Your Daily Encouragement

Flash A Smile

it looks good on you

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow —James 1:2–4

James, one of Jesus’ younger brothers, tells us that God uses whatever troubles come into our life as an opportunity for growth.

Pastor Steven Furtick put it this way: “Don’t fear opposition. Expect it. And use it as an opportunity to fuel your growth.”

When difficulty comes your way, flash it a knowing smile—because you know God is doing something through it. Remind yourself that God is using even this as an opportunity to trust him more.

God is with you. He is for you. And he can turn every difficulty around to make you more like Christ.

So when opposition comes along, flash it a knowing smile.

And let your faith grow.

Bill Herried is a pastor at CenterPoint Church in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon—and he loves a good biryani.

Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay

The Healing

“hold out your hand”

Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus. —Matthew 12:13–14

One of the things I love about Jesus is his passion for people—beyond traditions or even cultural expectations. The culture Jesus grew up in had a high respect for God’s law, but over the years many traditions were added, encrusting God’s law, and distorting his intention.

Jesus had been healing people of all kinds sicknesses, diseases, neuropathies—whatever the issue, he healed them all, seven days a week.

So he goes to synagogue on the sabbath—the day of rest—and notices a man there whose hand is deformed. We don’t know whether he was born with the deformity; whether there was an accident, or he had a crippling arthritic disease. All we know is that the hand was “withered,” or deformed. It was unusable. And a man who couldn’t work couldn’t support his family.

The first thing that stands out to me in this is that Jesus notices the man’s condition. Apparently the religious leaders are watching Jesus to see if he would do any acts of healing on the day of rest. So as Jesus approaches the man, the leaders stop Jesus with a question:

“Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” Matthew tells us that they were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.

Then Jesus did what Jesus does: he puts their question in perspective by asking them a question: “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would! And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

And here it is: “Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

While the religious leaders’ hardline devotion seems like the right thing, Jesus exposes their lack of love—their hardness of heart. They would rescue an animal, but not relieve a man of his suffering? In fact, in a parallel passage in Mark’s gospel, Mark adds the detail to this discussion by telling us that Jesus looked at them angrily and “was deeply saddened by their hard hearts.”

Jesus was deeply saddened by their hard hearts.

They were hard-hearted; they lacked compassion. That is a bad place to be. When our hearts are hard we can’t see, hear or even act out God’s purposes in our lives.

Jesus turns from the critics and looks at the man with the deformed hand and says, “Hold out your hand.”

Now, no doubt there were people in the synagogue motioning to him to ignore Jesus. “Don’t listen! This Jesus is a deceiver!” The man looks at Jesus, then his critics, then back at Jesus; and against the opinions of the critics he slowly reaches out toward Jesus. When he did, Jesus completely restored his hand.

I imagine the man holding up his hand with a mixture of joy and wonder! No doubt there were gasps of joy from those who saw the miracle!

But not from the religious leaders. Were they grateful that a member in their congregation had been healed? Did they post the before and after pictures on Facebook to show the miracle that God had done? Did they ask Jesus to heal others who had a need?

Nope. Here is what Matthew said they did: “Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.” (Matthew 12:14)

Wait…what?! The man whose hand had been deformed went home whole, and they want to kill Jesus?! The man could support his family again. He was healed! But the religious critics were furious.

Here is the truth: Everybody has an opinion about Jesus—but not every opinion is helpful.

And Jesus still has critics! But here is the good news: he sees the brokenness of your heart, your life and even your body. And one day he will bring you to wholeness—it could be in this life, or it could be in the life to come. The point is that he still has the power to heal every issue. And he will do it.

But here is the question for you today: will you listen to Jesus, or to the critics?

Will you listen to Jesus, or to the critics?

To the man with the with the deformed hand, Jesus said: “Hold out your hand.” The man could have ignored Jesus. Instead, he ignored the critics and held out his hand.

To you today he is saying, “Hold out your life to me. Allow me to do for you what you can never do for yourself.” And this is what Jesus does: he brings restoration to every part of your life. He offers new life; a new start; a whole new beginning.

And it all comes down to this: Am I going to listen to the critics? Will I continue to hear the thoughts that have been planted in my mind against Jesus by friends, parents, educators, lovers, celebrities, movies, etc.? Or will I listen to Jesus?

Turn your gaze from the critics and look to Jesus. Hold out your life—give it to him. Allow him to do for you what you will never be able to do for yourself: to make you whole.

That’s what he does. That is who he is. Savior. Redeemer. Our hope.

Image by Jackson David from Pixabay

Happy Memorial Day

remembering those who gave all

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. —John 15:13

There is an old saying among the American military that goes, “All gave some, some gave all.”

On Memorial Day we remember those who gave everything to serve us—it is a solemn recognition of gratitude for those who paid the ultimate so we could enjoy the liberties and securities that we have.

And while veterans and current service members may wave off any personal recognition on Memorial Day (Veteran’s Day is that time to recognize veterans), can I make a suggestion?

When you see someone in uniform (even a first responder), tell them how much you appreciate what they do. Tell them how grateful you are that they are there. Tell them that what they are doing is important, and thank them for doing what they do. It’s been my experience that these words of appreciation are rare.

I am a big proponent of expressing gratitude. There is something that happens inside of us when we utter words of thanks. This is why it is so important to look for opportunities to express words of appreciation.

One of the ways we can do that concretely, is to be grateful to those who are still with us—whether they are veterans or currently serving in the military. So, for example, if you see a group of soldiers around a table at lunch, thank them for what they do. If you see a person in uniform in line at the grocery store, thank them for being there.

Because when you show gratitude to those who serve, it encourages them in their work and it does at least two things inside of us.

First, a word of thanks warms the heart of the grateful. No wonder scripture constantly reminds us to have an attitude of gratitude. When we thank God and others for what they do, it softens and warms our heart. Never allow your heart to remain cold and hard because of ungratefulness. A thankless heart is a prison that is constructed by a life of unappreciated expectation. Free yourself from that prison with words of thanks to others.

Second, it recognizes our dependence on those people God has placed in our lives. Did you know that in his goodness, God has placed others in your life? No one is an island. No one does it all on their own. He has placed others in our lives to recognize the value that these bring into our lives, and the value that we bring into their lives as well. It works both ways.

So today, on Memorial Day, recognize the sacrifice that so many have made—those who have paid the ultimate. Then this week, make it your plan to show gratitude to those who serve sacrificially by putting themselves in harm’s way for you. They need words of gratitude—just as much as we need to express them.

And Happy Memorial Day.

Image by Keturah Moller from Pixabay

Standing At The Gates of Joy

with arms wide open

The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. —Psalm 28:7

Are you a music lover? Not gonna lie, I love music. Maybe partly because I’m a musician. But there is something about music that is so powerful. And when we marry music to prayer, it becomes worship.

And that is a whole different level.

I love worship for so many reasons, and what keeps me coming back to it is the powerful lifting of my heart. Life has a way of beating you up, then knocking you down. But worship brings strength, grace, peace and joy—even in the middle of hardships.

The psalms were songs, sung in ancient Israel. It is poetry that describes the goodness of God. In Psalm 28, King David describes God’s involvement in it all. He starts this song with this:

I pray to you, O LORD, my rock.
Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
I might as well give up and die.

Wow: “…I might as well give up and die.”

Ever been there? Helpless? Hopeless? What the Psalms describe is what everyone experiences at some point: the realities of life. Hardships. Disappointment. Disconnect. Even despair. It’s fascinating to me that a book written 3,000 years ago connects with us—across the millennia—to connect us with God. And I think part of the reason it does is because of its raw emotion.

But the Psalms don’t stop there. They describe difficulties, but they also describe the solution to the disconnect we all experience in life. The solution is found in God’s presence. When we connect with God, it changes everything.

Then the question becomes, How do we do that? How do we enter the presence of God? It happens in a single word:

Worship.

Worship walks us through the gates of Joy, entering into God’s presence.

Worship is the surrender of creation to its creator. Worship recognizes who we are in relation to who He is. It is the confession of the contingent on the Non-contingent. He is our source of joy—even of life itself.

In verse 7, David writes:

The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.

When life is at its worst, we see God’s power at its best. He strengthens those who trust in him, shielding them from the storms of life. Then David says:

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

What does our heart do when hope is restored? Yes! It bursts with gratitude! He strengthens, he helps, and our hearts are filled with joy.

David says, “I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” The heaviness is taken away and it is replaced by joy. That thanksgiving is a form of worship.

And here is another counter-intuitive truth in life: The best time to engage in worship is when you feel least like doing it (this is similar to physical exercise: the time I need to exercise most is when I feel too tired to do it).

I have a couple of resources that I hope are helpful for you to begin engaging in worship today.

The first is what I call our Worship and Wisdom Guide. It is a document that helps you walk through the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs each month. It is broken down by each day of the month and can be used month to month, all year long. You can download that resource here.

reading-through-psalms-proverbs-in-a-month-niv Download

Personally, I listen through the daily worship in the Psalms and God’s wisdom in the book of Proverbs each morning. It is a great way to set your heart right, and start your day with perspective.

The second resource is to join us for worship at CenterPoint . If you live in the Tacoma area, would love to have you join us for worship, this Sunday at 10AM, PDT.

If you live outside the area, you can join us online on our CenterPoint Facebook page. It starts up live at 10AM, PDT, as well.

Either way, I hope you can join us this Sunday to worship with us. It’s always a powerful time.

Love you,

Pastor Bill

Image by JL G from Pixabay

Open My Eyes

and let me see

“O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” —2 Kings 6:17

Israel was in a hard place. Aram, a neighboring country, regularly attacked towns and villages in ancient Israel. But God had been revealing the plans of the locations of these attacks to the prophet Elisha. So Elisha warned the king of Israel ahead of each raid and the king placed soldiers to prevent Aram’s taking more territory in their country.

Frustrated, the king of Aram vented to his officers:

“Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?”
“It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!”
“Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.” (2 Kings 6:11–13)

They discovered where the prophet Elisha lived and planned an early morning surprise raid to capture the prophet. In the dark of night, the king of Aram sent a great army with horses and chariots to surround the city where Elisha lived to take him captive.

When Elisha’s servant woke up that morning and looked out the window, he saw enemy soldiers encircling them, with troops, horses and chariots—everywhere. This guy was freaking out!

“Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:15–17)

Horses and chariots of fire.

God had given him angelic protection and provision—soldiers of Heaven. Elisha’s servant hadn’t see them—yet they were there. And these angelic warriors delivered Elisha, his servant, and the city from the attack of the soldiers of Aram. You can read the rest of the story here.

But consider the prophet’s words: First, he said, “Don’t be afraid.” Understand that whatever the situation, God is in control. Next, he says, “There are more on our side than on theirs!” Not only is God in control, but his provision and protection are far greater than any threat you will ever face.

Then, notice what Elisha does next: he prays. He says “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see.” God answers this prayer and opens the young man’s eyes. What does he see? God’s protection: the very armies of heaven surrounding them.

Wow!

Whatever you’re facing today, whether you’re being threatened physically, spiritually or emotionally, God knows your situation. He knows your need and he knows the path through the situation. Here are the principles we can pull out of Elisha’s advice when you are going through a threatening time:

Don’t be afraid. Don’t allow fear to rule your heart. Your Heavenly Father knows what is happening and is already at your side.
Remember that God is with you. Know that God’s protection and provision is far superior to whatever threat is coming at you.
Pray. Pray for eyes to see. Pray for God to reveal the way through. Thank him in advance for all that he will do. He is capable, he is available and he loves to come to the aid of his children when they ask.

And don’t forget to ask him to open your eyes to see the provision and protection that he has for you.

Simply pray, “Father, open my eyes and let me see.” Then wait patiently for his response. He loves to answer the prayers of his children.

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All Things Together For Good

all the time

For God has said: “I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.” —Hebrews 13:5

When the sky goes dark, the thunder rumbles and every choice before you seems to be a bad one, it is tempting to say, “God, where are you?!”

But instead of asking “God, where are you?” ask Him what He’s up to.

“OK Father, what are you up to?”

Throughout scripture He has told His people over and over and over that He will be with them—especially in times of trouble (here is a sample).

According to Jesus, your Heavenly Father already knows what you need—even before you need it—and is actively involved in your life.

But don’t wait until the storm clouds gather to ask!

Start now. Say, “OK Father, what are you up to? Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Help me to understand what you’re doing in and through my life—because whatever it is, I want to join You in it.”

He is always at work. He is always working all things together for the good of those He has called. And He loves it when His children join Him in to accomplish His purposes in our world.

So, go ahead—ask.

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You Want To Change The World?

learn to rest

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” —Matthew 11:28–30

What is it about Jesus that is so winsome? Here is a man who never ran for election. Never led a military. He never wrote a book or reigned as a king. In fact, aside from a short time in Egypt as a baby, he never traveled outside his own country. And yet he changed the world.

What is it that is so winsome about Jesus?

I believe that the key to understanding Jesus is his humility.

Matthew, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, tells us that Jesus invited any who would, to come and learn from him—because he is gentle and humble in heart. And when they did, they would find rest for their souls.

What makes this humility so striking is that it comes on the heals of miracle after miracle: He turned water into wine. He healed people with incurable diseases. He gave sight to those born blind. He instantly healed people unable to walk for decades—they stood up and carried the mat home that they had been brought to Jesus on.

He brought the dead back to life. He gave hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute, often warning them not to tell anyone about it. A kind of negative self-promotion.

With all that as background, Jesus calls to the weary, the burdened, the depressed and fatigued to come to him. He promises rest. Just as he restored those with sickness and disease, he promises restoration and rest.

Rest from expectations. Rest from disappointment. Rest from the never-ending treadmill of performance.

Rest.

How does he do that? He says to let go of the burdens that weigh you down and take his yoke upon yourself. In the ancient world, this yoke was used by beasts of burden, or even a human slave (e.g., a curved board across the shoulders used to carry large jars of water).

He says “take my yoke upon you and let me teach you...” The word “teach” in the original language is the root word for “disciple.” So, to paraphrase, Jesus is saying “serve my purposes and disciple yourself to me.”

Then he continues, “…for I am humble and gentle at heart.” Jesus’ teaching will bring us to humility and gentleness—which are not highly valued attitudes in our world.

What is valued is self-promotion; pushing yourself and your agenda—which translates to a self-serving life. Although we instinctively think that this is the way ahead, if we go far enough down that path, we discover that a self-serving life leads to emptiness. Every time. Self-serving is a weight we must set aside to take his burden upon ourselves.

Then what does Jesus’ burden look like? It serves God’s purposes in our world. We love God by serving others. Jesus says that this yoke—his yoke—”is easy to bear, and his burden is light.”

What does that mean for us? In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul is instructing a young group of believers to use their ability to serve others and he says:

“I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” —Acts 20:35

“It is more blessed to give, than to receive.” “…my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” When we carry Jesus’ burden—in other words, when we serve his purpose in our world—that burden is light, because it brings joy. When you take his burden upon yourself, you discover why you were created and experience God’s peace, which goes beyond our understanding.

Rest.

All of this is experienced by becoming lowly. Humble. Like Jesus. Take whatever opportunity you have to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. If you’re not part of a local church, find one this week and show up. Learn from Him. It is when we become humble—teachable—and open ourselves to learning from him that our lives are transformed.

You want to change the world? Learn from the One who did.

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The Path Through Chaos

Monday Meditation

“Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10

Ever felt overwhelmed? Abandoned? Like life is out of your control? In these moments we can become anxious. Apprehensive. Stressed out.

In Psalm 46, the writer describes the reason for our anxiety. Often it is due to the circumstances beyond our control—some of it by natural catastrophes, and some by manmade catastrophes.

And sometimes by our own making.

But right out of the chute, this Psalm begins by affirming the confidence we can have in God’s protection—even in chaotic times. It says:

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.

Especially in times of trouble. So…

“we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.”

So, when chaos comes from natural events in our world (earthquakes, flooding, etc.), here is God’s promise:

A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
Because God lives here, it cannot be destroyed.
God’s protection is here, 24/7.

Wherever God is, there His peace and protection is. Next Psalm 46 describes the chaos of manmade events:

“Come see the glorious works of the LORD:
See how he destroys destruction in our world.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
burning the shields with fire.”

So whether it is a natural disaster, or manmade chaos, God tells us that He has it covered—that He knows and will bring relief. Then the Psalm finishes with this comforting command and promise:

Be still, and know that I am God!

Be still: Let go of your striving, worry, anxiety—and rest. Trust Him.

Trust that he is God. Trust that He knows the end from the beginning. Trust that He has your back and is in control.

And here is the promise:

“I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

In a world that is given to chaos, God promises that one day His peace and righteousness will extend around the globe. Every wrong will be made right. At that time He will rule with perfect justice. Our deepest hopes will be realized.

All because the King rules. That day when Jesus comes to reign and rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.

In the meantime, Psalm 46 reminds us:

The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.

The Commander of the armies of heaven is here. Now. Among us. And He is our protector. Our fortress. So, let the chaos swirl. God is with you.

No wonder our hearts can be at rest.

Be still. Know that He is God.

Even in the chaos.

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The Beauty of Holiness

on earth as it is in heaven

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. —Psalm 29:1–2

One of the things I love about the Psalms is the invitation to worship. Across the millennia, King David invites us to worship the Lord. But not only us—these songs invite heaven and earth to worship as well. Every part of creation!

As I’ve mentioned before, I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. And when I see the ocean, the cascades, or even glance at Mount Rainier, it is another reminder of God’s handiwork. Creation is a powerful reminder of God’s creative genius and power .

And, extrapolating from the earth to heaven, David encourages those in live in the beauty of heaven—angels and all who inhabit it—to give honor and glory to God. To honor Him by recognizing and telling of his glory and strength.

In the next line he tells these heavenly beings to give the Lord the glory due his name. Then he finishes this section with “worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”

In the splendor of his holiness.

The picture is of the very throne room of God. John, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, gives us a glimpse of this place, and its beauty, in the book of Revelation. In Revelation chapter 4, he describes what he sees in a vision.

He describes the One on the throne as beautiful, sparkling like a reddish-brown gem stone. An emerald light encircled the throne like a rainbow. 24 thrones with 24 heavenly beings (elders) sat on these thrones. These were dressed in sparkling white, with gold crowns on their heads.

From the central throne came flashes of lightening and rumbling of thunder. In front of this throne were 7 torches, all alight with flames. In front of that was a sea of glass, clear as crystal. It continues to describe the big picture here in Revelation 4.

The point is that, aside from the millions of angels that are onsite to worship God, there is a massive groups of other beings there as well—all with the desire and ability to give glory to God in worship.

So, as we gather each week to worship, we have the opportunity to join those who are in heaven to give God the glory and honor due His name.

One day you and I will experience that in person. But now in this time, we will worship, honor and praise God—collectively—for all His goodness to us.

And as we do that, He will continually transform us into the likeness of his Son—which creates in us the beauty of holiness.

Remember, God is preparing you for heaven. And as He does, you will look more and more like His Son.

Looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.

Love you, Pastor Bill

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Take Heart

the place of peace

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33

Ever had someone who encouraged you during a difficult time? I remember the first real job I had after Erin and I married. It paid well and had great benefits. But 6 months into it, I was let go.

Newly married and no job. I felt like such a failure. I remember going over to my parents house and pouring out my story to the person who I knew would listen: dad. He sat and listened, then in only a few words, helped give me perspective. I don’t remember all the words that were said, but I do remember the encouragement he gave.

On the night before he was crucified, Jesus did what he always does: he encouraged his disciples. With the full knowledge of what was before him, he focused on their next steps.

He wanted them to remember that they have a mission ahead of them, and a purpose for their lives. And regardless what would experience, he said, they can be at peace. Jesus said:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

“Many trials and sorrows.” Sounds like life.

But notice where he says this peace comes from: Jesus ties it to himself. “…so that you may have peace in me.” The peace that passes all understanding is in him.

And, as he overcomes this world and all that it does to discourage, divide and depress, he is inviting us to overcome as well. And this goes far beyond our own positive mental attitude. This is supernatural, because it is anchored in the power and promise of the Son of God.

So, whatever you’re facing, follow Christ. Take heart. Be encouraged. Look ahead with confidence. The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you. Today. As you follow him. He is your strength and confidence.

Take heart.

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