| Ben Brinkman |
| The Best Way to Live |
| 2010.09.08 22:41:20 | |
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Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 2, 1 Corinthians 13, Ezekiel 11, John 12
The Best Way to Live
I think there are examples in each of the chapters of today’s Bible reading that tell us how not live and then the best way to live. 2 Samuel 2 gives the account of needless, senseless slaughter of human lives seemingly without any point. Good example of how not to live. Ezekiel 11 is a vision the Lord gave Ezekiel of leaders of the people and the Lord said they “draw up blueprints for sin and think up new programs for evil in this city.” (The Message) Because of their wickedness judgment was coming upon them. Also not a good way to live.
John 12 is full of contrasts. First there is Mary who anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, showing her love and gratitude for Jesus and anointing him for his burial. Judas on the other hand begrudged what she did because he would like to have had the money it would have brought if sold, so he would have more to embezzle. Mary chose the right way to live; Judas chose the wrong way. Crowds were coming to see Lazarus who Jesus had raised from the dead, and the chief priests were making plans to kill Lazarus because the miracle performed in his life was causing people to put their trust in Jesus. Then the people who had been with Jesus when Lazarus was called from the tomb started telling their eye-witness experience and many people believed in him. The Pharisees kind of threw up their hands in despair and said, “this is getting us nowhere.” A contrast of people who believe the truth and those who will not accept. “Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence they still would not believe in him.” John 12:37.
1 Corinthians 13 sums up the good advice. We don’t have the full picture right now because now we only see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, or as The Message put it “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God see us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” Then the following advice is given. We have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation. “Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”
Trust steadily in God. No matter what circumstances seem to be, no matter how many people disappoint us, no matter what situations come into our lives; trust steadily in God.
Hope unswervingly. Pastor Ben is bringing a series on hope that will explore that topic more thoroughly. But to be unswerving is to have a goal and to keep your eyes on that goal with the hope and faith that you will reach that goal.
Love extravagantly. What an awesome concept. To love extravagantly is to give yourself without reservation or any thought of what is in it for you. Love your wife/husband, your children, your neighbors, your coworkers, your fellowman and most of all your God extravagantly
What a way to live!!!!
Tomorrows Bibe Reading - 2 Samuel 3, 1 Corinthians 14, Ezekiel 12, John 13
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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| Ben Brinkman |
| Good Thing or God Thing? Daily Devotional September 6th |
| 2010.09.07 10:51:36 | |
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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 31, 1 Corinthians 11, Ezekiel 9, John 10
Good thing or God thing?
John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to kill, and to steal, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
I have heard that if the devil can’t get you to live in sin, he will try to make you busy. Busy with work, busy with school, busy with over commitment, he will even make you busy with GOOD THINGS! Yes, you read that right! Good things that aren’t God things are actually bad things! There are many things that we can do that are good but aren’t God’s will. They end up taking the place of things that should be in top priority, such as God, family, church or fruitful relationships. Good works don’t earn God’s favor or love, you already have his favor and love by his grace. If the enemy can get you to be so busy that you neglect God then he has been successful in his efforts to steal, kill and destroy. Don’t let him rob you of your relationship with God. The number one and most important commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength! If the enemy would want you to neglect one thing it would be your relationship with God. Don’t let him win!
One of my husband’s favorite quotes is “It is the good things in life that rob you from the great.” There are a lot of good things that we could choose but wouldn’t be God’s absolute best.
The scripture above in John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came that we may live an abundant life. The Greek word for abundant is Perissos. Below are some definitions of this powerful word. Try using some of the words to fill in the blanks of this sentence:
He came so that my life could be _______________.
over and above
more than is necessary
exceeding
abundantly
Supremely
something further
much more than all
superior
extraordinary
surpassing
uncommon
advantage
more eminent
more remarkable
more excellent
Are you settling for a good life when you could have a remarkable life?
Are the good things in life robbing you from the best?
Are you living life ordinary, busy or distracted from God’s best?
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 2 Samuel 1, 1 Corinthians 12, Ezekiel 10, John 11
Put first things first and step into the abundant life God has prepared for you,
Mel Miller |
| Ben Brinkman |
| Blind |
| 2010.09.05 21:59:34 | |
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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 29-30, 1 Corinthians 10, Ezekiel 8, John 9.
Blind
In John 9 we have the account of Jesus healing a man who was born blind. Because he was blind, he earned a living by begging. After Jesus healed him some of his neighbors saw that he could see, but others doubted that it was really him and said, “No, this is only someone who looks like him.” They too were blind.
Then the Pharisees were at it again, questioning how a person could be from God and heal someone on the Sabbath day. When they heard that he was healed on the Sabbath day they immediately said “this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.“ The Sabbath day was more important to them than the well-being of a person. Actually they were more blind than the man who was born blind. They questioned the man about how his eyes were opened.
They were so steeped in their traditions, laws, regulations, things they must do and things they could not do that they could not look past them and rejoice that a man who had been blind since birth could now see. You could haul your ox out of a ditch on the Sabbath, but don’t you dare heal anyone!! They even doubted that it had happened and gave his parents the third degree. Was he really born blind? How come he can see now?
The man’s parents were afraid to stand up to the Pharisees too much because anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah got booted out of the synagogue. The synagogue was the hub of their lives, both social and religious. It would not have been pleasant to experience that kind of ostracism. So in a sense, the man’s parents were blind too. They wanted to keep their comfortable lifestyle rather than acknowledge that Jesus was the Christ. They did affirm that their son had been born blind but basically said they didn’t know anything about how he could now see. They said, “Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
So the Pharisees returned to the man and questioned him again. Basically what the man said was, “I don’t know anything about anything.” “I was blind but now I see.” The Pharisees accused him of being Jesus’ disciple and threw him out of the synagogue. Jesus found him and revealed himself to the man. He believed and worshipped Jesus. Now, his eyes were really open; both physically and spiritually. He had a double healing from blindness.
What is your testimony? Were you blind, but now you see. Were you lost but now you’re found. Were you bound but now you’re set free? Were you steeped in tradition like the Pharisees and the man’s parents, but now your eyes have been opened? When we’re blind, we are in darkness but Jesus came to “give light to them that sit in darkness.” Luke 1:79. He said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:45.
If you’re sitting in darkness, accept the light that Jesus came to bring and break out of your blindness. If you have been healed of your blindness, let your testimony be, “I was blind but now I see.” Share that with others so they too can be healed of their blindness and come into the light that Jesus came to bring.
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 31, 1 Corinthians 11, Ezekiel 9, John 10
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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| Ben Brinkman |
| Abide in His Word - Daily Devotional September 4th, 2010 |
| 2010.09.05 01:52:18 | |
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Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 28, 1 Corinthians 9, Ezekiel 7, John 8 Becoming a disciple and making more disciples is the great call of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes the gospel may stand for "good news" but becoming a disciple is so much more profound than just believing I can have a brighter tomorrow because now I believe in Jesus. Becoming a disciple means a complete transformation of my life and how fast that process takes place has everything to do with how much of the Word you get inside of you an dhow much of it you live out. When it comes to the Word of God Jesus says something profound in John 8:31-32, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, (32)and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." I emphasized two words in this passage, the word "IF" and the word "ABIDE". I have always heard it said that "if" is a small word with a big meaning. The reason this is true is because it is a qualifier word. I must do something in order to get something or become something. If this than that! In this case if I abide in God's word then I am a true disciple. The word abide in this context is a powerful word as well. The word abide means to "continue, remain, dwell or even endure up under. So if I am willing to continue believing God's word and living it and enduring with it through the difficult times then I am a true disciple. I love what He says here because he makes two things clear. First being a disciple is not always going to be easy and simplistic. Secondly not everyone will abide (continue, remain, dwell or endure up under) but rather there will be those that might here the 'good news" and begin to believe but then when difficult times come and pressure for friends and loved ones comes they will not continue to abide in God's word. I have learned that no matter how much pressure comes it is always better to abide in the Word of God. There are two things I believe you need in order to abide in the Word of God. The first thing is really simple but it is impossible to abide in the Word of God unless you do this simple thing, READ the Word of God. To many people are proclaiming to be disciples or making disciples but yet they themselves are not even reading the word nor are they preaching the word. If you want to be a disciple and make disciple you must be READING the BIBLE. Secondly you must have endurance. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who truly believe what they read in the Bible and are willing to live it out at all costs and this requires endurance. My question today is, are you a disciple? Are you truly abiding in the Word of God. If you are then you will be... Tomorrows Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 29-30, I Corinthians 10, Ezekiel 8, John 9 Dream Big - Ben Brinkman |
| Ben Brinkman |
| Know or Be Known - Daily Devotional September 3, 2010 |
| 2010.09.04 10:53:20 | |
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Daily Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 27, 1 Corinthians 8, Ezekiel 6, John 7 Know or Be Known This one scripture found in 1 Corinthians 8:3 challenged me today. As I was reading it this one thought came to mind, "do I boast about what I know, who I know or that I am known by God?" We can take courses, get degrees, do masters programs and go to a multitude of conferences resulting in a great deal of knowledge. Don't get me wrong, I have a degree and I believe in being educated. I am also grateful for the friendships and ministry relationships the Lord has blessed us with. We need both knowledge and relationships but they must never come before our relationship with the Lord. What are you boasting of today? Is it about what you know, who you know or that you are known by Him? Do not put your confidence in what or who you know but rather put your confidence in knowing that you are known by Him. Boast about the Lord today for with that comes knowledge and all the relationships you need. Dream Big, Katie Tomorrow's Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 28, 1 Corinthians 9, Ezekiel 7, John 8 |
| Ben Brinkman |
| Hope - Daily Devotional September 2nd, 2010 |
| 2010.09.02 22:26:14 | |
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Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 26, 1 Corinthians 7, Ezekiel 5, John 6 This weekend at Urban we are starting our new series "Hope". I am very excited about this series because I believe it is hope that keeps us dreaming and moving forward. Without hope life becomes a mundane meaningless repetition of tasks leading us to know where but hope on the other hand keeps us dreaming big dreams and believing for something more and something better. The things that I have been believing for, the dreams that I have in my heart materialize as my hope collides with His love. Look here at Romans 5:5, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us". If we have hope not just faith and that hope connects with the love that is being poured out by hour heavenly father than the thing we are believing for begins to come to fruition. The very definition of hope even raises my level of hope,"the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" In John chapter 6 we see that hope is one of the big themes. John 6:2 it says, "And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick". The hope in these people was raised because of what they saw Jesus do. They began to believe that they too could have what they are longing for if Jesus was able to do that for someone else. This story is so fascinating because it was not just a few people but it was a whole crowd of people. Later on we see that it was 5,000 plus people! Again we see the crowds searching for Jesus in John 6:24. "So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus". Hope was driving them on beleiving that they could have more if they connected with Jesus. I believe more than every that right now in our society the one thing that people need is HOPE. Our society is much like the crowds in John 6. They need answers to their questions and someone to meet there needs. People are looking for someone or something to inspire hope in them. You and I need to be that someone that brings the hope that people are looking for just like Jesus was in John 6. 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have". People are looking, are you ready to be the channel in which God's love collides with their hope? Are you ready to be the channel in which someone receives their healing, gets the answer to their question or obtains their financial breakthrough? Join us starting this weekend at at Urban as we journey through different portions of scripture to inspire hope in people and to get them to believe that the best is yet to come. Tomorrows Bible Reading -1 Samuel 27, 1 Corinthians 8, Ezekiel 6, John 7 Dream Big - Ben Brinkman |
| Ben Brinkman |
| Do You Want To Get Well? - Daily Devotioinal September 1st |
| 2010.09.01 23:12:52 | |
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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 25, 1 Corinthians 6, Ezekiel 4, John 5
Do You Want To Get Well?
Jesus came to the Bethesda Pool where miracles happened when the water was stirred once a year. (John 5) I don’t really understand why healings happened then, but they did and those that needed healing came, waiting so they could be the first person into the waters and get healed. There were people there with all sorts of infirmities: blind, lame, paralyzed. One man had been lying there for 38 years. Can you imagine that? Jesus walked up to this man and asked him “Do you want to get well.”
I find it interesting that instead of saying something like “Of course I want to get well.” Or “I really, really want to get healed,” the man started telling Jesus why he was still there unhealed after 38 years. “I don’t have anyone to help me get in the pool.” “While I’m still trying to get in someone else gets ahead of me.” Jesus ignored his excuses and told him “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” He was immediately healed and got up which is really a miracle because he hadn’t walked for 38 years.
The reaction of the Jews to this miracle is almost comical. Instead of marveling that a man lame for 38 years was walking, they told him that he was breaking the Sabbath by carrying his mat!! They were out to get Jesus, not so much because of the miracles he was doing, but because he was doing them on the Sabbath, and in their idea breaking the Sabbath law.
The Lord comes to us with the same question. “Do you want to get well?” Well, from our sin and the things that drag us down. Do you want to get well from the bitterness that poisons your life? Do you want to get well from the little things that drag you down and keep you from living a victorious Christian life? Do you want to get well from negative thinking? The list could go on and on.
In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul makes a statement that never ceases to thrill me. In verses 9-10 he itemizes a list of things that will keep us out of heaven: Sexual immorality, idolatry (which is putting anything in our lives before God), prostitution, homosexuality, thievery, greed, drunkenness, slandering and swindling. Then he says “And that is what some of you were, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” In other words, when they heard the words, “Do you want to get well?” they didn’t offer any excuses they gladly accepted the healing that was offered. They no longer fit into the list of sins; they were washed, sanctified (set apart to God) and justified.
Let’s come to Jesus daily and let him heal us, wash us, sanctify us and justify us. Hide God’s Word in your heart so you will not sin. (Psa. 119:9). Let the Word cleanse you daily. (Eph. 5:26)
Do you want to get/be well?
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 1 Samuel, 1 Corinthians 7, Ezekiel 5, Jonh 6
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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