God's Will For You

Am I Thankful?

Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:18

Rick was an average guy who represented millions of men his age, weight, height and measure of baldness (he preferred thinning hair). Rick had been a Christian for twelve years or so (twenty if you counted his first conversion in grade school) but Christ was barely evident in his busy, materialistic life.  

           Safely chugging along in a well-paying job, Rick and his family had most of the materialistic tokens of success which seemed to bend their focus away from Christ, toward things. It was a subtle move, item by item, pleasure by pleasure until Christ became just one more “thing” they did together…most of the time.

           Until one day, as they sat around the dinner table on a Sunday afternoon at the beach in the rented vacation house, their conversation turned to satisfaction, or the lack of same in their lives. In the midst of their annual vacation, the family noticed something wrong with Rick the Dad and Husband. While in the midst of deciding whether to go deep sea diving or parasailing, Rick seemed to snap!

           “Is this it? Is this what our life has become?” he said soberly. “Is our life just one pleasure after another? How much money will make us happy? I earn nearly $100,000 a year now and we spend almost every dollar on our desires. We own four cars, a utility truck, take two expensive vacations each year, own another beach house down south, dress better than many of our friends, have the latest cell phones and other electronic devices and the whitest teeth in our neighborhood.”

           “Dad, what’s wrong with that?” his daughter asked. “Isn’t that just normal life? Most of our friends do the same. Even the pastor does all those things and his family seems happy.”

           “How often do we pray? How often do we volunteer at the foodbank or take a missions trip?” he asked them. “Don’t look stunned, I already know the answers. Not nearly enough. We let our abundant salary take care of those pesky obligations for us. I just write a check to sooth my sense of duty to the church…to The Lord. Which reminds me, how often do we all pray together anymore, or read our Bibles together? That’s ok, you don’t have to answer because I know the answer is not very often unless we are in some sort of desperate situation then we toss out a few “Oh Lord please help me!”

           They spent several hours crying and praying that afternoon and, afterwards, decided to pay a visit to the local food bank where they agreed to volunteer each day during their vacation. It was the beginning of change for their family, inviting Jesus back into their daily lives as they learned to do without some material items and place greater emphasis on spreading the Gospel.

           1 Thess. 5:14-24  “We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people.

Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.

Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspired messages. Put all things to the test: keep what is good and avoid every kind of evil.

May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful.”

           Col. 2:6-7 “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

           Eph. 5:18-21  “Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and submit to each other out of respect for Christ.”

           2 Cor. 9:10-12  “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.”

Looking Up

“...looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:13

Holy God

Holy God, we worship You as Giver of new life. Blow through our lives, O Spirit. Cleanse us of all contamination and impure thoughts; of lack of love, selfishness and intolerance. 

Give new life to our entire being. Blow through the hearts of all who are distressed. You are the Comforter that the Savior promised to the sad. Raise them up who snap under the burden of their sorrows and give them new courage for life. Blow through your church, O Spirit, and bring a God-willed revival. Transform communities that work out of love for You and make Sundays of everyday life. 

Blow, O Spirit, through our country, its leaders and all its people. Work in a powerful way for reconciliation, tolerance and peace. Let the Father’s name be glorified, Christ’s attitude live in us, and let Your fruit, O Spirit, become visible in our lives. 

Be, O Spirit of God, to all of us, the breath of a truly Christian life. In the name of our Risen Savior, Jesus the Living Christ.  ~Amen (anonymous)

Manipulating God

"You, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth" Psalm 97 

Lawrence beamed at the capacity audience in San Francisco; the sixth stop of his Worldwide Evangelical Movement tour. "God is sitting on his throne, waiting for you to give him a hint. That's right, God is leaning forward, anxious to hear your requests so he can give you what you desire in the deepest place in your heart. He made you to abide with him some day and until that day, he wants to make you happy and satisfied. 

"Have you been passed over for that promotion? God knows and wants to release the blessings of that new job to you. Can't find that special person to complete you? God is aware of that missing piece in your puzzle of life as well. What about the home you keep driving by, wishing it was yours? Yes, my friends, God is fully aware of your needs and he wants to fulfill them, make you happy and give you the greatest, most fulfilling experience that life has to offer. 

"I know some of you are thinking something like, 'How can I ever afford that home I truly want? I need a better job and less debt.' Friends, God is the God of satisfaction and delight. He made you and knows how to make you satisfied and content on this earth as you prepare for eternal life with him.  

Lawrence became silent, walking back and forth on the platform, scanning the audience as he moved. And then, "What is the key to unlocking God's blessings, you ask? Sacrifice. Yes, it is sacrifice. Think of how he showed his love for us. Sacrifice! He sacrificed his own Son so we could have this wonderful life. And now he expects us to learn that same sacrifice. God GAVE so we could live and now it is our turn. We must sacrificially GIVE to release those blessings from heaven."  

By now Lawrence was commanding the audience with his fine-tuned and powerful voice, it was as though he hypnotized them...Give, give give. Sacrificially give. Give when you don't think you can. God is waiting. Release those blessings from the throne of God." They were on their feet as the army of ushers passed buckets across the rows of excited, believing people. 

Does this scenario sound familiar? Do you have, perhaps secretly, desires that you hope God will bring to pass to make your life better? Desires of more money, better job, better marriage, better body, bigger house? If you do, admit it to God. As the famous southern pastor, J. Vernon Mcgee once said, "You might as well tell Him because He knows anyway." 

God does understand our secret desires of wealth, health, homes, trips, etc. But what he wants for us is far better. Does anyone really believe that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to live and die for us so that we could have more money, bigger homes, better cars, and more fun? Jesus did give sacrificially, didn't he? His sacrifice was given freely so you and I could experience redemption and forgiveness of sins. Surely we can see clearly that Christ did not experience such an excruciating torture and death so we could accumulate more stuff on earth. 

Psalm 97:1-5  The Lord rules! Let the earth rejoice! Let all the islands celebrate! Clouds and thick darkness surround God. His throne is built on righteousness and justice. Fire proceeds before him, burning up his enemies on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees it and trembles! The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of the whole world! 

Our lives are actually spiritual. As such our warfare is taking place in the spiritual realms, every day...every hour. God's great sacrifice has made it possible for us to walk in the spirit, guided by the Holy Spirit. As we gear up each day with the Armor of God, we engage in the battle prepared and protected by God. Do you see material things as important in this daily battle for souls and lives? 

Ephesians 6:10-17  In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground.  

Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women. 

Men and women who claim to speak for God but seek to gratify their flesh are, in truth, serving the enemy of our soul and feeding their own flesh. The Bible tells us to die to the flesh: 

Romans 8:12-16  So then, my brothers, you can see that we have no particular reason to feel grateful to our sensual nature, or to live life on the level of the instincts. Indeed that way of living leads to certain spiritual death. But if on the other hand you cut the nerve of your instinctive actions by obeying the Spirit, you are on the way to real living. 

All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons. Nor are you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear—you have been adopted into the very family circle of God and you can say with a full heart, “Father, my Father”. The Spirit himself endorses our inward conviction that we really are the children of God. Think what that means. If we are his children we share his treasures, and all that Christ claims as his will belong to all of us as well! Yes, if we share in his suffering we shall certainly share in his glory.    

A man left his house early one morning to attend a Bible study. It was then he saw an obstacle! A flat tire. Not low but dead flat. He had no time to change a tire. He pondered his situation and felt God nudge him to have faith that He would take care of the tire. So, he prayed and believed that God would do the impossible. 

He drove three miles to a gas station, filled the tire with air and drove to the study. The tire never leaked or deflated again. Life is spiritual! 

Statement of Faith

I believe in One God, the Creator of all things, visible I believe that within the nature of the One True God, there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are coequal in power, nature and eternity.

I believe that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, but the Son of Man, who was born into this world of a virgin, lived as a man among men, suffered and died for our sins and was physically and literally resurrected from the dead, that He ascended back to Heaven and is alive today, seated at the right hand of the Father. He Himself is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the one to whom every knee shall one day bow.

I believe that all mankind is helplessly lost, separated from God, and that the only path to reconciliation with God is personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Salvation is therefore the free gift of eternal life, bought and paid for by the death of Christ on the cross.

I believe that Jesus Christ will one day return physically and literally to this world at the climax of the age, at which time the dead of all time will be raised and judged according to God’s mercy and righteousness.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world today revealing Jesus Christ, convicting of sin, and empowering the Church. I believe in the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian as proclaimed in the scripture and lived out down through the ages. What the Holy Spirit did in the time of the Apostles, He desires to do today!

I believe that the Bible is a gift from God, written by men who were moved by the Holy Spirit. I can think of no better proclamation that what the scripture itself gives us in regard to our faith concerning the Bible:

“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

-II Timothy 3:16-17

I believe in One Church, comprised of all true believers in Jesus Christ, regardless of race, or denominational creed, and that Jesus Christ Himself is the Head and Lord of this Church.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Faith Not Feelings

We live by faith and not by sight!  2 Cor. 5:7

Unlike any other book, the Bible is God's living, eternal Word, filled with absolute promises that enable us to live an extraordinary life with no fear. However, because we do have weak moments when we do feel afraid, we have only to call upon the Lord, to read His words and see His promises to bask in the peace and security He freely gives.

Regardless of our circumstances, He will never leave or forsake us. Not only that, He awaits for us at the door of our mansion in Heaven with a perfectly fitted robe of righteousness, washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah!

At a meeting, the leader, when talking about our feelings said, “Feelings are neither right or wrong, they just are!” At first some of those present stood against his description but after considering what he said, they all agreed it was true. Feelings are part of who we are but when they cause misdirection, confusion, fear, or more negative responses, we know they are to be controlled. And only God can come to the rescue. He can replace negative feelings with His promises of care and eternal salvation.

            John 11:25-26  ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

            John 10:10-11  I came that [you] may have life, and have it abundantly. ¹¹"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

            1 Peter 1:3-5   ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

            John 10:27-30  ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

            John 6:35-40  ³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. ³⁷ However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. ³⁹ And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

            1 John 4:4   ⁴ But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people (false teachers, spirit of the anti-christ), because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

            Romans 8:38  ³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

            2 Corinthians 5:17  ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

            Matthew 11:28-30  ²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

            The teenage boy told his father, “Dad, I don’t feel like mowing the lawn today.” To which his father replied, “Then I guess I don’t feel like feeding you dinner.”

CONDEMNATION OR FORGIVENESS?

At first, Allen held his shield of faith high, deflecting those fiery satanic darts, extinguishing them quickly. But as time wore on, his shield seemed heavier and his focus scattered so it wasn’t held as high. A little space is all Satan needs for those darts. He is an excellent marksman.

            Time passed, Allen’s attention shifted, his shield dropped lower. More darts hit their mark. Allen seemed less positive about his faith and standing in Christ. He found doubt to be a normal part of his life, slowly replacing faith, slowly dropping his shield.

            Until finally, Allen didn’t bother to put on his armor at all. His shield of faith was somewhere in the closet, under a pile of doubt and insecurity.

If only I'd (done or not done) that. I should’ve seen that coming; saved more money; got rid of that credit card; been more honest with them; studied harder; finished the project on time. . . and so the little accusing voice (fiery darts) within our minds goes, piling on guilt and condemnation. The Bible clearly says, however, that there is no condemnation for believers. Will I listen to the condemning voice (not God) or the uplifting, encouraging one (God)?

            Romans 8:1-2  So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² For the power of the life-giving Spirit—and this power is mine through Christ Jesus—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.

            Romans 8:9-11  But you are not carnal but spiritual if the Spirit of God finds a home within you. You cannot, indeed, be a Christian at all unless you have something of his Spirit in you. Now if Christ does live within you his presence means that your sinful nature is dead, but your spirit becomes alive because of the righteousness he brings with him. I said that our nature is “dead” in the presence of Christ, and so it is, because of its sin. Nevertheless once the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives within you he will, by that same Spirit, bring to your whole being new strength and vitality.

            Romans 8:14-15  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father!

            Galatians 4:6  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!

            Romans 8:28, 31  Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?

 John 1:12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

            God's rescue is eternal and very personal. He prepared the way by allowing Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God,  to be crucified so we may experience not only joy for the moment, but a joy everlasting. Well aware of our weaknesses, He implanted His Holy Spirit in our hearts, our souls—preparing  an immediate, incorruptible two-way communication system between us and Himself.

            And what of your shield of faith? Is it shiny and dent-free, hanging on the wall or hidden in the closet? Or is it covered with dings, dents, scrapes and black spots where those fiery darts were extinguished?

THE FALL OF PRIDE

In weakness we can find strength, God’s perfect strength. But in our strength, our pride, when fully developed, we can find desolation and pain. Such was the case in my life many years ago in a place far away.

I was a faithful Christian, involved in church leadership, teaching Bible classes, volunteering at the children’s private Christian school. I was the epitome of walking after the Lord…on the outside.

Inside I had allowed doubt and lust to establish a foothold in my heart and mind. Subtly I allowed stray looks, personal remarks and thoughts to slide in and build comfortable seating arrangements in my inner man, in my heart.

Solid Food!

“You need milk, not solid food.” Hebrews 5:12

            By the third grade, all the students and teachers realized that Daniel always brought an insulated lunch bag to school to keep his milk cool. That in itself, was not a radical thing to do. But in his case, milk was all his lunch bag contained. Finally his teacher met with the principal and they decided to talk with Daniel’s parents.

            “This may seem strange to you, Mrs. Phillips but we are concerned about your son’s diet in that he seems to only be drinking milk; no solid foods.”

            “Once we realized how packed-full of protein, vitamin D and calcium milk is, his father and I decided there was nothing better Daniel could take-in each day,” said Mrs. Phillips.

            “Do you mean to say you son eats no solid food?”

            “That’s correct, he only drinks milk. Of course we add little flavor treats at home and on weekends like chocolate, vanilla, and ice cream. We all need a little variety in our diets!”

            Fortunately for Daniel, the school provided professional dietary help for the Phillips family which included adding vegetables, grain, and fruits.

            Although this fictionalized version of extreme behavior seems silly or worse to us, we are warned by God to move away from a spiritual diet based on milk alone. Specifically, we are cautioned that instead of being able to teach others and understand more of His teachings, we remain as children, with stunted comprehension.

Two Decades Inside

He came in alert,

Eyes avoiding mine.

Rail thin, shaved head

And deep scars.

“Hi there, I'm David”

I hoped I sounded real.

“Roger,” he mumbled,

Darting a look.

“Roger's been inside

For twenty years or so,”

Explained his friend.

I hoped he wasn't looking,

My feelings were visible.

We prayed and asked God

To guide and give grace.

Bibles were opened and

The study began.

The topic eludes but his

Heart was pierced.

Silently at first, streams of tears

Then sobs shook him deeply

We closed in prayer,

We shook firmly.

“I'll be back. This was good.”

God was at work,

It wasn't me.

God Still Heals

“They will lay hands on the sick and they will get well.” Mark 16:18

One of the men in our weekly Bible study was set upon by some thugs and received four broken ribs! He is a tough old bird who had recently rededicated his life to Jesus Christ. Having gone through several such incidents during his life, he just gritted his teeth and forged ahead.
After a week and lots of pain, however, he was taken to an emergency room for a look-see. Bad news, they told him. Your ribs are not healing, they are sort of floating in fluid and in need of surgical help to properly heal. We will have to open your chest and repair the damaged ribs. While considering this option he showed up at the Bible study and shared his pain and concern.
Moved by the Holy Spirit we laid hands on him and asked God to heal his fractured ribs and restore him to health in Jesus' name. As we were gathering our things together after the study he stood and said, “Hey, I can move my arm around and I couldn't do this before.” He was rotating his right arm around and around with no pain. “I am not kidding,” he said. “I couldn't do this. I think God healed me!” We praised God and rejoiced together.
That was Friday, June 24, 2011. Today, June 28, at our Tuesday Bible Study, he proclaimed total healing by the Lord God Almighty! He told us after he got home, thinking that God had, indeed healed his ribs, he not only rotated his arm but dropped down on the floor and popped out several push-ups. He was healed.
We share this miracle to encourage all who may read it. God still heals. God still cares. God still saves our souls. Glory to our God.

New Beginnings

Another Christmas day is about to dawn upon us in 2009. And this year, unlike many in the near past, finds millions of Americans shaking their heads in bewilderment, wondering how their fortunes, futures, homes, and jobs have slipped away. Believing they could trust in investments, loan officers, and corporations, many have proven not worthy of this trust. Some, unfortunately, have proven to be scoundrels and thieves, plundering the financial security of millions.

So, this may prove to be a rather sad Christmas, bereft of piles of presents beneath those trees, replaced with notes of love and hugs, reminding each other that families and love outweigh things any day. And for those who not only lost most material possessions but have no family to hug, I offer the love of Christ; a never-ending or failing love, transcending all disappointment and failure in this world. His love for you, proven on Calvary's cross, written in His own blood flowing down that cross, can give a new beginning and eternal hope for all of us.

God bless us, everyone...