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Resting in the Lord Begins with Being Real...Part 2 of 4.

7/31/2023

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Part 2:
Here in Psalm 131 we get a glimpse of a BeReal moment that David shared with the Lord and the Lord’s people.

FIRST,

He was real in the way in which he viewed and addressed the Lord in verse 1.
- Keep in mind who David is at this point in time…When it comes to Kings, David was the GOAT. He was the greatest of that time. Just imagine what being the King over a nation must do to one’s ego…to one’s power…to one’s control.
- Yet we read that David approached the Lord in all realness and humility as he cried or sang out a name…
  - You and I both know that when we speak a name that it’s not just a word. Each name triggers thoughts, emotions and memories. For instance…
    - If you were to say your grandmother’s name in your head right now, then it’s likely that you’re thinking about a favorite time with her, or a favorite meal that she used to make you. All of that came by just stating her name or by bringing her up in your mind.
  - On July 3rd of this year, a few weeks ago, my father-in-law passed away after experiencing a heart attack while out on a bike ride. While I was back in Iowa, celebrating the life he lived, many people stopped by to share their memories of Brian. Brian wasn’t just a word or a name. Brian’s name meant more than that to each of us…and we all got to express who Brian was to us in our lives. Those are the thoughts and memories that pop up in our minds when we hear his name stated out loud.
  - So when David says, “Lord” or “Adonai,” like some translations choose to use here, he wasn’t just flippantly throwing a name out there to begin an empty or meaningless prayer or conversation or song with. His relationship (Adonai is a relational name for the Lord) with the Lord was much deeper than that and he is expressing that in the way in which he addresses Him.
  - By crying out to Adonai, David implies beneath the surface an acknowledgment of the Lord’s position and a recognition of the Lord’s attributes that he’s come to know the Lord by.

David acknowledged the Lord’s position in his life by crying out “Adonai.”
- I belong to Him…He is master over me, ruler over me, has power and leadership over me, He is sovereign over me. As I, David, am a king of a nation…He is the King of all kings of the entire world.
- We see a recognition of the Lord’s position even in the Book of Matthew. In Matthew 6:9, we see an example of how to begin a prayer.
  - Matthew 6:9 (CSB) “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.
  - When we consider our Father in Heaven…we automatically should think about how He is to be honored…how He is holy…and what all of that entails. That’s revealing from the very beginning that you’re recognizing His position in your life.
  - So enough with the vain and empty prayers. If you’re going to address Him, then Be Real about His position in the moment.
David also recognized the Lord’s attributes when crying out to “Adonai.”
- He recognized that the Lord is always present in his life. He is my protector and provider. He is loving, good (Ps. 16:2), gracious and forgiving…I know Him as such, because I’ve experienced these attributes firsthand from Him in my life.
- One author states that, “The more we acknowledge Him as Adonai, the more we will see of His goodness [and the rest of His attributes, and]...As we give ourselves to His rule, we will experience more joy in serving and [experience more] peace in [the] waiting.” https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-christians-mean-when-calling-god-adonai.html

Let me ask you this, when do you find yourself most often crying out to Adonai, if at all? If you do, then are you acknowledging His position and attributes..or is the conversation all about you. BeReal with Him in conversation…Remember, He already knows your every need and your motives. BUT…He longs to hear you cry out to Him for who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do. .
The Lord knew that David was off to a great start in this conversation by addressing Him as Adonai…Time to continue being real with Him.

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Resting in the Lord begins with Being Real...Part 1 of 4.

7/26/2023

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Real Dudes,
Here’s the link to the message I preached a few weeks ago at Faith Fellowship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KV_lNGOjik.
And I’ll start sending my notes to you in parts as well over the next week or two.
Practicing His Presence,
Nate

Part 1 / Introduction:
We’re continuing in our study of the Psalms of Ascent.
I’ve titled this morning's message “Resting in the Lord Begins with Being Real.”

Our main text is Psalm 131.
Psalm 131 (CSB)
A Childlike Spirit
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I do not get involved with things
too great or too wondrous for me.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted my soul
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like a weaned child.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.

It’s been said that “Rest in the Lord is a frequently used expression in the Bible. When the psalmist says, ‘Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him’ (Psalm 37:7, NKJV), he’s not talking about physical rest that involves taking a break from activity, relaxing, napping, or stopping to gather strength to continue or complete some physical undertaking. Rest in the Lord refers to a spiritual rest from confusion, worry, stress, useless human effort, and a break from all internal, external, mortal, and spiritual enemies. The Hebrew word translated as ‘rest’ means ‘to be at peace,’ ‘to be still,’ ‘to be quiet or calm.’” https://www.gotquestions.org/rest-in-the-Lord.html

While I was back home in Iowa last week, I heard the following expression on a couple different occasions, one from my daughter, and another from my nephew, “Time to BeReal”…“BeReal is the simplest photo sharing app…” https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bereal-your-friends-for-real/id1459645446
This “app notifies users at random times each day to share unfiltered snapshots of what they're doing during a two-minute window.” https://abc7.com/bereal-be-real-app-what-is-social-media/12109439/
It’s amazing how the world comes to a complete stop when it’s time to BeReal.

Next time we’ll take a look at a BeReal moment that David shared with the Lord.

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A Love that is Demonstrated

7/24/2023

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Real Dudes,
Today’s blog is entitled, “A love that is demonstrated.”
In the last blog I sent out, I pointed out that I could not find any instances recorded for us by the Holy Spirit that states that Jesus ever said “I love you,” directly to anyone. Instead, He always chose to demonstrate His love…knowing that actions speak louder than words. Here’s a great verse to really chew on for a while and express your gratitude to Him this morning for this very truth and example set before us…Romans 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
What about you, are you one to only use words, or do your actions speak louder? Strive each day to demonstrate your love to others.
Practicing His Example,
Nate

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He loved them to the end (John 13:1)

7/13/2023

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Real Dudes,
As many of you know, my father-in-law died a few weeks ago on July 3rd. I was in Wisconsin when I received this news and as I was on my way back to Iowa to be with family I was reflecting a lot on who my father-in-law was to so many people. I got to thinking...I don't recall ever hearing him say "I love you" to anyone. And then the Lord laid something interesting on my heart that I had never considered before. He had me ask myself "Did Jesus ever tell anyone that he loved them to their face?" As I was in the van, my daughter was driving, so I did some quick research. And not once could I find a passage that the words "I love you" came out of Jesus' own mouth. I'm well aware that Jesus spoke more words than are fully recorded in His word, but the Holy Spirit inspired the hands of men to pen the words He felt were necessary to be included for us to read and live by.
What I find interesting is that during the Lord's last moments with His disciples at the Last Supper, it is recorded that "he loved them to the end," in John 13:1. It doesn't say that Jesus said this. The Holy Spirit is just pointing out His heart, just in case you were wondering what was going on in the mind of Christ. In the following verses of John 13, Jesus then goes on to demonstrate His love to everyone around Him. We don't have that He said "I love you," but what we have is much more precious than that. He loved everyone to the end...even the one's who denied and betrayed Him. He loved them so much that He even chose to die for them.
Lip service is detestable to the Lord...He'd prefer to spew out anything lukewarm. Jesus doesn't want to hear you say you have faith...He wants you to demonstrate it. He doesn't want to necessarily hear you say "I love you" to Himself or others...He wants you to demonstrate it.
My father-in-law wasn't an outspoken "I love you" kind of guy...and that's not to knock him. What's commendable is that he was a demonstrator. He lived out his faith and love each day of his life. What a role model. No doubt he was only following the greatest example of all...the Lord Himself.
Men...stop telling the Lord and others that you love them, and then never do anything to prove your love to them. May we get out of that rut if it's become the norm for us. Instead, let me encourage all of us, myself included, to be more of a men known for being demonstrators of our love each moment of our lives. Desire for others to say about you that "you loved them to the end," not so much because of your words, but more so because of your actions. Men...never give up on others just like Christ never gave up on you. Keep loving everyone to the end.
Practicing His Presence,
Nate

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Resting in the Lord Begins with Being Real...Part 2 of 4.

Resting in the Lord begins with Being Real...Part 1 of 4.

A Love that is Demonstrated

He loved them to the end (John 13:1)

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