"In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus."

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." -Mark 1:35

This past week I started my new job at Sports Authority. While it is a blessing, it involves me getting up every morning, Monday thru Friday at 4:00am! I have to be at the store by 6:00 and it is in Farmington, which is roughly a 40 minute drive from my house.

One thing that has been nice is that in the morning while I'm driving there, I usually take time to pray. I pray about the Bible passage I read that morning, burdens for students, personal issues, whatever.

Yesterday morning I was reminded that Jesus used to get up early in the morning to pray too. He probably got up at around the same time I do. He would intentionally do it just to pray though, not because he had a job at 6am, like me. The context of that verse that I posted above was actually the morning after Jesus had a late night healing meeting. Jesus probably only had a quick power nap, but despite the fact that the previous night was so exhausting, He got up so He could start His day off right. He got up because He was willing to go through the whole day yawning as long as He spent adequate time with His Heavenly Father before starting a busy day of ministry.

I don't know about you, but for a guy who works a lot and loves sleep, that's challenging!

Need I say more?

I think not.

God bless,

Steve

Shattering Doors and Cutting Bars (revised)

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron." -Psalm 107:15-16

I thought this verse was a really appropriate verse to send out with my latest e-mail update to my partners. Right now I am in the midst of raising support for full-time ministry and I am also going through a physical trial right now with a knee injury. I thought that verse was really encouraging for me because it felt like a confirmation that God is going to help me break through these trials that I'm in.

However later on that night, I felt compelled to read the whole psalm only to find that I was wrong in my interpretation of what those verses actually said!

If you read the CONTEXT of this verse, you'll find that it is not talking about God delivering someone from immense trials, but from the immense bondage of SIN that they brought upon themselves in their own rebellion and stupidity. When I first came to Christ, that was an issue that took me a long time to fully understand. However, I found that the closer I came to Christ and the more I grew in Him, the more I realized how horrible I really am!

Sin is serious. The bonds of it are strong and we CANNOT break free from them, no matter how hard we try using every method, every program, every accountability software, every Alcoholics Anonymous program, every medication. Nothing is working! For the record, I am not saying you shouldn't use these things if you have these issues. God can and will use these things to help us break free.

However what that passage is saying is when we come to God acknowledging these iron bonds, bars and doors that we have brought on ourselves and our need to be set free by God, He will! Jesus Christ on that cross bore that wrath of sin and paid the penalty of death for us, and through acknowledging our need for Him and declaring Him the Lord of our lives, He can and will set us free. That is His promise to us when we believe in Him!

Let me close with words from the classic hymn, "And Can It Be (Amazing Love)"
"Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee."

May you rise and go forward, following Christ in everything!

God bless,

Steve