SWORD OF GOLIATH

The Glamour Of Valor: The Strength To Love

2012-02-10T15:59:00.002-05:00

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. - Kahlil Gibran

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend! Of course, I know that anyone who takes the time to read this blog is someone who spreads love daily, so I pray that you continue to experience the beauty of love as Valentine’s Day is celebrated.

To all the beautiful ladies who take this blog journey with me, I want to remind you that your beauty does not depend on any external factor. Yes, it is great to take good care of your body and appearance, but the real foundation of the whole you is your spirit. The external can change in a moment and beauty (as the world sees it) fades over time, but your spirit is for all time.

Beauty is false and favor is empty, but a woman that is in the awe of Lord Jehovah, she will be praised. - Proverbs 31:30

Be adorned in the secret person of the heart and in a humble spirit which is uncorrupted, an excellent ornament before God. - 1 Peter 3:4

This weekend, remember that "Valentine" has roots in "Valor". Your glamour, your real beauty, allure and charm, is in your valor; and your valor is your strength and your courage. There is no real beauty until you first find the strength to love yourself and accept who you are. Once you are able to acknowledge your Creator by truly receiving and loving the gift of you, you will shine as an ornament of grace, glowing with glamour and veiled with valor. Rare, radiant, refined and royal.

The most precious jewels are not made of stone, but of flesh. - Robert Ludlum

There is no substitute for you. There is no greater discovery than the knowledge that love is in you and with you at all times. There is alternative to loving yourself. You must have the glamour of valor...the strength to love yourself.

You don't have to go looking for love when it's where you come from. - Werner Erhard

Avoid The Gift Of Garbage, Oh Sweet Valentine

2012-02-09T13:24:00.004-05:00

At this moment, and over the next few days, millions of people around the world will be eagerly awaiting gifts of chocolate, roses, jewelry, fine dining, luxury trips, cards, tweets, texts and declarations of love. We are approaching Valentine’s Day, and if you think the expectation and anxiety surrounding that day is a joke, think again.

The National Retail Federation reports that approximately $17.6 billion will be spent, $4.1 billion is expected to be spent on jewelry alone, $1.5 billion on cards and/or candy, $1.8 billion on flowers, $3.5 billion on eating out, and $1.4 billion will be spent on sweaters (yea, I know), winter accessories and other clothing.

Oh, it’s not all just about money. That’s only part of the story. Our feelings and emotions, our hearts and minds, are very much involved. There are kids drawing pictures for parents in jail, for their teachers, for moms and dads serving in the military. There are grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, working on surprises to circumvent moms and dads on the sugar limit for the kids. Co-Workers exchange gifts, and even pets get showered with trinkets of our affection. In 2011 we spent on gifts for classmates and teachers ($4.97), friends ($6.30), co-workers ($3.41) and pets ($5).

My young readers love it when I tackle the "tingling singles", as I call them, on issues of love and relationships, especially on Valentine’s Day. This year, however, I’m going to approach it with more seriousness than hilarity. Lots of jokes are made about lost love and relationship escapades, but the statistics (suicides and murder-suicides) tell us that people are dying (in many different ways) for love.

I read a great article in Scientific American called "Male Spiders Scam Females With Gift-Wrapped Garbage", and what began with roaring laughter for me ended with very thoughtful meditation on the state of relationships.

"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider..."

If you haven’t read that poem lately, you should. If you read this blog often, you know I love nature and pay attention to wildlife. Scripture expect us to. No one who truly loves God can discount or dismiss nature. The Bible tells us to consider and observe and learn from God’s creation. In this case, our lesson comes from the spider.

You need to be able to identify the slick spiders in every relationship group, and not just as potential mates. After all, every relationship contributes to who we are, to who we become as mates. Much of what we see as mate material is just bait. As the Scientific American article points out, some male spiders present their intended with exquisitely wrapped gifts to get the girl spider, but the gifts were worthless. Most, however, had already began mating by the time they realized the deceit. The whole study is found at BMC Evolutionary Biology [Maria J. Albo et al., "Worthless donations: male deception and female counter play in the nuptial gift-giving spider"].

So, whether you’re looking for a mate or have already taken the bait or opened your glitzy gift only to find garbage, it’s up to you to get out of and avoid the mess. Let's not forget that Valentine derives from Valentinus and from L. valentia ("strength, capacity'). It's the perfect time to display your valor and worth by the choices you make. What can you do to engage in wholesome relationships and avoid worthless ones, to accept gifts of love and avoid gifts of lure, to entertain givers of grace and avoid givers of garbage?

1. Keep You Eyes Open To More Than The External:

Do not be ignorant. Know the type who "worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed" (2 Timothy 3:6). Who are they? Your clue begins at 2 Timothy 2:3-5: "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power". The Scripture states about those people, "Have nothing to do with them."

When people show themselves to be selfish and controlling, don’t deceive yourself into thinking that they are somehow different from what they seem to be. Daddy’s "princess" and mama’s "baby boy" comes with baggage, and it’s inevitably filled with fool’s gold. Don’t fall for the outside packaging; the parental attachment or detachment comes at a cost and you will be the one paying it. If someone is unforgiving to others, they will not be forgiving to you. If they abused wife No. 1, they’ll abuse wife No. 2. If they are treacherous with Susie, they’ll be treacherous with you. Never think you’ll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

2. Beautiful Lips Can Be Deadly:

Once again, people who are unkind to others will be unkind to you. Harsh words wrapped in flattery, back-handed "compliments" and "funny" put-downs are deceptive and abusive. "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." - Romans 3:13. Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

3. No Good Can Come Of Hooking Up With Deception:

A deceiver often appears productive; they’ll seem to work hard, but the result is always disaster. When you choose to become one with a deceiver and abuser, you are becoming one with a mess. A deceiver will work really hard for a "one night stand", and that one night may cost you everything, considering the statistics on stalking, pregnancy and STDs. The beating or mental abuse in that marriage can leave you with brain damage and other serious health consequences. One wrong move can, indeed, land you in a pit. "He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head. - Psalm 7:14-16. Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

4. Words...Words...Words:

Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself. - Nietzsche

You’ve met the ones who go all out to impress, using words and deeds, to present themselves and their gifts of garbage. DO NOT BE IMPRESSED BY WORDS OR WORKS. It takes a lot of talking and doing to cover up trash. Remember when you were kids? How hard you worked to make your dirty room look clean? Some adults never got out of living a life of concealing a mess. Abusers and deceivers often work the hardest to keep up appearances. Satan never sleeps. Abusers and deceivers are basically stalkers. They're persistent. They spend every moment plotting, all their hard work and boasting words, are merely to engulf their victims with lies. "All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you're an expert at telling lies." - Psalm 52:2. Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

5. Don’t Be Ignorant About The Phony Prophets:

The cute "minister" at church? The pastor with the hots for anything that moves? The deacon that is always laying on hands? The married worship leader that can't keep his eyes from roaming over young girls? The sexed-up "senior pastor"? Yes, you know exactly what I am talking about. Don’t go deaf, dumb and blind when the spider spins a web right in the middle of the sanctuary. "Evil people and phony preachers will go from bad to worse as they mislead people and are themselves misled." - 2 Timothy 3:13. Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

6. Scruples Matter:

Getting in a relationship with unscrupulous people will cause instability in your life. They will rock your world, and I’m not talking about sex. They will shift your foundation and you WILL fall. I don’t care how good the sex is; it will cost you. Settling for the unscrupulous shows your own instability. If your mate can’t decide on commitment, if you’ve been "dating" eight years or if you’ve been pining after him since college, and he still don’t know you enough to let go of Sister Sally, then you (YES, YOU) have a problem. You are immature and you need to get your thinking on firm foundation. Deceivers and abusers use a system of uncertainty and insecurity and it is up to you to remove yourself from that system. You’re no longer a child, and should not subject yourself to the tricks of the "unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error". Ephesians 4:14. Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

7. Know Your worth:

What are you giving away for free? Talk about them all you want, but even prostitutes have a price on their time and talent ("In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment. - Ezekiel 16:31). It’s not so much that money dictates your value, but, like everything else, how it is used is an indicator of your confidence. If you trust in what is worthless, your reward will also be worthless (Job 15:31). If you want to live a rewarding life, you will have to start valuing yourself highly. The words and conduct of an abuser and deceiver are worthless (Jeremiah 14:14, Proverbs 10:20), but carry real consequences for those who fall for them (Jeremiah 7:8, Proverbs 6:12, Proverbs 16:27). Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN!

8. You Won’t Get To Heaven By Strolling Through Hell:

Quit trying to be the martyr. There is no advance placement classes or promotions or parades or prizes for deceiver dependence (you know the truth, but still listen to the lies) and abuser anchors (you let evil sink itself into you) and harlot harborers (you let buffoons, jugglers, the loose, the crude, and good-for-nothing sail in and out of your life). "No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." - Psalm 101:7. Cut your ties to Mr. or Mrs. hard knocks. You’ve taken that class many times, you’re now a repeat offender. It’s time to move on. Never think you'll be the exception to a deceiver and abuser. Live with EYES WIDE OPEN! You’re not a fly. Stop falling for the stink, especially when it comes in sweet packaging. Ultimately, you will not be able to blame the spider if you choose to open a gift of garbage.

The Spider and the Fly

Mary Howitt

Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,

'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;

The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,

And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there."

Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;

Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.

"There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,

And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!"

Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,

They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"

Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, " Dear friend what can I do,

To prove the warm affection I 've always felt for you?

I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;

I'm sure you're very welcome -- will you please to take a slice?"

"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "kind Sir, that cannot be,

I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"

"Sweet creature!" said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise,

How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!

I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,

If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."

"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you 're pleased to say,

And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day."

The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,

For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:

So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,

And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.

Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,

"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;

Your robes are green and purple -- there's a crest upon your head;

Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!"

Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,

Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;

With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,

Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue --

Thinking only of her crested head -- poor foolish thing! At last,

Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.

He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,

Within his little parlour -- but she ne'er came out again!

And now dear little children, who may this story read,

To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:

Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,

And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.

It’s Time To Jump Ship!

2012-02-08T11:01:00.003-05:00

Have you ever just sat there a took it? "It" being that thing or that person that’s completely out of order or out of place. It’s one thing to take responsibility and be accountable for our own actions, but what do you do when stuff happens through no fault of your own? Things do happen; natural disasters and accidents happen every day, with very painful consequences. When we end up in bad environments, through no fault of our own, we can sit there and just take it or we can come to the realization that while we’re still breathing, we have an opportunity to get out of that bad place.

Two stories came to my attention this week as I thought about how what we do or fail to do when trouble comes in and settles like a relentless storm. These stories were about two beautiful places that’s been touched by trouble: Japan and the Everglades. The Everglades is part of the amazing ecosystem in Florida and it recently came to light that the whole ecosystem is being destroyed by a species, the Burmese python. One person on "On Point Radio" summed up the real problem: "There’s nothing wrong with the Burmese python. They’re just in the wrong place."

Just one animal out of place can begin a pattern of destruction of a whole ecosystem. If you don’t think that "one" thing out of place matters, think about what it is destroying: "Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, boasts rare and endangered species. It has been designated a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance, significant to all people of the world."

The Everglades is vast and critical, but the importance is hard to describe, especially in terms of water (http://theevergladesstory.org/journey/).

Just as it is hard to describe what is occurring in the Everglades because people don’t see the importance, so it is often hard to describe when something out of place and out of order enters our life and starts creating problems that others don’t see or comprehend. Either way, we may end up like all those unsuspecting animals in the Everglades if we don’t know when to jump ship. Even Jesus knew when to jump ship; He was not ignorant of trouble:

After the devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left Him until another time.

- Luke 4:13

At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid Himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. - John 8:5:9

Jumping ship is risky business. Trouble may be lurking around the corner. As grandma would say, you may leave the frying pan and end up in the fire (did Jesus not end up on the Cross?), but that should not stop you from seeking higher ground. That is what many who survived the March 11 Tsunami in Japan came to realize (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/print/nb20120207a2.html). After surviving an unbelievable disaster that is still ongoing, they decided to "jump ship". Many made that jump to Silicon Valley. The reality is that California is no less prone to earthquakes or other natural disasters, but they decided to "jump ship" anyway. Why? They were "pushed and pressed against the wall" by that Tsunami and they came out of that disaster determined to change positions by faith instead of cowering in fear. One businessman said that the Tsunami made people "consider what they should do with their lives." They did not create the disaster and they could not avoid the disaster, but they survived and decided not to linger in it. They decided to move from what was out of order and out of place.

Whatever you’re facing today, you can choose to change positions. You don’t have to linger in the disaster zone. Instead of looking back, hoping for what was, you can pray and move forward. One of the most effective prayers you can say for yourself and anyone else, including opposing forces, is that God will keep them in their rightful place and order. When people and things get out of order and out of place the harm reaches far and wide (like the Everglades), and those who don’t realize it’s time to push and press past that danger zone will suffer.

Jump ship. Cross to the other side. It may seem like God is taking a nap while you’re drowning in trouble, but He’s with you. He really is.

One day Jesus said to His disciples, "Let’s cross to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we’re going to drown!"When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then He asked them, "Where is your faith?" The disciples were terrified and amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "When He gives a command, even the wind and waves obey Him!" - Luke 8:22-25

Have You Forgotten God?

2012-02-07T13:14:00.004-05:00

No one likes hard questions. I have yet to meet anyone, from Kindergarten to now, who jumped for joy when faced with an exam filled with hard questions. Whether we like them or not, hard questions will be asked, and none are as hard as the questions of the heart. When I say heart, I’m not talking about chocolates and roses (though, that too, can make us squirm), I’m talking about our heart connection to God.

No Christian will ever admit that they’ve forgotten God. They’ll probably be offended if asked that question and give you a list of all the religious activities and accomplishments. All of that notwithstanding, the question is before us today: HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN GOD?

Yes, you can quote Scripture, and your church pew probably has your name on it...and you’ve probably given to every program and project...and you’ve probably done every prosperity conference and holy land world cruise. None of those things answer this question: HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN GOD?

Pointing to the world and accusing them of forgetting God is not the answer either. This is one question you cannot shift blame on. You can’t point to what others are or are not doing, you can only answer for you. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN GOD?

Still hesitating on your answer? Okay, let’s look at Psalm 50. God calls "His" people, His "faithful" people for a little chat. Actually, God has some charges to lay out. Now, these "faithful" folk are good at keeping religious rules and rituals, so the charges are not about that (Psalm 50:8). He reminds them He doesn’t need their rituals, but to make thankfulness their sacrifice (Psalm 50:14).

So, who was God charging with forgetting Him? I call them the lip syncing saints; the Scripture calls them the wicked ... the wicked among the faithful. They talk...they talk a lot (Podcasting, Tweeting, Facebooking, E-Mailing, and on and on), and all that talk has consequences.

God says to the wicked: "Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? - Psalm 50:16

The lip syncing saints can whip out a Scripture in under one second. They can probably recite the whole Bible, but there’s a problem. God lays out the charges: undisciplined, rebellious, pleased with greed (calling dishonest gain ordinary profit, oppressing the poor, etc), loves to hang with liars...vow breakers, and are liars themselves (Psalm 50:19-20).

The charge that really hit is where God basically says, you "slander"...you run your mouth without any care, blocking and hindering and causing scandal. Know any Christians like that? Not you, of course, but you know someone like that. Unfortunately, there are even people in the pulpit like that. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FORGOTTEN GOD.

Did you notice that almost all of God’s charges involve our conduct and, especially, our words? How you do what you do matters. Every means does not justify an end. You are communicating even when you don’t say a word. How you say, what you say, who you say it to...words...words...words ... are directly tied to your remembrance and honor of God. The things in our heart, as they flow from our lips, matter to God a great deal.

A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. - Proverbs 26:28

It is possible to get so consumed policing the morality of others that we forget sin brewing in our own life. Every sin begins with a lie, and there is no lie bigger than a lie to self. The biggest lie to self is that God doesn’t care or doesn’t see. Think about it. Would people be so at ease with abusing women, raping children, treating the poor like trash and engaging in other acts of hate and violence if they hadn’t first lied to themselves that God doesn’t care or won’t see? Your soul is in danger the moment you begin to think that God does not care about the soul of another or is not aware when you harm another.

If you can’t respect and honor humanity, all of God’s children, then you’re not really putting Him in remembrance. You haven’t really hid His word in your heart (Psalm 119:11); You’ve forgotten Him. As much noise as we make about "morality", what we consider unpardonable sins, look at what God points out to His people in Psalm 50... their words. When we forget God, we let racism and hatred and bitterness and violence into our hearts and our lives, and then it pours out in how we treat others...in our homes, workplaces, churches, communities...and we get comfortable because we think we have God’s approval if we can recite Scripture and keep up a religious show. We’re wrong.

While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all My charges against you. Repent, all of you who forget Me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. - Psalms 50:21-22

You may have no fear of or respect for the people who are harmed by your words or by the bitterness flowing from the company you keep, but you need to put God in remembrance by fearing and respecting Him. He actually cares about those people you harm, even those you consider your enemy. He is a loving God, but He is also an avenging God. It would be very bad to get in that place with God where no one can help you.

We are given a reprieve in Psalm 50:23, that if we turn to living a thankful life, with the type of communication and demeanor that honors Him, then He will display who He is. He is the Savior of His creation.

The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation. - Psalm 145:9

If you don’t want to forget God, reflect His compassion in spirit and in truth.

The Lord is righteous in everything He does; He is filled with kindness. - Psalm 145:17

If you don’t want to forget God, show His kindness in spirit and in truth.

Honor every person, love your brethren, worship God and honor Kings. - 1 Peter 2:17

If you don’t want to forget God, don’t forget your manners.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. - 1 Corinthians 15:33

If you don’t want to forget God, watch your company.

Let your gracious attitude be known to all people. The Lord is near. - Philippians 4:5

If you don’t want to forget God, always function with grace. And, as Colossians 3 reminds us, we must always be humble and loving because, "It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk. Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life....your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with His label on it... Words like ...religious and irreligious, insider and outsider ...slave and free, mean nothing ....for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Pray Again!

2012-02-06T09:15:00.004-05:00

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over. - F. Scott Fitzgerald

I know it's Monday, but are you up for a challenge? No? Well, I have one for you anyway. I want you to think about the thing, the situation, that has challenged you to your breaking point. I want you to think about that thing that has become such a challenge that you’ve stopped thinking about it, stopped talking about it and stopped praying about it. Whether it’s health or money or a relationship or whatever; you've tried to avoid it and suppress it, and you know what it is. You’ve tried to ignore it for weeks, months, years; hoping it would abate, but it seems to dig in deeper in defiance.

Today is the day to challenge that challenge, to defy what’s been defying you. How do you do that? You need to engage God in the fight and not let go. I want you to look that challenge in the face, and PRAY AGAIN!

After almost four years of drought (James 5:18), Elijah PRAYED AGAIN, and it rained.

God does not give up. There is no challenge too great for him; not even the messes you got into because of your own doing. God is faithful and merciful. He is time and eternity. It’s never too late to stand and fight. It is time to challenge that challenge; to bring it to nothing. It’s time to PRAY AGAIN!

On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me, but the Lord became my defense. - 2 Samuel 22:19

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. - James 5:16

He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. - 2 Samuel 22:18

They will sink to their knees and fall, but we will rise and stand firm. - Psalm 20:8

You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even them that contended with you: they that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing not existing. - Isaiah 41:12

Saturday's Breathing Room: Time To Embrace

2012-02-04T09:09:00.003-05:00

You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it. - Charles Buxton

In our well-intentioned attempts to do right and be better we often spend an enormous amount of time avoiding, abstaining and refraining. Most of us spent a lot of time in January doing just that, and we probably went overboard. There is a time and season for everything, as King Solomon so eloquently admonished us in Ecclesiastes 3. We can avoid and abstain to the point that we end up zapping all the enjoyment and richness from our lives. We can't spend every moment running from and saying no. There has to be a balance. Life is meant to be lived. There are things worth running to, worth embracing.

Yes, you need breathing room. You need to embrace some things. If you’ve cut out some bad foods, it’s time to embrace some good ones. If you’ve stopped some bad habits, it’s time to embrace some better ones. If you’ve let go of some broken relationships, it’s time to embrace some healthy ones. You can’t live your own life from the sidelines. Stop waiting for a life coach and start living. Life must be experienced and experiences don’t just happen; you have to embrace them. You can only truly engage life in a beneficial way when you embrace.

Think about how a newborn baby gets passed around a room? Everyone want a chance to embrace that baby because that really is to only way to experience that little one. Being in the room, seeing a picture, is nothing compared to actually having that bundle in your arms. Even if you only embrace that baby for a moment the feeling is for a lifetime. I can still describe today what it felt like the very first time I held my goddaughter in my arms years ago. That embrace had lasting impact.

I think I don't regret a single 'excess' of my responsive youth - I only regret, in my chilled age, certain occasions and possibilities I didn't embrace. - Henry James

Today is the day to make some breathing room. It's time to embrace, to really experience. Maybe you've hesitated going out with a friend because you're short on cash, but you can change that today by doing something simple. Everything doesn't have to be a big show. Maybe you've longed for some solitude, so take time today and embrace it without feeling guilty about what chores are unfinished. Maybe you have zero interest in the Super Bowl, so why not use that time to embrace something that brings you joy. It does not have to be some monumental thing. It could be as simple as hot chocolate made from scratch and a good book....or a trip to a farm or vineyard or garden....or bringing home some fruit from the farmer’s market and creating a dish that’s pure indulgence.

Take time to embrace something, someone, and engross yourself in the experience for this day, or even for a moment. You can’t wait for everything to be perfect before you make breathing room and take time to embrace the experiences you desire. You’ve held back long enough; it’s time to embrace life, and you can start by embracing yourself and the God in you. He did not breathe life into you so you can run around holding your breath.

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. - Fr. Alfred D'Souza

Facts On Faith

2012-02-03T11:49:00.002-05:00

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. - Galatians 5:6

There is so much spin and outright craziness about faith that it is necessary to give ourselves a faith check, and to do it often. It seems as if every minute, especially in this age of instant publishing, there is another book on faith. I don’t know about you, but I choose to stick to Scripture when it comes to faith. I can’t count on the opinion of man on something that is so important to my very existence.

The Bible is very clear on the importance of faith, but that has not stopped many in the pulpit from creating mass confusion and deception about faith. Before we slip into this weekend, let us regroup a little by meditating on a few facts on faith.

Faith is really composed of three things: Unwavering faith, unseen hope and unfailing love. For us to know what matters, what has true value, we need these three things: faith, hope and love. Everything of true substance and lasting value comes through faith, and there is no faith without hope and love.

Faith is active; not dormant. You can trek in and out of church every single day and still be as dead as the average door knob. Just hearing Scripture is not enough: The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. - Hebrews 4:2

Faith is like a really good recipe; there’s got to be some stirring, some mixing, some measuring, some balancing, some adjustments and some combining to get a desired outcome. You don’t see a cake before it is made; you have to make it, and then you see it. Faith is like that. To get any desired outcome in life, there must be faith, hope and love. We must be willing to do before we see. Our real world is about the unseen.

You’re not in a human fight: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12

You must have hope beyond what you see: Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? (Romans 8:24); So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever (2 Corinthians 4:18).

You must have love: If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. - 1 Corinthians 13:2

You must have vision beyond the natural: He endured as if he had seen God, who is unseen. - Hebrews 11:27

You must believe first: Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. - Hebrews 11:1

It does not matter where you are in life right now, at the bottom or the top, happy or sad, feeling pain or joy, CLING TO THIS ABSOLUTE FACT: Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13. These three things–faith, hope and love—are never wasted.

Don’t just cling to faith, hope and love; believe in them, act on them, and walk in them. Let all your senses, all that you are, operate in these three things.....UNWAVERING FAITH....UNSEEN HOPE ... UNFAILING LOVE.

It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that He exists and that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6

Faith, hope and love working together is the language of those who love God. Your background, your ethnicity, your natural language, your color and all your physical attributes cannot hold you back when you take hold of faith, hope and love.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. - Hebrews 10:23

These three things...faith...hope...love...are the tightrope that keep you out of the pit. To walk that tightrope you will have to lose timidity and gain tenacity. Don't let fear or the opinion of people hinder you from operating in faith. God is calling you to step on the tightrope of faith, hope and love. Are you ready?

Something that I could not resist called me. - Philippe Petit

The Swatting Saint

2012-02-02T12:40:00.001-05:00

I have a feeling that every family has a person that’s always on the hunt for gnats. If they so much as hear or sense a fly in the vicinity they go into swat mode. They’d destroy the house, turn the picnic table upside down and disturb everyone’s peace just to go after a gnat. I have one relative who absolutely will not sit still and enjoy a meal if he sees a fly, and riles up everyone in the process of trying catch it. He could easily use other precautions, such as food covers, but he seems to prefer the hunt.

I thought about these swatting saints and gnat hunters as I read through Matthew 23, where Jesus takes the hypocrites to task with blistering bluntness.

You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel! - Matthew 23:24

Many saints have turned into fly swatters and gnat hunters, always swiping at someone or something. Yesterday I had to delete a supposedly famous minister from one of my social networks. In the year that he’s been posting, there’s been barely a mention of God, and zero mention of anything pertaining to true ministry (love, salvation, missions, evangelism, faith, baptism, etc.). In one post after another, he was constantly making comments about two specific political issues, reporting on wins and losses, as he saw it. I could not take it anymore. I don’t believe God saved me by His grace so that I would be stuck in someone's bitterness or entertain 24/7 negative commentary, especially from someone claiming to be a leader among believers.

It is a sad thing when a Christian becomes so consumed with swiping, swatting and snapping at everyone they believe to be enemies. They get so busy swatting flies and hunting gnats that they are useless at anything else. We build for ourselves a world of trouble when we focus on gnats. If we keep that focus, the tiny gnat will become troubling giant. A little research shows that gnats have very short life spans (by the time we see them, they are near their end stage), so why would we go after them? If we were not so consumed with swiping and swatting, we could actually do many things to shield ourselves from them long before they’re released from their cocoon and come buzzing. If we did those things to shield ourselves, we could actually be sitting down to dine, fellowship and share good news without any distraction.

God put gnats here with a purpose and has already set up an eco-system fully prepared to handle their existence, just as He has with all of humanity. Yet, we focus on hunting the gnat, that will be gone anyway if we left it alone, but get stuck with the camel, which can live for decades? We are wrong if we think constant swatting will get rid of gnats, in the natural or in the spiritual. All the swiping and swatting is more likely be a distraction that leads to our disturbance and downfall.

When we swipe and swat and knock down others, our ego may be boosted, but is it a victory? What do we gain by making someone fall because we don’t understand them or like them or disagree with them on one issue or another? We’re familiar with the warning not to gloat when an enemy falls (Proverbs 24:17), but there is a further warning. Proverbs 24:18 says that gloating over the failings of an enemy will meet with God’s disapproval and end up with God himself bringing relief to the very enemy who’s demise we were celebrating.

If the opportunity comes along today to swipe and swat at something or someone, stop and think on this: Are you ready to be accountable to God for your thoughts, words and conduct? Are you ready to face the consequences of being disapproved by God if you follow through on your plan? If you’re not, choose to be a serving saint, not a swatting saint.

Stop swiping and swatting the very souls that God is calling to peace and rest in Him.

When you choose to be a serving saint over swatting saint, you may not have the peanut gallery cheer you on in gleeful malice, but you will be rewarded by God in invaluable ways.

"How blessed are those who make peace, because it is they who will be called God's children! - Matthew 5:9

When the ways of man shall please the Lord, He will convert even his enemies to peace. - Proverbs 16:7

For the Scriptures say, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. - 1 Peter 3:10

I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. - Luke 6:35-36

Measured By His Grace

2012-02-01T11:31:00.003-05:00

It’s February 1, 2012. Yes, January 2012 is gone, so put it behind you. Don’t look back! Stop filling your mind with thoughts of what was not accomplished. Sometimes we evaluate ourselves incorrectly and weigh ourselves on the unbalanced scales of men.

How are you judging yourself today? Which scales have you been using to weigh yourself? If you look around, people are considered to be doing well based on their possessions, appearance and popularity. No, I’m not talking about non-believers; I’m talking about believers. Christianity is now more like sports and entertainment. We are enthralled by what we see. We see a certain type (rich, popular, beautiful....) gracing magazines and paraded in the media as favorite and most influential pastor or church or organization.

Is that how God sees us? Based on our possessions or popularity or politics or power? Have we placed too much focus on the things that have little value and too little focus on the things of high value? Yes, we have. God requires, highly values, that we worship Him, live in a way that pleases Him, love Him and serve Him with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 10:12). God is not interested in the show we can put on for others, but in our personal devotion to Him.

While people are looking outwardly, at possessions and appearance and popularity, God is looking at the heart, the mind and the soul. His focus is on what our inner self produces. No human being can weigh the heart of another or truly measure a man, for we judge with blurry vision and prejudicial thinking.

What is your heart producing today? Your power and possessions and popularity are not what God is watching for, nor what He weighs you with.

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

If God weighed you today, would He find you overflowing with justice, love, mercy and humility? Would He find you bearing fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-discipline?

Don’t get caught in the web of appearances or the deceit spread by darkened hearts. Do everything you must to keep the inner you, your heart and your soul and your mind, in right balance with God. Leave the weights and measures of man behind, for they will surely weigh you down. Choose to live in the balance of God’s grace.

He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. - Luke 16:15

The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

Lord Jehovah does not delight in the power of a horse, neither delights in the legs of a mighty man. But Lord Jehovah delights in His worshipers and those who expect His grace. - Psalm 147:10-11

Beyond The Dry Winter

2012-01-31T13:00:00.002-05:00

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show. - Andrew Wyeth

Most of us have experienced the dead, bone-chilling cold of Winter, but we endure it with the knowledge that something indeed waits beneath. I love Charles Kingsley’s description of winter as a time when "The earth goes down into a vale of grief, and fasts, and weeps, and shrouds herself."

I’ve been hearing increasing talk about the "dry winter" in the media, mostly as people bemoan their inability to ski and enjoy other typical winter sports. "Dry winter" is not a new term or a new experience, so what is different this time? This time, it is about more than dealing with dry skin or the inability to enjoy a favorite sport. This time it is about actual lack...of water; it’s a drought in winter. We all know, or should know, the natural and spiritual significance of water. There is a flow and a cycle to life and nothing reflects that flow and cycle better than water.

Winter and snow doesn’t just come for us to hit the slopes. Mark Carlton, of the Iowa State University Extension Office, gave an interesting interview about the current winter patterns to the Ottumwa Courier. He said it is "fantastic" when the heavy, cracking winter comes. It is what farmers hope for. Why would anyone hope for the bitter hard cold? The snow and the freeze is a natural tilling cycle that can’t be humanly duplicated. The "cycle of freezing, thawing" moves the soil, making room for roots to grow. The snow, freeze and thaw process aerates and irrigates, and just a little snow won’t do. It takes 12 to 14 inches of snow to give the equivalent of 1 inch of water.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. - Song of Solomon 2:11-13

Yes, the "vale of grief" and the weeping of winter has a purpose, but what happens when it turns into a valley of dry bones? If the winter is dry will flowers bloom or the trees bear fruit or the birds come forth and sing?

Winter has that specific purpose of watering the earth. It refreshes, revives, restores and replenishes. Just as heat and drought can consume snow (Job 26:19), so can dryness sap our spirit. Just as earth needs snow, water...a good and lasting soaking, to produce in abundance (Isaiah 55:10) in the seasons to come, so does our spirit.

We can’t be ignorant of the impact of lack. The water that comes from the winter season is as important as air to our life. So, today, I pray that no matter what lack is occurring beneath the ground and in the atmosphere, in the spirit or in the natural, that you will trust in God, who is your provider in every season. The Spirit of God can irrigate and aerate us, providing everything we need all the way down to our roots, and keep us flourishing and steady beyond the dry winter. No matter what a season brings, even if you look around and find that everything looks dry, God is your strength and security.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. - Habakkuk 3:17-19
　

As It Passes

2012-01-30T14:40:00.002-05:00

"Teach us to feel the importance of every day, every hour, as it passes. - Jane Austen, 1811

The final hours of January 2012 are upon us. Can you believe that? Many people can’t. When I read that very simple, but extremely powerful, quote by Jane Austen, I could not help but think of all the people who feel stagnant, weighed down by troubles.

There are times when life begins to feel as if it is stuck on repeat, there is movement and noise, but it does not seem as if there any progress from what was to what will be. We’ve all heard people who’ve been in a tornado talk about feeling as if it would never end, when in fact the tornado only lasted a few seconds. Life gets like that sometimes. It feels like you’re standing still, in a tornado of trouble that does not seem to go away. When you’re in that place, it is easy to forget that time is actually passing, that all things are indeed passing.

Even the greatest among us have suffered in agony when we felt as if time was not passing quickly enough: He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting Him might pass Him by. - Mark 14:35

Agony is awful, whether it lasts for one minute or one hour or one day. Pain is pain. There’s no point in sugarcoating it; Jesus certainly did not. The other thing Jesus exemplified clearly for us is that it is possible to endure by the Spirit of God Almighty.

You may feel like you are drowning in a sea of trouble, but you will pass through it because God is with you (Isaiah 43:2). The darkness is not permanent, it is passing and is giving way to light (1 John 2:8). This world, and everything in it, is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31), but if you cling to the love of God, your faithfulness will not be denied and your hopefulness will not end in disappointment.

The things you see and feel and hear will move you, sometimes to tears and fears, but they are not the whole story and you cannot give in to them as if it is the end. In the middle of it all, you can keep your spirit joyful, generous, compassionate and confident (Psalm 112). Don’t give negativity a home in your heart, for it will turn around and deceive you. Don’t bring your fears to life in your mind; release them. You may not feel like it now, but this stressful time is passing. You will not be swept away or swallowed up by troubles; you will come through it all as it passes.

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out. - 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (MSG)

Saturday’s Breathing Room: Window Of Opportunity

2012-01-28T09:21:00.001-05:00

God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. - 1 Corinthians 3:17

It is a another Saturday, and you are presented with a window of opportunity. It is the last Saturday of January 2012, and it will not come around again. As I was listening to an interview about the recent rescue in Somalia by the U.S. Military, the gentlemen said they took the "window of opportunity" to execute the mission. Execute the mission they did...flawlessly.

I urge you to take some breathing room TODAY to make yourself the mission. I’m pretty certain there is at least one thing in your life that needs attention, action...swift action. TODAY is the day to start guarding and loving the sacred temple that you are. Use this window of opportunity to recover. You may think that too much is lost and too many things are broken, but you can fully recover. You need to fully recover. Satan has a nasty habit of pouncing on the weak and defenseless.

There were a few "unusual" tornadoes recently and one reporter mentioned that many people who suffered from weather disasters last year are even more vulnerable this year because they were not "fully recovered" from the disasters of the past. His words have been echoing in me all week. Many people have suffered in many ways, and they have not fully recovered. If you have suffered from any loss, whether physical, emotional, mental, spiritual...take some breathing room...TODAY...take the window of opportunity...TODAY...take some steps...TODAY towards full recovery.

There was an article published this week about why locusts seem to repeatedly go after those who are already suffering (http://io9.com/5878952/why-locust-swarms-seem-to-hit-those-who-are-already-suffering-the-most). Why haven’t locusts descended on rich, lush farmlands? They seemed to target areas that aren’t doing well, and the answer seem to lie in what was lacking, about the composition of the soil. They feasted on areas that were already lacking, areas that were over-farmed, over-grazed and never replenished with nutrition. They kept devouring areas that never fully recovered. That is why in areas where locust swarms have attacked, they tend to be radical about killing (even the eggs) and spending loads of money to keep those areas green and healthy, with balanced soil and proper farming procedures.

Your wellness (health and balance) matters because the enemy of your soul, your life, will feast on a weakened state and never let up until you rise up and resist. It is important TODAY that you take time to ENCOURAGE YOURSELF and do GOOD TO YOURSELF, so that you can be can be strong to fight off every attack. It is possible to rescue yourself, replenish yourself, restore yourself...to experience full recovery.

Don’t just sit around with open wounds and broken spirits so that your enemy can keep pouncing. Take the window of opportunity that you’ve been given TODAY to begin healing...to begin recovery. If you don’t do anything else TODAY, DO AT LEAST ONE THING FOR YOURSELF THAT WILL TURN YOU ON THE PATH OF FULL RECOVERY.

God is ready and able to help you on the road to full recovery. You are His sacred temple. Satan may be waiting to pounce, but God is ready and able to perform on your behalf. Lift your hands, your voice, your soul; let His presence pour into you like rain on dry land.

And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." - Job 2:2

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. - 1 Peter 5:9

Continue to encourage one another every day, as long as it is called "Today," - Hebrews 3:13

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. - Colossians 4:5

Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone. - Galatians 6:10

By your endurance you will gain your lives. - Luke 21:19

What Are You Watching For?

2012-01-27T10:35:00.001-05:00

Whether you live in a big city or small town, we have all been to a train station, bus stop or airport and seen people with all types of looks on their faces. Some are usually looking around with expectation of meeting a loved-one, some look disappointed at missing a connection, some look completely lost and even more look tired. Of course, there is also the famous group of snoozers and sleepers.

Life is a journey. Can your journey be successful if you’re not watching? What are you watching for today? What does it mean to watch?

Watching is not waiting. If you wait at a bus stop, but fail to watch for the bus, it is going to pass you by. If you wait in a train station, but don’t even know which connection to watch for, you’ll be left behind. If you wait in an airport and don’t watch for the right flight, the pilot is not going to stop everything and come get you.

"Wade in the water.

Wade in the water children.

Wade in the water.

God's gonna trouble the water."

You won’t wade in ..go forward, proceed, advance...if you just wait.

Knowing the difference between waiting and watching is as critical to our spiritual life as it is to our natural life. Missing a natural connection is bad; missing a spiritual connection is worse. If you don’t know the difference between waiting and watching you will lose big. Some people have been sitting and waiting while every connection to the next part of their journey is ignored. It’s like they plan a trip, make every preparation, and then get left by the taxi because they failed to watch for it. Waiting is preparation for now; watching is expectation for then. Waiting is about you (guarding, preserving, restraining, abstaining, training...being ready for what is next); Watching is about God. We don’t just wait for Him, we watch for Him. Watching is an active expectation and state of readiness; not mere preparation. One description of "watching" in Strong’s is, "to give strict attention, to take heed, to be cautious, active, vigilant...roused from sleep."

Waiting + watching = destination. If we hope to get to a destination, in this life or the next, we will have to do more than wait around. It’s like taking a trip. We don’t just book it and wait. We keep checking with the airlines, pay attention to news about weather, we arrange transportation and hotels and extra cash. Even after we get to the airport, we don’t just wait. We check our bags, we check and re-check the schedule, we listen for announcements... we watch.

Whatever destination you’re trying to reach...in this life and the next, you’re going to be required to do more than wait. If you're not watching, you won't know when and how to move, or if you should move, because you won't recognize a shift...by God or Satan. And, if you know nothing else in life, you need to know when those two spiritual forces move, as One means life and the other means death. Awake from slumber, pay attention, and listen. Be active, be vigilant and be watchful.

"What I say to you, I say the same to you all: 'Be watching.' " - Mark 13:37

You know the times [in which we are living]. It's time for you to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers. - Romans 13:11

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8

Let us not sleep therefore as the rest, but let us be watchful and sensible. - 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Remain alert. Keep standing firm in your faith. Keep on being courageous and strong. - 1 Corinthians 16:13

Persevere in prayer and be watching in it and giving thanks. - Colossians 4:2

Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He comes shall find watching. - Luke 12:37

Still I Will

2012-01-26T16:01:00.004-05:00

He conquers who endures. - Persius

Often, when we try to encourage someone, they will respond by simply repeating how bad things are. Of course, there are times when we must grieve and mourn and cry, but we cannot sit in the ditch of distress forever. It can get frustrating when people refuse to cling to hope instead of drown in doubt. At that point, you have two options. You can drown in doubt yourself as you sing sad songs, or you can rise up with whatever is in you and say, "STILL I WILL!"

STILL I WILL love (1 John 4:20)

STILL I WILL hope (Romans 8:24)

STILL I WILL have faith (Hebrews 3:14)

STILL I WILL trust God (Job 13:15)

STILL I WILL praise God (Psalm 43:5)

STILL I WILL give glory to God (Romans 4:20)

STILL I WILL have faith in God (Romans 4:19)

STILL I WILL believe (2 Timothy 2:13)

STILL I WILL endure (1 Corinthians 9:12)

STILL I WILL pray (Job 11:13)

STILL I WILL stand (Romans 11:20)

I will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! - Isaiah 65:24

The Business Of You

2012-01-25T17:41:00.002-05:00

When we hear of the Book of Ruth, who do we tend to think of? Ruth, of course. There is all that romance of the second chance of love. Ruth’s story will certainly give goosebumps to anyone with a heart, but what of Naomi? The Book of Ruth is really about the redemption of Naomi, about how relationships (for better or worse) tie us together.

In Ruth 4 we find Boaz attempting to take care of the business of Naomi, who was a widow with not much to her name (Ruth 1:21). In those days, it was the responsibility of male relatives to care for the widow women in their families. When one relative offered to take care of the business of Naomi, Boaz informed him that Naomi’s business included another person, her daughter-in-law, Ruth (herself a childless widow), and that he would be required to marry her, continue the bloodline and guard the inheritance being placed in his care. You can guess what happened next: The relative backed out. We all know people like that. The moment they realize that a relationship will involve giving, not just taking, they run for the hills. This business was more baggage than the relative intended to carry. Boaz stepped up then, not only by taking care of the business of Naomi, but taking the excess baggage (Ruth) as his wife. Before one and all, he took Ruth as one of his own. The business that seemed a burden became a blessing.

13. Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. Boaz slept with her. By God's gracious gift she conceived and had a son.

14-15. The town women said to Naomi, "Blessed be God! He didn't leave you without family to carry on your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel! He'll make you young again! He'll take care of you in old age. And this daughter-in-law who has brought him into the world and loves you so much, why, she's worth more to you than seven sons!"

16. Naomi took the baby and held him in her arms, cuddling him, cooing over him, waiting on him hand and foot.

17. The neighborhood women started calling him "Naomi's baby boy!" But his real name was Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. - Ruth 4:13-17

The business of you, with all that it entails and includes, may seem like a burden to some, but you should never doubt that it is all being taken care of by God. Whatever you're facing may seem like a burden now, but you can be certain that when God handles the business of you the end result will be blessings you can't even imagine.

You are my strength; I wait for You to rescue me, for You, O God, are my fortress. - Psalm 59:9

Dense Fog Will Yield

2012-01-24T14:59:00.000-05:00

I don’t know what it looks like in your neighborhood at this moment, but I am currently experiencing sunny skies. I do have to tell you a secret, however, when I woke up this morning, it was still dark, misty, foggy, but as I scanned my phone for the weather, this short headline popped up: "Dense Fog Will Yield To Sunny Skies Today." I perked right up!

Ever had one word, one sentence or even one thought, completely shift your focus? When I read that headline this morning I stopped trying to find excuses to burrow further under my blanket and started thinking about the day ahead with a completely different outlook.

My day began with this promise that I’d move from darkness to light.....

Right now, my day looks like this:

This day certainly did not start out looking sunny. I woke up still needing more sleep (you know what that feels like), but those eight words bringing good weather news shifted my focus. The impact of that shift had me changing the title of this posting (which was already written) from "Time To Shift Focus" to "Dense Fog Will Yield".

Sometimes it’s hard to shift focus because everything is dark and our vision can get foggy. When you’re physically, mentally or emotionally tired and you become disoriented, it gets even harder hard to move from a history of darkness to the hope of light. If you’re a history buff like me, it does not bore you, but who really wants to be stuck in the past? There is a difference between studying the past and being stuck in the past. Scripture shows us how to shift focus.

I was reading through 1 Chronicles last night, and, like most of the Old Testament, it is filled in genealogy (x begat y and p begat r) that sometimes go on for chapter after chapter after chapter. The old prophets documented it all: Births, deaths, marriages, rapes, illicit relationships, wars, slavery, rivalries, court battles, political fights and everything else. At a point, however, you will notice that Scripture progresses from history to hope, from genealogy to grace; nudging us to learn the lessons and move forward.

History is there for our learning, but the hope is there for our life. You can really sense the shift of focus in the Book of Matthew. It begins with genealogy, but quickly starts pointing, not backward, but forward...to a miraculous conception... a birth...a fulfillment (Matthew 1). We then begin to see words spoken in history coming into being as the Christ (Matthew 2) and John The Baptist shifting our focus to the Spirit, the Light...heaven (Matthew 3). From there, the Christ and His disciples, encourage us to shift focus from the earthly to the eternal. To change our thinking from old to new. Even Jesus had to shift focus, leaving His hometown to go and make disciples and spread good news and healing everywhere. The ultimate lesson in Scripture is that Dense Fog Will Yield, but we need to shift our focus to embrace the light and the hope. We can’t be stuck in the dungeon with our backgrounds and histories. To move forward, we have to embrace God’s grace. We have to move from the history of the past to the hope of heaven. Dense Fog Will Yield because the Light has come to lead us to heavenly glory.

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." - Matthew 4:12-16

You Are Relevant

2012-01-23T14:58:00.001-05:00

I had already written the blog for today before taking some time this weekend to pay my respects to the Tuskegee Airmen. As I watched Red Tails, I was filled with way too many emotions and thoughts to express here, but one word (a theme, if you may) has stayed in my thoughts: RELEVANT.

What does it mean to be relevant? One dictionary says it means, "pertaining [concerning, relating] to the matter [substance] at hand." Many people have felt irrelevant, insignificant and invsible all their lives based on what someone has said to them or how someone has labeled them or on a past that keeps being brought up as the present. There will always be someone on a mission to make certain people feel irrelevant, but you are relevant. You are a significant life, with your core, your root, your self, your very being formed by God. The fact that you exist won’t please everyone. Think about these words to the parents of Jesus concerning this miracle Child:

Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary His mother, this Child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, a figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are. - Luke 2:33-35 (MSG)

Do you get the meaning? The very presence of Jesus meant the fall of some and the rise of others. He was on earth for an appointed time and with a particular destination, just as you now are.

As I watched Red Tails, thinking back on history and looking at the current contradictions and misunderstandings that still exist in this country, I felt the full impact of this Scripture. People will often reject you because your very presence reveals their secret thoughts and what is really in their hearts. It’s difficult to come face-to-face with those who bring the ugliness of the heart to the surface, to the light.

"Nothing is difficult, everything's a challenge" -- Dr. Roscoe Brown, Original Tuskegee Airman.

Yes, you will face the challenge of rejection. Instead of focusing on who has rejected you and why, or who has called you irrelevant or treated you as invisible, you can choose to be thankful that God made you relevant. Live your life as if you’re relevant to God, because you are relevant. You don’t need anyone’s approval to be relevant, because you were relevant from the beginning and still are. God has given you everything you need to escape the evil desire of others and be a relevant human and spiritual being.

His divine power has bestowed on us all things that are necessary for life and godliness, through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own glory and excellence of character, through which things He has bestowed on us His precious and very great promises, so that through these you may become sharers of the divine nature after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. - 2 Peter 1:3-4

Saturday’s Breathing Room: Satan’s Fine Print

2012-01-21T13:15:00.001-05:00

What do you do on Saturdays? I try to give myself some breathing room...rest. Considering that the breath of God gives us life (Genesis 2:7, Job 33:4) and our very life is really just a breath (Job 7:7), it is important to sit back and breathe. When life gets to a point where we feel like we’re gasping for air, we need to release it all and cling to the breath of God...get some breathing room.

This Saturday, which begins the final full week of January 2012, is a good time to start giving yourself some breathing room. Breathing room gives you a chance to refocus and remove yourself from regret and guilt and shame. Satan has a way of drawing people in with a taste of this and that, but he does not tell them the guilt and shame and hurt that comes with that little taste that seem so sweet and savor at first. The thing that once took you high now brings you low. As King Solomon says in proverbs, what was good becomes gravel (Proverbs 9:17, Proverbs 20:17), taking away all enjoyment and choking the very life it initially enticed. Satan will present you with schemes and tricks, traps and shortcuts, but the aftermath is in the fine print.

It’s not too late to give yourself some breathing room. I remember when I was little, my grandma would "air out" the house. She did that on Saturdays. After the sun came up, she would open every window, light would pour in and the breeze would drift through house. After a few hours of air and light, that house felt and smelled as if a whole army of cleaners had gone through it. Breathing room; your temple needs it as much as my grandma’s little house. True, when you’ve sat in darkness for some time, you will have to adjust to light. Also true is that light may reveal some things you might feel better keeping hidden. Satan will try to convince you that you’re safer closed up and in a dark place, and if you choose to believe him, he’ll let you stay there and die. You need breathing room, and you’ll find exactly that in God. He’s breathing life and healing and warmth into your being.

If you want to live, to dance, to be, shake off the darkness; walk into the light. Get some breathing room.

Don’t You Dare Say That!

2012-01-19T17:13:00.006-05:00

It's a presidential election year. I'm sure that has not escaped your notice. The noise volume has increased, and so has warring words. Guess who is in the middle of the rage already? Certain "prominent" Christians.

I saw a magazine headline which stated, "Christian conservatives turn to a Catholic to stop a Mormon."

I read this with a certain level of sorrow. It sounds like a headline from a bad daytime talk show that you start watching and just know it's going to get worse. When a conservative religious leader was questioned by a news reporter about how he would decide on a candidate, he said the two things that mattered most were their positions on procreation and sexuality. Of all the issues addressed in Scripture, those two things are the only things that mattered? Wow! If we look behind the average pulpit, we know that people can have a position on everything without living in truth on anything. Only God knows the heart. Human beings have a habit of telling others to do what they won’t do themselves. Many a preacher have positions on issues, but their lifestyles in no way reflect that position

I remember that there was a time not long ago when "conservatives" lived by the words of Ted Haggard. One word from Mr. Haggard swayed people's decisions. I think Mr. Haggard is now on some TV show about swapping wives and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would admit to caring what he thinks about anything.

When will we awake to God's word in truth?

Many in the church will lose their souls over in their political zeal over one issue or one person because they have lost focus that every person is a soul created by God for a particular purpose and that God is not ignorant of the existence of any issue. How we treat those souls and how we respond to issues (to all issues) matter to God. The war of words by the religious is not without consequence on souls.

Will we ever truly understand the effect of our words?

Even the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil and fought over the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him. Instead, he said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" - Jude 1:9

Yes, even the archangel Michael, with all the power given to him, chose his words carefully when facing the greatest opposition. He understood that it is "at the rebuke of the Lord" that we are rescued from strong enemies, those who hate and those who overpower (2 Samuel 2:22). God will hold us accountable for our words, and James 4 is essentially a warning about how we engage others, about not letting our passions lead us to slander and the slaughter of souls. We, as Christians, should not be engaging is war of words just because others do, for as James 4:17 says, “it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

There is such a thing as a strong enemy, filled with overpowering hate. Tempting as it may be, you can't fight hate with human strength; you can't go tit for tat with that kind of hate without losing your soul...your life. It think Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us that if we engage hate and opposition that way we will end up in the gutter. When Hezekiah was faced that type of opposition (Isaiah 37; 2 Kings 18) he decided to pray and let the Lord rebuke (2 Kings 18:4). After Hezekiah uttered one of the most humble and powerful cries to God recorded in Scripture (2 Kings 18:14-19), God responded. God stated the case, recounted the hate in vivid terms (2 Kings 18:21-28), and then proceeded to carryout the rebuke (2 Kings 18:29-37).

When we face affront, accusation and attack, will we "dress down" our opposition and "put them in their place" or clothe ourselves in humility and let the Lord rebuke?

God is not ignorant. He knows that our enemy is attacking and accusing. He knows what it feels like to be blatantly disrespected, to be challenged by Satan himself; and His response is constant: "The Lord Rebuke you!" (Zechariah 3:2).

If you are willing to be patient, God will silence and bring to nothing every thought, word and deed that is coming against you. You were created by His word, spoken into existence. If you are willing to stop playing your own god, the Lord God Almighty will prove in every way that He is your God. What does He promise in Malachi 3? I know money is the focus of sermons from Malachi 3 but the text, taken in full context, is about a life wholly submitted to God. The warning in Malachi 3 is about arrogance and hypocrisy, about promising God one thing and doing another. It is about making the choice between serving self or submitting to God in everything. When we chose to submit to His power, He says He will "rebuke the devourer" for us.

When we try to rebuke others based on our desires and feelings we become a hindrance to God's plan of salvation for all and will find ourselves rebuked as Peter was (Matthew 16:21-23). If we intend to win any spiritual battle, we will have to stop engaging in a war of words with the very souls God desires to rescue. When we speak, we must do so in the spirit that God desires, and He will give us the right words to bring His good news (Ephesians 6:19). That is what Paul did; he prayed for courage and strength to speak the right words at the right time.

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. - 2 Timothy 2:23

10-12. That about wraps it up. God is strong, and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. - Ephesians 6:10-18

You Shall Have What You Say?

2012-01-18T17:24:00.006-05:00

There are two things almost everyone I know has done. Most of us have stood in front of a full refrigerator claiming we have nothing to eat or scanned a full closet and stated we have nothing to wear. Now, we know that when we say those things we really are not saying what we really feel, much less mean. We have clothes and we have food, but it’s just not what we desire in that moment. We have all said things that we wish we could take back the moment the words rolled off our lips. What’s even worse is when we keep saying things over and over. Why don’t we just stop before our complaining take’s on a life of its own?

God is merciful. God sees our hearts, but we need to be careful with our rash words. We won’t like it if our complaints become our reality. We’ve all seen kids who throw a tantrum over nothing, crying buckets of tears, until they get that parental warning to “stop crying before they get something to really cry about!”. The smart kids know when to quit throwing a tantrum, but some adults don’t.

We may throw a tantrum when our desires for clothes or food or whatever is not met, but is that really a valid complaint? What if we really did not have food? What if we really did not have clothes? What if God gives us a taste of our own words of lament? I don’t know about you, but there are many things I have said that I would rather God not act on, because looking back, I am pretty sure they won’t benefit me in any way. Every message we hear on “You Shall Have What You Say” is usually one of all the blessings coming our way, but what about the burden of our words? We live in a time when everyone feels they have the “right” to say and do as they please, based on the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and any other earthly document they could find, but what if God made us carry the burden of our words?

Now tell them this: 'As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. - Numbers 14:28

These words of the Lord slammed into my spirit like a freight train. I read the chapter a few times to make sure it wasn’t a pissed-off Moses talking, but it was the Lord. The Lord was talking about the people of Israel. How did it get to this point? Numbers 14 tells us the “whole community” was complaining loudly, protesting Moses and Aaron. They wanted to go back to the time of slavery instead of go forward into land God had promised them. They wanted to go back so badly they started plotting to choose a new leader. God’s chosen leader, Moses, was faced with overthrow by the rebels.

These complainers did not want to take the hard road into their future. They wanted what they wanted and they wanted it now!!! Not even the two who had witnessed the goodness awaiting them, Joshua and Caleb, could calm them down. What did Joshua and Caleb get for their encouraging and hopeful words about the future? The “whole community” stoned them. The rebels thought they were going against the mere inferior leader, Moses, but they clearly seemed to have forgotten that there is a God in heaven who is leader above all. God showed up and said that their words, their conduct, were really toward Him. Oops! It’s not good to be found going against God; He said they were treating Him with contempt. Forget the trial; God was about to hand out punishment! There are people today who are doling out nasty words towards their leader and they too may one day find that they are coming up against God.

Poor Moses, knowing that God had reached boiling point, started pleading with God over the very people who were plotting to take him out. Moses told God, basically, if You destroy Your own people You love, what will the enemies think? The prayer of Moses (knowing how bad these people treated him) will break any heart (Numbers 14:17-19). For all the prayers and pleading of Moses, the Lord’s response regarding the contemptible complainers was stunning: “drop dead!” (Numbers 14:29,32).

Caleb was spared because his attitude was different (Numbers 14:24); He and Joshua were spared because they kept their hope in God’s promise and their words never deviated no matter how hard the journey became during hard times.

Whatever trouble you are facing, watch your words. Be careful who you let incite you, because when real trouble comes, the very people who incite you won’t be able to save you. Be careful who you attack when you are angry about your hardships and disappointed with life; God is working a plan even if you don’t see the whole picture. Most importantly, pay attention to the good news so that you never abandon hope. Joshua and Caleb experienced the same hardships in the wilderness as everyone else, but they survived because they did not abandon God; they kept speaking of the good awaiting them.

In your thoughts, words and deeds, stay fully committed to God. Speak no evil; speak no doubt; you shall have what you say. You need strong faith. You need to control your tongue.

Strong faith is like good is like good music, you’ve got to carry every note and play to the end. You can’t do that if your tongue is otherwise engaged. God is the conductor. God is watching; He's listening. Don’t end up fooling yourself like the rebellious Israelites.

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. - James 1:26

Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. - Proverbs 13:3

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. - Proverbs 15:3

The Lord's eyes scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to Him and to strengthen them. - 2 Chronicles 16:9

The Lord said, "That's right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all My plans." - Jeremiah 1:12

A Healing Presence

2012-01-17T13:13:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been conflicted about something? I know that in today’s world where narrow-thinking issue-driven political-ideology is labeled as Christianity, people are basically called the devil if they happen to be conflicted about anything. Study the legacy of any leader, from Paul to Mother Theresa to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and you will find that they were conflicted at one point or another. Some of our most powerful Christian witnesses were filled with struggles and conflicts, both internal and external and physical and spiritual. Conflict in and of itself does not cause instability, but how we respond to conflict and struggles can determine the outcome of our life.

I thought about conflict as I read through the story of Joseph of Arimathaea. We know a few important things about Joseph of Arimathaea. He was rich and he was a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the political/religious power of the day, but he was honorable (Matthew 27:57, Mark 15:43, Luke 23:51, John 19:38). The Sanhedrin made decisions which affected the lives of Jesus (Mark 15:1), Stephen (Acts 6:12), and Paul (Acts 22:30). Going against the Sanhedrin was never a good idea...if you wanted to be free...if you wanted to stay alive. Basically, they terrorized and harassed the disciples and apostles. They did not like it when people messed with their rules. If you think the politicians and religious leaders of today are a mess, go back and read what early believers faced.

In spite of his wealth and power, Joseph of Arimathaea’s conscience still sought God and His spirit still craved more of Him. Money and power did not bring soul satisfaction. He had conflicts with the Sanhedrin; he was a down low...a discreet...disciple of Jesus. I doubt he would not do well among the “wear your religion on your sleeve” crowd of today. More than anything, Joseph of Arimathaea was “looking for the kingdom of God.” - Mark 15:43

Many people today are like Joseph of Arimathaea. They are looking for the kingdom of God. They have not found it within church walls, in Christian media, or from whoever is the televangelist or minister of the moment. People are looking, as Joseph of Arimathaea did, for someone like Jesus. Everywhere Jesus went He spoke good news and demonstrated the healing power of God. Jesus reminded the people of the importance of their spirit life (1 Corinthians 15:50). Most of today’s Christians don’t seem to have time for the kingdom of God; they’re busy with “sermons” on sex and money and political power. Joseph of Arimathaea risked life and limb to get the body of Jesus, not because of curiosity or popularity, but because the life of Jesus had demonstrated the kingdom of God.

Does your church, or more to the point, your life, demonstrate the kingdom of God? Does your life reflect the love and deliverance in God, or is every day beginning to look like Hezekiah described: “...a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.” - Isaiah 37:3

The kingdom of God is not a show (Luke 17:20). Satan’s evil forces are not afraid of showmen with religious pomp (Acts 19:8-16), but they yield to the power of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 12:2, Luke 11:20). If the president or a politician or a prisoner or someone in great need met you today, would they feel your distress and rebuke and disgrace, or would they be drawn to the kingdom of God?

You may be like the religious folks who challenged Jesus. It was His work for the kingdom of God that made the religious folks angry enough to want Him dead (Matthew 21:45-46). While they were in their sanctuaries selling and trading, Jesus was healing people and tending to their needs. That made the religious folks mad. You see, they were religious, but they were not believers, and this is what Jesus had to say to them: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.
it.” - Matthew 21:31-32.

Joseph of Arimathaea was a believer. Being a believer is not some religious terminology and theological label to display our brand of godliness. Being a believer is a matter of faith. The kingdom of God is in essence a kingdom of faith. It is by faith that we believe in the kingdom of God, and we do not just believe it by faith, but receive from it by faith and share it, do good works, by faith. The kingdom of God is where humility, kindness, compassion, fairness, patience, endurance, forgiveness and mercy reigns (Matthew 18). The Kingdom of God is never to the glory of self and always to the glory of God by our humble and compassionate service to others.

Our life (thoughts, words and deeds) should reflect goodness, peace, joy, comfort and encouragement in God’s Spirit (Romans 14:17, Colossians 4:1). The environment in our home, our church or in our circle of friends should promote healing of spirit, mind and body. We should be, in all sincerity and good conscience, a healing presence. Take your faith a step further, and be a healing presence.

He sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. - Luke 9:2

They set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere. - Luke 9:6

Real Religion: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-16T09:16:00.006-05:00

The one thing we know about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is that he loved and lived the word of God (his speeches are basically sermons). Today, people see him as many different things, but he was, above all, a shepherd...a preacher...a minister... a carrier of good news.

In my favorite sermon by Dr. King he talked about hearing the voice of Jesus as the threats against his life by those who loved evil became constant. He talked about enduring. Dr. King was not just a listener of the word; he was a doer. This is the reason why his words still matter to us. Dr. King understood the power of words, the difficulty of living the word, and the true meaning of religion (James 1).

Many self-proclaimed ministers today don’t have that spirit of excellence and endurance that was evident in Dr. King. It is the same spirit that was in Paul and Joseph and Daniel. These men were focused on faithfully serving. They did not have pro-anti agendas or networks of inclusion or exclusion or political affiliations leaning this way or that. Their eyes were focused on heaven; their hearts were focused on the work of the kingdom of God. They put their total trust in God, and it was the spirit of God in these men who caused them to effectively serve and respect the political leaders of their day.

The leaders we have today are more like those religious leaders described in the book of Jeremiah:

Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith Jehovah, and that tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their boasting; and I have not sent them, nor commanded them; and they profit not this people at all, saith Jehovah. - Jeremiah 23:32

Instead of being filled with the Spirit of God, they are filled with boasting and lies...preaching their own opinions as gospel, and there is a high price to pay for this deviation from the very simple task of sincerely sharing the love and hope which Christ so eloquently patterned for us. Those filled with the spirit of God speak words that bring life, but those filled with lies and boasting slaughter souls. That is why there are so many “dead men walking” in churches.

As we honor this minister of God, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us, as the body of Christ and the sheep of God’s pasture, not get trapped by in muddy sanctuaries filled with boasting and lies and false prophets who destroy the soul. Let us, instead, ready ourselves (know the Scripture, the voice of God) like Joseph and Daniel and Dr. King did, so that we will be able to respond to every call, be it from the President or a prisoner, and meet every need, by the Spirit of God.

Would You Accept This Invitation?

2012-01-13T17:00:00.005-05:00

When we receive an invitation we immediately have two main responses. We either get very excited about saying yes or start figuring out a way to say no. There are some things and people we simply never want to say yes to and there are others we would never say no to. Some invitations fill us with great anticipation and others fill us with dread.

I was reading through 2 Timothy when these words struck me: “join me in suffering”. It’s not as if I had not read these words of Paul before, but for whatever reason, this time I really gave thought to what my response would be to such an invitation, especially from someone who was basically had a bad history and was constantly imprisoned or in trouble. If we are honest with ourselves, we don’t like to be around people who seem to always be in trouble. So, days later, here I am still thinking about how honest I would be in response to Paul’s invitation.

I am encouraged by the verse that comes before Paul’s invitation. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” Before we can say yes to Paul’s invitation we need to establish ourselves in the power, the love and the words (thoughts) of God. We can't really accept an invitation to suffer for the gospel if we don't know the power, the love and the word. Our human self is not likely to say yes to an invitation of suffering of any kind. It is the power, the love and the words of God that build us up; give us strength.

Paul’s invitation does not mean we must run around trying to carry everyone’s burdens. Jesus already sacrificed everything to carry the burdens of the whole world. Paul actually offered us an example of one, Onesiphorus, who accepted this invitation. Onesiphorus literally means “profit bringer”. The profit that Onesiphorus brought was his help and contribution to others. This was spirit-driven profit. He was sympathetic...kind...loving.

Paul mentioned three specific things about Onesiphorus:

1. He visited him, bringing words of refreshment and encouragement. It is one thing to accept an invitation, but quite another to come as a refreshing presence. Remember Job’s friends? There was no encouragement there.

2. He was not ashamed of him. It is the worse feeling in the world to have someone be in your presence, and act as if they’d rather be anywhere else than with you. Accepting an invitation into someone’s life and their issues and them shaming them only adds to their problems.

3. He went the extra mile. Paul said that when he was in Rome that Onesiphorus would search everywhere until he found him. We all know what it feels like to be ignored to the point of feeling lost and we also know what it feels like when someone really goes out of their way to reach us. We all prefer it when someone cares enough to go the extra mile.

In Paul’s final greetings (2 Timothy 4) he reminds us of many things (To bring good news, to be patient, to be encouraging, to keep a clear head, to not fear, to fulfill our ministry, to run a good race, to be faithful and to look forward to the return of Christ). Paul also recalled those who did him harm and how he was abandoned by everyone when he needed them most, but he forgave them. Most importantly, Paul makes specific mention (2 Timothy 4:19) of “those living in the household of Onesiphorus”. That is how important this special kindness mattered to Paul.

As you go about your day, whenever the opportunity arises and it is within your power to do it, be an encouragement, show someone that you honor them and go the extra mile to reach them. You don't have to go far to do any of this; you can start right at home or with a neighbor or with someone at work. That special kindness may not be mentioned in your presence, but it will not be forgotten. Be a profit-bringer. Refresh others. Have an excellent giving spirit. Overflow with kindness.

Do not refrain from doing what is excellent as long as you are able. - Proverbs 3:27

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. - Proverbs 11:25

Don’t Give Up; God’s Just Getting Warmed Up!

2012-01-12T09:35:00.004-05:00

Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have You abandoned Me?" - Matthew 27:46

Everyone runs into trouble in life, but all trouble is not alike. If anyone ever tells you that all trouble is the same, they’ve never really been in serious trouble. There is trouble, and then there is "Where is God!?" trouble. "Where is God!?" trouble is the type of trouble that makes you feel as if no one else in the world has ever felt the pain and terror you're feeling. You'll know you're in “Where is God!?” trouble when your enemy whispers to you "its over!" and your own heart begins to believes it and your spirit becomes broken!

There is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. - Scent Of A Woman

Many people today are in the "Where is God!?" type of trouble; it’s the same type of trouble Elijah faced. Yes, Elijah (2 Kings 19) the great prophet had faced many types of trouble, but then "Where is God!?" trouble showed up. Jezebel (the one and only) sent a messenger to Elijah to let him know that, one way or the other, he would die “by this time tomorrow”. Elijah was smart enough to know his enemy; he knew Jezebel was not playing games. Jezebel was very clear. Elijah was facing a definite death sentence. He felt what most of us would: afraid; He did what most of us would do: run.

Now, we rarely hear sermons about Elijah’s down times, but he had them. With the death sentence from Jezebel, he ran alone into the desert and prayed to God: “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life.” In today’s world, Elijah would be called suicidal. Yes, anyone can get suicidal when "Where is God!?" trouble shows up.

Elijah was giving up, but God was just getting warmed up!

An angel appeared the first time in the desert with the instructions to “Get up and eat” (some people fast when they should be eating, but that’s a blog for another day). Food and water was miraculously provided.

Instead of moving forward, Elijah went back to sleep in his suicidal state; but God was just getting warmed up!

The angel appeared a second time to tell Elijah to get up and eat, because he was facing a tough journey. This time Elijah did move, traveling forty days and nights on the strength of God’s miraculous provision until he reached the “mountain of God”, but he went in the cave. Then what seems like the most ridiculous questions comes from the Lord: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Hello?! Is this thing on, God?! To paraphrase a suicidal Elijah: I’ve served You and obeyed You, and stayed faithful among people who rejected You; all my help is gone, I’m alone and I’m under a death sentence. The Lord responds with an even more ridiculous answer: “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Go stand on the mountain? God must be joking! I don’t know about you, but at this point I’d be thinking that the Lord should have “passed by” long before this; but God was just getting warmed up!

Next came the great windstorm which shattered rocks, but God was not in that; God was just getting warmed up!

If Elijah was not suicidal before, he would be now.

Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in that; God was just getting warmed up!

How bad could this get before the Lord passed by? Shouldn't God be hot and steaming at this point and ready to aid Elijah?

Next up was fire....and then “came a gentle whisper”. Elijah heard the whisper and came to the mouth of the cave. Certainly, there would be a miraculous solution at this point, right? Wrong! The voice asked the same question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” As if to ask God if He’s deaf, Elijah gave the same response: I've served You and obeyed You, and stayed faithful among people who rejected You; all my help is gone, I'm alone and I'm under a death sentence.

Don’t be afraid to let the whisper of God move you and don’t be afraid to repeat yourself to God. State your circumstances; Let God know when you’ve had enough. When God ask a question, answer it. If he keeps asking the same question, keep answering it. Be honest about your fears. Just when you’ve given up, God is just getting warmed up!

As much as we talk about Elisha, it wasn’t just Elisha who was included in God’s plan for Elijah. After Elijah responded to the whisper, God instructed him to anoint Hazael, Jehu and Elisha to succeed Elijah. Why? The Lord said that the opposition that escapes Hazael will not escape Jehu; plus God had a faithful remnant reserved. Every person has a purpose and a place in God's plan.

God was not about to let His plan fail; God was just getting warmed up!

God doesn’t just have the primary plan, He has the back-up plan and the final plan. He’s got reserves you can’t imagine. Our plans may fail, our dreams may falter, our vision may get blurry and our goals may fall short, but God is God and He never fails.

Remember Lt. Col. Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman? Even when you’ve given up on yourself, the purpose of your life is not over. You will be revived to live out your purpose. It does not matter who has said you’re done, it does not matter who has written you off, it does not matter how desperate you feel and it does not matter if you’ve come to the point of total helplessness; GOD IS JUST GETTING WARMED UP! GET UP! STAND UP! STAY PRAYED UP!

Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, "Where is this God of yours?" - Psalm 42:3

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? - Romans 3:3

Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." - Isaiah 35:4

"I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? - Isaiah 51:12

The end of something is better than its beginning. It is better to be patient than arrogant. - Ecclesiastes 7:8

Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. - Revelation 3:10

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does. - 1 Peter 5:8-11

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. - Hebrews 10:23

(Warning: This video has strong language)

The Very Thought Of You

2012-01-11T12:05:00.010-05:00

Does it seem as if the Christmas season was months ago? Do you get the feeling that most people are back to their not-exactly-kind ways? These thoughts could be unsettling, but as I watched God at work (the sunrise) yesterday, a sense of gratitude came over me. I did not buy myself any gifts this Christmas, but I received a few. Yesterday I took some time to count my blessings. My gifts were mostly intangible, and upon recalling them, I must say they are invaluable.

I meditated on my gift from “Ms. Dior”...which contained the words: Paris and peace. This gift reminded me that I should keep dreaming, but more importantly, that peace is a 365 gift from God. I thought about a great friend who prays for me no matter what struggles she is having in her own life. Yes, invaluable gifts. From there I kept thinking back: one friend had a Christmas baby....great joy; my blogging friend, Wanda at http://wateredsoul.com/, is always speaking words of encouragement; I received a note from a friend I had not heard from in quite some time and she touched on a fave activity (latte at a café).

One of my best presents was the actual presence of a friend who flew in from New York. In the very short time that I was with her, my spirit was lifted and I had to acknowledge again why she is my “bumble bee” friend. She is lovely and vibrant and a true pollinator (http://swordofgoliath.blogspot.com/2012/01/handle-with-care.html) in this garden of life. Even the loss of a great friend (which I was completely unprepared for) brought me memories of joy. She was the ultimate social butterfly, the type of friend that made a good girl go bad in a really good way. There was no way you could be with her and not be tempted to break a rule or two, or color outside the lines. I learned so much from her. Just being with her, or even the memories of my times with her, brought inspiration. Thelma is in heaven now, but there are no tears; just joy.

These memories reminded me to “count it all joy”. The very thought of each one of these friends made me happy and gave some of my favorite Scriptures about God's faithfulness and love deeper meaning. Looking back I realized that the very presence or thought of these people brought me great joy. I had received divine grace. The very thought of the givers have been a blessing which imparted the type of joy that is strength. From near and far, online or offline, by text or phone or in person, with every hello and goodbye, there had been impartation. They have been a source of pleasant memories and good news; news of faith and of love (1 Thessalonians 3:6).

So many millions have settled for just "going to church", but these friends are being the church, in season and out of season. They are true temples of the Spirit; pillars and foundation in truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

I pray that they never become "church members" or "churchgoers" who are not being the church. I pray that they never ignore their spiritual gifts (1 Timothy 4:14), the divine graces, and that they always use their power to share (1 Peter 4:10). I pray that they continue to spread joy (2 Timothy 1:4) and to never let their fire go out (2 Timothy 1:6).

I pray that in all their unique variety, they will continue to be the vessels of the various heavenly graces.

I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. - Romans 1:11

I love you and miss you. You are my joy and my crown. Therefore, dear friends, keep your relationship with the Lord firm! - Philippians 4:1

We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. - Romans 12:4-8

The Prostitute’s Hope

2012-01-10T08:30:00.003-05:00

Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? - Romans 8:24

As we begin the second week of January, has your hope began to wane? Many are already stumbling over what they see, things that make them afraid; but, here is what we must keep in sight:

Now faith is the conviction concerning those things that are in hope, as if it were these things in action, and the revelation of those things that are unseen. - Hebrews 11:1

You can’t afford to lose your hope, because faith is grounded in hope, and hope is grounded in your ability to see what is unseen:

We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18

Most of what we call hope is merely a wish, for things we see and desire. True hope is for what is unseen. When our focus shifts from what is eternal (steady) to what is temporary (uncertain), hope will quickly fade and faith will fail. Remember that scene in Toy Story when Buzz lost his hope? Not pretty.

Whatever happens, even when everyone is screaming “the sky is falling in”, we must keep our hope alive (this is biblical, not just some slogan). Is that not what Rahab did? Rahab was a prostitute with the obvious access to men. She had some options. She could have put her hope in the king of Jericho. He was in contact with her and trusted her enough to believe that she would work on his behalf (Joshua 2:1-2). She did not choose that option. She could have put her hope in the men of God. She did not. Back then was much like today, filled with people who proclaimed to be messengers of God who were simply false prophets and profiteers.

Rahab chose to put her hope in God. She trusted her spiritual perception. She said that she knew the Lord was working a plan (Joshua 2:9), she had this hope because she had heard about what God had miraculously done in the past (Joshua 2:10) and she acknowledged God as ruler over all (Joshua 2:11). The oath between her and the spies were not based on what she believed they could do as men, but by what she believed the Lord would do as God over all (Joshua 2:12,14).

When Jericho fell and everything and everyone was destroyed, only Rahab, her family and their possessions, were saved from destruction (Joshua 6:17-25). They did not escape destruction because Rahab took an option that was certain in her eyes, they escaped destruction because Rahab acted in hope that God would make the impossible possible. Hebrew 11:31 says that Rahab acted with peace, “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation”.

God may be unseen, but the best way to have that “soul assured” peace and tranquility of spirit is to agree with Him, put your trust in Him, and rest your hope on Him. Now is not the time for a breakdown of hope.

Through the Spirit by faith we confidently await the fulfillment of our righteous hope. - Galatians 5:5

Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. - Job 22:21

Handle With Care

2012-01-09T12:21:00.004-05:00

As we enter the second week of January, how are you doing with your promise to be better to yourself and to others? Have you slipped back into being hard on yourself? For many, the frustrations of life have already overtaken them. They've let their own words and hearts condemn them (Matthew 12:37, Proverbs 18:21), but God is greater (1 John 3:21), and we need His help if we are going to handle with care this life we’ve been given and the souls we encounter every day. The gentleness and self-discipline needed to be better to ourselves and others come from the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:23)

We are all plants in need of care in this garden of life. That pollen that appears to us as dust and makes us sneeze is really a “mass of microspores in a seed plant”, and pollen is critical to the cycle of life. We are pollinators of sorts, and with the seeds of our thoughts, words and deeds we affect our own growth, survival and productivity, and that of others. We don’t just self-pollinate, we cross-pollinate. It’s not easy, but we are charged with tending to others.

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. - Psalm 126:5-6

How we touch others will determine the type of harvest we reap. We can sow peace and reap righteousness; We can sow righteousness and reap love (James 3:18, Hosea 10:12). We will reap what we sow. The best garden is one that is balanced. The best harvest is produced with constant care of the plants, the soil, and the environment.

There are tools available to a sower, and among those tools are the sickle and the sword. Both of these tools are sharp and both cut, but each has very different purposes. The sickle is used to pluck, pick and prune without causing severe damage. The sword is for protection. Some use the sword for harm (Psalm 64:3, Proverbs 5:4). The sword of the spirit, the word of God (Ephesians 6:17) should not be used to damage souls. A sword, especially a sharp two-edged sword, has to be handled with care. You would have a very difficult time and cause serious damage if you attempted a harvest with a sword. To get the best harvest, you will need to use the tools God has given you with wisdom.

When you take a look at a garden, when it is in disarray and filled with weeds and seem unproductive and useless, you may feel like destroying everything, but that would be unwise(Matthew 13:24-43, Revelation 14:14-20). You are to sow in ways that please God (Galatians 6:8), you are to sow good (Job 4:8), and you are to sow with an enduring spirit (Galatians 6:9).

Don’t lose your gentle spirit (Proverbs 29:23, Philippians 4:5). Don’t get tired of cultivating love (Hebrews 10:24, 2 Corinthians 13:11). Be hopeful about the harvest and stay faithful (Psalm 37).

Whoever watches the wind will never plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will never harvest. Just as you don't know how the breath of life enters the limbs of a child within its mother's womb, you also don't understand how God, who made everything, works. Plant your seed in the morning, and don't let your hands rest until evening. You don't know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will [turn out] equally well. - Ecclesiastes 11:4-6

The Epiphany: Lose The Megamind

2012-01-06T12:32:00.004-05:00

The story of the Magi is being remembered around the world as the Epiphany is celebrated. The one thing to notice about the Magi (Matthew 2) is that they weren’t too puffed and blinded by their relationship with King Herod or their directive from him that they forgot their one purpose: to worship the Christ. They were able to find Him and worship Him without putting lives in danger of Herod’s wrath.

Pride is blinding and causes us to lose both wisdom of God and compassion for others. When we forget our one purpose, we endanger ourselves and others. There is wisdom in keeping our focus. Being a megamind is not good. Many churches and ministries have gone megamind, preaching all things BIG, but leaving every foundational principle undone. No matter how BIG something or someone is, with a weak foundation, there will eventually be trouble. We now see that even the neighborhood churches are networked and hooked up, with all of the megamind attitude, yet the people sit lost and dying in their congregations and local communities.

While the typical churches say go big, Jesus taught us to focus on the one, the little, the lost (Luke 15:4).

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. - Hebrews 12:15

How in the world can we look after each other if our heads are in the clouds and our hearts are not connected by love to those in our own congregations and neighborhoods?

Those questions bothered me as I read the story of Amanda Cummings, age 15, who committed suicide on December 27, 2011. The story is horrific and I won't recount it here, however, a portion of her social media timeline, as printed in the New York Daily News, showed the following:

Sept. 9: I start to realize who the ppl r that dnt give a damn about me. I guess im alone. The friends that care... There not rlly there though. Im sick of my life.

Sept. 9: I cnt do one thing right

Oct. 20: I want to die

Nov. 25: Today I realized .... my life sucks

Dec. 1: ill just go f--- myself, just like u said baby, then ill go kill myself, with these pills, this knife, this life has already done half the job. -___-

Dec. 3: Worst sat nite evr i cnt believe this is happening what did i do to deserve this

Dec. 6: When i say im ok i want that one person t look me in the eye, hug me & say no ur not

Those last words got to me: “...I want that ONE person to look me in the eye, hug me...”

She was hoping for just ONE person to reach her. They never did.

If there is ONE THING we need in the church today is an epiphany– a manifestation and a display – of the love that God commanded. Jesus warned of focusing on money while neglecting justice and love (Luke 11:42).

At some point we will have to start actually being like Jesus...in thought, in word and in deed.

Jesus did all He could so that none would be lost. We need to be careful that in going big and being megaminds that we don’t lose all the souls God has entrusted to us, because we will surely face the consequences. It will be a sad day indeed for all who are busy with religion to wake up one day...too late...only to realize that they never did the will of the Father.

Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. - Matthew 18:14

This is the will of God, that I should not lose even one. - John 6:39

While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished. - John 17:12

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention... A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. - Matthew 7:13-25

A Song For The Season

2012-01-05T09:29:00.003-05:00

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. - Song of Solomon 2:12

In the midst of winter, when the trees are bare, the earth is frozen and there is a sense of dreariness in the atmosphere, why not have a song for the season? You don’t have to wait for spring to let a song take root in your soul. Set the tone for this season. Let the seed of a song from above be planted in your soul. I am choosing a new song, a song of praise, that I believe will manifest the miraculous to the Glory of God.

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. - Psalm 40:3

So many songs await you: Songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7), songs of thanks (Psalm 28:7), songs of strength (Psalm 59:17), songs of joy (Isaiah 54:1), songs of faith (Isaiah 38:20), and songs of remembrance (Isaiah 23:16).

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. - Ephesians 5:19

God is waiting to pour into you a song. His spirit will speak to your heart, in season and out of season. Will you receive a song for the season?

Each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life. - Psalm 42:8

There will be unusual occurrences in this season, but God has commanded His promises for you in every season (Ezekiel 34:26, Psalm 1:3, Psalm 104:27). Put God in remembrance with a song now. Don't wait for spring to start singing.

They will announce what they remember of Your great goodness, and they will joyfully sing about Your righteousness. The Lord is merciful, compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive. The Lord is good to everyone and has compassion for everything that He has made. Everything that You have made will give thanks to You, O Lord, and Your faithful ones will praise You. - Psalm 145:7-10

One Resolution: Hope Eternal

2012-01-04T11:50:00.004-05:00

After the pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving and the eggnog from Christmas and the big indulgence on New Years Eve that you don’t quite remember, this first week in January usually begins with millions of people determined to do the right thing. Even as the Super Bowl feast ads appear, fasting, diets and exercise schedules are planned. Even as champagne and chocolates go up on the shelves for Valentine’s Day, vows of sobriety and celibacy are being made. Forget the sex battle; who hasn’t lost the chocolate or Cheetos battle?! Don’t raise your hand.

We may joke about resolutions, but we know in our hearts that people are yearning for better lives, to live in a way that honors and acknowledges that they are valuable to God and humanity. Failure at those resolutions often affects our relations with ourselves, our families, our communities, and with God. Failure hurts. Even Paul admitted that: “I find therefore the law of my nature to be that when I desire to do what is right, evil is lying in ambush for me.” - Romans 7:25. Paul also said something else: He said he’ll keep pressing forward and keep answering God’s call (Philippians 3:14).

You see, it’s not so much what we call Him (since His love does not depend on our words or feelings), it is more about what He calls us. He calls us pure. He calls us righteous. He calls us holy. He calls use beloved. All He asks of us is that we respond to His call. How do we respond to His call? LOVE.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

Can it be that simple? As a starting point, yes. There is no quick end to struggle. We need to acknowledge our humanity, because it will certainly fail us. We must also acknowledge the love of God, because His love will never fail us (1 Corinthians 13:8). Faith, hope and love works together (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith, hope and love are part of our spiritual armor (1 Thessalonians 5:8). We need active faith, deeds of love and enduring hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Colossians 1:5 tells us that faith and love “spring from hope”.

No matter how much you’ve messed up, DO NOT LET ANYONE (OR YOUR OWN MIND OR MOUTH) KILL YOUR HOPE. As I read through 1 John 3:1-3, I was reminded of the importance of hope. When we resolve to live honorably and uncorrupted, it will certainly be difficult. Living with moral excellence is not simply a matter of making resolutions and struggling to keep up appearances. We live out our hope for moral excellence (spiritual wellness, soul stability and mental peace) by following our model, Jesus (1 John 3:3).

So, prioritize all your other resolutions by putting love (God is love) first. Get to know how Jesus walked in love. Instead of using the month of January to drive yourself crazy with resolutions, take a few weeks to get to know how Jesus lived on earth. If you would do that, you will know what love is and you will be able to walk out the rest of this year in the power of love and faith which spring from hope eternal. Take hold of the promise of everlasting love and new life and you’ll never need another resolution.

Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God. - Mark 12:24

We have the power of loving, because He first had love for us. - 1 John 4:19

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called–His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. - Ephesians 1:18

Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. - 2 Corinthians 13:7

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. - 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That's why the prophet said, The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers droop, God's Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. - 1 Peter 1:22-25

Sailing Into 2012

2012-01-03T09:28:00.008-05:00

I'm glad I learned how to row my own boat. - Tara Davis

These words remained with me after my recent viewing of “Grand Canyon Adventure: River At Risk”. In a trip down the Colorado River, which is no small feat, this daughter was expressing thanks that she was prepared for the journey herself instead of being solely dependent on her father’s skills.

As you start sailing into 2012, what have you done to prepare yourself?

Do you know how to sail or are you just lounging on someone else's boat hoping for a smooth ride? Do you have the right equipment? Have you strengthened yourself in preparation for the journey? I realized from watching this film that you really do have to know how to row and you absolutely must also have the right type of boat. A major cruise ship may be expensive and filled with conveniences, but it is not made for every journey. The rafts and kayaks are specifically-designed for swift, rough and purposeful movement and they don’t hold water which you certainly cause one to sink.

I learned from this film that whether or not you survive the journey depends mostly on preparation before you even stop one toe in the water. I also learned that surviving the treacherous journey required three things: 1. Experienced guides who knew the water and the history, and stayed with them from beginning to end, 2. Training and education before they began the trip, and 3. The right vessels. Those are also great lessons for life’s journey.

Before you sail into 2012, be sure of the following:

1. Depend on the Spirit of God:

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. - Psalm 143:10

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. - Ephesians 3:16

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

2. Get educated (wisdom, knowledge and understanding):

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly. - Proverbs 16:22

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. - Proverbs 12:15

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. - Proverbs 19:20

3. Choose and stick with the right vessel (even when it seems like all is lost):

Don’t try to hitch on someone else’s ride (like Jonah) >> http://swordofgoliath.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-jonah-stop-tripping.html

Don’t be afraid of the rough waters (like His disciples - Mark 4:35-41)

Don’t lose faith because others do: “In Acts 27:21-22-25, Paul, after fasting, reminded the soldiers that he had warned them and if they had heeded the warning disaster and loss could have been avoided. He then encouraged all on board that even if the ship was lost THERE WOULD BE NO LOSS OF LIFE. He made a declaration about the God that he served and he told the men that they were not to be afraid. That God has given them everyone who was currently on board and that they should BELIEVE GOD!!” >>> http://swordofgoliath.blogspot.com/2009/04/cut-ropes-and-drop-anchor.html

FINALLY, ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS: Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you. - Deuteronomy 31:8

A Holding Pattern

2012-01-02T08:52:00.014-05:00

It’s 2012. I had to say that, just in case you’re still thinking it’s 2011. Some people have found themselves in a holding pattern, much like waiting in the airport for that plane that keeps getting more and more delayed until they see that dreaded word: canceled!!!

I’m one of those weird people who actually love hanging out in airports, observing things, talking to people I’d otherwise never meet, and trying food I’d ordinarily never touch. Some folks go into absolute rage when faced with a holding pattern.

A holding pattern, “a state of waiting or suspended activity or progress”, is usually unwelcomed. As I sat in the park yesterday, I noticed everyone jogging and biking at a merciless pace, and the thought came to me that maybe I should be doing what they’re doing. In the very moment the thought came, so came another: I was doing exactly what should be doing. Sitting on the bench, taking in nature and listening to the birds sing, my mind was relaxed and my heart was rejoicing. Of course, it seemed that only me, the birds and the trees thought relaxing was a good idea.

I was using that holding pattern for good, and this morning the words that the Lord said to Ezekiel echoed in my spirit: “Do not perform the usual rituals” - Ezekiel 24:17

As you start out 2012, don't forget that you’re on an eternal journey. You’re not on earth to follow rituals. You must live your life, not merely pattern what everyone else is doing. Don't start this year by entrapping your own mind. Don’t be afraid if you find yourself in a holding pattern at times. The holding pattern is critical to your journey, much like it is in aviation. “In aviation, holding (or flying a hold) is a maneuver designed to delay an aircraft already in flight while keeping it within a specified airspace....The primary use of a holding pattern is delaying aircraft that have arrived at their destination but cannot land yet because of traffic congestion, poor weather, or runway unavailability (for instance, during snow removal).”

A holding pattern is not meant to trap you, but to prepare you, pace you, and to protect you. A holding pattern is not an end, it is just part of God’s strategy as He helps you maneuver this life. You are a simple sojourner (1 Peter 1:17). You may be in a holding pattern, but don’t fall into conformity and get caught in the crowd. Don’t let your fear of a holding pattern cause you to panic and make bad decisions. Your life matters to God. He has not forgotten you. You won’t lose if you stick with His strategy.

“...Funny how I blind myself
I never knew
If I was sometimes played upon
Afraid to lose...
...Caught in the crowd
It never ends.”- It’s My Life, No Doubt

Be Established

2011-12-30T15:37:00.004-05:00

If you’ve been blessed to enter this season and embark upon a new year, you will notice that there are many with unfinished business. This has, unfortunately, become true within the church, and especially among religious leaders. They’re all yelling “finish strong”, but we need to take a closer look at what is really going on. You haven’t really started, and is not even close to finishing, UNLESS YOU ARE ESTABLISHED IN GOD. This is the critical problem the church has faced in recent years. There are lots of leaders, but few are established, and even fewer are enduring. They’ve not been established in the small things, but they want to headline the big things. They are not out of one marriage, but they are already on the next hook-up. They “pastor” one church after the other into failure, damaging souls left and right, but they are desperate to climb into the next pulpit for a fee or for fame. They run from town to town giving “motivational” speeches on “success” and “prosperity”, but no matter how much money they collect, they remain lacking.

The problem is rooted on one word: Establish. The core meaning of establish is to be stable, and stability works from the inside out. To be established, much like being righteous (Romans 10:3), comes by faith (Romans 3:31) and practice (Psalm 37:3, Matthew 6:1, Romans 1:17, 1 John 3:7). If we are not established in our hearts in any relationship, including our relationship with God, we will not be faithful (Psalm 78:37). Everything we take for granted today was established.

We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights. - Felix Frankfurter

In today’s world, even in the churches, everyone is looking for a quick fix. If we look back on our own histories, however, we would have to admit that nothing is established overnight. Even God, who established the heavens and the earth, did not do it on a whim. God has all power, but He used patience and thought and wisdom and understanding in establishing our world (Proverbs 3:19, Jeremiah 10:12).

Where is the patience and thought and wisdom and understanding in the church today? Everyone wants to arise, but no one wants to be established; everyone wants to get to “finish strong”, but no one wants to endure. You cannot possess if you’re not willing to endure. You cannot be established if you’re not willing to endure. Nothing gained by underhanded means will stand (Proverbs 12:19, Proverbs 15:3). Anything can be built, and with today’s technology even ministries can be built at lightning speed, but nothing (no matter how godly it appears) will not stand if God has not established it (Psalm 127:1, Proverbs 14:11, Proverbs 15:25, Proverbs 24:3).

What can we do to become established in God?

Recognize that we can’t walk the straight path unless by His direction (Psalm 119:113, Proverbs 16:9, Jeremiah 10:23).

Believe in the power of the word to uphold you (Micah 7:8, Psalm 37:23-24, Psalm 94:18, Psalm 119:117).

You, your power and your strength, is not established by money, but by the name of the Lord (Acts 3:6-7, Acts 3:16).

Remember that salvation comes by God's grace, and not by man's doctrine (Hebrews 2:3, Hebrews 13:9).

You do not follow signs. As you share God’s word, He will work through you (Mark 16:20).

Make it a priority to strengthen your spirit (Psalm 51:10).

Prepare yourself at all times with prayer (Psalm 141:2).

Pay attention and avoid distractions (Proverbs 4:25-26).

Place your heart in God's care (Psalm 57:7).

Have faith in the promises of God (Hebrews 8:6).

Commit everything to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3).

Life will never be perfect and satan is persistent, but you must endure to the end and encourage others (Luke 22:32, James 5:8, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Revelation 3:2).

No matter how much you prepare, true victory comes only from God (Proverbs 21:31).

Plant yourself, not in a person or group or moral platform or ideology, but in God: Colossians 2:6-10

6-7. My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live Him. You're deeply rooted in Him. You're well constructed upon Him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

8-10. Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in Him, so you can see and hear Him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him. When you come to Him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

My Soul Is Anchored

2011-12-29T09:15:00.003-05:00

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. - Psalm 25:1

As the festivities of the Christmas season fade away, many people have come through it joyful, energized, and with a renewed belief of the impossible being possible with God. Unfortunately, many more people have been left debilitated, distressed and depressed by the madness and excess and selfishness which also increases during this season.

As I meditated on one of my favorite verses, Psalm 25:1, I was reminded that when life itself becomes heavy - when we can’t lift our hands or open our eyes or dance for joy - we can lift our soul to our God. The NLT version of Psalm 25:1 fittingly says, “O Lord, I give my life to you.” Our Creator is the source of our life, our joy, our energy...of making the impossible possible.

The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. - Genesis 2:7

Let your soul magnify Him (Luke 1:46). Let your soul desire Him (Isaiah 26:9). Let your soul bless Him (Psalm 104:1). Nothing is simpler or better for you than lifting up your soul, giving your life, to God. No money or religious hijinks is required. You don't have to barter with God for your life. God loves you. You can express your love for Him by simply committing your life to His care. He made you as a living soul. Let your inner being, your soul, all that you are, praise Him. Anchor your soul in Him and He will lift you up. He will never fail you.

My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? - Psalm 6:3

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. - Psalm 31:9

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. - Psalm 143:8

I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish. - Jeremiah 31:25

When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul. - Psalm 94:19

Wait calmly for God alone, my soul, because my hope comes from Him. - Psalm 62:5

Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. - Psalm 86:4

You, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. - Psalm 116:8

I will be glad and rejoice in Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul. - Psalm 31:7

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. - Psalm 103:1

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. - Psalm 118:17

We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the holy place. - Hebrews 6:19

That's why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day. - 2 Corinthians 4:16

Your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, is of great worth in God's sight. - Romans 7:22

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being. - Ephesians 3:16

The Cure

2011-12-28T10:10:00.004-05:00

If you spend more than five minutes watching television, listening to radio or on any social media, there will be an ad for some form of treatment or cure for an ailment. There are fundraisers, ribbons, telethons and campaigns for diseases. Everyone’s looking for a cure, and yet there are countless other hidden hurts... broken spirits, buried emotions and bullied minds...that go unnoticed and untouched and unhealed.

The body and spirit are connected. In fact, the body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26). Our whole being: spirit, soul and body, matters (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our whole being needs healing. Our whole being needs the cure.

You may not need healing for a disease of the body, but what about your soul and your spirit? God is the cure. He bandages wounds, heals diseases, refreshes the body, relaxes the mind, speaks calming words, delivers from calamity, repairs pain, and relieves distress. He is the caregiver for you, personally, and for the whole world. There is no wound too deep that he can’t reach. There is no calamity so destructive that he can’t deliver. There is no pain so cruel that he can’t soothe. There is no distress so crippling that he can’t make whole.

What do you need from God ... the Caregiver ... the Comforter ...the Cure? He can make your spirit come alive again. He can give you an alert mind again. He can align your spirit, soul and body and keep you in balance. He is the healer. Do you believe?

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. - Psalm 77:2

Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry." - Jeremiah 15:18

I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. - Psalm 6:6

They [the prophets] offer superficial treatments for My people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. - Jeremiah 8:11

This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.- Lamentations 1:2

They treat My people's wounds as though they were not serious, saying, 'Everything is alright! Everything is alright!' But it's not alright. - Jeremiah 6:14

I am afflicted and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. - Psalm 109:22

There is no one to help you or to bind up your injury. No medicine can heal you. - Jeremiah 30:13

The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? - Proverbs 18:14

He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. - Isaiah 53:5

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. - James 4:10

I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn. - Isaiah 57:18

O Lord my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. - Psalm 30:2

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. - 1 Peter 3:12

Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. - James 5:16

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. - 1 Corinthians 14:15

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. - Romans 8:6

And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. - Romans 8:27

Pray with unceasing prayer and entreaty on every fitting occasion in the Spirit, and be always on the alert to seize opportunities for doing so, with unwearied persistence and entreaty on behalf of all God's people. - Ephesians 6:18

Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. - Ephesians 4:23

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! - Isaiah 26:3

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7

Bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far," says the Lord, who heals them. - Isaiah 57:19

Never stop praying. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

God is peace

2011-12-27T08:21:00.004-05:00

O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. - Isaiah 33:2

As I listened to the news over the Christmas weekend, I was not sure that I’ve ever heard of so much violence of every type within families a 24-hour span. In between the eating and drinking were murders and mayhem, and among the gifts opened lay victims...dead.

It seems as if many have lost their peace, and have forgotten that God is our strength and our rescuer when we are distressed. Will we ever get to the point where we can live in the knowledge that...“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

It's a daily struggle to keep our own peace, as we battle for our minds, our hearts and our souls. It's a constant do we or don't we as human and selfish desires battle the spirit of God within.

Many people are saying in their hearts that “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is.” - Lamentations 3:17

We cannot forgot our peace, for God is peace. We are fragile, yes. We hurt, sometimes to breaking point, but we need to remember that we are not alone.

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” - 2 Corinthians 4:7

Even when it feels like everything is falling apart, we have the love and power of God to sustain us. Today I pray that we will let more of God's peace dwell within, and that we will be more effective peacemakers as we keep in our remembrance that God is our stability (Isaiah 33:6). God is peace.

We hoped for peace, but nothing good has happened. We hoped for a time of healing, but there's only terror. - Jeremiah 8:15

The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we haven't been saved. - Jeremiah 8:20

This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. - Jeremiah 9:7-8

Blessed is the person who places his confidence in the Lord and does not rely on arrogant people or those who follow lies. - Psalm 40:4

I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. - Psalm 85:8

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.- 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. - Psalm 34:14

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. - Proverbs 12:20

Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. - Job 22:21

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. - Isaiah 32:18

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. - Matthew 5:9

Be A Refuge

2011-12-23T08:18:00.003-05:00

People are at a loss, like new-hatched birds knocked from the nest, fluttering helplessly. They cry out for direction, for help, for a safe place, for a refuge (Isaiah 16:3-5).

There is no denying that people are fluttering...at a loss..crying out for refuge. Whether it’s the 13-year-old who died this morning in Chicago of apparent self-inflicted wounds (http://tinyurl.com/7gc5bot) or the mother who killed her children and herself inside a Texas welfare office after being denied access to food after begging for months for help (http://tinyurl.com/6mdk9jf).

Of all the mega churches and mega Christians in Texas, am I to accept that no one noticed a hungry mother at her breaking point? Would the need have been seen and aid given if all the hundreds of thousands sitting in those mega churches were knocking on doors in their communities and meeting needs like Jesus did?

We’ll never know if even one person in those mega churches could have made a difference because no one is knocking on the doors. The AP reported that “In one of the poorest counties in the U.S., neighbors still pitied Rachelle Grimmer and her children. Grimmer would walk down the highway after midnight and beg closing crews at restaurants for food they planned to throw away.” The need was certainly not hidden. The cry for refuge was loud...especially on the day they died: Ramie, the 12-year-old daughter live-updated on Facebook with an eerie mix of detachment ("im bored") and dread ("may die 2day").

How much longer will you sit as souls detach and die?

Are you willing to be a refuge for those who are outcasts, excluded, victims of evil minds, violent hands and lying tongues?

There is no better way to fulfill your ministry than to do what Jesus did: meet needs. Jesus went aroud asking, "What do you want Me to do for you?". He did not spend His time asking other to give to Him; He gave to them. He pleased our heavenly Father by touching lives for good, for eternity. If you want to truly be a delight to God, then to be a refuge...a sanctuary...a safe place where souls can find rest on their journey?

Don't give up on rescuing souls because of a few bad experiences or because there are people who insist on being evil. Don't glue yourself to a pew because everyone else is. Souls are crying out for help. The needy...the outcasts..the vulnerable...the bullied...are looking for refuge. Will you alienate them, ignore them or exclude them, leaving them to be prey for those who intend to do harm, or will you give them refuge? God is here to help you do what is good.

Psalm 37:1-6 (Holman)

1. Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.

2. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.

3. Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely.

4. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

5. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act,

6. making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.

A Glory And A Joy

2011-12-22T17:13:00.006-05:00

So many places in Scripture we are encouraged to observe God's creation and think on it all with wonder and appreciation. God’s creation gives us lessons and reminders of God’s character and can help us improve our own conduct and attitude. From the contentment of the lilies in the field (Matthew 6:28) to wisdom of the ants (Proverbs 30:25), we can glean lessons on living in this world and fulfilling our ministry.

Enterprise News did a story on Gomo, an amazing K-9 police dog who died recently. The part that really got me about this dog was this:

“He died in my arms, wagging his tail. That’s the kind of dog he was,” said officer Darvin Anderson.
Gomo was a special talent, Ballinger said. He was the youngest dog he’d trained – only eight months when he started – and the first dog ever trained specifically to sniff out guns and ammunition. “Up until that point, ... they’d use a bomb-detection dog and hope the dog would find the gun powder,” Ballinger said. Gomo proved it could be done better. “It was ground-breaking at the time. It really was,” Ballinger said. The real treat, however, was Gomo’s personality. Most police dogs take on a different attitude after their training, Ballinger said, a kind of professional reserve. Not Gomo. He had the ability to shift effortlessly between biting at criminals and cuddling with kids.

Clearly, what made Gomo stand out, even among other K-9 police dogs, was his attitude. He was trained and he was certainly professional, but his professionalism did not make him mean. He could tell between friend and foe. He knew when to bite and when to bless.

We can learn a lot from Gomo. There is no other way to say it: way too many Christians are mean. Some even think being "spiritual" means having a bad attitude. They're always sniping and devouring. They have a nasty disposition. They bark and bite, and being a blessing does not even enter their thoughts. That type of conduct and attitude is not godly and will not help anyone fulfill their ministry. Fulfilling any ministry begins with getting our hearts right. We are only given the opportunity to minister because of God’s mercy (2 Corinthians 4:1). The gentleness (Hebrews 5:2, 2 Titus 2:25) and patient endurance (2 Titus 4:2, Hebrews 10:36) required to fulfill your ministry does not come by a bad attitude and lack of discretion.

What did Paul tell us? Let your gracious attitude [humility, gentleness, moderation, reasonableness] be known to all people. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:5).

Many have forgotten that admonition in Scripture in this age of excess, extravagance and extremes.

If we intend to be true to our call and fulfilling our ministry, we must have the right attitude about souls, and it starts with how we think about others. In 2 Thessalonians 2 we are reminded to have discernment; to keep our own minds focused. We have to remember that people, as we think of them, are not the enemies of our soul (Satan is). We don’t stand firm by being mean or extreme in our thoughts, words and conduct toward others, we stand firm by making God’s word our refuge (2 Thessalonians 2:15). It is God who granted us salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14), and sharing His good news. He gives us strength to do and say every good thing (2 Thessalonians 2:17). Our thoughts, words and deeds towards others must be for good, our motives matter, our attitude matter. We should not burden others, but imitate Christ in lifting burdens, if God’s word is truly at work in us (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14). We should not think of others as burdens, we should always be reaching out to touch souls (no matter what struggles we face), and think of them as a glory and a joy. God has honored you and lifted you (Psalm 3:3); always be willing and ready to do the same for others.

After all, who is our hope, joy, or reason for rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? It is you, isn't it? - 2 Thessalonians 2:19

The Devil Is In The Details

2011-12-21T11:30:00.016-05:00

My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. - Luke 1:47

When Mary uttered those words anyone of us, looking at her circumstances from a completely human view, would say that her situation (pregnant, unmarried and very young) was nothing to be joyful about.

Have you ever wondered what causes so many Christians to be some of the most disturbed folks you meet? How do you lose your joy when you claim to have a savior who brings joy, who is joy? If you’re going to endure, you need joy. If you’re going to fulfill your ministry, you need joy.

Mary knew something we need to understand. Having joy is not about the ability to smile or laugh or dance, but about having inner peace when nothing external makes you feel like smiling or laughing or dancing. Joy is a condition of the heart that comes from the Spirit of God (Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 13:5, Psalm 35:9, Psalm 68:3). Keeping your heart joyful is critical to fulfilling your ministry.

How do we lose our joy? The devil in the details.

If you intend to keep your joy, there are two types of people you need to be aware of: The watchers (the watchman) and the talkers (gossipers). People often confuse the two, but if you plan to fulfill your ministry, you need to know the difference. The watchman watches, observes, and says nothing except as is necessary to preserve life. The watchman is for good. The gossiper lurks, makes assumptions, and tells stories to cause harm, confusion and destruction.

With gossip, the devil truly is in the details. Whereas a watchman uses information to warn and protect, and shut the door to the enemy, the gossiper uses information to cause damage. Gossip, too much talk, is an open invitation for the devil to get in the details.

Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one's heart. - Proverbs 26:22

The devil loves that gateway to your heart. The devil is the biggest wrongdoer of all and “Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.” - Proverbs 17:4. He loves, loves, loves gossip. There is a reason why gossip is mentioned along with murder and malice and greed (Romans 1:29-30). Gossiping usually results in anger (Proverbs 25:23), and anger will result in bitterness and a disturbed spirit (Psalm 37:8, Ephesians 4:31, Psalm 4:4), and that bitterness will harm you (Hebrews 12:15) and steal the joy you’ve been given by God’s grace (Philippians 1:7, Psalm 30:5, Romans 5:2).

If you want to fulfill your ministry, don't get tangled up with gossip or become a gossiper, because the devil will surely to get in the details of your life and derail you. I was reminded by a recent article, that the devil will camouflage himself to gain access to God’s beauty.

“A detail of a fresco by Giotto in the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi is seen in this picture released on November 5, 2011. Art restorers have discovered the figure of a devil hidden in the clouds of one of the most famous frescos by Giotto in the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, church officials said on Saturday. The devil was hidden in the details of clouds at the top of fresco number 20 in the cycle of the scenes in the life and death of St Francis painted by Giotto in the 13th century. The discovery was made by Italian art historian Chiara Frugone. It shows a profile of a figure with a hooked nose, a sly smile, and dark horns hidden among the clouds in the panel of the scene depicting the death of St Francis. REUTERS/Basilica of St Francis in Assisi.”

Life is not always easy, but a gossip will make it worse by producing bad fruit and killing the joy of the heart. Listen to and follow the commands of your heavenly Father, so that you will not be swept away by trouble (Luke 6) and caught up in rumors. Your heart will remain joyful and you will fulfill your ministry, just like the Virgin Mary found the courage to do.

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven. - Luke 6:23

Drawing Near To Him

2011-12-20T08:47:00.005-05:00

As the seasons change, each of us will hopefully keep doing the work of fulfilling our ministry. As we awake to God’s love, meditate on His word, pray for His direction and perform His commands, we will also be drawn closer to Him.

One of the keys to fulfilling your ministry is to have a heart that yearns for God.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Purify your hands, you sinners; sanctify your hearts, doubting souls. - James 4:8

When we spend time in His presence, meditating on His word, our confidence in God will grow. It is His word that purifies and sanctifies and builds our faith.

The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it. - Deuteronomy 30:14

As our faith builds and our confidence grows, and as we let God imprint His words on our hearts, we will become more and more faithful in fulfilling our ministry.

Let us continue to come near with sincere hearts in the full assurance that faith provides, because our hearts have been sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. - Hebrews 10:22

Yes, as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Yes, He will purify us and sanctify us. As we worship Him, as we turn our focus to Him, He will be glorified. As we begin to fulfill our ministry, the fragrance of His presence and His unfailing love will cover us.

Truly, His salvation is near to His worshipers; so that glory may be in our land.- Psalm 85:9

Fulfilling Your Ministry

2011-12-19T09:22:00.003-05:00

We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. - Acts 6:4

Whether we are leaving a year or entering a new season or experiencing one change or the other, there is one thing that never changes and is now more important than ever: Fulfilling Your Ministry.

How will you be fulfilling your ministry in the coming minutes, days, weeks, months?

As we call to remembrance our Lord Jesus during this week of observation and sacred reflection on His birth, let us also call to mind His first command: LOVE. Let’s start this week by removing the things that hinder us from giving and receiving sincere love. A good first step to fulfilling ministry is to have a heart awakened to love.

I pray that you will keep your heart awake. A sleeping, cold or hardened heart cannot execute the commands of God, the first of which is to love. "Your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28 "the kingdom of God is near." Luke 21:31

Beware in your souls that your hearts never grow cold with gluttony and with drunkenness and with the cares of the world, and suddenly it shall come upon you that day. - Luke 21:34

Stay in constant contact with your Creator, praying and meditating on Scripture, and nothing that happens in this world will surprise you. Put God in remembrance by fulfilling your ministry, by executing His commands, and He will remember you ... for good.

Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in Your eyes. - Isaiah 38:3

Remember me with favor, O my God. - Nehemiah 13:31

Nothing Is Impossible...Believe!

2011-12-16T09:02:00.005-05:00

What are you believing for today?

Luke 1 weaves the story of two women who believed. Elizabeth of Judea was an old and barren wife of a priest. Mary of Nazareth was unmarried and young virgin. The lives of these two women took on new meaning when both became pregnant in a miraculous way. Mary would give birth to Jesus and Elizabeth would give birth to John (the one who would prepare the way for Jesus). These women may have been related, but they were in very different places and circumstances in life. Their true connection came by God’s favor and power.

When the angel Gabriel informed Mary that the impossible had happened to Elizabeth (she was pregnant), Mary traveled to Judea to visit Elizabeth and Elizabeth blessed her with words that are still narrated today: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb....blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Mary and Elizabeth recognized that God’s favor was at work in their lives. While pregnant with Jesus, young Mary served Elizabeth (she stayed with her the last three months of her pregnancy), her elder and the mother of John The Baptist, who was destined to prepare the way for Jesus in the years to come.

Do you see how God works?

Do you believe that God will do what He has said? As one version of the Bible puts it, “No word from God shall be void of power.” - Luke 1:37 (ASV)

I pray that you believe, like Mary and Elizabeth did, that God can make impossible things possible. His message and His messengers often come to us in way we’ve never experienced before. We must keep our hearts and minds open, for we never know who and what God may send our way to perform unto us according to His word.

With God nothing shall be impossible. - Luke 1:37

Stop Watching The Clock

2011-12-15T08:22:00.003-05:00

Everyone seems to be in countdown mode. Our mantra has become to everything there is a clock, instead of “to every thing there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3). When we’re not watching the clock about our issues, we watching the clock about other people. We get anxious about deadlines, whether we’re too early or too late, or whether we’ve missed it.

Being aware of time is a good thing, but we have to stop watching the clock as if everything depends on man’s time. Since we were babies, someone’s had us on a clock: the first tooth, the first steps, the first smile, the first words ... and so it continues to this day. Let’s stop the clock watching and get some wisdom.

“...the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be..” -Ecclesiastes 8:5-7

No amount of clock watching will tell you the future. No amount of anxiety about the deadlines will add to your life. Scripture reminds us that God is balancing time and judgment. Life is not just about the clock. So what if you’re not at the same place in your relationships or your education or your financial status as others? Are you trusting in God’s timing and judgment or man’s? Stop letting others ruin your life with meaningless deadlines. Stop holding yourself hostage with a clock. Don’t be derailed from your spiritual journey by a physical deadline. Just when you think your time has run out, the God of judgment and time is working on something that has not even entered your imagination.

The Uncomfortable Zone

2011-12-14T09:12:00.008-05:00

Is your zone getting uncomfortable? You heard me. That comfortable place is starting to feel painful, like a pebble in your favorite shoe? You’ve got choices. Are you willing to defect from your comfort zone? You can sit in your comfort zone and try to ride out the storm or you can march out of that place. Should you dare choose to cross the line, you will realize that the comfort zone is not your safe place and that all the turbulence is not about you.

I will show My greatness and My holiness, and I will make Myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. - Ezekiel 38:23

Today, you have the option of remaining in your comfort zone or crossing the line you never crossed before. You won’t hear this in many Christian circles where folks love to hand out orders, but God loves to give us choices.

Tell the people at large, 'God's Message to you is this: Listen carefully. I'm giving you a choice: life or death. Whoever stays in this city will die—either in battle or by starvation or disease. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who have surrounded the city will live. You'll lose everything—but not your life. - Jeremiah 21:8-9 (MSG)

Yes, God gives us choices, and they are not always easy. Sometimes, it just seems easier to just try to hide in our comfort zone. God is not a bully. He does not need to push us around to keep us on the right path. It is very important that we listen when God gives us options because the escape route, the next leg of our journey, may not be the old conventional path.

If we choose to leave our comfort zone to go out (go forward, proceed to something, move with purpose, reach for a result, come out of what is customary), we must listen to the Spirit of God in us. Sometimes, we may be required to say “yes” to a path that may look treacherous and unfamiliar. In stepping out of our comfort zone we may lose things and people, and those losses will be painful, but most importantly, we will also lose ourselves. The self we will lose is that part of us that keeps us in comfortable places that have long become towers of doubt...death traps. In losing ourselves, we will be rewarded with life.

“I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’...now the wind will blow away your allies. All your friends will be taken away ... it may be nice to live in a beautiful palace...but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish. - Jeremiah 22:21-23

Pay attention to the voice of God in you. He’s not trying to harm you. He’s trying to prod you from your hiding place which is built on fear into His hiding place which is built on faith. God has an end-game planned; Get out of your comfort zone and get with His game plan.

Jeremiah 23, 24

...I'll take over and gather what's left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I've driven them. I'll bring them back where they belong, and they'll recover and flourish. I'll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won't live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!' God's Decree." ...

"Don't listen to the sermons of the prophets. It's all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies. They make it all up. Not a word they speak comes from me. They preach their 'Everything Will Turn Out Fine' sermon to congregations with no taste for God, their 'Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen to You' sermon to people who are set in their own ways. "Have any of these prophets bothered to meet with Me, the true God? bothered to take in what I have to say? listened to and then lived out My Word? Look out! God's hurricane will be let loose—

"Am I not a God near at hand"—God's Decree— "and not a God far off? Can anyone hide out in a corner where I can't see him?" God's Decree." Am I not present everywhere, whether seen or unseen?" God's Decree...

God said to me, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" "Figs," I said. "Excellent figs of the finest quality, and also rotten figs, so rotten they can't be eaten." Then God told me, "This is the Message from the God of Israel: The exiles from here that I've sent off to the land of the Babylonians are like the good figs, and I'll make sure they get good treatment. I'll keep My eye on them so that their lives are good, and I'll bring them back to this land. I'll build them up, not tear them down; I'll plant them, not uproot them. "And I'll give them a heart to know Me, God. They'll be My people and I'll be their God, for they'll have returned to Me with all their hearts.

The Right Spirit

2011-12-13T07:28:00.004-05:00

When I listen to the average news outlet, there is story after story about how distressed people are. The pundits have tried to point to lack of money as the main source of the distress, but I have another view. Money, yes, is an issue (in good times and bad), but I’ve been observing family and friends, and most are not distress by what they don’t have for themselves, but by the fact that they may not have anything to give to those they love.

The truth is that we all have something we can give. We have ourselves, our spirit.

To receive a present in the right spirit, even when you have none to give in return, is to give one in return. - Leigh Hunt

Read that quote again. It really resonated with me. We cannot value ourselves based on the dollar value of what we can give. The most priceless gift you can give is the gift of self. There is only one unique you, and no one can share the gift of your spirit the way you can. What is a right spirit? A spirit of love (Galatians 6:1), a spirit of confidence in your Creator (Psalm 4:5), and a spirit of faith that restores (Psalm 51:10). You have all those priceless gifts in you to share and more...grace...joy...peace. It is all in you.

My friend Tami, who is exploring new worlds (http://notimetogetold.com/NoTimeToGetOld/Blog/Entries/2011/10/30_Sweet_As.....html) recently took a photo in beautiful New Zealand that really made me think of the right spirit.

As I looked at Tami's photo I prayed to God that I would have the spirit that I think this photo captures. It is a spirit of one who can sit back and receive what is given this day without any worry of tomorrow or regret of yesterday.

If you do nothing else in this season, I pray that you respond with the right spirit to every gift...every moment...every breath.

In Fighting Form

2011-12-12T09:13:00.005-05:00

Nothing to be scared of. - Muhammad Ali

I don't know about Ali, but when I look around, there seems to be much to be scared of. I have a feeling, however, that Ali did not fear because he was always preparing. As you can tell from the name of this blog, I believe it’s important to be ready for a fight. Preparation enabled David to beat Goliath and literally pick the sword from the giant (1 Samuel 17:51, 1 Samuel 21:9).

Are you in fighting form today? Some of us think we are, but we’re not. The sword (Ephesians 6:17) is available to us, but we need to be in fighting form to use it effectively. If you study up on swords, a fighter has to be trained in handling it to win battles. Part of that training is having strength in the arms. The arms are important to the mobility and endurance of the whole body. Without strong, healthy arms, Pharaoh was unable to wield the sword (Ezekiel 30:20-26). The Lord Himself fights with a strong arm (Jeremiah 21:5).

If you’ve watched an athlete in training or a person going through physical rehabilitation, there are very specific strength-building exercises that they do. They really work the arms, and all my research shows that the arm, the shoulder, is critical to the fighting form of the physical body. It is also critical in the spiritual fight. Burdens are carried on the shoulders (Genesis 49:15) and Christ carries burdens (Isaiah 9:6).

Many of us have ignored our strength training. We’re still walking and still running, still heading in the right direction, but somewhere along the line this year, we stopped strength training. Ladies, especially, may have gotten sidetracked, but what does Proverbs 31:17 tell us? “She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.” This is the part of the “Proverbs 31" woman that is rarely talked about, the part that says we should be strong. Why? Being strong is necessary to be in fighting form, and being in fighting form puts us in the right attitude for the future: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” - Proverbs 31:25

So what if you’ve messed up physically and spiritually? So what if you’ve failed to strengthen yourself? Is all lost? No. When Abraham sent Hagar off into the desert with her young son, all she had was food and water carried on her shoulder (Genesis 21:14). Eventually, the supplies on her shoulder ran out and her tough girl act failed. She wept as she waited for her son to die, but God was not done. He responded from heaven (Genesis 21:15-18). God provided a source of strength while she was in a weakened state, wandering in the wilderness: “God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well full of water.” - Genesis 21:19

You may have been weakened by your circumstances this year and others are counting you out, but you are still on the right path and God Almighty, the source of your strength, will not let you stumble in your weakness. You may have lost a few battles, but you will be victorious in the war. Do not fear. Stay in fighting form!

I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." - Muhammad Ali

You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation. - Psalm 89:26

Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord. - Psalm 4:6

What a help You are to the weak! How You have saved the arm without strength! - Job26:2

Not by their own sword did they win, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You delighted in them. - Psalm 44:3

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. - Psalm 136:12

Ignorance IS NOT Bliss

2011-12-09T09:44:00.011-05:00

“I do not know the Lord.”

Of all the words spoken by a Pharaoh in Scripture, those words recorded in Exodus 5:2 are most sobering. How could Pharaoh obey a God He did not know? Don’t act as if that sounds crazy; most of us don’t obey our parents, people we know, much less people we don’t know. Frankly, most of us have been in church for years, claim to know and love God, and still don’t obey Him. This is why it is critical that those who claim to be ministers of the gospel present the basic teachings about God...constantly. Most churches are consumed with activities and conferences and political and social endeavors, but there is no basic teaching. It does not matter how many money and prosperity and motivational seminars are trotted out, without the knowledge of God people (in and out of the church) will sit in ignorance.

Ignorance IS NOT bliss.

If a baby was never given parental care, love and instruction, and just put out in the world with no knowledge, what would happen? Nothing good. We grow and mature in life because from childhood we are taught certain basics and we really never stop learning until we leave this life.

Ignorance IS NOT bliss.

The heart can be hardened by ignorance (Ephesians 4:18). The darkness that comes from ignorance is as destructive as the darkness from deliberate evil. Death that results from ignorance is just as final as death from any evil. God cares about the final outcome. That is why getting knowledge is encouraged all through Scripture and God desires that ALL come to a “knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Ignorance IS NOT bliss.

Ignorance is also no excuse.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. - Acts 17:30

Coming to the knowledge of truth is where a turning begins. When Joseph was called before Pharaoh, it was a knowledge, a recognition of God, that made the difference, not just for Joseph and Pharaoh, but for a nation about to experience deadly famine: - So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” - Genesis 41:38-40

What if the religious rulers had knowledge of truth? Would they have crucified Christ? (1 Corinthians 2:8). Would they have began plotting to kill (Mark 3:6) Jesus for sharing the healing power of God with the afflicted (Mark 3:1-5) if they were not blinded and hardened by lack of knowledge?

Ignorance has consequences.

Many people have sat in churches for years, and are still ignorant. It is possible to learn, but still miss truth (2 Timothy 3:7). That is why ministers are not to argue (2 timothy 2:24), but to preach and teach at all times and to all people with patience (2 Timothy 4:2). Arguing theology may make us look learned and sell products filled with our opinions, but it brings confusion (1 Timothy 1:4, 2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9). How we live and what we say can either add to the ignorance of others or bring light.

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. - 1 Timothy 4:16

God knows the difference between deliberate sin (Hebrews 10:26) and ignorance (1 Peter 1:14), and, in His mercy, offers His grace and salvation to all (Titus 2:11).

That invitation to know God remains open, and I pray that more and more people come to know Him and relate to Him each day.

The Lord says, "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name. - Isaiah 65:1

I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. - Jeremiah 17:10

I will give them hearts that recognize Me as the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me wholeheartedly. - Jeremiah 24:7

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. - Revelation 22:21

Help? What help?

2011-12-08T08:54:00.009-05:00

Have you said “yes” to help? I know what you’re asking, “Help? What help?”. I’m talking about good help...God help. Many are skeptical of help because of bad experiences. In the past the “help” they received may have come with strings and consequences and trouble (wolves in sheep’s clothing), but the help that is God-sent has no strings.

Saying “yes” to help does not mean we have failed. When King Solomon accepted the task of building the Lord’s house, his first act was to enlist 70,000 men to bear burdens (2 Chronicles 2:2). Every plan of God, whether great or small, inevitably involves WORK, and help is needed. Wise people know this and don't let pride trip them up. King Solomon hand-picked by God for this specific task and had been given all wisdom, knowledge, wealth and honor (2 Chronicles 1), and still had the wisdom to know that going it alone was not a good thing.

Do you have true burden bearers in your life? I’m not talking about users, fakers and abusers, who are actually out to get something instead of giving something. They add nothing to God’s purpose and plans for your life. You can’t keep on going with the “I’ve got it” attitude when life is falling apart and some days you can’t even put the pieces together to function.

I want you to remember some lessons from the life of Moses (not the movie versions, but from Scripture). From his birth, life was not easy. Before the hardest journey of his life began, he was already 80 years old and his mouthpiece was 83 (Exodus 7:7). Yes, it is just like God to pick someone who is old and has trouble speaking to lead stubborn, unthankful loudmouths to freedom, and give him a mouthpiece that is even older than he is. Talk about carrying a burden!

Jethro, his father-in-law, probably gave Moses the best advice he ever got:

“Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done ... about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them... Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done ...”

"The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.” Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone...." - (Exodus 18:13-27)

Jethro wasn’t meddling; He was giving Moses wisdom, basically telling him to get help. Lots of people in ministry have destroyed themselves trying to keep up the one-man show. Pride blinds them to the price and pitfalls of the praise they receive. Even with help and with God on his side, Moses found out just how much harder life would become and cried out to God in anguish.

King Solomon, Moses, and even Jesus, chose to use help along the way. They did not let the fact that they were powerful and chosen keep them from continually seeking help. Ask God to keep your eyes and your heart open so you can recognize and humbly accept His help. Stop trying to go it alone!

"I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how You are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” The Lord said to Moses: “Bring Me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone." - Numbers 11:14-17

How Concerned Is God About You?

2011-12-07T07:47:00.004-05:00

There are some people who are quick with the “God cares about you” line, which is said as a way to keep people moving so they won’t have to listen to their issues. Most people don’t mind being around for the happy times, but the minute tears start flowing, they head for the exit. I knew one pastor’s wife (who also came with the title pastor) who would go to great lengths to avoid people who had tears, who had issues. In that same church I remember saving the pastor’s choking child when his father, who stood less than three feet away, just kept on about his business and ignored his child. This type of behavior is so opposite of the character of Jesus, and it is that “mean and indifferent” attitude in churches that makes people question if God really cares for them.

I take comfort in the fact that God is personally involved in our lives as our Father. He doesn’t just trot us out as trophy children when things are going well and ignore us when we’re in need. There is a Scripture that just brought this image of God our Father front and center for me. As I read it last night, I thought of all the parents I’d seen over the years who stopped everything to tend to boo boos and dry tears. God loves you even more than those parents. You’re not an inconvenience to God. God is not trying to get away from your tears; He’s moving even closer.

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17

Every tear, shed and unshed, has been noticed by God the Father.

God loves you. God cares for you. He’s moving closer and closer to you, to your tears, to your heart.

Go For It!?!?

2011-12-06T07:40:00.007-05:00

As we get closer to exiting 2011, I have noticed an increase in mail from churches and organizations. All of these letters have one thing in common: snazzy catch phrases which are seemingly motivational (for a fee, of course).

Lots of people are going for it, but they’re heading in the wrong direction and going after the wrong thing. Some people are made to think they are at the end, when all that is happening is that they are approaching a sharp turn in the road.

In going after it, who and what are you following? Who are you listening to? You will become what you follow, for good or for bad. It’s no wonder that Jesus repeated said, “Follow Me”. To follow does not merely mean to go along, it means to pursue, practice, obey or worship. Following is not passive, but active and involved. We can’t just blame a leader for where we end up. If we are followers, we have a duty to be alert and aware.

If you’re following a pastor, a religion, a theology, a denomination, a moral belief or a political ideology, you may end up off course and run into trouble. There are many ideas, people and things that are labeled to be of God, but only God is God. We do not follow what appears godly, but we follow God, the source.

Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in Me that they went far from Me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? - Jeremiah 2:5

You will become what you follow. That is why the Lord God is interested in who and what you’re following. If you go after what is vain, empty, worthless...imitations of godliness, you will end up a vain, empty, worthless imitation of what God desires for you to be.

This is what the Lord says: "Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, 'No, that's not the road we want!' - Jeremiah 6:16

As you stand at the crossroad today, don’t be distracted by cute slogans and snazzy signs. Don’t be like so many who have taken a path that seems right, but will end in destruction. Take some time to evaluate where you are, who you’re following and what adjustments you need to make; then go for it!

The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! - Isaiah 30:18

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. - Isaiah 30:21

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me! - John 21:21-22

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. - John 10:27

What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing. - Philippians 2:12-16

You Are Our God

2011-12-05T11:02:00.005-05:00

Who is our God? Don’t get offended by the question. Lots of people will be celebrating Christmas, but many of those who are celebrating Christmas are not serving God. And, no, I’m not talking about unbelievers; I am talking about those who call themselves believers.

Several years ago, I noticed something about many churches. They started de-emphasizing serving and emphasizing celebrating. The “services” were changed to “celebrations”, and now it became more of café or dinner theater atmosphere. Nothing is wrong with celebrating if we don't forget who we serve and don't forget to actually serve others. Many churches, however, now do more “marketing” through celebrations than serving that exemplifies the love of Christ. Many even charge a fee to get access to these celebrations. Gone are the days of meetings where all were welcome, without charge, to hear the message of faith, hope and love. It seems as if we've began celebrating the gifts and ignoring the Giver.

As we approach another Christmas, and the celebrations get even more elaborate, this question becomes more important: Who is our God?

It does not matter how much we celebrate if we’re not serving in spirit and truth. How do we serve? Feeding the hungry (Isaiah 58:10), clothing the needy (1 John 3:17), bringing a healing touch to the sick (Luke 10:9, Luke 9:2), visiting prisons (Hebrews 13:3), speaking up for the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8), shining light on the trickery of those who make the poor (Amos 8:4) fail (no, poverty itself is not failure as is often preached by “prosperity” profiteers and “success” scammers.... but that’s a blog for another day) and the list goes on.

He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know Me?" says the Lord. - Jeremiah 22:16

The very simple fact is that if we’re not reaching and touching the poor..the vulnerable...the least among us, we don’t really know God and are not really serving God.

What was the critical question of Jesus in John 21:17? “Do You Love Me?” And what was His instruction to those who said they loved Him? No matter what other path any believer decides to take, those who sincerely love God must serve the people (John 21).

As we get into this season of non-stop celebrations, in between the hot cider, tree lighting, parties and parades, let us remember Christ was above all a willing and humble servant. We, who follow the teachings of Christ, are also called to be willing and humble servants. When we willingly and humbly serve, we will never forget that we are merely human and that only God is God.

They will no longer look to their idols for help or worship what their own hands have made. - Isaiah 17:8

Where are the gods that you made for yourselves? Let them come and rescue you when you're in trouble. - Jeremiah 2:28

Each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting His glorious miracles and obeying His commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors—stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. - Psalm 78:7-8

We must set our hope anew on God. Celebrations will come and celebrations will go, but the service we do unto God will be forever in His remembrance. We can’t serve God unless we obey the first command: LOVE.

Serving God is also how we keep Him as our focus. Serving God enables us to have confidence in Him when trouble comes. Let’s keep Him in remembrance by serving, so that we will always know who our God is, whether we are experiencing a good season or bad. Let us remember that nothing and no one can come against us and win when we know who our God is and serve Him.

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You." 2 Chronicles 14:11

There is a time and season for all things, including celebrations, but let us remember that each day we have the opportunity to serve others and remind them of God’s gift of joy.

You’ve Done All You Can

2011-12-03T08:12:00.006-05:00

Why are you beating yourself up over the situation, the loss, the relationship? You’ve done all you can. Our human ego doesn’t like to admit when the burden, the opposition, the trouble, is too strong to fight and too heavy to carry. It’s time to stop pushing and struggling with your human strength. You have done all you can.

You may be feeling like this polar bear. His photo and short caption caught my attention yesterday.

"I don't know if this guy is actually trying to push this icebreaker ship away from his home. Maybe he just thinks there's a free buffet if he can climb aboard. But in the context of the polar bears' plight, with their numbers dwindling due to climate change and habitat loss, this looks like a heartbreaking picture of a lone bear trying to hold back the inevitable. UGH MAKE IT STOP."

Some of you are screaming inside “UGH MAKE IT STOP”. You need to remember that the saying, “God helps those who helps themselves”, which has become a basis for indifference to the suffering of others, is not the truth. The truth is that God helps the helpless, those who’ve done all they can, those who are beyond themselves.

Even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.” King David (2 Samuel 3:39)

Yes, even King David, great and anointed as he was, had the wisdom to know when he’d done all he could. Knowing that you’ve done all you can does not mean you have given up; it means that you are ready to let God fight for you. Are you ready to let God fight for you?

Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. - Psalm 142:6

My future is in Your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. - Psalm 31:15

He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. - Psalm 18:17

With every bone in my body I will praise Him: "Lord, who can compare with You? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?" - Psalm 35:10

The Lord will do everything for me. O Lord, Your mercy endures forever. Do not let go of what Your hands have made. - Psalm 138:8

Change Your Tune...Sing Out Loud!

2011-12-02T09:51:00.004-05:00

You can cage the singer but not the song. - Harry Belafonte

I have a challenge for you today. Before this day is over, I dare you to sing out loud. I know you’re going to say you don’t feel like singing or you can’t sing, but it’s not all about you, is it?

I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing. - William James

All through Scripture we see references of the power of singing to our Creator, and as I read through Nehemiah 12 about the “thanksgiving choir”, I realized that I had spent a good bit of time listening to music this year, but had spent very little time singing. Singing was given great importance in the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. It was not just any type of singing, it was focused and purposeful, with joy and thanksgiving. They used their voice to declare joy and thanksgiving, not just within the confines of a church wall, but as far as their voices could be heard.

Day in and day out, we hear all the negative voices, even from believers. We know that God desires that our voice be put to better use (Psalm 26:7, Psalm 50:14, Psalm 69:30, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 100, Psalm 107:22, Psalm 147:7). It’s time to tune out the songs of doubt. Change your tune...sing out loud!

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them? - Rose F. Kennedy

Whatever has happened, no matter how horrific, the Spirit of God remains with you, in you, around you.

You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! - Isaiah 55:12

Doubt is not God’s voice. The Lord is moving ahead in victory (2 Samuel 5:24). Will you be a victorious voice?

Will you hear your own voice of joy and thanksgiving? Will your family, friends and neighbors? Will your city, your nation and this whole world hear your voice of joy and thanksgiving?

A song will outlive all sermons in the memory. - Henry Giles

God Is With Us: World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T09:00:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I was working on some flower arrangements at home. To me, they looked too ... droopy ... dead. I was about to throw them in the trash, but my conscience stopped me. Those flowers were not dead, they just were not “perfect” in my eyes. They still had a purpose. If you’ve ever been given flowers that’s been “perfected” by the hands of man, you know it is all an illusion, arranged to look a certain way. The average flower arrangement is filled with foam, tape and wire to keep it looking... “perfect”. When we walk around and see nature’s bounty, none of it is perfect. There are all types of flowers, beautiful and unique, but none are perfect.

These imperfect flowers came back to my mind as I read an AP story from yesterday: “A convicted child molester whose past was revealed after he saved a suicidal teenager from drowning herself in a Connecticut lake says he couldn't bear to walk away and have her death on his conscience. Michael Rogers was held without bond Wednesday, one day after he was arrested in Hamden on a charge of being a fugitive from Georgia. Authorities say he left Georgia in 2005, violating probation from a 2001 conviction on four child molestation charges. Police learned his true identity last week, two months after he saved the suicidal 16-year-old girl and helped a police officer who was trapped in mud during the rescue. Rogers told the New Haven Register shortly after the rescue his conscience wouldn't have let him walk away. A message for his public defender hasn't been returned.”

A child molester...saves a suicidal child. Imagine that!

Who can tell God’s plan for a life? Certainly, not us. God is the one who controls the Book of Life. God is the one who can speak to our conscience when others have long given up on us.

There are many people who’ve been discarded and trashed because people see them as imperfect. Just because someone looks like death and we’re ready to bury them doesn’t mean that their life is over. God’s resurrection plan is still at work...in us. Don’t let anyone treat you as dead. You are not the sum of your circumstances. Your purpose is not to be perfect; you will be perfected by your Creators as you fulfill your purpose. That child molester could have stayed in hiding, appearing to be perfect, or he could let his imperfections come to light by saving that child from killing herself.

As many observe World AIDS Day, we acknowledge all the suffering and loneliness and pain, but we also offer the comfort of God, the giver of life. No one is perfect, but everyone has a purpose.

What will you choose today as you move forward on your journey? The appearance of perfection or reality of purpose?

God is with us in truth and love. We must walk in truth and love. This is the love: Walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment: love one another. Watch out for yourself. Don’t be deceived. Don’t lose the ultimate reward: Your name in the Book Of Life. - 2 John 1

The Fragrance of Our Prayers

2011-11-30T09:52:00.013-05:00

As we come to the end of November many saints are rejoicing in hope, in anticipation, as the observation of Advent is celebrated around the world. What will your focus be over the next few days of 2011? Will you be making your list and trying to get everything on it? Do you actually know what you really want? Is there a deep desire that you want filled?

STOP

BREATHE

THINK ABOUT SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF

I have a question for you: How long has it been since you set everything aside and entreated, pleaded, appealed to God ON BEHALF OF someone else? That is the question that came to me as I read the following:

Isaac pleaded with the Lord ON BEHALF OF his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. - Genesis 25:21

An appeal is not the quick “bless them, Lord” that doesn’t even come from the heart. The word “intreat” or “entreat”, as used in this verse, means to burn incense to God. Have you ever watched incense burn? It is slow, real slow; but then the fragrance permeates every area it occupies. We have to take time to entreat, plead and appeal to God ON BEHALF OF others.

Why should we entreat, plead and appeal for others? Jesus did, and still does:

"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe.” Jesus (John 17:20)

Yes, Jesus is praying ON BEHALF OF even those who do not yet believe. If we are imitating Christ, we can do no less than entreat, plead, and appeal ON BEHALF OF others, including those who do not believe.

We do not know what God will do, or how He will answer, but that is not our purpose. Appealing to God is not like rolling a dice and hoping for a win. We are to think of ourselves as advocates, as lawyers, not judges. God is the judge. He will determine the final outcome. You’ve seen courtroom battles on television. The lawyers don’t just walk in, say a word or two, then walk out. They spend weeks, months, sometimes years, pleading and appealing ON BEHALF OF their client. The process may seem slow and frustrating, but I guarantee that if you were the client you would the grateful that someone was willing to plead ON BEHALF OF you.

Everyone, from leaders of nations to the trash collectors, needs someone to appeal to God on their behalf, and we are the very ones to make the appeal. Before Queen Esther approached the King, there was an appeal on her behalf (Esther 4:16-17). Whether she would perish or not, there was prayer. Even after the Lord had spoken, King David appealed for his child (2 Samuel 12:15-16).

Appealing to God ON BEHALF OF others is not about us getting what we want, it is about acknowledging Jehovah, The Existing One, as sovereign over all. We should not be sitting around shaking our heads in anger, frustration or disgust at a person or a situation when we have the option of appealing to God. Stop making your list and checking it twice. Instead, look around you. There is a person, a community, a nation, at this very moment who needs you to appeal to God on their behalf. It’s not about us; it’s about others. Let the fragrance of your prayers rise to the throne of God ON BEHALF OF others.

2 Corinthians 1:2-11

2. GRACE BE WITH YOU AND PEACE from God our Father and from our Lord Yeshua The Messiah.

3. BLESSED IS GOD The Father of our Lord Yeshua The Messiah, THE FATHER OF MERCY AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT,

4. HE WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR AFFLICTIONS THAT WE ALSO CAN COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ALL OUR AFFLICTIONS, WITH THAT COMFORT BY WHICH WE ARE COMFORTED FROM GOD.

5. For just as the sufferings of The Messiah abound in us, in this way OUR COMFORTS ALSO ABOUND BY THE MESSIAH.

6. But if we are afflicted, it is for the sake of your comfort and for the sake of your life that we are afflicted. And if we are comforted, it is so that you may be comforted, and that there may be discipline in you to endure those sufferings that we also suffer.

7. And OUR HOPE FOR YOU IS SURE, for we know that if you are partners in suffering, you are also partners in comfort.

8. But we want you to know, brethren, concerning the affliction that we had in Asia, that WE WERE AFFLICTED GREATLY BEYOND OUR POWER, UNTIL WE WERE CLOSE TO LOSING OUR LIVES.

9. We passed a sentence of death upon ourselves, that WE WOULD NOT TRUST UPON OURSELVES, BUT UPON GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD,

10. He who has delivered us from violent deaths, and AGAIN WE HOPE THAT HE WILL DELIVER us,

11. By the help of your prayers for our persons, that his gift to us may be a favor done for the sake of the many, that the many may confess Him because of us.

Winning Your Race

2011-11-29T08:55:00.006-05:00

As we experience the final weeks of 2011, we have begun to see, as we do each year, all sorts of lists of winners and losers. This year the “winning” craze took on a whole new meaning when it became synonymous with a Hollywood star known mostly for being rich, foolish and unable to stay sober. Even churches followed this “star” on the “winning” craze. Do we even know what “winning” means anymore?

Before you start feeling like a loser because of someone else’s warped notion of what defines “winning”, let’s get back to some basics.

You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing. - Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe certainly knew something about winning and losing; so a critical question is, what is the “it” you’re going for?. If the only “it” Arthur Ashe went for were tennis trophies, he would not have impacted the lives that he did around the world in his lifetime, and is still impacting today. If you don’t know what you’re going for you may end up in the wrong race or missing the race altogether. So, let’s take a look at this race we should be running. What does Scripture say about THE RACE?

1. THE RACE is not necessarily won by the fastest, strongest, wisest, most intelligent or most knowledgeable (Ecclesiastes 9:11). God is the one who controls timing and provides opportunities to ALL.

2. THE RACE can get treacherous (Jeremiah 12:5), but you don’t need to be treacherous to win (Psalm 92:9, Psalm 112:8, Psalm 118:7). One day you’ll look up and find out that those who tried to trip you up are no more (Isaiah 41:12).

3. THE RACE requires unshakable faith (2 Timothy 4:7). You live, survive treachery, by faith.

4. THE RACE requires that you know which prize you’re running for (1 Corinthians 9:23-24). Not knowing why you’re running is as bad as not running. Aimlessness is sure to leave you tangled up in stuff that will cause distraction, doubt, delay and destruction.

5. THE RACE requires endurance (Hebrews 12:1). Stay nimble and strong. If you’ve ever watched track and field, you know that these athletes train for months, years, for a 10-second race. Why? They need endurance, and they get that by training, in season and out of season. They get criticized sometimes for little clothing, but everything is minimal and light, so nothing will weigh them down or distract. They have learned to endure rigorous conditions with only the bare minimum.

The spiritual definition of winning is nothing like our natural senses perceive it. The biggest church may not be a “winning” congregation. The most famous pastor may not be “winning” once the stage lights go out. The richest corporate tycoon world may not be “winning” as a person. The most intelligent doctor may not have “winning” health. The guy with the most trophies may have cheated and lied to get them. The person with the biggest bonus at the office may have climbed the ladder in underhanded ways. This makes it all the more important that you do not follow people who are labeled as “winning”, but that you run your race as God intends.

Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!" - Psalm 52:7

As you run the race God intends, He will meet your needs and enable you to meet the needs of others (Philippians 4:19, Titus 3:14, Romans 12:13, 2 Corinthians 9:8). When you are running the race God intends you don’t destroy others to get ahead, you serve others so they can get ahead (Philippians 2:3).

Whether it’s the chronic liar at the office who steals projects or the person who hoards material possessions, there is no “winning” by destroying, oppressing or devaluing others. Eve thought she was winning after her talk with the serpent, but she lost. Joseph’s brothers thought they were winning after they left him for dead, but they lost. King Saul thought he was winning by relentlessly pursuing David’s life, but he lost. Sampson though he was winning by making a mockery of God’s blessing on his life, but he lost. Jacob thought he was winning when he stole his brother’s blessing, but he lost. Cain thought he was winning when he killed Abel, but he lost. Judas thought he was winning when he betrayed Jesus, but he lost.

Lots of people today who think they are winning are losing. They’re sprinting from this to that –working down their checklist – and are looking as if they’re meeting their goals, but you cannot run your race based on their standards.

You’re in a triathlon; a sprint mentality won’t do you any good. Stop trying to rack up trophies, pay attention to the only “life coach” who matters (your Creator), and focus on WINNING YOUR RACE.

I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full. - Arthur Ashe

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. - Arthur Ashe

The Whole Community Matters

2011-11-28T08:54:00.014-05:00

I was thinking about a friend who died a few years ago. For some time before her death she was labeled “lazy”; people simply did not understand why a “perfectly healthy” young person was just lying around. Their answer, when it came, was too late. She was not lazy, she was weary...worn out. She died shortly after they found out she had lupus.

We have a way of judging people, even when we don't know all the facts. We don't know what they're fighting, or how long they've been battling, or even why they are in their current situation. What we do know is that labeling people won't resolve the issues. In the time that it takes to gossip, judge and criticize, we could be praying. We should simply remember the weary and exhausted in our prayers and take the time to help when we can. There is a wonderful story in Scripture of how David treated those who too weary to keep going (1 Samuel 30:10). When David returned from battle, he greeted those who were too exhausted to fight with him with joy (1 Samuel 30:21), but the men who had gone into battle with David were filled with pride and anger and refused to share what they had recovered in battle with those who were weary (1 Samuel 30:22).

What did David have to say to these selfish men? He reminded them that what they wanted to hoard as theirs alone was actually gifts from God and that the only reason they were able to get it was because God had protected them from their enemies (1 Samuel 30:23). David reminded them that all that they had was not actually theirs. Can you imagine David saying that and surviving as a politician or religious leader today? He would be branded a socialist and every other evil. David took it even further by telling them that the share of the weary would be the same as the share of the warriors... “All will share alike”, he said (1 Samuel 30:24). If those words were said in today’s climate of “only the strong survive” mentality, David would be put in the cross hairs of political fire.

We just observed people getting violent during “Black Friday” weekend trying to get stuff. According to media reports $10.66 billion was spent on Black Friday alone. All of this was going on while millions of kids in the United States were without the basics...food, shelter, medicine, clothing... (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/18/us-usa-poverty-children-idUSTRE7AG2C920111118).

If we would only realize that the stuff we try to accumulate and possess does not actually belong to us, we would be less angry and depressed over the very thought of “losing” stuff and be much more gracious givers. When we think about it, if we all shared alike there would be no lack. Sharing was an important part of David’s philosophy. David had received from God, and many people had shared of themselves (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, etc.) to protect and preserve his life. David knew the value of sharing went beyond money and possessions. It is not only those who are on the frontlines or famous or popular who are important. To David, the grandma sitting on the stoop keeping watch and praying was just as important as the mom being chauffeured to Wall Street to trade in Billions. Both of these people matter to the strength of the whole community. David did not shift his stance that the whole community is to be treated alike. He was so serious that he made a law:

23-25. "Families don't do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!" said David as he broke up the argument. "You can't act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!" From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.

26-31. On returning to Ziklag, David sent portions of the plunder to the elders of Judah, his neighbors, with a note saying, "A gift from the plunder of God's enemies!" He sent them to the elders in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Racal, Jerahmeelite cities, Kenite cities, Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, and Hebron, along with a number of other places David and his men went to from time to time. - 1 Samuel 30:25-31

Remember the weak and the weary and the exhausted and those without much power or possessions. We are God’s children, and are all important to Him. It is why He gives power to the powerless and help to the helpless. In blessing the weakest among us, the whole is strengthened. When we share with others, we are serving as a reminder that sharing honors God and it is more blessed to give.

This Far And No Farther

2011-11-26T06:59:00.004-05:00

I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop! - Job 38:11

There are many Scriptures that reminds us how powerful the Lord is, and Job 38:11 reminds us that He is also very mindful of all His creation. Sometimes when we experience tossing and turning and turbulence, we forget that God is speaking out of the whirlwind, paying attention to every detail.

It may feel as if life has been series of quakes and aftershocks, and that the waves will overtake you, but in the midst of it all, do not forget that the Lord has already set the boundaries and He is saying to that tsunami of trouble, “this far and no farther.” Nothing can overstep the command of the Creator to overtake you. The Lord God is your salvation.

The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. - Psalm 124:4-5

The Lord is my light and my salvation — so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the Lord — the thing I seek most — is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His Temple. For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At His sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. - Psalm 127:1-6

The Rock That Is Higher

2011-11-23T08:00:00.003-05:00

As many of us prepare to gather together and enjoy the company of friends and family, let us not forget that this is also a time when many people are overwhelmed. Let us remember to lift up those who are feeling crushed by fear, sorrow, loneliness, abuse, losses and uncertainty. We can be the voice that says, “all is not lost”. We can’t fix the past or make any guarantees about the future, but we can choose to simply speak words of life in the present.

My prayer today is that you take comfort in the Rock that is higher and that you also offer comfort to others. Whatever you do, don’t let go; just go higher.

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I call unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a refuge for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever: I will take refuge in the covert of thy wings. Selah. - Psalm 61:1-4

Jesus Was An Occupier. What Are You?

2011-11-22T09:15:00.015-05:00

I’ve watched the “Occupy” movement with interest, as I do most things, but has said nothing on this blog so far. It is quite clear that the usual suspects ... politicians, pundits and preachers who consider themselves prominent ... are not in the crowd. Most movements in the last few years have had a “hate” message, mostly telling people that if they get rid of XYX that their problems will go away. Shockingly, those deceptive messages have been embraced by many who claim to Christian. Those movements have also been well funded and their messengers were paid to make appearances. The fact that those folks have not shown up and have shunned the “Occupy” movement should not surprise anyone. The “Occupy” movement is filled with people who have needs of all types. The politicians, pundits and preachers who consider themselves prominent don’t mind being paid to be where they are wanted, but the have no desire to where there are all types of needs to be met.

What has been the reaction to the “Occupy” movement by those who claim to follow Christ? Most have been quiet; others just look the other way. One well-known person, who calls himself "evangelical", labeled the “Occupy” movement as “disease-riddled”. That got my attention and prompted this blog.

Once again, many Christians are exhibiting their ability to label others and be unloving. That lack of love has left most of the church ineffective where the message of salvation is concerned. How can you bring a message of salvation if you care nothing for the soul? Most leaders in the average church has labeled what is spiritual as political, casting souls aside in exchange for power and fame. We tell any lie and don’t bat an eye when someone mimicks those lies and attempts to kill the President. The Bible warns us that when we speak we have to be careful how we affect all who are in our hearing, but we still encircle people with “words of hate”, not caring who is damaged. We’ve chosen to be politically alive, but spiritually dead. We lust for the power of man and lack the love (which is the power) of God. We’ve lost our consciousness and our compassion. That is called the spiritual dead zone.

Without compassion, all else we do is a failure. Jesus was driven by compassion. He was conscious of the needs of the people. He loved the “disease-riddled”. We don’t have to ask, “What Would Jesus Do?”, because we know what He did. There are numerous stories in Scripture where He went to those who needed Him and took time to touch, heal and save those who had been abandoned by the religious and political in society. Jesus saw beyond the money and the madness into the soul.

1. Jesus entered Jericho and made His way through the town.

2. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.

3. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.

4. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

5. When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” He said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

6. Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

7. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

8. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

9. Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.

10. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” - Luke 19:1-9

Jesus touched people at the point of their need, no matter what their standing in society, and those who loved the prejudices and segregation which gave them the appearance of greater standing hated Jesus for crossing those lines.

Jesus was an occupier and His business was the needy, the lost soul. Jesus did not wait for an invitation; He reached out. Jesus did not go because He was paid or showered with praise for His religious heritage or theological brilliance; He went to the highways and byways, the lepers, the outcasts, and the unwanted. He went because of love. Jesus did not put souls in the cross-hairs. He did not target them except with love and the opportunity of salvation. He engaged those who were disengaged by the religious and political in society, who were usually too busy scheming how to hang on to power to focus on any needs but their own. That is not how Jesus, who had all power and all authority, functioned.

Jesus, the prophet without honor (Mark 6:1-6) among His own people, sent out His disciples to reach the “disease-riddled” (Mark 6:7-12). When those very disciples were ready to abandon thousands of needy people to fend for themselves (Mark 6:30-44), Jesus commanded that the people’s needs were to be put above their own. Motivated by compassion, He miraculously fed the thousands from five loaves and two fish.

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. - Titus 3:14

Are you an occupier like Jesus was? Are you engaged in the business of meeting needs? Is it possible that, like the disciples (Mark 6:52), you have missed the message of compassion and your heart has been hardened?

God is not going to ignore the needy because the people who claim to love Him fail to love their neighbors.

They cause the poor to cry out, catching God's attention. He hears the cries of the needy. - Job 34:28

God is not going to abandon those who we have failed to care for.

I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.- Isaiah 46:4

God is present everywhere, from the midst of the “Occupy” movement to the White House to the great palaces of royalty and refugee camps around the world.

I was reminded of how God shows up in every place as I read in the Los Angeles Times about the life of Rev. Maurice Chase “Father Dollar Bill”, who died at the age of 92. He cared for the homeless on Skid Row.

"He certainly gave with his heart. He was a very caring, sincere man who lived his life consistent with his beliefs to help the most disadvantaged." LAPD, Lt. Paul Vernon

How many of us can say we are consistent in showing love to the neediest among us? While most churches are working on their next Caribbean cruise, it is the New York Times, among others, who is trying to knock on our spirit and move us to compassion, as they point out the “Neediest Cases” (http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch?query=neediest&srchst=cse).

Am I hopeless? No. Whether or not the average Christian remains hardhearted, God is love and love never fails. Remember that as you read about hospice in prison (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1120-prison-hospice-html,0,6904576.htmlstory).

Many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. - Matthew 19:30

Inmate pastoral care worker Andrew Shelton, left, reads the bible to William Merritt as the terminally ill inmate lay dying in his room the inmate hospice, inside the California Medical Center in Vacaville on February 11 2011. When a hospice inmate is thought to have less the 72 hours to live, they go 'on vigil' and are never left to die alone. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

If you keep focusing on the political, which is temporary, and ignoring the spiritual, which is permanent, you will fail to respond as Jesus did. That will be unfortunate for you, because whether or not you “Occupy” now with the “disease-riddled” will matter at The Final Judgment

Matthew 25:31-46

31. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

32. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33. And He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

34. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me,

36. I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

38. And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You?

39. And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

40. And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.’

41. “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink,

43. I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44. Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45. Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

46. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Consequences Of Our Conversations

2011-11-21T09:45:00.004-05:00

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. - Isaiah 50:4

Words...words...words. The closer we get to the holidays, the more we have to pray for an instructed tongue. There’s a reason why Scripture has so much to say about how we relate to each other, particularly through our words. Words have power. We have to be careful about who, what and why we talk and listen. If we are not careful, we could end up with the consequences of our conversations.

From the serpent’s conversation with Eve to God’s conversations with Adam to Jesus’ conversations with Judas or Jesus’ conversations while on the cross, there is much to learn from the conversations in Scripture. The conversations in the Book of Job, as many times as I’ve read them, always leave me a bit speechless.

The Book of Job starts by telling us how great Job is, but quickly gets into a conversation between God and Satan (Job 1:6-12) that lets us know trouble’s ahead. After that conversation Satan wastes no time attacking Job and he suffers the loss of all his beloved children and all his possessions. After those losses Job had a conversation with himself (Job 1:21), where he simply said that we come to this world naked and will leave naked, so he’ll bless God anyway. So far, so good, but Satan was not finished yet. He goes back to God and they have another conversation (Job 2:1-6), and after that conversation Satan had permission to do everything but kill Job, and he did not delay. He immediately attacked him with sores from head to toe. The Bible describes the sores as so bad that Job used broken pottery to scratch himself.

So, here is Job with all his children dead, all his property gone, disgusting sores covering his body, sitting in dust and scratching himself ... then his wife speaks those words we know well: “curse God and die”. Would this be the conversation (Job 2:9-10) that pushes Job over the edge? Nope. Job was still his rational self, explaining to his wife that he had accepted and enjoyed the blessings of God so he could certainly handle some trouble without being foolish.

If losing his children, losing his property, losing his health and being mocked by his wife did not cause Job to falter, what or who would? Job’s three buddies showed up (Job 2:11-12), supposedly to give comfort and show sympathy, but they had NO ENCOURAGING WORDS. In fact, they had NO WORDS (Job 2:13); NOT ONE.

Do you know that silence can be the most damaging sound? After all that Job had suffered, the most critical conversation was the one with no words. After seven days of the silent treatment from his “friends”, Job wished he was never born; he wished for death (Job 3). Job was a faithful and peace-loving person. God had been faithful to Job. He treasured his relationship with God and trusted Him. The thing Job “greatly feared” was not trouble. Look at how well he had handled trouble up to the point that his friends showed up. What he feared was the loss of his peace and spiritual turmoil: misery.

If you’ve never experienced misery, be thankful. We’ve heard all the horrible stories of children, even younger than ten years old, killing themselves to avoid the misery of bullying that comes in the form of the silent treatment. That same silent treatment has been used with painful results by spouses against each other or by parents against children. In fact, some folks will be using the silent treatment as a weapon during Thanksgiving. Silence has been used as a form of mental cruelty in many households. Silence itself communicates a message, and when that message is misery, nothing good will follow. If you read through Job, you will see where that misery took him.

Having the discernment to speak the right word in the right circumstance to the right person is important if we want to avoid the consequences of our conversations. Sure, silence can be good at times, but we have to know how to weep and mourn with someone and still be encouraging. If we just sit around and shake our heads, we’re not really sympathizing, we are stifling the strength that comes from a spirit of joy (Nehemiah 8:10). Whether it was Joshua or the first followers of Christ, there was always a command to encourage and strengthen (Deuteronomy 3:28, 1 Thessalonians 3:2).

Preach the word and stand with diligence, in season and out of season; reprove and rebuke with all long-suffering and teaching. - 2 Timothy 4:2

Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances. - Proverbs 25:1

If we are truly followers of Christ and servants of God, whatever and however we communicate, we must be encouraging and hopeful. What we say, or don’t say, may leave someone on the sidelines...or get them back in the game.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Stop Playing Dead!

2011-11-20T11:47:00.006-05:00

I’m not sure how you handle stress, sorrow or the turmoil that comes with inevitable seasonal changes, but many try to avoid the pain by playing dead. For many others, they hide behind the appearance of perfection, but are dying inside. It’s time to stop the games. We can't afford to play dead because Satan is relentless in his search for someone to destroy. Playing dead may leave you dead...for real.

We have a God who is our defender and deliverer. He is the God of our life. It’s time to declare that the breath of God, the presence of God, is keeping us alive. Stop playing dead! I’m not saying it’s easy, but we have to choose faith over fear. We don’t need fancy prayers, we just have to believe the word of God in our heart and speak the promises of God into our spirit. Believe! Receive! Live!

I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." - Psalm 142:5

I have believed that I shall see the goodness of Lord Jehovah in the land of the living. - Psalm 27:13

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. - Psalm 118:17

You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. - Psalm 56:13

I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!” How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and He saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth! - Psalm 116:1-9

Pathway of Peace

2011-11-19T07:54:00.006-05:00

Those who take crooked paths shall not know peace. - Isaiah 59:8

With all the turmoil we see daily, it is sometimes difficult to believe that God is present to “guide us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:79).

It pays to stay on the pathway of peace. “A wonderful future awaits those who love peace.” - Psalm 37:37

God is our source of peace, so let us do all we can today to avoid the crooked paths.

Light (Know God’s word. Make it part of your spirit) - Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. - Psalm 119:105

Listen (Acknowledge that you don’t know it all. You’ll never meet a “Know it all” who is peaceful) - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. - Proverbs 3:5-7

Learn (There is no better source of knowledge than the Creator of all) - The Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. - Proverbs 2:6-15

Love (There is no peace without love and the first command is to love) - There is lasting peace for those who love Your teachings. Nothing can make those people stumble. - Psalm 119:165

Live (Talking about peace won’t bring peace. Peace is action. It must be lived) - Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. - 2 Corinthians 13:11

Don’t let go of your peace. He is your peace.

The Significant Others

2011-11-17T11:34:00.012-05:00

Hester: You know I have loved him always.

Mrs. Arbuthnot: But we were very poor.

Hester: Who, being loved, is poor? Oh, no one. I hate my riches. They are a burden. Let him share it with me.

Mrs. Arbuthnot: But we are disgraced. We rank among the outcasts. Gerald is nameless. The sins of the parents should be visited on the children. It is God’s only law.

Hester: I was wrong. God’s law is only Love.

by Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900)
from A Woman of No Importance, Act 4

In my line of work, I come across the term "significant other" often. I remember years ago that people would imply things, mostly sexual, when “significant other” was used. In all my years of observing people and listening to them talk about their "significant other", one thing became very clear to me after all the stigma and innuendo was set aside: People expressed a deep desire to treat their significant other with great appreciation. I’ve had people weep in my office over loved ones who have died 15 years ago as if they’d only lost them yesterday. I’m always amazed by a connection so enduring that it remains significant long after death.

My research on "significant other" brought me to Harry Stack Sullivan, a noted psychiatrist. As the story has been told, Dr. Sullivan was the child of Irish immigrants who felt great isolation while growing up. Most people have forgotten that the early experience of the Irish in America was filled with prejudice and hatred. Whatever we think of psychiatry, Dr. Sullivan was first known to use "significant other". He believed "loneliness as the most painful of human experiences". Anyone who’s ever been repeatedly treated as insignificant understands the impact of this experience. It can leave souls in a hopeless state.

Do you have a significant other in your life? It could be your spouse, or maybe it's a parent or a child or someone who's gone above and beyond for you even when you were at your worst. Do you treat them as if they're significant? Is it possible that maybe even you feel that "most painful of human experiences"... loneliness ...hopelessness?

We visit others as a matter of social obligation. How long has it been since we have visited with ourselves? - Morris Adler

What will it take to make you feel significant? It is time to move beyond our social obligations to sincere love and confident hope for ourselves, and for others. Where will you find hope? Yes, hope. That is a another word that is often mocked today, especially when our President reminds us to have hope. The President’s source of hope is the same as ours, and he is correct in reminding us to remain hopeful. In between disasters and tragedies, and the loss of life in natural disasters, senseless violence and wars, he has reminded us with Scripture that God is ever present (Psalm 46) and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8).

Instead of criticizing the President, or anyone else, who tries to give encouragement and hope, we must ask ourselves what part we have to play.

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3

If anyone can make that bold statement, Paul certainly can. He knew what it was to see people as so insignificant that he murdered them, but he also knew how to highly value and respect others after he came to the knowledge that God saw him as valuable and touched him through Christ in the midst of his madness. Not only did God think of Paul, He thought highly of him even while he was acting as someone not worth thinking about, much less touching and using.

Whatever our circumstance, our pain or our losses, we are still significant to God, and, painful as life may be, we must still treat others as significant as we reflect the grace of God. In this season of thankfulness and celebration, let us not focus on what we do not have. Let us strive to be better. Let us focus on what we have. We have faith, hope and love. Let's forget about the lists filled with deadlines and shopping, and make one "TO DO" list of people we can encourage, give words of hope and treat with significance.

Treat others as more significant. Let them know that they are appreciated. Give thanks for them while they are alive.

Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today". - Hebrews 3:13

We may not be able to see it now, but as King David learned, treating others as significant, encouraging them, and being hopeful in the middle of tragedy, is how we plant the seeds of joy that grow into lasting relationships and victory in battles.

2 Samuel 19:1-8

1. Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom.

2. As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness.

3. They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle.

4. The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"

5. Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, "We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves.

6. You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased.

7. Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before."

8. So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him.

Don’t Declare That!!

2011-11-16T09:34:00.004-05:00

Born from an extra-marital affair, abandoned by father, considered inferior, disinherited, estranged from family, driven away from home, made an outcast.....

It is unfortunate that millions of people meet this description. Most of us know someone who is part of that outcast group, for one reason or another. They are often mocked, but their issues are very real and nothing new. The description I gave comes from Judges 11, which tells the story of an outcast, Jephthah.

Despite the description, the first thing we are told about Jephthah is that he was a mighty man of valour. He was strong, powerful, efficient and capable...a leader. His bloodline included Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh, Machir and Gilead, his father. With all that, he was still mistreated.

As I read the story of Jephthah I realized that he, like most of us today, had to choose what to believe about himself. Would he believe he was a mighty man with great history or would he be affected by what was said and done to him because of the circumstances of his birth?

The story gives us a clue about Jephthah when, some time later, the elders of Gilead came to him to do battle for them. He questioned their motive, knowing that they hated him, but they promised to make him commander and he accepted. So many people say “yes” to things hoping to impress people who hate them. Jephthah was trying to be in the eyes of men who hated him what he already was in the eyes of a God who loved him. What did trying to prove his worth to men cost him?

He did the one thing none of us should do: He made a rash vow to God.

The Spirit of God was already with him. God did not ask Him to vow anything. Yet, he said what seems to be the most irrational thing. He told God that if He gave him victory in battle that he would sacrifice to God whatever came out of the door of his house upon his return from battle. All Jephthah had was one unmarried daughter. He had no sons. Why would he make such a vow? His past had something to do with that. In Judges 12 Jephthah admits that “I took my life in my hands”. Judges 12 also shows that he was taunted: "Gileadites are nothing but half breeds and rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh."

By taking his life into his own hands and listening to the taunting of his haters, Jephthah ended up destroying his future. The conversation with his daughter paints an unnerving picture:

32-33. Jephthah was off to fight the Ammonites. And God gave them to him. He beat them soundly, all the way from Aroer to the area around Minnith as far as Abel Keramim—twenty cities! A massacre! Ammonites brought to their knees by the People of Israel.

34-35. Jephthah came home to Mizpah. His daughter ran from the house to welcome him home—dancing to tambourines! She was his only child. He had no son or daughter except her. When he realized who it was, he ripped his clothes, saying, "Ah, dearest daughter—I'm dirt. I'm despicable. My heart is torn to shreds. I made a vow to God and I can't take it back!"

36. She said, "Dear father, if you made a vow to God, do to me what you vowed; God did his part and saved you from your Ammonite enemies." Judges 11:32-36

Jephthah’s future died with his hasty vow.

As we get closer to the end of the year, people tend to make crazy decisions. Even churches encourage vows, promises to give this and do that by some deadline to get a blessing. IT IS ALL NONSENSE!!!!! Your relationship is, first and foremost, with God. Don’t let anyone pressure you into making any vow, because you can be sure you won't be able to find them when the consequences of that vow starts to manifest. Let all you say and do be well-thought out and voluntary, and unto God. God desires voluntary service, not panic vows. God wants to be in our heart and minds.

Never be so influenced by your circumstances that you utter words that you can’t take back. If you speak words in the present based on the problems of the past, or on the labels haters have placed on you, those words may end up destroying your future. You don’t have to prove you’re not the circumstances of your past. You don’t have to prove you’re not what your haters say. God already sees you as mighty and is fighting for your future. This may be tough to do during the holidays, but, STAND STILL and BE SILENT.

Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. - Ephesians 5:17

It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. - Ecclesiastes 5:5

Going through the motions doesn't please You, a flawless performance is nothing to You. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. - Psalm 51:16-17

Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good. Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better. - Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

The Wheel In The Will

2011-11-15T08:50:00.005-05:00

Is there something you use so often that you’ve forgotten how amazing it really is? Sometimes we even forget that the items we give the least thought has significant purpose in our lives. In Ezekiel 1, an item that most of us never think of...the wheel... stands out. Ezekiel pays specific attention to detail of the wheel. Most interestingly, Ezekiel described the “spirit in the wheels”. The unity and precision of their movement was tied to the “spirit in the wheels”.

Maybe it’s the geek in me, but I am fascinated by seemingly mundane things...like wheels. After a little research, I found out more about wheels than I thought possible. Wheels are everywhere. From the space shuttle to planes to trains to automobiles. One of the basic functions of a wheel is the support heavy loads while allowing for easy, unified movement. Think about your car. What good would it be to you if it had no wheels? That car, even if you paid millions for it and it was solid gold with encrusted diamonds, would be useless without a working steering wheel and tires.

One of the first known uses of a wheel was the potter’s wheel. Nothing demonstrates “the wheel in the will” as the potter’s wheel. God did not just create us to forget us.

I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. - Isaiah 46:4

When God made us, He put us on a path of life (Proverbs 15:24). Like a good parent, God has hopes and plans for our future (Psalm 40:5, Jeremiah 29:11), but we have a tendency to go our own way (Ecclesiastes 7:29, Jeremiah 18:12). We are but jars of clay on the potter’s wheel, but we don’t like to submit our will to the wheel. Needless to say, and again like a good parent, God has a plan for rogue mentality.

The jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. - Jeremiah 18:4

That picture is not pretty, and the people of Judah and Jerusalem did not respond kindly to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18) when he delivered God’s warning to them. I don’t know about you, but I would rather be warned and be given a chance to start over than be crushed to death without warning.

Today, let us respond to “the wheel in the will”. Sure, we can do whatever we want to. Yes, we have free will. But, would you really prefer to stay on the “trial and error” path or be guided by the spirit in the wheel? I don’t know which way you will choose, but I’m going to choose to trust that God will be merciful. No matter how painful it becomes to stay on the potter’s wheel, I choose to let the One who created me continue to work on me. His methods may not seem fair to me. I think some folks have gotten a stinky deal and others are getting away with murder, but I still choose to trust God.

Romans 9:14-23

14-18 Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, "I'm in charge of mercy. I'm in charge of compassion." Compassion doesn't originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God's mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, "I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power." All we're saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for good or ill.

19 Are you going to object, "So how can God blame us for anything since He's in charge of everything? If the big decisions are already made, what say do we have in it?"

20-33 Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, "Why did you shape me like this?" Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show His angry displeasure and another style carefully crafted to show His glorious goodness, isn't that all right?

Stay In The Moment

2011-11-14T09:03:00.007-05:00

As we get closer to the end of the year, the temptation to look back increases. The other temptation that increases is to jump ahead. We are often faced with those two extremes, but what we need is balance. The past is the past and the future is not guaranteed, so what are we to do? We must stay in the moment. Balance can only be achieved in the moment. Don’t get stuck in something that happened last spring or caught up in planning for some uncertain future event.

The holiday season can lull people into making permanent decisions based on imaginary deadlines. People forget that this is only a season; it will change. It is important to keep our focus in the moment, because it is each moment that makes up the whole picture. Any other focus will cause distractions. I was reminded this weekend of the price of distractions. The weather was beautiful and I had taken great pains and expense to get a variety of vegetables for a special meal. In the middle of prepping, with one bowl for trash and another for what I would be using, my mind drifted and I ended up putting a good bit of the vegetables in the trash. For the short time that I failed to stay in the moment, I let something I planned for, valued and desired slip away and had to work even harder to salvage the meal. Truth be told, the meal turned out very different than I originally intended.

Don’t be fooled out of the focus of your life by other people’s deadlines. In this season of thanksgiving, pay attention and keep your focus in the moment. Let God handle the juggling; You, keep your eyes on the ball...stay in the moment.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. - Colossians 4:2

The Rightful Habitation Of The Brave

2011-11-11T08:12:00.005-05:00

As I think about all who have served our nation and the world with their military service, I can’t really find words to express how I feel. I have prayed for them, and will continue to pray. I believe that as they continue on their journey through life, God, through His very words, is able to sustain them.

“The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it.” - Deuteronomy 30:14

Yes, the bravest among us will do all they are called to do for themselves, their families, this nation and the world. I believe God will respond to their sacrifices. I believe God Almighty will rouse Himself for them and restore their rightful habitation (Job 8:6).

My prayer (based on Job 8:5-7) today is that our veterans and military families will keep seeking God and calling on His compassion. He will respond to your needs. He will rebuild your life and your home. All the things of the past will fade away as you enter the future God has prepared for you. Your future is greater that you ever imagined.

Touchdown - The Legend Of A Loser

2011-11-10T08:33:00.006-05:00

Nothing leaves me at a loss for words more than when I encounter mixed-up priorities. At those times, I find it best to take King Solomon’s advice and let my words be few (Proverbs 17:27, Ecclesiastes 5:2).

Yesterday alone, I looked at certain events, and was left to ponder this verse:

What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? - Matthew 16:26

How much do we really value the soul? Do we really care about spiritual wellness or do we trade it in for any temporary fix? When a presidential candidate or pastor has a history of non-consensual sexual activity, we put our heads in the sands and keep on promoting them. When prominent members of an institution is found to be involved in the rape of children, no one is outraged at that sickening act, but they are outraged when the violators and consenters begin to face the consequences.

Have we lost our minds? Have we now raised a generation who now believes that a sports program is more important than the safety of a child?

People are angry when “legends” fall from their man-made pedestals, but many legends are nothing more than lost souls who inflict pain on others. Do we really only consider someone to have a legendary life because of their wealth or position or title?

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. - Proverbs 22:1

Who and what did Jesus consider to be legendary? The woman with the alabaster box (Matthew 26:13), the widow who gave her all (Luke 12:4) and what we do for and think of the poor (Acts 10:4).

If we are not careful, we will end up endangering souls because of our idolization of people and things we believe are legendary. The next time we’re faced with a situation where we have to put our own interests or our own idols aside to help someone who is vulnerable, let us remember who and what is considered legendary in the kingdom of God.

I pray that none of us have our priorities so mixed up that we become the legend of a lost soul, the legend of a loser. That would be like getting every touchdown and still losing the game because of a foul.

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. - Philippians 2:1-4

The Beautiful Way Of Life

2011-11-09T12:06:00.005-05:00

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. - Proverbs 10:9

When most people are found out, their response is to blame someone. They will blame anyone and look anywhere but in the mirror. Why do we even bother pointing fingers? It does not really matter how or why the crooked mess is found out because sooner or later, it will come out. “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” (Matthew 10:26)

The best things we can do when our conduct results in consequences is to face the music and to keep in mind these words of Scripture:

Let your way of life be beautiful before all children of men, those who speak wicked words of you, that they may see your beautiful works and praise God in the day of examination. - 1 Peter 2:12

There are really only two ways to walk in this world: the way of the crooked and the way of the courageous. It may seem easier to walk the crooked way, especially when we are constantly faced with devious back-stabbers and deceiving liars. But, life is not just about us, is it? Our lives, including the way we respond to difficult people, must glorify God.

The courageous way may not be the easiest, but the courageous way is the beautiful way of life. We are each a masterpiece of our Creator, so let us be known by the beauty we display in all we think, say and do.

We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10

Tweeting, Lies and Scripture

2011-11-08T09:15:00.010-05:00

I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance. - Reuben Blades

More often than not these days someone claiming to be a minister of God will make a comment that sets your spirit churning, and not in a good way. In the old days, these comments and opinions basically stayed where they were delivered. Now, with the dawn of lightning-fast technology, erroneous teaching, popularity preaching and consequential commentary can be re-tweeted across the globe before you can blink. Not only that, people will take one phrase and turn it into a “ministry” before you can say, “hold up wait a minute!” We are beginning to understand King Solomon’s lament: “In much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.”

Yesterday I noticed a comment by a circuit preacher that had me asking, “Are they serious?” The Tweet said this:

“Putting God first simply means to set aside time each day for prayer, Bible study and worship.”

Really? Putting God first is that simple? Something about that comment unsettled me. It could just be that this person don’t know how to say what they mean in 140 words or less or it could be that they actually believe that comment. Either way, that is the danger of instant communication of one’s thoughts...or thoughtlessness. Scripture requires those who claim to be teachers of the Word of God to bring clarity, not confusion.

If putting God first was just about “simply” setting aside time each day for “prayer, Bible study and worship”, the Christian life would be a breeze. I grew up in a Christian home where prayer, Bible study and worship as a family occurred every day, but that did not mean I was putting God first. Satan was in the very presence of God and did not put God first. Adam had God’s undivided attention, and still failed to put God first. Let us not be deceived. Prayer has to be effective with God, studying Scripture has to bring about an effect from God and worship has to exalt God.

Putting God first starts with three things:

1. Love (The first and royal command) - If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. - James 2:8 (Mark 12:30, Romans 13:10)

2. Humility (The posture by which we are covered with grace) - Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. - 1 Peter 5:6 (James 4:7, Proverbs 3:4)

3. Obedience (How God’s plans for us takes effect). This is how we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we continually keep His commandments. - 1 John 2:3 (Psalm 37:5, Romans 2:13)

Most of us fail in putting God first because we’re too busy promoting self to Number 1. Whether we are fame seekers or church climbers, we crave the spotlight. Whatever position we attain on earth will not give us priority in the Kingdom of God (Luke 13:30). God is already first (Colossians 1:15, Colossians 1:17, Revelation 22:13) and His position will never change, as Satan found out. The issues is not so much whether we put Him first as the fact that we must continually seek and pursue Him first in all things (Zephaniah 2:3, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Deuteronomy 4:29). How do we do that? Love, humility and obedience.

Anyone can do “prayer, Bible study and worship” as lip service (Isaiah 19:13). In most churches, they don't even encourage the personal study of Scripture, they just pass along programs through social networks that people follow blindly. They've made God their fine print, not their first priority. Seeking and pursuing God first means conducting ourselves with love, humility and obedience so that everything we do will give glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Many people have prayer, Bible study and worship, and then turn right around and abuse their spouses, rape children, and commit all sorts of unspeakable acts. It takes more to put God first. From Adam to Lot to Rahab to King David to Daniel to Queen Esther to Joshua to Gideon to Abraham to Moses to Peter to Paul to Mary Magdalene, we have examples of people who had to go beyond “prayer, Bible study and worship” to become doers.

The greatest example of doing, of being and of living the Word, is Christ. He taught us how to love, how to be humble and how to obey God. The Lord daily loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19), but the benefits flow from the Cross. We don’t just push a “pray - study - worship” button and get what we want. The will of God reigns supreme. He is the first and forever. He is the existing and eternal. We, as Christians, are required to daily take up the Cross and follow Christ (Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27). We have to submit our desires to God’s will.

Prayer, Bible study and worship, from a heart motivated by love, are all good and pleasing to God, but let us be sure to live in the love, humility and obedience that Christ demonstrated.

What are mere mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them? - Psalm 8:4

Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance--all who seek the Lord! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. - Isaiah 51:1

Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. - James 1:22

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. - James 2:26

What is important is faith expressing itself in love. - Galatians 5:6

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, kindness; and to kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. - 2 Peter 1:5-9

Let your way of life be beautiful before all children of men, those who speak wicked words of you, that they may see your beautiful works and praise God in the day of examination. - 1 Peter 2:12

Unfailing love, O Lord, is Yours. Surely You repay all people according to what they have done. - Psalm 62:12

Let all that you do be done in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:14

Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:8

We Can't Wait...To Help The Poor

2011-11-07T08:59:00.007-05:00

“...give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me. - Jesus (Matthew 19:21)

Within the church there is often continuous talk about “prosperity” (as it relates to material possessions) and little talk about the poor and our priorities. Those who do not follow Christ can debate whatever they want to, but those who claim to follow Christ must understand that the poor was, is and always will be a priority with Christ. If we follow Christ, WE CAN’T WAIT to help the poor. We may not be rich ourselves, at least not in financial wealth, but we must use every talent and tool given to us by God to help the poor. Remember, that Jesus paid attention to the gift of the widow’s mite. He sees the little sacrifices.

WE CAN’T WAIT for the rich to act. The wealthy may find it hard to part with their earthly possessions, but this life eventually ends and possessions will not journey to the grave. And, surely, surely, everyone will have to give an account to the Creator for how we treated the helpless, the needy and the vulnerable.

Today, we may not have great wealth in the eyes of man, but everything that we are and we possess has value to God and can be put to good works. WE CAN’T WAIT. Let’s commit all that we are to the God who can make the impossible possible. Let us trust Him with our all. WE CAN’T WAIT.

That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go. As He watched him go, Jesus told His disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom? Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter God's kingdom." The disciples were staggered. "Then who has any chance at all?" Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." - Matthew 19:22-26

Arise To Your Rest

2011-11-04T10:49:00.010-04:00

Answer me when I call to You, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. - Psalm 4:1

Everyone needs relief at some point in life. We are always praying, whether for ourselves or our families or our leaders or for people in faraway lands. We all need rest of mind, body and spirit, and we have the opportunity today to arise, to pray and to rest. Too often we arise, look around at the circumstances and become part of the madness.

Why hold on to things we can't control? Let us confidently lay down every burdens and arise to our rest.

In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation. - Psalm 5:3

Those who know Your name trust You, O Lord, because You have never deserted those who seek Your help. - Psalm 9:10

I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. - Psalm 13:5

I love You, O Lord, my strength. - Psalm 18:1

When I am afraid, I will trust in You. - Psalm 56:3

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. - Psalm 25:1

Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to You for refuge. - Psalm 16:1

The Lord replies, "I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do." - Psalm 12:5

A Reminder, If You Please

2011-11-03T08:44:00.005-04:00

Are you ever aggravated by people who constantly remind you to do something? People like your parents, for example? Why do you think mom is still reminding you to drive carefully as if you’re a newly-licensed teenager? It’s not because she wants to nag you, it’s because she cares about you. She loves you. Those who care about us the most may often seem like nags, but their constant reminders of what seem like the obvious and simple things are because they love us. If we are honest, we will admit that we need reminders because some of the biggest failures in life come from forgetting very basic, simple things.

I was reading what I thought was a very poignant article on Steve Jobs and Bill Gates (http://www.businessweek.com/management/idolize-bill-gates-not-steve-jobs-11012011.html?campaign_id=rss_topStories). While I don’t believe in idolizing anyone, I do believe that we can learn by observing others. In the article, a quote, a reminder, by Bill Gates got my attention:

“I hope you will reflect on what you’ve done with your talent and energy. I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you work to address the world’s deepest inequities, on how well you treat people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.” - Bill Gates, addressing Harvard

I consider that reminder from Bill Gates to be important. His simple reminder was addressed to some of the wealthiest people with the brightest minds. The reminder was delivered to a group of people who should know what to do and how to do better.

Scripture also has some reminders directed at people who should know what to do and how to do better. These are people who call themselves believers. Some of those reminders to believers appear in Titus 3. This Scripture is pretty short, but many believers react to it as if hearing nails on chalkboard. These are reminders we don’t like because we don’t want to do them.

What are some reminders in Titus 3 that usually gets our dander up? Well, the main theme is humility. Lose the pride! Be obedient to authority, ready to do good, speak ill of no one, be harmonious and considerate...show TRUE HUMILITY TO ALL. This reminder by Paul begins in a way that ticks us off by the end of the first verse. Show sincere humility to all? Really? That is always my reaction. However, we know that Paul was preaching what he lived. Paul had been humbled in more ways than most of us will ever experience in our lifetime. He lived a life of wickedness and goodness and he knew the consequences and rewards of both paths. Paul knew the important role reminders play in keeping us on the right path.

What other reminders does Paul give us? Leave malice, hatred and envy behind. We experience the kindness and love of God, not because we deserve it, but because of God’s righteousness and grace. HUMILITY check! In Verse 8 Paul says that these reminders must be stressed to believers so that they’ll be devoted to doing good for the benefit of everyone. In short, lose the selfishness. The world does not revolve around getting money and material possessions for me, myself and I. Be HUMBLE.

Does Paul give more reminders? Of course! Don’t argue about religious laws. It’s useless and foolish. Oh Oh! Church folks are still arguing about jewelry, river or pool baptism, worship music and women as messengers of the Gospel. No wonder, we need reminders. Paul also warns about those believers who are nothing but divisive. They’re referred to as warped, sinful...self-condemned.

Paul did not have time for foolishness because he’d been there and done that. He knew the road that foolishness leads to and had experienced the mercy of Christ in the middle of living foolishly. He had been HUMBLED by the mercy and grace of God. So, let us learn from Paul’s instruction and remind ourselves and others of this: DEVOTE YOURSELF TO DOING WHAT IS GOOD, SO THAT YOU CAN BE A SOURCE OF PROVISION WHEN THERE IS A NEED AND NOT LIVE A USELESS LIFE. EXPRESS THE LOVE OF GOD AND RECEIVE THE GRACE OF GOD.

Even if you’re having a tough day, please remember this: A problem is a chance for you to do your best. - Duke Ellington

Give today your best shot!

The Hindered Heart

2011-11-02T10:18:00.004-04:00

How often do you think about your heart? Not in the medical sense, but in the spiritual sense?

As I read through Ezekiel 14:1-11 last night I had to ask myself if there was anything in my heart that was a hindrance. This Scripture shines some light on the effects of idols in the heart (Ezekiel 14:3) and the estrangement (Ezekiel 14:5) it causes. It’s easy to spot visible idols, but the idols of the heart are a pit of deception. For once our heart is deceived, we then easily deceive ourselves and others.

Deception is a dangerous dance that the people and the prophets have been playing for a long time, but we can’t deceive God. Not only will God address the heart Himself (Ezekiel 14:4, 7), but He won’t let us pass blame. False and lying though they be, we won’t be able to say, “the prophets made me do it!” The prophets don’t get a pass either. Anyone who claims to be a minister, to be speaking on God’s behalf, has to put their heart into caring (Proverbs 27:23) for the souls. When deception lies in the heart of the prophets, the people who follow them will also be in trouble. God will deal with the deceived and the enticed as much as the deceiver and the one who entices (Ezekiel 14:10).

Why does our heart matter?

The prophets and the people may deceive each other, but God knows when we’re trying to play Him:

The Lord says: "These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men. - Isaiah 29:13

Our heart performs more than a physical function:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. - Proverbs 4:23

There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. - Proverbs 12:20

Many of the things we desire in life: direction, peace, joy, love.... are tied to the condition of our heart.

Our heart is critical to our spiritual life:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. - Luke 6:45

Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other. - Zechariah 7:10

Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes. - Ecclesiastes 7:29

If something is in our heart, sooner or later, it will show itself. I find it strange when humans refuse to admit, first and foremost, that they are indeed human, and prone to make mistakes and imperfections. Yet, God, in His mercy, is fully aware of our tendency to stumble and fumble, despite all the life instructions and warnings in Scripture.

It is much easier to be open and honest with ourselves, and our Creator. It is better to be hidden in Him than to attempt to hide from Him. A hindered heart will lead us to dark places where true freedom does not exist (Romans 2:5). It is much better to be humble and repentant. God does not get tired of us. He hears us when we cry to Him in prayer. We can put our heart, and all its hidden issues, on the altar of God’s love and mercy. There is nothing too ugly, too difficult or too dark for Him to handle. All we need to do is put our heart in the hands of the healer. Our great physician will renew and restore and revive.

I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. - Jeremiah 17:10

Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. - Proverbs 28:14

If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves and we're not being truthful to ourselves. - 1 John 1:8

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. - Isaiah 55:7

I will give them hearts that recognize Me as the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me wholeheartedly. - Jeremiah 24:7

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. - Deuteronomy 4:39

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.” - Matthew 24:4