I Have a Reason...to be DETERMINED

Continuing in our series "I Have a Reason", we delved into a familiar passage to many of us, Romans 8:28-39.

Looking back on our lives, most of us can think of a situation which at the time seemed devastating, but in hindsight, we see it as mercy. A job you didn't get, a lover who broke your heart, a dream that never came true. In the depths of the disappointment, it's difficult to see how any good could possibly come from these situations & the feeling of loss can be overwhelming.

Thankfully, feelings are temporary, God's promises are not. If we allow ourselves, we can let current circumstances dictate our future success & happiness. As my friend Karen has said so many times, "Happiness is a choice, contentment is a command." Your present failures do not determine your future victories. Remembering & truly understanding that God sees the bigger picture is crucial. Picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, & moving forward with faith-motivated determination is the key to that contentment.
In Romans 8, Paul addresses the duality in our nature as Christians - our struggle to live as Christ intends & the battle against our sin nature.

Romans 8:28-39

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 

³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

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? 

³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 

³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 

³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,nor any powers,
39 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.

We have a reason to be determined because:

• All things work together for good - Romans 8:28 
• Because of God's seal & purpose in our life -  Romans 8:29, 30 
• Nothing can stand against us -  Romans 8:31
• God sacrificed His son for our justification  Romans 8:32-33
• Christ is interceding for us -  Romans 8: 34
• Hardship, trial & conflict cannot separate us from the love of Christ - Romans 8:35, 36
• We are more than conquerors - Romans 8:37
• Neither death, nor supernatural powers, nor eternity, nor space or anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God -  Romans 8:38-39

The events of your life, every one of them, are part of God's divine plan. The timeline is important - God is looking at our eternal good, not just what is good for us here & now. He is making us like Christ, conforming us to Him. In Genesis 1:26 God created us in His image. But, through our sin, that image became disfigured and scarred. His plan is to once again in eternity see us restored. Press forward, rise above your circumstances & keep your eyes on the promise of verse 39 - "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." The battle isn't ours to fight. It's already been won. God sees into eternity. He knows how the story began & how it ends. He gives us the opportunity to live out the pages in between. 

I Have a Reason to Praise

Our series through the month of September is "I Have A Reason..." and every week we follow up that lead with a different topic. This week we looked at praise.

Why do we praise?

How do we praise?

How we can praise.

The effect of our praise.

Fully understanding what the Bible teaches us about praise can seem complicated & something of a mystery. Not in a "Is Noah's Ark really on Mt Ararat?" or "What happened to the Ark of the Covenant?" way, but in the sense that Biblical examples of praise range from David dancing in the street (2 Samuel 16:14) to Moses & the people singing (Exodus 15:1-2) and even to praise during prayer (Psalm 63:4) .

While praise is intensely personal it is often demonstrated publicly. In our modern context, praise is often tied to worship. What that looks like in your church may differ from what it looks like at BCC - that's a topic for another day. Today, I want to look at why praise goes far beyond the worship set on Sunday morning.

Why do we praise?
"You are my God & I will praise you; you are my God I will exalt you. Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever." Psalm 18:28-29 Could we have a clearer directive on why we should praise? God is our creator, He is good, & his mercy endures forever. Forever.
We praise because God inhabits the praise of his people - Psalm 22: 3
We praise because it brings us into His presence - Psalm 100:4
It is our expression when we gather together - Hebrews 2:12
It is a lifestyle not an event - Psalm 34:1

How to Praise
It's easy to fall into a trap of careless - meaning without intent - praise. We do it when we toss out a prayer when we say "grace" before a meal. "Thank you God for this food, bless it to our bodies, Amen." & we dig in. We do it because we're supposed to, not because we want to. There's a big difference.
Praise is to be honest & genuine - Matt 15:8
Worship in spirit & in truth - John 4:23
It is to be done sacrificially -Hebrews 13:15
Praise God specifically - Psalm 150:2
Praise God consistently - Psalm 146:2

Ways to Praise
As I mentioned, in church today, praise is often tied to worship. Some prefer hymns over choruses, secular music included in the worship set, or even a dance team. Again, a topic for another day, although I do recommend  Jon Acuff's look at hand-raising in worship over at Stuff Christians Like.
Obviously, God is more concerned about the condition of your heart than the position of your hands.
Declare your thanks - Hebrews 13:15
Clap your hands & shout - Psalm 47:1
Through musical instruments & dance - Psalm 150:4
Singing praise songs - Psalm 9: 11
Psalms, hymns & spiritual songs - Ephesians 5:19-20
Make a joyful noise - Psalm 98:4
By lifting our hands - Psalm 134:2
By being still - Psalm 4:3-5; Psalm 46:10
By being loud Psalm 33:3; Psalm 95:1-6

The Effects of Praise
Praise has a powerful effect on not only the believer, but on the Devil, and on God himself.
Nehemiah 8:10 "The joy of the Lord is my strength."
1 John 5:4 "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
Acts 13:2 "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted..."
It's important to remember these principles:
Satan has no power or presence. 
You focus on someone bigger than yourself.
Your problems become smaller.
Blaming God for problems diminishes.
You become bold in your witness.

Above all else, remember this:
Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A Jouney

I had the opportunity to talk to someone who feels "stuck" in life.  Lack of motivation and depression has caused the person to draw away from making decisions or being productive.  It is the kind of dilemma you will never know until you walk through it.  The frustrations of this "stuckness" leads to so many emotions and multiple ways to destroy relationships that we would need a graphs and charts to follow what is happening.  Unfortunately, the person going through this could care less.  Depression has become so big that nothing but self and circumstances matter.  When some try to reach out to this person or offer help suggestions, it is met with hostility in many cases or a passive response to imply that all is well and they will make it.

How does a person get to this place and what brings them out?  If there is such an intense lack of motivation, will anything help?  

It is difficult to understand completely because as I talk to this person, I see potential!  I see a young life that has so many good things ahead and even bigger dilemmas than the current one.  (I will probably not talk about harder things ahead!)  As I talk to this person, I am triggered because I can be and have been in this spot in my life.  I am caught sometimes in thinking this is the worst thing happening and I do not know a solution nor do I care.  

The help comes from the Lord and the realization that it is a journey not fate or the end.  As I am able to recognize potential in this person, I know I am not the only one!  I know that God sees it!  God has formed this person in His image, given gifts and abilities, knows the beginning and the end, guiding, directing, and with this person through every trial and every joy.  Hope, strength and joy is from the Lord!  

Is it comforting to know about this help?