tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84833476992541396182024-02-18T19:59:52.528-08:00Blog has moved to http://codykimmel.wordpress.comA daily devotional and blog about church reform in America, the place of theology in faith, and the role of art in the worship of God.Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-66867720731989713982010-10-01T08:18:00.000-07:002010-10-01T08:18:48.520-07:00My Blog has moved!My Blog has moved to the following address:<br />
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<a href="http://codykimmel.wordpress.com/">http://codykimmel.wordpress.com</a><br />
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Thanks so much for reading and hopefully you will continue to be encouraged towards a deeper walk with Christ.<br />
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CodyCody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-11189829948673172452010-09-09T06:38:00.000-07:002010-09-09T06:38:54.507-07:00Songs of Righteousness<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:23–24 ESV)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For the last month I, along with a team of three other guys, have been preparing to launch a new campus for our church in an Elementary School about five miles away from the main campus. I am going to be the worship pastor and can't wait for it to begin this Sunday. Most of my time preparing for this new role has been spent researching and purchasing the equipment we need to do what we want to do there, developing the different ministry teams for the church, and working with the web guy and the design guy and the print guy at our church to make sure we have everything we need for the new campus to run smoothly. It's been a lot of work, but I have learned a ton and sincerely enjoyed the preparations. However, with it now four days away from beginning, I am getting anxious. This morning our 2 month old son woke Lauren and I up at 5 am (the second time he had woken us up last night) and I was grumpy. I started thinking about all the things I still need to get done for the new campus, all the people I would have to call, all the homework that I've put on the back-burner to get through this week, and in the end I was taking out my stress from those things on Lauren and Kyler. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After Kyler finally fell asleep, I sat down at the kitchen table and opened up my bible to read, the whole time anxiously hoping that the baby monitor in front of me won't light up with his cries and interrupt my breakfast and quiet time. I'm working through the minor prophets right now, so I was just expecting to read some of Amos and walk away with only a better appreciation for God's revelation through his interplay with Israel, valuable no doubt, but sometimes hard to make relevant to my life. God had different plans for me this morning. I got to chapter 5 and started to see a familiar theme. I had read just a few days before in Hosea, but it's familiarity stifled some of it's impact. Amos, the shepherd prophet, started to list all of the sacrifices and festivals and songs that Israel would sing. As he listed them he wrote how God has rejected all of those things. God was tired of their sacrifices and ceremonies, he didn't want to hear there singing or there instruments. When Amos was prophesying, Israel was not walking with God. Although they maintained temple practices, they also kept altars in the mountains to sacrifice to foreign gods. They neglected the poor among them and abandoned many parts of the law. So what God told them through Amos, is that if they are not going to act with justice and righteousness, he doesn't want their worship. God tells Israel to let justice flow down like water and righteousness flow like a river. Those things would worship him. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">When I read that, my heart beat rose a little bit and my countenance dropped in a way that only the Holy Spirit and his conviction can do. This morning I was so worried about the show of worship, I was so concerned with the songs and the liturgy, that I neglected truly worshiping God by treating my beautiful wife and helpless two month old with frustration and unwarranted anger. There is a constant theme I have seen throughout the prophets and which is reiterated through Christ himself. If we are not living with justice and righteousness, if we are not seeking mercy and forgiveness towards each other, if we are not devoting ourselves to knowing God and the glory of his presence, then our worship is detestable to him.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, I confess that so much of my worship falls upon your deaf ears due to my own sin and misplaced passions. Forgive my iniquities in your gracious eyes and accept my praise on behalf of my integrity, which I have because you alone have saved me!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-34076740759539927382010-08-27T09:34:00.000-07:002010-08-28T08:55:24.711-07:00The Living Bones<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.”” Ezekiel 37:3</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Indiana Jones movies were some of my favorite movies growing up (still today?). But I must admit, as a kid watching them, I couldn't help but be scared every time Indy would walk into an old tomb or an underground sewer and be surrounded by the bones of explorers who went before him. From the filmmaker's perspective, these bones created a great contrast to the living Indiana Jones exploring the same treacherous artifacts as the bones laying around him. But for a boy, I was always scared that Indy wouldn't make it. I was worried he would become just another skeleton for some future archeologist to pass over in search of grails and arks and whatnot. Even at a young age, I knew that dead was dead, bones were bones, and that once you were a skeleton, you weren't going to be anything else but dust after that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">During another one of Ezekiel's crazy visions, he is brought into a scene from Indiana Jones. The Spirit of the Lord takes him to a valley filled with dry bones and asks him if these bones could live. Most people if asked that would respond with the obvious, "No," since dead is dead and bones are bones. But Ezekiel knew that God was unpredictable, so he merely responded "O Lord God , you know." As the story goes, God commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones to give them flesh and breath, and that which was once dead was given life. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I can only imagine the scene. At one moment surrounded by what looks like the remains of a horrible massacre and the next minute in the middle of new life, breathing bodies rejoicing in every new breath. Over and over in the Scriptures God shows that not only does he delight in creation, but also in re-creation. God delights in taking my dead, dry bones and giving them new life, breathing His breath and Spirit back into that which is breathless and soulless. What a wonderful God we worship!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, let us live in the newness of life that you give us. We praise for taking what sin has killed and giving us your breath!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-24973746820579189342010-07-24T21:00:00.000-07:002010-07-24T21:35:53.871-07:00From Omni to Chili's<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”” Song of Solomon 2:15</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">About a year ago, Lauren and I were making our way down from Dallas to Austin to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We set a budget, went to Priceline and found an incredible room in the Omni Hotel. The weekend was spent eating $25 plates, going on aimless walks through downtown Austin, eating crepes out of a trailer near Zilker Park, buying records at <a href="http://www.waterloorecords.com/">Waterloo Records</a>, and enjoying an elegant and exciting weekend in the unique Texas hippy culture that is Austin, Texas. It was incredible.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Last week, Lauren and I celebrated our second anniversary. But instead of waking up to room service and downtown rooftop pools, we woke up every two hours to a fussy and hungry baby, to feed, burp and change his diaper. After a sleepless night, we spent the rest of the day carrying around a car seat and diaper bag meeting our pediatrician and other specialists. Instead of meandering through parks holding hands, we walked tiredly through doctors offices and waiting rooms, spit up on our shirts and the all too familiar "deer-caught-in-the-headlights" look of week old parents on our faces. For dinner we had plans of using a gift card and escaping between feedings for an hour to our local Chili's for a quick meal, but after a day of parenting and Lauren recovering from a C-section we ended up calling in the Chili's order, setting up a romantic dinner on our kitchen table and having a 20 minute meal while the baby hung out with Grandma in the nursery. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A lot can happen in a year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I find it funny sometimes how much pressure can be put on couples to make anniversaries spectacular. Don't get me wrong, a weekend away dining finely and living largely is fun and a great way to celebrate a marriage. But we often times miss the point. By placing the weight on the spectacle, by putting all of our efforts into anniversary plans and expensive gifts, we often times do so at the expense of putting our efforts into the 364 days in between anniversaries that make or break marriages. That's all Satan has to do. Distract us and shift our priorities just enough to make us forget what honors God about marriages. God doesn't care whether we spend $1 or $1,000 on an anniversary gift or if we can outdo ourselves each year with elaborate plans and surprises. God cares if we cherish and hold our spouse even after they blow up at us after a bad day, He cares if we choose to not look at porn and save our eyes, passions, and thoughts for our wives alone, He cares if we utilize our marriage to be an example in faith to show that it is God's glory and sovereignty that matters more than our reputations, paychecks, and social status. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As I went to bed that night, I looked at my wife then at our baby sleeping in the bassinet. Despite the vastly different wedding anniversary that day, I couldn't help but praise God. The rest of our lives we will be threatened by little foxes trying to sneak through the fence of our marriage and destroy all that God has planted. Some of the foxes will be obvious, but most will be subtle--a slight shift of focus, an underlying fear, a disproportionate love of a child, unmet expectations and the unending pressure to live a life full of genuine love in an inauthentic and soulless world. But that night as we fell asleep, as the baby sighed his sleeping sighs while swaddled tightly for the night and as my wife's breath grew longer and deeper as she slipped into a hard sleep, I knew that we were resting in a garden protected by the grace and mercy of God, safe at least for the night from the crafty little foxes trying to break in. I hope that our future anniversaries will contain more one on one time than this last one, but I'm so happy we don't need the fireworks for it to be romantic. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, we are incapable in ourselves to be godly and to guard what you have sown. Protect us with your grace and glory from all the snares the devil sets for us and let our marriages be a picture of your love! </div></div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-61223717180642909632010-07-12T10:05:00.000-07:002010-07-12T10:05:25.459-07:00Thus Begins Fatherhood<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.” (Psalms 128:3-4 ESV)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I write this, my beautiful wife is sleeping in a hospital bed filled with pillows from constant feedings with our new son swaddled and sleeping in a "milk coma" on her lap. The cold fluorescence of hospital lights have become common place and the room on the eighth floor of Medical City hospital has become a far too familiar surrounding for us over the last five days. What began as a routine induction that was supposed to bring us back home on Saturday turned into a five day stay and a long recovery from 3 and a half hours of unsuccessfully pushing out a baby and an unexpected C-section. Although Lauren pushed with all of her might, God made her with an overly prominent sacrum, which made it so our son couldn't come out that way. So in many tears and faith that seemed smaller than a mustard seed at the moment, we trusted the doctors choice for a C-section and welcomed our healthy son into the world an hour later. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's a peculiar thing becoming a father. From 5pm Wednesday evening when we began the induction process and 10:04 pm the following night when our son, Kyler, was born, something truly miraculous happened in my heart. Years of stunted maturity and foolishness seemed flushed out of my body and soul and was instantly replaced by the joyful weight of responsibility that all new fathers are filled with the moment they hold that child they've been waiting nine months to meet. Praise God that Lauren was able to make it through the painful delivery and that God put such smart doctors in our life to keep both my wife and my new son safe. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As they continue to sleep behind me, and the room is not filled with crying babies or nurses or other various hospital machines, my mind began to race back to a verse I read a few weeks ago while reading through the Psalms. I had read the above verse before, but without feeling the weight of fatherhood, its message was lost on me. When I initially thought about being a father, my mind went straight to the responsibility of providing through working, or being actively involved with helping my wife with the everyday tasks of having a newborn, or holding Kyler until he stops crying and all of those other things that come with being a dad. All of these are part of it and important, but they are not the most important responsibility I now have as a father. If I want to be a responsible dad, the Psalmist writes that I must lead by fearing God. When I fear the Lord, my wife and my children will thrive and be blessings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I knew early on in my faith that fearing God was important, but it wasn't until 10:04 Thursday night, July 8th, 2010, that the axiom became the unwavering reality it always should've been in my life. The fear of God is the most fundamental responsibility I now have. If God is as great and powerful, as gracious and wrathful as he truly is, then what does that mean in loving my wife, in raising my son, in spending and saving money, in how I use my free time, in how I spend all my time. I have to justify my every step, action, and thought to the greatness of God and his majestic love in my life, and my family will see it and follow in step. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a few hours we will go home and be away from the constant help of the hospital staff and on our own with the giant learning curve living in our house the next twenty years. My prayer is that, although there will be mistakes and sleepless nights and stress, that I can rise to the occasion of leadership that submits whole-heartedly to the awesome power of our wonderful God and that one day our Son would find his salvation in the saving blood of Jesus Christ the lamb.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAfdgu9KdlaQkmIPfAR8GexezkNcaPnzg2denmN2xxUlKpfyKs8GSY7fgnsE7j2G5uwOuKL3wrfVfCqnEKHVCZNlZ1PhjOMtsXY1JJWdy99mX8BX95Ot3HLfpHS-9ImqMLKADT75PmE8J/s1600/IMG_5838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAfdgu9KdlaQkmIPfAR8GexezkNcaPnzg2denmN2xxUlKpfyKs8GSY7fgnsE7j2G5uwOuKL3wrfVfCqnEKHVCZNlZ1PhjOMtsXY1JJWdy99mX8BX95Ot3HLfpHS-9ImqMLKADT75PmE8J/s320/IMG_5838.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAfdgu9KdlaQkmIPfAR8GexezkNcaPnzg2denmN2xxUlKpfyKs8GSY7fgnsE7j2G5uwOuKL3wrfVfCqnEKHVCZNlZ1PhjOMtsXY1JJWdy99mX8BX95Ot3HLfpHS-9ImqMLKADT75PmE8J/s1600/IMG_5838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Early in the morning after he was born, while pondering his recent birth and the great presence f our sweet child, I wrote a hymn of praise that I will leave everyone with. We all have joy because God became a son and died and through him we all have hope in this dark world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh joy! What joy a son is born!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The world in anxious wait</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For darkness covers endlessly</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Where no light penetrates</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But light brought forth in God the Son</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Has caused the dark to flee</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The presence of the Son, the Lamb</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now reigns victoriously!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Cross! The Cross! Born for the cross!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Father's glory in his eyes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Born for the cross, to conquer death</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The way to life in manger lies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh Son! What grace that walks between</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The twisted hearts of men</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The pharisee and lowly thief </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can all be born again!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A gracious God born humble man</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And emptied of his throne</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For sinner's sake, and Father's name</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Walks to the cross alone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The Cross! The Cross! Born for the cross!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The Father's glory in his eyes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Born for the cross, to conquer death</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The way to life in manger lies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Oh Son! So humble bursting forth</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">From grave to conquering sky.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Though bruised heel has crushed the head</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Of Satan and his lie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Oh Son! Now seated at the throne</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Our Lord! Our God! Our King!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The Son suffering for greatest joy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Born for the Cross we sing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The Cross! The Cross! Born for the cross!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The Father's glory in his eyes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Born for the cross, to conquer death</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">The way to life in manger lies.</div><br />
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</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-77444415854642475692010-06-21T07:02:00.000-07:002010-06-21T07:02:06.365-07:00Respond With Integrity<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;” Psalms 101:2</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's easy to praise God once we begin to interact with him. This may sound trite, but really, as we as believers begin to read about Jesus in the gospels and his mighty works, or study the story of the Exodus or just in general see the transformation from sinners into saints in or own lives it is easy for us to look at all the evidence and deem God worthy of our praise. Verbally acknowledging that God is a great God is really a no brainer as we truly see what he has revealed to us through his word, the common grace evident in his creation, and the sanctifying power of his Spirit in our souls. And this is what we should do. God is a God who is worthy of receiving our verbal affirmation of His glory and wonder. However, what will often times happen in my life, and I think it is indicative of a deeper problem of culture, is that I will pour myself out with words before God, telling him how great and wonderful he is...and then stop. My praise both begins and ends with words. Whether they are through songs, or prayers, or through conversations with others, I find it easy to praise God with my lips, but then stop. This seems to be a problem with those who interact with God for a long time. Over and over again in the Scriptures, there is evidence of Israel praising God with their sacrifices and laws, or covenants made to God, or all these different things, but then the actions they take apart from their words are completely separated and run counter-intuitive to what we say to God. I do this so often in my own life, and every time I do it, my words become pointless. The proper response to God's presence is first and foremost living righteously with integrity. If we were to say nothing, but act differently, God would be praised more truly. Whenever we as believing people praise God with what we say but insult God by what we do, our praise becomes insulting to God. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, please help us to walk not only with words but with integrity. You are worthy of our righteous living and it is your grace that carries us!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-90825325755386905262010-06-08T05:31:00.000-07:002010-06-08T05:31:19.138-07:00Let God Be God<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”” Psalms 29:3-9</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a worship pastor, I spend most of my time doing everything I can to get people to worship God. Whether it's discussing song choice and order, whether or not to put chairs out, fiddling with lights, or spending hours practicing with the band to get the bridge to that one song just right, the majority of my week is occupied trying to figure out what I need to do for God to be worshipped. As I was reading this morning and thinking about the above passage, it struck me how silly much of what I do during the week truly is. In truth, I don't have to do anything for God to be worshiped. It is very humbling and horrifyingly awesome to know how great God is. His presence doesn't need to be enhanced by me, or by a certain song, or a lighting effect or any other thing. The only thing necessary for God to be praised is for God to be God. Which he is all the time. I fear that a lot of the things that I do on a Sunday morning or any other time I'm leading worship can distract and keep people from what they really need, which is encountering the true God. God doesn't need our help to be praised, we just need to let him be God and he'll take care of the rest.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, please give me the humility and wisdom to allow you to make your presence known to those who seek to worship you. Let us not be distractions from the Almighty king, so that as people enter into his holy temple, they can't help but cry "Glory!"</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-63994394746068536292010-05-26T08:24:00.000-07:002010-05-26T08:24:00.894-07:00How to Complain to God<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary! Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown; I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him.” Job 31:35-37</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Life is difficult and unfair. I remember as a child growing up and being reminded constantly by my parents that life isn't fair. Whenever my older sister would get to go the dollar store and I couldn't go or my younger brother would get the toy I wanted on Christmas, I would plead my case before my parents and the response was always, "Cody, sometimes life just isn't fair." On such occasions I returned to my room, buried my head in my pillow and longed for an impartial judge to hear my case and give me fairness. But no such judge existed. Job was a man who, though righteous, lost everything. He was charitable, faithful, loving, wise, and generous and in payment for his integrity his wealth, health, and household was destroyed. Unlike the trivial things I saw as unfair as a child, his complaint was well founded. Job was the lab rat for a cosmic social experiment. So when Job complains, nobody should be surprised. At some point in every one of our lives, we will have to reconcile the realities of the suffering and unfairness of pain in this world, with the perfect and loving God who created it. Why would God, who is infinitely just, do this to Job? Furthermore, why was Job considered righteous for complaining? Job examines every aspect of his soul, he pleads with God to show him where he messed up, and ultimately demanded a fair hearing in front of the Lord almighty. And in this response, it seems God was pleased. If we define God's justice merely by fairness and equality, we will miss the point and never reconcile suffering with God. What Job learns eventually and what God ultimately declares is that God's justice is anything that serves to proclaim deeper and more poignantly his glory to others. The greatest thing any human being can experience and behold is the glory of God. Job's complaining with God, his wrestling and confusion, his bitterness and angst was justly brought upon him by God to declare majestically his power and sovereignty over creation. Job was righteous in his complaints because they ultimately brought about and magnified the glory of God. It's a hard lesson and one I'm still learning today. We are all pawns in the game of God's glory, and by it we are blessed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, let us see your glory as the ultimate purpose for justice and bring our complaints before you in a way that brings you praise!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-50131091878598638112010-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:002010-05-20T08:26:55.919-07:00We Give Up Quickly<div style="text-align: center;"><i>““Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you?” Job 11:2-3</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The thought of feeding the homeless, helping the helpless, comforting the suffering, and fixing the broken are always highly appealing to those with religious sentiments. It is not uncommon to give up a Saturday around Christmas to serve at a soup kitchen, or to toss a few coins into the hands of the beggar in a downtown alleyway. We all love to be the shoulder for others to cry on and the voice of wisdom in a misguided friends life. These things are all good things and the desire to help those who are hurting is evidence of God's presence in our lives. But for many people, charity has a short life when its truly played out with those who are in need of it. We all want to feed hungry people, but are shocked that they would steal bread or ask for more than what we give them. We love to comfort those who are hurting, but when out of their hurt they show anger, pain, and doubt, we slink back in confusion. We desire to help those in need, but are surprised that they act needy. Job's friends had the same problems. When they first arrived, they sat in silence with their suffering friend for seven days. There is no doubt they cared about Job and wanted genuinely to help him. But when Job finally opens his mouth and acts like a man who lost everything without cause and a man in sever physical pain, there compassion quickly dries up and turns to frustration that Job won't just humbly accept their advice and be healed instantly. It is frightening how quickly I lose patience with hurting people because they won't let me be the hero I thought I would be in their lives. Broken people act broken, suffering people act hurt, and needy people act needy. If our compassion for those in need is not coupled with patience through the long process of recovery, then we fall into the same sin of Job's friends and do not reflect God's patience for us. If God treated us the way we treat others in need, we would be hopeless.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, please give us both compassion and patience to walk with others through their hurts. Let us not give up on loving others!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-46360630014299373342010-05-18T06:13:00.000-07:002010-05-18T06:13:37.788-07:00God Out of the Box<div style="text-align: center;">“<i>It is all one; therefore I say, He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.” Job 9:22</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the difficult things about reading Job is how to sort through the advice given by Job's friends. Although in the end we know God finds them with fault and finds Job faultless, it is difficult to see how that could be possible in the middle of things. Job's first friend Eliphaz looks at Job's situation and says Job must have sinned against God to have this much suffering brought upon him. A lot of the things he says about God are found elsewhere in Scripture, God does bring punishment and destruction down on the wicked and there is wisdom in examining your actions if calamity is brought upon you. After Job denies that he has sinned against God and wishes that God would just kill him, his second friend takes a stronger approach. Bildad sees Job's struggle through suffering as offensive and says surely there is malice in your heart and you must repent, because God just doesn't destroy righteous people. Once again, Bildad is not entirely wrong in his assessment on how God acts during certain circumstances. Job then responds in a way that seems even more blasphemous, he claims that if there were a fair judge between him and God, he would be in the right. The advice given by Job's friends is not all that different from the advice many of us would give to a friend in a similar circumstance. Our view of God's justice is clean and systematic where he punishes the sinful and prospers the righteous and nothing can exist outside of that box. But that is exactly where Job's friends, and likewise many of us, err. God's justice is not a systematic equation of fairness or a black and white labeling of right and wrong. God's justice is whatever God does, regardless of what we find fair or equitable. Job sees this. Job sees that God can still be just and sovereign and destroy both the wicked and the righteous. The all-powerful glory and sovereignty of God is the point. It is so easy for us to put God and his attributes into a neat little box and build our controlled world around a God who is predictable and safe. That is the sin of Job's friends and it is a sin that I so frequently fall into. God is neither predictable or safe and the proper response to his interaction in the world is not to control him, but to worship him in the awe of his terrifying might.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, let us fear you because you are a God who is not safe, who does what he pleases and is always just!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-30524298659373999132010-05-17T20:13:00.000-07:002010-05-17T20:13:52.133-07:00The Plight of Job<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:10</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I often times fear how I would respond to God if my circumstances were different. When reading the book of Job it is easy to caricature the different people in the story and turn it into a one of those flannel Sunday school lessons of lifeless cut outs. We can look at Job's wife as simply a nagging wife, we can look at his friends as cold, legalistic idiots with no sympathy, we can see Job as an unrealistic superhero of faith, and we can see God as a cruel unjust deity who hands over the fate of this man to a cunning devil. But to see the book like this completely ignores the complex human emotions of worship and suffereing, the deep theological significance of God's sovereignty, and the philosophical exploration of evil and injustice. Within the first two chapters of the book, Job loses his children, his land, his wealth, and his health and is faced with the crucial question of whether or not he will still treat God as sovereign over his life. I fear how I would respond to the same trial. It is easy for me to write off his wife as a faithless fool, or his friends as hard-headed simpletons, but if I were to really put myself in the shoes of any one of them, I don't know if I would act any differently. And that is why the drama of Job is so important to life. Are we willing to accept God's sovereignty and goodness over both the good things that happen to us and the bad? The plight of Job is really the plight of all of us and the point of his story is not to teach us to suffer well, but teach us to keep God sovereign.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, help us to hold your lordship in all circumstances and worship you for both the good and the bad!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-7115177270952577162010-05-12T07:17:00.000-07:002010-05-15T08:13:33.586-07:00Here for a Purpose<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”” Esther 4:14</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Not only are we all born, but we are all born into a particular time and place. With that time and place comes a social, political, and cultural context, along with a religious need and most importantly, a section of God's redemptive story. As a result, none of us can remain idle or indifferent to the time and place in which we exist. For example, Esther was born into a culture of Exile, but also placed in a position of power and influence. On top of that, her background, her position of power, and the influence she carried with her made her a prime candidate to help in God's redemptive story. She was in a position to save many Jews from being exterminated within the Persian empire. Although many of us may never carry the position or influence that Esther had, or face the dire circumstances she faced, every single one of us who are born again into Christ are born into the history of Christ's redemption. God will accomplish his purposes with or without us, but why would we pass up on the opportunity to make an eternal impact and serve what God is doing in the world? We were all born with a particular context and we have the amazing choice to be used by God in that context or to be passed over. What is it that God is calling you to? What part of his story is he asking you to play? We may find it difficult to follow God in all circumstances and it may seem that ignoring his call is the safer bet. And to the world, it may be. But we will all write a story with our lives in the end, and all of those stories will eventually end with our deaths. Since we will all end up the same, it seems to make more sense to at least write a good story with our lives. God's story of redemption is the greatest narrative in the world and beyond. I choose to be a part of his story, do you?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, give us the strength to answer your call and live in accordance with time and culture you placed us in. Give us courage and faith to take part in your redemption!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-79495971060750114262010-05-10T07:13:00.000-07:002010-05-10T07:13:40.372-07:00Freedom from Oppression<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.” Nehemiah 5:6</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the indicators of the place Christ holds in my heart is what things make me angry. When criticism or blocked expectations quickly set me off, or when I get upset that things don't go my way, or someone disagrees with me, that's usually an indication that Christ is not at the center of my life. On the other hand, anger in and of itself, is not wrong. In fact, there are things in this world that should make us angry. Nehemiah, after returning to Jerusalem to oversee the building of the wall, witnesses his people exacting interest from the poor among them and making other Jews sell themselves and their children into slavery to pay for the debt incurred. When Nehemiah observed this, he got angry. The oppression of his people by his people was too much for him to ignore. So he got angry. I'll get angry if I'm supposed to meet someone for something and they don't show up, but do I ever get angry at the oppression of my neighbors by my neighbors? Do I get angry at the drug trafficking that keeps poor people addicted to meth? Am I infuriated by the excessive spending done by churches while people literally one block are starving? Does it bother me when laws are passed that tear apart families and make it illegal to feed or clothe or shelter people in need just because they are an undocumented immigrant? Oppression is something that righteous men get angry about. When Jesus entered the temple and saw money lenders and merchants charging interest and overcharging for sacrifices, Jesus got angry. It seems there is a mistake in thinking that Christian maturity means never getting angry. The truth is, we should be angry, just not about the things we're typically mad about.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, give us an anger towards oppression and sin. Fill us with disdain towards those things that plague your compassion!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-9181162668461347392010-04-20T08:58:00.000-07:002010-04-20T08:58:08.442-07:00Not Our Stuff<div style="text-align: center;">“<i>“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.” 1 Chronicles 29:14</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">We've all been there. Staring endlessly at our computer screens, our check books or bank statements, wondering where all the money could have gone. We have budgets, or at least we have one written down somewhere, but it just seems like the money is gone before we even know its there. It can sometimes be difficult for us to imagine giving to others when money is so tight. One of the areas God has really been working on in Lauren's and my life is the area of discipline with finances. It is in area that we have grown in significantly and must continue to grow in significantly. I find one of the most difficult struggles is consistent giving in the midst of difficult finances and unexpected costs. When an excess of money is there, it isn't hard to give some of it to others in need, but when we are the ones in need, giving money to others becomes more and more difficult to justify. When David prayed for the gathering of the material for the temple, he reminds Israel of something that has hit me hard this morning. None of it is our stuff. When I tithe or I give to a ministry or anything like that, I'm not really giving from my own wealth or sacrificing something that's mine, I'm just giving back to God what already belonged to him in the first place. Every penny that our family brings in, every resource or talent that we have is a gift given by God. It's not our stuff! But in my own sinfulness, I quickly forget God's generosity and immediately feel entitled to the money. If I give ten percent in tithe I feel really good about myself, almost like God owes our family for our faithful support. How messed up is that mentality! There should be no struggle in giving to God's kingdom because it's his money anyways. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, please replace my heart of entitlement for a heart of willing giving and help us all to let go of what is rightfully yours to begin with!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-70891146211953099632010-04-14T07:58:00.000-07:002010-04-14T07:58:13.180-07:00Power of The Word<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes” 2 Kings 22:11-12</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I was speaking with a friend the other day who had spent some time as a missionary in Nepal. After looking through pictures of his trip to Mt. Everest, he began recounting a story of one of the ladies he had met during the course of his trip. One of the things he did over there was distribute Bibles in Nepalese to people and he remembers being amazed by this woman's excitement in receiving a Bible. As he talked with her a bit longer, she asked if she could show him her old bible. Of course he said yes and she went and grabbed a few pieces of parchment with Nepalese written on it. As he looked closer he saw tear stains and countless notes written all around the main text. Due to past persecution, Nepalese Christians didn't have more than a few sheets of the Bible at a time, and they would just read them over and over again, and then trade them with each other. My friend was very humbled and amazed by the power the Bible had in this woman's life, the tears that had been shed over this fraction of Scripture that she treasured for so many years. Josiah, after hearing the Book of Law, tore his clothes. He was so moved and convicted by the word of God, that he ripped his clothes, read it before everyone in Judah, and then overtook the greatest reform in all of Israel. As I read this passage and thought about the story of the Nepalese woman and her parchment Bible pages, I recognized a significant absence in my life. I can blame the over-saturation of Scripture in America, the bottom line of Bible publishing companies, the critical and over analysis of biblical higher criticism. I can blame all of those things and I wouldn't be wrong to recognize the effect these things have had on the power of God's word in the West. But I would be wrong to blame them. God's word lacks weight in my life because God lacks weight in my life. I can read the Bible and walk away relatively unchanged for the same reason that I can receive the Holy Spirit through the death of Christ and the will of the Father and be relatively unchanged for a long period of time. I don't fear God, not in the way that I should and therefore he doesn't have weight in my life. It seems one of the major sins of Western Christians, myself included, is the lack of the fear of God, and this realization has been utterly devastating to me. I want to weep as I read the Scriptures, cherish it with my life, study it with my whole heart, and live what it says, because its author is deserving of my fear. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, I fear you because your wrath is real, your power beyond comprehension, and your presence overwhelming. Let your word have weight in my life! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-21417923671499443032010-04-09T12:12:00.000-07:002010-04-09T12:12:20.154-07:00We Must Open Our Eyes<div style="text-align: center;">“<i>He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16-17</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">I will be the first to admit to you that I love sci-fi and the Lord of The Rings. Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut are two of my favorite writers, and in Tolkien I find a rare brilliance that is unmatched in most other writers of his genre. I love reading stories of aliens who attack the world, or supernatural spheres that attack rocket ships, or wizards and ghost armies who go up against a great fiery eye. My imagination soars as I read them and find the supernatural completely believable and accessible in the context of fiction. However, there is another part of me that has a difficult time reconciling the presence of the supernatural within the context of non-fiction history. Wizards are great in fiction, but hold little weight in non-fiction. As I read through the Bible, the problem of the supernatural comes to the forefront. Things happen in the Bible, which is purported as a non-fiction book, that I naturally only accept in the medium of fiction. I think Elisha's servant had the same problem. When faced with the armies of the Syrians, he wasn't ready to accept Elisha's explanation that supernatural forces were there to fight for him. So Elisha asks God to show the supernatural in the natural world. As difficult as it is to accept, the supernatural isn't only a figment of imagination. There is a different dimension of the world that exists that we will likely never see, but is nonetheless real. I must admit, this is something that I need to struggle through in prayer, because as much as I like the idea of angels and demons battling and intervening constantly in the natural world, I have a difficult time fully accepting it as true. I want to believe its true because faith in their presence means a strengthening of courage when facing adversity in life. Opposition is less daunting knowing that the angels of heaven are fighting the battle alongside me. The enemy seems powerless knowing the God of the universe and his armies are fighting against them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, let what we can only see as fiction become facts that we find our strength in. Give us eyes to see your real presence in the natural world!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-84023199365071724982010-04-05T09:48:00.000-07:002010-04-05T09:48:25.755-07:00The God Who Whispers<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” 1 Kings 19:11-13</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">There were many times in the Israel's history when God needed to be fire, or an earthquake, or a mighty wind. Even for Elijah, a chapter earlier God showed up in a consuming fire and defeated the prophets of Baal. There is no mistake that God is a mighty and powerful God, capable of far greater destruction and force than any natural thing we know. But in this instant, when Elijah had lost all hope and passion, God chose instead of displaying his power and might, to comfort Elijah with a whisper. It was exactly what Elijah needed to be restored. What I love about this story is that it is a story that you can't just make up. It makes sense for God to show up in a fire, or an earthquake, or a hurricane, or a whirlwind, but to show up in a low whisper, there is seemingly no drama that it brings. Which is why this can't just be made up. No one, when they think about God, thinks of Him as a God who whispers. But God does speak in both the powerful and the subtle, he is both the conqueror and the comforter, the lion and the lamb. There are many times when I get to the end of my passion or patience, when I find myself increasingly cynical about life and ministry, and all I can think of is how much easier life would be if the fire of God's word weren't burning inside me. In those moments of darkness, I praise God that He is willing to whisper me back to a passionate devotion to him. I praise him that he not only conquered my sin, but comforts my weakness. Our God is a God who both shouts and whispers, and he knows which one we need.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, meet us in or need and draw us gently back to the pastures of your grace. We long for you in our hopeless and tireless struggles and know that you will bring us comfort!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-80242591218545933892010-03-27T08:52:00.000-07:002010-03-27T08:52:32.919-07:00Cripples at the Table of the King<div style="text-align: center;">“<i>So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.” 2 Samuel 9:13</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't know if everybody does this, but when I read through biblical stories I will always picture myself as the different people I'm reading. When reading about Moses, I picture myself with a long beard and dirty tunic holding two stone tablets, or I'll picture myself as David with a slingshot and five rocks. It's probably evidence of narcissism more than anything, but a part of it is the relatability of the biblical characters. These are real people who had real encounters with God, and we can see ourselves in them because, like us, they were human. In 2 Samuel 9, a not as well known character is introduced into the bible, Mephibosheth, who is the crippled son of King Saul, the only son left in his family. David wants to honor his friendship with Jonathan by finding anyone left in Saul's family and bringing him to his palace. Mephibosheth is the only one left, and he is crippled in both feet. When David brings him before his throne, Mephibosheth is shocked and doesn't know how to handle David's kindness. Nevertheless, David takes care of his family and Mephibosheth gets a permanent invitation to eat at the table of the king. Just imagine it, there is King David at the head of the table, all his beautiful wives, his sons and daughters, the mighty men of Israel, and then a cripple. If I were honest with myself, of all the biblical characters I relate to best, its Mephibosheth. Through Jesus, I have been invited permanently to sit at the table of the king, but there is nothing I have to offer him. I am a cripple that can add nothing to God, but he invites me anyways. What a wonderful king we serve that provides a spot at the table of his kingdom for a cripple like me!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace in inviting us to the table, despite our crippling disabilities. You are a majestic King who gives favor where no favor is due, and grace to those who don't deserve it!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-20560312320091100182010-03-23T14:09:00.000-07:002010-03-23T14:09:43.513-07:00Future Blindness<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”” 1 Samuel 27:1</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">David needed a Delorean and a flux capacitor. After being pursued constantly by Saul for years, living in caves, always on the move, expecting to be killed at all times, David got to a point where he couldn't believe his life would be anything else. He resolved in his heart that Saul would eventually kill him so out of desperation he sought asylum in the hands of his enemies. David could have used time travel. If him and Doc Brown could go even two years into the future, he would see that his life was not meant for ruin but to be a great king. However David forgot his anointing, lost sight of the words God already gave him and fled in despair. There are so many times when we, like David, could use a time machine. We might be stuck in a dead end job, going through a difficult time with a spouse, a friend, a family member that just never seems to end, we might have a sickness or pain that won't go away, or be in the midst of any number of other struggles and sorrows. We may have waited patiently, trusted God fervently, prayed unceasingly, but still nothing happens. Many of us, like David, have had enough of waiting and have slipped into the violent abyss of despair. One of the most crippling and widespread disabilities amongst people is future blindness. None of us can see the future. And because of the lack of sight into our own personal future, we let our blindness cripple us in the present. But believers, we must not lose heart in the midst of pain. Although we may not know our own personal end, we may not understand the present sufferings that we find ourselves in, we do know that God will bring us into his kingdom. We do know that God is drawing people to himself for the glorification of himself, and that all things serve to that end. So we cannot lose heart.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, be our vision in the midst of our blindness and help us to see your purposes and goodness in all circumstances.</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-88290911898178604572010-03-19T07:53:00.000-07:002010-03-19T07:53:23.494-07:00Good Intentions Don't Matter<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to listen than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The practice of worship can be a dangerous thing. I think there is a pervasive mentality that as long as we have good intentions in worshipping God, it doesn't really matter if how we worship lines up with his commandments. This is the, "It's the thought that counts," view of worshipping and serving God. Saul and the people of Israel had this. Although God commanded them to completely destroy the Amalekites, they thought it would be nice to instead take the best of their crops and flocks and sacrifice them to the Lord. When Samuel heard about this, he went and told Saul the kingdom is being taken away from him. In that dialogue, one of the most significant statements about worship in the whole Bible is made. God doesn't care about the sacrifice, the rituals, the offerings, the liturgy, or any of the religious acts of worship if obedience is compromised to accomplish it. Some examples: there is a glaring need of the poor in our immediate community and instead we use the resources God gave us to expand or enhance our already incredible facility. God commands us to take care of the poor, not have perfect clarity in our sound system. A cross or crucifix is set up in a worship service and instead of using it as an artistic image to point to a spiritual worship of God, we bow down before it and worship the object in front of us. God commands us not to make or worship images of himself. Worship music, sermons, books, or any other creative act of worship are made for the sake of business profit over the sake of growing the kingdom and expanding the glorification of God. God commands us to have no other gods before Him, including the greedy god of capitalism. The list can go on and on. All of these things are done with good intentions thinking that God wants whatever worship we give him as long as we mean well. But this is simply not true. Worshipping God, at its core, is being obedient to what he commands and submissive to his lordship. Worship without thought to obedience is dangerous, and we ought be more careful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, we repent of the way that we place the mode of our offerings before our obedience. Give us a passion for righteousness that guides us to right worship!</div></div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-17005049954274534702010-03-15T09:59:00.000-07:002010-03-15T09:59:42.497-07:00God's Silence<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” 1 Samuel 3:1</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The book of Judges ends on a bit of a rough note. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Picking up from there, the book of 1 Samuel doesn't start off much better. It's hard to believe that in only a few generations, Israel had completely walked away from God and perverted the covenant made with them. They were not that far removed from the miracles done at the hand of Moses and Joshua, and were reminded of God's power through the numerous judges God sent to Israel to save them. But it didn't seem to matter. They did what was right in their own eyes, so much so that the very voice of God, the words which rang so sweet to Moses, that drove Joshua to victory, the very presence of God that made Israel distinct and revered amongst the nations, was gone. God didn't seem to want to speak to them. As Hannah, in her prayer spoke, “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” (1 Samuel 2:5) There are times when God chooses not to speak for the sake of building faith. Those times are sweet silence and we should be joyful while suffering through them because God is doing more in his silence than he was in his speech. However, often times he is silent because we are not in a position to hear him. The only people in Israel at the time of 1 Samuel to hear God was a barren woman and a little child. Israel was in such sin and perversion God threw up his arms and decided to withhold his word. This is a scary place to be. If God is silent, both personally and in our communities, our churches, and our culture, then we need to take an honest look at our personal and communal sins. Are we a people God would want to talk to?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, we repent of our straying hearts that make our ears not work with your voice. Remove all the hindrances that keep us from you and return your Spirit to our midst once again!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-22145451134245209572010-03-14T19:46:00.000-07:002010-03-14T19:46:03.763-07:00God's Impatience<div style="text-align: center;">“<i>So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.” Judges 10:16</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The patience of God is abounding through Scriptures as he deals with both Israel and His church. God waits as we struggle through faith, as we turn away, as we repent. He is patient to not destroy us or disown us. In Judges, Israel turns away frequently and God is continually disciplining and then saving them. It seems if he were to grow impatient with anything, it would be of Israel's disobedience. But instead, God grows impatient in watching Israel suffer as a result of his discipline. This is powerful insight into the magnificent love of God. Regardless of what we have done, when we are called children of God, His heart breaks to see us suffer, even if the suffering is deserved. What joy we have in Christ, that our Lord grows impatient with our misery, for it is the impatience of God that leads to His action of salvation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, thank you for your unwavering love of your wavering children!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-75233144259831070582010-03-14T19:34:00.000-07:002010-03-14T19:34:52.147-07:00The Nature of Worship<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.”” Judges 7:15</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">From the beginning of Gideon's story, it is apparent that he is a strong man. But despite his strength, he is hesitant to use it to do what God asks of him. Even after signs and miracles, success and victory over the Midianites, Gideon still has doubts about God's power to do what he says. Finally, after God tells him to go and listen to the enemy predict God's victory, Gideon gets it...and he worships. Worship is often times a word subjugated to a mere act of singing done on a Sunday morning. But with Gideon, worship was the moment he finally allowed his will, his skill, his talent, and his power to bow down to the lordship of Almighty God. Worshipping God should be nothing less for us. It is not the repetitious singing of songs or prayers or meditation or art or writing in itself. Worship is the response of complete submission and those other actions are predicated on that initial posture. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, let us not belittle worship by making it anything but a complete submission to you!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-55650782806745233842010-03-06T08:49:00.000-08:002010-03-06T08:49:18.835-08:00Debtors to Grace<div style="text-align: center;">“<i>I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’” Joshua 24:13</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The blessing of God is always a result of the grace of God, we never deserve God's blessing. After Israel received their inheritance, having driven out the inhabitants of the land, God reminds them to not get proud or entitled about the land they were now living in. They lived in cities they did not build and ate food they did not plant. How often do I look at the blessings God has bestowed on my life and forget who gave them to me. I look at my job and think I got that because of my education, background, and skill set. I think of my home and think this came about through a series of investments and choices that brought in enough money to qualify for a loan and make a down payment. I think of my family and claim that I was able to pursue and woo my wife into a relationship with me and through my wooing, we are now a family. All the blessings I have received, without explicitly acknowledging it, I count as a result of actions I did. Blessings seem to be thought of as my just desserts. I praise God he reminds all of us that we are merely poor men and debtors living in the mansion of the king. The food we eat is from the king's pantry, and the bed upon which we sleep is covered with noble linens. Israel was not a special nation. They were smaller than everyone else, stubborn, and a nation without a home. They were poor and lowly nomads and slaves. But God saw fit to give them cities and land, vineyards and pastures, cattle and fruit, and make them a nation greatly feared by other nations. I am no different. I was a man born into selfishness and pride, without discipline or love, an absolute slave to sin and helplessly bankrupt with regards to spiritual life. I was literally dead to all things that mattered and utterly incapable of doing anything about it. But God saw fit to save me, to give me a city and home I did not build, and vineyards I did not plant, and he did so out of grace. We cannot forget that we are debtors to grace and undeserving recipients of blessing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, I praise you for your grace and am in debt to your blessings. I praise you for you are a God of love unspeakable and riches everlasting!</div>Cody Kimmelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405776081774038900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483347699254139618.post-76882213269779962632010-03-05T08:23:00.000-08:002010-03-05T08:23:50.164-08:00Rest Will Come<div style="text-align: center;"><i>“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” Joshua 11:23</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The taking of the promised land by Joshua and the nation of Israel was a restless and painful process. Joshua acted quickly and pushed the nation constantly to drive out and wipe out the inhabitants of the land, as God had commanded him. There was a lot of killing and death, a lot of moving, striking tents and laying them down again, and the nation was tired. Even further, this is after the nation had wandered through the wilderness for forty years after being slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Rest was not something Israel had experienced once in their memorable past. Finally, in Joshua 11:23, one of the most significant statements in all of Israel's history is recorded. After all the wanderings, starting with Abraham, the slavery in Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, and the war in taking the land, Israel finally had rest. Everything they had longed for, spent years picturing, dreamed of at night, prophesied about, and worked for was finally there. The promise of land given in the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12 was finally theirs. They had land and they had rest. Right now, we believers are still waiting for that same rest. Some of us are still in the slavery of sin, some are wandering through the wilderness of religion, some are even on the soil of the promised land fighting and slaying the evil giants and inhabitants who have corrupted our very souls. But as long as we are alive on this earth, none of us have fully entered God's rest. We have the promise, we have the presence of God's Spirit in our midst, we have the eternal sacrifice of the Son, we have the guiding of the Father, but we are not home yet. Brothers and sisters, rest is coming! We may feel weary from the journey, discouraged by the time, disheartened by the foes, and beaten by giants, but let us be strong and courageous, for God is with us and he will bring us into his rest in heaven!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord Jesus, return soon and bring all the nations who are blessed through Israel into the blessing of the promise made to Abraham. Give us your rest!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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