Feeling Inadequate?

Imagine being forced to marry someone you cannot please!
 
This was Leah’s life! She was older sister of Rachel, the beautiful and shapely daughter of Laban. But Leah was considered to be weak eyed and nothing to look upon (Genesis 29:17). Surely Leah had spent her life listening to others heap praises upon her sister, and this is likely where her feelings of inadequacy and insecurity began.

When Jacob appeared on the scene, he immediately fell in love with Rachel because of her beauty, and he was willing to go to great lengths to gain Rachel’s hand in marriage. In fact, he pledged himself to 7 years of labor under Rachel’s father, Laban, in exchange for the right to marry Rachel.

When Jacob’s 7 years of labor were complete, his wedding night finally arrived. But to Jacob’s surprise, he woke up the morning after to find Leah in bed next to him. Naturally Jacob was upset, but Laban’s answer to him was that the younger sibling is never given in marriage before the older; and Leah was the older sister. Scripture says that Jacob despised Leah because of this (Gen. 29:31).

Here was another wound added to Leah’s already damaged emotions: she was despised by her husband. She was ugly. She was undesirable. She was hated. So Leah determined in her mind to make her husband love her by bearing children for him. And to get him to sleep with her, Leah purchased time in Jacob’s bed by giving Rachel a basket full of mandrakes: how humiliating this must have been. It seems that Jacob customarily slept with Rachel, his beloved, while Leah slept alone with her feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

Perhaps God’s plans for Leah’s life were being fulfilled. Perhaps she was in the place she was supposed to be, physically. But most certainly she wasn’t in that place emotionally or spiritually. And who can blame her, after what she endured. But through all of her struggles, God was with Leah and he blessed her with children. Her legacy is that she physically bore 6 Jacob 6 sons, who later became 6 of the 12 the tribes of Israel.

However, Leah never overcame her feelings of inadequacy and they eventually turned into feelings of jealousy. She never came to the place of understanding that her value and her purpose were found in God, in spite of her circumstances. Her eyes and heart were continually focused on gaining value through performance. If she could give Jacob enough sons he would love her – then her life would be perfect. But in striving to become ‘lovable,’ Leah added misery to her already difficult state of being; she focused on man’s valuation of her instead of God’s purpose for her. This led her to adapt her life toward changing others feelings about her.

Leah’s circumstances were difficult, but we each have different burdens to bear and we must allow God to be our first love in every circumstance or our feelings and weaknesses will dictate our lives. It is only in God that we gain security and are truly loved, in spite of the way that people view us. He is our source of value and He is where we find our worth. If we base our value on man’s opinion, it will give a place of superiority to fickle emotions and cripple our ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

As a side note, we can see the heritage that Leah left to her children: she passed on her feelings of inadequacy and jealousy to her 6 sons, who then sold their brother Joseph (Rachel’s son) into slavery. Their motive was jealousy! (Genesis 26-47).

RELENTLESS PURSUIT!!!

 -If you are searching for more; wanting to uncover the Truths of the Bible through the Holy Spirit and desperately wanting to know God more intimately...

-If you are not satisfied with the status-quo of religion but have your mind and heart set on pursuing God for the purpose of becoming His ambassador of grace, love and Truth on earth...

-If you want to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit and become His arm extended to the lost and hurting...

-If you are willing to leave behind the knowledge which comes from religion and pursue heavenly insights, wisdom and understanding...

-If you accept that God has imbued you with a power that is far above the powers and principalities of this world...

-If you understand that Christ is the Head of the Church, and you are His Body extended to the earth...

....then you are the answer to the Apostle Paul's prayer!!!!

"I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens-- far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way" (Eph 1:16-23).

But know this also, someone is not going to like the idea that you have gained your freedom in Christ, and that you are an answer to Paul's prayer. The enemy is going to fight you tooth and nail, and bring people against you to tell you that you have gotten too big for your britches, or that you have gone off on a tangent, or that you are under false teaching.

Just LOVE those people anyway! But never stop pursuing God and His Truth. Have no fear of man. Don't regard the negative comments. Don't regard it when they tell you that you are deceived. Don't settle for a teaspoonful when God has given you the entire ocean!

Stay humble: mere knowledge puffs up, but love edifies and encourages others even when they mistreat you (1 Cor 8:1). True humility continuously seeks the Truth of God, never believing that he or she has obtained it all. True humility let's God be God in every circumstance, never setting up a fence or set of rules by which God can operate. Break down the fences and listen to the Holy Spirit: this is humility!

YOU are the answer to the Apostle Paul's prayer: walk in the Truth you have been given and never stop pursuing a deeper understanding! Be relentless!

Church: My way or the highway!

One of the things that has always fascinated me when studying the Word of God is that the Church seems to have limitless options on how it physically carries out the plans and purposes of God. There are no set rules for how a Church service should be organized, where services should be held or how often we're to meet. There are a few Scriptures which give information about what happened in a Church service (1 Cor 12-14) or where the Church Body met (Rom16:3-5), but overall, we have only general information on what should happen when we come together.

We do, however, have indication that each church, and especially the elders in each church, are responsible for setting up the church to operate in a manner consistent with Biblical principals as a whole (Matt 18:10-20, Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5, Eph 4:11-16). This gives great responsibility to each Body to hear from the Lord on how they are to go about His work and how to organize that individual Body to best accomplish God's purposes on an ongoing basis. And while the elders and leaders are responsible for instituting the directions heard from the Lord for that Body, this is to be done in a manner which will create an atmosphere conducive to fellowship, teaching and training through love and humility (Eph. 4:11-16, Romans 12). What this looks like in each Church should be somewhat different dependent on the mix of people, their gifts, their location and the work God has called them to do as a local Body.

So as we look at the Church today, we can see that each individual Church operates in the same manner as others in some ways, but there are those which operate very differently from what's considered the 'norm.' This does not necessarily mean that either one is right or wrong. Most importantly, as long as a church is within Biblical guidelines, we should look more at what that Church Body is accomplishing for God rather than examining how they carry out the details of His directives.

For example, consider the idea that some Churches meet in homes and some in other buildings. Some pass an offering plate and some have a box in the back of the room, some have worship leaders and some don't. Some churches support foreign missionaries while other churches house local soup kitchens. All of these activities fall within the general guidelines of accomplishing God's will, but we're not given specifics as to how they should be done. It seems that this is intentional on God's part: this should cause us to continually seek Him and His guidance in forming His Church in the manner He desires!

If we get to a point of depending on stringent rules and methods for serving God, and those rules and methods limit God's ability to direct His Body, then we have usurped the authority of God and come under man's authority. In essence, this scenario creates a form of Law which makes people slaves to men under the guise of serving God. Paul addressed this in Colossians 2, saying that rules and methods have the appearance of wisdom but they're based merely on man's teachings and customs. When man sets such stringent order in the Church that God can no longer do what He desires to do, it is no longer a church but an organization. This is reminiscent of the religious system propagated by the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day; one which Jesus condemned as a set-up for a few to take advantage of many by turning them into slaves to religion and tradition (Matt. 23).

So each person must seek God's wisdom to learn how they can worship, serve, fellowship and grow, then plant themselves in a Body as God directs. It is the responsibility of each individual to make sure that Body is within Biblical guidelines and God is at the helm, rather than man. But it is also our responsibility to NOT turn our nose up at the Body down the street which meets at a different time, stands while worshiping, meets on Thursday instead of Sunday, or meets in someone's home.

While many in the Church at large agree on Biblical doctrine, we often don't agree on what that doctrine looks within the Church structure (not a building, but a living, breathing organism). In fact, it seems that some people have gotten to the point of great certainty in their ideals of how Church should be done, even though many of those ideals cannot be proven out Biblically. But there may be more freedom (and necessity) to hear directly from the Source on a daily basis than we have customarily (and traditionally) thought. Seek for yourself: you'll likely find that the Bible does not give us the dictate that it's "Church my way or the highway," but it promotes a complete dependence on God in forming the Body of Christ at any given time and location!

I'm drained...and I call that VICTORY!!!

God, HELP! I Need Your Chutzpah!!!


You can celebrate the day when you wake up and realize that, if you're going to do this thing, if you're going to accomplish the dream He's put inside of you, you need a lot more gumption, energy, audacity, fortitude and chutzpah!

It's the moment you realize that life and circumstances are finally to the point where you can and should do it, but your body and mind are saying to just think and dream about it instead of doing it! Maybe it's fear, maybe it's laziness, maybe it's tiredness.....or perhaps it's ______________ (you fill in the blank).

Today is that day; I'm at the end of my physical, mental and emotional self-motivation in this thing! I choose to see this as being in a good place because I could never accomplish it on my own, and I shouldn't. It's a God thing - it's His dream in my mind and spirit, and it has to be accomplished through God's power, resources and boldness!

When I am weak and finally come to the end of my ideas, plans and energy, He steps in with His strength and says "My grace is sufficient: when you are willing to admit that you are weak, and lay aside your man-made plans, then I can be powerful in your life for My glory and purposes!!!"
I call that VICTORY!!!

Finder of False Teachers: Is this a new spiritual gift?

The Pharisees and Sadducees were masters at arguing points of the law in order to prove themselves knowledgeable and righteous! They often engaged Jesus in arguments, hoping to trap Him in some trumped up charge of blasphemy, thus having an excuse to put Him to death and regain control of the multitudes that Jesus had brought to the Light.

In one such instance, the Pharisees approached Jesus and asked Him if it was right for Jews to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, Caesar. If they couldn’t destroy Jesus by manipulating their own laws and tricking Him into sinning, they would try to make it look as if He was an enemy of Caesar, and Caesar would destroy Him. 

But Matthew 11 shows us Jesus’ heart in dealing with the Pharisees: He did not strive! He wasn’t looking for an argument or debate. Jesus’ discussions had clear motive: to draw people to God through Truth! His purpose was to bring the Kingdom of God to earth through His sacrificial life and death. He wasn’t out on the streets looking for someone to prove wrong, nor was He looking for a way to elevate Himself; He knew who He was and He was secure in it. He was looking for a heart that was willing to receive the blessing of God’s gift of salvation. If a discussion was necessary to accomplish this, so be it.

The Pharisees, however, were filled with pride at being experts in interpreting the law. They were self appointed judges, pointing out ‘false teachers’ (ie: Jesus, in their minds) as a means of proving their right to reign as religious leaders! They quoted the words of the law (often mixed with their traditions) but they missed the spiritual meaning and the heart of God within His Word! Jesus said to them “you miss the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith. You strain the gnat and swallow the camel…” In short, they made a practice out of finding fault, instead of practicing God’s love by serving others (Matt 22:37). 

These hard headed fault finders developed a ‘ministry’ focused on pointing out false teachers. In fact, they put so much energy into this ‘ministry’ that it consumed them and short circuited their own growth! And in their eagerness to be right, they completely missed the Word of God, which does not list this activity as a ‘gift’ or a ‘purpose’ within the Church. 

Recognizing false doctrine is a matter of exercising discernment based on having flooded one’s heart and mind with the Word of God through the Spirit of God. And while each of us should practice discernment in what we hear and see, Church leadership is to take responsibility for protecting their own sheep from false teachers as part of their ministry of serving the sheep. 

On an individual basis, we are responsible for what we see and hear, but we’re not responsible to point out ‘false teachers’ as though it were our ministry. And caution needs to be exercised in labeling ‘false teachers’ as a practice, because in doing so, there is a prideful assumption on our part that we are always right and others are always wrong. And if we are not 100% right in this practice, we border on blasphemy, which includes attributing the works of God to the devil (Matt 12). 

What are the gifts God has given you; qualities and spiritual endowments with which you can serve God and the Body of Christ? If you don’t know, please take the time to find out! You’ll find a small list of them in 1 Corinthians 12-13, but there are numerous gifts listed throughout the New Testament (administration, helps, gifts of healings, etc.). Please note that you’ll not find a gifted titled “finder of false teachers” within the pages of the Bible!

Are You A Controller?

When Jesus sat at the last supper with His disciples, He was fully aware that Judas was going to betray Him. Judas had been with Jesus and the other 11 disciples for 3 years, and he’d had the same training and example as the rest of them. But Judas had ulterior motives (ie: money bag) which caused him to betray Jesus. As they sat at the last supper together Jesus' and Judas' eyes met, and Jesus said to Judas “what you are about to do, do quickly” (John 13). Judas then left the table and set about the act of betraying Jesus.

But note what Jesus did not do: knowing that Judas was about to make the biggest mistake of his life, Jesus did not stop him. He gave him the choice to betray! In fact, before Jesus gave Judas the bread, He said aloud, “Someone is going to betray me.” That was enough warning for Judas to understand the wickedness of what he was about to do and then make the choice for himself. Jesus didn’t threaten him, warn him, accuse him, manipulate him or demean him; he gave him the choice to sin!
If anyone had reason to control another person, it certainly would have been Jesus at that point in time. But given the opportunity, Jesus did not interfere or control those around Him; He was (and is) about freewill! And while Jesus' teaching and example encouraged making right (God pleasing) choices, He never stepped in and forced others to follow His plan, nor did He stop them from following their own.

The idea behind these points is that it is completely unGodly to control other people. Teaching and training are part of kingdom work, but in church, in our families and in friendships, we are never meant to control others. Certainly, when we have authority to govern, decisions need to be made which others will have to follow, but in situations where we simply want to control others, it is not of God!

Are you a controlling person? Do you dominate, over-react, berate, manipulate, spy, accuse, argue relentlessly, belittle, heap guilt, practice sullenness, bully either physically or emotionally, or make others feel unworthy as a means of getting your way (psychologytoday.com)? Perhaps you are generally right and you let others know it on a continual basis. Or maybe you are closed off to hearing the insights of others, even if you are right!

If so, then please consider Jesus’ response to Judas’ betrayal. Let this be a wake-up call to you, an opportunity to go before the Lord in repentance. Let the Lord show you the results of your controlling behaviors, of constantly trying to pull the strings of those around you. Perhaps you are stopping the will of the Lord by controlling others; if Jesus had controlled Judas, then God’s will would not have been done!

Perhaps each of us has (in a large or small way, occasionally or often) allowed this spirit to work through us!

The Church: Are My Thoughts Irrelevant?

Many of us have had tough experiences with church, and whether we think we were part of the problem or not, there are always 2 sides to a story. These experiences should cause us to lean into God if we view them properly. We must never look at those who have hurt us as though they represent God 100%, then use that as an excuse to turn away from Him and His people.

While I'm a big advocate for examining self and restoring relationships, there are times when we are simply better off NOT going back into a situation which is perhaps unGodly, abusive or off-kilter Biblically. And there are also times when we have made an error and need to run back to the Church for help!

But above all, it's highly important the we DO NOT build a view of the Church based on what has happened to us: good or bad. Our understanding of how the Church should operate should never be based on our feelings or experiences, but on the Word of God. Many people have had gratifying experiences with Church, and most Churches are likely Biblical and God honoring, but if I have a gratifying experience with a Church that doesn't necessarily make it a Biblical experience. Nor does my negative experience make the church unBiblical.

Take for example the person who is continually elevated and given A+ treatment by a Church because of the large offerings they are able to give. To this person, his treatment may make him feel that he's in a wonderful, Biblical Church, but an examination of Scripture shows that this is not true (James 2:2-4).

While we could list numerous examples of Biblical and unBiblical circumstances, the bottom line is that we must seek Scripture's insights on how the Church is to operate and then shift our thoughts and actions to line up with it. But in doing this, the whole counsel of God must be considered; picking or choosing a few Scriptures here and there will give us a skewed view of God's Church as well as an excuse for poor attitudes and behaviors toward our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are at a crossroads, a time when we have great freedom to make choices. But those choices must not be made based on the way we feel. Spiritual responsibility and righteousness dictate that we take the high road and pour ourselves in the Bible; we cannot wait for someone else to tell us how God intends to run His church! It's our responsibility and privilege to make the Bible our source of knowledge, wisdom and information concerning the Church. We must seek Him before forming opinions or following people who may have good intentions but do not align with the Word of God!

Does this mean that once we have studied the Word, and perhaps see something askew in the Church we attend, we should run from there? God forbid that we see everyone else as imperfect and ourselves as perfect. Perhaps it's the perfect opportunity to lovingly ask questions, pray, observe and examine self in the process. Remember that we are all imperfect people being perfected by God. Follow His leading while operating in grace and love!

Remember, also, that there are some things which God leaves for each Church to put in place and establish for their individual congregations (Matt. 16 &19). God is not so restrictive with us as to establish a hard set of rules for operating, but He leaves much up to the local congregation and those leading, trusting that they will seek His face for direction.

Lastly, with great emphasis, I encourage you to search the Bible before you decide what "Church" means. Is it a large gathering, is it a small group? Or perhaps it has many shapes and forms which are all interconnected.

May God bless those who are diligently seeking and striving to follow His pattern for the Church, all 'additives' aside!

When Being 'Nice' is a Bad Idea!

To be nice means to be pleasing, agreeable or delightful (Dictionary.com).

Sometimes people are 'nice' but not Godly. In fact, many of today's social movements are about being nice - they cater to the temporal feelings of a person but don't value the greater, eternal concerns of Christ-likeness, righteousness and holiness. An example of this could be the parent who spoils the child by being 'nice' [catering to the child's whims] and later sees the treacherous results. There is no going back!

Grace and kindness are not the same as niceness. Grace and kindness see the sin but love the person without promoting evil; they are not flesh pleasers. Grace and kindness are inspired by God and filled with His wisdom, promoting His way of living; they lead us to repentance, whereas niceness may make us feel comfortable in our sin. Niceness is an agreeable people pleaser, and in the end it brings no glory to God unless it is specifically inspired by Him.

So let your dealings with people be filled with the grace of God and the kindness that leads others to Him. These are Godly attributes and they have eternal value for both the giver and the receiver! Refrain from the worldly niceness which gives credibility to unGodly behaviors and attitudes.

This was Jesus' example; He was bent on saving people from hell by delivering the grace and kindness of God to them. Let us not be confused by the world's niceness, but remain steadfast in following Jesus' example!

The "Mark of the Beast" ... Be Informed!

We may not know the exact day and timing of events and seasons prophesied in the Bible, but if we search it out, we'll see that there is a definite order to these events.

For example, we should be able to tell, by reading Old Testament prophecies (Is 9, 53), that the Savior must first be born, then redemption through His blood comes. That sounds immensely simple, but it's God's order of things. We can look back and see that it would have been impossible for there to be any other order to these events, even though no one knew the exact timing of Jesus birth or death on the cross before it happened.

It's the same way with end times events. We don't know the exact timing of the events, but a hearty look into the book of Revelation, Matthew, Daniel and 1st & 2nd Thessalonians shows us the order in which these events are to take place. If carefully studied, Scripture reveals 'order' words such as; after this, then, but first, immediately after, at that time, and until then. These little words have immense meaning in the bigger scheme of God's end times plan!

If we pay attention to these words, it will keep us from having a haphazard and scattered view of end times events. We don't want to be looking for the 'mark of the beast' to come on people when the order of events calls for many other things to take place first (ie: the antichrist sets himself up in the temple in Jerusalem as God (2 Thess 2, Matt 24, Dan 8)).

Scripture gives us great indication that the temple in Jerusalem must be restored or rebuilt before the antichrist can set himself up in it as God, and THEN he will give the mark of the beast. We tend to focus on the mark being given (Rev 13), but the called-for events which are to take place in the mean time must come first; God is orderly (1 Cor 14:33). That is not to say that things can't happen very quickly, but it is to our benefit to be good students of the Word and base our faith on that alone! This will keep our focus on God and keep us from grasping at straws to prove a doctrine that includes only bits and pieces of the Truth, but it will also keep us out of the panic and fear mode.

Technological advances often inspire our imaginations; we can envision how some of the end times events might be played out through the use of them. But it's important that we don't excuse something beneficial, which might even be a blessing from God, because we are afraid that the enemy might also use them for his purposes. If that were the case, we'd stay away from the internet, TV and media entirely. This concept is especially true when it comes to the mark of the beast! The Bible tells us that those on the earth at that time will have to make a conscious decision to either accept or refuse it, knowing exactly what's happening. There will be no question as to what it is or that it's coming directly from the antichrist; it won't be hidden in any venue other than that of serving the antichrist, and the mark will be easily discernible (Rev 13, 14). The antichrist will use it to starve and deprive the people of God, but the Bible clearly forewarns that this will happen.

If we are people of the Word, diligently seeking God's Truth and order of events, it will keep us from being fearful in these tumultuous times. And although we may not know every detail of God's end time plan, or exactly how it's played out, God's Word has given us enough information to understand the order of events, which should bring peace to our hearts while waiting and praying for His perfect will to come to pass!

Petty Arguments, Festering Agitations....Be Done With It!

Resolving issues in a Biblical manner!


I am finding, more and more, that the best solution to disagreements is to NOT let them fester! Prayer is essential, but so is going face to face with people, with all the grace you can muster. In a time when people seem to feel justified in letting others 'have it,' we can choose to be those who let them have grace!

Hit agitations, frustrations, disagreements and discord head on: not to confront and prove oneself right, but to bring peace and accord. Get things out in the open, and fill every square inch of the air you breath with God's grace as you do it. In this process, we often find that there are things we, ourselves, have unknowingly contributed to a situation or that our expectations were out of line with the what the other person was able to bring to the relationship.

If you want people to trust you then be upright, rational and reasonable when discussing. That doesn't mean you aren't passionate. Mature, passionate people have control of their emotions and don't blame others for the way they feel and act.

Consider the way you are feeling; are you stuck on an issue and it's festering inside of you but you aren't taking it to the person with whom you are struggling? Very often we are dealing with misunderstandings but we make people into our enemies by our reasoning; we apply intent to their words and actions, and make assumptions based on what we see and feel. Unfortunately, in an effort to get counsel and sort out our feelings, we often draw others into a 'he said, she said' scenario and blow the situation out of proportion! This is not God's way of dealing with others, especially brothers and sisters in Christ.

In fact, Matthew 18 tells us to do things just the opposite of this: we're to first go directly to the brother or sister and speak with them. Notice it doesn't say accuse, degrade or berate them - we are looking for resolve, not an opportunity to vent! If there is no progress at that point, take others with you and talk to the person, realizing that others are there not just for your benefit, but to help sort out the problem from an impartial, Godly perspective. If that doesn't work, take it to the church - not as an accusation, but as a concern that cannot get resolved. At this point you are in God's court on earth, the church. If there is still no resolve, walk away from the person and give the situation time and space.

You may not be dealing with a person who is willing to resolve the problem, but Matthew 18 still gives you the responsibility to open the door to communication and pour grace on the fire of disagreement.

Believe it or not, your disagreement with someone does not mean that God has abandoned them and will never use them again. And if the process given to us for resolving issues with another person comes to the point of walking away from the relationship for a time, that does not mean we're to abandon prayer and self examination as part of the process of resolving the problem within our own hearts and minds. If you find that irritation comes up when you think on the unresolved circumstances, there is more to be done on your part to resolve it in your heart and forgive. Get back to the drawing board of prayer and the Word, and grab hold of the mind of Christ for this situation! There is no justification for holding a grudge and thinking ill of others - the Bible tells us to do just the opposite (Eph 4:31, Php 2:3).

Likely, most of these circumstances are petty, and certainly not worth the energy that we pour into them; they are a distraction from serving God, a tool of the enemy to shift our focus to minor issues. And even more likely is that the problem either began or ballooned because of hurts within us which skewed our thoughts and feelings, causing us to misunderstand others.

In the end, our motives will reveal themselves: are we looking to reconcile the situation under God's grace, coming to His solution, or are we looking to prove ourselves right and justify our feelings?

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom 12:16-19, 21).

Persecute Your Distractions!

In his former life, Paul persecuted Christians. As the person Saul, he sought out, tormented, imprisoned and even killed the people of God. So intense and determined was Saul that if he were alive today we might question his links to terrorists and anti-Christian groups (Acts 9). 

But when Saul received Christ, he began to persecute all things that came between him and the knowledge of his Savior! He took that same fervor, sanctified it, and used it to pursue God and His purposes!

In Philippians 3 Paul says “I forget what is behind! I stretch myself toward the things of God, and I strain forward to what lies ahead! I pursue and press on toward the goal of knowing Christ and accomplishing God’s will” (paraphrased Php. 3:13-14).

Once saved, Paul shifted his zeal onto seeking God: everything in his life pushed toward knowing God and serving Him. Paul’s eyes became single on Christ – He was Paul’s world! 

In Philippians 3:14, when Paul says “I pursue my goal…” he is actually saying “I persecute all things that come between myself and knowing God.” The word ‘pursue’ in this passage (some translations say ‘press on’) is the same word which is translated ‘persecute’ throughout the entire New Testament (Thayer's; KJ Concord.). To persecute is to pursue forcefully or zealously, to put to flight, to exterminate or to shut down. 

This is what Paul intentionally did to the things which got in the way of knowing God: he persecuted them. He wouldn’t let them exist and be a distraction for him. There were no excuses: they must resolutely be disposed of if they came between himself and serving God!

This is the kind of intentional fervor which we must have. We must persecute the things that come between us and the knowledge of our Savior. We must rid our lives of the things that keep us from intimately knowing and zealously serving God! 

Ask yourself, what is it that takes my affections and energy off of seeking and serving God? Then either remove it or restrain its influence in your life. 

Be as Paul, persecute the unnecessary and distracting things in life which step between you and God! Make a holy resolve: allow nothing to interfere with your pursuit of God!

Moses' Big Mistake!

If we had to put it into today’s terms, we might say “it sucks to be Moses.” He was the man of God who strove with a million dependent Israelites for 40 years, trying to lead them to a closer walk with God while also leading them into the Promised Land. In the end, after those 40 years of service, he was allowed to look at the Promised Land from atop a mountain, but He would not lead the Israelites into it (Num 27:12).

After being miraculously set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites saw God part the Red Sea and beckon them through; afterward they watched it spill over and swallow the entire Egyptian army. For 40 years God never left them: they were protected and led through the desert by a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of clouds by day.

But during those years of being led and provided for by God, they complained nearly every step of the way. And each time they complained God supplied them with food, water, rest, protection, etc., etc. etc. But it was Moses who heard their complaints. He carried their pains and problems to God and in turn brought back God’s answers in the form of miraculous supply and protection.

So by the time they arrived at Meribah, after many years of leading the Israelites, Moses was likely becoming impatient and tired, as were the Israelites. But tiredness feels different when you’re on the side of receiving complaints as opposed to being on the side of giving them. Such was the case with Moses; he was wearied from hearing the continued complaints of the Israelites!

“We’re thirsty and there’s no water here. We should have stayed in Egypt! Our children and animals are going to die! We should have died when our brethren died [after they rebelled against God]” (Num. 20). Such were the complaints at Meribah, where Moses and Aaron went before God to once again receive His answers. God’s immediate reply to Moses was: “take your rod, gather the congregation and speak to this rock as they watch. It will yield enough water for them and their animals.”

We are given no indication that God was angry or irritated with the Israelites: the message was straight forward and simple. It was just one more circumstance in which God would show Himself as their faithful and continuous Caregiver and Supplier, even in the driest of circumstances. But Moses was fed up! So instead of delivering the message in the way God showed him, he struck the rock, declared that he and Aaron we’re bringing water from the rock, and called them rebels (Num 20:9-10).

This was the wrong answer, wrong heart attitude and wrong way to represent God! While the Israelites were complainers, Moses himself was rebellious in his actions and words, and God called him out on it. He had taken the credit and glory for bringing them water, but God had supplied it. He had struck the rock, using the force of anger and aggression, when God called for him to speak to the rock. In the end, because of this outburst, Moses was not given the privilege of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Perhaps this seems harsh, seeing that Moses had put up with the complaints of the Israelites for the last 40 years. But Moses’ calling was to first and foremost represent the heart and character of God to a wandering and helpless people. He was a messenger, but he stepped into God’s shoes and used God’s power to release his aggression on those he was sent to serve. In the end, God told Moses that he had not shown His holiness to the people and he hadn’t believed God; he had delivered the message with unsanctified emotions and actions, effectively causing them to think that this was how God was delivering his blessing to them. Moses also showed a lack of faith; he didn’t trust that God would bring the water out of the rock simply by speaking to it.

This one incident certainly doesn’t wipe out the years of love and guidance that Moses gave to the Israelites through God’s continued presence and anointing. In fact, in Matthew 17 we see that Moses has more than stepped into the Promised Land when he appears on the Mt. of Transfiguration with Elijah and Jesus. But this incidence of rebellion does show us the importance of going before the Lord to sanctify our own emotions and frustrations before dealing with God’s people! We must never use God’s power to misrepresent Him to others!

Someone might say that this is Old Testament stuff, and God gives us grace, grace, grace today. While that is true, God’s character has not changed; today we would expect that He’d supply all of our needs, just as He supplied water from the rock in the desert. Then we should also expect that He calls us to be the kind of messengers that He called Moses to be: those who lead and deliver His message with the holiness of His character! This means that the authority and power of God is to be delivered with His heart and intent – otherwise it is a misrepresentation of Him and a usurping of His omnipotence and supremacy!

Let us take a lesson from Moses’ mistake (as well as the mistakes of the complaining Israelites), seeing that all of these words are written as examples from which we may learn (1 Cor 10:6). Let us be instruments in His hands, it is not the other way around: He is never an instrument in our hands! We can take example from Moses rebellion: although he worked diligently, he was never able to take the last few steps to the completion of his calling.

God, help us to never take your power and purpose and represent you through our frustrations, anger or unsanctified emotions! You are holy; cause us to represent you as the Holy God, perfect in all of your ways!

Christians and Red Cups: A Few Questions

Concerning the hype over the red cup at Starbucks, I'm wondering if we, as Christians, are looking to have our proverbial cake and eat it too. Of course, we cannot force others to think and see things in the same way as we do; we are to be lovers of God first but the unregenerate do not yet have that priority.

To be sure, there has been unfair and even terrible treatment of Christian business owners who have had to go against their beliefs and cater to non-Christian ideals. And these circumstances (ie:bakery) were not provoked. However, the tables are now turned, and this non-Christian business has chosen to cut out their seasonal cups and go with a plain red cup.

In the past, Starbucks didn't have Christian scenes on their cups. Maybe snowflakes...but definitely not manger scenes. And perhaps some Christians believed that Starbucks was recognizing the Christian celebration of Christmas. However, considering that they've made known their ideals through various media over the years, it seems highly unlikely that they were even remotely celebrating Christmas as the birth of Christ. To them it has always been a season in which pretty cups help sell drinks which make people feel warm and cozy inside.

So one question is, doesn't Starbucks have a right to sell their product in whatever kind of cup they choose? Why the outrage? Since we, as Christians and business owners, know it is wrong to be forced to cater to the beliefs of the non-Christian sector at the expense of our own beliefs, why would we insist that a non-Christian business cater to our beliefs? Isn't that insisting that they do the very thing which we have (rightly) protested against?

The answer we have come up with regarding the issue of non-Christians forcing Christians to cater to their sins through our businesses, is to tell them to go to a non-Christian business to have their needs met. Perhaps this is the answer to the outrage in the Christian community: don't go to Starbucks, go to a Christian business. Starbucks doesn't have to change to meet our needs, and our outrage is certainly not bringing any of them to Christ. It's a red cup....it's their business...they can do it up their way!
Do we need coffee from Starbucks that badly? Are we so desperate to give them our money? If so, we either drink from the red cup or we go somewhere else.

In the end, this is my primary question: when the tables are turned, do we do things the same way as the world, or do we stick to the Godly values and ideals that we first proclaimed?

Shhhhh....Don't Say "Merry Chistmas!"

Even though I love the Lord with all of my heart, I take no offense that the world does not want to say "Merry Christmas." Those words aren't in the Bible and they're not a requirement for me to be able to enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth. I also have no expectation that I should hear them in the market place or my work place. These words are valid for a only small segment of the year - but there are many more days throughout the year in which I can show the love of Christ in what I do and say.

Being moved by God's compassion to help or lend an ear to someone will cause your words and actions to ring in their hearts much longer than those 2 little (seasonal) words which so many are upset about! At any time of the year, when you look someone in the eyes and they see that you are different than the world around them, they will be drawn to the Spirit in you. The words you speak and the love you show will have a stronger impact than that one phrase which is said a few months out of the year.

November and December are months in which retailers, especially, will say and do whatever it takes to bring sales! Their desire is to be inclusive enough to sell to people who celebrate the 'season' but don't celebrate Christ. And realistically, when the un-saved world says "Merry Christmas," it's no different to them than saying "Happy Halloween!" It's just another holiday. Why have an expectation that the unregenerate world will operate through the Holy Spirit and say "Merry Christmas" with some kind of spiritual intent behind it? We're bringing Christ to them, it's not the other way around.
However, when a Spirit-filled, caring and loving person of God says "God Bless You," all of heaven enforces it, activating the power of God to bless and encourage that person. That could be the start of something life changing!

As Christians, have we become like the rest of the world in that we take offense at things that just bother us but aren't necessarily worth putting our efforts into or bringing up a complaint about? God is much bigger than the phrase "Merry Christmas," and truthfully, there is nowhere in the Bible where we're told to speak these words and celebrate in the manner in which we do.

Let's not base our celebrations of Christ's birth on how the unsaved world responds to it, but on what Christ has done in saving us! If you desire to say "Merry Christmas" with the heart of God behind it, then say it. But if you cannot say it at your workplace, or they don't say it in the stores you frequent, simply shake off the dust, be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove (Matt. 10:16), and say 

"God Bless You!" 

How Biblical is My Doctrine? Am I Willing to Test It?

As a starting point for an examination of our doctrine, and the continual cleansing of non-Biblical mindsets and practices, we can ask ourselves a few questions:

-Based on Jesus words and actions, could I see Him believing and acting the way I do? 

-Did the disciples (meaning all followers of Christ as recorded in the Bible) make a practice of doing or saying the things I say and do? Their words and actions matched – so have I misinterpreted their words and put my own actions and desires into it?

-Would my doctrine be valid across time? Could I step into the times of the greatest persecution of the church, when some of the examples from the ‘Hall of Faith’ lived (Hebrews 11), and trust that my doctrine would be applicable in that time and in those situations? God and His Word are one, and neither ever changes.

-Is my doctrine valid across geographical boundaries? What if I lived in a place where Christians are drastically persecuted, tortured and murdered? Today there are thousands of Christians around the world who live under such conditions on a daily basis – is their problem that they have the wrong doctrine?

-Have I continually hyper focused on any one aspect of the Bible or do I have a good balance and simply follow Christ? There will be times when we focus on one subject or aspect of the Word of God more than others, but forming a doctrine around one or two tenets of the Bible can leave us void of the whole counsel of God. 

-Does my doctrine suit my lifestyle, or the way I desire to live? Have I re-created a doctrine that suits my culture? Ask yourself “what examples do I see in the Bible that lead me to believe this is the way God’s calls us to live?” These examples would have at least 2 witnesses: what is said in the Bible and what is done by the followers of Christ and Christ Himself. There will be times when we cannot see an example, and we simply need an answer from God. But we are concerned with our basic doctrinal beliefs in this brief blog.

-Are there parts of the Bible that I feel I must explain away so that my doctrine appears correct?

-Do I concern myself more with staying in agreement with a sect or set of denominational beliefs rather than letting the Word wash and cleanse my mind and heart?

-Do I take Scripture in context and use the entire Scripture as opposed to chopping off sentences to fit a mindset?

-Do I read the Bible to prove my doctrine or to know Christ and the Truth? If we read to prove our doctrine we will likely find ourselves pushing the people and circumstances in our lives to make our beliefs come to pass. The flesh and soul have a lot of power to bring our beliefs and desires to pass, but that does not mean we are in agreement with God. 

"...in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you" (Titus 2:7-8).

Time for some reconstruction?

Sometimes we just want someone to make us feel good - to agree with us, to pat us on the back, to buy us a sweet drink or justify our dissatisfaction with life. Feeling good is nice, but striving to feel good can be like painting over rust...sooner or later the rust comes through the paint.

But if we scrape the rust away and repair the structure, giving it new life, we can strengthen and protect it from the onslaught of intense weather. Then the structure is much more able to stand strong over the long haul and accomplish what it was created for.

Be the renewed structure! Take the time to cleanse the old way of thinking, feeling and operating and renew your mind to be Christlike! Don't settle for covering the rust with a feel good solution; a latte, a new gadget, venting on your spouse, etc., etc. etc... Get rid of the hurts, emotional pain of the past, unforgiveness, hard heartedness, irritability..and the list goes on!

Be transformed through the Word and receive the mind of Christ. Willingly release those things instead of hanging on to them as though you have a right to feel the way you do! Refuse to conform to the way the world handles life and be transformed to handling life in God's way.

"Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24, AMP)

Nothing More Than Feelings!

Did you know that you can train your emotions? 

2 Corinthians 2:4 tells us to have the 'most holy emotions.'  If the Word of God tells us to do something it's not only possible, it's a command that will advance kingdom work, affect others for Christ and intensify our connection to God.

We often have it backward: our un-sanctified emotions lead us, we emotionally crash, then we run to the Holy Spirit for help.  If we would run to the Holy Spirit before we allow our emotions to overwhelm us, He would calm us, teach us and lead us into the righteous use of our emotions.   

Feeling a certain way about something doesn't make that feeling right and holy!  That feeling may be real and justified to us, but at times unhealed hurts come to the surface, twisting our perception and making us emotionally vulnerable.   And sometimes our feelings may not be wrong; it's how we act on them that makes situations worse and leads us into sin.  Re-acting in the way that others act towards us is a means of allowing the enemy to lead us when we should be following the Holy Spirit.

Jesus used emotions as a means of furthering kingdom work:  He felt compassion for the downtrodden (Matt. 9:36), He prayerfully cried over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), and He was angry over the misuse of God's house  (John 12:15).  In each of these instances Jesus' emotions were a tool which He had control of; He righteously used His emotions instead of letting them use Him!  We must do the same, because even our gifts can be driven by unholy emotions, causing us to misappropriate God's benefits and material goods. 

Let the Spirit of God guide you in the use of your emotions.  Let Him teach and train you in the way you should feel; don't use the excuse that you have a 'hot temper,' or you are a 'sap.' You are a child of God who displays His love and walks in His purposes.

Stay in the Word and train your mind, will and emotions to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

 

Forget Obedience...Just Give an Offering!

King Saul was given a specific word from Samuel, directing him to destroy every one of the Amalakites and take no spoil of either animals or material items from their camp. But 1 Samuel 15:9 records that “Saul and the people spared [King] Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good…” When the prophet Samuel questioned Saul about this, Saul’s response was that he planned to sacrifice the animals to God, and he blamed his men for taking the goods from the Amalakite camp.

The truth is that Saul directed his men to save specific items from the Amalakite camp, and he likely reasoned that he could stretch and manipulate the instructive words given through the prophet Samuel if he later gave an offering from the spoils he’d gleaned. In the end, as Saul reasoned away his disobedience, Samuel settled the discussion by stating that the Lord desires obedience rather than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22).

The obedience God desired from Saul is the same obedience He desires from us: that we be attentive to His instruction because out of it flows His life, His purpose and the fulfillment of His promises! Perhaps Saul’s actions are not far removed from the way we process God’s instructions in our time. Saul chose to deal with the Amalakites with half hearted attentiveness to the Word of God, and he supposed he could fix this error in the end by giving God an offering.

In our daily walk, how distant are we from Saul's mindset? God is specific in His instructions to us about how we’re to handle our finances, operate in self control, treat our bodies…and the list goes on. But we bypass being obedient to the Word and practicing righteousness in these areas; instead we give an offering and expect God to perform a miracle to make up for our lack of obedience to His Word. If I’ve overspent or been careless with my finances I can put some $$ in the offering plate and expect a bountiful return to make up for my disobedience in following God’s Word. But God desires obedience to His Word rather than an offering; He has laid out the way we’re to live and we must be faithful to follow it if we want to see His promises come to pass in our lives. This is not a matter of legalism, but a matter of having a heart after God's own, one that repeatedly rejects the wrong and chooses God's way of living.

An additional tragedy in living in disobedience is that we do not develop the deep and true character of God within ourselves. The character of God consists of holiness which manifests in righteous living. While God is compassionate and forgiving and He pours benefits upon us, there is a higher level of life in Him which does not continually seek for miracles to fix the results of our disobedience. However, this concept is so far removed from our culture that it seems foreign; we are accustomed to living in a certain manner and then seeking God’s miraculous help to support that manner of living.

Perhaps the culture of the Israelites is what brought them to the point where God said to them “These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men” [Matt 15:8-9, Isa. 29:13 AMP]. This was not a statement of disdain or disgust, but a wake-up call to the children of God! God was saying “there is more of me and there is life in me. You have scratched the surface and settled for crumbs when I want you to feast on the bread of life!” In other words, there is a sphere of living which we have not reached, mostly because we have not been willing to travel the road of obedience which leads to that sphere.

This causes me to question the depth of my walk with the Lord. I know of Him and I have knowledge of His word, but have I stepped into the blessed love walk with my Savior? This walk is not about getting God to give me abundance or blessing that I might live a wonderful life on earth, according to my standards. The wonderful life flows out of Christ and His leading – I need not lead Him in the direction I desire, but allow Him to lead me into loving obedience. Jesus said “The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him]” (John 14:21, AMP).

So let us not take as criticism the idea that we have yet to learn obedience. Obedience, in its purest form, is living the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit as a witness of His redeeming grace – it is the true walk of faith. It is a sacred calling to hold and carry out the will of God on this earth and it enables us to rise above living in the flesh. It also relieves us of distracted prayers, the prayers in which we repeatedly ask God to fix the results of our disobedient behavior when we could be focusing on the assignments God’s given us and praying the prayers that enable those assignments and bring God’s will to the earth.

God has already given us the tools to fix our disobedience: we have the Word to guide us, His voice to direct us and the Holy Spirit to enable us. There is a time and a place for an offering, but let us not think that an offering is generally the solution to our ‘needs’ or the answer to our problems. We have a calling to be obedient to the Word and the voice of God, and through this begins the fulfillment of His promises!

“And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him” (1 John 3:22 AMP).

How Big is Your Faith?

“…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt. 17:17 NIV) 

It seems that Jesus was telling the disciples that their faith was miniscule! But by the time Jesus said these words to the disciples they had gone out two by two, healed people, and advanced the Kingdom of God (Luke 6). What was so little about their faith?

In truth, Jesus wasn’t talking about the size of their faith; He was comparing their faith to a seed and paralleling the growth of the two. In fact, none of the Greek words in this scripture mean ‘little’ or ‘small,’ which leads to the conclusion that this verse was interpreted (adding unintended meaning) rather than translated.

In Matthew 17 Jesus was emphasizing that faith is a ‘seed’ which carries potential inside of it and correct cultivation of the seed will help it reach its full potential. The mustard seed will grow and flourish to its full potential if it has been planted in good soil, watered, takes in plenty of sunshine and is free of weeds. True cultivation requires continued attention to the plant at all stages of its growth; it’s not accidental that the end result is a healthy, mature, mustard plant which can house the birds of the air (Matt 13:32). In other scriptures Jesus compares the mustard seed and its potential to the Kingdom of God; it’s planted, grows and flourishes over time, eventually becoming a safe place for others to take shelter (Matt 13:31).

God has the expectation that we will actively cultivate our faith just as a mustard seed is cultivated. So when the disciples failed to seize the opportunity to grow their faith to its full potential, Jesus corrected them. In Mark 6 they had just seen Him multiply loaves of bread to feed a multitude, yet immediately after this Jesus walked toward them on the water and they were dumbfounded, afraid and stunned. Mark 6:52 says “they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their hearts were hardened.”

“Considered not” means they didn’t absorb the knowledge of what had happened as evidence God’s power! They didn’t complete the picture by adding the pieces together and coming to the conclusion that God is able. They didn’t take the time to think through the teachings Jesus had given them and connect them with the physical evidence produced by the miracle of the loaves. They failed to use the experience of the loaves to grow their faith because they were more excited about the bread they’d received than they were about growing their faith to serve the Kingdom of God for His glory! 

Jesus would not have corrected the disciples if they hadn’t had the ability to grow their faith. The potential was there, but they were hardened and dull. Perhaps they’d become dull and numb because of past religious hurts. Perhaps today some of us have become dull because we’ve been taught that only leaders can believe and see miracles, or only certain individuals have ‘great faith.’ But Jesus expected every one of His disciples to have great faith, and it was their responsibility to cultivate it. 

If we want our faith to grow and reach its full potential there must be a diligent, steady effort in our hearts and minds to meditate on the Word of God and recount the testimonies of God’s power from our own lives and the lives of others. The disciples failed to connect these things at the beginning of their walk, but we have the advantage of learning from their trials. 

If we fully develop our faith we will become who God has created us to be, enabling each of us to accomplish all He has sent us to do for His glory.

How to Handle a Mental Attack!

Some attacks begin as a thought from the enemy. Once he can get you to think on his ideas, he can create a problem or perpetuate a problem. His idea is to make you hyper focus on the problem he's created so that it will consume you. You must choose to say no and reject his thoughts! 

That doesn't mean you ignore problems and concerns in your life, it means that you choose to focus on God and deal with life's issues as He directs through the Holy Spirit. 

Don't take on the thoughts from the enemy, don't take on the feelings of it, don't take on the guilt he's trying to put on you, and don't allow it to permeate your life. Choose to say no to his ideas and replace them with healthy thoughts. If the enemy can get you to shift your focus onto his thoughts, he has succeeded in getting you to shift your focus off of God.

When we let the mental attacks of the enemy become our focus, we have replaced the counsel of the Holy Spirit with the counsel of the enemy.

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise--dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you" (Php 4:6-9).

Here, God....let me help You! (People Who Control)

If you feel you must push, pull and prod people and circumstances into the order which best suits you and makes you feel satisfied, you might have a control issue. There may even be times when you have the authority to move people and things around to your liking, but that doesn’t mean you have the God-given right to do so. A constant desire to control people and circumstances is likely a sign that you are operating with a worldly mindset as opposed to a Kingdom mindset.

This is a concept that Jesus tried to get into the minds and hearts of His disciples. When they asked Jesus if He was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel and release them from Roman rule, Jesus replied “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you and you shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:6-8). Jesus was telling them not to worry about the authority of the earthly realm because the power to change every circumstance, our own hearts and the hearts of others lies within the realm and power of God’s Kingdom. Giving Israel power to rule herself again would do nothing to change her heart and bring her to God – that would simply give her worldly authority. And so it is with us; being able to control the world around us does nothing to change our hearts and provide a witness of the glory and power of God to the world around us. It’s the character and power of God that brings about His changes and will – He simply needs a yielded vessel.

Peter received a reprimand from Jesus when he tried to control the outcome of events in the Garden of Gethsemane. In an effort to protect and free Jesus, he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Peter took control of the situation; he set things in order, He rescued Jesus! But Jesus told Peter to put the sword away; God could send thousands of angels to free Him if He asked. But God’s will was not for Jesus to be free at that moment, and when Peter tried to control the situation he was actually working against the will of God (Matt 26). 

In trying to control people and circumstances, we too may find ourselves fighting against the will of God. Such was the case with the woman whose husband attended church with her for the first time. As they walked into the church the woman saw 2 empty seats, but those were next to the woman who prayed throughout the entire service. Oh NO!!! If her husband sat next to this woman he’d never come back! She desperately looked for a couple of folding chairs to set in the back of the church, but her husband pointed to the two empty spots, taking a seat next to the praying woman. As the service progressed her husband broke down in tears, accepted the Lord and became a believer. The prayers of the praying woman convicted him; he sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Our ways may not be God’s ways, and forcing our control and will into situations and onto people may even negate the prayers we've prayed; this is what nearly happened to the woman who's husband attended church with her. There are even groups of people today who want to help God bring His prophecies to pass - they give them a little extra nudge here and there to help them come to pass.

Letting go of control means we have to stop worrying about the way things look to other people and stop trying to set things up for God so He can move within our boundaries and make us happy! We might even have to suffer some embarrassment or go through a process of being humbled. But God knows what He’s doing, and unless He directs us to take control, it’s best to wait and trust; He is able to move all things into place so that His will is done. He’ll let us know if He needs help.

Christ's 2nd Coming: Spiritual Concept or Physical Event?

There are approximately 330 prophecies related to Christ's first coming. Every one of those prophecies was fulfilled in a natural, physical and literal manner: where He would be born, how He would die, how He would be buried, who would give Him His grave, etc.

Do not think that God has changed His character and the meaning of His Word midstream! When He speaks of Christ's 2nd coming it is not only from a spiritual and prophetic perspective: it involves natural events in which the literal appearing of Christ happens. The fulfillment of these prophecies involves actual, physical events which are spiritually birthed and produce spiritual effects.

What are some physical and literal signs that His return is near?
-Social & moral upheaval and degradation (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
-Israel regains control of their God given land (Eze. 37, 21; Jer. 30-31; Amos 9:14)
-Natural disasters intensify (Matt 24, Rev 6).

He will physically & literally return and every eye will see Him! (Rev 1:7)

Act 1:11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven."

(If you would be interested in a free online study of an overview of the Book of Revelation, please send a private message to God's Word in Everyday Life (Facebook Group), indicating your interest).

Intelligent Love....or Blind Affection?

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ…” Philippians 1:9-10 

A close look at Philippians 1 shows that God connects love, knowledge and discernment as a powerful, three-stringed cord. The combination of these three virtues enables us to test and examine all things and conclude whether they are genuine (sourced in God) or a promotion of the enemy’s vices for the destruction of mankind. 

Love’s influence increases and becomes more productive when empowered with knowledge and discernment: in today’s society this is extremely important. Today’s culture defines love as agreeing with (and promoting) the choices of others regardless of what the Bible says about those choices. But God’s delivering and healing love abounds and spreads its perfect aroma when it couples with knowledge and discernment to live and speak His truth in the face of decay and sin.

While we are to say ‘no’ to the ungodly values and actions of the world around us, and sometimes that includes our family members, co-workers and others we see on a daily basis, verse 10 tells us that we must not take offense in this process. To be offended is to fall into sin, ourselves, when others don’t agree with us as we stand for the Truth of God. 

The simple truth is that the world has a very unhealthy and deceived idea of love. God is love – and without God there is no authentic love! Love does not give permission and agreement to things that are ungodly because love desires the best for those it loves. 

What Paul was saying to the Philippians (and to us) is that God desires for us to have "intelligent love" not "blind affection." Intelligent love understands God's ways and seeks His purposes while blind affection seeks the approval of man and fears rejection. We love unconditionally, but we do so with the knowledge and discernment of God as the basis for our acceptance or rejection of the actions and beliefs of others.

He Ain't Heavy...He's My Burden!

The idea of bearing the burdens of others might bring to mind an image of young men helping elderly ladies cross the street. But Galatians 6 speaks of ‘bearing burdens’ in the context of carrying the heaviness and effects of another person’s sin.

Bearing the burdens of another means we purposefully intercede in the person’s life when he or she is caught in sin by both carrying the effects of that sin and restoring him to righteous living in Christ. God’s way of dealing with these sins is to have the brethren work with those who are caught unaware, overtaken by sin and spiritual weakness, or have wrongly learned that their sin is an acceptable way of living (Gal. 6:1). And maybe the sin has been there for a long time but has worsened, making it more noticeable and affecting the life of that person and others more drastically than before.

As an example, consider the person who struggles to budget his money, using it unwisely and habitually spending it on frivolities via credit cards. As debt builds, that person may suddenly find himself in need of funds to pay for food and shelter, and if there are children involved, the situation can quickly become desperate.

Galatians 6:1 says “you who are spiritual should restore him.” In other words, you who are solid in the Truth and Spirit of God should work with him to help him understand God’s Word, repent, and break free of sin and the misconduct that follows. But bearing the burden of his sin also means we shoulder some of the consequences; in the above example this may include helping support and feed his family while at the same time helping him to be delivered from the root of the sin and learn to use money in a God-honoring way. This is how we carry the heaviness of another person’s sin, shouldering the consequences with him while helping move him toward complete freedom.

A key component to bearing these burdens is to operate in meekness, patience and gentleness. We’re not to beat down or condemn the individual who is in this type of situation (Gal. 6:1). Honesty in love is a must, however, Galatians specifically tells us that we’re not to think of ourselves as better or more righteous or we may fall into sin while we’re carrying the burdens of others. This can happen if we walk in pride, become entangled in the very sin we’re striving to free them from, or teach the person to follow us more than Christ. Our goal is to help them get out of the sin which entangles them, but not at the risk of having them see us as their ‘end all be all’ instead of vessels of service to the Body of Christ.

If you’ve ever borne the burdens of others you know how frustrating it can be, especially when things don’t move along as quickly as you think they should. But shaking a finger, losing patience, scolding, condemning and spiritual bullying are signs that we’ve moved away from helping and slid into sin ourselves: this is nothing more than an abuse of God’s power and authority!

The truth is that we all have issues to work through at different times in our lives, and treating others with love and respect is likely the way we’d like to be treated as we work through our own grievous afflictions – self induced or otherwise. Just as Christ lovingly and sacrificially carried our burdens, we're to carry the burdens of others in bringing them to the fullness of Christ on this earth. And while we’re helping others to become whole and free in Christ, we may very well be planting a seed which will produce a harvest of help when we’re in need of someone to shoulder our burdens.

“If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.  
Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults...for if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is nobody… he deceives and deludes and cheats himself. But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor” (Gal 6:1-4 AMP).