covenants, learning, goodness

i told  my wife that i probably need to go to church tonight.  later today i told a buddy of mine i was going to james river's wed. night prayer service.  we commented on the fact that we both thought that it is the best service they have there.  

i made a covenant with God back in august while we were in san antonio.  as i look back on it and re-read it, my focus was on making much out of God with my life.  but somehow, in the day to day life of things....so much of my focus hasnt been on glorifying God or really even on loving God.   more of my focus has been on trying not to sin.  honestly, just trying not to sin with the 'BIG" ones.  i have been frustrated, un-focused, not being bad...just not actively, seeking ways or even acting on opportunities to glorify God.

let me stop here for a second, i might sound like a broken record...or at least in my mind i do....but can i be honest.  i have a hard time living two lives.  you know, my work life and my spiritual life.  my career and my calling.  its as if Jesus died for my spiritual life and i have to do it myself in my work life.  and since it is me doing it in my work life...i have to rely on me to T.C.B. (take care of business!).  so, if i write with this theme often...it is just me having issues killing the work life and the spiritual life and forging ahead for one WHOLLY life! 

john lindell started out tonight by saying something so profound and yet so simple.  Be strong in the Lord.  As believers it is our job to be strong in the Lord.  and i dont know if he said this exactly or i just wrote it down this way but i will give him credit for it....  "to be strong IN the Lord, you must be strengthened BY the Lord."  man that hit me.  probably because of my lack of consistency in the Word lately...but a commandment is a commandment when it comes from the word of God. and for us to be strong in the Lord is a commandment.

he went on to talk about the promises of God is where we can draw our strength from.  He taught out of Genesis 15 where God makes a covenant with Abram.  it was awesome and for me to try and recount it here would be a terrible dis-service.  but tonight definitely strengthened me in the Lord.  

i wanna try... (anything i say from here on is what i got from JRA tonight, unless otherwise noted)

• Gen 15:9-11 this is one of those passages that intrigue me.  they actually make me scratch my head and say what the heck?  in those days if people were making an agreement the lesser party or lesser king would make an agreement to submit to the more powerful party or kings way of doing things.  the lesser party would say, i am going to make a covenant (to cut) with you.  i am going to cut these animals and separate them and walk in between the halfs...getting all the blood and all the nasty all over me.  if i, as the lesser party, break this covenant...i am agreeing that you(the greater party) can do to me what is done to these animals.  does that make sense?
• Gen 15:17-18 this is where God answers Abram from v.8 . God took the part of the lesser party.  saying if this covenant is broken, i agree that you can do to me what is done to these animals.  you have got to be kidding me?  think about that! of course the covenant was broken...by the isrealites.  so what now?
• Read this.
• through Jesus, God fulfills his end of the covenant he made with Abram.  our freedom isnt free at all.  it came at the highest of prices.  

we took communion after this, and i cried as i thought of the symbolic covenant i held in my hands. (and i am not a cry-er) the price of the covenant that i do not remember so often, i held on tight to it tonight...and it strengthen me in the Lord.  When I try to not sin, even on just the BIG ones, i fail miserably.  I must choose to die to let Christ live...my focus then brings everything into perspective.  why is it that the most basic principles are the ones i constantly need to be reminded of?

THAT is why the wed night prayer service at JRA is my favorite service i think i have ever been to around here!  so, if you dont have a church home, or your church doesnt have a wed. night service....you ought to check it out.