Skill for Life, Songs for Life & the Lord of Life

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Scott McKinley

Would you like to join me in reading through Proverbs, Psalms and all four Gospels over the next month? As you read spend some time thinking and praying about what you are reading. Ask God to challenge you and transform you. Take some notes and share what you learn about God and yourself with someone else. Navigate Life with:

Proverbs   -   Skill for Life
Psalms   -   Songs for Life
The Gospels   -    Jesus, Lord of Life

Proverbs has 31 Chapters. Simply read a chapter a day. You can also do some easy math with Psalms. With 150 chapters, if you read 5 chapters a day you’ll read the entire book in a month. The chapters have different lengths, so if you do it that way plan more or less time each day. The Gospels total 89 chapters. Read 3 chapters a day and you’ll read through the life and ministry of Jesus in all four Gospels in 30 days.

Here are a few ideas to get you (and me) started:

  • I put together a Monthly Reading Plan, organized by the day of the month. You’ll spend approximately the same amount of time each day. Print it out and keep it with your Bible or bookmark the page and click the links.
  • If you miss a day, don’t get discouraged. Start up again with the reading for the current day.
  • Maybe split your reading times up for different times of the day: Proverbs in the morning, Psalms at lunch or during  break, the Gospels at night.
  • If you have an audio Bible, mix up your reading with a little listening. This morning on the drive to work I gave the radio a break and listened to Matthew 1-3 and Psalms 1-7.

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God Loves First

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Scott McKinley

For a couple of weeks now I’ve been spending some time in I John. The letter that has quite a lot to say about God’s love for us, our love for God and our love for others. Take a look at 1 John 4: 9-10:

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (NIV).

John goes on to say, “We love because he first loved us (v.19).”

God loves first! Love is God’s idea. God is the source of love. Love originates with God. God’s love for us is not a reaction or response to something we did in the past, are doing right now or will do in the future. Our love for God and our love people is and will always be our response to God’s love for us! Once again, God loves first… and God’s love gives!

John R. W. Stott says it like this:

He loves us and sent his Son to rescue us, not because we are lovable, but because he is love. So the greatness of his love is seen in the costliness of his self-sacrifice for the wholly undeserving (cf. Rom. 5:7-8). A clearer manifestation of God’s love could not be imagined (The Letters of John).

Thank God today for his amazing, costly, self-giving, self-sacrificing, unconditional and wholly undeserving love for you in his Son, Jesus Christ. The love that God shows us in Christ is more than words, “I love you.” And our response to God is more than words, “Love you too” or “Love you back.” Our response to God in loving him in return with the love he gives us will change the way we live.

“Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
(Isaac Watts – When I Survey The Wondrous Cross)

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The Love Test

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Scott McKinley

How’s your love life? Read 1 Corinthians 13 and take a simple test.

Verses 4-7 focus on the character of love and gives examples of what a life of love looks like:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV).

Now for the test. Go back through that list and replace “love” with your name. Say it out loud. Warning! Do this when you’re alone or expect odd reactions from someone who knows the real you. Example, “Scott is patient.”

  • __________ is patient
  • __________ is kind
  • __________ does not envy
  • __________ does not boast
  • __________ is not proud
  • __________ is not rude
  • __________ is not self-seeking
  • __________ is not easily angered
  • __________ keeps no record of wrongs
  • __________ does not delight in evil
  • __________ rejoices with the truth
  • __________ always protects
  • __________ always trusts
  • __________ always hopes
  • __________ always perseveres

So, how’s your love life? How do you rate? As you said those statements did you feel yourself wince a little bit? Did you hear any nervous laughter coming from your lips?

Every day we are tested and tempted to love or not love, to be patient or impatient, to be kind or unkind, to be self-seeking or to seek the good of someone else. We all have our weak spots… Our wounded spots… Our buttons… and people who know how to push them. Where are you vulnerable?

Today as you become aware of the test, I have a suggestion. Stop for a moment and go to Jesus Christ. Simply pray, “Lord, make me loving.” Tonight as you reflect back over the day, rejoice with Christ in the ways you saw his love show up in your life. And for the times that you did not “remove your finger from the trigger”… Simply pray, “Forgive me. Change me. Make me loving.”

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The Father’s Lavished Love

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Scott McKinley

Every other Friday night my wife and I meet with a small group of people to get to know each other, hang out,  study the Bible, pray for each other, encourage each other and share life. For the study our Care Group is currently using Imagine Life God’s Way, a study guide on Jesus’ parables (John Ortberg). In last Friday’s study there was a “homework assignment” to read, meditate on and memorize 1 John 3:1-3.  Here’s the first part of the passage in several translations:

Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called “children of God” and that is not just what we are called, but what we are. – Our heredity on the Godward side is no mere figure of speech…. (I John 3:1a Phillips)

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it–we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are…. (1 John 3:1a MSG)

SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! (1 John 3:1a AMP)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a NIV)

Read the verse again (and maybe again and again). What about the Father’s great, incredible, marvelous, wonderful love stands out to you? Sometimes my heart beats a little faster when I think about Jesus’ death, resurrection and those words, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us.” Lavished sounds so extraordinary… and it is! It’s not a word in my day to day vocabulary. I don’t over use “lavish” as I do words like “cool” or “awesome.” In fact I just looked it up to make sure I understood what it means. Lavish: Expending or bestowing profusely. Produced in abundance.

When thinking about this verse, Ortberg encourages us: “Know that it is telling you who you are and how much the Father loves you. Ask God to overwhelm you with the height and depth and breadth of his love.” So take some time through out your day to think about, meditate on and thank God for his great, marvelous and lavished love. His love is like no other love!

As you think about God’s great love for you in Jesus Christ, here’s a totally cool and awesome (had to say it) video for you… David Crowder Band – How He Loves.

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Living a Life of Love

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Scott McKinley

Who is the most loving person you know? Not the most loving person you know about, but the most loving person you know? Seriously, think about it. What does a life of love (a life full of and characterized by love) look like?

Consider Jesus. How did he live and express a life of love in the way he spoke and way he lived – by what he said and what he did? How was Jesus loving? How was his life characterized by love of people?

Now ask yourself, “If I was more loving to others, what would my life look like?”

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

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Jesus… Creator, Source and Sustainer of Life

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Scott McKinley

Do you ever find yourself, like me, searching for life outside of Jesus? Looking for some “thing” to make you happy and give you fulfillment?

Does this sound familiar? Far too often I tether my security to things and attach my joy to people. Things break, go out of fashion, or just don’t deliver what I thought they promised. People come in and out of life. Their goals and objectives change. Their moods change. Sometimes they disappear. Sometimes I wish they would… and they don’t! 

I forget what’s important and drift away from the One who matters most. At best I confuse God’s blessings and gifts as life itself. At worst I settle for cheap imitations and counterfeits for life.  I miss out on the full-to-overflowing adventurous life God has prepared for me.

The Apostle John wrote of Jesus:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1-4 NIV).

Stop, take in, think upon those words. “In him was life.” Jesus is the Source of life. In him we can find all that we long for and need, now and forever!

The writer of the ancient Celtic hymn Be Thou My Vision got it right when expressing a heart set on things above and life in Jesus:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Notice the prayer in this great hymn is not “give me vision”, “give me wisdom” or “give me shelter.”  The prayer is, “Lord of my heart, be this for me… my vision, my best thought, my light, my wisdom, my dignity, my delight.” This prayer is the prayer of one seeking life in the only source of true life.

Join with me in this prayer today: Jesus Christ — Creator, Source, Sustainer of life — be my All in all. Be my everything. Today I seek you, not things. I desire you.

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Living a Life of Thanksgiving

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Scott McKinley

Several times a week I begin my morning with a simple prayer of thanksgiving, “Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this new day.” Sometimes the words leave my lips before I roll out of bed… Some days not until the first or second cup of coffee. To be completely honest, though,  this is a fairly recent habit that I learned coming through a difficult time and out of dark place.

In my mind and in my heart the day (pick a day, any day) was not a gift to be received with thanks. Life in general and this day in particular had become a chore, a task, something to get through, something to endure.
 
A few years back, a friend asked me to sing the worship classic “Give Thanks” for a special occasion. Maybe you haven’t heard it in a while. It goes a little something like this…

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks unto the Holy One,
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.

It may as well have been Jesus standing in front of me asking me to sing… and showing me my heart! Don’t you know that sometimes Jesus shows up just like that? In the words of a friend or the voice of stranger? My first thoughts were, “But, I don’t want to sing. I’m not thankful. I’m tired. I’m stressed. I’m hurt. I’m in pain.” My second thoughts were, “Whoa! Wait a minute! How did I get here? When did I become ungrateful? Unthankful?”

I did the song with not so much a grateful heart, but eyes wide open to the condition of my heart. I began to examine my life and I began praying, “Lord, help me. Make me grateful again.”

As followers of Christ we are called to live and enjoy a life that is full of thanksgiving and overflowing with gratitude. Take a look at Colossians 3. Paul encourages us:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:15-17 NIV).

Do you see that thanksgiving should and can permeate every aspect of your life? Today, if you find yourself ungrateful, go to your Heavenly Father and ask for his help. Begin with asking him, “How did I get here? Why am I ungrateful? Make me thankful again, especially for your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me live a life of thanksgiving.”

Give thanks and rejoice with me in the gift of this new day!

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Who Chooses Life at the Bottom?

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Scott McKinley

Who would choose life at the bottom? To sit in the last seat at the table… or not even be offered a spot? Standing room only at the back of the room? The worst parking space? To be the guy who parks the cars? Who chooses humility?

Life at the bottom? That’s so counter-intuitive… so counter-cultural!

Several years ago I was introduced to the writing of George MacDonald through his thoughts on “Jesus the Servant.” This has become my favorite quotation about service, management and leadership (aka: servant-leadership):

“The notion of rank in the world is like a pyramid; the higher you go up, the fewer there are above you whom you must serve, and the more you are served by those beneath you. All who are under serve those who are above, until you come to the apex, and there stands someone who has to do no service, but whom all others have to serve.

In the kingdom of heaven, however, the figure is exactly reversed. The pyramid is upside-down. The Son of Man lies at the inverted apex of the pyramid. He upholds, and serves, and ministers unto all, and they who would be high in his kingdom must go near him, at the bottom, to uphold and minister to all they can uphold and minister unto.

There is no other law of precedence, no other law of rank and position in God’s Kingdom. And that is the only kingdom. The other kingdom, that of this world, passes away.”

I can’t read John 13 or Philippians 2 without thinking about MacDonald’s words, “Go near him, at the bottom.” As followers of Jesus, he calls us to follow him to a place of humility, a place of service… to live life with him at the bottom.

Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served–and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage (Mark 10:42-45 — The Message).

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A Day with Jesus

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Scott McKinley

A few weeks ago as I was reading Octavius Winslow’s None Like Christ (1868).  Winslow closed this short book with St. Patrick’s Armor. Patrick is said to have prayed this prayer before beginning his great missionary adventure in Ireland:

Christ be with me,
Christ before me,
Christ after me,
Christ in me,
Christ under me,
Christ over me,
Christ at my right,
Christ at my left,
Christ at this side,
Christ at that side,
Christ in the heart of each person whom I speak to,
Christ in the mouth of each person who speaks to me,
Christ in each eye which sees me,
Christ in each ear which hears me.

This morning I’m starting the adventure of today with this prayer… giving my day to him, wanting to be continually reminded that he is with me, desiring to spend a day with Jesus.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV.

You can find a fuller and slightly different version of Patrick’s Breastplate at Ransomed Heart. For more about and from Octavius Winslow check out The Octavius Winslow Archive.

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Life in God’s Presence

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Scott McKinley

Take a look at Psalm 139. David spoke about Life in God’s Presence this way:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalms 139:7-12 NIV)

We segment and compartmentalize our lives. Some of us rigidly discipline our lives. We set the day and month, even the course of our lives by clocks and calendars. It’s time to go to work… Now it’s time to go home… It’s time to rest, to play, to exercise, read a book, spend time with family or friends, mow the yard, wash the dishes, walk the dog. Now it’s time to spend time with God.

Maybe we start our day with God, praying and reading scripture… Then go about our day. Or begin the day and end the day with prayer. That’s great, seriously! But should that satisfy us? Is it enough?

Here’s the truth about the presence of God, whether I believe it or not. This is reality whether I feel it or not…

  • In my remembering
  • In my forgetting
  • In my joy
  • In my pain
  • In my victory
  • In my defeat
  • In my doubt
  • In my faithfulness
  • In my sin
  • In my service
  • In my grieving
  • In my celebration

This is it… ALL OF LIFE is lived in the presence of God!

Here’s the challenge for us. God is more than a starting point. God is more than an ending point. God is more than bookends for the collection of stories and dramas of our day, week or year. God is here with me. God is there with you. Right here, right now… wherever here is or whenever now is. ALL OF LIFE is lived in the presence of God.

Our response? Give our moments and our days to God. Find ways to remain with him, dwell with him, abide with him. At set times and throughout the day worship, pray, seek, sing and don’t forget to listen. At work or at play live in him and through him.

“Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in endless praise.”
Take My Life and Let It Be – Frances R. Havergal

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