A Battered Warrior

What Would Jehoshaphat Do?

2 Chronicles 20:12 “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

Jehoshaphat was on the verge of battle. Three countries were uniting to come destroy his people and take his kingdom. Upon hearing the news Jehoshaphat had two choices, focus on the enemy or focus on God. He chose to focus on God and he was delivered without even having to fight. The attacking countries turned on each other and killed themselves.

Miles McPherson said it this way, “How you respond to ‘drama’ or a crisis shows what information you focus on.” Jehoshaphat could have focused on the threat of the enemy, the fear of losing his kingdom and his life, or even focused inward and committed himself to trying to save his own neck; instead he chose to worship God and trust in Go’s promises.

When things seem to be piling up do you focus on the drama or do you seek God’s face? Do you crumble under the pressure and try to “figure things out” or do you praise God because you have faith in His plan?

At times it is hard to trust in God’s plan, in Isaiah we are taught that “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). We must have faith. Our response to our trials and circumstances reveals a great deal about our faith; sometimes we are placed in situations to stretch our faith.

When the pressure mounts and you don’t know what to do, rejoice because you are not always supposed to understand at that moment! It is at those times we turn to God, seek His guidance and His face. God is faithful. God will guide you and bring you through your trials. There is no question, His timing and His ways are perfect. The only question is simple, Do you trust Him?

But I am SO ANGRY

James 1:19-25  "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has learned, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does."

     After a few quick searches, the health risks or conditions associated with inproperly managed anger is staggering: Headaches, digestion issues, insomnia, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, eczema, heart attacks, stroke, and even cancer. The problem is that anger was intended to trigger our "fight or flight" reaction, therefore the body starts producing the chemicals the body needs to react. While these chemicals are necessary in certain instances, they are not meant to be constantly present.

    So what is James saying to us? We are to be slow to anger and our anger does not serve God's purpose. We are to submit to God's law and study it, not just acknowledge it, but to apply it. If we look closely at Jesus' instructions, we are not to hold on to unforgiveness, we are to forgive as we have been forgiven and so that we can be forgiven (Mark 11:25).

    In order to forgive we must let go of our anger, we must lay it at His feet. Take a few minutes to search your heart, ask God to reveal any unresolved anger you have and let it go. Do not let unresolved anger steal your joy and peace - it will not only deteriorate your physical self, it can keep you from experiencing all of God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

Are You Settling?

Proverbs 27:7  "He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet."

                                

    Have you ever wondered why people settle for less than they deserve? Have you ever looked at someone and thought, "They could do so much better"? People are not made to be complete on their own, they need more. We are all designed to worship something - some choose money, their careers, their bodies, other people, etc. We were not created to worship any of these things and when we do we are left spiritually hungry.

    When we fail to acknowledge our design and recognize our Creator we are without purpose and meaning. After spending a few minutes watching the news or scanning the evening television line up, one can not deny society is becoming morally bankrupt. It is a fact that our society, America's, has shifted away from Christian values and with this shift our level of "tolerance" has increased. As we become more tolerant the lines of right and wrong are blurred and we are left with a grey world.

    Our world is hungry and starving but we are choosing to feast on the bitter fruits of the world instead of partaking in the food that will nourish our souls.

Whose Are You?

Isaiah 43: 1  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” 

Isaiah 43:18-19  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!”

 

     How many times do we feel dejected, worthless, and confused? Life is not going as we planned and pressures are mounting. The stench of failure and heartache fills the air; the blanket of isolation offers a dark and eerie comfort; the tears of your heart seem to be flooding your soul and you feel yourself mired in uncertainty. Isaiah 43 gives us so much encouragement, God calls us his own. Look at the protection He promises us, the price He paid, and the assurance that no one can take us out of His hand.

     Our lives tend to happen fast, a little distraction quickly becomes major detour or a new tangent that consumes our time. We soon find ourselves spiraling out of control and crying out, “Why is this happening?” Often times the answer is simple; we have forgotten to spend time with the one to whom we belong. We tend to quickly fill God’s time with new distractions and neglect the most important relationship in our lives – no wonder we lose perspective.

 

.... Fear Itself

Psalm 27:1-2  “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? “

 

                Today God used my daughter to teach me a valuable lesson. We were on the second floor of a building; there was an overlook near where I was standing in line. My daughter suddenly developed a fear of heights – the same little girl that rides roller coasters was suddenly afraid to stand near me. She backed up against the wall on the opposite side of the hall and refused to come to me. I because extremely frustrated and I tried to explain why her fear was irrational. I failed. She stayed put. I was frustrated because I wanted to talk to her, but could not do so if she stayed that far from me. Eventually we were able to move on in line and we all walked together, but for a while she refused to move.

                During worship God broke my heart. I thought about how many times I have let my fears keep me from coming to God. God is calling us to join Him in His work and to have a relationship with Him – our fear, or lack of faith robs us of these experiences. Today God taught me a lesson about my walk with Him by letting me see my daughter’s fear. Why did I get so frustrated with her? I took her fear as rejection, that she did not trust me to keep her safe. Even though I know she trusts me, in this incident to her it was safer to stay there because of something might happen.

                How must God feel? We have the creator of the universe calling us to come near Him and we freeze. We come up with excuses to ignore our callings and they are all because of a lack of faith. We have God calling us and we are afraid of what might happen…

                My daughter and I talked about my frustrations and her feelings… I told her that I just wanted to talk to her and the she knew I would never let anything happen to her – she said “I was just scared.” We ended our talk with pinkie promises – the most special promises between a father and child – I promised to try to understand and I renewed my promise to always take care of her, she promised to try.  Later I had a similar conversation with God…

 

How Deep Do You Want to Look?

Proverbs 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."

 

    A city's walls are its source of protection and strength. The walls were not only a good defense but they were also a strong deterrent to any attackers as well. It is much easier to destroy or conquer a city without walls than a city that is well fortified.

    Is it simply enough to "know" God's word, His laws, and His ways? No! Granted we are saved by God's grace and He enbles us to repent for our sins - lately I have heard so many people claim that "God knows me, He made me and He understands. Besides He knows I am trying and He forgives me." Take a few minutes and think about that statement. Think about the society we live in and the attitudes society celebrates.

    Yes, God does forgive. Though he also says"...love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) and "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me..." (John 14:21). 

    Obeying all starts with self-control... This simple little proverb should be a warning to most of our society and the attitude of "if it makes me happy..." or "I have to do what is right for me, I know the rules but..." Are your walls broken or crumbling? - Guess that depends on how deep you want to look.
    

 

Through Whose Eyes?

Mark 12:41-44  " Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, " I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of wealth; but she, out of poverty, put in everything- all she had to live on."

                                            

 

   How many times do we only view the surface of an issue?  Imagine winning the lottery, say $100 million cash - after taxes. In you mind you start to think about helping others, maybe a charity or the church, so you give them a million dollars. People might be impressed with your generosity, heck they might even name a scholarship or put a plaque on the wall for you - but what did you really do? You gave one percent! You gave a penny for every dollar you won.

   In our society we are caught up in flashy and new things - the bigger the better. We forget that God views the heart - that is what matters. As a parent we sometimes receive some "unique" gifts - but no matter what their physical appearance is, they are precious. Until I had my own children I never truly understood how my mom could be content with a construction paper card for a present. How could she not care that I did not spend hundreds of dollars on a new gadget, she liked the card - she actually preferred the card. Why? - It came from the heart.

    God wants us to give from a joyful heart and to trust His words that He will provide. We must learn a lesson that is totally against our modern society - we must learn to be content. We can not compare ourselves, our situations, or anything to others. We must understand that one person's blessing is another person's curse. It is very easy to feel sorry for someone or blame God for a circumstance, but we have to stop and ask ourselves this question - "Through whose eyes am I seeing things?" - if you answer your own, then you are most likely missing the big picture.  God's plans and His ways are not bound by the rules we live by, do not try to understand everything - we were not meant to. Faith is what allows us to accept that God is God and we are not.

    
 

A Matter of Perspective....

Proverbs 16:2  "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord"

    How often do we catch ourselves justifying things we know are wrong? Look at the simple things, speeding on the freeways, texting while driving, and even lying. We speed because it is safer, "Everyone else is doing 75, so if I only drive 65 I will be holding up traffic and they will run me over." Texting - "I am a good driver and I know my phone, so I do not even have to look down. It is not a big deal, besides what a dumb law."  Lying - "I only did it to protect your feelings, if I told you the truth it would have made things worse." We are told to speak the truth in love - would the truth really hurt the person if we tell them out of love, or is it just easier to lie and avoid an uncomfortable situation?

    We justify our actions constantly and we use the world around us to prove we are right. The fatal flaw is that this is a fallen and corrupt world, the world is not just. It is even more dangerous when we try to play this game with God. "I know that the Bible says it is wrong, but God made me and He knows where I am at." Maybe a better way to approach things is with a humble and broken heart.

    The second we have to start justifying things, why should just admit we are wrong and ask for forgiveness.

Who Made Whom?

 

Genesis 1:27   "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him..."

 

     
            “God created man in His image, unfortunately we returned the favor.” I heard this quote a couple weeks ago at church, it is unfortunately too true. We tend to limit God based on our own capabilities, understanding, perceptions, and perspective of time and the world in general.

            Since God created us, we have limits – therefore it is impossible for us to comprehend someone that is limitless, someone that is not bound by our limitations, and someone that can defy our own logic. We reside in a fallen world, things are not as they were intended to be, since we only know a fallen world we are forced to see things through fallen eyes.

Think about a pair of cheap sunglasses covered in scratches, smudges, and ill fitting. Everything you see is distorted, nothing as crisp or sharp as it is intended to be seen. If you had never known that there was something better or a way to clean the film off the lenses, you would be come content with this view. More damaging you would begin to explain your world by these inaccurate visions; after all you have never seen things any differently.

The message of the Gospel is a message of Hope. We have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe – the giver of life; a God with limitless power and more importantly limitless love. People tend to develop their own ideal of God and what He can or can not do, what He will or will not do, and even define his character according to our twisted perceptions of justice and “fair”.

Take sometime this week to really read the Bible both Old and New Testament and see what you can learn about God’s true nature, His character, and His power. Compare your perceptions and feelings about God to the Biblical truths you learn… dare to let God out of the box and let Him reveal Himself to you in a new and powerful way.

 

Emotional?

Psalm 4:4-5   "In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord." 

 

    We all tend to have restless nights, lying in bed worrying about things we can not control or replaying that last arguement to figure out the perfect clever comeback.  How many times do we let our emotions, particularly anger, cause us to sin? If we do not keep or feelings in perspective, a Biblical perspective, we put ourselves at risk for all kinds of sin - lust, envy, pride...  

    How would you answer the following question, "If you were standing before God, could you describe your relationship with Him by saying, 'I love You with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind and all my strength?'"  - before you answer look at this verse - John 14:21 "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

   Maybe we need to reflect a bit... I would love to answer that question with a loud "Yes," but when I consider my actions my answer has to change. I can answer that question with, "I want to say Yes but I realize I am a work in progress and will grow each day."  As Christians we know that we still fall short, it is how we allow God to change our hearts that is key. When God convicts us of sin in our lives, how we react reveals the condition of our hearts and that reaction is ultimately what supports our answer to the question. 

   Take some time to think about that answer....

Robbing Your Comfort?

Genesis 12:1  "The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

 

    Have you ever felt that God was telling you something? Maybe giving you a warning or comfort? I have felt God's encouragement and comfort from time to time - though I realized a couple things. I have a great potential to rob the comfort of the message.

    At various times I have been struggling in certain areas or needed God's comfort and direction in my life - standing at a crossroads and asking God which way to go. One time I felt God was asking me if I trusted Him - of course I said "yes."   What he told me next should have been a HUGE comfort, He said, "The situations your are facing, your worries, everything about your life is in my hands and I will take care of you." What a blessing. Instead of accepting the comfort, I started to question Him. "Ok God. So now what do I do? Am I going to go here or there? When do I need to go? How are you going to do this? Come on, I need to know so I can plan."

    That is when it hit me - I took a step back and listened to myself... "I need to know so I can plan." What a prideful statement. God just told me that he has everything and he will take care of me - but I feel the need to still plan. I reduced God from being in charge to being an adviser. Quickly what should have been a moment of comfort turned into a moment of anxiety and stress. I allowed my comfort to be taken from me by my pride and lack of faith. Maybe that is why God often chooses to wake me to tell me things - that way I do not have the chance to interrupt and question him before he tells me...

    Maybe we should take a lesson from the Abram, and just Go. Abram had to start his journey without knowing where he was going or how long it would take, he had to go on faith. What would you do if God told you to just get in your car and Go, do not take anything, just Go. When we continually question or doubt, wanting to know details can be contributed to doubt and lack of faith, we miss part of the experience God intended for us. We do not grow as much in our faith as God may have intended, we miss out on experiencing something new, etc.

    My prayer is that in the future I embrace the comfort and the blessing that God is giving me and accept it; That my pride not rob me of the comfort and peace that is intended to soothe me; That I be able to obediently and instantly respond to His calling and instruction.  It will take work, but that is my prayer.

Does the Bible Matter In the 21st Century?

I read this article and had to share, it was cut and pasted from Fox News, please forgive the white spaces... 

 

Does the Bible Matter In the 21st Century?



By Vishal Mangalwadi

Published April 13, 2011

| FoxNews.com

 

 

 

 

AP

In his quest to change oppressive regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, President George W. Bush argued, “Everyone desires freedom.” True. Everyone also desires a happy marriage: can everyone therefore have one?

Afghanistan, Iraq, Ivory Coast, and Libya ought to teach secular ideologues that freedom does not flow from the barrel of a gun. Nor does it flourish in every culture.

Why do most American presidents place a hand on the Bible to take the oath of office? Secular education has made that a meaningless tradition, but the tradition exists because the Bible is the secret of America’s freedom. Forget the Bible and America will go the way of the first Protestant nation – Nazi Germany.

Plato saw Greek democracy first hand and condemned it as the worst of all political systems. That’s why the spread of the Greek culture, called "Hellenization," did not stir a struggle for democracy. In AD 798, the English scholar Alcuin summed up the then European wisdom to Emperor Charlemagne: “And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness.” Indeed, the voice of a corrupt people is often the devil’s voice.

The cancer at the heart of America’s political economy is cultural. This great nation was built by an ethic – a spirituality that taught citizens to work, earn, save, invest, and use their wealth to serve their neighbors. This biblical ethic has been replaced by secularism’s entitlement culture that teaches people that they have a right to this, that and the other without corresponding obligations to work, save, and serve. This new culture forces the state to take from productive citizens or borrow from other nations and spend it on man-made rights. This corruption of character is destroying the world’s greatest economy, but can democracy allow leaders to go against the voters’ voice?

The people’s voice began to be honored as God’s voice only because the sixteenth century biblical Reformation began saturating the hearts and minds of the people with the Word of God. Those who prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done in Scotland (or England, or Holland)” found the grace to free themselves from the tyranny of men. Not just Islamic, but every culture that rejects the kingdom of God condemns itself to be ruled exclusively by sinful men.

Almost everyone desires a happy marriage, but without the Bible, America cannot even define, let alone sustain marriage as one man–one woman, exclusive, and life-long relationship. The West became great because biblical monogamy harnessed sexual energy to build strong families, women, children, and men. 

Human history knows no force other than the Bible that has the capacity to dam sexual energy to build powerful families and nations. Indeed, no non-biblical culture has ever been able to require husbands to “love your wives” and give them the spiritual resources to do so.

Vishal Mangalwadi is the author of "The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization." (Thomas Nelson)

 

 

Why Bother Me?

John 2:3-5  "When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."  "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

 
    

    Jesus was at a wedding and they ran out of wine.  Most scholars believe that Joseph, Mary's husband, was dead at this time, therefore Mary turning to Jesus to help would not have been uncommon. I do not believe Mary was asking Jesus for a miracle, I think she was just asking him to help and making him aware.

    Look at Jesus' reply though, how would you respond to that?  Essentially He questioned why she was bothering him with the problem. One of the many jewles in this passage is Mary's reaction to Jesus. She told the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. She completely trusted Jesus to handle the situation, she did not know how Jesus would deal with things, she simply trusted him to do something.

    How often do we ask God for something, we may wait a little while, (or long enough by OUR time table) and then we decide to act on our own.  How much faith would it take to just leave it at God's feet and trust him to handle it. I don't think Mary stood there over Jesus and waited, I think that when she instructed the servants she went back to the festivities... she completely left it up to Jesus. 

    We are told through the passage that the wine Jesus made was even better then the best the host had served originally... so taking that and applying it to our lives - when we leave our problems in God's hands and trust in him, his solutions are always better than our best!

What Do You Ask For?

Proverbs 30:7-9  "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

 

    How often do we pray for things we want instead of only what we need. Most of us live lives of excess and we lose track of what we really need and what we want. This prayer is simply for enough, not too much so we forget God and not so little that we most compromise God's commandments.

    The next time you pray think about what you are asking for - do you really need it or is it a nice to have? When times are hard, it is important to keep our focus... we can endure anything through God's grace and strength. The words of the song "His grace is enough...." comes to mind...

Why Am I a Failure?

Matthew 6:31-34  "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

 

    Have you ever felt like a complete failure? You read your Bible some, your pray most of the time, and yet you still keep getting tripped up by the same sins and temptations. What gives? God knows you are trying to "be good" and live by His rules, isn't He supposed to strengthen you? Where are your victories? That Hollywood moment where you boldly proclaim "Get behind me Satan!" and he scurries away...

    One morning I was praying and asked God a similar question, "Why do I keep failing in this area?" Silence... Again I asked, a little more specific question - "Why do I consistently fail in this area?" I did not really like the answer. It came gently yet firm, though undeniably truthful... "You are not being consistent in the basics."

    The verse I listed above tells us to seek first the kingdom of God, not to simply seek Him in our freetime, when we have a few minutes, or whenever there is a crisis... we are to seek Him first on a daily basis. We are to have a relationship with Him. A relationship takes a commitment on both parts, it takes communication, respect, and work... if neglected it withers.

    A sports team that consistently struggles usually has players that have neglected the fundamentals, they might have mastered them at one time, but at some point they were no longer the priority. It is not until they go back and emphasize those basics that they can improve as a team, they can bring in all the superstars they want but unless the priorities of the group is being solid in the fundamentals they will struggle. Our walks are no different. We might have started out reading our Bible daily, praying consistently, etc - but start neglecting those things and our walk will suffer.

    Maybe it is time to evaluate our priorities...

What's Eating You?

Proverbs 25:19  "Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble."

    Can you imagine how much pain the person in the picture must have felt? Imagine trying to eat, enjoy a cold drink, or how about taking a deep breath on a cold day and have the air flow across your teeth. Sadly he probably had built a huge tolerance to the pain, at some point he has accepted that eating, drinking, etc would have some pain associated with it. His teeth did not become this way overnight, it took time, a lot of time.

    The first cavity, that small, pin-head sized blemish went ignored. As the decay spread it was ignored and accepted. The teeth began to rot and die until they became what is in the picture... how could this happen? People adapt, it is what we do. Go back and look at the verse, the Proverb relates this type of decay, pain, or loss of function to relationships.

    When we fail to rely on faithful people, when Christians fail to have Christian friends and accountability partners we are putting ourselves at risk for cavities. Each time we are disappointed the cavity spreads and soon we condition ourselves to not rely on people or we develop a tainted view of what to expect - much like the person in the pic's view of eating based on his experience.

    We need to be careful with how we interact with people, who we rely on and how we treat those that rely on us. Occasionally we need to have a check up , assess the health of our relationships and if we have an issue we need to take those problems to the doctor.... as Christians we have an amazing doctor, he doesn't only fix the problem, but if we let him he will restore us and make us whole again.

How Ready Are You To Receive?

Matthew 11:28-30  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

 

    During my quiet time today, as I was praying for my small group and our men's ministry as a whole this verse came to mind. How often do we carry our burdens into church, play with those issues during worship, or think about a possible solution and miss the message?

    I chose the picture above because I think it captures exactly how a lot of people travel through life. They are saddled by the cares of the world and that load is staggering. Think about this man - what would he do if you offered him a cool and refreshing drink? His hands are full. The only way he can receive anything is to let go of his bags, place them aside before he can grasp anything else.

    When we carry our burdens - not giving them to God or leaving them outside - how much are we limiting what we can receive?

The Man With A Plan...

Proverbs 21:30  "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."

 

    This verse is certainly one of inspiration and hope, one to look to when we are struggling, and one to hold on to when the world seems to be closing in around us. Today as I read this verse I was reminded about a person in book I read that was executing his plan and ignoring God's plan and calling for his life.

    We like this verse when we want to know things will be ok - but I offer it today as a warning too. Some people are successful by the world's standards that are seemingly operating outside of God's calling - but what is going on inside them. Are they celebrating an empty success, still wrestling with "some thing's missing"?

    While this verse is often celebrated when we feel beat down and are clinging to our faith that God will see us through - make sure that we are still walking where he is leading us and following his design, only then will we truly live a blessed and abundant life. Not necessarily financially abundant - but a life full of joy, peace, and love....  the things that truly matter.

Tired? Weary? Feeling Empty?

Isaiah 40:29-31  "He give strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble an fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

 

    When we are feeling tired and overwhelmed we only need to look to God to renew our strength, give us guidance, and meet our needs. Often we allow our emotions to take over and we place our feelings before our commitments, inevitably we start excusing ourselves from what we know is right. We find ourselves sleeping through our quiet time with God, convince ourselves that we can squeeze it in during the work day, or we spend more time crying out to God than we actually do listening to Him.

    We all get tired, discouraged, and weak - it is how we choose to renew ourselves that makes all the difference.

    

For The Children....

Proverbs 14:26 " He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge."

    As I was reading my Bible the other day, this Proverb really spoke to me. I have read it so many times before, but today it seemed brand new. Throughout Proverbs we are taught that the fear of the Lord is - the sign of a man whose walk is upright, leads to life, and in Psalm 111:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..."

    This morning we were looking at Colossians 3:12-25, in verse 21 it says, "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." I think men often focus on fixing things, on establishing rules, and trying to lead their family - but we often fail to read our instruction manuals. When we look to the world for how to be a father we are setting ourselves up for failure - eventually the pressures of the world will crush us.

    We must turn to God daily to renew our strength, provide counsel, and give us the wisdom to model his love for our children and families. When we take the time to build our relationship with God and allow His love to flow through us, everyone is blessed and our children see His light in us. Children are a precious loan from God, we must never forget they are His children -  we are trusted to care for them, and instructed to teach and guide them. We often hear preachers talk about being "good stewards" with our resources (time, talent, and treasure), are you being a good steward with your children? Are you setting them up for failure or are you building that refuge for them - eventually they will have to face the world, are you the safe house they seek or just another source of disappointment and discouragement?

      

 

I Am Bearing Fruit, so What Gives?

John 15:1-2  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

 

Many Christians know, or at least have heard, John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Most people find comfort in that, but we are often puzzled when we encounter hard times.

What is pruning?

  Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping (by controlling or directing growth), improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for transplanting, and both harvesting and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. The practice entails targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted tissue from crop and landscape plants. Specialized pruning practices may be applied to certain plants, such as roses, fruit trees, and grapevines.

As with most things in life, we like to focus on the rewards or the "good times," but we must understand the process. We have parts of our spirit that need to be removed, reshaped,limited, and increased.... all of which are benefits of pruning.

Next time you find yourself in a difficult time, maybe instead of blaming God you might want to thank him for the increase this time will bring.

 

A Lazarus Moment?

John 11- In John chapter 11 we read the story of Lazarus, Jesus's dear friend. Lazarus was very sick and on his death bed so his sisters came to Jesus so that he might heal their brother - but Jesus said "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this." (v 4). As we read more, Jesus remained where he was until Lazarus had "fallen asleep", then he went to see Mary and Martha who were mourning because Lazarus died.

Can you imagine how Mary and Martha felt? They had been told by Jesus that their brother would not die. Even when Jesus arrived and was telling them that he will rise again, they did not get it - they thought Jesus was talking about the end times. Jesus asked them if they believed in him - both said yes.  They both said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had only been here, my brother would not have died."(v21, 32). When Jesus saw the them crying and the other Jews weeping, he was deeply moved and troubled - he also wept.

Jesus loved this man and he had compassion for the people. The most interesting part of the story, to me, is what happened next - Jesus asked where they placed him and wend there to the tomb. He told them to remove the stone, to which Martha replied, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."(v39) But wait, I thought Martha believed Jesus was the Messiah! She had just stated this a few moments ago, but now she is objecting to Jesus telling her to remove the stone. After the stone is moved Jesus prays and Lazarus is raised.

This is a fairly familiar story in the Bible, but what can it mean to us today? Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that God would be glorified. Did Lazarus suffer while he was dying - most certainly and Jesus allowed him to die to serve a higher calling. Do you think Mary and Martha, the disciples, or the crowds understood why Lazarus died and was in the grave those four days? I would say no, especially given the comments prior to Lazarus being raised. This story spoke to me not because it was a testament to the limitless power of God and the compassion he has for us, but because it showed that our perspective and understanding is extremely short sighted and limited. Consider the number of people that saw Lazarus raised from the dead, the lives that were changed, and the other lives that were saved as a result of the witnesses... God's plans are perfect as is his timing. We must understand that there are going to be times when we suffer, we are going to experience delays that WE do not deem necessary (could Jesus have bypassed Lazarus dying and healed him - yes), but ultimately our faith and trust in God is what is critical.

If you are living through a "Lazarus" type moment understand that there is a purpose, character is being built, faith is being increased, or maybe there is someone that will be blessed by the testimony of your story. Remain faithful and trust in God, remember....

 

Proverbs 21:30 "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." 

God When He Meets Our Needs?

 

 

    Most of us have heard the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 men with five barley loaves and two fish (John 6), but have you ever stopped to consider that most of us are not much different than the mass of people. These people were there to hear Jesus speak and he met a physical need in the process, they were hungry and with those five loaves and two fish, 5,000 men ate and everyone was full. Not only were they full but there were twelve baskets of leftovers! Some scholars estimate that the actual crowd was greater than 10,000 because they only counted the men, regardless no one will argue that this was a miracle.

    The account in John goes on to tell us that the people were ready to make Jesus their King by force! (v15) Think about that statement - they were going to force him to be their King. They had seen the miracle and identified him as the Prophet they were expecting (v14). The disciples left and Jesus went for a "walk"... the crowd crossed the lake the next day to find Jesus. They were still following him, but once they approached him Jesus told them that they sought him because they were fed, not because they understood (v26). Jesus goes on to talk about the Bread of Life and coming from heaven... now they start to doubt. After Jesus finished teaching many "turned away and deserted him." (v66)

    How different are we today? We are eager to accept or acknowledge Jesus when we want something or times are tough - when we have some sort of hunger or need. We may even get excited and tell someone about it once he has delivered us, it is easy when our needs are met and are stomachs are full. What about when Jesus has a tough lesson for us, something that is not what we expect or can easily understand and digest? Do we embrace him with the same zeal - ready to crown him King of our lives or do we take our throne back?

    The interesting tidbit that some over look is that the people who turned away were disciples too (v66). Jesus had more followers than just the twelve. The people that left had invested time with Jesus, seen him do other miracles, but when something did not make sense to them or Jesus did not meet their expectations, they deserted him.

     When we are being sifted - when Jesus is building our faith, our character, and our strength in Him through trials - are we as eager to place him on the throne and make him Lord of our lives or are we ready to walk away? We all know what the answer "should be" but how do we live? Do our actions mirror our words? We want our needs met for today - God wants to change our hearts and lives for eternity.

Thanking God for Troubles???

James 1:2-4  "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

Most of the time we cry out to God when we are in times of trouble - we simply want the suffering or inconvenience to stop. James tells us to do just the opposite, we are to embrace it and see it as a chance to grow!

If an athlete never suffered or endured a trial he would never reach his full potential. When we exercise we push our muscles in order to gain strength and endurance... why would our spiritual bodies be any different? Relying on God and drawing on our faith we will gain strength and endurance for our spiritual walk which will ultimately allow us to progress in God's plan for our life.

   When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, take it to God for his guidance and wisdom and remember the song - "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord..."

Breaking the Power....

Psalm 32:3-6 "When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, " I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment."

James 5:16 "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

Most people will acknowledge the value of confessing our sins to God, but how many truly understand why it is important to confess our sins to each other?  Just as there is power in confessing our sins to God - forgiveness is given and we are freed from guilt; when we confess our sins to another person there is an empowerment as well.

When we confess our sins to each other we gain credibility, humility, accessibility, and we are freed from the prison of isolation our hidden sin creates. How can confessing a sin give us credibility? If we exercise the courage to be honest with another person about our sins and our struggles, we suddenly become more real. We are allowing ourselves to be human, to be transparent, and in doing this we suddenly become more credible to the person to whom we just admitted our faults. They know we have our problems too - so when we say "I know what you mean..." or "I have been there!" the person knows we are genuine.

It takes a great deal of humility to confess our sins to another person - sin likes to remain a secret and in the dark. We are tricked into believing that if we just keep our sin hidden away, eventually God will free us from it and then we will be ok - we just need to hold it together long enough for God to heal us. The problem is that by hiding our sins we not only give power to shame, we allow ourselves to act on a false sense of pride! Our sins compound and we not only have our secret sin, but we are now lying to others about it and hiding behind our pride so we can pretend to be above our sin.

Sin depends on us being ashamed. Adam and Eve responded to their sin by immediately being ashamed and trying to hide from God. Sin's power depends on us choosing to remain isolated by our shame... when we dare to confess our sins to another, we suddenly learn that we are not alone. Someone else has struggled with the same issues we have, we are not the only ones fighting an addiction, and we can learn from each other. There is truly power in numbers.

Being accountable to another human being is a scary thought to most people - but how much stronger will our walk be when we have another person to pray with, talk to, watch over, encourage and accept us, and we have given permission to be totally transparent?

 

 

Light and Darkness

John 3:18-21  "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

People often misunderstand what being a Christian is... Being a Christian does NOT mean you are perfect, it means you are a work in progress. Being a Christian does not put you in a position to judge and condemn everyone else and adapt the "holier than thou" attitude. Being a Christian is not a free pass to act however you want Monday through Saturday because you can go spend an hour on Sunday making it right.

Being a Christian is about humility. Admitting you are not perfect and accepting that you are a work in progress. God has a plan for your life but you have to submit and allow Him to work in you and through you. Christians are flawed, it is a fact we must all accept... that is why the verse says "...so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Unfortunately we have missed the mark as Christians and often abuse the title. We have used God to justify a lot of non Biblical actions. The world has continually rejected God's message just as they rejected His Son. As a Christian we should embrace our flaws, confess them, and we should act in a manner that is consistent with being a humble servant. We will be mocked, people will lie about us, and some will be hyper critical of us, but through it all we must remain true to God and consistent with his teachings. Jesus continually called out the Pharisees for being hypocrites, we must be careful that our actions are consistent with what we profess...

 

 "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." - Brennan Manning

Walled In....

 

 

Wrunken, Reneses, Flanders, 1500's

"I found one!" The Inquisitor held up the forbidden book as he called to his assistant. "Bring in the mayor and his family. Someone is studying the Bible in this house!"

In the 16^th century, Philip II sent the Duke of Alba to Flanders to stamp out the Protestants who insisted on reading the Scriptures in their own language. Anyone found studying the bible was hanged, drowned, torn to pieces, or burned alive at the stake.

The Inquisitors had found a Bible while inspecting the house of Mayor Brugge. One by one, family members were questioned, but everyone claimed they knew nothing about how the Bible got to their house.

Finally the officials asked the young maid-servant, Wrunken, who boldly declared, "I am reading it!"

The mayor, knowing the penalty for studying the Bible, tried to defend her, saying, "Oh, no, she only owns it. She doesn’t ever read from it."

But Wrunken chose not to be defended by a lie. "This book is mine. I am reading from it, and it is more precious to me than anything!"

She was sentences to die by suffocation. A place would be hollowed in the city wall, she would be tied in it, and the opening would be bricked over.

On the day of the execution, as she stood by the wall, an official tried to get her to change her mind, saying, "So young and beautiful – and yet to die."

Wrunken replied, "My Savior died for me. I will also die for Him."

As the bricks were laid higher and higher, she was warned again, "You will suffocate and die in here!"

"I will be with Jesus," she answered.

Finally, the wall was finished, except for the one brick that would cover her face. For the last time, the official tried to persuade her. "Repent – just say the word and you will go free."

But Wrunken refused, saying instead, "Oh Lord, forgive my murderers."

The brick was put in place. Many years later, her bones were removes from the wall and buried in the cemetery of Brugge.

~~

Wrunken trusted her life to Jesus, knowing that the end of her life on earth was not the end of her life.

So we always have courage. We know that while we live in this body, we are away from the Lord. We live by what we believe, not by what we can see… We really want to be away from this body and be at home with the Lord. Our only goal is to please God whether we live here or there. Paul the Apostle, Martyred in Rome, 65 AD (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

http://thechrisitanrevolution.webs.com/jesusfreaks.htm

We Are Not Alone...

 

Here is an excerpt from the book - it is talking about the internal "mole" we have that purposely sabotages our desire to follow God's ways.

    "Another man expressed his situation this way:

"I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to sin that us still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am!" 

Believe it or not, those words were written nearly two thousand years ago by the apostle Paul, and they are found in Romans 7:15-17,21-24 (NLT). Paul knew the mole inside him, and he named it our "sin nature." The inbred desire to sin is deceptively powerful, says Paul, and I know what he is talking about."

 

We all struggle with feelings of helplessness - but there is comfort that we are not alone. God used Paul despite his struggles, He wants to use us too. Do not let the comfort of knowing we all struggle become an excuse to continue to sin, use it to fight the lies of inadequacy and shame that keep us out of the fight.

Waiting For Relief...

Psalm 13   "O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don't let my enemies gloat, saying, "We have defeated him!" Don't let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me."

 

    David is broken and distraught. He is crying out to God at a time he feels that God is ignoring him. We all have experienced or are experiencing a moment like this - we pray and pray but it seems like God is ignoring us. David cries out and tells God to "Turn and answer me..."! We all feel this way at times. David is completely broken - he feels like he is dying.

    BUT... David continues to trust in God. He remembers the times God has delivered him and he knows God is faithful. David draws his strength from his experiences with God and things he knows are true - God is faithful and loves us at all times. The Psalm ends with David submitting and choosing to trust God. David did not sin in his despair - he voiced his pain and frustration to God, he expressed his feelings and heart ache, and in the end he ultimately submitted and acknowledged God's character.

   When we face a crisis, when things seem hopeless, we have to remember that we serve a God bigger than any of our problems. A God that loves us through all times and truly wants what is best for us - at times that means we must endure some discomfort and wait... but when we place our trust in Him and surrender our will to His, we will be blessed. Often times by waiting we are spared from some suffering we may not see and when we place our wants below God's will, we will find that His blessings fulfill us in a way that our wants never can.

Overwhelmed?

Proverbs 3:5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

We all go through trials in our lives, how we deal with those trials can directly effect how long we must endure them. The picture above is actually a maze, as you can imagine it has thousands of "wrong turns" and only one solution. In our lives we have an infinite number of decisions we must make and each decision builds upon the previous one, therefore our dependency and faith in God can greatly simplify our struggles.

Throughout the Bible we are given God's ways to deal with lives issues - money, love, relationships, parenting, and temptations. Sometimes we experience trials or struggles to develop our character and our faith - will we trust God, seek His guidance, and follow His laws or will we depend on our own finite perspectives?

As we learn to depend on God for direction and live according to his laws, He can make our seemingly impossible problems simple. They may still require some struggles and growth on our part, but compared to the limited and ultimately disastrous possibilities we will encounter left to our own accord - they are a walk in the park.

These Are The Times....

Matthew 24:9-13  "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

 

 

As I was reading the verse above, the word "all" seemed to leap off the page. In America, Christians have been fairly well protected - the atrocities we hear about in other parts of the world seem harsh and extreme to us. In recent times we have started to feel a little persecution and we are somewhat still disoriented - almost as if we just ignore it that it will simply "go away". 

Over the past 30 to 40 years there has been a huge shift in America away from Christianity, we seem to be determined to separate God from our country. After reading Matthew 24 are you surprised? It is a necessary and part of the "birthing process." It does not mean that we have to accept it, matter of fact we need to stand firm in our beliefs and convictions. We must guard our hearts and remain true to our God. I think as Americans we have a huge sense of entitlement and we have been lulled into a sense of security that is rapidly eroding around us. Look at the protests on the news, the people not allowed to pray in certain areas, the continual shift away from God.

When someone questions your faith or asks what you believe, will you stand strong or collapse? Will you be able to convey the Biblical truths with love, or will you fall victim to a false teaching? By reading your Bible daily and continual prayer, you build your relationship with God which allow you to endure the tests of our times. 

 

True Wealth...

1 Timothy 6:6-10  "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows."

 

 

For some reason when I think of being content I think of a dog, maybe because I have two of the most useless dogs on the planet -but they seem to have mastered contentment. They do not worry about food, they are happy with sleeping on the floor, and when they happen to find that chip my daughters dropped - well they can not ask for much more.

It is so easy to get caught up in the latest trends or the new gadgets but we must learn not to compare ourselves to others - that is the basis of contentment. So often we look what someone else has we immediately start to criticize what we have.... ours is not as new, not as shiny, or just "outdated". Society has taught us to want the latest and greatest - Do we really NEED phones that can play music, replace household remotes, record videos, give turn by turn directions, browse the internet, etc? I am not criticizing technology, but it becomes an issue when we chase things more than we pursue a relationship with God.

Next time you see the latest gadget, newest fashion, or that bright shiny car - before you begin to compare what you have and convince yourself of what you are lacking - take a look around and think about the person that you drove past holding a sign. Think about the things that they might be lacking and truly needing - maybe that will help you keep things in perspective.

True Freedom

1 Corinthians 1:20-25  "So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his own wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength."

 

Paul wrote the letter to the church or Corinth to address certain issues they were dealing with at the time. The majority of the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah because he did not fit their idea of what the Messiah would be. They expected a Jesus to be a conqueror and to restore David's throne not to be executed with criminals. The Greeks prided themselves on knowledge and they created their mythological gods  with great powers - since Jesus did not display the powers they thought gods should have and they did not believe in the resurrection, they rejected him as well.

In our society people worship money and power - the Bible teaches us to give and be humble. We are taught from an early age that we will be rewarded for hard work and we need to take care of ourselves first - Jesus spoke about helping others and delivered a message of Love and gave a gift we can never earn and we are not worthy of receiving. Unfortunately people will always reject Jesus until they stand before him in judgment and "every knee will bow..."

One of the freedoms I believe Christians experience is the ability to see God's beauty in his creations. I do not have to understand the physics involved to appreciate the beauty of the stars or try to understand how the moon dictates the tides to appreciate the beauty and power of the ocean. There is a freedom when we can just stand in awe of God's creations. 
 

How Convenient....

John 13:34-35  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

 

 

We have been taking a deeper look at the Ten Commandments, looking at them in Exodus and where Jesus spoke about them in the New Testament. I started looking on the web and found so many articles and blogs attacking Christians for lacking tolerance. Granted there are some extremist that pervert the word of God, but I was looking at the simple black and white word of the Bible.

Why is it when people are corrected they immediately try to spin it - it seems like anytime a Christian takes a stand they are told they are hypocrites because Jesus told them to "love unconditionally" or "to love others." Jesus did tell us to love one another - that is true, but he also told us, "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents forgive him." (Luke 17:3)

Since when did love mean unconditional acceptance? If you tell someone what is wrong it is suddenly impossible to love them? Jesus did tell us to speak with love - you can lovingly tell someone that they are wrong. Like I stated earlier there are extremists that miss the mark, even if their intentions are correct they are speaking a message of hate and not of love.

Look at Romans 1:18-32.... Paul wrote this to the early church and it is still applicable today. The same heart condition still applies because the lies are still the same today as they were then. We must remain strong in our faith and convictions - Do not be discouraged when the message is met with hostility and rejection. Jesus told us, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." (John 15:18-21)

God has called us to love out neighbors as He loves us... He sent Jesus to die for our sins. Jesus also brought His message so we might come to know him and be saved. Jesus openly rebuked those who were in sin - even his own disciples, but he did it in love. Love does not mean unconditional acceptance - unconditional love, loves at all times even in correction.

Max Does It Again...

Jeremiah 1:5  "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you."

With God in your world, you aren't an accident or an incident; you are a gift to the world, a divine work of art, signed by God.

One of the finest gifts I ever received is a football signed by thirty former professional quarterbacks. There is nothing unique about this ball. For all I know it was bought at a discount sports store. What makes it unique is the signatures.

The same is true with us. In the scheme of the nature of Homo sapiens are not unique. We aren't the only creatures with flesh and hair and blood and hearts. What makes us special is not only our body but the signature of God on our lives. We are his works of art. We are created in his image to do good deeds. We are significant, not because of what we do, but because of who we are.

Love Is Key

Romans 13:9-10  " The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

 

   How much better would our world be if we learned to deal with each other out of love?  Do not be confused, love does not equate to acceptance - you can punish and correct out of love too. Though if you knew everyone was dealing with you from a place of love, how much easier would it be to accept their correction.

Some people see the Bible as a book of rules - "Don't do this and don't do that." In reality the "rules" are placed there to enhance our lives and not take from them.  Our prideful nature does not want anything to limit us - the Bible and God's plan is not to limit us. Since God is Love, He can only deal with us out of love... even in correction.

More Max... (Your Whispering Thoughts)

Psalm 139:23   "God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my nervous thoughts."

Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communication with God. By the time your life is over, you will have spent six months at stoplights, eight months opening junk mail, a year and a half looking for lost stuff (double that number in my case), and a whopping five years standing in various lines.

Why don't you give these moments to God? By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as "Thank you, Father," "Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord," "You are my resting place, Jesus" can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn't leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.

 

 

In A Difficult Situation?

Romans 5:3-5  "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us to develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

Our trials and struggles are exercises for our faith and as most exercises they increase our endurance. God has a purpose for our lives and there are certain things we must posses in order to accomplish this purpose. God develops our faith and character to enable us to fulfill the calling He has placed on our life. This is not to say that we do not have free-will; sometimes our choices and our exercising of our free-will can greatly increase the intensity of our struggles. If we think of our life and God's plan as a map and we are headed on a specific path... if we deviate a few degrees off course for a little while, the correction we require is greater than our original deviation.

I guess my point is that I find this verse very comforting and it is amazing when we can reach a point that we can calm ourselves and go to God in pray and resist the temptation to stress and become angry and full of worry... That is when we can be full of God's joy through our faith in Him.

YOU'RE WHAT????

Matthew 1:18-19  "...Mary, was engaged to be married to Joesph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph , her fiance, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly."

Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt? The woman he loves and is ready to marry tells him she is pregnant! This was not like today where Maury has made millions from people seeking to know who the babies father is - this was back when Joseph could have had Mary stoned for this! The only explanation he has is that it is God's baby... think of that - you are set to be married and told, "By the way I am pregnant, but do not worry I was faithful, the baby is God's."

The next part of the story tells us Joseph had a dream in which an angel confirmed that the child was God's and the importance of the child. The amazing part is that Joseph had the faith to accept the dream and he took Mary as his wife. How hard must it have been to not doubt and question Mary during her pregnancy? Human nature would be jealous and resentful... but Joseph chose to be obedient.

After Jesus was born, Joseph had three more dreams - each required him to relocate his family to protect Jesus. As a father, I understand doing anything for your children though the faith it took to repeatedly relocate your family based on a dream... I recognize that God speaks to his people, but I also recognize that it requires a great deal of faith to act on what we hear.

Read Matthew 1:18- 2:23, try to put yourself in Joseph's position and imagine the faith it took to act as obediently as he did. When God reveals his desires you, how will you react? 

Creation or Creator?

Romans 1:18-23  "But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles."

Paul was writing this to the early church in Rome. As I read the chapter, it was strange how the sins back then were the same as today. Reread Romans 1... it may shock you.

Why do we allow our pride to convince us that we can understand God, anytime we try to define God with human absolutes, we limit Him. We try to understand heavenly and infinite matters with our finite logic... that is impossible. Look at the verse, "... they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." Our pride tells us we are so much more advanced today than people were back then, but we still can not completely explain the pyramids or the temples in South America!

There is a serious heart condition at work here - for some reason people insist on worshiping the tangible creations instead of the Creator. A creation speaks about the creator; it confirms his talents and his existence but the creator is not totally defined by the thing he created. 

Pray this week that God will reveal himself to you in a new way through his creations... take the time to really look at a flower, the detail, the intelligence in design... look at the sunset or the stars - God's beauty is all around us, we just have to take the time to truly see it. 

How Soon We Forget...

1 Kings 18:38-39  "Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water from the trench! And when al the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The Lord - he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!""

The people of Israel had just witnessed God's power and seen an idol exposed. The prophets of Baal spent the entire day summoning their god to accept their offering, all he had to do was send fire to consume it. 450 prophets shouting, dancing, and even bleeding to entice their god to show himself as the true god - but nothing happened. Elijah not only asked God to send fire but Elijah actually soaked the offering and wood with 12 jars of water. All of Israel witnessed it, they confessed the "Lord is God!"

What happened later? People tend to have short term memories. Remember when Moses led them out of Egypt - God parted the Sea for them to escape and destroyed their enemies. Shortly after-wards they "honored" God by making a golden calf... It is easy to read the Bible and ask ourselves, "How could they be so blind?" Are we any different?

I personally have seen God provide and then shortly there after doubt -  after all, worry is a form of doubt! I believe that our memory is effected by our pride, we tend to want to take credit for things. When we take the credit, we minimize God. If our God is small then our worries and problems seem larger - this cycle leads us to focus on our issues and forget about God. It is so easy to get caught up in our day to day lives but what if we took a few more minutes each day to focus solely on God and trust Him with our problems. How would our lives be changed if we spent a little more time with God and a little less time with ourselves?

A Note To A Father...

Father,

    Before I knew you, you knew me and held me close. Before I could recognize your voice, you were there to sooth me during anxious times. When I was innocent, helpless, and lost you were always there to guide me. You were there to encourage me as I began to crawl and walk – tended to my scrapes caused by my many failures… but you never failed to support me. As I took my first steps, I received my confidence by clinging to your finger.

    When I was younger I would cry – frustrated, hurt, hungry, or mad – I did not need to justify my tears but you were always there to help me. You offered a hug when I hurt, encouragement when I was frustrated, and when the tears stopped we would always try to learn from the experience.  Along the way we have been through many trials, but you have always been there. Riding a bike, catching a ball – you helped get me through them all.

    During my awkward teenage years, you were there to help me cope with rejection and my first broken heart. You told me I was special no matter what anyone said – I believed it, even though I knew it was what a father was “supposed to say.” When I would start to venture out and felt the world staring in judgment of me, ready to pounce and crush my childish dreams – I would look and see your face, the sparkle in your eye and somehow I would find the courage to try. Soon I started to drive and venture farther away, I did not see you as often but I never heard you complain. I know now how hard that must have been to let go… but you knew I needed space to make way.

    There was a time when I barely spoke – forgot our lessons and our chat, though not really forgotten – just ignored. I found myself broken and battered, but I still continued on. In my heart I knew you were there, but I never reached out to call. I was stubborn and determined to make it on my own, be my own man – strong and independent. Looking back now I missed so much. I was a fool and I am embarrassed by myself and that I turned my back on what I knew was right and true.

    I am a father now, though I prefer the term daddy. I catch myself sitting and thinking of the awesome responsibility that I have. Two little girls in my care, they learn from me both good and bad… I am worthy of the title of “father”? As they grow they will internally use me as a starting point to judge all fathers – even you... That thought scares me. I am I worthy to be called a “father”? A true father is fair and just – but always compassionate and loving, even in discipline. I guess I know what I must do…

    -Father I am sorry… I am sorry for all the times I turned away from you. When I chose to follow my own path and was too stubborn and proud to cry out to you. I was too ashamed of myself and proud to be humble – even though I knew it was right. I have wasted so much time; so many opportunities have been missed. I shudder to think about where I would be had I not taken my own, self serving path. I know that you are an amazing and forgiving God. I know you will and have forgiven me… you have plans for me and my life – I am so sorry. I ask that you use me and that you make me a worthy and healthy example of an earthly “father”. That my daughters see a strong and loving man – one that is humble and compassionate… one worthy to be called a father (though they call me daddy). God you are my father – but times I need to think of you as a daddy too. It helps remind me that I am but a child and I need to keep my child like faith and rely on you for strength and wisdom. God I am so sorry… but I am glad to call you my daddy and honor you on father’s day.

    -Amen

20/20 But Still Blind...

Judges 16:15-16   "Then Delilah pouted, "How can you tell me, 'I love you,' when you don't share your secrets with me? You've made fun of me three times now, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong!" She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it."

 

Samson was a man of great strength but he had one weakness - women. If you look at Judges 14 -16, Samson's life is plagued with drama related to women. A women ultimately betrayed him and it cost him everything.

When I studied the account of Samson and Delilah, I caught myself saying, "How can you be so stupid?... She has tested everything you have told her and coincidently just as you wake up Philistines come for you!" Then I stop and think about my life. Satan knows our weaknesses and is a master of temptation.

Delilah constantly nagged, Samson took his eyes off God and he caved. Satan continually tempts us.... without turning it over to God and relying on Him for our strength we are in a perilous situation. Samson was tempted by lust and women. Samson was blinded well before the Philistines took his eyes... have you had your vision checked lately?

A Warning Or Comfort?

Acts 21:10-14  "Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus." When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done.""

Paul was warned that he would suffer if he returned to Jerusalem. The other believers understood the prophecies to be a warning for Paul to not return to Jerusalem - obviously God would warn them to avoid suffering. Paul went anyway. Jesus knew he would be beaten and ultimately crucified when he was praying in the garden, but he went anyway. Why? Why would God let us know of pending suffering if we were not meant to avoid it?

I believe that God sometimes tells us what is coming not only to help us prepare for it, but to reassure us that He is in control. Suffering builds character. There are certain lessons that we can not learn and depths our faith can not reach without suffering.

Sometimes God's warning is like Him putting his hand on our shoulder and telling us, "WE will get through this, I am right here with you."  What more do we need? 

 

Where Is Your Focus...

Numbers 13:27-28  "This was their report to Moses: "We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country - a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak."

The twelve scouts reported back to Moses what they saw when they explored the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve lost focus, they forgot God's promise and focused on fear. They saw fortified cities, giants, and the large populations... they made their enemies seem larger than life. Later in the chapter they said they felt like grasshoppers compared to the men they saw. They forgot about God. Because they chose to focus on what they felt was the impossible and did not believe in Godthey wandered for 40 years; a simple lack of faith and disobedience cost them dearly.

Life brings us many challenges, but we can not allow ourselves to lose focus. Our God is bigger than any of our problems and nothing is impossible for him. God is not limited by our reason, our perceptions, or our expectations - Thank God!

 

 

 

A Challenge....

Proverbs 28:27  "Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed."

Proverbs 19:17  "If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord - and he will repay you!"

 

DO YOU SEE ME?

I am everywhere but you do not see

Who I am, Who I was, or meant to be.

When I look at you; You turn the other way,

I wasn’t always what you almost saw today.

A father, a mother, little girls or boys,

Like you, I was small and played with toys.

Back then you’d share and play with me,

Things have change;  Me, you do not see!

Lifetime of choices have taken their toll,

Faith,  hope, and love – they have been stole.

Bruised and battered and almost broken,

Seen me all over but you’ve never spoken.

“Jesus loves you,” you might claim,

Why don’t you ever ask my name?

    -TG

 

 

   I wanted to put out a challenge - I know that we all see homeless people everyday and sometimes we give them a couple dollars or some of our lunch etc... How often do you truly acknowledge them as a person? Not judge them for their current circumstance, but honestly tried to connect to them on a personal level?

I know that "times are tough," but I personally took an inventory of the money I spend each week on soda, snacks, and other miscellaneous non essential items and it kind of surprised me. I have decided to give a set amount each day - but instead of giving it to an organization I want to give it to a person. Each morning I will pray that God puts a person that needs a little help in my path and leads me to interact with them and that God will be honored through our encounter.

I think sometimes we miss the point of helping someone - I think sometimes people will give someone a couple dollars to help their own conscience... but they are missing the point. It is about God, not about making us feel better or buying atonement.

I challenge you to pray about this and if you feel God is speaking to you, pray each morning that God will set up an "appointment" for you each day. Dare to ask their name, tell them that you prayed God would use you and that He set up your meeting. Dare to share a little love with your fellow man...

 

Religious Elitists?

Acts 17:22-23  "So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: 'To an Unknown God.' This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I'm telling you about."

 

When Paul was preaching in Athens he did not immediately alienate them by condemning their culture or their beliefs. He did not force feed them with a lot of Old Testament teaching, he met them on a common ground. He spoke in terms that they knew and were familiar with. He did not compromise his message or his beliefs, he simply found a way to relate to the people.

We do not have to blend in to our society, but we need to be able to relate to people. God has called people from all walks of life for a reason - maybe part of that is to be able to relate to one another. How much more believable it a testimony from a person that has "been there", you know they can relate to you?

Sometimes Christians forget that we are called to share the gospel with the ends of the Earth; we were not called to screen the "applicants". God's gift can not be earned, it is given freely and it is not for us to decide who receives the message...

Just 'Cause It's Normal Doesn't Make It Right!

Genesis 19:1-9    "That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. "My lords," he said, "come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guest for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again." "Oh, no," they replied. "We'll just spend the night out here in the city square." But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, "Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!" So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. "Please, my brothers," he begged, "don't do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection." "Stand back!" they shouted. "This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he's acting like our judge! We'll treat you far worse than those other men!" And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door."

As a father, this story totally confuses me. How could a father offer his own daughters to be raped by a mob? Part of this has to do with the customs of the time that required Lot to protect his guests, others speculate that Lot knew the men would not accept his daughters... but either way the prevalence of sin in Sodom is undeniable.

Later in the story we see that Lot tried to encourage his family to leave, but he was not believed - he had lost his credibility. Sodom was truly a Godless place. Even with the impending doom and the angels warning, Lot's wife could not turn away completely...

After I read this chapter I began to think about our world, society today, and what has become acceptable behavior. Our moral fiber is in a continual state of decline... look back at movies in the 60's and 70's that were rated R and now look at our PG movies (if you can find one) - I believe a lot of our rated R movies today would have never been produced twenty years ago. We have become desensitized to sexual content, nudity, profanity, etc. The more we are exposed the more acceptable an activity (or sin) becomes. We deceive ourselves into thinking, "it is not that bad," simply because it has become a "norm" in society. The sin has not changed - the hardness of our hearts has only increased.

The people at Sodom believed their conduct was acceptable - it was their norm. What areas of your life have become acceptable to you, a place where your norm that is not aligned with God's law? Just because the world finds something acceptable, does not make it right.

The Royal....

http://www.therocksandiego.org/theroyal/

The link above is to a series the church is doing called the Royal. It is designed to help you understand and get more out of reading your Bible. The site will be updated regularly and the course should run throughout the rest of the year. Hope you enjoy.

From Max Lucado

James 4:4  "Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world becomes God's enemy."

 

    John the Baptist would never get hired today. No church would touch him. He was a public relations disaster. He "wore clothes made from camel's hair, had a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey" (Mark 1:6). Who would want to look at a guy like that every Sunday?

His message was as rough as his dress: a no-nonsense, bare-fisted challenge to repent because God was on his way.

John the Baptist set himself apart for one task, to be a voice of Christ. Everything about John centered on his purpose. His dress. His diet. His actions. His demands.

You don't have to be like the world to have an impact on the world. You don't have to be like the crowd to change the crowd. You don't have to lower yourself down to their level to lift them up to your level. Holiness doesn't seek to be odd. Holiness seeks to be like God.