As soon as we hear the word addiction we think about drugs and alcohol. We have heard the stories about family members who have been addicted to either or both and the horrible lives they and their family led. And we have heard of the deliverance from the addiction that has occurred in those who turned their live over to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:12
You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. (NLT)
Satan is a subtle serpent. He temps us into many other addictions just as bad as drugs and alcohol. But these may not be illegal addictions, they are things that trap us into a lifestyle further and further away from God's path for us.
"Sure, he must mean smoking", you think. Yes, that is a legal substance bad for our bodies and for our pocketbook. But what about eating, working, television, pornography, gambling, the lottery, sports, speeding, and spending?
Addiction is defined as a condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something.
Wow, that certainly covers everything, doesn't it?
Having to be home every Monday night to watch a particular show on television is an addiction. Having to have two cups of coffee every morning to get going is an addiction. Having to watch the news every evening is an addiction. Always looking for something to put in your mouth is an addiction and a health hazard.
Having to do the same thing over and over is a habit and an addiction. What is the difference between the two? I believe it has to do with being able to stop. Can you change or remove that habitual behavior? Can you no longer have coffee in the morning? Can you skip the evening news? Can you stop snacking during the day?
Matthew 22:27
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. (NLT)
I believe an addiction to anything other than God Himself is wrong. To habitually occupy ourselves with anything else draws us away from Him and He alone is worthy of our complete attention. Are you addicted to Jesus?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Success
How do you measure success? That is the question I woke up with the other day. You might think it would have an easy answer, but as we look around us we can see many ways success is measured.
From a worldly perspective it might be measured by how much you make; how large the paycheck is each week. Often children are raised to look toward the education that will result in the highest paying vocation instead of aiming at individual talents and desires.
After all, if you are not making enough money, how can you afford the necessities of this life? You know what I mean. They must have things like 50 inch flat screen televisions, the latest SmartPhone, a Kindle, super high speed Internet connections, a big SUV to drive, and the list goes on.
Some measure their success by getting their name in the paper or being on television. How many television shows today allow the average citizen to compete to be the best. From game shows to weight loss shows to reality shows to music people competing to become a household name.
Others spend portions of the little paycheck they get on a chance to win the big one, the lottery. Maybe if they win they can have the big check and be able to have the things in this life that label us as successful. Maybe.
Philippians 4:11-13, 19
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
As believers we know we already have all we need. We are not in competition with those we work with, our family members, our friends, and especially not with those in our church.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
I believe our true success is measured in fruit. And I am speaking of the fruit of the spirit. Others should see the fruit in our lives not because we tell them but because it is obvious in our day to day lifestyle. We should be walking with Jesus guided in our every step by the Holy Spirit. If we do this we cannot help but bare fruit.
And then as we disciple others in their walk by sharing our lives with them, we should see that fruit multiply and be present in their lives as well. This is the kind of success I am looking for. This is a success that is measured for eternity.
From a worldly perspective it might be measured by how much you make; how large the paycheck is each week. Often children are raised to look toward the education that will result in the highest paying vocation instead of aiming at individual talents and desires.
After all, if you are not making enough money, how can you afford the necessities of this life? You know what I mean. They must have things like 50 inch flat screen televisions, the latest SmartPhone, a Kindle, super high speed Internet connections, a big SUV to drive, and the list goes on.
Some measure their success by getting their name in the paper or being on television. How many television shows today allow the average citizen to compete to be the best. From game shows to weight loss shows to reality shows to music people competing to become a household name.
Others spend portions of the little paycheck they get on a chance to win the big one, the lottery. Maybe if they win they can have the big check and be able to have the things in this life that label us as successful. Maybe.
Philippians 4:11-13, 19
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
As believers we know we already have all we need. We are not in competition with those we work with, our family members, our friends, and especially not with those in our church.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
I believe our true success is measured in fruit. And I am speaking of the fruit of the spirit. Others should see the fruit in our lives not because we tell them but because it is obvious in our day to day lifestyle. We should be walking with Jesus guided in our every step by the Holy Spirit. If we do this we cannot help but bare fruit.
And then as we disciple others in their walk by sharing our lives with them, we should see that fruit multiply and be present in their lives as well. This is the kind of success I am looking for. This is a success that is measured for eternity.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Believe the Message
Galatians 3:5
I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
God gives us the authority and power to perform miracles because we stepped out to answer His call. It is not because of who we are are in the world, but because of He who lives in us. And to do His work and see the miraculous signs and wonders we must believe the message about Christ.
It does not say we have to attend a program at a local church or be a Christian for a certain amount of time. It does not even say we have to obey the law of Moses. Quite the contrary as receiving the Holy Spirit to reside in us only requires believing the message about Jesus.
God's path is always easy. Man complicates it. Someone can be a new believer and see signs and wonders occurring everywhere they go while another who has been a believer for years may yet to witness one.
Moving out in God is not about what you earn out of hard work and strict obedience to the law of Moses. There will never be a time while we are here on Earth when we are without sin, without doing the right things all the time.
God calls us righteous because of our faith, not our actions. However, improper action can negate what we have said.
Should we try to follow the Ten Commandments. Sure, they are all good for us. But our righteousness is not determined by our ability to follow them. It is about our following Jesus. As we grow in our relationship with Him, it becomes easier to be like Him.
But our sin does not keep us from God. Jesus paid that price once and for all. We were made righteous the second we accepted Jesus into our heart.
I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
God gives us the authority and power to perform miracles because we stepped out to answer His call. It is not because of who we are are in the world, but because of He who lives in us. And to do His work and see the miraculous signs and wonders we must believe the message about Christ.
It does not say we have to attend a program at a local church or be a Christian for a certain amount of time. It does not even say we have to obey the law of Moses. Quite the contrary as receiving the Holy Spirit to reside in us only requires believing the message about Jesus.
God's path is always easy. Man complicates it. Someone can be a new believer and see signs and wonders occurring everywhere they go while another who has been a believer for years may yet to witness one.
Moving out in God is not about what you earn out of hard work and strict obedience to the law of Moses. There will never be a time while we are here on Earth when we are without sin, without doing the right things all the time.
God calls us righteous because of our faith, not our actions. However, improper action can negate what we have said.
Should we try to follow the Ten Commandments. Sure, they are all good for us. But our righteousness is not determined by our ability to follow them. It is about our following Jesus. As we grow in our relationship with Him, it becomes easier to be like Him.
But our sin does not keep us from God. Jesus paid that price once and for all. We were made righteous the second we accepted Jesus into our heart.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Unbelief
Mark 6:4-6
Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. (NLT)
Those we want God to touch first after our conversion is our family and friends. Yet they seem to be the hardest to reach. They look at us and see the person we used to be and not who we have become in Jesus.
Just because we believe something does not mean others will as well. Unbelief is the deciding factor in many spiritual issues. God is sovereign you say. He can do whatever He wants. And I believe that to be true. However, He does not go against a persons free will.
When others tell us their woes, they usually are not looking for us to pray for them or even to tell them what to do. They just want a shoulder to cry on or someone to line up with their side of the situation. They are not interested in a solution. They like it just the way it is.
We can become very frustrated running around attempting to solve the problems of others by laying hands on them and praying to our Father God for them. Better to pray in private for them then to confront them to convince them to believe.
We are asked often if people are sometimes not healed when we lay hands on them in the name of Jesus. The answer is yes. They may come forward after a meeting for prayer because everyone expects them to. They come with unbelief and may leave with unbelief. Does God touch them? Often we see it happen and His presence changes that unbelief to belief and they are healed.
Being saved is the result of reaching out in faith for Jesus. This one act does not remove all unbelief in our life. It is shed from our life as we walk with Him. As our experiences in God grow our unbelief diminishes. And to get that experience we have to take a chance and walk out doing as the Holy Spirit prompts.
Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. (NLT)
Those we want God to touch first after our conversion is our family and friends. Yet they seem to be the hardest to reach. They look at us and see the person we used to be and not who we have become in Jesus.
Just because we believe something does not mean others will as well. Unbelief is the deciding factor in many spiritual issues. God is sovereign you say. He can do whatever He wants. And I believe that to be true. However, He does not go against a persons free will.
When others tell us their woes, they usually are not looking for us to pray for them or even to tell them what to do. They just want a shoulder to cry on or someone to line up with their side of the situation. They are not interested in a solution. They like it just the way it is.
We can become very frustrated running around attempting to solve the problems of others by laying hands on them and praying to our Father God for them. Better to pray in private for them then to confront them to convince them to believe.
We are asked often if people are sometimes not healed when we lay hands on them in the name of Jesus. The answer is yes. They may come forward after a meeting for prayer because everyone expects them to. They come with unbelief and may leave with unbelief. Does God touch them? Often we see it happen and His presence changes that unbelief to belief and they are healed.
Being saved is the result of reaching out in faith for Jesus. This one act does not remove all unbelief in our life. It is shed from our life as we walk with Him. As our experiences in God grow our unbelief diminishes. And to get that experience we have to take a chance and walk out doing as the Holy Spirit prompts.
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