Thursday, March 23, 2023

Proper Worship

 


In his book The Air I Breathe Louie Giglio wrote:
You only have one life. And you only have one life of worship. You have one brief opportunity in time to declare your allegiance, to unleash your affection, to exalt something or someone above all else.

"Don't waste your worship on some little god, squandering your birthright on idols made only with human imagination. Guard your worship...and carefully evaluate all potential takers.

Louie Giglio's quote reminds us that worship is not just a Sunday morning activity, but a way of life. It is a declaration of our allegiance, an unleashing of our affections, and an exaltation of something or someone above all else. However, we must be careful not to waste our worship on "little gods" or idols made only with human imagination.

The Bible also speaks to the importance of guarding our worship and carefully evaluating all potential takers. In Matthew 6:24 (CSB), Jesus says, 
"No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Money, success, power, and other things can easily become idols in our lives. We can start to place our trust and hope in them, thinking they will bring us happiness and fulfillment. However, they will always disappoint us because they cannot satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

In Psalm 115:4-8 (CSB), the psalmist writes, 
"Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats.Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them."
We must guard our worship and make sure that we are not placing our trust in anything or anyone other than God. He alone is worthy of our worship and devotion. We must evaluate all potential takers of our worship and make sure that we are giving it to the One who deserves it.

We only have one life and one life of worship. We must guard our worship and carefully evaluate all potential takers, making sure that we are giving it to the One who deserves it. Let us not waste our worship on "little gods" or idols made only with human imagination. Instead, let us exalt God above all else and declare our allegiance and affection for Him alone.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

EDC Wednesday: Creating an EDC

 


All of us have an Everyday Carry. Most of the items we carry on a daily basis are there by default: wallet, keys, and phone. We wouldn’t get very far without those things.


For me, EDC is taking things to the next level. It isn’t just about what I need to take along with me, but thinking about what items would actually be helpful in our daily lives. The basic level of EDC is the items we have by default, and the next level of EDC is the items we have by choice.


Creating an Everyday Carry (EDC) is a personal process that involves selecting the items that will best suit your needs and preferences. Here are some general steps that can help guide you through the process:


Determine the purpose of your carry.

I believe that you should think in terms of purpose rather than need. The reason for this is that, for many of us, the items that we “need” on a daily basis are small; in fact, they are covered by our default carry. As a pastor, I have no need to carry a knife, multitool, or flashlight on a daily basis. From a need standpoint, my EDC is impractical.


This is why determining the purpose of your carry is crucial. Having a purpose to your carry moves things from being impractical to serving a purpose. In my mind, there are two main philosophies when it comes to purpose: Functional or Preparedness.


A Functional Carry would mean carrying items that are helpful for your job or daily life. For example, I grew up on a farm, and in my high school and college years, I began carrying pliers with me because they were helpful for a variety of tasks (plus my dad did). I know that if I were a farmer, I would carry with me: a pair of pliers, a heavy-duty multitool (Leatherman Surge), a solid budget knife (Ontario RAT 1), a flashlight, and a pencil or Sharpie. All those things would prove useful throughout the day and reduce the need to run back to the shed to get what I need. There are certain jobs for which it makes sense to build your carry based on its functionality on a daily basis.


A Preparedness Carry would be carrying items based on being prepared for what circumstances might arise during the day. This is my philosophy when it comes to EDC. A preparedness carry is based on thinking through the most likely circumstances you might face during a normal day, rather than trying to be prepared for every potential event that might happen. 


I carry the Leatherman Skeletool because most of the maintenance tasks that might pop up at home require nothing more than pliers or a screwdriver. I carry the Olight i3t eos flashlight for those times when I might need to look under the couch or other dark place in search of a Lego that dropped there. I carry the Victorinox Tinker Swiss Army knife because of its tweezers that I have used to get splinters out of the kids’ hands. I carry the Zebra Telescopic pen for those times I am out and need a pen to jot a note or sign my name. I carry the Civivi Baklash for opening boxes and packages. I don’t need any of these on a daily basis, but during a regular week each of these items will get some use.


Understanding the purpose behind your carry will help you determine the items you want to include in your carry.


Make a list. 

There are common items associated with EDC, such as a knife, multitool, flashlight, and pen. However, remember that you are creating a list based on your purpose. While it is tempting to copy someone else's carry or obtain cool gear, we may end up accumulating gear that doesn't fit our purpose.


The best place to start when creating a carry is with what you already have. There is no need to buy a new knife or multitool when you probably already have one lying around. By carrying items that you already have, you can get a feel for what you would like to include in your EDC, what you might like to upgrade, and what items don't interest you.


It is important to create a list of EDC items based on what works well for you rather than what other people say is useful or cool.


Research and choose your items. 

This is part of the fun of EDC. There are many YouTube videos and blog articles that discuss EDC and review different items. What I like to do is look for budget items that are of high quality. With a little bit of research, it is possible to assemble a carry that consists of quality items but is fairly inexpensive.


Consider your carry method. 

For me, EDC mainly involves the items you carry on your person. With this in mind, you don't want your pockets to be filled with a bunch of loose items. There are different pocket organizers available that allow you to keep your items organized. I have organizers that hold my pen, flashlight, and mini-multitool.


A keychain might be another option for small items. Many of the smaller flashlights and multitools have attachments that allow them to be put on a keychain. Personally, I don't like the bulk of a keychain, but it is a possibility.


Test and adjust. 

Once you have assembled your EDC, test it out and make adjustments as needed. You may find that some items are more or less useful than you initially thought, or that you need to switch out certain items for different situations. You will also discover what you like and don't like in knives, flashlights, multitools, and other gear. This will give you confidence as you seek to upgrade and finalize your carry.


Remember, creating an EDC is a personal process, and there is no one "right" way to do it. The goal is to create a collection of items that will help you be prepared for whatever challenges you may encounter in your daily life.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Hebrews: Don’t Neglect the Gift

 

The book of Hebrews was written by a pastor who had a deep concern for Jewish Christians. He wanted them to continue to follow Jesus and not give in to the temptation to change the Gospel in order to avoid persecution.


At the start of chapter 2, the pastor gives this warning:

"For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him. At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will." (Hebrews 2:1-4, CSB)

In these verses, the pastor urged the readers to pay attention to the message of salvation that they have received and to not allow themselves to drift away from it. He reminded his friends that the Gospel was not just any ordinary message, but it was the message declared by Jesus, the Messiah, and confirmed to be true by the first disciples. God also bore witness to the truth of this message by performing signs, wonders, and miracles through Jesus and his followers by the power of the Holy Spirit.


This warning comes after the pastor's defense of Jesus's superiority over the angels in chapter 1. In Judaism, it was a common belief that the Law came to Moses through the angels. If people are determined to be guilty based on whether or not they keep the Law, which came to people through angels, how much greater will the guilt be for ignoring the Gospel that came to people through God's Son?


We should not ignore this warning.


What can we learn from these verses?

First and foremost, we need to pay attention to the message of salvation that we have received. This message is not something to be taken lightly or ignored. It is the very message that has the power to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. We cannot afford to neglect it. This means we have to study it, meditate on it, pray over it, and obey it. We become good stewards of the Gospel when it influences our lives.


Secondly, we need to recognize the incredible privilege that we have in being the recipients of the Gospel. Many of us have heard the Gospel our entire lives, and that familiarity makes it easy to take it for granted. Remember, the Gospel is the message that Jesus came to proclaim: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:17; CSB). God confirmed the truth of Jesus's message not only through the miracles that he performed but most importantly for us today, through his resurrection. The Gospel is a great gift, and we should treat it as such.


Finally, we need to be aware of the consequences of neglecting this great salvation. The pastor to the Hebrews reminds us that every transgression or disobedience received a just punishment. If the people under the old covenant did not escape the curses of breaking the Law, then we should not expect to escape the consequences of neglecting the Gospel. We need to take it seriously and live our lives in light of its truth.


Hebrews 2:1-4 is a powerful reminder that we need to be good stewards of the Gospel. It is not enough for us to simply hear the message of the Gospel; we have to live the message. We cannot afford to neglect it or take it lightly. After all, this is the very message that Jesus came to give us.

Monday, March 20, 2023

Hebrews: Warning Against Neglect


STOP — Hebrews 2:1-4

Summarize
The writer of Hebrews is urging the readers to pay close attention to what they have heard to avoid drifting away. The danger they are facing is that they are neglecting the salvation they have been taught, and this neglect will have dire consequences. This salvation was confirmed by Jesus and witnessed by those who heard him, and God also testified to its truth through miracles and gifts given to Christians through the Holy Spirit.

Truth
Followers of Jesus need focus on knowing God’s word and doing God’s word.

Observations
  1. For this reason: Jesus is superior to the angels and the angels are ministering spirits for God’s people. This is the truth that the writer of Hebrews wants people to remember.
  2. When we forget who Jesus is and place too much emphasize on angels or even spiritual gifts and experiences, it is easy for us to drift away from the truth.
  3. Angels, who are ministering spirits to God’s people, spoke a message that was legally binding, how much more are the words of Jesus authoritative in our lives?
  4. The salvation that we have was promised by God from the beginning and is being confirmed through Jesus and those who proclaim Jesus to the world.
  5. God proved that Jesus is the Messiah through miracles Jesus and the Holy Spirit empowered good works that Jesus’s followers are able to do.

Prayer
Lord, help me to remain focused on the truth of the Gospel so that it guides both my thoughts and my actions.

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