Again, I’m no expert/not perfect and it’s not an “I’m great, look at me” note, just some suggestions.
I have a woman at work that tells me, “Unless you have something intelligent to add to the conversation, be quiet”. I tell her that if that were the case I’d never be allowed to speak.
Sometimes silence is the best response to a false charge. At other times we must speak up.
A few years back, there were some people who made several false charges against me. The human side of me wanted to lash out and respond and it took much prayer for me to refrain from returning the attack made on me, especially with the past I’ve had. I responded with kindness and tried to correct the mis-statements against me, but some people decided that the statements must have been true and sided with the people making the false charges against me. There wasn’t anything I could gain by arguing, so I decided to do my best to keep my thoughts and opinions on the situation to myself. After all, what more harm could be done by allowing them to continually spew their statements? If people were going to believe them, there wasn’t anything I could do or say that would change their mind.
When Jesus was meeting with the Sanhedrin, the “Supreme Court” of ancient Israel, there were some false witnesses accusing Him. As He stood before them, He “kept silent” (Mark 14:53-61). Also in His case, defending Himself would have been pointless. Furthermore, He was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7. However, earlier in His ministry, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, challenging them to prove that He had sinned (John 8:13-59).
Many a pastor has resigned from their church because a few members made untrue statements about him. Some thought it unchristian to defend themselves, and in some instances it is. But in some cases, the troublemakers need to be confronted and their false charges refuted. In these cases, the pastors should have urged the members to repent or face church discipline.
Saying nothing may allow wrongdoers to go unchallenged in their evil ways. But if God’s Spirit leads us to remain silent, or if we want merely to try to salvage our wounded pride, then we should hold our tongue.
Are you being falsely accused? If you discern that it’s futile to argue, or if your pride has been hurt, ask God for grace to say nothing. But if you feel concern for the wrongdoers and want to see justice done, speak up!
Since the incident of mine a few years ago, there have been several people come to me and apologize for being deceived and for their treatment of me. There are some who never will. Pride, arrogance, and ignorance all play a part in the process of forgiveness. All I can do is reconcile with those seeking to, and pray for the one’s who chose not to reconcile. Having them ask for forgiveness is not up to me and it’s something I have no control over. If they never apologize to me, I’ll still make it through life and not really miss anything. I am accountable for me, not them.
How we respond to false accusers can have an impact on our testimony, our outlook on life, and even our personality. Do we want to look as vengeful and combative, or do we want to be looked on as someone who displays the attitude and love of Christ.
There is an old statement from many years ago that still holds true, “Silence can be valuable; don’t break it unless you can improve on it”.
_________________________________________________________
Mark 14:53-61 (New King James Version)
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.
Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.
Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’” But not even then did their testimony agree.
And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” But He kept silent and answered nothing.
Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
So He opened not His mouth.
John 8:13-59 (NKJV)
Jesus Defends His Self-Witness
The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.
Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”
So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”
And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”
And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Abraham’s Seed and Satan’s
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Overcoming Failure
Having dealt with others through the years who had trouble with overcoming their failures and moving on, as well as having personal issues with failures in my life that I’ve had difficulty overcoming, I have some experience in the problem of letting go of our past failures and moving beyond them. Some things that we have failed at in our lives are easy to overcome but some can take a lengthy time and cause much grief for us to overcome. Whether it’s caused by our own personal failures or the failures of others, this can be a heavy burden to carry around if we’re not able to triumph over the failures.
Romans 7:15-20 (New International Version)
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Recently, I talked with a gentleman about what the Bible has to say about dealing with the difficulties that we all face in life. Those difficulties loom in front of us like mountains to be climbed and overcome. God doesn’t want to see you overcome by difficulties, He wants to see you successful in life.
Success in God’s eyes does not depend on making a lot of money or making it to the top in your career. Success in God’s eyes is found by fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. It’s OK to want to have that kind of success in life and even pray for it.
Psalm 118:25 (NIV)
O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
Yet there will be times in each of our lives when we fail. There will be times when you feel like giving up. Many successful people in the Bible had times when felt discouraged, when they had failed, when they had not lived up to God’s requirements. The important thing is not to give up when you fail. Failure for the believer is not the end, but an opportunity to find a fresh start from God.
Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
The point of this verse is not that the righteous man never falls, but that the righteous man rises again, he comes back. The wicked on the other hand, fall and can’t recover. Think about your own life. What failure hangs over your head? What situations or circumstances haven’t worked out as you would have liked? No matter what you’ve failed at God wants you to rebound from that failure and find His success in life.
This is for everyone who has failed in life and that includes all of us. God wants to give you a fresh start today.
Luke 5: 1-7 (NIV)
One day as Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee, with the people crowding around Him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon Peter, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Simon Peter and his fellow fisherman had been out fishing all night but hadn’t caught anything. Fishing was normally done at night so that the fish couldn’t see the nets in the darkness. However, a long night of casting nets into the water, rowing to numerous fishing spots, Peter had to admit that the trip was a failure. He would have nothing at all to show for all his hard work, nothing to take home to feed his family, let alone to sell in the market. Yet just a few hours later that same boat with the same fisherman, fishing at the wrong time of day would catch a plethora (I love that word) of fish. What made the difference between the first and second fishing trips? What keys can we learn from this story about overcoming failure?
Victory is God’s will for the believer’s life. However, sometimes we can find ourselves falling repeatedly into the same sin. As a result, our prayer life is marked by our broken promises to end wrongdoing. We tell the Lord that we long to do what is right, but often our desire diminishes when virtue is no longer convenient, pleasurable, or profitable. Many believers get angry with God for withholding victory, but sin is always our choice, not God’s.
If a “guilty” conscience and misery are the result of our decision to sin, then why do we continue in our wrongdoing? One reason is we have incomplete repentance. It is possible for us to experience grief, embarrassment, and shame over sin without being truly repentant. The reason is that penitence isn’t a matter of weeping or feeling guilty; but rather, true repentance is a change of mind about sin so that we agree with God’s viewpoint. Then the heart turns in a new direction, opposite from persistent wrongdoing. Repent means to turn from something, to something else. We don’t veer from it then later veer back, we make a complete turn.
Another reason for failure is an inadequate view of our true identity in the Lord. As a believer, we have Christ living within us to empower us. When we fully grasp this truth, we will recognize that sin does not fit who we are and will stop making excuses for our offenses. Our genuine repentance is based upon an honest understanding of our identity.
When we put these truths together, a powerful tool against the devil and temptation is created. God wants us to be victorious, and we triumph over failure when we remember that Jesus Christ is our life. Overcoming the past and failures isn't always easy, but if we learn to rely on God for direction and strength, we can overcome anything that comes our direction in life.
Romans 7:15-20 (New International Version)
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Recently, I talked with a gentleman about what the Bible has to say about dealing with the difficulties that we all face in life. Those difficulties loom in front of us like mountains to be climbed and overcome. God doesn’t want to see you overcome by difficulties, He wants to see you successful in life.
Success in God’s eyes does not depend on making a lot of money or making it to the top in your career. Success in God’s eyes is found by fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. It’s OK to want to have that kind of success in life and even pray for it.
Psalm 118:25 (NIV)
O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
Yet there will be times in each of our lives when we fail. There will be times when you feel like giving up. Many successful people in the Bible had times when felt discouraged, when they had failed, when they had not lived up to God’s requirements. The important thing is not to give up when you fail. Failure for the believer is not the end, but an opportunity to find a fresh start from God.
Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
The point of this verse is not that the righteous man never falls, but that the righteous man rises again, he comes back. The wicked on the other hand, fall and can’t recover. Think about your own life. What failure hangs over your head? What situations or circumstances haven’t worked out as you would have liked? No matter what you’ve failed at God wants you to rebound from that failure and find His success in life.
This is for everyone who has failed in life and that includes all of us. God wants to give you a fresh start today.
Luke 5: 1-7 (NIV)
One day as Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee, with the people crowding around Him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon Peter, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Simon Peter and his fellow fisherman had been out fishing all night but hadn’t caught anything. Fishing was normally done at night so that the fish couldn’t see the nets in the darkness. However, a long night of casting nets into the water, rowing to numerous fishing spots, Peter had to admit that the trip was a failure. He would have nothing at all to show for all his hard work, nothing to take home to feed his family, let alone to sell in the market. Yet just a few hours later that same boat with the same fisherman, fishing at the wrong time of day would catch a plethora (I love that word) of fish. What made the difference between the first and second fishing trips? What keys can we learn from this story about overcoming failure?
Victory is God’s will for the believer’s life. However, sometimes we can find ourselves falling repeatedly into the same sin. As a result, our prayer life is marked by our broken promises to end wrongdoing. We tell the Lord that we long to do what is right, but often our desire diminishes when virtue is no longer convenient, pleasurable, or profitable. Many believers get angry with God for withholding victory, but sin is always our choice, not God’s.
If a “guilty” conscience and misery are the result of our decision to sin, then why do we continue in our wrongdoing? One reason is we have incomplete repentance. It is possible for us to experience grief, embarrassment, and shame over sin without being truly repentant. The reason is that penitence isn’t a matter of weeping or feeling guilty; but rather, true repentance is a change of mind about sin so that we agree with God’s viewpoint. Then the heart turns in a new direction, opposite from persistent wrongdoing. Repent means to turn from something, to something else. We don’t veer from it then later veer back, we make a complete turn.
Another reason for failure is an inadequate view of our true identity in the Lord. As a believer, we have Christ living within us to empower us. When we fully grasp this truth, we will recognize that sin does not fit who we are and will stop making excuses for our offenses. Our genuine repentance is based upon an honest understanding of our identity.
When we put these truths together, a powerful tool against the devil and temptation is created. God wants us to be victorious, and we triumph over failure when we remember that Jesus Christ is our life. Overcoming the past and failures isn't always easy, but if we learn to rely on God for direction and strength, we can overcome anything that comes our direction in life.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Love Is For Losers?
Many people are so self centered they forget (or decide not) to show kindness, love, and respect to others they come in contact with during their day. Though it’s not always easy and even though I don’t always act the way I should, I try to be kind and considerate to everyone I come in contact with. It’s sometimes more difficult than others to practice what I “preach”, but I try.
It’s easy to show love to those who love us back. It takes more effort to show love to those who; treat us badly, talk about us, are disrespectful to us, say bad things about us, create stories about us, or seem to enjoy driving us crazy. It’s at those times when we have to rely on something else to give us the strength to show love to those people.
Some churches today even are this way in their love for its members or their community. Pastors have been known to teach their congregations that it’s good to show love to one another until someone steps out of line, then all bets are off and they sick the dogs on them. I did some quick checking and that’s not what I was able to locate in the Bible. God tells us to show love to one another even if they’ve wronged us. If it’s of a grievous nature, we are even instructed on how to confront that person (with love) and if they are not responsive to us then we are to remove them from our communion until they ask for forgiveness or are otherwise restored into a walk with us. We’re not to hate them, but we are to avoid a relationship with them. We should never use their failures as an opportunity to kick them to the curb or turn bitter toward them. That is the way the world acts and we, as Christians, are in the world, not of the world. We’re supposed to love, even those who have wronged us. Our love is not conditional or based on certain criteria to be met before we love. Any church or pastor that preaches that bitterness/hatred is the way to go is wrong and it would benefit you greatly to locate another place to serve God. One that lives by the motto “love the sinner, hate the sin”.
I’m now climbing off my soapbox. :-)
______________________________
1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)
The Way of Love
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
______________________________
You can learn a lot about a person by what his or her T-shirt says. Not too long ago while out shopping, a young woman I saw was wearing a bright red T-shirt that said, “Love Is for Losers.” She could have been joking or maybe she thought it was clever. Perhaps however she had been hurt by a relationship and had pulled away from others rather than risk being hurt again. I truly can understand that. Whatever the reason for the shirt, it got me thinking.
Is love really for losers? The fact is, when we love, we take risks. From personal experience I know that we can get hurt by people, disappointed by people, or people could even leave us. Love can lead to loss.
But the Bible challenges us to take the “high road” in loving others. In I Corinthians 13, Paul tells us what it means to live out God’s kind of love. The person who exercises Godly love doesn’t do so for personal benefit or gain but rather “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (13:7). Why? Because Godly love endures through life’s hurts by pulling us toward the never-diminishing care of the Father.
So, maybe love is for losers—because it is in times of loss and disappointment that we need God the most. Even in our struggles, we know that “love never fails.”
It’s easy to show love to those who love us back. It takes more effort to show love to those who; treat us badly, talk about us, are disrespectful to us, say bad things about us, create stories about us, or seem to enjoy driving us crazy. It’s at those times when we have to rely on something else to give us the strength to show love to those people.
Some churches today even are this way in their love for its members or their community. Pastors have been known to teach their congregations that it’s good to show love to one another until someone steps out of line, then all bets are off and they sick the dogs on them. I did some quick checking and that’s not what I was able to locate in the Bible. God tells us to show love to one another even if they’ve wronged us. If it’s of a grievous nature, we are even instructed on how to confront that person (with love) and if they are not responsive to us then we are to remove them from our communion until they ask for forgiveness or are otherwise restored into a walk with us. We’re not to hate them, but we are to avoid a relationship with them. We should never use their failures as an opportunity to kick them to the curb or turn bitter toward them. That is the way the world acts and we, as Christians, are in the world, not of the world. We’re supposed to love, even those who have wronged us. Our love is not conditional or based on certain criteria to be met before we love. Any church or pastor that preaches that bitterness/hatred is the way to go is wrong and it would benefit you greatly to locate another place to serve God. One that lives by the motto “love the sinner, hate the sin”.
I’m now climbing off my soapbox. :-)
______________________________
1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)
The Way of Love
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
______________________________
You can learn a lot about a person by what his or her T-shirt says. Not too long ago while out shopping, a young woman I saw was wearing a bright red T-shirt that said, “Love Is for Losers.” She could have been joking or maybe she thought it was clever. Perhaps however she had been hurt by a relationship and had pulled away from others rather than risk being hurt again. I truly can understand that. Whatever the reason for the shirt, it got me thinking.
Is love really for losers? The fact is, when we love, we take risks. From personal experience I know that we can get hurt by people, disappointed by people, or people could even leave us. Love can lead to loss.
But the Bible challenges us to take the “high road” in loving others. In I Corinthians 13, Paul tells us what it means to live out God’s kind of love. The person who exercises Godly love doesn’t do so for personal benefit or gain but rather “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (13:7). Why? Because Godly love endures through life’s hurts by pulling us toward the never-diminishing care of the Father.
So, maybe love is for losers—because it is in times of loss and disappointment that we need God the most. Even in our struggles, we know that “love never fails.”
Monday, March 29, 2010
Running With the Devil
In the late 70’s Van Halen had a song titled, “Running With the Devil”. It was one of their early hits and was played repeatedly on the radio and in car cassette players (if you don’t know what one of those is, just pretend it’s a really old mp3 player). Sadly, many Christians/church members/pastors/etc live a lifestyle that can be called that.
Through the years, I’ve had several discussions with people who have difficulty separating themselves from the world around them and trying to live a more “Christ-like” life. Most of them are professing Christians but admitted they have a difficult time living a Christian life on the days and times when they aren’t around fellow Christians. Sometimes these type people are referred to as “Sunday Christians”. They can walk the walk and talk the talk on Sunday morning, but Jesus seems to be a distant thought the rest of the week unless they run into some church members. Some of the issues they were dealing with include:
• Lying
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Hatred
• Profanity
• Sexual relations outside of marriage
• Mean spirited toward others
• Stealing
• Illegal drug use
• Lust
• Bitterness
The list goes on. On Sunday morning, outwardly they appear to be model Christians but during the rest of the week, they’re running with the devil. I’m not putting them down or talking bad about them because, unfortunately, I was one of them too for a few years. I got up in front of the church and portrayed something that I was not. Jesus forgave me and brought me back onto the path that I had strayed from but there was some damage done by and consequences for my failure
We should always strive to live the same life as we portray to others when we’re around them. In other words, be real. Don’t put on a false front and hide things from others. The world has many things to offer that can be difficult to turn away from and can require much effort and prayer on our parts to be able to do so. However, none of the items the world can offer can match what living for Christ can offer. (1 John 2:15)
In Revelation 3:16, Jesus warns us not to be “lukewarm”. He wants us to live all for Him, not partially for Him and partially for the world.
Momentary happiness and pleasure are just that, momentary. Nothing that lasts comes from the arms of another, a needle, a pill, a bank, or a bottle. All of them only provide a temporary change in your condition or situation. The only lasting happiness is found in living a life for Jesus.
With the availability of instant messaging, you can now keep in contact with friends and acquaintances almost constantly. One of the more popular now is “Facebook”. I have several friends that have attended church with me through the years and sometimes their updates and pictures make me wonder if they actually are a follower of Christ. If we repeatedly go against the teachings and directions that we receive from God’s word, are we truly followers of His or are we just slightly knowledgeable of the teachings of the Bible? If we truly are His followers, I would imagine there are times He is not happy with our lives if we live them in a way that does not honor Him.
There is an old saying to the effect that a ship in the sea is no problem, but when you get the sea into the ship you are in trouble. A Christian living in the world is one thing, but when the world gets into the Christian that is a different matter altogether. God has made us to live on this earth. He could have fashioned us to live immediately in heaven but He didn’t. He made us to inhabit this earth and to enjoy His creation. As the theologian Thomas Watson stated, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” That enjoyment is not restricted to the spiritual blessings God has given to His people through Christ, but includes the temporal blessings as well.
We have to be careful not to turn hose blessings into a curse. Everything may have a double use. For example, a knife may be put to good use in preparing food. But it can also be put to wicked use when employed as a weapon to stab someone. A computer is a fine tool, but at times men can turn it into a vehicle of wickedness
The same is true of the world itself. The apostle Paul instructed us to use it but not abuse it (1 Corinthians 7:31)
God made this planet, and it’s just a speck of dust in the ocean of infinite space. According to the National Geographic Magazine (October 1999) in our Milky Way galaxy there are “a few hundred billion stars” and in the universe “at least a hundred billion galaxies” This universe runs well according to the laws that its Creator (God) made for it. Without law and order there would be chaos. God placed us on Earth and we in turn are even smaller specks upon it, but even for such minute parts of His creation God has ordered a law to live by; otherwise, life would be chaos.
Law and order are essential in everyday living. What a dangerous place this world would be if we all made up our own rules. One person would drive on the right side of the road and another on the left. One would give way to cross traffic, another would not. One would go very slowly and another would race. The result would be anarchy.
We have instruction books for everything from cars to computers. Abide by the instructions and life is easier. Neglect the instructions and disaster follows, as people have found when they put gasoline in a diesel vehicle. Had they read the instructions they would not have made such a costly mistake.
Our spiritual lives are no different. The Ten Commandments are God’s outline of man’s duty to Him and to our fellow man. The whole Bible teaches these laws and applies them to every area of life. It shows us clearly that while we aren’t saved by trying to keep the law. We are to live our lives in accordance with its teachings. It also shows us that we get the strength to obey, not by our own will power but by faith in Christ (Galatians 2:20)
The Bible is the instruction book God supplies for the Christian life. The Bible’s basic instruction to the Christian is,
1 Peter 1:16 (NIV)
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
In other words, we are in the world but not of it. (John 17:15-16)
The devil has the media, the entertainment world, and much of the business world firmly in his grip. So we must be most discriminating as to our relationship with the world
How should a Christian relate to the world, to the age in which he lives? The answer, in a word, is biblically. God’s Word shows us what is right and what is wrong.
(1 John 2:15-17). For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
Also: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
These are God’s instructions. If we follow them, we shall be blessed. If we follow the world’s lead, we shall be blighted. As a man thinks, so is he. Sin enters at the level of the mind, and this is where the battle of purity must be fought. The human mind is a marvelous instrument but can be easily damaged by what we put into it. We would never dream of pouring dirt into the engine of our car. Yet even Christians sometimes pollute their minds by filling them with worldly dirt. Our thought processes are not helped by what the world has to offer. Many Christians, night after night, spend their time in front of the television set while their minds are being polluted by the constant stream of wickedness from Hollywood. What we receive by our senses, especially by sight and hearing, has a profound effect on how we behave. It’s no wonder some wake up depressed in the morning when they go to bed with the world’s music and moral filth filling their minds?
One of the clearest descriptions of practical Christianity is found in Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
While we dwell on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, we won’t deviate far from the Lord’s path.
But much of what the world has to offer is the very opposite: untrue, dishonest, unjust, impure, unlovely, and of evil report. To dwell on such things produces a sinful walk; it opens the floodgates and lets the world swamp us.
As a human, we are weak and prone to failure. But there is help for us in the Lord. God revealed to Moses in “I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). He does so as His Spirit applies His Word to our hearts (John 17:17). That is the power that will enable us to keep the sea of the world out of our ship as we sail victoriously on toward heaven. One of the most important things we can do in our journey through life, is to read God’s word. It will give you instruction and hope as we strive to live in the world, but apart from the world. We all need to do our part to live a life that pleases God, brings honor to the name of Christian, and keeps us from running with the devil.
_____________________________________________
1 John 2:15 (New International Version)
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Revelation 3:16 (NIV)
"because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”.
1 Corinthians 7:31 (King James Version)
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
John 17:15-16 (NIV)
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.
Through the years, I’ve had several discussions with people who have difficulty separating themselves from the world around them and trying to live a more “Christ-like” life. Most of them are professing Christians but admitted they have a difficult time living a Christian life on the days and times when they aren’t around fellow Christians. Sometimes these type people are referred to as “Sunday Christians”. They can walk the walk and talk the talk on Sunday morning, but Jesus seems to be a distant thought the rest of the week unless they run into some church members. Some of the issues they were dealing with include:
• Lying
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Hatred
• Profanity
• Sexual relations outside of marriage
• Mean spirited toward others
• Stealing
• Illegal drug use
• Lust
• Bitterness
The list goes on. On Sunday morning, outwardly they appear to be model Christians but during the rest of the week, they’re running with the devil. I’m not putting them down or talking bad about them because, unfortunately, I was one of them too for a few years. I got up in front of the church and portrayed something that I was not. Jesus forgave me and brought me back onto the path that I had strayed from but there was some damage done by and consequences for my failure
We should always strive to live the same life as we portray to others when we’re around them. In other words, be real. Don’t put on a false front and hide things from others. The world has many things to offer that can be difficult to turn away from and can require much effort and prayer on our parts to be able to do so. However, none of the items the world can offer can match what living for Christ can offer. (1 John 2:15)
In Revelation 3:16, Jesus warns us not to be “lukewarm”. He wants us to live all for Him, not partially for Him and partially for the world.
Momentary happiness and pleasure are just that, momentary. Nothing that lasts comes from the arms of another, a needle, a pill, a bank, or a bottle. All of them only provide a temporary change in your condition or situation. The only lasting happiness is found in living a life for Jesus.
With the availability of instant messaging, you can now keep in contact with friends and acquaintances almost constantly. One of the more popular now is “Facebook”. I have several friends that have attended church with me through the years and sometimes their updates and pictures make me wonder if they actually are a follower of Christ. If we repeatedly go against the teachings and directions that we receive from God’s word, are we truly followers of His or are we just slightly knowledgeable of the teachings of the Bible? If we truly are His followers, I would imagine there are times He is not happy with our lives if we live them in a way that does not honor Him.
There is an old saying to the effect that a ship in the sea is no problem, but when you get the sea into the ship you are in trouble. A Christian living in the world is one thing, but when the world gets into the Christian that is a different matter altogether. God has made us to live on this earth. He could have fashioned us to live immediately in heaven but He didn’t. He made us to inhabit this earth and to enjoy His creation. As the theologian Thomas Watson stated, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” That enjoyment is not restricted to the spiritual blessings God has given to His people through Christ, but includes the temporal blessings as well.
We have to be careful not to turn hose blessings into a curse. Everything may have a double use. For example, a knife may be put to good use in preparing food. But it can also be put to wicked use when employed as a weapon to stab someone. A computer is a fine tool, but at times men can turn it into a vehicle of wickedness
The same is true of the world itself. The apostle Paul instructed us to use it but not abuse it (1 Corinthians 7:31)
God made this planet, and it’s just a speck of dust in the ocean of infinite space. According to the National Geographic Magazine (October 1999) in our Milky Way galaxy there are “a few hundred billion stars” and in the universe “at least a hundred billion galaxies” This universe runs well according to the laws that its Creator (God) made for it. Without law and order there would be chaos. God placed us on Earth and we in turn are even smaller specks upon it, but even for such minute parts of His creation God has ordered a law to live by; otherwise, life would be chaos.
Law and order are essential in everyday living. What a dangerous place this world would be if we all made up our own rules. One person would drive on the right side of the road and another on the left. One would give way to cross traffic, another would not. One would go very slowly and another would race. The result would be anarchy.
We have instruction books for everything from cars to computers. Abide by the instructions and life is easier. Neglect the instructions and disaster follows, as people have found when they put gasoline in a diesel vehicle. Had they read the instructions they would not have made such a costly mistake.
Our spiritual lives are no different. The Ten Commandments are God’s outline of man’s duty to Him and to our fellow man. The whole Bible teaches these laws and applies them to every area of life. It shows us clearly that while we aren’t saved by trying to keep the law. We are to live our lives in accordance with its teachings. It also shows us that we get the strength to obey, not by our own will power but by faith in Christ (Galatians 2:20)
The Bible is the instruction book God supplies for the Christian life. The Bible’s basic instruction to the Christian is,
1 Peter 1:16 (NIV)
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
In other words, we are in the world but not of it. (John 17:15-16)
The devil has the media, the entertainment world, and much of the business world firmly in his grip. So we must be most discriminating as to our relationship with the world
How should a Christian relate to the world, to the age in which he lives? The answer, in a word, is biblically. God’s Word shows us what is right and what is wrong.
(1 John 2:15-17). For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
Also: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
These are God’s instructions. If we follow them, we shall be blessed. If we follow the world’s lead, we shall be blighted. As a man thinks, so is he. Sin enters at the level of the mind, and this is where the battle of purity must be fought. The human mind is a marvelous instrument but can be easily damaged by what we put into it. We would never dream of pouring dirt into the engine of our car. Yet even Christians sometimes pollute their minds by filling them with worldly dirt. Our thought processes are not helped by what the world has to offer. Many Christians, night after night, spend their time in front of the television set while their minds are being polluted by the constant stream of wickedness from Hollywood. What we receive by our senses, especially by sight and hearing, has a profound effect on how we behave. It’s no wonder some wake up depressed in the morning when they go to bed with the world’s music and moral filth filling their minds?
One of the clearest descriptions of practical Christianity is found in Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
While we dwell on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, we won’t deviate far from the Lord’s path.
But much of what the world has to offer is the very opposite: untrue, dishonest, unjust, impure, unlovely, and of evil report. To dwell on such things produces a sinful walk; it opens the floodgates and lets the world swamp us.
As a human, we are weak and prone to failure. But there is help for us in the Lord. God revealed to Moses in “I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). He does so as His Spirit applies His Word to our hearts (John 17:17). That is the power that will enable us to keep the sea of the world out of our ship as we sail victoriously on toward heaven. One of the most important things we can do in our journey through life, is to read God’s word. It will give you instruction and hope as we strive to live in the world, but apart from the world. We all need to do our part to live a life that pleases God, brings honor to the name of Christian, and keeps us from running with the devil.
_____________________________________________
1 John 2:15 (New International Version)
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Revelation 3:16 (NIV)
"because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”.
1 Corinthians 7:31 (King James Version)
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
John 17:15-16 (NIV)
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Caught in a Spiritual Rut
What to do When My Prayer Life Seems Stagnant?
We’ve all been there; there have been times that I’ve just not felt like praying. After all, God knows me, He knows my problems, He knows my needs, He knows my past, and He knows my future. What is the purpose behind me praying and asking God for my wants/needs/desires/requests when He already knows them? Am I going to surprise Him by some of my requests? Does He not know some of my needs?
Maybe you feel like something it too trivial to ask or that a situation is hopeless so there’s no need to ask. Maybe you’ve prayed for years about a situation and it appears that God’s ignored it so why keep asking about it?
Do you feel like your prayer life is stagnant? Like you're saying the same things to God that you did when you first started praying?
I completely understand, I’ve prayed for several items for many years and have yet to see any indication that God will intervene and work in the requests I’ve sent up to Him.
* my Dad has had a health issue since the late 80’s
* my Brother has had several issues for over 30 years that I’ve been
in prayer over
* my Children have been under an extremely negative influence for
over four years
And the list goes on. I’ve prayed for God’s help, guidance, and direction in all of these (and several other) matters and have seen only minimal improvement in the situations.
So what are the options? Give up, forget about them, ignore them, or continue praying in the hopes that some day God will intervene and work in either me or the situations I’ve been in prayer over?
Just as young children slowly learn to communicate in more and more complex ways, so Christians should move from simply crying out to God to a mature, developed prayer life. There are times that God wants to answer our requests by not changing the situations, but by changing us.
There are a number of good books available on prayer. Some want you to go to a place of quiet solitude and spend several hours a day in prayer. Though in actuality it’s a great idea, with the modern lifestyle we have, that’s not always an easy option. The practice requires a change in our lifestyle to make ourselves set aside the time daily to accomplish this. The practice also requires discipline, atmosphere, training, teaching and finally plenty of good will. This type of prayer can turn out to be just a practice rather than life. By this I mean, there can be a tendency and a habit that is formed to spend daily two hours without really getting into life situation with the effect of such prayer. However it also can be a life changing event that can help us reach others by the passion and desire the Lord can give us by our close relationship with Him.
You don’t always have to find a quiet time and place to be in prayer. Many times while I’m driving I end up talking with God. As you can understand, that’s not a good time to bow your head and close your eyes in prayer. Does that mean God ignores my prayers because I wasn’t in the traditionally accepted practice of prayer? Of course not, bowing our heads and closing our eyes in a sign of reverence to God, but it isn’t a requirement of God. Most pictures of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane portray Jesus as kneeling and looking up to heaven with His eyes open.
A couple of recommendations for your prayer time:
* find a good time of the day, morning or evening
* find a place that is removed from distractions for you
Remember that you can pray at anytime or anyplace. God loves to hear from us and is available 24/7 365.
Hindrances to our prayer life
Remember in the old days when you had a phone at the house and called someone? There were times when there was a lot of static on the telephone and you couldn’t hear the person you were talking to. You’d hang up the telephone, call them back and many times that would clear up the problem. It was just a bad connection.
That can happen in our communication with God. We pray to God but there may be things in our lives that cause interference with our connection. It could be due to un-confessed sin, broken relationships, or issues you may be harboring toward other Christians.
Isaiah 1:13-15 (NIV)
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations - I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
If there are any sins you have that you haven’t asked God for forgiveness of, it causes “static” in our communication line with Him. However, God is willing to forgive you of those shortcomings if you tell Him about them and ask Him to forgive you of them.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
When we confess these issues and turn them over to God, He resets the telephone line and once again the line of communication with Him is crystal clear.
Developing a Daily Habit of Devotion and Prayer Time
The Christian life is one of growth and maturation--and just as with natural growth, we move through stages. Were you suddenly to find yourself taking first grade classes, you would find them quite boring, and would learn nothing from them; yet it isn't that you don't still have much to learn, but that you need to move on to other lessons, other classes. Long ago you learned to crawl; and once you learned to walk, you did much less crawling. It is that way with your Christian life.
Devotion
Find a good reliable translation of the Bible that is easy for you to understand. If needed, check with your pastor for some guidance on this. I grew up with the King James Version(KJV) and when I recite verses, it’s usually the KJV that I quote. When studying for a message now, I primarily use the New International Version(NIV) as it is a good translation that contains a more modern wording of the English language. Steer clear of paraphrases, though they can also be easy to read, they can be quite inaccurate.
Make some time daily for a "devotional" time. How much time? That depends, I would say that you should set aside at least half an hour, probably an hour, each day - but if that's problematic, you might start with fifteen minutes each day. But what should you do? Well, there are a lot of possibilities, and you should try things until you find something that works. I would definitely include some type of Bible reading/study/memorization.
Memorizing is an important part of it. There are a lot of programs which will help you memorize the verses they think are important; but it's far better to memorize those which have meaning to you. Repeat these verses to yourself, and consider what they mean. Find someone else with whom you can share your discoveries, and ask them to share their thoughts with you about the verses you've learned and about whatever they are learning.
Prayer
One of the greatest things about God is that He wants to be your friend and have a personal relationship with you. When praying, you don't have to be formal; just talk to God. Especially, don't try to use some kind of old English "special" language--most people massacre the old English anyway. Talk to God as you would talk to your ideal friend, to whom you could tell everything and ask anything.
Worship
As most people know, I have a unique voice. How we sound when we worship is not as important as why we worship. Though it may not sound perfect, God loves it anyway. Worship is also part of the process of getting to know God. Sing songs, pray, tell God how great He is, give thanks for all things. You probably know many songs which would be worshipful were you to consider what you were singing; but you shouldn't limit yourself to songs you know. Take the feelings and the thoughts you have about the greatness of God and the grace you've received, and speak them in your own words, and sing them to melodies you create.
Finally, look for people who share your faith, and share your faith with them. Also, if opportunities to share your faith with unbelievers present themselves (formally or informally), take them. You might feel that you aren't the right person for this, or that you don't know enough or can't answer the questions you might be asked, but that's not the way of things. You have things to share, and there are people who need to hear them, and God will take care of bringing you together with them if you put yourself in a place to meet them. Don't worry about what you'll say, or what you said. Just believe that God wants to use you, and will show you the way.
Over the years my prayer life has grown and changed a lot, and I trust it will continue to expand and deepen the rest of my life. In our prayer life we talk to God and we listen to God, but prayer is also communication at a deeper level. It is communication of such a fine quality that it is true communion with God.
Remember: The process of change is essentially the process of altering your habit patterns. If you do something once, you can do it twice. Do it twice and you can do it three times. Do it three times, and you’re beginning to make a habit of it.
Strive to have a closer walk with God by spending time with Him daily, you’ll be glad you did!
Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life, as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water-- and at times, of course, more so. By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with God. We know that our prayers are imperfect; of course they are as we are imperfect human beings. A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Luke 11:1-10 (NIV)
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one"
Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Damaged Goods
A couple of months back; I had lunch with a fellow that I’ve known for several years. We occasionally run into one another, but never have gotten to know one another. He’s in his late 20’s and had a number of spiritual questions he wanted to talk with me about. Given my history, I try not to give advice so I thought I’d mainly listen and hopefully lift his spirits by being someone he could talk with.
He was telling me that he had come to the place in his life where he decided something had to change. He had been involved with numerous women in his life, had taken drugs, had a problem with alcohol, and a long list of other items. No matter what he had done or where he had gone, he still never could quite find peace. A few months back he had been approached by a Christian friend who tried to give him a little direction in life and also gave him a bible to read. He started reading it and began to try to apply some of the principles to his life. However, he felt like he had done too many bad things in the past and that he didn’t deserve the love and things that Jesus would willingly provide for him. He wanted to get his act together before he started going to church. He said, “I can’t show up at a church like this. I’m too bad of a person for them to accept me”. Let me say that if you show up to a church and they don’t accept you because you’re not like them, you probably don’t want to be part of that church anyway.
After he talked for a bit, I decided (against my better judgment) to break down and give him some advice/information.
The bible is loaded with people who God accepted and used who weren’t perfect:
1.) Noah had a drinking problem
2.) Abraham had a lying problem
3.) Moses was a murderer
4.) Aaron had a side job of making idols
5.) Gideon tried to provoke God
6.) Samson was a womanizer
7.) David, the man after God's own heart abused his power, he lusted, committed adultery, committed murder of his loyal subject, he lied among other things
8.) Manasseh was involved in witchcraft, murdered of his son, and is made by God ruler of his people
9.) Hosea had an adulterous wife and a horrible family life
10.) Jonah told God he wasn’t going to help people in Ninevah because he hated them
11.) Matthew was a nasty tax collector
12.) Peter cursed and denied, publicly of any knowledge of Jesus
13.) Paul was a blasphemer, murderer, and certainly had a "reputation"
14.) Rahab was a prostitute
15.) Jesus himself had a certain reputation as He was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. Of course they were lies but he still carried the reputation
The bible’s list goes on and on, naming individuals that God chose to include in His plan of redemption.
Just within our area there are pastors who were among other things; womanizers, had drug problems, were alcoholics, abusive spouses, etc. Though some are in ministry for self proclamation & promotion, many are in ministry to try and warn/reach others and let them know that there is hope in a hopeless world.
As anyone who knows me can testify, I’ve had issues with several things in the past I’m not proud of:
• Temper
• Lust
• Pornography
• Lying
• Stealing
I wasted several years of my life partaking in things that were destructive to me personally and spiritually. I was accused of many more things by people extremely close to me, I won’t waste your time with that but even though the accusations were untruthful, they were easily believable by the items that were true. I begged God for forgiveness and although He forgave me, I still at times have difficulty forgiving myself. I apologized to those who I offended, made peace with all who would listen, and moved on hoping to someday be worthy to be once again used by God. I could either look on it as an end to ministry or the beginning of a new phase in ministry where I could help others who wandered down the wrong road and can’t seem to find there way back. Several months later, God allowed me to once again serve Him in ministry. If He’s willing to use me with the damage I did to His work, He’s definitely willing to accept others and use them also.
The good news for you and me is that God uses people that have messed up for His purposes. Our past failures do not disqualify us. If we respond properly, our failures can actually shape us to embrace the future God has designed.
So take heart! We are not eliminated, or damaged goods. God can use each of us for His redemptive purposes.
I Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV)
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
God does not use perfect things. He takes broken things and makes them work.
He does not always fix them! He uses them in condition that He found them so that He gets all the credit.
You may think there is no hope and there may not be, at least in the normal way of thinking. That’s okay because you are not alone. The very thing that you feel is tearing you down can be the thing that God uses to make you the person He wants you to be.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message)
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
So, you have been mistreated, misunderstood, gossiped about, lied about, misused and gone through things that are terrible. I’m not saying that is a good thing, I’m saying that these are the very things that can make you the person God wants to use to help others.
Don’t get hung up on things in your past. Get hung up in God’s love and mercy.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about just giving up and living in sin.
Hebrews 12:17 (The Message)
Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
Some have tried and tried and cannot seem get victory and now the temptation is to just give up. Don’t give up, keep on going. It’s the keeping on keeping on, trying to move toward God, falling and getting discouraged and then getting up again and moving on that will help build your faith.
Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
.... though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.
The sin is not so much in the falling as it is in giving up and laying there. Get up and move toward the Lord.
Have you been HURT?
Have you been WOUNDED?
Are you DAMAGED GOODS?
You are in good company! You are just like most of the people in the Bible! So let’s move on. Damaged Goods are close to the heart of God -- at least that seems to be one of the patterns of scripture to me. God wants you just the way you are so He can transform you to what He wants you to be.
________________________________________________________
Unbelievable, I’m blown away it’s true
By the matchless love that I’ve found in You.
Undeniable, the changes in me
I’ve never felt so free.
Ever patiently accepting me.
Lord, You love in spite of everything I do.
But oh so faithfully,
You’re committed to the process that makes me like You.
Not when I’m good enough
Not when I clean my act up
Not when I cross that line the thousandth time
And become a better man
Your grace is more than enough
To cover all my sins You washed them away
So right here today
You love me just the way I am
It makes me want to dance.
You make me want to dance.
When I think about how
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way I am.
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way,
Just the way I am
He was telling me that he had come to the place in his life where he decided something had to change. He had been involved with numerous women in his life, had taken drugs, had a problem with alcohol, and a long list of other items. No matter what he had done or where he had gone, he still never could quite find peace. A few months back he had been approached by a Christian friend who tried to give him a little direction in life and also gave him a bible to read. He started reading it and began to try to apply some of the principles to his life. However, he felt like he had done too many bad things in the past and that he didn’t deserve the love and things that Jesus would willingly provide for him. He wanted to get his act together before he started going to church. He said, “I can’t show up at a church like this. I’m too bad of a person for them to accept me”. Let me say that if you show up to a church and they don’t accept you because you’re not like them, you probably don’t want to be part of that church anyway.
After he talked for a bit, I decided (against my better judgment) to break down and give him some advice/information.
The bible is loaded with people who God accepted and used who weren’t perfect:
1.) Noah had a drinking problem
2.) Abraham had a lying problem
3.) Moses was a murderer
4.) Aaron had a side job of making idols
5.) Gideon tried to provoke God
6.) Samson was a womanizer
7.) David, the man after God's own heart abused his power, he lusted, committed adultery, committed murder of his loyal subject, he lied among other things
8.) Manasseh was involved in witchcraft, murdered of his son, and is made by God ruler of his people
9.) Hosea had an adulterous wife and a horrible family life
10.) Jonah told God he wasn’t going to help people in Ninevah because he hated them
11.) Matthew was a nasty tax collector
12.) Peter cursed and denied, publicly of any knowledge of Jesus
13.) Paul was a blasphemer, murderer, and certainly had a "reputation"
14.) Rahab was a prostitute
15.) Jesus himself had a certain reputation as He was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. Of course they were lies but he still carried the reputation
The bible’s list goes on and on, naming individuals that God chose to include in His plan of redemption.
Just within our area there are pastors who were among other things; womanizers, had drug problems, were alcoholics, abusive spouses, etc. Though some are in ministry for self proclamation & promotion, many are in ministry to try and warn/reach others and let them know that there is hope in a hopeless world.
As anyone who knows me can testify, I’ve had issues with several things in the past I’m not proud of:
• Temper
• Lust
• Pornography
• Lying
• Stealing
I wasted several years of my life partaking in things that were destructive to me personally and spiritually. I was accused of many more things by people extremely close to me, I won’t waste your time with that but even though the accusations were untruthful, they were easily believable by the items that were true. I begged God for forgiveness and although He forgave me, I still at times have difficulty forgiving myself. I apologized to those who I offended, made peace with all who would listen, and moved on hoping to someday be worthy to be once again used by God. I could either look on it as an end to ministry or the beginning of a new phase in ministry where I could help others who wandered down the wrong road and can’t seem to find there way back. Several months later, God allowed me to once again serve Him in ministry. If He’s willing to use me with the damage I did to His work, He’s definitely willing to accept others and use them also.
The good news for you and me is that God uses people that have messed up for His purposes. Our past failures do not disqualify us. If we respond properly, our failures can actually shape us to embrace the future God has designed.
So take heart! We are not eliminated, or damaged goods. God can use each of us for His redemptive purposes.
I Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV)
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
God does not use perfect things. He takes broken things and makes them work.
He does not always fix them! He uses them in condition that He found them so that He gets all the credit.
You may think there is no hope and there may not be, at least in the normal way of thinking. That’s okay because you are not alone. The very thing that you feel is tearing you down can be the thing that God uses to make you the person He wants you to be.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message)
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
So, you have been mistreated, misunderstood, gossiped about, lied about, misused and gone through things that are terrible. I’m not saying that is a good thing, I’m saying that these are the very things that can make you the person God wants to use to help others.
Don’t get hung up on things in your past. Get hung up in God’s love and mercy.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about just giving up and living in sin.
Hebrews 12:17 (The Message)
Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
Some have tried and tried and cannot seem get victory and now the temptation is to just give up. Don’t give up, keep on going. It’s the keeping on keeping on, trying to move toward God, falling and getting discouraged and then getting up again and moving on that will help build your faith.
Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
.... though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.
The sin is not so much in the falling as it is in giving up and laying there. Get up and move toward the Lord.
Have you been HURT?
Have you been WOUNDED?
Are you DAMAGED GOODS?
You are in good company! You are just like most of the people in the Bible! So let’s move on. Damaged Goods are close to the heart of God -- at least that seems to be one of the patterns of scripture to me. God wants you just the way you are so He can transform you to what He wants you to be.
________________________________________________________
Just the Way I Am
Big Daddy Weave
Unbelievable, I’m blown away it’s true
By the matchless love that I’ve found in You.
Undeniable, the changes in me
I’ve never felt so free.
Ever patiently accepting me.
Lord, You love in spite of everything I do.
But oh so faithfully,
You’re committed to the process that makes me like You.
Not when I’m good enough
Not when I clean my act up
Not when I cross that line the thousandth time
And become a better man
Your grace is more than enough
To cover all my sins You washed them away
So right here today
You love me just the way I am
It makes me want to dance.
You make me want to dance.
When I think about how
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way I am.
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way,
Just the way I am
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Year in Review, The Year Ahead
As ‘09 draws to a close and we get ready for ‘10 to start, many groups, businesses, organizations, etc. look back to review the previous year and set goals for the upcoming year. I’ve done this for a few years now to track how I’ve met my personal goals and set some for the upcoming year. I don’t make resolutions, just goals for things I’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year.
Looking back on last years goals, I did decent job at some items;
• Stayed jail free
• Stayed out of court (formidable task, but accomplished)
• Improved financial situation
• Daily Bible reading/devotion (85-90% at best though)
• Spent more time with family
• Displayed a kinder/gentler attitude toward others (still a work in progress)
But as always, there’s room for improvement on many items;
• Relationship with my Children improved only slightly if at all
• At times have troubles with issues from the past
• Self-forgiveness
• Tendency to be unkind/short toward others
• Waste too much time on matters that are unimportant
• My lack of trust has still caused stress in relationships
There are several items on both lists that I’ll keep private, but all in all the year was a good one. Not great, but not as bad as some in the past either.
So where do I go from here? What are my goals for the upcoming year and how can I make adjustments to improve on reaching the goals I set for the upcoming year?
I have several things that I’d like to accomplish this year. Some are recurring goals from previous years. Some are easier to accomplish than others. Some may never be accomplished, but you fail at the outset if you don’t at least try. I coached baseball for many years and if a young boy wanted to try and be a pitcher, I at least gave him the opportunity. You never know if he was good at it or not unless you gave them a shot at trying out. Just looking at them is not a good judge of whether or not they could or couldn’t do it. You have to give them a try. The same can be said for anything we want to try in life. So make a preliminary list, pray over it, think about it and see if any changes need to be made to the list. Then set out to accomplish all that you have on your list.
So far some of the goals I have are;
• Spend more time with in-depth Bible study. (less superficial study)
• Continue to rebuild the relationship with my Son Corey and my Daughter Heather. There are many difficulties involved as they have a large amount of negative influence in their lives, but I will continue to try.
• Continue to overcome shortcomings/”addictions” of the past
• Pay off my truck again this year
• Pay off the formers vehicle this year
• Continue to improve/payoff the remaining financial commitments
• Increase charitable giving
• Work to build stronger relationships
• Learn to trust others more (not everyone is out to take from you, leave you, or stab you in the back)
• Be a better pastor and devote more time to lessons/studies
• Relocate
• Get to know a certain person better and be more of a part of their life (many obstacles)
• Reach out to those who are searching or seeking and give them guidance to obtain the hope that I have and realize that there’s more to this life than eyes can see
There are a few more items that as I stated earlier will remain private, but I’ll strive to accomplish or improve on what I have listed.
As a person, I have several roles in life. Some include;
Christian
Father
Son
Brother
Uncle
Nephew
Cousin
Employee
Friend
Boss
Pastor
If I strive to accomplish my goals for the upcoming year, it can help me in every aspect of my life. Improvement in my life helps improve the life of those around me.
Goals are important in your life. Each person needs a vision of what they want in the future. In Proverbs 29:18, God says that without a vision His people perish. I recommend that each person set aside time to map out your goals for the year. Not resolutions, they often disappear by the end of January and you’ve forgotten them in a very short time. But real, long term goals for your life. If you have a vision of where you want to be, you stand a better chance of getting there. Having them written down somewhere so you come across them on a regular basis improves the chances that you can accomplish the goals and improve your life.
More to This Life
Steven Curtis Chapman
Today I watched in silence as people passed me by,
And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes;
But they all looked back at me as if to say
Life just goes on.
The old familiar story told in different ways,
Make the most of your own journey from the cradle to the grave;
Dream your dreams tomorrow because today
Life must go on.
But there’s more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.
Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,
And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,
But in the morning light it looks the same;
Life just goes on.
He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,
And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;
And somehow he still feels a need to search,
But life just goes on.
So where do we start to find every part
Of what makes this life complete;
If we turn our eyes to Jesus we’ll find
Life’s true beginning is there at the cross where He died.
He died to bring us . . .
More to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.
Looking back on last years goals, I did decent job at some items;
• Stayed jail free
• Stayed out of court (formidable task, but accomplished)
• Improved financial situation
• Daily Bible reading/devotion (85-90% at best though)
• Spent more time with family
• Displayed a kinder/gentler attitude toward others (still a work in progress)
But as always, there’s room for improvement on many items;
• Relationship with my Children improved only slightly if at all
• At times have troubles with issues from the past
• Self-forgiveness
• Tendency to be unkind/short toward others
• Waste too much time on matters that are unimportant
• My lack of trust has still caused stress in relationships
There are several items on both lists that I’ll keep private, but all in all the year was a good one. Not great, but not as bad as some in the past either.
So where do I go from here? What are my goals for the upcoming year and how can I make adjustments to improve on reaching the goals I set for the upcoming year?
I have several things that I’d like to accomplish this year. Some are recurring goals from previous years. Some are easier to accomplish than others. Some may never be accomplished, but you fail at the outset if you don’t at least try. I coached baseball for many years and if a young boy wanted to try and be a pitcher, I at least gave him the opportunity. You never know if he was good at it or not unless you gave them a shot at trying out. Just looking at them is not a good judge of whether or not they could or couldn’t do it. You have to give them a try. The same can be said for anything we want to try in life. So make a preliminary list, pray over it, think about it and see if any changes need to be made to the list. Then set out to accomplish all that you have on your list.
So far some of the goals I have are;
• Spend more time with in-depth Bible study. (less superficial study)
• Continue to rebuild the relationship with my Son Corey and my Daughter Heather. There are many difficulties involved as they have a large amount of negative influence in their lives, but I will continue to try.
• Continue to overcome shortcomings/”addictions” of the past
• Pay off my truck again this year
• Pay off the formers vehicle this year
• Continue to improve/payoff the remaining financial commitments
• Increase charitable giving
• Work to build stronger relationships
• Learn to trust others more (not everyone is out to take from you, leave you, or stab you in the back)
• Be a better pastor and devote more time to lessons/studies
• Relocate
• Get to know a certain person better and be more of a part of their life (many obstacles)
• Reach out to those who are searching or seeking and give them guidance to obtain the hope that I have and realize that there’s more to this life than eyes can see
There are a few more items that as I stated earlier will remain private, but I’ll strive to accomplish or improve on what I have listed.
As a person, I have several roles in life. Some include;
Christian
Father
Son
Brother
Uncle
Nephew
Cousin
Employee
Friend
Boss
Pastor
If I strive to accomplish my goals for the upcoming year, it can help me in every aspect of my life. Improvement in my life helps improve the life of those around me.
Goals are important in your life. Each person needs a vision of what they want in the future. In Proverbs 29:18, God says that without a vision His people perish. I recommend that each person set aside time to map out your goals for the year. Not resolutions, they often disappear by the end of January and you’ve forgotten them in a very short time. But real, long term goals for your life. If you have a vision of where you want to be, you stand a better chance of getting there. Having them written down somewhere so you come across them on a regular basis improves the chances that you can accomplish the goals and improve your life.
More to This Life
Steven Curtis Chapman
Today I watched in silence as people passed me by,
And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes;
But they all looked back at me as if to say
Life just goes on.
The old familiar story told in different ways,
Make the most of your own journey from the cradle to the grave;
Dream your dreams tomorrow because today
Life must go on.
But there’s more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.
Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,
And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,
But in the morning light it looks the same;
Life just goes on.
He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,
And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;
And somehow he still feels a need to search,
But life just goes on.
So where do we start to find every part
Of what makes this life complete;
If we turn our eyes to Jesus we’ll find
Life’s true beginning is there at the cross where He died.
He died to bring us . . .
More to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.
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