Month: February 2018

GOD’S WAY NOT MAN’S WAY…..


Spiritual Blog - Two Ways

James 1:19-20 – “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  NKJV

            A number of years ago I had a member of the congregation that I was leading tell me regarding some incident that has just taken place in his life, “I don’t get mad I get even.”  I asked if he believed that was God’s way and his reply was, “I don’t know but it’s my way.”  Among other passages of scripture that I called to his attention was this one from James.  He was unflinching in his resolve to exact a pound of flesh from the person that had caused him a wound and nothing I could say changed his mind.  I prayed for that man over this issue until the day of his death and so far as I know he never altered that view.

     James warns or encourages us depending on how you view it how we should interact with other people.  He tells us that we should be SWIFT TO HEAR.  That would be beautiful if it were not so contrary to our natural human mindset that many find it almost impossible.  Most are either anxiously framing their response to what is being said without really listening or they are so absorbed with what the points they want to make that they do not hear anyone or anything else.  He also said we are to be SLOW TO SPEAK.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had someone tell me, “Well, I just say what is on my mind and let the chips fall where they may.”  That may sound good but is it really the heart and mind of God.  Sometimes SILENCE is the right response and the Bible makes it crystal clear that “a soft answer turns away wrath.”  Usually, that statement (speaking the mind) is made by a person who justifies saying whatever they want to say as though it were a pious thing when it is laden with self and selfishness.  It does not consider the other brother or sister or even the situation it only gives a release for the individual to SPEAK THEIR MIND.

   James continues and tells us that “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  If we speak in anger the chances are we will say things that we will later wish we could take back but you cannot retrieve words.  Once they are released into the atmosphere they are there forever and sadly, we will hear them played back one day when we stand before God.  The only solution is to bring them under the Blood of Jesus and washed away and that requires repentance.  No wonder the Bible tells us to “not let the sun go down on our anger.”  If you allow it to fester in your heart, it will permeate your thought processes and become part of your reasoning and interaction with others and eventually will produce a poison that will damage you and others around you.  It will cost you relationships, peace of mind, and possibly even the fulfillment of the purposes of God for your life.

     If we learn to LISTEN and carefully weigh our words and diffuse anger we will see God’s Righteousness shine forth into the situation and what God can do in an instant we could never accomplish in two lifetimes.  So, I encourage everyone to become HEARERS and not just SPEAKERS or DOERS. 

       May God bless you and be with you as you go through your day!

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GOD SEES IN US WHAT WE CANNOT SEE…


Spiritual Blog - Valor

Judges 6:11-18 – “Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The LORD looked at him and said, ” Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 But the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18 “Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”  NASU

 

        It is sometimes amusing but comforting to realize that God does not see as man sees.  He is not limited to what is presently visible or a current reality in the natural.  God sees the end from the beginning and we are limited to seeing the beginning from the end.  We may believe there is potential, but God not only believes the potential but sees it as a finished product, IF…  If what?  If we will walk in obedience and dare to dream and press toward the prize of the high calling.

      In this account which is a most powerful revelation of the truth that “God sees in us what we cannot see in ourselves.”  I have known some who thought they were a god or God’s gift to the world, but my focus is the masses who do not view themselves that way.  I can only imagine how Gideon felt when the angel of the LORD came to him and called him a ‘valiant warrior.’  We don’t have to wonder because the account gives the mental attitude of Gideon.  Gideon did not simply shrink back in a sense of insufficiency, he questioned God.  That can be a dangerous condition but sometimes, it seems that God welcomes our questions.  Why?  Because it gives him the opportunity to demonstrate His power, person, purpose, and love.  It allows Him to demonstrate the truth that what He has placed in us can produce incredible results in this life.

       Gideon asked, “if the LORD is with us THEN WHY???”  Why what?  Why are we in such deep turmoil nationally?  Why is there such calamity in our lives?  Why is there such unrest?  Why are the enemies enjoying such apparent success?  WHY?  He also asked, “if the LORD is with us THEN WHERE???”  Where what?  Where are all the miracles we’ve heard about in our history?  If the LORD brought us out to freedom from bondage, why has he apparently abandoned us?  I love the next verse.  It says, ‘The LORD looked at him…’  It did not say the angel of the LORD, it said THE LORD.  The LORD revealed what He saw in Gideon, which was something Gideon could not see in himself.  I have no doubt Gideon longed for Israel’s deliverance and for someone to champion the cause of Freedom for the people, but never saw himself as that vessel.  The LORD said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel…”  WOW!  Hey, Gideon, ITS IN YOU!  God has made you a conqueror, a valiant warrior, and a victory.  This is your assignment.  I AM WITH YOU!   Hallelujah!  That’s enough!

     Gideon, as did Moses protested that he was insignificant and that’s what made him a candidate for God’s demonstration of incredible exploits through him.  Had he been full of himself and seen himself as larger than life, he would not have been usable for the King of Kings.  Had he not been humble and little in his own sight, he would have disobeyed when the LORD began sending home his warriors and left him with 300 men to face an entire army.  But, God saw in him a heart that was pliable, teachable, and humble.  That’s what God saw in David calling him a man after God’s own heart.  It was not that either of them was sinless or perfect, but they were obedient and recognized God as God.

      God sees in you far more than you see in yourself and as Jeremiah declared, God knows the plans He has for you and it is far greater than you can imagine.  God knows His purpose and assignment for your life and it is not limited to the natural or immediate it is only limited by your willingness to walk in obedience.  I am not suggesting that each of us will become national leaders or deliverers.  Some of us may simply be those who pour water on the hands of those who are, but each assignment is vital and what God sees in you is far more than you see in yourself.  NEVER, and I plead NEVER limit your vision to what you think you can do.  Learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God and the Word of God.  God says that we are more than conquerors through Jesus.  All things are possible to those who believe.  Obedience is far better than sacrifice and if we are willing and obedient we will enjoy the fruit of His victory!

   God bless you as you open your hearts to His Possibilities in your life!  

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THE SCHISMS AND DIVISIONS….


Spiritual Blog - Church

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 – “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”  NASU

         Most of the time I do not have a significant problem with people following different elements within the Body of Christ as their primary worship center or foundation of faith and practice!  That being said, sometimes I wonder how the heart of God is grieved when we separate, alienate, and seek to annihilate others from differing denominations over schisms and points of faith because we believe that we and we alone are right and they are not only wrong but heretical in their beliefs.

           I do not expect everyone to believe exactly what I believe but I do ask that we seek to believe what the Bible teaches and allow the Word of God to be the true and final interpreter of God’s Tenets and Truths.  Paul exhorted the Church in Corinth along these lines urging them to settle or move away from divisions and schisms which were not only points of disagreement but points of separation doing damage to the efforts of the fledgling Church of Jesus Christ.  He went through his list of people identifying with a particular personality, as their argument and basis for their rightness.  That is no different than the hordes of people who not just proudly but divisively declare, “I’m this or that” regarding a particular denomination or non-denominational denomination.

      A number of years ago the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “You are too exclusive and not open to some outside your group or groups and I want to use them to speak to you.”  I attended some conferences and meetings where men and women were speaking things that in the past I had severely criticized as being in gross error.  The Holy Spirit instructed me to LISTEN and that in doing so I would find more to applaud than to criticize.  One of the main speakers preached a message that so stirred my heart I developed several series from his message because God had used him to speak a truth to my heart that in a very real way changed my outlook on many things.  The church he was leading and a part of were putting the principles of the gospel in practice and while I still do not agree with all he taught I will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to me through whatever means He chooses.

    I realize that some will say that I am compromising my faith and I hope that is incorrect.  I do not excuse or wink at sin nor will I sit silently when I hear what I believe to be heresy taught, at least not silent with those whom I have any influence or responsibility.  I will separate the message from the messenger and identify what I believe the Bible says while refusing to focus on the personality.  If that is compromise then I guess I am guilty but in my desire to do what the Spirit of God instructed me I will follow this practice and ask you to disagree disagreeably if you choose.  I ascribe to the idea, “in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.”  There are some things that are foundational such as the virgin birth of Jesus, the truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that He is the only access to the Father.  The Blood of Jesus is not just important but essential.  It is by Grace that we are saved.  It is by the blood of Jesus that we are cleansed.  There are essentials and in those we need unity.

     May God be with you as you go through your day!

 

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I CAN, YOU CAN, WE CAN……


Spiritual Blog - All Things

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  NKJV

     I desire to be contextual in the use of scripture and find it difficult when people fail to acknowledge or consider what is before and after a particular passage or even the overall teaching of scripture on the matter.  I have pulled a single verse out of a passage to say something that is tugging at my heart today.

            Paul was addressing the Philippian Christians with regard to the difficult times he had had and their over the top support for him.  He gave them a little insight into his basic God-Inspired philosophy of life, “Being Content” in whatever state he was in at the time.  He knew what it was to have plenty and he knew what it was to be in want.  He knew what it was to have a surplus and he knew what it was to be hungry and not know where his next meal was coming from in the natural.  He knew what it was to be free and he knew what it was to be imprisoned and yet his undergirding foundation was HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD!  That was what he wanted to pass on to the Philippian Church and to all who would read and hear what he had to say thus we get verse thirteen.

          “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

        This is a foundational truth that if we could all wrap our hearts, minds, and faith around we would NEVER find an obstacle that became bigger than life to us.  We would walk into every battle with a confidence that the outcome had already been decided and fight with an assurance of victory.  It would not be a matter of overconfidence or self-confidence but God-confidence.  It would be a complete dependence on THE WORD and PROMISES OF GOD.  It is one thing to “HOPE” for something and quite another to “KNOW” something.  We see the beginning from the end but God sees the end from the beginning.  That is an attribute that we humans do not possess except through the eyes of the Spirit of God and through faith!

       The overriding message of the Bible and especially the New Testament is that WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERERS through Jesus!  It is that WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.  It is that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE to those that believe.  So, as Paul speaks these words they leaped off the page at me on this day and my heart cried out, “Oh God make it so in my life and in the lives of all who read what I write today.”  I speak to those who are struggling with events of life that have become burdens to bear!  I speak to those who have just received some devastating news that is more than your heart is prepared to hear.  I speak to those who have been betrayed by a trusted friend, companion, business partner, or confidant.  I speak to EVERY PERSON reading and say – “You can do this in Jesus and through Jesus.”  I don’t know if the outcome or the ultimate victory will be on this earth or as you stand before God but I know that ultimately YOU WIN in Jesus!

       So no matter what you are facing today, no matter what news has come or will come know that GOD KNOWS, CARES, and IS BIGGER THAN ALL YOUR PROBLEMS and WHEN JESUS SAYS ITS ENOUGH IT’LL BE ENOUGH!

      May God be with you as you go through your day!

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