renovate

What Jesus Came to Do...

2010-05-04T07:50:00.000-04:00

No matter how much organization, hierarchy, etc. that a church body might have, this in itself is not a church. Just because we call ourselves a church does not make us a church. Because essentially THE church are those who have counted the cost and decided to live as Christ lived.

THE church is global, universal. The word "catholic" comes from the greek word, "katholikos" which actually means "universal."

My belief and it is renovate's conviction that Jesus didn't come to start a new religion. He came to start a church. To call people together to follow in his steps and make a difference in HIS name, not ours!

Let's look at Jesus' real message to the world:

"This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. (Matthew 4:17-20 Message)

They dropped everything and walked away from their lives, their careers…all of it just to follow Jesus! What compels a man to do this? Especially a man of the world! Fishermen are earthy characters, roughened by the trials of fighting between life and death on the seas. Yet these guys just walk away from everything they knew to follow a man??!! It doesn't make sense.

In Jesus' day, the boys were raised with religious training until they were 12 years old (until their bar mitzvah.) They had to memorize the entire first four books of the Old Testament. They had even more training until they were in their mid-teens. After all this training they would be "interviewed" by the rabbi (teacher) to see if they were "rabbi material" and if they could do what the rabbi did. This was the highest honor they could be chosen for.

If the rabbi thought they had the right stuff, he would say to them "Come, follow me." And from that time, they would become his "disciples" and go wherever he went and learned how to do and to teach what he did. If he didn't have what it took to be a rabbi, he would end his training and return home to do learn and follow in the family trade.

Peter and Andrew had been rejected from the highest honor in their day. They had become fishermen because they didn't make the cut. They had been rejected. But now this popular teacher/rabbi named Jesus saw something in them that was worth something. He believed in them. He called them to be his disciples. It changed their self-worth and their status forever.

Have you ever had someone believe in you when you didn't believe in yourself? Have you ever been included in something you didn't feel worthy of? What did that do for you? Did it change you?

This is how Jesus began to build his church...he called out a few good men! They were not perfect. (Have you ever knew some really honest fisherman?? Just kidding!!) They didn't fit the world's ideal or even the religious community's ideal of a leader, but yet, he called them.

This is the reason Jesus came not to start a new religion, but to start a new relationship!

Next we'll look at this new relationship and how it renovates our lives.

Poem by Mother Teresa

2010-04-26T22:59:00.001-04:00

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

renovating church

2010-04-26T20:12:00.004-04:00

So to renovate church, first we have to know "what is church?"

Let's start by looking at our inspiration and the example for which we should model our life, the founder of the church, Jesus, and see what his definition of church truly was:

"Simon Peter said, 'You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'

Jesus came back, 'God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.'" (Matthew 16:16-18, TMSG)

Here Jesus had asked his disciples who do you say that I am? Peter, known for sticking his foot in his mouth, blurted out rightly for once that he was the Son of God.

Jesus rewarded by saying that God Himself had shown Peter this. He goes on to say that on the revelation that he was the Son of God he would put together "his church."

The Greek word "ekklesia" means "called out." It was used among the Greeks of a body citizens "gathered" to discuss the affairs of state. In other words, Jesus was saying that he was going to build a gathering of people who were called out to work together for a singular purpose. This purpose was to live out the life he modeled for us.

Later in the New Testament we see the word "church" used to represent the whole of the believers in Christ, those who had made the decision to follow Christ as Lord of their lives.

Next, we'll look at what Jesus really came to do...

Day 47 - Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T00:37:00.001-04:00

Day 47

"After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move. The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed. "Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message." The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there." Matthew 28:1-10 (TMSG)

Jesus' resurrection says to us that there is nothing that can separate us from God's love now. It means that we never again will face anything in life without the assurance of God's presence and love for us.

Right now, in this moment, God will never love you any less than he does right now. Also, he will never love you more. His love for you is constant and we can trust it. We can believe in it. We can move and live and have our being in his love. Why? Because Jesus made it possible for us through his resurrection. He conquered death, hell and the grave so we can have heaven!

Prayer: "Jesus, thank you that you laid down your life for me, and that you also took your life back up, that I can experience your forgiveness, your justification and your freedom in my life. In you I pray, Amen."

Day 46 - Saturday

2010-04-02T23:30:00.001-04:00

Day 46

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

As we close this Lenten study of the armor of God, and as we look toward tomorrow as the day we will honor Christ's resurrection, let us understand in the end that the armor, and all it's accessories is actually the act of putting on the resurrected Christ.

Truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and the word of God all are attributes of the Christ Himself. When God looks at you and me, he sees Jesus. We are hid in him. He responds to us as if he is responding to Jesus.

This is why, once we have clothed ourselves in Christ, we can stand and pray "in the Spirit." This is the same Spirit that the sword belongs to. This is the same Spirit that serves as a valet in dressing us in the armor of God. This is the same Spirit, the Spirit of Christ who lives and dwells within us now.

We are not now or ever alone. He dwells with us and is always available to help us and protect us and to assist us even in our prayers.

"…God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans...He knows us far better than we know ourselves…and keeps us present before God.That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Romans 8:26b, 27a, 28 (TMSG)

As we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide our prayers, we will see our prayers become more and more effective in our lives and the lives of those around us. He is faithful and will be so forever. He is our comforter.

"But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you." John 16:13-14 (TMSG)

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, assist me in my prayers. Clothe me in the armor, in Christ Himself and let me be hid in his presence. I desire to live in him. In Christ I pray, Amen."

Day 45 - Friday

2010-04-02T01:03:00.001-04:00

Day 45

"And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God." Ephesians 6:17 (Amplified)

It is called the "sword of the spirit." It is given to us as a part of our armor…but it is not of our design. It was created and is managed by the Holy Spirit to be used in conjunction with our spirit.

We are invited by God not only to learn and commit his Word to memory, but he is also inviting us into a partnership with the author of the Word. The Word of God is active and powerful through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The more we build and listen to the Spirit of God, the more He will "sharpen" the sword in our lives.

"The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you." John 14:26 (TMSG)

One of the things the Holy Spirit will facilitate in our lives is bring back to our remembrance the Word of God. He will not only refresh our memories, but he will also teach us to understand what is said in the Word.

For this reason, our relationship with Holy Spirit is important to be nurtured. We need to listen to the promptings and leanings in our spirits that the Spirit uses to communicate to us. One thing that will help us is to invite the Holy Spirit to open up the Word to us in revelation and explanation. As we do this, we'll find that the Word will become more important to us and we'll find that we will hear his voice leading us quicker.

This helps when we are facing adversity as well, because the Holy Spirit will quicken to us scriptures we have studies and memorized so that we can use them to defeat the attacks of those fiery arrows of the enemy.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, open up the Word of God to me and give me revelation as I read and study the Word. Help me to be quick to respond to your leading and let me be able to use the sword in defeating the enemy in my life. In Christ I pray, Amen."

Day 44 - Thursday

2010-03-31T21:40:00.001-04:00

Day 44

"What God has said isn't only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts." Hebrews 4:12 (CEV)

So how do we use this sword? We talked earlier of how Jesus quoted the scripture to the enemy when in the midst of temptation and attack. It is how he countered the attacks. He knew how to use the sword swiftly and easily. It was a natural response for him.

Why was the sword easy to use? Jesus had immersed himself in the Word. In fact, one of the names of Christ is "the Word." John called him the "Word made flesh." You and I obviously do not hold this same position, but we can follow in Jesus' footsteps, as everything Jesus did in the flesh was done as an example for us to follow.

He lived in the Word of God and made the scripture his focus. As a young Hebrew man, he had learned the words of God, studied them and especially memorized them. So when he needed a "sword," a particular word from God that applied to the situation he faced, the sword was presented easily.

You and I have our armor readily available to us. God has granted them to us as gifts, but without our participation and belief they will do us no good. The sword especially needs our commitment. We must take the sword into our hearts and minds. It is the preparation for the future.

"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11 (NLT)

When we study the scripture and commit its truth to memory, it creates a home in our hearts from which we can declare it in the times of our need. We wield the sword by knowing the word of God and speaking it to ourselves and over our situations, against the plans and lies of the enemy.

Prayer: "Lord, help me to store your words in my heart. May my mouth be filled with your words when the lies of the enemy comes at me. Allow your sword to fight on my behalf and give me victory. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 43 - Wednesday

2010-03-30T22:18:00.001-04:00

Day 43

"In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." Revelation 1:16 (NIV)

So now that we know the Word of God is like a sword, how do we handle this sword? What do we do with it? As we look at the life of Jesus, we see one famous example.

Jesus, having been baptized by John, affirmed by God that he truly was God's beloved Son, was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted of the devil. Earlier in this series we saw that it was this confirmation and determination of his identity that prepared Jesus for his encounter with Satan.

But how Jesus responded to the devil is what we need to take notice of today. He countered every lie and temptation of the enemy with the truth of God's word.

"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'

Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Luke 4:4, 8, 12 (NIV, emphasis mine)

He did not try to battle the lies and temptations with his own thoughts, his own opinions, but rather he leans back into history and decrees God's words to counter the enemy.

Some presume to be able to battle with the enemy on their own terms, but to follow the Lord's example is best. God gives us his Word as a sword, which we can use as a weapon. But it is only a weapon designed for the enemy. We are not to manipulate the Word to get our own way or control others, but if we are to fight with it, let it be for the destruction of the enemy's lies that we use it.

Prayer: "God, teach me to use your Word not for my own gain or against another person, but instead teach me to handle your Word with strength and dignity befitting it. Teach me how to use it against the lies and temptations of the enemy that come my way. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 42 - Tuesday

2010-03-29T22:35:00.001-04:00

Day 42

"God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey." Hebrews 4:12 (TMSG)

We see here in this passage, that the sword, the Word of God is not meant simply as a sword to played with or to be carelessly used, but rather its primary job is to get to the heart of us who wield it. Its goal is not to slay others, though the enemy is routed by it and we will see that later. But its first directive is to open up our hearts. It is to divide within us that which is spirit and that which is of our own devices.

Maybe this is why Paul calls upon the leaders of this new movement of "the Way" to rightly divide the word of truth.

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth ." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

That word "dividing" means to make a straight cut, to dissect or expound properly. That sounds like a sword's job to me. But notice in the Hebrews 4 scripture, this cutting is happening in us. The word is a sword or knife that cuts through all that life has tried to force us into being, through the failures and the successes, the friends and the betrayers, the lies and the truths we've heard. All these have shaping power in our lives.

But the Word, when we allow it access into our lives, it becomes a knife to cut away all those things that are detrimental to us and leaves us open and receptive to the voice of the Spirit of God. Surgery can be scary. A knife to the heart of our being is not something we would look forward to. But our Father is a master at bringing us to him.

I am reminded of a movie quote from the Kevin Costner movie, Robin Hood. The scene is this: the villain, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Robin are fighting. The Sheriff had killed Robin's father with the father's own sword and was now taunting Robin that he would kill him with the same sword. Robin Hood makes this statement that has stuck with me since I heard it:

"I shall never fear my father's sword."

Today, as we allow the Word, our Father's sword, cut away those things that stand between us, let us not be afraid, but trust that He who created us does all things well.

Prayer: "Father, once again I come to you in trust and faith, believing you have my best in mind. I believe your Word will work in me and remove those things that are not beneficial to my walk with you. It will heal as it removes sins and falsehood and it will draw me ever closer to you. In Christ's name, Amen."

Day 41 - Monday

2010-03-28T22:21:00.001-04:00

Day 41

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

The word of God is living and active. Did you realize that the word, this beautiful, life changing word that we study everyday and listen to is a force to be reckoned with? This word is not simply words on a page, but something birthed from the heart of God.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

When God is speaking to us through his word and it stirs us, and we respond to his prompting, it becomes alive, living and operational in our lives. Someone said once that we don't read the Bible, but that the Bible reads us. We then get changed in the process.

It is this activity that God's word takes on in our lives which Paul says is our sword. Some people think that the Word of God is a weapon to be used on others, something to control others into doing what they want. But we know that the Word of God is something living and breathing and makes a home on the inside of us.

It is this operation of the word, alive in the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us that becomes dangerous. It will cut through all the pretense that we set up around our lives which we "think" protects us. We might put our hope and trust in our economic status in life or where we were born, who our family is or what we look like. But these things will not cover us. Even our religiosity will not protect our hearts. These are false armors.

The Word of God alone can strike the fatal blow to the enemy's plan in our lives. But it will not be enough merely to read or study the Word, but we must allow it access to our hearts. Allow it to change us from the inside out, and then it can remove those footholds of the enemy in our thinking and in our souls.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, make the Word of God come alive in me this day. I trust that it can and will defeat the enemy in my life as I entrust my life into it's wisdom and truth. Lead me by your Word this day. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 40 - Sunday

2010-03-28T00:16:00.002-04:00

Day 40

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17 (NIV)

The sword of the Spirit is the last accessory of the armor. We've been looking at God's defensive protection for the believer up to this point: truth, righteousness, faith, peace, salvation. No other piece is an offensive weapon, only this, the sword, is a weapon.

It is interesting that God does not give us an arsenal of weapons to fight with in the wars of our life. No, simply protects us and hands us a sword.

The word, sword, comes from a Greek word, "machaira" which means knife. It's a term used by modern scholars to describe a type of ancient bladed weapon, generally a large knife with a slight backwards curve. In some ancient texts, it can even refer to a surgeon's scalpel.

But this sword/knife is not just any sword. Paul tells us that the Word of God is our weapon. This weapon is a precise instrument. "Word" comes from the Greek "rhema." It refers to the utterance from God. This is the living word that comes from God to our heart. It is that moment we are reading the scripture and it comes alive to us. We know that we know it is true, and that it is speaking to our situation.

It is this that we use to fight against the enemy of our souls. When the word of God comes alive and we believe it, it becomes a power for us to defeat the lies and the attacks that come in life.

Prayer: "Father, thank you that you not only give me things to protect myself with, but also give me a weapon to fight with in the battles of life. I thank you that you speak through your word to me and my situations and as I stand in faith on these words, you give me victory. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 39 - Saturday

2010-03-26T22:11:00.001-04:00

Day 39

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." Isaiah 59:1 (NIV)

"Savior

He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave"

- from Mighty to Save,

by Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding

That God is mighty to save is a theme we find in the scripture. There is no length to which God will not go to save us. King David said that he could go to the depths of hell and God would still be able to find him. Why? Because of God's love for his people, he is not willing to throw us away, when we fail and struggle with our faith, but rather he is actively working in our lives through prevenient grace, circumstances, divine appointments, and any host of avenues to help and protect us.

We can trust that God is just as determined to protect our mind as he is to save our souls from hell. This helmet of salvation that surrounds our minds is just another example of God's care and love for us. He wants us to be free in our minds to believe and trust.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Jesus is inviting us to cast all of our cares upon him. Here he is telling us that when we displace worry and fear in our lives and replace with faith in him, he will cover us, meet our needs and fulfill our hearts and minds. Let us allow the salvation, God's saving, keeping, protecting power, cover our minds.

Prayer: "Jesus, thank you that you are mighty to save. I believe that you are more than enough for me. I believe you are covering me and strengthening me by your salvation. Thank you. In your name, Amen."

Day 38 - Friday

2010-03-25T22:21:00.001-04:00

Day 38

"For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory." Colossians 1:27 (NLT)

As we explore the idea of salvation and the hope that it secures for our mind, let us not forget that it is not something separate from Christ himself. Just as he is truth, righteousness, author of our faith and the Prince of peace, so also is he our Savior. He is the rescuer, the saving Messiah who comes to redeem us. We can say like Job, "I know my Redeemer lives."

Because he lives, and stands as our salvation, we can know that our salvation is secure. There is much debate in the Body of Christ about whether or not there is "eternal security." And on both sides of the debate, there are many scriptures to support both arguments. But after reading the scripture for myself and studying it, I believe there is a better way of looking at it.

I believe our salvation is more secure than we believe, yet within the confines of our free will. Our human nature likes to put things into a category, who's in and who's out. Religion continues to follow this theme, adding its own brand of spiritual labels. Under the threat of losing our salvation and going to hell, religion seeks to control and make people "behave."

But this fear-based, performance-based spirituality is not spirituality at all. Jesus came to save us from all things that separate us from God. Sin separates us, but also fear driven obedience to rules separate us too. Jesus came to establish us in love, letting us for the first time get a glimpse of the love of God.

Paul called it the riches and glory of Christ that was given to us. And the best of all, this salvation allows Christ now to live within us by his Spirit. We now can wear this assurance of his salvation covers us. We now can live without fear of losing our salvation. Perfect love casts out fear.

Prayer: "Father, thank you that you have given me assurance of your salvation through Christ. I entrust my life and my salvation to you and believe fear is cast away from me as I receive your love today. In Christ's name, Amen."

Day 37 - Thursday

2010-03-24T22:20:00.001-04:00

Day 37

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)

Here is Paul writing to another church, the Christians at Thessalonica, and once again, he imagines salvation as a helmet. But here he specifies the "hope of salvation." The hope of our salvation is set in the belief that God has and is saving us.

Hope is powerful. Men and women can survive many things, but without hope to sustain them, the stamina to stand in the face of adversity quickly dwindles. So what is this hope of salvation? It is the hope found in knowing we have a Savior that is delivering us from sin, from death, from hell, from ourselves. He saves us from the effects of a sinful world that wears against our mind by telling us there is no God and no future for the Christian. It is our hope in this salvation that guards our minds in Christ!

The word "hope" comes from the Greek word elpis and is translated as "confident expectation." This is a far more descriptive and accurate definition of the helmet that safeguards our minds. When we place our hope in God and his promises for us, we find that our worries and fears about the future, and about our present situations as well, are replaced by the assurance that God is with us. This creates the peace of God inside of us.

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

In Christ, we find that peace, because of his salvation is our portion in this life and will protect our hearts and minds. No wonder that King David, the Psalmist, wrote that his hope was found in his Savior:

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

Prayer: "Savior, thank you that you save me from my worries, my fears and my doubts. Thank you that as I place my confident expectation in your care and love for me my mind and heart is set in peace. In Christ's name, Amen."

Day 36 - Wednesday

2010-03-23T21:57:00.001-04:00

Day 36

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me." Psalm 138:7 (NIV)

We talked earlier about how we are saved, and yet being saved at the same time. Our salvation is a one time event, but also an on-going process. What areas in your life is God "saving" you still?

Our helmet of salvation, this rescue from God, operates as we walk through life. It will guard and keep our minds as we journey on the path of faith. So many times we think of salvation as the "day we got saved." We chose to follow Christ and believe that we went from death to life in that decision. But really our translation from being lost to found was just the beginning of our salvation.

God is at work redeeming and rescuing us from before we chose to follow him. There is a phrase called "prevenient grace," which simply means that God was working in your life even before you knew him to bring you to a place of understanding and receiving his salvation. He loves us so much he begins to work on us before we even know him, preparing us to be a part of his family.

Then after we connect with Christ and make him our Lord, his Spirit goes to work in us to make us more like Christ. Much of this process will take place in our mind, as what we think and believe affect how we live and act. This is "sanctification," a work of on-going salvation as we learn to surrender the things that are not like Christ and be formed into his image.

We must partner with his Spirit in allowing him access to our thought life, permitting the conviction of the Holy Spirit to alert us when our thinking is not aligned with the will of God. As we study and learn the Word of God, our mind is renewed and we change as the things that break the heart of God also break our own heart.

We are saved, yet being saved everyday.

Prayer: "Spirit of God, teach me to hear your voice, learn your will for my life, and act upon your moving in my heart. Thank you that you are constantly making me into Christ's image. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 35 - Tuesday

2010-03-22T23:16:00.001-04:00

Day 35

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Romans 12:1-2 (TMSG)

This is one of my favorite verses found in the Message version of the Bible. It helps us to see that this helmet of salvation, this renewing of our mind takes place in our day to day lives. God uses the context of our lives to work out his image in us. Our armor is designed for not only the attacks the enemy sends our way, but so that we can live like Christ. Christlikeness is the goal of the Christian.

The Message tells us that the best thing we can do for God is to embrace what He has done for us. When we try to give someone a wonderful gift that means much to us, the greatest blessing to us is for them to receive it with gratefulness. The same is true with God. We honor him and his gift of salvation when we embrace what he has done for us.

As we allow his salvation, the grace that he has poured in our lives, lead us in our day-to-day routines, we will find that he will change us from the inside out. As we respond to the stirring in our hearts to do what we feel God desires, we'll find that we hear and understand his voice sooner and more often.

Our daily routines performed with our hearts tuned to the Spirit's promptings train us for battle in those bad days. It is this working out our salvation that produces spiritual maturity in us.

Prayer: "Jesus, teach me how to hear your Spirit in the day-to-day routines, so that I can follow you and grow in spiritual maturity. Thank you that you train me to walk with you in the good times so that I will know how to walk with you in the bad times too. In your name I pray, Amen."

Day 34 - Monday

2010-03-21T22:30:00.001-04:00

Day 34

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:17 (KJV)

The word "take" that Paul uses here in the original Greek means "accept, receive, or take." In other words, Paul is telling us once again that our salvation, this helmet that will cover our minds, is a gift from God.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

Our salvation is a gift of God. It is not something that have to work up and produce on our own but rather the grace of God is freely offered to us. It is this freely offered salvation that Christ gives to us that will guard our minds.

But will we choose to take it up. Will we choose to receive the transformation that comes to our mind when salvation takes it's place in our lives? Even though salvation is a free gift from God, we still have a part to play. We are invited to partner with God and fulfill his will in our lives.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

As partners with God, and as we choose to allow the change in our thinking to take place, we will "work out" our salvation. Think of it as "fleshing" out what God has done for us. Our mind is renewed as we grow to understand and believe that which God has said about us. Truth replaces the lies of the enemy in our lives and our minds, which is a battlefield the enemy likes to use against us, is protected by this wonderful gift of God.

Prayer: "Lord, thank you for your grace and salvation that has been so freely offered to me. Help me to believe that salvation is covering my mind and heart, transforming who I am as I trust you. Renew my mind, in your name I pray, Amen."

Day 33 - Sunday

2010-03-21T00:38:00.001-04:00

Day 33

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17 (TSMG)

Paul now is rounding out his metaphor of the spiritual clothes that God has given us with the "helmet of salvation." Here he tells us that salvation will be as a helmet to protect our head, which in turn will protect our minds.

I believe it is very interesting that it's salvation that will be part of our mind's protection. For it is in our minds that the battle most often rages. We definitely deal with attacks physically in sickness or in other battles with people and personalities. But the biggest struggle that you and I will face in our lives will be within our own minds.

How we think about God, about our lives, about who we are in the grand scheme of it all will potentially win or lose the battle for us. It is in our mind, what we believe, that will determine who the victor is. This is why Paul calls us to renew our minds:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Notice that the transforming of our life will not take place in simply changing how we live, what patterns of life we will conform to. No, it will take place when our mind is renewed to that which is God's will, his purpose and desires for us. When we simply try to "be good" or change our behavior simply because we think that's what God would want from us, it will only last a short time, because behavior modification does not work. It must be a transformation that comes from changing how we think or feel or believe…which starts in the mind.

Salvation is the beginning. Too many times the church believes that salvation is the end point. It is "closing the deal" with someone who doesn't know Christ. It is the goal, but that is not how Paul or the other writers of the Bible saw it. Salvation is an event…and a process. We are saved and being saved at the same time. And our helmet will help us in that process!

Prayer: "Father, thank you that you believe in me and have given to me the helmet of salvation. I believe that you are working in me to do your will and good pleasure. Renew my mind that I may be transformed into the image of Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."

Day 32 - Saturday

2010-03-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

Day 32

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32 (NIV)

As we close this look the shield of faith, let's discuss one more thing about faith. In most recent years in the church, the teaching about faith has become almost a fad. It has become thought of as a currency through which we get things from God.

The picture that comes to mind is a mafia godfather who demands loyalty and if we offer just the right words, remain in his good graces and believe just the right things, our life will be "protected." We will be covered by the protection of the godfather. But if we falter in faith, worry or doubt, we will lose all standing with him and now all evil is able to touch us.

This is not what we see Paul saying throughout his epistles. Rather he invites us into a relationship with God…a loving Father, not a manipulative godfather who demands complete allegiance or suffer the consequences. No, Paul's God has laid the consequences of our bad behavior and our sin nature on Jesus and through his sacrifice, God now looks with favor on his people.

We are freely given the gift of grace. Grace alone is a beautiful word that invites the hearer to breathe deeply, freely, knowing that God is on our side. He gave us a high priest, Jesus, who understands and is intimately acquainted with what it means to be human and struggle with life and all it presents us. Because of this, because of Jesus, we can trust (believe and have faith in) God's unconditional love for us.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

It is this that when we believe and trust in, his love for us, we can heft the shield of faith and quench those fiery darts. Why? Because of God's great and unconditional love for us and our faith in it will vanquish the lies of the enemy and the attacks that come our way.

Prayer: "Jesus, thank you for your love and for your sacrifice for me. Help me to believe your unconditional love for me and let me have faith that withstands the fiery attacks that come from life and the enemy. I believe in you and trust you. In your name I pray, Amen."

Day 31 - Friday

2010-03-18T22:56:00.001-04:00

Day 31

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

I'm wondering something today. I'm wondering if you are like me. Do you ever get an odd thought come to you, a fearful thing that comes to mind unbidden, but instead of getting rid of the thought, you dwell on it a little too long? Maybe it's a worry about the future or a fear of losing a loved one.

These thoughts come and tempt our mind to take detours away from what we know is true. They are like a seed that is planted and if we allow it to stay, it will grow until we've allowed our imaginations to run away with us and take us down paths mentally and emotionally that keep us from living in a life of faith.

Part of the job of the shield of our faith is to protect us from these attacks of doubt and fear. But we must take action against them; we must choose to use our shield. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that we must take captive the thoughts that prop themselves up as more important and against the truth that God has given us.

When we choose to believe the truth of God, it is our faith in this knowledge that will protect us and "shield" us from these lies and fears that come to our minds. This is a defense to our souls. We counteract the attacks of the enemy when we choose to reject these fleeting thoughts that try to take root in our hearts and replace them with the affirmations of God's promises.

His word, the Bible, is filled with promises of his grace and support and love for his children. And this is that good news we talked of before. It is the gospel message that we don't have to live in fear or worry, but rather place our trust and faith in God who loves us and will never leave us or forsake us.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 (NIV)

Prayer: "Jesus, I trust you and believe you have my best in mind for me. Give me grace when the attacks of the enemy come to my mind and teach me how to trust you and cast my cares upon you rather than listen to the lies of the enemy. Thank you for the shield of my faith in you. In you I pray, Amen."

Day 30 - Thursday

2010-03-17T22:31:00.001-04:00

Day 30

"How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It's like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron's beard…" Psalm 133:1-2 (TMSG)

The anointing is a metaphor of the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The name "the Anointed" is also a name for Jesus, as the word "Christ" means "anointed one." If we are truly learning to lean into the Lord and let our trust and belief in him be our "anointed shield," we are taking up the shield of faith and Jesus will quench these fiery darts in our lives.

The oil actually plays a role with our shield. The Hebrews had a tradition with their shields. They would use leather shields, and would rub oil into the leather to make it supple and fit for war. They would say that they are "anointing the shield." To anoint meant to pour oil on or to rub oil into.

King David talked about how when we work together in unity (together in step and support) that it is like the anointing oil that God used to anoint the high priest. This anointing was a sign of being set apart for a special purpose or ministry.

You and I have been set apart for a special purpose and plan that God has ordained. His anointing rests on our lives as we seek to serve him. This anointing is activated in our lives as we place our trust in him and step out of our comfort zones to follow him.

As we work together, it will build our strength and protection. Our shields become linked together and are empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: "Father, anoint us as we use our faith each day to follow you. Help me to find ways to spread my shield over others and help us to walk in step with you and each other. In you I pray, Amen."

Day 29 - Wednesday

2010-03-16T22:08:00.001-04:00

Day 29

"In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil." Ephesians 6:16 (NLT)

Today I want to focus our attention to the formation they would make with their shields. Being a Roman citizen, Paul was well-acquainted with the Roman soldiers and their warfare tactics. One of these was to bring their shields together to the point they were almost linked, not allowing room for an arrow to get through.

Imagine what the enemy of these armies thought when they advanced on these Romans, only to find a moving, living shield of protection guarding against the fiery arrows they had launched at them. It must have struck terror in their hearts.

We need one another's shields. My shield alone will not protect me completely, but I need to link up with my brothers and sisters not only for my own help, but to help them as well.

There is a great story from the history of Israel about Jonathan, the son of King Saul, who was moved by God to fight against the Philistine army and looking to the young man who helped carry his armor, he said:

"Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come on now, let's go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Maybe God will work for us. There's no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when he sets his mind to it." His armor bearer said, "Go ahead. Do what you think best. I'm with you all the way." 1 Samuel 14:6-7 (TMSG)

They defeated this garrison of the enemy, just the two of them. But they were in step, in unity with each other. Jonathan spread his faith over him and his armorbearer, the faith that God was with them and would deliver. It is this linking of each other's heart, as well as mind, that brought them protection and the ability to fight for each other.

And as we link arms with our brothers and sisters, we will help each other defeat the enemy in our lives. We are in a battle and we cannot simply fight alone, but we need to realize that our shield is not just for us, but for our friends, family and neighbors too.

Prayer: "Jesus, help me lift my faith as a shield today, as I choose to link with others who find themselves in the battle of life. I cannot fight this war on my own, and neither can they. Keep us we pray, as we fight for and defend one another. In you I pray, Amen."

Day 28 - Tuesday

2010-03-15T22:53:00.001-04:00

Day 28

"Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Ephesians 6:16 (CEV)

The word "arrows" in the above scripture comes from a Greek word, which is sometimes translated as "missiles." You and I have been promised that if we will heft our faith as a shield, our trust in God will extinguish the attacks the enemy will throw our way.

Psalm 91 talks to us about God's faithfulness to watch over his people. Look at one of the promises:

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day…" Psalm 91:4-5 (NIV)

David is telling us that we will be protected by God's faithfulness like a shield, keeping us from attack. It is our belief in God's faithfulness to us that will guard us against these fiery missiles.

What is it that the enemy throws at us anyway?

Remember the only power the devil has is deception. If he can get us to believe his lies about us or God or others, he has more power over us. The enemy will especially make accusation against God. He will try to tell us that we are not loved, or that Jesus is not with us, that we have to work more to get God's approval and grace.

Our committed trust in God's faithfulness will surround us like a shield. It will not only protect us, but it will counter the attacks of the enemy as we don't believe the lies. They will not penetrate the shield.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, surround me with your faithfulness and teach me to trust you. Let my faith in you shield me from the lies of the enemy. I choose to believe your truth, and refuse the lies of the enemy. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 27 - Monday

2010-03-14T22:56:00.001-04:00

Day 27

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)

In addition to all this, Paul writes. The King James Version says: "above all else." Pretty imperatively Paul wants us to know that our armor is not complete yet without faith. Yes, we need all these others – righteousness, truth, peace – but without faith we will not be able to put out the attacks of the enemy.

Paul compares faith to a shield. Unfortunately in the church, and the world for that matter, faith is often used as a weapon, but notice that the apostle instead compares it to a shield. We do not attack or force our faith on the situations and powers that battle us, but rather it is our trust and believe in God that will be our protection in the battle.

Wikipedia tells us that "the heavily armored Roman legionaries carried large shields that could provide much protection, but made swift movement a little more difficult...Famously, the Romans used their shields to create a tortoise-like formation called a testudo in which entire groups of soldiers would be enclosed in an armored box to provide protection against missiles."

This is what our faith can do for us as well. Faith is defined as belief, confidence, trust. When we have entered a relationship with God, we learn to believe what he says he will do. He proves himself to us in his loving care for us. Therefore, our "faith" in him provides us with confidence that whatever we face in life, we can stand strong, knowing he is with us.

Note that Paul tells us that we must "take up" the shield. It is an act of our will that chooses to believe God and allow that belief to propel us forward in life and in battle. It is the choices we make through the faith we have in him that will protect us and give us safety.

Prayer: "God, I choose today to reaffirm my faith in you. Thank you that you stand to my defense and protect me in the battles of life. I believe you are with me and for me and will never leave me. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 26 - Sunday

2010-03-13T23:47:00.001-05:00

Day 26

"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" Ephesians 6:15

I can count a million times, People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me, Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed, Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind, To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm, But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace, Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days, When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus, bring the rain

(MercyMe's "Bring the Rain")

As we close our look at our shoes of peace, I wanted to share some of the lyrics of the above song, because I believe it speaks to one other part of peace. Paul says our feet should be shod with the "preparation of the Gospel of peace." In other words, our walk or journey in life should be constantly prepared by peace. Does this mean we will never encounter fear or pain or trouble? Of course not, but peace will guard us in these times, by preparing us.

Peace is an attribute of the Savior. He is called the Prince of Peace. It is also one of the fruit of the Spirit. It grows in us the closer we grow to God. And he desires to let this peace be preparation for our lives. If we will allow the peace of God to replace worry and fear at the center of our lives, we will find that we can be prepared to walk through any storm and any surprise.

The question will be: can we trust him? Yes, I will choose to trust him and praise him even in the storms of life, because I choose to walk in his peace.

Prayer: "Prince of Peace, I choose to follow you through every storm and trial of life. I thank you that you prepare me for my journey and never leave me while on my walk in this world. Thank you for my feet being covered in the preparation of peace that comes from the Gospel. In Christ name, Amen."

Day 25 - Saturday

2010-03-13T00:07:00.001-05:00

Day 25

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23:2-3 (NIV)

In this famous psalm, we hear King David declaring that God will lead us beside the quiet or "still" waters. These still waters are indicative of peace. God wants to lead us into and by his peace.

It is not God's intention for our lives to be fraught with worry and doubt and fear. No, his intention is for us to let his peace be our "state of being."

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified Bible)

He has made provision through Christ's sacrifice and the ever-present Holy Spirit to grant us peace. This doesn't mean that we will be able to experience this perfectly every time, but the possibility is there. We're human and struggle with human emotions, but all the same, our supernatural, superhuman God lives and dwells within us.

The peace that the Psalmist talked about came after he made a declaration of who God was in his life:

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." Psalm 23:1 (NIV)

It is not an accident that it is this declaration of God being David's shepherd came first. He had learned and received God as his shepherd, learning to listen to his voice and following his commands. As he did this, David experienced the ability to find the still waters in his life. And his life was nowhere near perfect.

His peace was found in allowing God to shepherd him. How well are we at being shepherded by God? Do we push against fence? Are we straining against his boundaries in our lives? Or have submitted to his guidance and leading? We will know by the waters we find ourselves beside.

Prayer: "Jesus, I want to be led by those streams of still and quiet waters. I want to have my soul restored in your peace. Grant me the ability to hear your voice and be quick to obey. I believe in you, my Shepherd. In You I pray, Amen."

Day 24 - Friday

2010-03-11T22:49:00.001-05:00

Day 24

"God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17 (CEV)

Paul tells us that the Kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace and joy…in the Holy Ghost. All of these things come not by our efforts, or our wisdom. Rather, these things come through a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

We all have the opportunity or the ability to "put on Christ" or wear the armor of God. It is a gift of God for us. These are natural outgrowths (or fruit) of our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

Jesus said that the Comforter he was sending would be our helper, reminding us of the things he said, and be with us always. The name "Comforter" comes from the word, "paraclete" which means "one who consoles, one who intercedes on our behalf, a comforter or an advocate."

The Holy Spirit will clothe us with God's truth, his righteousness, his peace, his salvation and even his faith. But we need to cultivate this friendship. Spend time with the Holy Spirit, as we would any friend who we love and care about. The more we do, the more like him we become.

It is in these times that we will discover that life in the kingdom of God is more fulfilling than anything we can work up on our own. It is in the kingdom, through our relationship with God, that we will experience the righteousness, peace and joy that fill the holes of our hearts.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, teach me how to draw close to you, to know you and to allow you to shape me into the image of Christ. Work in me these pieces of the armor that protects me and gives me victory in life. Fulfill me with your righteousness, peace and joy. In Christ I pray, Amen."

Day 23 - Thursday

2010-03-10T22:06:00.001-05:00

Day 23

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…" Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Paul exhorts us to do all that we can to live in peace with other people around us. This can be easier said than done sometimes, but the law of love that is found wrapped up in the message of the Gospel calls out to us to fulfill it. What is this law of love?

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)

It's our responsibility as people of the light, dressed in Christ, dressed in the armor of God, to live in peace with others. Conflicts come and problems will arise within relationships, but this is why Paul said, while it's within our power to do so. It is up to us to do our best, to give what we can give to make things work out. Then it is up to the other people/person to either accept the process needed to bring peace between us or not.

"This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God." Matthew 22:23-24 (TMSG)

Our ability to walk in these shoes of peace with God is dependant on how well we walk in peace with other people. So many people do not realize that our relationship with God is not only vertical up to God and down to us, but also horizontal, as how we relate to others reflects our relationship with God.

"If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." 1 John 4:20 (NIV)

Peace comes between people when we own our part of the problem. Can we admit our failure, sin, wrong in the situation? This is our responsibility. Own it and apologize. Forgive their failure, sin, wrong, even if they don't ask for it. Then leave it in their hands. Can they forgive?

It's not our responsibility to make them forgive, but our part is to stand in the place of forgiveness ourselves. Do all we can to live in peace with others. And if they choose not to reciprocate, so be it, then we can move on in peace, knowing we've done our part and releasing them to God.

Prayer: "Jesus, forgive me of my sins, and the times I've made a mess of things. Help me be able to forgive those who make a mess in my life. Let me release them, be brave enough to apologize and seek their forgiveness, but then release them and situation to you. Thank you for your peace today. In your name, Amen."

Day 22 - Wednesday

2010-03-09T22:59:00.001-05:00

Day 22

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace…" Isaiah 55:12 (KJV)

"So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life..." Isaiah 55:12 (TMSG)

Whenever we think of our feet, our mind naturally moves toward walking, moving, running or traveling. Our lives are often compared to a journey. We are sojourners in this life.

How many times in our journey do we find it hard to walk down the roads that present themselves before us? It is part of the human experience that we share in suffering and healing, joy and pain. There are the "good and bad days."

God never promised us that life would be perfect. In fact, he told us that life wouldn't be easy, but left us with the promise of his participation in our lives:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)

"I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid." John 14:27 (NIV)

We are never alone. Jesus, who has overcome the world, walks with us. Not only can we cover our feet and walk in peace, but Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is walking with us. This is found in relationship with God, a trust we have in the giver of peace.

These shoes wrapped in peace and wholeness will give us the ability to walk through the rough terrain of our lives. This "piece" of the armor, working with the righteousness and truth of God we already are wearing, will propel us to scale higher heights than we could believe. As we face the trials of the rough days, let us lean into and trust our "trail guide," the Prince of Peace, who will lead us forth in peace and joy.

Prayer: "Prince of Peace, I pray that you will walk with me down the roads of life that lay before me. I thank you for leading me in your peace and never leaving my side. In Your name, Amen."

Day 21 - Tuesday

2010-03-09T06:05:00.001-05:00

Day 21

"Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet." Ephesians 6:15 (CEV)

Why is the gospel called "good news?" Is it good news to you?

The good news of the gospel is this: God has done everything that needs to be done to make reconciliation possible between man and himself. Jesus came and was the bridge back to God for us. Now the question is, will we receive it? There is nothing left to do. No sacrifice, no works can make us acceptable to God. He has made us acceptable through Christ.

This is the meaning of the angel's song at Jesus' birth:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14 (KJV)

Who is the good will from? God. To who is the good will extended? Us! We no longer have to be afraid of God, for he wants to welcome us into his family. This is great news!

Notice what Isaiah said centuries before Jesus came:

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)

Seeing that Isaiah praises the feet of those who go forward into the world sharing the peace of God, I don't believe it is a coincidence that Paul says our feet will be covered in the good news of peace! There should always be a readiness in us to share with others that God is not angry with them, but rather loves them and seeks to have them in his family! What a message that so many are missing today! Are you ready? Do you have your shoes on?

Prayer: "Lord Jesus, help me to be always ready to share your love and grace with others in my life. Let them experience your peace as I have in my life. Thank you that you are not angry with us, but rather you desire to have us in your family. Amen."

Day 20 - Monday

2010-03-08T06:08:00.001-05:00

Day 20

"…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Ephesians 6:15 (NIV)

Covering our feet is a very important part of being armored. How easily or how quickly a soldier gets over terrain will depend on the quality of the shoes/sandals he wears.

The same goes for us. Life presents us with many different challenges, but how we deal with these situations will determine our success. When we are clothed in Christ, with the armor of God covering us, we will walk in peace in spite of whatever we face. The more peace we walk in, the better our journey will be.

Peace is not about never being in conflict, but rather holding your faith in God through whatever situation you face, allowing the truth that he loves you in your heart. This is what Paul says about peace guarding our lives:

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 (TMSG)

This is another explanation of peace: when the broken pieces of life come together in Christ and making us whole. Christ wants to make up the difference in our lives.

The question for us is this: will we choose to hold on to our anxiety and worry, or will we place our faith in Christ rather, knowing that he will work all things together for good for us? Can you let your feet be covered with the peace of God?

Prayer: "God, I choose to trust you in every situation of my life. I believe that you will make all things work together for my good and make me whole in your peace. In Jesus name, Amen."

Day 19 - Sunday

2010-03-07T00:54:00.001-05:00

Day 19

"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared." Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV)

Today we continue our study of the armor of God. We are looking at the admonition of Paul's to "put on Christ," as every attribute that the armor represents is also found in our Lord. As we cover ourselves in the attributes of Christ, it gives us strength and covers our lives. Now we turn our attention to the "shoes of peace."

When we think of armor, we don't normally think about the shoes that are worn, but they are a very important and vital piece of the armor. Think about the rough terrain that a soldier has to traverse in battle. A barefooted warrior or one with poorly covered feet would be in jeopardy of being wounded, slowed down or captured. In fact, in ancient times, the breaking or failing of a shoe was a metaphor for weakness, because the shoe was so important to the soldier's success.

A Roman soldier, who Paul models many metaphors after, would wear a shoe called a "caligae." Caligae were heavy-soled military shoes or sandals. They were worn by all ranks up to and including centurions. They were constructed from leather and laced up the center of the foot and onto the top of the ankle. Additionally, iron hobnails (stud like nails) were hammered into the sole, providing the soldier with better traction and allow the caligae to be used as a weapon (inflicting damage by stamping.)

Paul says that our caligae is peace. When we are covered in the armor of God, peace will protect our feet. This is what will give us energy for our journey and in the battles of life. Peace, remember, is not the absence of conflict, but trust in the presence of God in the midst of it. These shoes will sustain us, just as the soldier in the battle relies on his shoes to protect and keep him moving.

Begin to imagine in your mind's eye, wherever you walk, no matter the situation you will encounter, you walk in the peace of God. No terrain is too dangerous. We do not walk alone or without support. We walk in peace.

Prayer: "Jesus, thank you that you cover my feet with your peace. I do not have to be anxious about any situation that I may encounter for you are with me and give me your peace. In your name, Amen."

Day 18 - Saturday

2010-03-05T22:16:00.001-05:00

Day 18

“The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of his being.” Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)

Now that we have entered into relationship with Jesus and he has changed us, replacing our old heart with a new heart, we can trust God to speak to us through our heart.

Proverbs is saying that our spirit (heart) is used by the Lord to illuminate our entire being. We have a heart-to-heart connection with God. So this is the place to where God speaks bringing revelation to us, through his righteousness that covers our heart.

“For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

Our heart now speaks to us through our conscience. Do you ever hear a voice telling you to do something, then later you realize doing it was the exact thing you needed to do? You felt to call someone, who turned out to need you at that moment. You felt to go somewhere, and you had a divine assignment. You felt that shouldn’t do something, but you did it anyway and it failed? The Lord is speaking to your heart.

“This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” 1 John 3:19-21 (NIV)

The more we listen to our heart (spirit), the more we train ourselves to be quick to respond to the Lord’s leading.

Prayer: “Lord, help me to hear your voice in my heart, leading me and I trust you to walk with me. Cover my heart with your righteousness and make me into your image. In Christ’s name, Amen.”

Day 18 - Saturday

2010-03-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

Day 18

"The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of his being." Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)

Now that we have entered into relationship with Jesus and he has changed us, replacing our old heart with a new heart, we can trust God to speak to us through our heart.

Proverbs is saying that our spirit (heart) is used by the Lord to illuminate our entire being. We have a heart-to-heart connection with God. So this is the place to where God speaks bringing revelation to us, through his righteousness that covers our heart.

"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

Our heart now speaks to us through our conscience. Do you ever hear a voice telling you to do something, then later you realize doing it was the exact thing you needed to do? You felt to call someone, who turned out to need you at that moment. You felt to go somewhere, and you had a divine assignment. You felt that shouldn't do something, but you did it anyway and it failed? The Lord is speaking to your heart.

"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God." 1 John 3:19-21 (NIV)

The more we listen to our heart (spirit), the more we train ourselves to be quick to respond to the Lord's leading.

Prayer: "Lord, help me to hear your voice in my heart, leading me and I trust you to walk with me. Cover my heart with your righteousness and make me into your image. In Christ's name, Amen."

Day 17 - Friday

2010-03-04T22:01:00.001-05:00

Day 17

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV)

How many times we have heard whether from preachers, or teachers, or maybe our parents that we're not good? That we're bad people? Religion is extremely good at reminding us that we are not good enough. And as we saw yesterday, yes, we do fail.

Some have taken Jeremiah's words to be the final say from God about our hearts. "It is deceitful and wicked." I have heard some preachers say that we cannot even know our own hearts…though they seem to believe that they can know ours, and judge us for it. But these folks dismiss the declaration of Ezekiel when they focus on the "wickedness" of our hearts.

God made a promise to us through the prophet that though our hearts may have been wicked at one time, that he was going to provide a way for us so that a change would happen. He would give us a NEW heart.

If you have made Jesus your Savior, if you have placed your trust and faith in him, he has removed your sin as far as the east is from the west and placed a new heart, a new spirit, in you. The past is gone and the new is here.

"Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." John 14:23 (NIV)

The enemy of our souls will come to us and lie, telling us that we are deceitfully wicked, that this is our nature now, but this is not true.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

We are not merely "fixed" people, but rather, we have become whole new creations. We are re-created and our hearts are no longer hearts of stone, but that of flesh and soft and pliable in the hands of God, quick to respond to his leading.

Prayer: "Father, thank you for making me into a new creation. Thank you that I can know my heart is new and free. Thank you for changing my life. Amen."

Day 16 - Thursday

2010-03-03T22:52:00.001-05:00

Day 16

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)

I believe it is important for us to examine the words we use, especially in context of spirituality and religion. It is sin that has kept us separated from the presence of God. But "sin" has many connotations depending on who is talking about it. Not long ago I heard a good definition of the word, sin. "Sin is whenever we try to fill a legitimate need by illegitimate means."

We have a legitimate need for intimacy in our lives, but some of us find illegitimate ways to fill that need through relationships that are outside the boundaries God has set for us. When we do this, though it may "solve the problem" for a little while, it takes a toll on our souls. It takes a toll on our hearts.

We have a legitimate need to acceptance in our lives, but sometimes we find ourselves giving into the control and abuse of others simply so we don't feel rejected. But God has called us to have self-control and be in charge of our own lives, under his guidance. Instead of being fulfilled we end up stress-filled, wounded and manipulated. And it takes a toll on our hearts.

As we looked at yesterday, we realize, especially when face to face with God's goodness and grace, that we are in desperate need. In fact, without God's help we have no hope of ever being "good enough" or in right standing with him. And this is the point of the good news, that even though we couldn't do anything about our standing before God, he could and did.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

This is the promise of God for us. We do not have to have it all together. I cannot fill these legitimate needs of my life on my own. I fail. No matter how perfect I try to keep the law of love (loving God and loving others) I will never get it right enough.

But God the Father laid upon Jesus the sin of us all and in him the price for our sin was paid. No more sacrifices, no more rigorous law-keeping to make sure that God is not angry. Nothing more is needed but the acceptance of the gift of God: his son, Jesus. When I believe this and begin to allow this truth to lead me, I cover my heart with his breastplate of righteousness.

Prayer: "Lord, today I affirm I believe that you gave yourself to become sin and receive my punishment, that I might be free to receive your righteousness. Thank you for your gift of life. In Your Name I pray, Amen."

Day 15 - Wednesday

2010-03-02T21:44:00.001-05:00

Day 15

"…the breastplate of righteousness in place," Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)

Paul is telling us that we can cover and protect our hearts with righteousness. The word righteousness here implies "integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting." When we have righteousness in our lives, it keeps us from getting into situations that will damage our hearts.

Unfortunately, most of us when we see that list realize that we cannot accomplish being "correct" in our thinking or feeling. We know that we are not pure and sometimes our lives do not display the integrity that we would like. Discouragement comes and knocks on the door and tells us that we'll never be good enough. God wants us to be righteous, but we'll never get there.

Reality is that this is true. We will never get there…on our own. We are not pure…on our own. We will never be correct in our thinking or feeling…on our own. This is what Paul meant when he said in Romans:

"Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ." Romans 3:23-24 (TMSG)

Because we cannot do this on our own, God gave us Jesus to stand in our place, to do what we couldn't and provide for us a way that we could become righteous. Righteousness is another way of saying "being in right (good) standing with God."

This breastplate we receive through our salvation in Christ. It is given to us not because of anything we can do or anything we can give, but simply by receiving the gift of God. This is grace, that what we were, broken and separated from God, is swallowed up in the love and sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. Now his righteousness has become ours.

Prayer: "Thank you, God, for granting me the grace to be righteous through Christ. Though I have nothing in myself to offer, I offer myself wholly to you. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 14 - Tuesday

2010-03-01T22:52:00.001-05:00

Day 14

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Nestled safely behind the breastplace lies our heart. Yes, physically we have a heart, but spiritually as well and Solomon reminds us that the heart is at the center of all we do. Just as it is most important to protect and keep our physical heart healthy, we must also take care of our spiritual heart.

Solomon says that from it comes the "wellspring" of life. The King James Bible says that from it come the "issues" of life. This word "issues" in Hebrews is a word that means "boundary" or "source." In other words, he is telling us that the source of life comes out of our heart and sets the boundaries of who we are. Therefore, it is imperative that you and I guard our hearts.

What is found in our hearts? It is in our hearts that our desires are found: Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Our heart is the spiritual container of our dreams, callings and desires. When we seek to find our joy in God, he will stir his desires in our hearts and call us to follow after him.

From our heart, we worship God. "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders." Psalm 9:1 (NIV)

It is with our hearts that we believe. Faith is birthed in our hearts. "…That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

Because of this, we can expect the enemy of our souls to battle against our hearts. This is why God gives us his righteousness to be a guard and a covering for our hearts. He desires to be able to express himself through our hearts. He calls us to love him and to love others, and he wants to do it through us. Our hearts will be the vehicle through which the world will feel the love of God.

Prayer: "Jesus, my heart holds so many things: desires, faith, worship and more. Cover me with your righteousness so that I might be your vehicle of love and grace as you love others through me. In You I pray, Amen."

Day 13 - Monday

2010-02-28T22:55:00.001-05:00

Day 13

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place," Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)

Today we examine the next piece of armor that Paul exhorts us to "put on." This piece is called "the breastplate of righteousness." At the time Paul was writing this epistle, the Romans were the ruling power over the civilized world. When he writes of armor and warfare, much of his illustrations come from a Roman perspective. The Roman breastplate was typically made of bronze, backed with leather. It was designed to protect the vital area. A blow through this was usually fatal.

What vital areas did the breastplate cover? Only all the major internal organs that we all need to survive. The most important of these, of course, is the heart. And Paul says that the breastplate will protect our heart.

But although a bronze piece of armor, backed with leather, can protect you and me from a physical blow of attack, it will not safeguard our spiritual heart. Remember as kids we used to say the rhyme: "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Nothing can be further from the truth. Some people have even made the comment that they would have preferred being struck than to have the words spoken to them which broke their hearts and spirits.

Why is that? Because first and foremost, we are spiritual beings. And when someone or a situation wounds us at the "heart level," it harms us deeper than we can comprehend.

Paul is saying to us that the defensive power of righteousness will cover and protect our hearts. Maybe this is why Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He knows that when we let other things take first place in our lives, it will not be able to protect our hearts and possibly those things can even harm us.

Let us begin this week, by looking for the righteousness of God to be great in our lives as we examine our hearts and learn what this breastplate is all about.

Prayer: "Father, I've known what it is to have my heart wounded. I know what it is to be in pain. Let me this day be covered in your righteousness that I may be protected in the inward parts of my heart and soul. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 12 - Sunday

2010-02-28T11:04:00.001-05:00

Day 12

If there was ever any truth that we need to survive, if there was ever any truth that can protect us, if there was ever any truth that overwhelms all others, it is this: we are loved by God. If that statement is hyperbole, read what Paul said about Christ's love:

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19, emphasis mine.)

Indwelling knowledge is that which finds itself in our hearts rather than just our minds. Notice that Paul prays we'll be strengthened in our inner being. This is that deep seated place of our heart where we "know that we know." This is the epitome of experiential knowledge.

It is this revelation of the love of God that will protect us, give us power and authority to live victoriously in this world. I pray today, as Paul did that you and I will meet and know you are truly loved unconditionally by God today. God will never love you more than He does right now, nor will he ever love you less. Nothing you can do will ever change his opinion of you or his love for you. Rest in his love for you today.

Prayer: "God, I choose today to believe and trust in your love for me. I choose to rest in your love and believe that you will surround me in your grace this day and forever. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 11 - Saturday

2010-02-27T10:38:00.001-05:00

Day 11

"Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil." Luke 4:1-2a (TMSG)

Whenever I have read about Jesus being tempted in the desert by the devil, my attention has always been drawn to how he battled the enemy. As we will examine later, he used the word of God, or the sword of the spirit as it is called in armor terminology. Every time the enemy tried to coerce him to do something he didn't want to do, to cause him to sin or fail in his mission, Jesus always responded with the truth of God's word. But as I was examining this today, I got thinking about what happened to Jesus before he went to the wilderness...

"After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: 'You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.'" Luke 3:21-22 (TMSG)

Before Jesus ever faced the devil in the desert, he heard something. He heard who he was. God clothed him with the truth of his identity. That fragile part of us, the inner part of us, which we call our identity, who we really are when the lights go out and no one is around, this is what God clothed Jesus with truth. He told him who he was.

Remember, when the devil's attack came in the desert, it wasn't on God, he stated "mostly" true statements about God, but the real attack the enemy made was upon Jesus' identity. "IF he was the son of God," he would say over and over. We only know of three encounters with the devil that Jesus had, but we don't know that it was only three. What we do know is that the specificity of the attacks was about who Jesus was. It seems the devil knew that if he could get Jesus to doubt who he was, he would be powerless to defeat him.

Now I wonder, and am beginning to believe, that it wasn't the words alone that Jesus spoke that thwarted the devil's temptations. it wasn't just quoting words from the Bible that made him flee. (Paul says that even the demons believe and tremble.) How many times have I been in situations that I needed to fight the enemy, and threw the memorized words of the Bible at him and it did nothing? Maybe, just maybe, it's because I didn't know who I was.

The effectiveness of the armor, and the sword in our hands, depends on that ancient belt that held all things together. Knowing, in heart, not just mind, who I am in Christ, and believing that truth, gives me power against the attacks of the enemy. We defend from a position of power, from a position of truth.

Prayer: "Father, show me who I am in Christ. Teach me to face every situation and enemy in my life from a position of strength, that strength which is only found in knowing the truth of who you say that I am. Thank you for your power and truth in my life. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 10 - Friday

2010-02-25T22:24:00.001-05:00

Day 10

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." Psalm 51:6 (NIV)

Here the Psalmist tells us that God desires for us to have truth in our "inner" or inward parts. This speaks to me that God desires us to know and experience truth not only outwardly or on the surface, but also from the depths of our being.

Jesus called the Pharisees who taught one thing, but lived another: "hypocrites." This word in the original Greek simply means "play actor" and denotes someone playing a role. A person who holds one belief about himself or others, but practices another is not "whole." God desires for us to be whole people, not divided into fragments based on who we are with today and what is expected from us tomorrow.

When what we believe, say and do all align and come into agreement together, we call it integrity. In fact, one definition of the word, integrity, is "the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness."

With the belt of truth, God helps us to live out of a true understanding of who we are in him. His word, the Bible, gives us these pictures of who we are in Christ. What are some of those truths that will make us whole? Here are just a couple, but I challenge you to search the scripture for more (and there are many, many more):

I am complete in Christ. – Colossians 2:9-10

I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God. – Romans 8:31-39

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

As we take the word and surround ourselves in its truth, we will find ourselves becoming more and more whole. Our inner and outer lives will align and we will be a testimony to those around us, those we work beside and with whom we share our lives.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit of God, lead me into all truth and show me your wisdom. Let me learn who I am in you and let me know how you see me. Teach me wisdom in the inmost place of my heart. In Christ I pray, Amen."

Day 9 - Thursday

2010-02-24T22:56:00.001-05:00

Day 9

"So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist…" Ephesians 6:14a (TEV)

The loins, or the waist, was the place where the Hebrews believed that the generative power of a person resided. This belt surrounds and protects the reproductive organs. They believed that since life came through these organs, the loins also represented energy and life.

With that perspective in mind, let us ask ourselves: what is it that our life is producing?

Abraham and Sarah had waited for nearly 20 years, believing God's promise of a child. Yet, nothing had happened. Frustrated with the situation, Sarah finally offers Abraham her maid to sleep with and father a child. Abraham agrees, somewhat too easily I would say, and soon becomes a father.

Yet this is not the child of promise. God had said that Sarah would become pregnant and that it was through her child that he would bless Abraham and the world. This first child's name was Ishmael and forever he and Sarah's son, Isaac, would be at odds. To this day, Ishmael's descendants and Isaac's descendants are locked in sibling wars.

Paul tells us to surround our loins, the productivity of our lives, with truth. It is easy in times of stress and fear to take matters into our own hands and move in directions that make sense to our mind. How many times have we become anxious in our waiting on the Lord for his promise to be fulfilled and "made something happen"?

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5-6 (TMSG)

God promises that when we place our trust in his truth first, and allow him to lead us, he will keep us in the midst of his will. We must fill our hearts and minds with the truth of his Word and his Spirit. Then the decisions we make, and the life that is produced from these choices, will be ones that bless our lives and the lives of others.

Prayer: "Father, cover the productivity of my life with your truth. Let me only seek to fulfill your will and give me patience to see your hand at work. Lead me and keep me in step with you. Through Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 8 - Wednesday

2010-02-23T22:22:00.001-05:00

Day 8

"So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt…" Ephesians 6:14a (GW)

Paul directs our attention first to our waist or "loins." And it is there we are encouraged to put on truth like a belt.

In the day and age the apostle was writing, a belt was like a girdle, wide and wrapped tight around the waist. This belt held everything together. It kept the outfit/armor working and in place. When the person was getting ready to exert themselves, fight, do heavy toiling and work, they would tuck the long, loose flowing material into the belt so they would be able to move quickly and easily.

In this passage, Paul was telling us that truth will hold us together. All the armor that we have and put on hinges on truth to make it work right.

As we have discussed earlier, truth is a person, Jesus. And he promised that his Spirit would lead us into all truth. When we stand in experiential relation to the truth, we find that we have freedom to stand in the face of the enemy of our lives. It is not enough to memorize scripture or to study the Word, but unless it has become real in our hearts, minds and lives, it lays dormant, we will have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." (2 Timothy 3:5)

It is this relationship with the truth that holds us together and makes us strong. It will help us when we are weak with doubt and fear, for it is not just the memorized word that will come to heart and mind, but the experienced, living God who embodies the Truth that will strengthen our faith and give us grace for the battle.

Prayer: "God, You who are the truth, make me to know and understand your truth. Show me your way and teach me how to walk in it. Help me to have a relationship with you based upon your truth. In Jesus I pray, Amen."

Day 7 - Tuesday

2010-02-22T22:21:00.001-05:00

Day 7

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…" Ephesians 6:14a (KJV)

The garments of the ancient Middle Easterners being loose and flowing, it was necessary to wrap them about their hips when they wanted to exert or display their strength. They didn't want to get their legs caught in their clothing if they needed to move quickly or to be on the defense. Therefore, the phrase "gird up your loins" came into beginning.

To gird your loins simply meant to be ready for anything. A state of constantly being prepared. Notice here what Paul says we should prepare ourselves with…truth.

The need for "armor" reminds us that we are in a battle, and that we have an enemy. That enemy was called the "father of lies" by Jesus himself. And each day we face and are hit with lies that speak to us about who we are, what we do, and even accuse God to us.

"You're not good enough."

"You're a loser, failure."

"God isn't interested in your situation. He doesn't care…"

"You are worthless."

These are lies and there are many others that get spoken to us in the privacy of our own heart or through the mouths of other people in our lives. Some of these have been with us since we were a child.

The way we battle against the lies of the enemy is by listening to and receiving the truth of God about who we are. He will never lie, and will always reveal is truth to us if we only will open our heart and ask him. Listen to Jesus' words in John 16:13:

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."

Truth that is experienced and received by the Holy Spirit is transformative and gives us power over the lies of the enemy.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, surround and protect me with the truth that replace the lies the world and the enemy has told me. Make me always ready to stand firm in your truth. In Christ's name, Amen."

Day 6 - Monday

2010-02-21T23:12:00.001-05:00

Day 6

"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness." Ephesians 6:14 (NLT)

Paul introduces us to the first piece of the armor, telling us to stand our ground, surrounding ourselves with truth.

Truth is probably one of the most controversial philosophic issues of our day. People have argued "what is truth?" and "is there such a thing as absolute truth?" for years.

But the questions asked is where we miss the answer. Truth is not a "what," but a "Who." Jesus told us "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6) Truth is personified in Christ. We cannot know truth simply through knowledge and learning more facts, but through experience.

We do not experience knowledge or information, but rather experience involves an interaction with a person or people. Paul is inviting us to engage Jesus as Truth allowing Him to show us and explain to us "what is truth."

Truth is part of our defensive posture, because when we stand in the truth of God's love and grace for us, we are able to dispel the lies of the enemy that are thrown at us everyday.

Take time today to ask Jesus to show you and speak to you truth about your situation and your life.

Prayer: "Jesus, I believe you are Truth. Reveal truth to me today and show me your grace for this day and my life forever. In Your name I pray, Amen."

Day 5 - Sunday

2010-02-21T10:21:00.001-05:00

Day 5

"Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

Armor is protective equipment. Paul admonishes the Ephesians to put on every piece of God's armor. Strange picture – Christians in armor. But notice the purpose of the armor that God gives the child of God…"so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil."

Paul's concern for the church is that they would be able to make a stand against the evil that reigns in the world. And he sees our protection found in the "armor" which is several characteristics: salvation, righteousness, peace, truth and faith.

Christ is our salvation…he is our righteousness. He is the Prince of Peace and his Spirit leads us into all truth. And of course, he is the author and finisher of our faith. The armor beckons us to put on Christ Himself.

There is a story in the Old Testament of three young Hebrew men who held high positions in the king of Babylon's court. When the king decided to order the nation to bow down and worship the idol made in the king's image, they refused and were sentenced to death by fire in the furnace. Going into the furnace, the men declared, "our God will deliver us, but even if he does not, we will never bow."

And into the furnace they went, but soon there was a stir by those who looked on, as they began to see movement in the furnace. Though the fire had been turned up seven times hotter, the men were still alive, and not alone. There was one who looked like the son of God standing with them in the midst of the fire!

When we take on the armor of God, putting Christ on, we find that we can resist the evil that the world throws at us. No matter the fire, we will survive, without even the stench of smoke.

Prayer: "Lord, today, I choose to put on Christ. I choose to take on your salvation, your righteousness, your peace, your truth and your faith. Protect me though I face the fires of life, and let me live to declare your victory. In your name, Amen."

Day 4 - Saturday

2010-02-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Day 4

"Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!" Romans 13:14 (TMSG)

We are revisiting yesterday's scripture, this time in The Message, because we want to look at the other part of this passage. We not only need to repent of our sins, which means we turn from the things that keep us out of relationship with God, but the Apostle Paul gives us a hint to what will help us.

"Dress yourselves in Christ…" Paul reminds us that we do not live this faith on our own, in fact it was Jesus who told us that we cannot do anything without him. And this applies also to not letting sin rule our lives. It takes living "dressed in Christ."

Taking on the presence of Christ in our lives is an act of our faith that we do everyday. It is the acknowledgement that we are helpless to face the temptations and trials of life without the grace and mercy of Christ alive and active in our lives.

I remember a particularly trying time in my life when I was finding myself crippled by stress. The job I was in was overwhelming and I could barely function under the weight. At the height of all of this, I found that if every morning I woke up, before I moved out of the bed, I would pray: "God, I cannot do this job, live this day through, without you working through me. I give you this job, and ask you to do it through me." I began to find I had more grace to go to walk. I was "putting on Christ." I had come to the end of myself and allowed him to work and live and move through me. Soon I had success and looked forward to going to work once again.

Paul said something like this when he wrote to the Galatians:

"Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 (TMSG)

Over this Lenten journey we are going to explore the attributes of Christ that we can dress ourselves with that will help us find and fulfill the plan of God for our lives.

Prayer: "Jesus, I come today and ask you to live and move through me. Give me grace for this day and help me to live fully in your peace and wisdom. In Your name, Amen."

Day 3 - Friday

2010-02-18T22:55:00.001-05:00

Day 3

"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Romans 13:14 (NIV)

Part of Lent's focus is repentance. Without the spiritual practice of repentance, we will never be able to fulfill God's will for our lives, nor find ourselves in a thriving relationship with God. Sin is what keeps the communication blocked between us and God. It dulls our hearing and turns our hearts away from the passionate search for our Savior. Sin is like that delightful "Turkish delight" consumed by Edmond in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It will fill our souls until we find we are no longer hungry for that which is good and right.

Millions of people throughout the world will "give up" something for Lent. Chocolate, swearing, breakfast, smoking, vices that we want to "give up" will go by the wayside for a period of six weeks, and though we mean well and do well to practice this form of fasting, unfortunately many of us will pick these back up after Easter. But let this Lent be a real period of examination of our hearts.

Listen the Psalmist, King David as he invites God to search his heart:

"Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life." Psalm 139:23-24 (TMSG)

Lent is a season for investigation. But the good news is that God does not search our hearts to punish us for the sin that he finds there. No, he searches our lives and hearts so that he can enter our hearts and bring rescue and freedom to us in the areas where we've allowed sin to restrict and bind us. He brings grace to us if only we will ask and receive from him. He will clothe us with Christ and we will find ourselves in friendship with him once again.

Prayer: "Gracious God, let me have the courage to pray David's prayer. Search me and try me and know my heart. Forgive my sin and teach me how to walk in your way with your hand in mine. In Jesus' I pray, Amen."

Day 2 - Thursday

2010-02-17T23:07:00.001-05:00

Day 2

"A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." John 10:10 (TMSG)

St. Irenaeus said "The glory of God is man fully alive."

I heard a preacher once say that the thing that makes you mad or makes you sad, or makes you pound your fist when you hear or think of it, could be a clue to the very thing you are called to solve, or help solve.

What is it that makes you and me fully alive? What stirs your spirit when you hear about it on the news, in conversation at work, or online? What makes you lie awake at night thinking of how things could be different in that situation if only you had the resources?

Jesus said that he came to give us a real life, a better life than we've ever dreamed of. But what does that mean to us? Have we taken the world's definition of success and fame and decided that these are what will make us happy or "better"? The world and its materialism only satisfy us for a little while. Then we find ourselves seeking out more and more until we realize that we have a hole in our souls that nothing in this world can fill.

Joy is that which we find when we move from having a "hole" in our soul to our soul becoming "whole." And it is so much more than simple happiness, for happiness relies only on what is "happening" at the moment. Christ invites us to follow him into eternal life now, as we join him in what he is doing in the earth. As we do this, trusting him to lead us, we find ourselves filled with joy, which cannot be taken away by circumstance.

Gil Bailie spoke of this when he wrote:

"Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs are men who have come alive."

Prayer: "Father, take my hand and lead me into life eternal, now and in my world today. Show me where you are working, what I can do to help you and let me come alive in serving you. In Christ, Amen."

Day 1 - Ash Wednesday

2010-02-16T23:01:00.001-05:00

Day 1 – Ash Wednesday

"…Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt." Genesis 3:19b (TMSG)

Ash Wednesday is a day that brings us once again face to face with our own mortality. We've all stood by the grave of a loved one. We all have experienced the touch of grief. This is a human experience. It is one of those things that give us common ground with our fellow human beings. We all live, and we all know what it means that death will one day come.

This day reminds us that we are not going to live forever in this body, on this earth. As the minister/priest places the mix of ashes and oil on our heads in the form of the cross, we become identified with the brevity of life. And therefore, it's importance.

This Lent, as we begin on a journey together toward the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, let us start with the appreciation of life. I am reminded of Tim McGraw's famous song, "Live Like You Were Dying."

He said I was in my early forties, with a lot of life before me
And one moment came that stopped me on a dime
I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays
Talking bout' the options and talking bout' sweet times.
I asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end
How's it hit 'cha when you get that kind of news?
Man what did ya do?
He said

I went skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'

In this journey of Lent, let us begin by appreciating the life we have, laying down those things which keep us from living it fully and turning our eyes toward the cross.

Prayer: "Lord, this day, as I bear the sign of the cross on I forehead, may I remember you have given me this life as a gift and to live fully everyday. In Christ's name, Amen."

Looking back: A repost...

2010-02-16T01:18:00.000-05:00

I reread this tonight and thought it was worth posting again. It is good to look back sometimes...

Sunday, February 8, 2009

it's go time

Last night, we had a renovate prayer event in which we participated in three prayer stations focusing our hearts and prayers on the future of renovate and the path forward. Afterward, we spent some time sharing with each other what we heard from God. Here are some of the things we heard:

Bec - “Welcoming others with open arms...”

Dave - “We are finished with the 'brokenness' of ourselves. It's time to rebuild. Identity (our previous church plant from a few years ago) had to die, so renovate can be birthed, but will always live in us.”

Kareen - “Community means that we need to trust each other completely. There is beauty in all of this. Everyone is a masterpiece even if we don't see it. This is our masterpiece.”

PJ – Felt like he was visiting the grave of Identity, but was stepping over it. Coming to the grave, but moving on, moving forward, leaving the past behind.

Brian – 1 Corinthians 1:3-11 - “Comfort – we have been comforted so that we can comfort others who come to us.”

Stephen - “Time to move on; prepare, start doing things. Saw a pitcher pouring out. We need to start pouring out, but at the same time remembering to continue being filled up so we don't dry out/burn up.”

Bec – (Referencing the painting we all took part in at the preparation stage) “There is a vibrant, red-orange circle in the middle. We need to keep ourselves centered in God.”

Kareen – (Referencing the painting also) “I can see dark and light at the same time in the painting. There is light in all the dark times for us to find.”

Jennifer - “It's time to step out of our comfort zones and try new things. Each one of us have new things to do and to try.”

Stephen and Kareen both felt drawn to the front of the building to look outside of the church and to pray.

Brian wrote some things down for us:
“God has said, 'Do not wait on the perfect time for things to come. God is NOW and IS perfect.”
“Just as something like a small outlet on the wall can keep the music from playing...our church is still perfect without it.” (By the way, that was a test!)
“Don't worry about the little things that may not fit right away.”
“This 'church' is and will be built on trial and error.”

David also felt that those of us who were a part of Identity had been discovering our identity and that without us finding our identity we could never have “renovated” anything.

Needless to say, it was a great, productive night. To sum it up, I think God is saying to renovate:
It's time to go!

Advent Meditation

2009-12-06T17:48:00.001-05:00

As Christmas approaches I've heard some really sad stories this year. I know of at least three marriages that are right now in the process of dissolving and some children will not have both parents at home with them this Christmas, maybe never again. I have friends whose family members are battling cancer and having surgeries for life altering illnesses. I have seen friends and acquaintances that are lonely this year and it seems that the holidays only amplify that sadness.

As I hear these stories and get into my car to go to work or the store, I flip on the radio and listen to the beautiful songs of Christmas, most with joyful, triumphant sounding lyrics and upbeat tempos and I wonder how these two realities can exist together, side-by-side. One story filled with grief, and yet the other with one of utmost hope and peace.

Then I am reminded that it is this very, very real world that Jesus was born into. He came on purpose to a broken, lost, sad world, desperately in need of a Savior. He came not as God riding in power on a White Steed to rescue the world from pain and heartache and war and fear, but instead, He came as one of us. One of us. The power of one of His names is most important this time of year: Emmanuel, which means "God with us."

He did not wave a magic wand and make it all go away, but rather He became one of us to walk with us in the midst of the pain and heartache, war and fear. This is the message of Advent, of Christmas, that God is not a distant, non-involved God who created us and walked away, but rather in great love and sacrifice to Himself, came and lived among us to reveal the Heavenly Father who desires to walk alongside us everyday.

He came into that depressed, war-torn, hopeless world to give hope, to show love, to be God among us. Today, He is still with us, now He lives in our hearts by His spirit to give hope, to show love and be God once again among us…but He does it through each of one of us. We call ourselves "His Body." Why? Because through our hands we can give help, through our hearts we can give love, through our spirits we can share hope. It is Him in us who does these things.

Can we let Him shine bright through us this Christmas? Find someone you can bring a smile to, share a laugh with, give some hope and joy. Let Him love them through you. May you be the Christ child coming to someone this Christmas.

Maybe you haven't met Him yet. Maybe you've not let Jesus walk alongside you yet. Maybe you are one of those who is lonely and sad, wounded and hurt this year. This Christmas, I ask you to simply invite Him to show Himself to you. Praying is talking, so simply talk to Him. I believe as you open your heart to Him, Jesus will become more real to you than you can ever imagine and even in the midst of pain and heartache and loneliness, you will find a reality of joy and peace that is beyond our understanding.

every week...

2009-10-31T13:42:00.003-04:00

We're meeting every week now!

We apologize for not being up to date on this website, but that will change! We promise.

But like I said, we're meeting every week now! Each Saturday at 6:30 PM.

It has been a great experience being able to meet each week to worship in a space that is designed for conversation and friendship. Our space is in the Genesis UMC facility, which used to be a coffee shop. So it is a natural environment to sit around table and talk about the message, share a cup of coffee and catch up with friends on the same journey of faith.

Come by and see us sometime. And stay tuned for more updates through this site.

Also, if you would like you can follow renovate on twitter: @renovatefaith
And become a fan of renovate on Facebook. Click here.

Where the Wild Goose Calls Us...

2009-07-29T18:41:00.002-04:00

We, at renovate, are doing a book study on "Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson. It's a great study, bouncing off the premise that this life is to be an adventure, lived out by following the "Wild Goose" - a name the Celtic Christians used to call the Holy Spirit. But too many times, the church and religion places us into "cages" not unlike that we find in zoos, where animals who were meant to live free and wild are held back and forced to accept life in routine and "normalcy."

As we are reading through this book, we've learned about how responsibilities, routines, and other things like assumptions can keep us from following the Wild Goose. But there are ways out of the cages. One of those ways out is to turn our eyes outside ourselves and begin to engage others through acts of service and meeting needs.

In Isaiah 58, we see God challenging the ideals of the religious, turns away their worship and shows them what brings him pleasure.

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel
debts.

What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food
with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes
on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at
once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your
passage.Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and
I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

“If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit
gossiping about other people’s sins, If you are generous with the hungry and
start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow
in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the
emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered
garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old
rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your
past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild
and renovate, make the community livable again." Isaiah 58:6-12 (The
Message)

We find that God equates service to others as service to Him. Why is this, I wonder? I believe it's because God is fully engaged in what is happening in the plight of mankind. He loves his creation and desires the best for man. And his plan is to use us as his hands and feet.

What things make you sad or angry? Where do you see injustice and explotation? Can you make a difference in the life of those around you? Where you can help your neighbors? These may be indicators of the things you are called to help solve. Maybe you can save a life, through a friendship, a listening ear, giving to a cause, donating time and energy to an outreach ministry, going on a mission trip.

Let me challenge us to begin to see our world, really see. If we have to, we may have to take off the religious glasses and see it for what truly is around us. Ask God to show you where you can make a difference. Declare a fast, that you will find a need and fill it and give God the opportunity to use you as his hands.

Then the promise of God will begin to be fulfilled in our lives...healing will come, the "lights will turn on" and our lives will be full of adventure as we chase the Wild Goose! My favorite quote of all time is one by Gil Bailie: "Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs are men who have come alive."

Let us hear the call of the Wild Goose calling us out of the cages of religion and find out those things that make us truly come alive and make a difference in our world.

worship @ renovate

2009-07-15T23:22:00.001-04:00

Our next public service is this Saturday at 6:30 PM! We are so excited to see what God is doing in the lives of our friends as we share in this journey together.

This month our focus is "Connecting Lives to Christ through Worship" and we will be exploring what worship is, why it is we worship and how we worship. We also will be celebrating communion together as a community.

Please come and join us at renovate! God is in the renovation business.

imperfect

2009-06-16T20:42:00.001-04:00

Old preacher joke (many of which I've been guilty through the years):

"If you find the perfect church, don't join it! The moment you do, it will no longer be perfect!"

Sounds funny, somewhat insulting, but very truthful. Except that we'll never find that perfect church anyway, so the point is moot. But still many of us that have been Christians for many years have sought to find that "perfect church." You know, the one that has the best praise and worship. Not too loud, not too long, and definitely not too much talking during the music set. A pastor that is young, hip, mature, sensible, has a perfect family, drives a new car and has the best clothes...and doesn't take a salary! (another bad pastor joke!)

But finding a church that is perfect is like breaking a glass and trying to put all the pieces back together again and make it look as if it was never broken. It can't be done, because we all bring our brokenness to the table. But that is what it's supposed to look like. Never once do we see things be perfect in the New Testament church either. There were problems from the get-go!

Still, in spite of these obvious flaws, the church still turned the world upside-down. 2,000 years later, we're still involved in this incredible community we call "church."

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Isaiah 42:3 -

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;"

The Message Bible renders it this way:

"He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right."

Have you ever felt like the bruised reed or the burnt out wick? Know that today God promises he won't let you break or be "snuffed out," but that he will steadily and firmly set things right.

Church can have its share of heartache. And mostly, it because it's made up of us imperfect people. I hope that we can learn to own this fact, own our imperfection and begin to move beyond it.

If we can accept ourselves as we are, then maybe we can learn how to accept others as they are. Jesus said that we're to love one another as we love ourselves. Maybe the problem is that we haven't learned to love ourselves first. Maybe that's what is holding us back.

Love is what holds a community together, which is what a local expression of the Church is-a community of people who love one another and strive to live this journey of life for Christ together. And love though it accepts you where you are, it nudges you, pushes you, stretches you to become better than you are. It loves you enough to take you further than you ever believed you could go and dream and believe and live.

That's the kind of imperfect church I could live with. How about we make an imperfect church together?

how does your friendships inform your faith?

2009-06-13T21:42:00.002-04:00

That's the theme of our next service this coming Saturday, June 20th, at 6:30 PM.

So how does friendship help your faith grow? A part of our mission statement says that we desire to connect lives to Christ through friendship. We believe that even though we have personal relationships with God, our relationship with God cannot remain or grow as only personal. We are designed to be in relationship or as we like to say, in community, with others.

In community, we find that God uses others to help us develop and grow in faith. In community our character is sharpened and our spirituality is encouraged. In community we find our lives enriched and our understanding of Christ enhanced.

So, again, what has friendship done for your faith? Any stories? Feel free to share.

rebuilding faith

2009-05-21T20:29:00.003-04:00

Well, our second night was a great success. I'm so thrilled at what God is doing here at renovate.

We had fantastic worship led by friends of ours, Jordan and Sarah Hoffmaster. In our second set of worship, Jordan sang one of his original songs, inspired by our first service, called Rebuild Me. It was incredible.

We were able to share with new visitors our style of worship and several said they want to return and hang with us again.

Check out an article our newspaper wrote up on me and the church in our "Faith Journeys" section last Saturday here.

I am working on a link for uploading my teaching notes. So check back for more updates.

Thanks so much for your prayers and love and support!

Saturday Night

2009-05-13T18:19:00.002-04:00

Our second service is this Saturday!! Yes!

We'll post an update on our first service soon, but suffice it to say, we had a blast!

If you are in the area, come and visit. I'll be teaching on "Rebuilding Faith."

Our friends Jordan and Sarah Hoffmaster from Southridge Church will be our guest worship leaders. You will love the worship.

Come out and invite a friend to come with you.

We will be meeting in the Genesis UMC facility, behind the Video Warehouse off Morgantown Ave in Fairmont. If you need directions, email me and we'll get you some right away!

Hope to see you there!

Mission Statement

2009-03-01T12:06:00.001-05:00

renovate:

renovating church, rebuilding faith, and connecting lives to Christ through friendship, worship, and meeting needs.

Fat Tuesday

2009-02-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras. Pancake Day.

Traditionally this is the day before the fast of Lent begins, which starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Unfortunately, some of have devoted this day, the day before, to celebrate all the worldly things they like to do before having to “give it up” for 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter. But let us not focus on our faults and favorite sins today, but prepare our hearts for a journey.

Lent is historically a period of time which is set aside for repentance. For centuries, Christians were baptized on Easter, so this fast before was to prepare one’s heart and soul for baptism. But what is it that baptism represents?

It is representing that in yourself you are dying to your desires, and taking on Christ’s life. It is symbolizing your participation with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, claiming you believe and place your faith in what he has done on your behalf. This is why when one is baptized, they are laid back into the water, allowing the water to cover them as though they are lying in the ground, dying to self, and brought back out of the water, as though raised to a new life.

But it is more… Paul said you are baptized into Christ. It symbolizes the joining of a larger community. You become connected with others who represent Christ on the earth today. It’s throwing “your lot” in with others of like mind and like heart. It is no longer being an island to yourself, but finding purpose and relationship, inviting you into a family you’ve never met and caring about people who need your care. What stirs the heart of Christ, now stirs yours.

Baptism isn’t about the water, or dunking, or sprinkling, it’s about belonging. It’s about belonging to something bigger than you or me. It’s about becoming something bigger. Let this Lenten season be not just a focus on penance for sin, but be a preparation for something bigger…a baptism anew, into the family of God with fresh eyes, that on Easter we will be resurrected to new life as well and be able to draw new travelers into the journey of resurrection with us.

a word...

2009-02-10T12:09:00.003-05:00

A dear friend just brought us a poem that the Lord gave her for renovate at the beginning of the year and just hadn't been able to get it to us until now. As you read it, I think you will hear the confirmation of all that we said in the last prayer event.

A new day has dawned, a corner is turned.
A time to bring forth of all you have learned.

A path lies ahead that is steady and sure,
With roots that run deep and fruit that endures.

It's a land of much beauty, grace and delight
Full of rich treasures, teaming with light.

A haven of safety for those who are scarred,
A place where they're welcomed just as they are.

A home for the weary, where they can find rest
And won't be condemned when they've failed a test.

An oasis of sorts in a land that is dry,
Where I'll cradle the lowly and lift them on high.

A city of refuge to many - a port,
To others - a schoolyard, to some - a resort.

Some tender shoots will require much care,
But strong trees they'll be and much weight they will bear.

The blessings of unity will rain down as showers.
A deluge of mercy, wisdom and power.

Each step of your journey has been by design
I've called you and chosen you, handpicked you as mine.

For my heart beats with passion for the wounded, the lame
The burdened, the hurting who still bear my name.

A new love for others will spring forth from within.
You'll open your arms to those covered in sin.

The "could haves" and "should haves" with which they've been bruised
Shall be buried forever as you walk in their shoes.

For I never "look down" though I'm so far above,
But I walk alongside and I cover in love.

I've called you to be those who will show me as such,
A God who comes near and is willing to touch.

There is no provision that I'll not create,
To reach those for whom I've designed renovate.

New dreams I will give you, new doors will unlock.
New strength will infuse you, in new realms you'll walk.

The trail I've blazed will continue to shine
Brighter and brighter in 2009.

It's Go Time

2009-02-08T22:37:00.001-05:00

Last night, we had a renovate prayer event in which we participated in three prayer stations focusing our hearts and prayers on the future of renovate and the path forward. Afterward, we spent some time sharing with each other what we heard from God. Here are some of the things we heard:

Bec - “Welcoming others with open arms...”

Dave - “We are finished with the 'brokenness' of ourselves. It's time to rebuild. Identity (our previous church plant from a few years ago) had to die, so renovate can be birthed, but will always live in us.”

Kareen - “Community means that we need to trust each other completely. There is beauty in all of this. Everyone is a masterpiece even if we don't see it. This is our masterpiece.”

PJ – Felt like he was visiting the grave of Identity, but was stepping over it. Coming to the grave, but moving on, moving forward, leaving the past behind.

Brian – 1 Corinthians 1:3-11 - “Comfort – we have been comforted so that we can comfort others who come to us.”

Stephen - “Time to move on; prepare, start doing things. Saw a pitcher pouring out. We need to start pouring out, but at the same time remembering to continue being filled up so we don't dry out/burn up.”

Bec – (Referencing the painting we all took part in at the preparation stage) “There is a vibrant, red-orange circle in the middle. We need to keep ourselves centered in God.”

Kareen – (Referencing the painting also) “I can see dark and light at the same time in the painting. There is light in all the dark times for us to find.”

Jennifer - “It's time to step out of our comfort zones and try new things. Each one of us have new things to do and to try.”

Stephen and Kareen both felt drawn to the front of the building to look outside of the church and to pray.

Brian wrote some things down for us:
“God has said, 'Do not wait on the perfect time for things to come. God is NOW and IS perfect.”
“Just as something like a small outlet on the wall can keep the music from playing...our church is still perfect without it.” (By the way, that was a test!)
“Don't worry about the little things that may not fit right away.”
“This 'church' is and will be built on trial and error.”

David also felt that those of us who were a part of Identity had been discovering our identity and that without us finding our identity we could never have “renovated” anything.

Needless to say, it was a great, productive night. To sum it up, I think God is saying to renovate:
It's time to go!

Why Do We Need Another Church?

2009-01-25T00:40:00.003-05:00

Tonight during our lead team meeting PJ (Pastor John Carnes) asked us a very thought provoking question: "Why do we need another church in Fairmont?" What a great question. Why DO we need another church? I guess the real question is why are we doing this? Several of us go to other great churches in the area on Sunday, so why bother? Well, I know that for me renovate is a chance to do church differently. I believe we all bring unique experiences and backgrounds to this adventure. I hope that renovate will allow us to share these experiences with others who, like us, are looking for something different. We want to serve our community; we want to be another instrument in the symphony of God in Fairmont. We believe that our unique style will serve to help people discover God in new and exciting ways. Ways that will complement the work that God is already doing in other churches in our area. PJ summed it up for us when he said that we believe that renovate is what God is asking us to do. If I didn't believe this I wouldn't bother. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel together this road of adventure!

Much Love
renovate Blogger Dave

All About renovate

2008-11-13T11:03:00.001-05:00

Things are going well with renovate, our church plant. We've been working very hard through the summer and this fall developing the core values and defining the mission of our church. Though it's a work in progress, I would like to share with you some of what we've done.

RENOVATE VALUES:

We Value People– We have a strong belief in individuals, creating a culture of grace which accepts people, helping them to belong before they believe and appreciating our diversity and seeking unity in the midst of it.

We Value Community– We believe that we best live out our faith in community with other people, engaging each other on our spiritual journey. We believing in being culturally relevant and keeping the message of faith simple.

We Value Spirituality– We are Christian, believing that Jesus is the one and only way to God, that he came to give us a personal relationship with God. In that value we desire to help people grow through spiritual mentoring, experiential and creative worship, and teaching spiritual disciplines, a balanced spiritual giftedness, and emphasizing Christlikeness.

We Value Character– We believe that Christ calls us to strive to the highest character, lived out in attributes such as: love, integrity, sincerity, kindness, honesty, open-mindedness, optimistic, hopeful, and realistic.

We Value Mission– We believe that all these values include mission, which encompasses meeting needs of those around us, areas of social justice ("glocal"=global and local), and taking the message of grace to those who need to hear it.

The scripture that helps define our mission is:
"You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again."
Isaiah 58:12

We are excited about what is in our future, and ask you to keep praying for us to follow God's plan for renovate and that we will reach those who God has called us to minister to and introduce to the great grace of God.

If you are in the Fairmont area, you are invited to join us for our Advent series beginning this weekend. We are studying a series called Advent Conspiracy. You can watch a short video about the premise of this series on You Tube here. Its a program that we're going to do for Advent to focus our attention on the real meaning of Christmas and also raise money for clean water around the world. $10 can give a child clean water for life! Americans spend $450,000,000,000 a year on Christmas, but to solve the clean water issue globally would only cost $10 billion. What if we spent less, loved more, worshipped fully this year, and gave ourselves?

We will meet at 812 Morgantown Avenue in Fairmont on November 15, December 6 and December 20 at 6:30 PM. (We may meet at a different venue for our meeting on the 20th, but we will let you know that as soon as we do.) We invite you to join us and make this a special Advent season. Thank you for your love and support for Grace Unlimited Ministries and renovate.

Much love to all of you!
John Carnes