage.

Adoration is the glow of revival fire.

What are some ways we can express reverence for the LORD? Well, one way early worshippers would pay homage to God is by removing their shoes (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15) Another practical way worshippers showed deference was to lay prostrate on the ground ( Genesis 17:3 ; Psalms 95:6 ; Isaiah 44:15 Isaiah 44:17 Isaiah 44:19 ; 46:6 ).

We don’t practice this much today, but I have been in worship service where people have taken off their shoes or laid prostrate at the altar. It didn’t seem to be done in a “look at me” kind of way. The congregants just seemed genuinely humbled and vulnerable before the LORD.

I marvel sometimes at the indifference I often see from the platform. Not that I’m remembering any specific church. It’s more like a conglomeration of the times that I’ve lead worshippers who were anything but.

I wonder, what would happen if we began to humble ourselves before the LORD and ask, no beg Him to help us adore Him. Would people think us weird or out of touch with reality? Would we be labeled freaks? Or, may-be, just may-be, we could become the spark of revival that so many fellowships need.

LORD, bring revival, and begin with me!

Quiet Time: Ambition

Ambition
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:8-10

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men. – Proverbs 22:29

am•bi•tion [am-bish-uh n] noun:an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction

I love that scene in the movie “Facing the Giants” where one kid carries another kid on his back the entire length of the football field after thinking he could only go fifty yards, at best. I think they call it the “death crawl”. The coach was trying to show that when we give our absolute best we can accomplish much more than we ever thought possible. Very inspiring! But, it got me to thinking about what the bible says about ambition. I think it’s a bit different from the corporate industrialized version many Christians have come to believe.

Here’s a little exercise that may help. Replace the word “ambition” with “earnest desire to distinguish ourselves” in these next few verses and you’ll see what I mean.

2 Corinthians 5:9
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:11
and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,

So, here are a couple of practical prayers I plan to pray since I know I can’t accomplish anything godly on my own:

“Help me to work quietly for Christ; not myself.”
“Keep me from doing anything that does not please Jesus.”

By the way, there are a couple of ways to know when we’re moving away from "The Way":

James 3:14 &16
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

And, here are a couple of practical questions I’m going to ask myself while moving along this journey:

Is it all about me and what I receive?
Is there disorder or any hint of evil?

If the answer to either of these questions is, “Yes”, then it’s time to drop back and pray (see above).

Everyone likes to be appreciated and acknowledged for a job well done. The bible even seems to teach that when we’re really good at what we do we’ll be honored among men (Proverbs 22:29). However, if our goal is to be honored among men and not pleasing to Him we can know that we stand in direct opposition to God’s goal for our lives. And that’s not good.

Quiet Time: Choose the Long View

Choose the Long View
Read Hebrews 11:23-29

choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin – Hebrews 11:25

Our local power company used to own a rust colored rickety old eye-sore of a power-plant near the city. We half jokingly said that it was held together by duct tape and water-bond (a type of epoxy for patching holes in pipes). The long view of the plant was that it would eventually be removed and replaced by a newer more efficient one; so, there was a lot of patching going on. Sometimes the patches would fail and very costly emergency repairs became necessary.

Like water-bond, we sometimes try to relieve personal pains with quick fix solutions that only compound the issues, not because we have a long view of how life will be, but because we simply want relief for the moment. If we’re not careful, this can lead to a deep melancholy called depression.

Now, don’t freak out. The fact is that everyone deals with depression.

No, really, from time to time, we all struggle with the symptoms of depression due to external circumstances like the death of a loved one or a prolonged illness. Sometimes we get depressed in a very sneaky way through repressed anger. The good news is that most of us work through it eventually overcoming the gloomy funk. However, there are times that we choose short term fixes (alcohol, drugs, or extramarital affairs) to life’s pains, effectively compounding the problem and prolonging the misery. Point in fact, Doctors Minirth and Meier say, “A common precipitating cause of depression in many Christians is a wrong perspective.” We live as if all that is, is all there is; and, that’s just foolish.

Moses is a good example of a great life perspective. Although, he was at a point in his career where everything was coming together; he turned his back on all that this world had to offer (riches, extravagance, and power). The scripture says that he actually chose pain over passing pleasures because he had a long view that caused him to want God’s best for his life and the life of his people. Now, this isn’t to say that Moses didn’t suffer from a melancholy spirit at times. Just read about his leading the children of Israel through the desert and you’ll see that he was fully human and struggled mightily.

Perhaps we need to guard against “short-range perspectives that lead to short-range behavior patterns” [MM] since they only increase the potential for more pain and distress.

Here’s my long term perspective:
I want to walk where I am as if I’m where I’ll be; face to face with Jesus.

Quiet Time: New Song Blues

New Song Blues

Read: Psalm 33

Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.                        - Psalm 33:3

For the most part, people hate change (that goes for worship songs as well).
We love our old songs; after all, we know them and can sing them best. We feel good singing them, so why add another song? Don’t we have enough already? Well, I suppose we have plenty of songs to sing, and, yes, they really are good, but where would we be today without “Blessed Be Your Name”, “Give Thanks”, or “Desert Song”? How about “Our God Saves”, “You Are God Alone”, or “Shout to the Lord”? Obviously, these were all new songs at one time, yet today they’re a regular part of most song sets.


As a worship leader I’ve introduce many new songs to congregations throughout the body of Christ. Many were received and sung well, but just as many were held at arm’s length and responded to with skepticism and halfhearted effort. I’ve often wondered about the best way to present a new song and I’ve finally decided that there is no good way.

Although it is a fact that old songs actually were new once. The blushing truth is that these new-older songs often succumb to a blasé’ and ho-hum effort by a complacent worshipper. And, we've all been complacent at one time or other.

Perhaps that’s why the psalmist encourages us to sing and develop new songs regularly.

New songs require that we think before we sing (1 Corinthians 14:15) and that’s a good thing.