Monday, December 31, 2012

Producing Fruit

John 15:5,8
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. (NLT)

Fruit grows on vine and trees. We see it in many forms from grapes, to apples, to pears, and even tomatoes. We don't pick them ourselves, usually. We simply go to the market and purchase what we want to eat. Farmers plant the appropriate seeds to grow the vines and trees. They nurture them and feed them water and protect them so the fruit will be tasty and plentiful.

Life is full of choices and God has given us the ability to make our own. We choose eternal life by believing in Jesus and following Him. God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. He is in us and we are in Him as long as we choose to remain in Him.

All produce fruit. Even those who are not following Him are producing fruit in their lives. So it is important that we trust Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do. If we choose to follow the fruit that looks good to us we could be walking away from our Godly path. Remember what happened to Eve when she chose the wrong fruit?

"Lord, show me the path to follow. Lead me to produce the fruit of your vine so you will see me as your true disciple. All the glory goes to you, Lord. In Jesus name I pray."

Monday, December 24, 2012

The Way We Are

John 3:36
And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment. (NLT)

When we were in school there were different groups of people that you could associate with. They tended to dress alike and talk alike. When I was growing up the list was short. You were either with the button down shirt, chino pants and penny loafer group or with the t-shirt, dungaree, and engineer boots group. As I understand it, there are many more groups in High Schools today.

When a bunch of the members of a group gets together, they tend to do things as that group. Even if you don't want to participate in whatever the activity is, you go along with it because you , are part of that group; right or wrong. That is the way we are even in our technologically advanced culture.

There are two groups in the world today. There are those that believe in Jesus and follow Him. And there are those who don't. The later is spread across many religions and even includes those who do not believe God exists at all.

The Bible is made up of two parts, the old and new testaments. The former is filled with examples of God's wrath poured down on His people for their disobedience. The later is filled with teachings and promises to those who have decided to follow Jesus.

The true believers do not remain under God's angry judgment. They will see it all around them as they live this earthly life, but their ultimate destination is fixed with Him in eternal places.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Being a Representative

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (NLT)

We have elections every couple of years and elect politicians to be our representatives in the state and national governments. They are supposed to represent our desires and govern themselves by the laws of the land. In addition we hope they are following the same moral standards we have.

At times it seems as if those men and women have different agenda than what they spoke of when running for office. Some get far off track and seem more interested in what work best for them to be elected next time around including looking out for those who support their campaigns financially.

As believers in Jesus Christ as the risen savior and our personal Lord, savior, and friend we were given the awesome position as His representative. Whatever we say and do represent Him. And yet how often are we guilty of doing and saying things from a human perspective looking out for ourselves first?

"Father God, help me to be the representative of Christ you have called me to be. In Jesus name I pray."

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Thoughts on the Connecticut Elementary School tragedy

As we move into the end times, "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold." (Matt 24:12 NLT) "“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day." (Matt 24:37). And in the days of Noah "Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence." (Gen 6:11).

As we become more and more a godless society, we move out from under the protection of God. To believers, He is a merciful God. To others, He is as He has been throughout the ages, the vengeful God we read about in the Old Testament. God has not changed. He wants us to seek His face through our belief in His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him our sins are forgiven and because of Jesus God looks at us with His Mercy and Grace.

I believe this tragedy is one more in the many that have happened over these past few years and in the many more that will occur in the future as we become more reliant on government and less on God to protect us and to prosper us. As our faith turns to man instead of God we open the door for satan to step in and control the events surrounding our lives.

How do we prevent the end times? We don't. It will happen. Our task is to preach the Good News to as many as possible so they may become saved.

"Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord." (Romans 12:19).

"Father, God help us to forgive the young man who did this terrible deed. Help us to let go of the anger we harbor inside us. Help us to let you deal with him in Your perfect wisdom. Protect us and our children and our children's children as they go about their day. In Jesus name we pray."

Monday, December 10, 2012

See Attachment

Mark 16:20
And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (KJV)

Seldom do we get something in the mail that is not an advertisement or a bill. Most of my bills come by email and fewer and fewer ads are showing up in the mailbox. Times have changed and even the older generations are adapting to a connected world.

We take pictures with our digital cameras and even out cell phones. After uploading them to our computers we email them to family and friends as attachments. The message is usually something that tells them what the pictures are all about and then we say "see attachment"

The message comes first and then the attachment. And so it is with God's Word. As we preach the Word, God confirms it with His attachments--signs following.

And yet we often look for the signs without the message. We want the results without going through the process.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. (Isaiah 10:27 KJV)

As Spirit filled believers we have Holy Spirit with us at all times. As we allow Him to use us to preach to believers and nonbelievers alike, He shows up with signs following. Expect Him to to be there. Open the attachment!

Monday, December 03, 2012

Foul Language

Ephesians 4:29, 6:4
Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes; these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. (NLT)

In today's world it is hard to not be around foul language. It is everywhere; on television shows, in the movies, in the novels we read, and coming out of the mouths of many we know. Some we even love.

Before we were walking with Christ, we used foul language, told dirty jokes, and love to use innuendoes with sexual meaning. I did not grow up that way. I never heard my parents use a foul word even once. As I grew older and left home I made new friends and picked up many new words. Oh, I knew the words, but just did not use them much in my High School years.

I worked hard to not use bad words when I was around church people, older folks, and my parents, aunts, and uncles. It took self control to do that. They probably thought "What a nice young man", but little did they know what came out of my mouth when I left.

When my wife, Dianne was healed of Crohn's disease in 1991 God took away the disease, repaired the damage, and removed her foul language. Our daughter of 10 said to her a couple of days later in the week, "Mommy, you don't swear anymore!"

Now I accepted Jesus into my heart and started my journey with Him. My mouth did not change. I still had to work at it especially when I banged my thumb hitting a nail with my hammer!

Over time, as I received more of Him on the inside, others speaking the way i used to made me cringe. I could no longer watch movies that had foul or abusive language. I did not want to be around people who told obscene stories and coarse jokes.

I thank God that He took that away from me. I no longer have to watch my language. And when I do something dumb and injure myself those long multi-word obscenities do not come rushing out. Thank you Jesus.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Important

Galatians 6:3
If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. (NLT)

Of course we all remember the story of the good Samaritan who stopped when no one else would and came to the aid of a stranger. And yet how often do we look the other way when someone is in need?

Years ago when we saw an accident, we would stop and see if we could help. Now we grab our cell phone and call 911 as we whiz by. Or we assume they have their own phone and not even be bothered. Maybe we mumble a quick prayer as they get smaller and smaller in our rear view window.

Perhaps we volunteer to feed the needy once a week or month. Sure, we hand out food, but do we take the time to get to know them? Or are we too important for that?

In God's eyes we are all His children. We may have different talents and life experience than someone else, but we are loved just as much. We may make millions and give lots to the poor, but He loves those living under the bridge just as much as He loves us. We are all important to God; even the sinner.

"I give money to help others", you say. Money helps but does not have the same effect as a hands on conversation. People look for a hand out, but really need a hand up. Isn't it time to treat them as the important child of God they are and stop looking the other way?

Monday, November 19, 2012

Practice

Leviticus 20:7
So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the LORD your God.Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD who makes you holy. (NLT)

Somehow we have gotten the mistaken idea that attending a church on Sunday morning is setting ourselves apart to be holy. Well, I guess it is a step in the right direction.

I have always found it interesting that the professions that seem to bring in the big bucks are the ones that are always practicing. Think about it. Lawyers have a Law Practice. Doctors practice. Down to earth professions like law enforcement, and teaching, truck driving are not practices. Some that perhaps should be called practices are politicians and newscasters. And then there is one that . really does involve lots of practice--acting.

Putting them into practice to me means continuing to do what God has called you to. Doing it over and over and over until it has become second nature.

I remember when I first learned to drive. I was determined and nervous. All my concentration was on keeping the car straight and watching for what the other drivers were doing. I could not have the radio on or pay attention to someone riding with me. After a while all those driving things became second nature. Now I can get where I am going and not remember all the details of how I got there!

So let's listen to God tell us what we are to do and practice doing it--over and over and over.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Just Ask

Luke 11:13 
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. (NLT) 

When we get to the Fall season, we think about giving out candy at Halloween, gifts at Thanksgiving, and presents at Christmas. And then all the birthdays in between. It is true that we love to shower those we love with gifts. So why wouldn't our Father God want to do the same for us?

But Love comes before gifts. We give because we love. We don't expect others to love us just because we give them things. And yet some have grown up believing gifting is the only way to show one's love toward another. When love is present there is no need for gifting. Gifting becomes a bonus.

God has given each of us the gift of life. Jesus came to us with the gift of salvation and He promised to have the Father send the Holy Spirit to live in us.

I believe Holy Spirit is available to us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Father God loves us and is thrilled at our decision to follow Jesus. So all we have to do is ask God and He sends Holy Spirit to reside in us. Then accelerated change comes as we listen on a new level and become more and more Christ like as we follow His lead.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Understanding

Proverbs 20:24 
The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? (NLT) 

When a runner is in a race, he knows the starting place, the finish line, and how much time he wants to take to get there. Life is not as cut and dry. We may know what we want to accomplish, but the path to get there can be pretty hazy.

Often we seek the wrong goal, the wrong finish line. Too often we look to others for advice about what our desires should be. Sometimes we are pushed a direction based on our parents desires for us with no consideration for what we want. How many of us went to school seeking a career that would gain us the bigger paycheck and soon found out we did not like the work?

We have God given talents and a destiny determined for us before we were even in our mother's womb. And yet we try many paths sometime never finding the one thing we should be on.

How often do we run ahead to where we want to go and then ask the Lord if we did the right thing? I do not know about you, but I am guilty of wanting His direction when I can't figure it out on my own!

And yet, He tells us that we just have to ask. He will use Holy Spirit to guide us in the direction necessary to fulfill our individual destiny. But it is up to us to ask. Then we must sit back and patiently listen for His answer. And finally, we must move out in faith in the direction given.

It is not a matter of understanding where the finish line is or where all the challenges will be along the way. As we allow Him, Holy Spirit will get us to the end of the race.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Peacemakers

James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (NLT)

The title sounds like a code name for a covert special forces unit. It seems to imply we have the ability to create peace. Politicians seem to think they can just like they think they alone can create jobs and solve all the problems of the world.

And wisdom? We have been fooled into thinking that wisdom is the result of college and if all are pushed through that educational funnel the end product will be a country filled with graduates wiser than we could imagine. We may gain knowledge in our places of education, but the wisdom to use that knowledge? That is not man made, it is God created.

What good is knowledge without God given wisdom to use it? His wisdom is pure and always points us in the direction of peace. It is not biased or tainted by greed.

True peacemakers do not have to go to college, they go to God. They are the few who plant seeds of peace as they share the Gospel message reaping a harvest of believers.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Being Spiritual

1 Corinthians 2:14
But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. (NLT)

In the world in which we live, the words spirit and spiritual have many meanings. There are numerous television shows and movies that delve into the spiritual. That is, what they consider spiritual. Then we have books for children delving into spells and other such other world things. The spirit world is looked on as a fun place to fantasize about with most believing it is just that--fantasy.

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) tells us that "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." You see, there is another unseen realm present all around us.

So when we say we are filled with the spirit of Christ, we are not speaking about ingesting Jesus into our mortal body. No, we are speaking about Jesus' promise to have the Father send Holy Spirit to reside in each believer. The evidence of such being a prayer language spoken in unknown languages also known as tongues.

As we pray in our spirit language as Paul did, our spirit prays directly to God the Father and receives truths from His Spirit. The more we pray in this fashion, I believe, the stronger we get in the Spirit and the more His power and authority manifests in our lives.

In Luke 3:16 (NIV) John answered them all [saying], "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

And that is the baptism I want. That is the baptism that opens up the floodgate of communications at the Spirit level between me and the Father.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Live Decent Lives

Romans 13:13
Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. (NLT)

The world we live in and the people we know probably think us strange. We no longer have any interest in the things we used to like to do. No more parties. No more looking for things to fill our time until we had to go to work once more. And at work we would brag about the great times we had on the weekend and look forward to the plans for the the next weekend.

O we still might go to dinner and a movie together, but the eatery is not a local club anymore. We go for the food and not the beverages. And the movie is uplifting and happy instead of filled with sex and violence.

Was that change in us like flipping a switch. Not for most of us. It takes time while God is changing us from the inside out. At first we stopped the old ways not because our desire was gone. We still wanted to do those old things. We just knew we shouldn't. Over time our desire to repeat them was actually gone. With the help of Holy Spirit we no longer wanted them.

As we persistently seek His face the old desires fade away to be replaced with godly ones. At first we do because we should and over time we do because want to. And that journey takes us closer to God.

Monday, October 08, 2012

Copycat

Romans 12:2
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT)

Growing up the only way to make a copy of something was to take it to a professional printer. They would make a plate of it and then print any number of copies. Then technology came allowing us to feed the original into a machine with a special kind of paper. Out the other side came the original and a copy that was yellowish with a poor but readable copy of the original burned into it.

Then Xerox came out with a copy machine and it was so popular that even today when someone wants a copy of something they ask for a Xerox of it. "Can you Xerox this for me?" But with the home printers that include scanners available today, making a copy is as simple as pressing a button and the copy comes out in color. Often the original and the duplicate are so alike you cannot tell which is which.

As easy as it is to make a copy of a document or a photograph, it is just as easy to copy what everyone around us is doing. We become copycats without even realising it. After all, as the logical thinking goes, if everyone else is doing it or acting this way or agreeing with him, why shouldn't I do the same? Wrong!

The only copy we are to be is a copy of Jesus Christ. At first this might require conscious decisions as we go through each day. But God changes the way we think. As we allow Holy Spirit to teach us and change us, the decisions become as natural as breathing because we have taken on more of the mind of Christ.

Monday, October 01, 2012

Who Has Control

Romans 8:6 
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. (NLT)

There is a difference form being led by our sinful nature, the Adamic nature and being led by our intellect. The difference as I see it is whether the results line up with the word of God; whether all the glory goes to Him.

If what we do is driven out of greed or anger, it is coming from that sinful nature. God is love and we are to be a reflection of that love. Because we know the right response or the good path to follow in life, we think we are saved. But are we?

Knowing the truth intellectually is not knowing God. It is following His principles in life. It is relying on our intellect to do the right thing. Hidden in the recesses of our mind is that Adamic spirit laughing at our ignorance. We think we are good and godly in how we live our lives, and yet the future is dim.

We wonder why things are always going awry. We are in a constant battle to stay focussed on the path we know to be true. We feel the enemy always confronting us at every decision, every fork in the road of life. Is it really him or is it the difficulty of trying to do the right thing without Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us each day?

When we give ourselves totally to God and follow Jesus, Holy Spirit comes to reside in us. And when we allow Him to rule and reign in us giving all control over to Him for our daily decisions our lives are filled with a peace that defies all human understanding.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Patient Endurance

Hebrews 10:35 
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (NLT)

We begin early in life to make lists of what we want--for birthdays, Christmas, marriage, new babies, and more. Then we look for others to give those things they have promised us. We do not always get all we asked for.

God's word is filled with promises to us. As we continue to abide in His word and do His will, He fulfills those promises in the timing important to our individual growth in our transformation walk.

What we need is trust; our fully trusting God. We do not get to make our own list of wants like our birthday or Christmas presents. Of course we can ask for anything, but He chooses if and when always looking to it lining up with His word.

All we need to do is continue to do God's will. Then in time, with patience, we will receive all that he has promised.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Doing Good

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-especially to those in the family of faith. (NLT)

I remember my mother telling me "If you can't say something good, don't say anything at all". Doing good has to do with what we say as well as what we do. But what does it really mean to do good?

Sure, we send out checks to various charities and volunteer at the local soup kitchen. And that is good, but those are not the only opportunities we come across. Many we simply avoid because they don't fit our lifestyle, social status, or personal desires.

It is easy to do good when it fits our plan. But what about His plan? Do we pay attention to what is going on around us or are we too focused on our plan, on our to-do list?

When someone is in need, especially someone we are in relationship with, someone who goes to church with us, are we there with a meal, a prayer, an anonymous donation, or even just an ear to listen?

Being a Christian is more than getting a bus ride to heaven. It is about the journey from now until then. And it is about who we become during the journey. The more we give to others out of their need instead of ours, the more Christ like we become.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Encourage

Romans 1:12
When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (NLT)

I remember playing on a baseball team when I was growing up. The shortest one on the team and I got a walk most of the time. The strike zone was pretty small. The only time I did not get a walk was when I tried to hit the ball. I was not very good at it and no matter how many times I tried, I struck out. The worst was when we were down a run, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two outs and I was up to bat. You guessed it. I struck out and we lost the game. I was discouraged but my teammates and my coach still encouraged me.

How important it is to encourage others in their faith walk. They look at others and see how their faith works in their lives. And they have a hard time relating because they cannot picture themselves letting go of the steering wheel. They want to remain in control.

And isn't this true with us as well? No matter how far we have walked, there are places we have not gotten to yet and others we can look up to that have made it. In that area their faith is stronger than ours.

We all need encouragement in our walk as God helps us change one little bit at a time. As we hear testimony from others about what they had to go through to walk the walk they are walking, we will be encouraged to keep on keepin on.

So take the time today to encourage another in their walk with Jesus.

Monday, September 03, 2012

Faith Grows

Colossians 2:6
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (NLT)

There is no one way. Yes, the one way to Heaven is through God's saving grace. But the way we travel between now and then is as varied as the number of persons on this earth. We each accept Jesus as our Lord and through prayer and study we sink our roots deep in Him.

Our roots are not the same as anyone else and they are not tangled up with any other roots. Our path is unlike any other. But this is not all we are to do. Sure we should be praying, reading our Bibles, and meditating on what we read.

I go a gym during the week and exercise my muscles. As I am faithful to do that, my muscle grow in proportion to the time I spend in exercise. Limited exercise equals limited growth.

It is what we do with our lives that builds our faith. We all begin with little faith; faith the size of a mustard seed. As we listen and let Holy Spirit guide us each day our lives become built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Just like a muscle, as we exercise our faith, as we do what He tells us to do, our faith grows a little bit at a time.

Faith grows, but not because we study His word. No, it grows as we let our roots go down deep and then build our lives on Him.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Give it to God

There are numerous shows on television today having to do with why. Doctor shows delve into why a patient is sick. Cop shows look into why the crime was committed to figure out who done it. Show after show get us tuned into figuring out why. So, when things go wrong in our lives we turn into a detective and work overtime to figure out why this thing happened.

Give it to God. We have all heard that simple truth and yet we wait until we cannot figure it out before applying it in our own lives. We seem to forget that with God all things are possible. He did not tell us to look into the why, but rather to reach out and give the problem to Him. He does not need to figure it out. He just fixes it!

Do we spend too much time looking for the reason instead of looking for results? Let's give it to God right away and know that He will pull us through to the other side.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Growth

Acts 12:24 
Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. (NLT)

I remember when I was growing up my mother would stand me in front of one of our door frames and using a ruler on top of my head she would mark the door frame and date it. By looking at all those marks and dates you could see the progress I was making year after year.

We do not have that kind of marking system for growth in God, in our relationship with Him. Often, even we cannot see where any change has occurred. Others who have not been with us for a long while notice, especially if they are non-believers.

Change does not occur because we will it to happen. Sure, we know what the Bible says about certain things. We think ourselves into doing right and kick ourselves when we don't. But this is not real change. How can we have the mind of Christ when we have to decide not to do what we know is wrong? I do not believe Jesus had to make those kinds of choices. As we get His mind in a particular area we never have to make that choice again.

Not too many years ago we would watch R movies and know we should not be subjecting ourselves to the language we were hearing. But we like the movies and made the choice to view them. Now we cannot watch them. If we happen upon one we have to turn it off. It actually offends us. We have changed. We no longer decide not to, we cannot.

What about church growth? Most have those marks on the wall in the form of a sign updated weekly for attendance and offering amounts. Growth is measured by how many come to the service. This is not bad, but is it measuring Kingdom growth? I think not.

We have gotten away from growing the Kingdom as we concentrate on growing our congregations. And most of that growth comes from other churches!

It is by spreading the Word of God that Kingdon growth occurs. And that does not happen in church. It happens because we have grown in Him. As we walk out into our communities giving to all we meet in some way, a smile, a hello!, a touch, serving in some way His light shines and we are able to speak about what Jesus has done in our lives. The result will be many new believers!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Taking Chances

Proverbs 16:33 
We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall. (NLT) 

You might be wondering about the Bible mentioning dice. Fact is dice have been around longer than recorded history. They were discovered in a dig that was five thousand years old! So, dice and dice games (gambling) may be older than dirt.

We all take chances as we make choices in our daily walk. Isn't it great to know God is determining how they fall for us as believers?

Now I did not say to take some of hard earned cash and plunk it down on a horse race or even a lottery ticket. Unless Holy Spirit directs you to do so, you are taking a chance and He is not in the mix. Odds are you will lose.

I belong to a computer club that meets once a month. They have a raffle each meeting and to support the club I always buy a ticket. Still waiting to win! My reason for playing is not to get the prize, but to support the club. A serendipity of doing so could be winning something.

If we are walking a path in life led daily by Holy Spirit, how can we fail?

Monday, August 06, 2012

Go and Tell

Acts 4:20
We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard. (NLT)

It was the big High School game. You were in the finals and against all odds, your team won the game. Wow, were you excited. Everywhere you went for the next week or more you could not help but tell everyone what had happened.

Heck, most get real excited when "our" professional team wins and they are getting paid to do just that. We even pay big bucks for tickets to the games. And yet, we still get excited as though we were on that team, too.

When a big event occurs in our life we usually tell others about it. Sometimes it is good news and other times it is bad news. We want others to rejoice with us or to join us in our misery. But, we tell about it.

Then we hear the gospel message at some point in our life and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Do we tell others? Some do, especially at first depending on the experience. Then like most we head to church on Sunday morning and live our lives each day without telling anyone about our experience.

Oh, we may tell our Christian friends a thing or two. We may even get up and testify at a church meeting. But, do we talk about Jesus at work like we talk about the big game?

Isn't it time we told others what our relationship with Jesus has done in our lives? After all, that is what He commanded us to do in the Great Commision. We are to GO and TELL.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Discipleship

Acts 2:21 
But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. (NLT)

We thank God for the truth in this statement. Everyone! Not just one or two and nobody has to stand in line. All one must do is call on the name of Jesus and they will be saved. But then what?

Too often those who are saved are left on their own. Nobody takes up the task of discipling them. Sure we invite them to church and then encourage them to go to the sunday school program. They get a canned approach on what to do.

Each Christian religion has its own set of traditions and doctrine. Discipleship tends to focus on this and not on what Jesus asked us to do. True discipleship is a one on one experience.

How much more will a new believer get out of spending a day each week following around another believer. They need to see Christ in action in their mentor's life style. Jesus is alive because we are alive in Him and He works through us as we listen to Holy Spirit.

Who are you spending time with this week?

Monday, July 23, 2012

Making Plans

Proverbs 16:9
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. (NLT)

You have probably heard the old adage "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail". And I am not against planning. Often I do too much of it. We can be so wrapped up in the details of our own plan we miss Holy Spirit trying to get a word in edgewise.

James 4:13-17 tells us "Look here, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.' How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

This tells me we need to look first each day to God. He will order our steps for the day. Those steps may be in line with our to-do list or they may take us to an entirely new place. Then we have to re-do our to-do. Our plans change based on the steps He has us take.

Too often I like my plan so much I do not even listen for His. If I stop to listen I might have to change the plan and I like my plan! How about you? Do you really want to know God's plan? Are you willing to step up and step out in what He has for you to do?

"Father God, help me look outside the box I have created that contains my plan. Help me to open the door for you to tell me the steps I am to take today to get closer to the plan you have for my life. In Jesus name, I pray."

Monday, July 16, 2012

Heal Me

John 12:40 
"The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts- so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them." (NLT)

Sometimes I have a hard time understanding why others do not see things as I do. What seems so clear to me is hard for them to understand. From their perspective, I probably seem the same to them because I just do not get what they are trying to tell me.

And yet, if think back over my life and the choices I made I wonder what I was thinking. Some of those choices were just not the right ones. Had I known what I know today, I would have gone in a different direction. But, we would not be who we are today had we made a different choice back then!

Today I am walking with the Lord trying to stay on the right path in all I do. I wish I could say I am successful every day in every way. I am not. Each day I try again and with His help I know today will be one step closer.

In Mark 16:18 Jesus tells us we will lay hands on the sick and see them recover. And we do. But there are times when the healing does not take place. Is it our hands? Does He not want them healed?

We do our part as Holy Spirit leads us and in His authority and power healing should take place for He wants all His children healed. But some are not because they do not believe. They cannot turn to Him so He can heal them.

Monday, July 09, 2012

Testify

Psalm 105:1 
Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. (NLT) 

It is easy to sit back in our comfortable chair at home all by ourselves and thank God proclaiming His greatness while singing along with our favorite collection of Christian music. Even in our vehicle while we motor to and from our daily engagements.

Yet, when we meet up with others in town the conversation tends toward sharing about the latest news regarding our family, the local news, the football or basketball game we watched on the weekend, political gossip, and anything but what God has done in our lives. We testify to everything else, but not about Him.

And He tells us to "Let the whole world know what he has done."

This is a Psalm and words spoken long before Jesus came into the world. But didn't Jesus give us the same word when He said "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." (Luke 8:38 NLT)? Or in Mark 16:15 when He commands, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Unless we tell others what God has done in our lives and how Holy Spirit is guiding us each and every day, how can we "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19 NIV)?

Father God, give me the boldness to speak to others today about what you are doing in my life. Help me to open my mouth and let Holy Spirit fill it with words of truth to share today. In Jesus name I pray!

Monday, July 02, 2012

Be a Doer

John 4:34 
My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. (NLT) 

And as His disciples for today I believe we are tasked with the same mission.

There are so many places to go for a meal it would be difficult to name more than a handful of them. Of course our tastes differ so those you might name would be different from the ones I might. And some of us cannot afford ones some of you might enjoy.

But when we leave after finishing our meal, we are either just filled up for the sake of eating or we are really satisfied after a great meal at a special place.

Usually we pick the place based on the occasion. The other night we went to a restaurant we had never been to before in hopes of a great meal as we celebrated another wedding anniversary. The success of the evening could not be enhanced or lessened by the ambiance or the meal, but it was nice to be out together for a special time.

There is nothing as exciting and fulfilling as seeing Him work through our hands and the words Holy Spirit speaks through us. Of course those we speak to are those He has placed in our path and made known to us. The work we have to do is helping in the finishing of what God has begun in their lives; the task he has placed before us.

We must be always at the ready; ready to reach out and be a doer of the word as Holy Spirit encourages us forward to complete the Fathers' work.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Learning Truth

Proverbs 14:15 
Only simpletons believe everything they're told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. (NLT) 

From the time we come into this world we are taught to believe those over us. It starts with our parents and grandparents. Then it extends to our teachers at school and then college.

Mix in the surrogate teachers such as the video games, movies, and television shows we are exposed to early in our lives and we have a lot of things we consider truth.

Video games and television have replaced personal contact at home. They have become babysitters allowing us to separate ourselves from our children while we do our own thing at home. We let screenwriters and computer programmers teach our own children.

Wow, what a mess has been made. And we wonder why many grow up confused and unable to discern right from wrong, good from bad.

Gone are the days of learning moral values from stay at home moms. Gone are those days of learning to read and then enjoying books where we learn additional values. Gone are those days of even reading the Word of God.

Many churches have even given over their sunday schools to video teachings of others. They listen/watch the production and then discuss what has been said. Instead of reading God's Word and learning how to find the Truth in it, we are told the truth.

Thank God for the preachers who still rely on Holy Spirit to help them prepare a message and even all HIm to put words in their mouths as the speak. For a message might be good when it is created by piecing it together from little bits of other's talks. But it is life changing when Holy Spirit is allowed to step in and step up the message.

No matter who we are listening to or what we are reading, the most important thing to do is test the message with the Word of God. And I am not just speaking about a sunday message at church. No, I am talking about our daily walk in life. If what we see or hear does not line up with what God has revealed to us personally in His Word, then we MUST avoid it. We must turn the other way toward God and be free.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Urgency

John 10:10 
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (NLT) ...I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NASV) 

It is so easy to think we need to do God's work for Him. We forget what Jesus did while he walked the earth. He reached out to everyone by being who he was. He was not Bible bashing or telling everyone they needed to follow him or they would go to hell in the afterlife.

He completed the Father's work. As he was led, he healed and taught. Those who were healed became followers and learned from him as he taught life lessons which always lined up with the scripture they knew.

God wants us to live life to the fullest. The New Testament is filled with details for living life in harmony and truth. We need to read it, absorb it, and live it.

The urgency is not about where others are going to end up. No, It is about life here on earth right now. It is about living a rich and satisfying life, an abundant one. And as we go about life, others God has for us to meet will come across out paths so we might share His light with them.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Follow Me

Luke 18:42-43 
And Jesus said, "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too. (NLT) 

There are many thoughts on evangelism today and numerous tracks meant to entice people to know about Jesus. Often they use scare techniques about heaven or hell. Who wants to go to a place of eternal fire?

Although it is true that those who do not follow Jesus will be subject to judgement and probable eternal damnation, He did not use this approach to get people to follow Him. Why do we?

The Word, and Jesus is the Word, went forth with signs and wonders following. All who saw it praised God and followed Jesus. So simple. yet why do we adopt other methods?

As we go about our daily business, are we "the Word" to those whom we meet? Are the words we speak filled with His Love and Mercy? Are our actions those of a humble servant meeting the needs of others?

I know I find myself focused on my todo list and driven to check off all on the list. Do I miss those around me because of my myopic vision or am I open to the leading of Holy Spirit as I go from place to place?

May we reach out to others in all we do. May we be ready with a kind word, a touch, or even to do a deed for everyone He puts in our path.

Monday, June 04, 2012

Anticipation

John 12:26 
Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. (NLT)

Jesus says to follow Him. He also says to just believe. And He tells us we must be born again. Wow, which are you--a follower, a believer, or born again? Are these choices or are they a path we take from believing, to following, to becoming born again?

Many have used the technique of asking a non-believer where they are going when they die. Heaven or Hell? Many are encouraged to give their lives to Jesus with this approach. They listen to the message following the question and say what we refer to as the sinners prayer. We count them as being in the Kingdom!

This leads me to another question. Do we lead a righteous life because of who we have become as a follower of Christ or in anticipation of judgement after death? In other words are we saved just because we said the words?

Back to the beginning. Does saying the words make us believe? Does it make us a follower? Does it automatically give us new life in Jesus with Holy Spirit in us?

Truth is, we can believe whatever our mind has decided to believe. Convinced the only way to heaven is through Jesus, anyone would want to take that path. So we believe because of that conversation with another believer. The test is in where we go from there.

Believing is not following and Jesus knows His sheep. He knows who is following Him. And it is those manifesting the fruits of the spirit He baptizes in fire. It is those who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of Him forever.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Followship

Mark 8:34  
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." (NLT) 

It is not because we were convinced to follow Jesus that we get to heaven and it is not by happenstance either. Following Jesus requires more than a road map. That is just following a set of rules. True followship requires friendship and fellowship.

In our zeal to tell others about Jesus it is easy to work hard and giving a logical explanation as to why it makes sense to follow Him. Like who wants to spend eternity in hell? But Jesus is not an insurance policy we grab a hold of just in case it is all true. We have to believe the story.

We can attend church all our life and never really know Jesus. It is not about Him becoming a friend of ours because we hang around with other Christians. Associating with Christians does not make us believe; it is not something that happens by osmosis. It is about us seeking Him out and becoming His friend because we believe.

John 14:6 
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (NLT) 

That belief comes when God flips a switch in us and it all becomes clear. We know in our heart that Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the light. Then the decision is truly made and we begin a walk that will continue through eternity with our new friend

Then we have true followship and no one can turn us away.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Live Long and Prosper

Deuteronomy 5:33 
Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. (NLT)

We remember the prosper piece of this scripture and hope for those prosperous times as we define prosperity in this country. Too often our hopes are so high we put all of those things we associate with prosperity on credit cards and then pray for God's help in paying them off.

Are we really so confident in His promise to give us prosperous lives or are we just greedy? Do we just want all that our parents had and more sooner than we should? Do we just feel entitled to it?

Let's look at the sentence preceding the one on prosperity. This is the condition, the IF. First we have to stay on the path Father God has commanded us to follow. Too often the path we are following is one of our own making having nothing to do with that which God has for us.

So then how do we justify the expectation of prosperity by God's hand when we live by our own plan? We live thinking it is by our own hands that we will succeed and then ask God to prosper us.

Isn't it about time we listened to God and let Holy Spirit guide us into the truth about the path meant for us? Then we will see prosperity in ways better than finances.

Monday, May 14, 2012

History Books

I awoke with this thought on my mind. "You don't get into heaven because of the good works you do. Good works get you into the history books, not heaven."

The fact is that most of us will not be remembered by many after we leave this earthly existence. Perhaps our family will mention us for a couple of generations, but after that we only become an entry in their genealogy when they get old enough to think about having one.

Perhaps they will wonder who we were when they visit the family plot at the local cemetery and look over the names and dates. I know I have done this with mine and really know very little about those long forgotten relatives that lived during the civil war or even before. They are names and dates on stone tablets.

Some will be remembered in the history books. If we look at what we learned in school they are a small number compared to how many have gone before us. Sure we remember the names of people who were our presidents, but not many of even them. Big corporation names, but maybe because the companies still use their name. We even remember ones who caused horrible events in history, perhaps even more than those that made their mark and changed things for the better in their time.

John 3:3  
"I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." (NLT) 

When it comes to heaven, we do not have to have a building named for us, or fight a war, or be in the who's who list. That list, the names written in the book of life, is made up of born again believers. It is the list of the saints, those that made a decision in their heart to follow Jesus.

There were no works that had to be done to get on that list. The only requirement is to believe. Then, as we follow Him in our day to day life, we do the work He lays before us as Holy Spirit guides us.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Commitment

Mark 8:34
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." (NLT)

There are three kinds of people: Gentiles (without God), Jews (without Jesus), and Christians. Which one are you? And are you what you say your are or is that just a convenient moniker?

Going to church on Sundays does not make us a Christian, but it is a good start. The problem is many believe fulfilling this weekly obligation is all that is expected. Jesus says nothing about going to church. He assumes we are doing that.

Those He was addressing in the crowd were Jews. They attended church. They believed in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Exodus 3:6) So the question was about following Him and to do that they (we) must turn from our selfish ways. We must turn from our worldly desires and put God first in our lives.

Is being a Christian a concept to you or a commitment? Do we turn to God because He is our friend, one who we chat with each day? Or do we look to Him in our need to fulfil our worldly desires? Are we committed to a relationship with Jesus?

And that cross thing, it sounds painful. I believe Jesus is telling us that we must be willing to take on the rejection, the humiliation, the attitudes, and even perhaps physical beatings that may come as a result of following Him and telling the Good News everywhere we go.

Can we put Him first in our lives and be willing to take up our cross? If we can say yes to that question we are committed. If no, then perhaps being a Christian is just a concept; a name we call ourselves.

We can follow anyones ideas and our conception of their ideals. We cannot truly follow someone until we are close enough to know them. Being a Christian is not about concept it is about commitment. It is about belief; about knowing that you know that you know.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Are They Blind

2 Corinthians 4:4  
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. (NLT) 

Remember watching a puppet like show where the performers would use a backlit sheet to display their characters as shadows. It was quite lifelike and yet you never saw the actual people or puppets. The images were behind a veil.

We forget that the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. We talk to them and yet our words seem to bounce off, never to be heard. So we keep coming back to them trying something else often to the point where they may not want to see us anymore. Sometimes even to the point where they agree to what we are asking, but perhaps only in words not from their heart.

And then there are those we approach who light up when we begin to discuss Jesus and what a relationship with Him has done to our lives. Perhaps someone else has dropped a few seeds into their life and Father God has been helping them remove that veil. They are ready to listen to the Good News.

How do we know who is dealing with that blindness and who is ready to listen? We don't. That is why we need to reach out to all we come into contact with. Some are ready. Some are not, but our words are like seed planted. And some are so blinded they cannot see.

So everywhere our feet tread we need to be obeying Holy Spirit and spreading the Good News

Monday, April 23, 2012

Be Salty

Mark 9:50 
Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other." (NLT) 

Salt enhances the food it is sprinkled on. Some of us use it plentifully and other sparingly. The medical doctors tell us that too much may be harmful to our heart by raising blood pressure and even hardening arteries.

If we look at verse 49, it reads "For everyone will be tested with fire." and doesn't John the Baptist say referring to Jesus in Luke 3:16 say "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Verse 49 in the Greek reads "salted with fire".)

When we become believers and are baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, do we not become enhanced like salt enhances our food? And yet over time in this mortal existence we drift away from His influence and our salt begins to lose its flavor. We become complacent in our faith even if we do show up weekly at church.

The salt we were given when we received Jesus is kept fresh by our daily living under the influence of Holy Spirit. We are tested by fire each time He points us in one direction and we want to take another.

We salt each other as we band together with other Christians daily to build each other up in our actions and our prayer.

What are you doing today to remain salty?

Monday, April 16, 2012

Forgiven

Hebrews 8:13 
By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear. (NIV)

What if the speed limit on the highway used to be 55 mph and it was changed to be 70 mph. Then you were pulled over for doing 60 mph. You could not be charged with violating the old law because you were doing over the old speed limit of 55 mph. The new had replaced the old.

Jesus came and gave us a new covenant and new replaces old. He has given each of us Holy Spirit to reside within us and comfort us, yes, but also to teach us and guide us into all truth. Under the new covenant He promised us:

Hebrews 8:10-12
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (NIV)

Unlike our friends and relatives, He remembers our past transgressions no more. He forgives us of that wickedness we were guilty of before we gave our lives to Jesus.

This does not mean the laws under the old covenant were wrong. It means we do not have to be perfect to be saved. His laws are now written on our hearts. We know right from wrong because He is with us, not because we memorized law. We obey our heart because we are in Him as He is in us.

We have been forgiven and he remembers our sins no more.

Monday, April 09, 2012

Our Past

Mark 6:3
Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him. (NIV)

Sometimes we have occasion to be reacquainted with people from our past. It is like we have entered a black hole and ended up in another time. We know nothing about them in the present so all of our observations are made through the filter of who they were. They just appear older, but that same person is still inside. Or is it?

We are who we are because of the paths we chose. Just because we started at one place does not mean we stayed there. Some do. They grow up in one place and fifty years later they are in that same place. And they may not be in the same location physically, but the they are in their thoughts and actions. Who they have become is an older version of who they were.

When we received Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, our spirit man became born again. Change began. It may not have been apparent externally, but with the help of Holy Spirit, our thinking shifted. We began to see people differently. Our reactions to circumstances around us changed. We began to see things as Christ sees things and yet others still see us as who we were.

As He leads us into new territory, places where our past is unknown, we are who we have become. We testify to who we were, but that just becomes part of our story. It becomes encouragement to others as they struggle to grow from their past into their future in Him.

With God all things are possible. He knows who we were, who we are now, and who we will become. We grow as we keep our eyes on Him and move further away from our past.

Monday, April 02, 2012

Never Leave

John 15:6 
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (NIV)

You go for years never using your insurance. No accidents with the vehicle. No medical issues. No home incidents. Then you look at what it costs and wonder if you should drop them. Look how much you would save? But, is that wisdom?

We have heard the old adage "Don't burn your bridges". When we move from one job to another or even from one church to another we have learned how important it is to leave on good terms and not in anger. Words once said can never be taken back and can come back to bite you many years later.

Well, what about this verse and our salvation? As born again believers we have the spirit of Christ within. We are in Him and He is in us. If we pull away from Him there is no going back. We have burned our bridges and the only path lleft eads to destruction.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Praise Me

1 Thessalonians 2:6 
We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. (NIV)

When we were children we were were praised for everything we did. That raise gave us confidence and showed us how proud they were of us. Yet, when we grew up and went to school the times of praise seemed to lesson as the years went on.

Our accomplishments were expected and we were told more of what we were doing wrong that was holding us back from that next level. Instead of praising us through our challenges as our parents did when we were young, we found ourselves having our misadventures being exalted. Even so we continued to look for praise from people. Praise is comforting.

Praise is like our reward for doing or accomplishing something good. When we are doing the work the Lord had called us to do, the work in itself is the reward. There is no need to brag about it to others or even to report in to others about what we have done. That is between us and Father God and will be stored up in Heaven.

Our praise is to the Father and not to us. It is not Praise Me, but rather Praise Him!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Who You Follow

Matthew 15:13-14 
[Jesus] replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." (NIV)

Remember playing follow the leader or even Simon says when you were a young child?

We have all been someplace where we followed someone else. They were the leader and we looked up to them. They knew things we did not and we could learn from them. And I am not talking about those we were forced to follow like our teachers in school or out boss at work.

What I am thinking about is more like the clicks we found ourselves in. A leader always rose to the top and we followed. For some this may have even been a gang or just a group of kids that hung around together at school.

Now that we are older, we may find ourselves spending a lot of time with other groups. They might be groups at church, a bowling team, or even just a group of neighbors.

As Christians we have to be sure we stay focused on God and that when we do look to following man that all we do lines up with the Father's will for our life. Satan is a sneaky serpent and loves to woo us into something new to take us away from God's plan for us.

So be careful of who you line yourself up with. Be sure their ways line up with His ways.You do not want to be led by the blind into destruction.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Secrets of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:11-12
He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. (NIV)

Each of us has a particular interest in things of this life. For many it is work related as most of our time is spent there. Perhaps you have a hobby like gardening, biking, or even stamp collecting. Maybe you just like to sit back and watch old movies or enjoy playing cards or board games.

When you are with others having the same interest, you all talk that language--that is using words associated with that particular thing. If it is old movies, you can recite lines from various movies and know all the actors by name. If it is computers, you are comfortable chatting about bits and bytes, backups, malware attacks, and more. Yet your computerize is meaningless to others.

As believers we have been given the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Just as I would be ignorant of what was being discussed in a group of gardeners, nonbelievers have no idea what we are talking about in our Christian conversations.

As we walk out in faith doing what our Father God has called us to, we are given more. As those we reach out to with the Word, the message of the Gospel, and they reject us the further away from everlasting life they become.

It is not our wonderfully wordsmithed words that bring someone into the Kingdom. It is God opening their ears to hear and their hearts to receive. Then they too will have knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven given to them.

Monday, March 05, 2012

Identify

Matthew 7:20 
Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. (NLT) 

It is rare that someone we meet is the person we think they are. Circumstances play a big part in our perception. Add to that what others have to say about them and our opinion of them can change drastically.

That old adage that says you can tell a book by its cover is far from true. It is what is inside a person that truly counts. And as one builds a relationship with God allowing Christ within, the Holy Spirit to teach them and mold them like the potter's clay, the inside changes.

What we were before we met Jesus has changed. He changes us into the person we were destined to be. We take on a new identity. The fruit in our lives changes.

However, the Lord uses our past for us to identify with others in similar circumstances to help them see their way out of the old life. We become the light at the end of their tunnel. We become the possibility they never thought existed.

So how we dress and what words we speak does not identify who we really are. It is the fruit that falls to the ground all around us as we walk through this life hand in hand with Holy Spirit. It is the result of how we interact with others showing God's love in all we do.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Judging Others

Romans 14:10 
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. (NIV) 

It is so easy to judge others based on the filter of our life. We do things in a certain way, but that way may not work for others we know or meet. God made each of us in His image, but He also made us as individuals. And the word individual means that we are not the same as anyone else.

It is not only that our fingerprints, retinas, and ear patterns are unique. We are not the same, even if we were born a twin.

We are made up of the DNA inherited from our forefathers and the experiences we had growing up and all through life up to right now. And that all makes up the filter we use to view others and their behaviors.

But we do not have the right to do that. Only God will judge. Don't get me wrong. If we see a brother or sister we have a relationship with doing something harmful to their salvation or another, we do have the right to speak with them.

Sin cannot be left out in the open or it will become as though it were no longer sin. Over the past fifty years society has looked the other way and more and more sinful practices have become "normal". We must speak up when these sins are allowed amongst the brethren.

The practices of one church may not be the same as our church, but that does not mean they are wrong. It means we are different while both following Jesus. The same hold true of another believer; the key is our belief in Jesus Christ as Lord over all.

Monday, February 20, 2012

He Was Raised

Romans 8:34 
Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. (NLT) 

We get so focused on the horrible events before us on the news channels, newspapers, and Web sites. It is one bad event after another. Once in a great while, probably when they cannot find any bad news to report, some happy moment is brought to light.

What if we lived only seeing those happy momments? What if the sitcoms on television showed happy, successful middle class families where both husband and wife were in tune with each other? And the kids respected their parents.

On my computer I have a filter that looks through my email to see if any of it is spam. It filters out the stuff I have no need or desire to be shown. What if we had that same filter in all of our encounters?

As spirit filled believers in Jesus Christ, we do. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can get beyond the bad and see through to the good. We can take that bad situation and be shown the good that has or will come out of it. IF we give the Holy Spirit permission to work in our life. We have to choose to let Him guide the way. We have to turn on the filter.

So often we hear about the death of Jesus on the cross and this is an important event. However, many were crucified or put to death in all the ages. BUT only one was raised from the dead. Only ONE sits at the right hand of the Father.

So let's remember and look past His horrible death, the death of Jesus that took away all our transgressions. Let's look to His resurrection from death. That is a happy moment brought to light.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Complicated

Luke 9:6
So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick. (NLT)

When I was a young boy there were two ways to make a telephone call. You either had a phone at home and often you shared that line with someone else on the street or you found a pay phone. There were pay phone everywhere.

Television was black and white and there were only two channels. And they went off the air by midnight. Either you watched what was on or you did not watch anything thing at all.

Computers? Well the military had them but that was about it. Banks did everything by hand with big old adding machines that had lots of keys and the bank kept track of your balance on big cardboard ledger cards. Nobody had credit cards.

Life was simple and it worked. Today we have cell phone that are more like science fiction than phones and we don't share the line with anyone. Home phone are going the way of the dinosaur being replaced by VOIP (voice over internet) services like Magic Jack or Vonage that allow you to call anyone in the world. Then there is Skype where you can call someone and actually see them on your computer screen as you chat with them.

Televisions show us hundreds of channels and we even can record the shows and watch them on our time schedule. Everyone has a computer and a cell phone and if you can't afford it, the government has a program to give you one.

Banking is mostly done from your computer and you pay your bills the same way. We charge so much on credit cards that we will never be able to pay off the debt and postage has ridden to an all time high, but most of us seldom send stuff by "snail mail" anymore.

Everything has become complicated. Just figuring out which control to use to turn on the TV can be a challenge. Sure we can do more and do it faster, but the learning curve is high and nothing is simple anymore.

This verse in Luke sounds so simple and yet we don't do it. We live in a complicated society and tend to complicate everything. But why?

Nothing in God's word is complicated. Nothing has prerequisites. We don't have to be saved for so many months or years before reaching out to others. We don't have to go to a Bible college to share God's word. No, all we have to do is go into the world of non-believers and talk about the Good News and heal the people.

So let's keep it simple. Let's speak to that person on street next time. Let's share our testimony of what it means to us to have a relationship with Jesus. And if they are sick, let's reach out and heal them.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Living Water

John 7:38
Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" (NLT)

One of the places we shop at has food tasting stations all around the store. We call it the Senior Buffet! You get to try all types of food and snacks. Sometimes we actually purchase one or two of the items. You really can get your fill a little byte at a time.

So often we can do the same in our relationship, or lack there of, with Jesus. We go from meeting to meeting, church to church, video teaching series to video teaching series, and from Christian book to book. We sample from a lot of different places, but never spend long enough to get a drink.

We talk about the Holy Spirit and being filled, yet we show little if any evidence of it in our day to day lives. Where is the river of living water?

John 7:39 
When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory. (NLT) 

Sure, we do receive the Holy Spirit, the comforter, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus promised we would. The Father sends Him and He resides in us. But that is only the beginning of our new life.

When Jesus baptizes us with Fire, the Holy Spirit baptism, not John's, we receive all power and all authority to do whatever Holy Spirit has in store for us. He alone gives us the wisdom to know what we need to know to see what the situation we are placed in requires.

Mark 16:16-18 
Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed. (NLT) 

With Holy Spirit right there working through us we can cast out demons. We can handle whatever satan throws our way even if it is snakes or poison. And we will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Revelation

John 14:26
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative-that is, the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (NLT)

Revelation is defined a something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, as of something not before realized. While realization is the act of to grasping or understanding clearly.

The two seem to be blended into one. Often what we call revelation is actually realization. You see, we are drowned in information today. Some from the pulpit, some from conversations with others or even Bible studies, and much from our random searching on the Internet. At some point 2+3 equals 5 and we realize what we have. We realize as a result of what we have learned.

As we open ourselves up to the teaching of the Holy Spirit, revelation bubbles up and we see things we never saw before. This may occur as we listen to someone else preach, It may occur as we are in prayer. Or it may be something new as we read a scripture passage we have read many times before.

It is not the putting together of information from others. The Holy Spirit reveals a new truth to us. It is something new. It is an A-ha! moment.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Willingness to Walk

We spend hours upon hours listening to Christian preachers and teachers. We memorize scripture and can quote the Bible in about any situation. We attend Bible studies, Men's meetings, and women's meetings. We may even jump at a chance to see a big name Christian speak up close by attending a conference.

We are trained beyond our willingness to walk.

We are constantly looking for more data, more input fill our heads. We even listen to Christian music in the car and perhaps even a teaching CD. We may even buy the pastor's sermon CD's so we can listen again and again to his teaching.

But to what end? Sure, the Bible tells us to study to show ourselves approved. But are we to be stuck in a feed me mode for our entire life?

I think not. Doesn't our Father God want us to have a relationship with Him? And for that to occur we must be with Him. We are not with Him when we have a CD playing. We are not with Him when we are at a meeting listening to someone else tell us about Him. We are not with Him at the Bible study.

These are all relationships, but with other believers. And fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ is important, but not at the expense of time with God, alone.

How can God tell us what we are to do if we never spend time to hear Him? What good is all the things we learn if we do not walk out and use them in our day to day life?

Isn't it time we took what we have learned, listened to God, and then be willing to walk out in Christ to spread the Gospel message?

Monday, January 16, 2012

Power and Authority

Luke 9:1 
One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. (NLT) 
 
When we are in the working world we yield to the authority and power of those above us. On the job that can be our boss, the owner of the company, or even our customers. Although I find little evidence of that old rule that said the customer is always right. 
 
Outside of work we yield to the authority and power wheeled by the government, the military, and the local police force. We allow others the right to instruct us and even to decide how and when these mortal bodies are taken care of and even repaired.  
 
In order to earn the right to have that authority and power, most have to attend years of school and other training. They exhibit diplomas and certificates and have impressive resumes. 
 
As born again, spirit filled believers, we do not need training. Although in the spirit of the world, we yield to the same hierarchy of training in most of our religious organizations. We place man's credentials over Biblical truth. 
 
Matthew 10:7-8 
Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! (NLT) 
 
We have the Holy Spirit. What we need is encouragement to step out in the power and authority He has given us. This was a free gift given because we asked. 
 
Let us encourage each other in the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon us. Let us walk forth on the path the Holy Spirit leads us on and use the authority and power He has give us, in the name of Jesus. 

Monday, January 09, 2012

No Tricks

There is a social event happening at church next week. It is a pot luck with all the usual dishes church people seem to make no matter where in the country you attend one. The green bean salads, the mac-n-cheese, the potato salad, the lasagna, the fried chicken, tossed salad, and perhaps even a jello-mold dish. Of course there are plenty of deserts in a variety of cakes, pies, and cookies. All good. All filling. All calories.

This is a wonderful event to get our unsaved friends and family to attend. Perhaps after that good meal and a short message from Pastor, they will say the sinners prayer and come on board. I just coax them along, you think. All they have to do is say the words.

You cannot trick someone into following Jesus. Even if they do say the words, they are only words. They must truly accept Jesus into their heart and follow Him.

Ephesians 2:8-9
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (NLT)

Just because the words were said, there might be a chance, but the words alone do not make someone a believer. See, the word believe is the key. They have to believe the words and desire to have Jesus as their Lord and Savior or the words are empty. The words are said so you will be happy with them and have nothing to do with a beginning relationship with Jesus.

When saved there is no way life goes on as it did before. Things change in our thinking and in our actions. Others notice the changes in us. We are on a journey and God is changing us from the old mortal man into one influenced by the Holy Spirit as He transforms us into the image of Christ.

Monday, January 02, 2012

Are We Willing

Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;  (NIV) 

"If we are not willing to do something different then how can God do something new in us?"

Are we so wrapped up in our lifestyle and what we are "doing for God" that we cannot see the error of our ways? Sure, we try to do everything as to the Lord. We think we try to let Him control our day-to-day activities and even our non-activities.

Then  we have our list of "can't miss" shows on the big screen television set and God knows how important that is to us. After all, we do set aside a moment at meal time to thank Him and ask Him to bless the food.

We think about getting into His Word and once and a while do pick it up. We do listen to the Christian radio station whenever we are in the car. That counts, doesn't it? And look at all the things we have volunteered to do for the church?

But it really comes down to us being willing to do whatever we have decided or have been convinced of, not that we have actually heard from God. After all, when do we spend time talking to Him and then listening for an answer?

God wants us to become His friend. He wants to spend time with us, one on one. He wants us to get to know Him by spending time with Him in His Word--and He does not care which translation we use for He can talk to us through all of them.

Let's be willing to give up some of the things on our schedule to do what He has for us to do. As we make the time to listen, He will give us the plan. As we work His plan, He can change us. And as we become more Christ like in our relationship with Him, we will understand true joy.