29
September
2011
Have you ever been in the midst of an almost embarrassingly sinful situation and said to yourself ...how did I end up HERE! Every sin you commit begins with a simple seemingly innocent thought. That thought that questions whether you can turn it over to God, that thought that makes you think you can never escape a sin especially one that is habitual is not of God. It may seem innocent, it may seem peaceful, it may seem to be the furthest thing from menacing BUT it is clearly of the enemy AND it is responsible for more dashed hopes and dreams than anything else. More than possession, more than oppression, more than anything else the world can throw at you. That small negative thought is the seed that breeds things like depression, fear, insecurity and anxiety. It is present so regularly for some of us that it is almost always with us. Like an old friend that is always there blocking us from our hopes and dreams and more important, blocking us from what God intended for us.
So how do we fight it? I had a friend tell me about a time when she had a swarm of bees around her house. They actually settled in her garage ON THE INSIDE covering her walls. She managed to run them out somehow and close her garage doors but then they came back to the outside of her house and settled on her walls outside the house. Still not a pleasant situation when you try to enjoy the outdoors in your yard or on your porch. She got a hose and sprayed them. It is surprising that she didn't get stung ...but she didn't. However, when she sprayed them they would leave the wall until she sprayed and then they would come back. Several times she would spray and they would come back. She sprayed and they would come back. Over and over and over again. It is clear that there was a Queen lodged in her wall someplace and her swarm was serving her and feeding her and they would never leave her even when they were run off temporarily. Eventually, an exterminator was called and he had to kill every one of those worker bees because as long as they were alive they would continue to come back.
The queen represents that original thought that was so innocent in your viewpoint. Just as she attracted a bunch of worker bees that would never leave her side, that initial thought grows into a swarm of fear, guilt, anxiety, and depression that is sure to separate you from God's will. In 2 Corinthians we are told the following:
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)
By doing this we stop that thought before it can bring in the swarm of negative thoughts that come along with it. Run it through your personal Virus Protector. If it isn't safe DO NOT ENTERTAIN IT.
James says the following:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 NIV)
If you don't entertain those thoughts anymore you will be surprised at how the frequency of those attempts will slow down and ultimately dry up. In the example above, my friend said, I wonder what happened to the queen once we killed the workers. Our thought is that she starved to death because she was no longer being fed. Why don't we starve the pollutants in our lives and seek God's righteousness with every breath we take!
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22
September
2011
One of the biggest victories for the enemy has been his ability to detach so many from the Holy Spirit. As imperfect beings, several men have played right into his hands by over-reacting, not being genuine and really not teaching all that the Holy Spirit is or should be for all of us. in a lot of ways man's misinterpretation has served to make Him (the Holy Spirit is a person and not an IT) seem weird.
I remember as a child I would hear about the Holy Ghost and all that it meant. First of all, I guess I was a little confused about how an entity that rattled chains and harassed people in movies could be holy. After all, a ghost was the manifestation of something that was dead and aside from in cartoons, was associated with evil. There was always mystery surrounding Him as well. People would always say that Holy Ghost was going to get a hold of you and turn things around. I get it now, but for a child ...anything that was going to get you was a little scary.
Ironically, connecting with the Holy Spirit should be the most natural thing we do. He is our connection to God's will and more important ...HIS POWER! To explore the intent and nature of the Holy Spirit we have to go to God's word. Think of the disciples. They have followed this guy, Jesus for 3 years and given up everything they had in the process. They obviously envisioned Him establishing and ruling over a kingdom here on earth. Then ...he is brutally murdered. Executed right in front of them and the same people responsible for that execution make it clear that a similar fate would come to anyone who continued with His teaching.
So now let's pick up in John Chapter 20:
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
-John 20:19-23 (NIV)
While they are locked away, afraid of what the Jewish leaders might do to them Jesus just shows up and says, Peace be with you. Can you imagine the range of emotions they felt. Then he gives them tremendous marching orders by telling them that just as He was sent by the Father He is now sending them. How could they possibly carry out such an order as ordinary men? That is quickly followed by Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on them. ULTIMATELY SUPPLYING THE POWER they would need to carry out His will. The same applies today. We can do very little on our own. It takes empowerment through the Holy Spirit to help us to carry out God's will.
After the initial visit, Jesus spent a lot of time with the disciples. One instance is discussed in Acts Chapter 1:
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4-8 NIV)
Then in Acts Chapter 2 the power comes:
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)
This was the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus spoke of earlier. The key here is to realize the significance of what all of this meant to the disciples. With enablement through the Holy Spirit, you see them turn from cowering fearful men to the powerful men of God you see through the rest of the New Testament as they go out and defy the Jewish leaders, drive out demons and heal the sick.
That same power is available to us today if we just accept Him for what he is. The Holy Spirit sent to us from God to carry out His perfect will AND to empower us to face anything that comes at us on this earth.
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15
September
2011
This blog is more difficult to prepare than most because I have so many mixed thoughts about the events that took place on September 11, 2001. That is one of those events that EVERYONE in the US remembers if they were old enough and had the capacity to have memories of that time. Everyone can tell you where they were or what they were doing when they heard about those planes flying into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I hear it was the same way with the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King in the 60's.
I remember a lot of anger when I saw those buildings crumble to the ground and I have to admit to actually feeling as if I would personally like to be involved in the process of bringing those behind that attack to justice. At this point in life, I am really interested in the thought process behind things. Especially things that seem to clearly be WRONG. The motivation behind Nazi Germany, the slavery that took place in this country and all those who defended it (some with their lives), the KKK, and of course the thought behind killing all of those innocent people on September 11th. As Christians we know we are to hate the sin and not the man but that becomes difficult in extreme examples like September 11th and the other things listed above.
Unfortunately, the enemy can use our anger, fear and need for vengeance to carry out his plan if we aren't careful. Many wars have been started when man acted on emotion and/or pride. The irony in the tragedy of September 11th is that those involved were so thoroughly deceived by the enemy that they were willing to give their own lives to carry out someone else's agenda. An agenda that does not represent the majority of those who are of the muslim faith. However, it makes some tentative about trusting all muslims. That is as ridiculous as it would be to treat all students from Virginia Tech differently because of what the shooter (Seung-Hui Cho) did when he killed 32 people in April of 2007.
What I believe we need to take from the entire September 11, 2001 experience is a renewed focus on the eternal. First of all, James 4:14 says:
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
(NIV)
With that in mind, our goal should be to make the most of the time we have while we are here on earth. Take an assessment right now and determine where you stand. How would you judge your life up until this point? More important, what things would you do that you haven't done so far and what things would you stop doing knowing that you will soon be standing in front of the creator of the universe? That brings us to Psalm 16:11:
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
(NIV)
Beyond realizing how short our lives are we need to develop an eternal perspective in which we focus on those things we can do that might affect us or those around us in a way that will last forever. This blog/podcast was created when I took an assessment of what I was doing and found myself well short of where I felt I could or should be when I look at my contribution to things that are eternal. I ask you to take a personal assessment and be totally honest. In fact, pray and ask those around you how they feel about your contribution.
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9
September
2011
Throughout history, man has had problems dealing with people that were different from him in any way. We have problems relating to the opposite sex, we have problems relating to people of different religions and we have trouble dealing with people who are of another race. A lot of times, the race issue is handled by keeping our distance from them in our personal lives BUT we cannot live in isolation nor were we intended to do so.
We have a major responsibility as Christians to carry out the Great Commission. Sometimes I refer to that as the Great Omission as it relates to our modern church because we do so poorly in carrying it out ...but I digress (again). The Great Commission simply calls on us to go out and make disciples of those we come in contact with in life. Part of that is reaching out to those we meet but I also believe our lifestyle, actions, reactions and how we go about life would play a big role as well. For example, if I went out and spoke to a group of men about turning their lives around and gave biblical references for the things I discussed but then pulled out a fifth of liquor and downed it and started whistling at women passing by my witness would not be very effective. The same applies when we talk about being a loving Christian then treat people of another race differently than we would treat someone who was my same race and gender.
There are an abundance of scriptures we could choose from but let's use the golden rule here that WE ALL KNOW:
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
-Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
But we knew this one all the long. Let's take it a step further and consider Matthew 5:43-47:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
-Matthew 5:43-47 (NIV)
So even if we have perceived enemies ...we are to love them just the same AND pray for them. This is not easy to do because of our flesh BUT it is absolutely necessary for a couple of reasons. First of all, this process frees us from the bondage that comes with hate and holding grudges. The other thing is that prayer works and when you pray for that other person, they change. I can think of a couple of recent situations where this has happened. In essence, we are only applying what God suggested we apply to these situations ...spiritual warfare. A lot of the adversity we face isn't brought forth by man (at least not at its origin). We have to learn to hate the sin and not the man.
Aside from that, we have to realize that everyone of a different skin color or background is NOT OUR ENEMY. Certain members of the media would imply otherwise, but Christians have to rise to a higher standard and recognize that we are all God's creations. Even those who don't believe in him. If all believed, the Great Commission wouldn't be necessary. So someone who is a member of another religion is one we need to pray for just as we would for someone who was a backslidden Christian. Love is at the core of all that we should be and as Christians we need to recognize all of the opportunities we have to show the love of God to those we come in contact with at all times.
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9
September
2011
When we describe things we are excited about we generally point to the grand, the dramatic, and the spectacular. We may even over cook some of our stories to make them larger than life. I had a boss that used to refer to a college football game he played in as the "Little Rose Bowl". Never mind the fact that it was played in Mississippi. When you hear from him you would think it was nationally televised and publicized when in reality, nobody outside the state of Mississippi knew about it.
You can almost count on us looking at the past in that way as well. Statements like, in the good old days, back in the day, or in the times when character meant something generally precede stories that glorify the past.
I think our tendency to look for the grand sometimes overshadows the need for us to recognize the little things that really played a major part in things. I can remember as a young golfer, I picked up the game fairly quickly but at one point, I lost it and began to shank every shot. I mean everything I hit would go straight to the right ...and I couldn't explain it. I got frustrated, yelled, kicked balls, and even considered just quitting altogether. One day while on vacation, my dad took me to the range and calmly walked me through my mechanics. He made me slow everything down and examine all aspects of my swing. In 5 minutes he calmed me down and got to the heart of the matter. My golf game was totally recovered for that vacation but I have never reached that level again. The important thing that came from that 5 minute encounter was a bond with my father that didn't exist before. After those 5 minutes I got it. Not just about golf but how to approach those I supervised who were frustrated, how to handle my kids when they hit a rough patch, and even how to check myself when I began to run off of the rails.
Matthew 5:16 says we should:
"...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Through showing God's love and patience with me that day, my earthly father affected me in a way that I still treasure today. A small gesture but a huge result. God's love and patience should show through all of us in the same way. I heard it said before that even if you are making a peanut butter sandwich, those around you should know you are a Christian. Meaning that our light should glorify God in all we do.
I recently had a meeting @ church about our volunteers and how important it was for them to master Matthew 5:16 to the point where all visitors and members felt at home, welcome and maybe even a little special when they attend service. Basic, yes, but think of a family that might come to church for the first time in years. Through someone just engaging them in conversation they come back and ultimately end up a regular attender. Then they begin to develop a relationship with God that they never thought possible. They no longer feel the need to swear, they don't need that drink every night, they begin to get into the bible, they begin to avoid that extra click on the computer that leads down that dark path, they recognize God in their spouse more than ever, and they become more of a role model for their kids than a hypocrite. Through that one conversation that made them feel welcome we now have people who were headed towards destruction who are now not only heading toward salvation but they are also examples for others who have noticed the change.
The purpose of all of this leads back to the great commission with is found in Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus says to his disciples:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
When you read that you catch the segment that discusses baptizing them and teaching them and those things are important BUT you never get to where their hearts are ready for those things unless you draw them into a comfortable environment in which God can do His work. Do not underestimate the power of taking the time to do the little things. When you feel drawn to do something nice for someone and you can't understand why JUST DO IT and watch how God uses you to further enhance His kingdom.
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27
August
2011
Assuming those reading this are Christian, we all have one thing in common. We would all like to go to heaven. That is our goal and the motivation for a lot of the things we do. A lot us do what we do because of our love for or devotion to God as well but heaven is still an awesome benefit.
So what do we have to do to get to heaven? Some point to devotion through the form of work. If I attend church, help the poor, give a monthly tithe and say my prayers I am in ...right?! Wrong!!!! All admirable things but a key ingredient is missing. Not to mention that statement about saying our prayers. My prayer is that our prayers will not be canned proclamations that we say before meals and bedtime. They need to come from the heart and not some page or book. How would you feel if your son or daughter expressed their love for you by reading the same pre-written statement (that they didn't even write) to you each day? ...but I digress.
The bible is clear on the way we get salvation. We all know John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
-John 3:16 (NIV84)
Then there is also Matthew 10:38-39 which says:
and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
-Matthew 10:38-39 (NIV84)
Everyone talks about John 3:16 but Matthew 10:38-39 isn't quite as popular. I believe there are 2 reasons. The first being that believing in Jesus requires little for this generation in most cultures because there is no overt persecution. Note I said most cultures as Christianity is illegal in some places.
The second is that taking up your cross and giving up your life is confusing for non-believers and difficult for some believers. It is a whole lot easier to say Jesus handled everything for us than it is to say we have to give up worldly things and personal pursuits. Taking up your cross also implies following His will and giving up our will for His is scary for some.
Breaking it down to the root you have to know there is only one road to heaven and it leads directly through Jesus. Knowing of His existence will not be enough to get you to him. You will also have to KNOW Him through a relationship that you have to develop. Ironically, when you take that step for salvation you reap the benefits of that relationship as well ...and your life will change forever!
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20
August
2011
We talk a lot about the need for us to wait on God. This waiting usually comes when we need or want something from Him and we feel as if He isn't moving quickly enough. Ironically, our waiting is nothing in comparison to the waiting He has done for us. Since we were born, God has been anxiously waiting for us to discover His desire to have a relationship with us. James chapter 4 says it this way:
1Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
-James 4:8 (NIV84)
It is almost as if God is waiting on the other side of a door for us to come to our senses and knock. Then when we do he snatches the door open for us and invites us in and that invitation says we can come as we are. There is no dress code. Even if our life is the fashion equivalent of overalls, he wants us to come on in and as we hang out with Him we become more like Him.
I remember a time when I had been attending church sporadically and really wasn't getting much from it. The messages were read to us and the entire service seemed robotic. I actually think I was so frustrated by these services that I would leave church worse off spiritually than I was when I entered.
One day at a cookout, someone told me about a church that only lasted an hour and, oh by the way, the messages were pretty good. The biggest selling point for me was the short service. The message would be an added bonus.
So one Sunday I went to the church and discovered their music was pretty good as well. In fact, they played secular music at times. This week, they played Waiting for You by Seal. In that song there is a ad lib section at the end where the singer says "I have been waiting, I have been waiting for you" over and over in a lot of different ways. I honestly felt as if He was talking directly to me! Not the singer but God himself. I felt serious chills then and I still do when I think of it. I felt like I was in one of those scenes in a movie in which I was far away and the camera was steadily zooming in on me while those words were being sung. I have come to know that to be a form of the rhema word of God. That usually happens when you read something in the bible that comes alive for you or seems to jump off of the page. It can also come during a message or as in this case during worship.
That was the first time I became aware of His waiting on a personal level. I am convinced that God used that song to rekindle the fire inside me. Although my worship time is now filled with more spiritual songs now, I still play that song from time to time to remind me of that awesome moment. Some may look down on secular music in a church but I think our God is so awesome that He could use anything to catch us at the right time. The best thing about it is that he will not force us ...but once the stage is set and we take that step he makes it easy for us to get to know Him. I told someone earlier this week that it is like he is 5 inches from our face but we do all we can to look over, around, under and through him.
We have all seen Matthew 7 where it says:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
-Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV84)
He has always been there. If you just take that one step you will find that He has been waiting for you as well!!!!!!!!!!!
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12
August
2011
I think all of us might find value in different things. Some find value in beauty. The funny thing is the standard we use to judge beauty. There is a whole segment of our population that focuses on what we view as traditional beauty. Society has dictated to some degree those who fall in that category. Then from a ridiculously young age in some cases through adulthood females compete in pageants to establish and hold crowns for the most beautiful lady in a school, county, college, state, country or world (one title even claims the winner to be Miss Universe).
Not surprisingly, those who live in this world are very focused on the external. Not all, but some might even see personal value in how they look. Similar thoughts might apply to those who put lot of value in things. You know, things like their homes, cars and even the brands names on their clothes. Others even judge you before they meet you by the "look" of the clothes you are wearing. Are they new, old, wrinkled, ironed or God forbid ...out if style. When did our clothes make the move from covering for our bodies to status symbols. Jesus talks about our outward appearance in Matthew 23:25-26:
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
According to Jesus, it isn't what the outside world sees but what is on the inside that matters. We must first clean our hearts then all else will be clean as well. How do we do that? By accepting Him as our lord and savior we allow Him to do His work on us and we become more like Him. As we get filled more and more with His Holy Spirit there is less room in us for pride, vanity, jealousy and the like. In essence there becomes less of us and more of Him. My prayer is for more and more us is to come to the realization that we need to seek His spirit over the many worldly alternatives that distort the reality of what is truly valuable..
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4
August
2011
Before we even get too deep into exploring revenge we know that Jesus himself emphasized the need for us to forgive. In fact, when asked how how many times we should forgive a monumental number (70 times 7) was given. Then there is that turn the other cheek thing that (deep down) none of us like.
When someone does us wrong the world tells us to stick it to them. Our own fleshly desires tell us the same thing. This creates a conflict between what God tells is to do and what we want to do. We want revenge but we can't pursue it. ...or can we?
I’m not sure revenge is the proper term but we definitely need to take a strong stand. The key is that you have to focus your energy in the right direction ...at the enemy and his dark forces. If we believe our bible we realize what is discussed in Ephesians 6:12:
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
So when we get riled up at people, we have to recognize the true source of the issue and focus there. When we do this we need to also recognize the authority we have over those dark forces. In Luke 10 :19:
19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Stand firm in that promise always and recognize the many ways we are being attacked.
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29
July
2011
Have you ever come across people who refuse to admit that anything is going wrong with them? This is especially prominent among Christians at times. Some believe that by saying everything is good it will be. Don't get me wrong, I do believe there is some truth to positivity coming from having a positive attitude. In fact, some might think I described myself when I talked about the person who would ignore the negative because I do stress positivity so much but that couldn't be further from the truth. You can't get all God has for you if you detach from reality. I welcome a correction but I don't know of any place in the bible that says those who follow Christ will no longer have any problems or issues. In fact there are several places in my bible that point out the opposite. Beyond that I agree with James when he says in Chapter 1 where he says:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Through our struggles God has the opportunity to perform his great works and we then have the chance to testify about all he has done. Obviously, that scenario plays out several times in our bibles.
In 2 Chronicles, Jehoshaphat received a bad report. His response teaches several lessons. First, don't respond in fear, but in faith (2 Chronicles 20:3). Second, find a promise that applies to your situation and rely on that promise, using it as the basis of your prayer (v. 9). Third, based upon that same promise, stand your ground, resisting all "claim jumpers" (v. 11). Fourth, turn the battle over to God (v. 15). Finally, praise God for the victory in advance (vv. 21-22).
The world views a bad report as the definitive statement of fact regarding a matter. As a Christian, however, you know that God can reverse an evil report. Jehoshaphat's ordeal was transformed from the dreadful fear and alarm of the first report to the joyful, triumphal return to Jerusalem.
The same battle plan that Jehoshaphat used will work for all of us. Do not allow fear to rule you. Instead find a promise, claim your inheritance, turn the battle over to God, and praise Him in advance. You will surely win!
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