A positive attitude contributes to success in life more than anything else, according to a Stanford Research Institute study that shows a full 87.5 percent of people’s success can be traced to their positive attitudes, while just 12.5 percent of their success comes from their aptitude, knowledge, or skills.
What can you do if your mind is weighed down by negative attitudes that limit your success? You can change your attitudes, with God’s help. Here’s how:
Understand the power of attitude. If you allow negative attitudes (such as anxiety, envy, anger, bitterness, or pride) to grab hold of your mind, those attitudes will lead you to make negative decisions that will affect your life in negative ways. But if you choose to develop and maintain positive attitudes, your life will become positive as a result. Even when you encounter the challenges and tragedies of living in a sinful world, you’ll be able to deal with them successfully when you choose to approach life with positive attitudes. But keep in mind that changing negative attitudes to positive ones isn’t an instant event; it’s a lifelong process that requires perseverance. Ask God to help you each day, and study Jesus’ life, since He is the ultimate example of how to live in this world with positive attitudes.
Respond rather than react to unexpected change. Change will sometimes surprise you, and when that change is negative you may be drawn into a crisis. Whenever that happens, avoid reacting negatively and instead deliberately decide to respond positively. Keep in mind that you can’t control situations or people, but you can choose how you’ll respond to them. Ask God to give you four key gifts to help you respond to unexpected change in positive ways: hope, faith in Him, a clear vision of what He wants you to do next, and then the energy to do what He wants you to do. Whenever it’s possible for you to change troubling circumstances or relationships, make the effort to do so. Whenever you can’t change them, ask God to give you the peace you need to deal with them.
Be accountable for your life. Let go of a victim’s attitude, since blaming others for what’s happened to you (from divorce to a job loss) won’t help make your life better. Avoid self-pity and excuses for not changing your life, too. Realize that no matter what has happened to you in the past, you do have the power to change, with God’s help. Focus on God’s promises to give you the strength you need to grow and move into a better future, and rely on that strength every day. Instead of looking inward, look outward to other people in need and obey God’s call to help them; in the process, you’ll start to feel better about your own life. Take responsibility for moving forward in the ways God leads you to move forward, and you’ll see your life becoming more positive.
Examine your soul. Ask God to help you take an honest look inside your soul to identify what specific types of negative attitudes are lurking inside, such as: pride, fear, anger, sadness, jealousy, doubt, resentment, bitterness, and low self-esteem. Then confess each of the negative attitudes to God and repent of them, inviting God to transform you from the inside out. Going forward, each time you become aware of an unhealthy, negative thought in your mind, give it to God in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind so you can think the way He wants you to think – which will help you develop positive attitudes to fill your soul regularly.
Forgive yourself and others. Accept the forgiveness that God offers you for your sins, and be faithful to God’s call to forgive others who have sinned against you. Doing so will release the poison of bitterness from your soul, which will flush out negative attitudes and make room for positive attitudes to take their place. In the process, your stress levels will decrease and the amount of peace you experience will increase.
Prepare for obstacles. It’s inevitable in this sinful world that you’ll face difficult circumstances (John 16:33) in the future that can lead you to give into negativity if you don’t prepare for them now. So invest time in practices that will help you develop new habits of positive thinking that will solidify positive attitudes in your life. When fear and discouragement cloud your thinking, seek wisdom from prayer, reading the Bible, and talking with Godly people you trust. Pray regularly for God to fulfill His unique purposes in your life, and expect big results, with faith in God’s sovereign power. When you need encouragement, read God’s promises to you in the Bible and spend time with encouraging people while avoiding negative ones. Be patient when working to reach the goals God has inspired you to achieve, relying on His strength each step of the way. Keep in mind that every obstacle you may face pales in comparison to the power of God’s love for you.
Learn to receive and give love. The more you can receive God’s love and give it to other people, the more positive your perspective on life will become. So make your relationship with God your top priority, and devote lots of time and energy to prayer and other spiritual disciplines that will help you grow closer to Him. Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you, and base your identity on the fact that you’re God’s beloved child. Pray for the Holy Spirit to for more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in your life, so you’ll be empowered to love other people in the ways God wants you to love them.
Take charge of your thoughts. Ask God to help you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, and practice thinking about what’s true, lovely and honorable until doing so becomes a habit. Read the Bible regularly to remind yourself of how blessed you are as someone who is accepted, secure, and significant thanks to your relationship with Jesus.
Transform from the inside out. Release control of every part of your life – from your relationships to your work – to God, trusting Him to guide you to what’s best in all of your decisions. As you abandon a self-centered life for a God-centered life, you’ll find that you’ll be following God’s guidance because you want to, not because you have to do so. Your sense of hope will grow in the process, which will nurture positive attitudes in your life.
Make a positive difference in God’s kingdom. Pray that God will make you a vessel for His love to flow through into the lives of other people. Every day, make the most of the opportunities God gives you to inspire other people to develop positive attitudes, by loving and serving them through both what you say and what you do.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Passion: The Match That Lights Our Fire
“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Romans 12:11 (NLT) or I like what The Message says: “Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame”
What good is firewood without the match? What good is life without the passion that motivates it?
What is passion? “A strong feeling, a great devotion and intense conviction which fuels or motivates us toward compelling action.”
Fulfilling your purpose will require passion (zeal or enthusiasm). 'Purpose' has to do with our head – thinking right about why we're here and understanding our calling. 'Passion' has to do with our heart – the internal fire that motivates us and energizes us to fulfill our purpose and do God's will. God is the source of spiritual passion. The Holy Spirit comes to ignite us with holy fire.
In the world we live in, natural passion is often a key to success and impact. Knowing information is valuable, but possessing the fire is invaluable. Nothing major in history was ever accomplished without zeal. It is the deciding difference between successful and unsuccessful people in every field of endeavor. The fire on the inside affects everything on the outside. Someone wrote that: "Enthusiasm and persistence can make an average person superior; indifference and laziness can make a superior person average."
3 Truths About Passion:
• Nothing significant is ever done in life without passion.
• Most winners in life are just ex-losers who finally got passionate.
• The worst bankruptcy in the world is the person who has lost passion.
For the most part, much of America is really struggling to be passionate about life!
The results of a survey taken a few years ago, showed that 4 out of 5 Americans feel that they lack passion in their lives. That means only 20% of Americans woke up today saying, “Come on, let’s go for it!”
There was another survey of 13,000 people of people who used to go to church but no longer do. There were a number of questions in the survey, but one of the questions asked, “What would need to happen for you to return to church?” The number one answer was “See passion in the lives of the members and leaders.”
People want to see a fire, zeal, enthusiasm among Christians that makes going to church meaningful. This is what made Jesus ministry so affective! He lived passionately for others, and He died passionately for us! Remember the movie “The Passion of the Christ”? In Christ we see what real “passion” was and IS!
As Christians, passion is commanded of each of us. Let’s look at just a few scriptures that back this up:
Ecclesiastes 9:10 - “Whatever you do, do well.…”
John 10:10 - “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Ephesians 6:6 - “…do the will of God with all your heart
Passion is not something that is static or that stays the same. A fire either spreads or burns out. The tendency of fire, if left by its self, is to go out. Passion works the same way. We need to work it, stir it and add to it.
There are many passion killers. A few common ones include complacency, difficult circumstances, maybe an unbalanced lifestyle. The result is 'apathy'. (Lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern. Also, mean indifference.) Apathy isn't a state of mind; it's a state of heart.
God knows the moment we lose our passion or zeal, we loose vision and perspective. Satan knows this too, and there is nothing he likes better than an apathetic Christian. One definition of lukewarmness is "serving God in such a way as to not offend the devil."
Guard the flame within you. This zeal of God is a consuming fire within you, you need to guard it ferociously, realizing it is the enemy's target. Protect your passion.
How do we ignite our passion or keep it burning? We can pray for passion and ask God to put his fire within us again. According to John the Baptist, Jesus desires to baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matt.3:11b). And this also is in Luke 3:16. And on the Day of Pentecost “what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…..” (Acts 2:3-4a). We can do things that help us return to our 'first love' (Rev.2:4-5), including dealing positively with negative emotions that have settled into our spirit. We can activate our spiritual gifts (1 Tim.4:14-16) and serve wholeheartedly. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Col.3:23). Sometimes we have to stir up this flame of passion within us. “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” (2 Tim.1:6). We can also associate with people of passion – people who encourage and inspire you (Heb.10:24-25).
We need to understand our purpose and then ask God to fill us with passion to pursue it. Focus our passion on fulfilling our purpose. Passionately love God, love people, change and grow, serve and reach out. We are to be a passionate people like our God. God desires passionate believers. God's mission for us is to be "fired up" followers of Jesus Christ.
Passionate Christianity is about living with a sense of urgency and passion. It's living with a vision and a dream to give our lives to; a kingdom to spend our life on; the God of heaven and earth to pursue and know intimately. God works through passionate people.
The sad part of this is – most of us think we can’t live out passion through life’s journey! Maybe you feel this way today – well let’s drop that thinking and begin develop a mindset that says, “I can live a passionate life for God!”
Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
Instead of devoted passion for God, too many of us have diversified passion – a little passion here and a little passion there! Before long we are left with diluted passion.
Do you think you are passionate about God being in your life? Do you think you are passionate about the Bible?
If we are not passionate about God we need to see what was the event in life or who was the person or what else has stopped us from being passionate?
What really fires you up? What ministry do you really feel passionate about? Then devote your passion to what God has called you to and go for it!
What good is firewood without the match? What good is life without the passion that motivates it?
What is passion? “A strong feeling, a great devotion and intense conviction which fuels or motivates us toward compelling action.”
Fulfilling your purpose will require passion (zeal or enthusiasm). 'Purpose' has to do with our head – thinking right about why we're here and understanding our calling. 'Passion' has to do with our heart – the internal fire that motivates us and energizes us to fulfill our purpose and do God's will. God is the source of spiritual passion. The Holy Spirit comes to ignite us with holy fire.
In the world we live in, natural passion is often a key to success and impact. Knowing information is valuable, but possessing the fire is invaluable. Nothing major in history was ever accomplished without zeal. It is the deciding difference between successful and unsuccessful people in every field of endeavor. The fire on the inside affects everything on the outside. Someone wrote that: "Enthusiasm and persistence can make an average person superior; indifference and laziness can make a superior person average."
3 Truths About Passion:
• Nothing significant is ever done in life without passion.
• Most winners in life are just ex-losers who finally got passionate.
• The worst bankruptcy in the world is the person who has lost passion.
For the most part, much of America is really struggling to be passionate about life!
The results of a survey taken a few years ago, showed that 4 out of 5 Americans feel that they lack passion in their lives. That means only 20% of Americans woke up today saying, “Come on, let’s go for it!”
There was another survey of 13,000 people of people who used to go to church but no longer do. There were a number of questions in the survey, but one of the questions asked, “What would need to happen for you to return to church?” The number one answer was “See passion in the lives of the members and leaders.”
People want to see a fire, zeal, enthusiasm among Christians that makes going to church meaningful. This is what made Jesus ministry so affective! He lived passionately for others, and He died passionately for us! Remember the movie “The Passion of the Christ”? In Christ we see what real “passion” was and IS!
As Christians, passion is commanded of each of us. Let’s look at just a few scriptures that back this up:
Ecclesiastes 9:10 - “Whatever you do, do well.…”
John 10:10 - “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Ephesians 6:6 - “…do the will of God with all your heart
Passion is not something that is static or that stays the same. A fire either spreads or burns out. The tendency of fire, if left by its self, is to go out. Passion works the same way. We need to work it, stir it and add to it.
There are many passion killers. A few common ones include complacency, difficult circumstances, maybe an unbalanced lifestyle. The result is 'apathy'. (Lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern. Also, mean indifference.) Apathy isn't a state of mind; it's a state of heart.
God knows the moment we lose our passion or zeal, we loose vision and perspective. Satan knows this too, and there is nothing he likes better than an apathetic Christian. One definition of lukewarmness is "serving God in such a way as to not offend the devil."
Guard the flame within you. This zeal of God is a consuming fire within you, you need to guard it ferociously, realizing it is the enemy's target. Protect your passion.
How do we ignite our passion or keep it burning? We can pray for passion and ask God to put his fire within us again. According to John the Baptist, Jesus desires to baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matt.3:11b). And this also is in Luke 3:16. And on the Day of Pentecost “what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…..” (Acts 2:3-4a). We can do things that help us return to our 'first love' (Rev.2:4-5), including dealing positively with negative emotions that have settled into our spirit. We can activate our spiritual gifts (1 Tim.4:14-16) and serve wholeheartedly. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Col.3:23). Sometimes we have to stir up this flame of passion within us. “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” (2 Tim.1:6). We can also associate with people of passion – people who encourage and inspire you (Heb.10:24-25).
We need to understand our purpose and then ask God to fill us with passion to pursue it. Focus our passion on fulfilling our purpose. Passionately love God, love people, change and grow, serve and reach out. We are to be a passionate people like our God. God desires passionate believers. God's mission for us is to be "fired up" followers of Jesus Christ.
Passionate Christianity is about living with a sense of urgency and passion. It's living with a vision and a dream to give our lives to; a kingdom to spend our life on; the God of heaven and earth to pursue and know intimately. God works through passionate people.
The sad part of this is – most of us think we can’t live out passion through life’s journey! Maybe you feel this way today – well let’s drop that thinking and begin develop a mindset that says, “I can live a passionate life for God!”
Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
Instead of devoted passion for God, too many of us have diversified passion – a little passion here and a little passion there! Before long we are left with diluted passion.
Do you think you are passionate about God being in your life? Do you think you are passionate about the Bible?
If we are not passionate about God we need to see what was the event in life or who was the person or what else has stopped us from being passionate?
What really fires you up? What ministry do you really feel passionate about? Then devote your passion to what God has called you to and go for it!
Monday, September 19, 2011
"If My People"
Solomon has just finished building a “Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 6:10b) and is praying to God: “And now arise, O LORD God, and enter your resting place..” (2 Chronicles 6:41a)
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:3b)
The temple was complete. It was a great accomplishment of the Lord. The promise of a great temple had been fulfilled. Every part of it was filled the gold, silver, and precious jewels. No expense had been spared. Truly, at this point the people of Israel had given God the very best of what they had. Solomon and the people had dedicated the temple with great sacrifices.
God had made His presence known to all the people by filling the temple with His glory. What an awesome sight it must have been to see "the fire coming down”. (2 Chronicles 7:3a) from Heaven. The people worshipped their God and proclaimed His goodness and His enduring love.
Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. …….So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. (2 Chronicles 7:4-5)
All that remained was the reminder to the people. Why, because they had worshipped and dedicated themselves before. Then they would get comfortable and forget the Lord and worship other gods. The Lord would discipline them then they would repent and He would redeem them once again. The cycle was restoration, sin, judgment, repentance, and restoration.
The Lord reminded Solomon once again of some very important truths. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 says,
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
"if"
It is a conditional statement. It implies that there are options. It also means that there is a choice involved on our part. A choice by us takes an act of the will. We can either take the offer or we can refuse the offer and accept the consequences.
It is an opportunity from the Lord. He is almighty God. He does not have to offer us anything. The great part of this offer is He desires to give us a chance, an opportunity that would not be offered if it were not for Him. It is freely given with no obligation on His part.
"my people"
Don’t you love these two words. They imply a personal relationship, not ownership, but relationship. God has chosen the Israelites out of all the peoples on the earth, they are His and He is their God. Above all He desires a relationship with them.
Jesus looked down from the hills of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, …… How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. (Matthew 23:37) It is a love relationship. He created us to love.
Today, Believers are His chosen people. The chosen are those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. Again, it is a choice to accept or reject His offer of salvation. It says in 2 Corinthians 1:22, “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts…”
Once we receive Jesus Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as God’s children. And scripture says that nothing can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:38-39 says, "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. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Once we are His, we are His. But remember the choice? It requires an action on our part, an act of the will to choose one or the other. What is it we are to do?
"will"
If we will humble ourselves is the first step. Humility does not mean we walk around all day with our eyes to the ground or with a whip smacking ourselves on the back or allowing someone else treat us that way. It means we recognize that we are not God and in life, we are powerless to live apart from Him. We admit that we have sinned and apart from Him there is no remedy.
We are to pray. Prayer is talking, communicating with God. We recognize we can’t do anything in life apart from Him and so we turn to Him in humility. He is God, we are not. A love relationship requires constant communication, most of which is listening.
Next we seek His face. We desire to know Him on a deeper level. Statistics say 90% of Americans know about God. Today most do not seek His face nor do they desire a love relationship with Him. Why, because most of America doesn’t want to admit they are lost and in sin. And then do not want to give up “control” of their lives. Giving up this control is very difficult!
Lastly we need turn from our wicked ways. What are wicked ways? It is anyway that is not God’s way. Those are wicked ways. The people of Israel were constantly calling upon God to rescue them from their own mistakes. When He would redeem them they would worship and follow Him.....for awhile. Then they would go back to wickedness and sin and leave God out entirely. Of course, they would then get in trouble without the Lord and they would be right back to square one calling on to rescue them. Sound familiar?
Why didn’t they remain in His will? It is because "all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory". (Romans 3:23) We are just like the Israelites. When times are bad we call on His name but when times are good we often forget about Him.
God desires a love relationship in Christ. In Christ, His is with us always through the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 14:16 that “… I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” And God says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you". (Hebrews 13:5) He will nor quit on you or me. But, we need to acknowledge by our actions that He we love Him. Jesus says, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15) We demonstrate our love for Him by following His word and obeying all He has commanded us.
What does God do?
"then"
First, He will be attentive. We become His object of love and caring. We receive His forgiveness, His love, His peace, His comfort, and most importantly, His grace. We literally become the Lord’s love. Think about it. The Father loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins. That is how much God loves us. He is not pursuing us to somehow get us, He is pursuing us to love us. Why so many people miserable? They won’t accept the love God. His love is the One permanent love available. All other loves may leave us. BUT, His love will never, never leave us. How do we know? He says so and He is God.
Before we come to realize we need Jesus Christ we often do a lot of damage to our life. The Lord promises to heal the land. He heals our life. He slowly changes our life for good when we begin to follow Him. He even says He will take the bad of life and change it to good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Solomon has just finished building a “Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 6:10b) and is praying to God: “And now arise, O LORD God, and enter your resting place..” (2 Chronicles 6:41a)
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:3b)
The temple was complete. It was a great accomplishment of the Lord. The promise of a great temple had been fulfilled. Every part of it was filled the gold, silver, and precious jewels. No expense had been spared. Truly, at this point the people of Israel had given God the very best of what they had. Solomon and the people had dedicated the temple with great sacrifices.
God had made His presence known to all the people by filling the temple with His glory. What an awesome sight it must have been to see "the fire coming down”. (2 Chronicles 7:3a) from Heaven. The people worshipped their God and proclaimed His goodness and His enduring love.
Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. …….So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. (2 Chronicles 7:4-5)
All that remained was the reminder to the people. Why, because they had worshipped and dedicated themselves before. Then they would get comfortable and forget the Lord and worship other gods. The Lord would discipline them then they would repent and He would redeem them once again. The cycle was restoration, sin, judgment, repentance, and restoration.
The Lord reminded Solomon once again of some very important truths. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 says,
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
"if"
It is a conditional statement. It implies that there are options. It also means that there is a choice involved on our part. A choice by us takes an act of the will. We can either take the offer or we can refuse the offer and accept the consequences.
It is an opportunity from the Lord. He is almighty God. He does not have to offer us anything. The great part of this offer is He desires to give us a chance, an opportunity that would not be offered if it were not for Him. It is freely given with no obligation on His part.
"my people"
Don’t you love these two words. They imply a personal relationship, not ownership, but relationship. God has chosen the Israelites out of all the peoples on the earth, they are His and He is their God. Above all He desires a relationship with them.
Jesus looked down from the hills of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, …… How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. (Matthew 23:37) It is a love relationship. He created us to love.
Today, Believers are His chosen people. The chosen are those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. Again, it is a choice to accept or reject His offer of salvation. It says in 2 Corinthians 1:22, “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts…”
Once we receive Jesus Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as God’s children. And scripture says that nothing can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:38-39 says, "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. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Once we are His, we are His. But remember the choice? It requires an action on our part, an act of the will to choose one or the other. What is it we are to do?
"will"
If we will humble ourselves is the first step. Humility does not mean we walk around all day with our eyes to the ground or with a whip smacking ourselves on the back or allowing someone else treat us that way. It means we recognize that we are not God and in life, we are powerless to live apart from Him. We admit that we have sinned and apart from Him there is no remedy.
We are to pray. Prayer is talking, communicating with God. We recognize we can’t do anything in life apart from Him and so we turn to Him in humility. He is God, we are not. A love relationship requires constant communication, most of which is listening.
Next we seek His face. We desire to know Him on a deeper level. Statistics say 90% of Americans know about God. Today most do not seek His face nor do they desire a love relationship with Him. Why, because most of America doesn’t want to admit they are lost and in sin. And then do not want to give up “control” of their lives. Giving up this control is very difficult!
Lastly we need turn from our wicked ways. What are wicked ways? It is anyway that is not God’s way. Those are wicked ways. The people of Israel were constantly calling upon God to rescue them from their own mistakes. When He would redeem them they would worship and follow Him.....for awhile. Then they would go back to wickedness and sin and leave God out entirely. Of course, they would then get in trouble without the Lord and they would be right back to square one calling on to rescue them. Sound familiar?
Why didn’t they remain in His will? It is because "all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory". (Romans 3:23) We are just like the Israelites. When times are bad we call on His name but when times are good we often forget about Him.
God desires a love relationship in Christ. In Christ, His is with us always through the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 14:16 that “… I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” And God says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you". (Hebrews 13:5) He will nor quit on you or me. But, we need to acknowledge by our actions that He we love Him. Jesus says, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15) We demonstrate our love for Him by following His word and obeying all He has commanded us.
What does God do?
"then"
First, He will be attentive. We become His object of love and caring. We receive His forgiveness, His love, His peace, His comfort, and most importantly, His grace. We literally become the Lord’s love. Think about it. The Father loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins. That is how much God loves us. He is not pursuing us to somehow get us, He is pursuing us to love us. Why so many people miserable? They won’t accept the love God. His love is the One permanent love available. All other loves may leave us. BUT, His love will never, never leave us. How do we know? He says so and He is God.
Before we come to realize we need Jesus Christ we often do a lot of damage to our life. The Lord promises to heal the land. He heals our life. He slowly changes our life for good when we begin to follow Him. He even says He will take the bad of life and change it to good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Reaching the Checkered Flag
Reaching the Checkered Flag
Wouldn’t it be truly awesome if every person who claims the name of Christ, every individual who desires to be called a Christian, would run the race of faith as if their lives depended on it … because they do!
But, sadly, many Christian folk aren’t really even in this race of faith. Oh, they may have been saved … they have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord … but that’s it. They’re not growing, they’re not serving, and they’re not sharing their faith. It’s like they jumped across the starting line … and then they laid down to rest. They have taken themselves out of the race before it even really started.
Today, let’s see how we can finish the race. Let’s talk about Reaching the Checkered Flag. How many of you know that I was once a “NASCAR race car driver” and have actually took the “checkered flag” (Only on local short tracks. Not with the big boys!) You know, in a NASCAR race, it doesn’t matter how well dressed the driver is or how pretty the car is. It doesn’t matter how much money their sponsors gave them. And it really doesn’t matter how fast they run … unless they actually cross that finish line. Really, it is all for naught unless they cross that line and see that checkered flag waved over the track.
Those of us who follow Jesus have to realize that we are still on the track. We have not finished the race. We cannot just sit back and relax and wait for Jesus to come back. We have a job to do. We have more laps to run. We have many more miles to go.
.
Most of us today are on God’s team, but we may not really be in the race of faith. Often we are a whole lot more interested in what we can get out of our faith and our church than we are in what we need to put into them. If that’s the case, then this is going to be a very important message today.
Let’s look to God’s Word for truth and inspiration. Let’s read together from the letter to the Hebrews 12:1-3.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
So many people honestly think that coming to know Jesus … being saved … is the end result of their spiritual journey. They could not be further from the truth!
Knowing Jesus is only the beginning … it is the beginning of a lifelong race of faith. There are many spiritual “laps” that we must travel before this race of life and faith is over. We must work and prepare to run this race of faith with God for our entire lifetimes!
How can you stay focused on the “finish line?”
Know that there are others who have successfully completed this race of life and faith. (v. 1a)
One was Noah. Remember, he spent 120 years building the ark. 120 years! Now, think about that. Some of us in this room are some of the most impatient people on the planet. Right? We get upset because the microwave takes 2:30 to pop the popcorn instead of 2:00. So we fuss, and complain, and live impatient lives. Some of us even get impatient when we think that God doesn’t move fast enough to suit us. Then we can remember a patient hero like Noah.
Some others who completed the race with endurance were Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Samson, Samuel, and David.
Then there are the heroes of the faith in your own life.
We all have heroes in the faith in our lives … people who had an impact … people who have gone on to be with the Lord. Maybe it was a parent or grandparent, or a teacher, or another person in your church. Most of us can remember someone along the way.
Get ready to run an effective, lifelong faith-race. (v. 1b)
The writer here uses the word, “endurance.” But what is endurance? Endurance means that, even when you don’t feel like you can go on … you keep going anyway.
Friends, the clock of life is ticking. And we need to be paying attention. We need to have our hearts and minds focused on this race. It does not just last for the moment of a salvation experience, or through your childhood, of from 9:00 until noon on Sunday. The race lasts a lifetime. How can you effectively run this lifelong race?
• Get rid of anything that will distract you from running the race effectively.
Distractions do not necessarily have to be bad. In fact, if the truth be known, it is more often things that are fundamentally good that keep Christians on the sidelines and out of the race of faith. You see, the devil gets a lot more accomplished by keeping us occupied with good stuff than he does by attacking us with bad stuff. We should absolutely be convinced of this. So, what in your life is distracting you from the race? What do you need to get rid of?
• Avoid getting tangled in a web of sin.
Of course, the bad stuff … the sin in our lives … keeps us distracted, too. It is downright impossible to run in God’s race of faith when you are weighed down by a burden of personal sin
• Don’t burn out … run with perseverance.
Finally … don’t quit. Don’t give up. No matter what direction life takes you, stay in the race of faith. There is always a new day and a new opportunity.
Keep your focus on Jesus, not upon yourself. (vv. 2-3)
Do you want to be an effective participant in this race of faith, then keep your eyes on Jesus! Stop thinking about yourself so much and consider what Jesus is leading you to be and do in your life.
• Remember Peter’s experience!
When Peter got out of the boat and started walking on water, he was okay until he took his eyes of Jesus. See Matthew 14.
A whole lot of us could be in this self-centered boat. Oh, we say really spiritual things. We talk a good religious talk. But, our focus is anywhere but on Jesus. It is still on self. In fact, there may someone here today who have never fixed their eyes and heart upon Jesus at all. They may be out there on the turbulent sea of your life, floundering and drowning, waiting for someone to rescue. Friend, that someone who wants to lift you out of that sea of selfishness and sin is Jesus.
Stay strong … do not give up … finish the race! (v. 3b)
Do all that you can to not grow weary and lose heart. Stay strong, remain faithful, and never give up. There is a great victory awaiting us at the end of this race! But be reminded of a couple of important points about our race of faith.
• If you follow Jesus, the world will be against you.
• Always remember, this is just a temporary stop on the way to real life!
The true finish line is when we step out of this life and into eternity with Jesus Christ. The race is over when we hear those blessed words from the mouth of Jesus, “Well done. My good and faithful servant.” This life that we are living is wonderful, it is important, and it is special … but it is only temporary. Real life is found in heaven, in eternity, with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Folks, there are plenty of things to hold us back and entangle us in this race of faith. But we need to fight through them, remain faithful, keep your eyes on Jesus, and finish the race!
Never fool yourself into thinking that you have “arrived,” or you are more spiritually “together” than others around you. No mater how spiritually mature you think you may be, you always have some growing to do.
Remember … the race isn’t over until you are standing before Jesus!
Wouldn’t it be truly awesome if every person who claims the name of Christ, every individual who desires to be called a Christian, would run the race of faith as if their lives depended on it … because they do!
But, sadly, many Christian folk aren’t really even in this race of faith. Oh, they may have been saved … they have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord … but that’s it. They’re not growing, they’re not serving, and they’re not sharing their faith. It’s like they jumped across the starting line … and then they laid down to rest. They have taken themselves out of the race before it even really started.
Today, let’s see how we can finish the race. Let’s talk about Reaching the Checkered Flag. How many of you know that I was once a “NASCAR race car driver” and have actually took the “checkered flag” (Only on local short tracks. Not with the big boys!) You know, in a NASCAR race, it doesn’t matter how well dressed the driver is or how pretty the car is. It doesn’t matter how much money their sponsors gave them. And it really doesn’t matter how fast they run … unless they actually cross that finish line. Really, it is all for naught unless they cross that line and see that checkered flag waved over the track.
Those of us who follow Jesus have to realize that we are still on the track. We have not finished the race. We cannot just sit back and relax and wait for Jesus to come back. We have a job to do. We have more laps to run. We have many more miles to go.
.
Most of us today are on God’s team, but we may not really be in the race of faith. Often we are a whole lot more interested in what we can get out of our faith and our church than we are in what we need to put into them. If that’s the case, then this is going to be a very important message today.
Let’s look to God’s Word for truth and inspiration. Let’s read together from the letter to the Hebrews 12:1-3.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
So many people honestly think that coming to know Jesus … being saved … is the end result of their spiritual journey. They could not be further from the truth!
Knowing Jesus is only the beginning … it is the beginning of a lifelong race of faith. There are many spiritual “laps” that we must travel before this race of life and faith is over. We must work and prepare to run this race of faith with God for our entire lifetimes!
How can you stay focused on the “finish line?”
Know that there are others who have successfully completed this race of life and faith. (v. 1a)
One was Noah. Remember, he spent 120 years building the ark. 120 years! Now, think about that. Some of us in this room are some of the most impatient people on the planet. Right? We get upset because the microwave takes 2:30 to pop the popcorn instead of 2:00. So we fuss, and complain, and live impatient lives. Some of us even get impatient when we think that God doesn’t move fast enough to suit us. Then we can remember a patient hero like Noah.
Some others who completed the race with endurance were Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Samson, Samuel, and David.
Then there are the heroes of the faith in your own life.
We all have heroes in the faith in our lives … people who had an impact … people who have gone on to be with the Lord. Maybe it was a parent or grandparent, or a teacher, or another person in your church. Most of us can remember someone along the way.
Get ready to run an effective, lifelong faith-race. (v. 1b)
The writer here uses the word, “endurance.” But what is endurance? Endurance means that, even when you don’t feel like you can go on … you keep going anyway.
Friends, the clock of life is ticking. And we need to be paying attention. We need to have our hearts and minds focused on this race. It does not just last for the moment of a salvation experience, or through your childhood, of from 9:00 until noon on Sunday. The race lasts a lifetime. How can you effectively run this lifelong race?
• Get rid of anything that will distract you from running the race effectively.
Distractions do not necessarily have to be bad. In fact, if the truth be known, it is more often things that are fundamentally good that keep Christians on the sidelines and out of the race of faith. You see, the devil gets a lot more accomplished by keeping us occupied with good stuff than he does by attacking us with bad stuff. We should absolutely be convinced of this. So, what in your life is distracting you from the race? What do you need to get rid of?
• Avoid getting tangled in a web of sin.
Of course, the bad stuff … the sin in our lives … keeps us distracted, too. It is downright impossible to run in God’s race of faith when you are weighed down by a burden of personal sin
• Don’t burn out … run with perseverance.
Finally … don’t quit. Don’t give up. No matter what direction life takes you, stay in the race of faith. There is always a new day and a new opportunity.
Keep your focus on Jesus, not upon yourself. (vv. 2-3)
Do you want to be an effective participant in this race of faith, then keep your eyes on Jesus! Stop thinking about yourself so much and consider what Jesus is leading you to be and do in your life.
• Remember Peter’s experience!
When Peter got out of the boat and started walking on water, he was okay until he took his eyes of Jesus. See Matthew 14.
A whole lot of us could be in this self-centered boat. Oh, we say really spiritual things. We talk a good religious talk. But, our focus is anywhere but on Jesus. It is still on self. In fact, there may someone here today who have never fixed their eyes and heart upon Jesus at all. They may be out there on the turbulent sea of your life, floundering and drowning, waiting for someone to rescue. Friend, that someone who wants to lift you out of that sea of selfishness and sin is Jesus.
Stay strong … do not give up … finish the race! (v. 3b)
Do all that you can to not grow weary and lose heart. Stay strong, remain faithful, and never give up. There is a great victory awaiting us at the end of this race! But be reminded of a couple of important points about our race of faith.
• If you follow Jesus, the world will be against you.
• Always remember, this is just a temporary stop on the way to real life!
The true finish line is when we step out of this life and into eternity with Jesus Christ. The race is over when we hear those blessed words from the mouth of Jesus, “Well done. My good and faithful servant.” This life that we are living is wonderful, it is important, and it is special … but it is only temporary. Real life is found in heaven, in eternity, with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Folks, there are plenty of things to hold us back and entangle us in this race of faith. But we need to fight through them, remain faithful, keep your eyes on Jesus, and finish the race!
Never fool yourself into thinking that you have “arrived,” or you are more spiritually “together” than others around you. No mater how spiritually mature you think you may be, you always have some growing to do.
Remember … the race isn’t over until you are standing before Jesus!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Dedicated!
We all need an exciting cause to consume us. Everyone has an inner need to be “dedicated”. Could be to work. Maybe fishing. Might even be grandkids. (Not me!) You could be “dedicated to the one you love”. NO, I will not be playing this song today. Many of you are probably too young to remember this song anyway! I could go on naming things that we become dedicated to, but since this weekend is college football season “kickoff” maybe football is currently at top of list around here. Just check out Facebook posts. Regardless of you favorite team, a LOT of people were dedicated to this sport this weekend and will be until the championship game next year. And then it is, “wait until next year”! Oh, if only we were this dedicated to Jesus Christ. Another lesson for another time!
The word "dedication" is kin to our English words "declare" and "devote." It comes from a medieval term meaning "to pledge”. If you're dedicated to something, you're committed to it wholly and earnestly. You've found something that demands your life, your soul, your all.
For Christians, this should be Christ and His Word. The original version of the lesson had “is” instead of “should”. I changed it because I am not sure that we are as dedicated as we should be. Evangelist John Wesley said, "I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God Himself has condescended to teach me the way .... He has written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book."
In our lesson today let’s look at some things to help us be dedicated to The Word of God.
Read
If we're to be people of one Book, we have to read the Word. A recent article in a popular online magazine referred to "the rise and fall of the Bible" in our modern world, saying, "American Christians buy millions of Bibles they seldom read and don't understand." Referring to the Scriptures, the author said that people today buy "truckloads of the things" but never read them. The average Christian household has nine Bibles and purchases at least one new Bible a year. "But actually reading them is another matter," the author said with cynicism.
Now, I am sure that's not true of you or me; but it reminds us that we should really work to maintain our daily habit of reading the Bible.
Start reading today where you left off yesterday, consistently and systematically. Isaiah 34:16 says, "Search the book of the LORD, ... "
The apostle Paul writes to Timothy: “Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.” (1 Timothy 4: 13).
The book of Revelation promises, "God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church,…" (Revelation 1:3a). If you don't have a plan for reading the Bible, devise one for yourself today and start it at once. In an earlier lesson, I encouraged you to start by just reading 5 minutes a day, if you don’t already have a plan.
Study
Study the Bible. How marvelous that God gave us a book large enough to contain all we need to know from Him, yet small enough to fit in our hands. We need to search it out. The idea of studying the Bible overwhelms some people, but you can begin by simply reading a verse and thinking about what it says. Write it down and study the structure of the sentence. Track down cross-references. Look at the notes in a good study Bible. Read the passage in its context, and keep reading and studying it until it becomes clearer. The Bible says, "How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them." (Psalm 111 :2).
Remember God’s Word
The original of this lesson says memorize, but since I am terrible at memorizing, I feel that “remembering” the concept of God’s Word is okay!
Job 22:22 says, "Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart.” By remembering a verse of Scripture, you're inscribing God's Word on your brain. It sinks into your subconscious and even into your unconscious thoughts. It makes the Bible portable and allows the Scripture to transform your life by the renewing of your thoughts. I see a lot of people posting their favorite verse or verses on Facebook. Do you have a verse that you like to remember or ponder?
Meditate (think about) on God's Word.
This is the forgotten habit of the church. Encircled by radios, televisions, computers, and portable entertainment devices (can you say “iPod” or maybe – cell phone?), we're seldom quiet long enough to meditate. But try mulling over a verse of Scripture during your morning shower, your daily commute, or before falling asleep at night. If you walk for exercise, turn off your cell phone and think about a specific passage, asking God to give you insight into its meaning. According to the Bible, this is the secret of success. Joshua 1:8 says this about God's Word, "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.”
Practice
But here's the important thing. We can read, study, memorize, meditate, and even pray the Scriptures; but unless we obey its words, it does no good. Jesus made this clear at the end of His Sermon on the Mount. He told of two men, each of whom built a beautiful home. One man built his on a solid foundation, while the other built his on the sand. The first house stood the force of a howling storm; the other house collapsed.
In explaining His analogy, Jesus said that both men had heard the Word of God. The difference was obedience. The first man heard our Lord's sayings and did them. "But," He went on to say, "anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand." (Matthew 7:26).
Whenever you read a verse, ask: Is there an action I need to take, a command I need to obey, a change I need to make, or an attitude I need to adopt? Learn to read the
Bible obediently.
Share
Finally, dedication to the Word of God means that we share it with others. This can be as simple as quoting a verse to a coworker, inviting someone to church, leading a Bible study, or passing this lesson along to a friend. If we're filling our hearts with God's Word, it will show up in our conversation, for Jesus told us that “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45
How important is God's Word in your life? Which habit can you improve today? Be dedicated to read, study, remember, meditate, pray, practice, and share God's Word. Let's pray with John Wesley: Lord, make us people of one Book!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
God is still God
(Rarely do I do two lessons based on a song but this week a friend posted this song on FB and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind, so I believe this is God’s lesson for us this week!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?hcYDcLiiXmU
God is Still God by Heather Williams
Wish I knew what I'm supposed to say to you
What you're going through
But I don't know what you're feeling
Does anyone know what you're feeling right now
You're afraid
The future's like an enemy,
and you just wish you could see
Cause you don't know where you're going
Don't let it keep you from hoping right now
Yeah we've all been lost and we've all been hurt
Where our hope is spent and our faith don't work
But nothing lasts forever
The only thing that matters
Is God is still God and He holds it together
So hang on now
He's been there, walking in the wilderness
When it's hard to see the end
But He had the strength to do it, so He can help you through it
So hang on now
So even when you lie awake
And bend until you almost break
The darkest time is right before the dawn
We should always be aware that our major adversary here on this earth is the devil. When we are enabled by the Lord to win a victory against him, you can count on him returning to fight another day. His desire is to see us defeated, one way or the other. If he doesn't win in one area of our life, he will change the direction of his attack and come at us again. The Bible says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour”. 1 Pet. 5:8.
We need to understand that no matter the battle we face, you and I can walk in victory with God’s help! There are some simple truths that show us that God Is Still God, even In the valleys of life.
You see, when we are on the "mountain" spiritually, we are hard for the devil to handle. When we are walking around with a shout in our soul and glory in our hearts, we are a force to be reckoned with. It is hard for Satan to defeat an excited Christian. Maybe that is why Nehemiah said "the joy of the LORD is your strength." Neh. 8:10.
This is the situation Satan ran into with Job. He put the squeeze on Job expecting Job to turn on God. However, all the devil was able to extract from the life of Job was worship and praise. “The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21). If the devil squeezes you and all he gets is praise to God for His efforts, he is likely to stop squeezing after a while!
A story goes that it was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale the tools were placed for public inspection, each being marked with its sale price. There were a treacherous lot of implements. Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest of the pile was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn and priced very high. "What is the name of that tool?" asked one of the purchasers. "Oh," said the adversary, "that's Discouragement." Buyer: "Why have you priced it so high?" Satan: "Because it's more useful to me than the others. I can pry open and get inside a person's heart with that one, when I cannot get near him with other tools. Now once I get inside, I can make him do what I choose. It's a really worn tool, because I use it on almost everyone since few people know it belongs to me."
The devil's price for Discouragement was so high, he never sold it. It's still his major tool, and he still uses it on God's people today.
It has been said that "Discouragement is the handle that fits all the devil's tools." The idea here is that Satan knows that when we are on the mountain, we are hard to get at. Therefore, he assumes that if he can get us in the valley, we will be easier to defeat. Sadly, he has been right in many, many cases. If the devil can get you to focus on the negative aspects of any situation, he can get you discouraged. If he can get you discouraged, he can get you defeated. If he can get you defeated, he can steal the victory of the Lord right out of our heart.
As the saying goes: Life is 10% about what happens to us and 90% about we react to what happens to us! If you develop a "woe is me" attitude concerning the events of life, then you are going to be easy prey for the devil. If, however, you can learn to put into practice the lessons of Philippians 4:6-9. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything……… His peace will guard your hearts and minds……….. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable…….. Then the God of peace will be with you”
Has the devil tried this trap in your life? Has he used the tool of discouragement on you? I know he has on me and, not to give him any credit, but discouragement works better on me than any other tactic the devil can try. If he can just get us off that mountain top, we will be easier for him to handle!
God is going to prove Himself to be God of the valley as well as God of the mountain. He assures His people of victory!
We need to remember that God is bigger than our valley. It is easier to serve the Lord when we are on the spiritual mountain top. It is easier when we are excited about the Lord and about His work. However, when we go into one of the valley experiences of life, God is still God! When we enter the valley of physical pain, God is still God! When we enter the valley of spiritual discouragement, God is still God. When we enter the valley of sorrow or mental pain, God is still God. Regardless of the valley we are forced to enter, we will find out that God is still God!
You see, God wants to demonstrate to His people that He is God in every stage of life. He wants to be able to demonstrate His power in our life. He wants to show us that He is still God. That is why the Bible is literally filled with promises that teach us that God is in control.
Verses like Rom. 8:28: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them; 1 Cor. 15:57: “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 2:14: But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. 2 Cor. 4:17: For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! and others let us know that our God is determined to prove to us that He is God in every circumstance that we face.
For us, victory begins to be realized when we come to understand that Satan wants us to be defeated, but that God has promised we can walk in the victory in spite of our circumstances. When everything around us suggests that we should be discouraged and defeated, God still says that we have the victory. Paul writes in Rom. 8:37, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”In the final analysis, genuine spiritual victory is never a matter of that what we are facing in life. Genuine spiritual victory is simple faith in the promises of God. We will be victorious, not because everything is perfect in our life, we are victorious when God is in control of our life and He says that we are victorious.
When we understand that God is sill God. Therefore, regardless of the situation, we can rest in the promise of God. The battle may raging around us, but it does not have to rage within us! While we may be in the battle, God has already won the war and we are victorious because He said so!
More than anything else, the path out of the valley begins with the ability to surrender to God in every circumstance.
There is no way of knowing what all of you are facing this today. It may be that the devil has and is using the tool of discouragement in your life. It may be that you feel defeated and a million miles away from the mountain top. Let me just remind you one more time that God is God when you are on the mountain and that God is still God when you are down in the valley. The secret to enjoying the mountains and the valleys is learning that God is in control. If you can do that, then whether you are on top or on bottom, you will always be on the mountain in your heart and victory will always be yours. You get there and you'll be a hard nut for the devil to crack.
The first step in arriving at that place is learning to bring your burdens to Jesus.
Do you have a burden too big to bear? Why not take a few moments to tell Jesus about it. Take your burden to the Lord, then leave it there by faith. We will close with this scripture: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7. (Some of you may remember that I have carried this scripture in my wallet since 1991 and notice that is “framed” and hanging on our SS wall!) After all, God is still God, even in the valley!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?hcYDcLiiXmU
God is Still God by Heather Williams
Wish I knew what I'm supposed to say to you
What you're going through
But I don't know what you're feeling
Does anyone know what you're feeling right now
You're afraid
The future's like an enemy,
and you just wish you could see
Cause you don't know where you're going
Don't let it keep you from hoping right now
Yeah we've all been lost and we've all been hurt
Where our hope is spent and our faith don't work
But nothing lasts forever
The only thing that matters
Is God is still God and He holds it together
So hang on now
He's been there, walking in the wilderness
When it's hard to see the end
But He had the strength to do it, so He can help you through it
So hang on now
So even when you lie awake
And bend until you almost break
The darkest time is right before the dawn
We should always be aware that our major adversary here on this earth is the devil. When we are enabled by the Lord to win a victory against him, you can count on him returning to fight another day. His desire is to see us defeated, one way or the other. If he doesn't win in one area of our life, he will change the direction of his attack and come at us again. The Bible says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour”. 1 Pet. 5:8.
We need to understand that no matter the battle we face, you and I can walk in victory with God’s help! There are some simple truths that show us that God Is Still God, even In the valleys of life.
You see, when we are on the "mountain" spiritually, we are hard for the devil to handle. When we are walking around with a shout in our soul and glory in our hearts, we are a force to be reckoned with. It is hard for Satan to defeat an excited Christian. Maybe that is why Nehemiah said "the joy of the LORD is your strength." Neh. 8:10.
This is the situation Satan ran into with Job. He put the squeeze on Job expecting Job to turn on God. However, all the devil was able to extract from the life of Job was worship and praise. “The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21). If the devil squeezes you and all he gets is praise to God for His efforts, he is likely to stop squeezing after a while!
A story goes that it was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale the tools were placed for public inspection, each being marked with its sale price. There were a treacherous lot of implements. Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest of the pile was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn and priced very high. "What is the name of that tool?" asked one of the purchasers. "Oh," said the adversary, "that's Discouragement." Buyer: "Why have you priced it so high?" Satan: "Because it's more useful to me than the others. I can pry open and get inside a person's heart with that one, when I cannot get near him with other tools. Now once I get inside, I can make him do what I choose. It's a really worn tool, because I use it on almost everyone since few people know it belongs to me."
The devil's price for Discouragement was so high, he never sold it. It's still his major tool, and he still uses it on God's people today.
It has been said that "Discouragement is the handle that fits all the devil's tools." The idea here is that Satan knows that when we are on the mountain, we are hard to get at. Therefore, he assumes that if he can get us in the valley, we will be easier to defeat. Sadly, he has been right in many, many cases. If the devil can get you to focus on the negative aspects of any situation, he can get you discouraged. If he can get you discouraged, he can get you defeated. If he can get you defeated, he can steal the victory of the Lord right out of our heart.
As the saying goes: Life is 10% about what happens to us and 90% about we react to what happens to us! If you develop a "woe is me" attitude concerning the events of life, then you are going to be easy prey for the devil. If, however, you can learn to put into practice the lessons of Philippians 4:6-9. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything……… His peace will guard your hearts and minds……….. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable…….. Then the God of peace will be with you”
Has the devil tried this trap in your life? Has he used the tool of discouragement on you? I know he has on me and, not to give him any credit, but discouragement works better on me than any other tactic the devil can try. If he can just get us off that mountain top, we will be easier for him to handle!
God is going to prove Himself to be God of the valley as well as God of the mountain. He assures His people of victory!
We need to remember that God is bigger than our valley. It is easier to serve the Lord when we are on the spiritual mountain top. It is easier when we are excited about the Lord and about His work. However, when we go into one of the valley experiences of life, God is still God! When we enter the valley of physical pain, God is still God! When we enter the valley of spiritual discouragement, God is still God. When we enter the valley of sorrow or mental pain, God is still God. Regardless of the valley we are forced to enter, we will find out that God is still God!
You see, God wants to demonstrate to His people that He is God in every stage of life. He wants to be able to demonstrate His power in our life. He wants to show us that He is still God. That is why the Bible is literally filled with promises that teach us that God is in control.
Verses like Rom. 8:28: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them; 1 Cor. 15:57: “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 2:14: But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. 2 Cor. 4:17: For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! and others let us know that our God is determined to prove to us that He is God in every circumstance that we face.
For us, victory begins to be realized when we come to understand that Satan wants us to be defeated, but that God has promised we can walk in the victory in spite of our circumstances. When everything around us suggests that we should be discouraged and defeated, God still says that we have the victory. Paul writes in Rom. 8:37, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”In the final analysis, genuine spiritual victory is never a matter of that what we are facing in life. Genuine spiritual victory is simple faith in the promises of God. We will be victorious, not because everything is perfect in our life, we are victorious when God is in control of our life and He says that we are victorious.
When we understand that God is sill God. Therefore, regardless of the situation, we can rest in the promise of God. The battle may raging around us, but it does not have to rage within us! While we may be in the battle, God has already won the war and we are victorious because He said so!
More than anything else, the path out of the valley begins with the ability to surrender to God in every circumstance.
There is no way of knowing what all of you are facing this today. It may be that the devil has and is using the tool of discouragement in your life. It may be that you feel defeated and a million miles away from the mountain top. Let me just remind you one more time that God is God when you are on the mountain and that God is still God when you are down in the valley. The secret to enjoying the mountains and the valleys is learning that God is in control. If you can do that, then whether you are on top or on bottom, you will always be on the mountain in your heart and victory will always be yours. You get there and you'll be a hard nut for the devil to crack.
The first step in arriving at that place is learning to bring your burdens to Jesus.
Do you have a burden too big to bear? Why not take a few moments to tell Jesus about it. Take your burden to the Lord, then leave it there by faith. We will close with this scripture: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7. (Some of you may remember that I have carried this scripture in my wallet since 1991 and notice that is “framed” and hanging on our SS wall!) After all, God is still God, even in the valley!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Angels Among Us
Click link to listen to song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey0HrEvh44c
I was walking home from school on a cold winter day.
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone.
But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.
Mama couldn't see him, but he was standing there.
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.
When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees.
There's always been someone there to come along and comfort me.
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand.
A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand.
And ain't it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road.
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.
They wear so many faces; show up in the strangest places.
To grace us with their mercy, in our time of need.
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.
To guide us with the light of love. Song by Alabama
In the past few years there has been an explosion of interest in angels in our culture. These days angels are admired by millions of people, many of them not Christians, and not just during the Christmas season but all year long. Perhaps this is due to baby boomers's hunger for spiritual meaning in life - not sure - but interest in angels is seen literally everywhere. TV shows about angels have been extremely popular. Movies like Angels in the Outfield and City of Angels scored big bucks at the box office. Entire stores are devoted to selling angelic nicknacks. Dozens of books like Ask Your Angel and A Book of Angels are on best seller lists. In fact, the Los Angeles Times reports that "with angel catalogs, angel seminars, angel pins, angel newsletters and angels sightings...it looks like the winged ones have left the cosmic back lot for the forefront of popular consciousness."
Gallup polls in the 1990's report that 75 percent of teenagers believe that angels exist - a percentage even higher than that of Americans in general.
And, as Christians we should note that although our culture is fascinated with angels, the church has remained oddly silent about them. In his best-selling book on angels, Billy Graham (in 1975) wrote that he had never heard a sermon on angels, despite having read of "literally thousands" of personal accounts of people seeing these amazing beings. Inspired by the lack of more current information, Graham wrote Angels: God's Secret Agents. According to Billy Graham, angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible.
Exactly who are these mysterious creatures who turn up at unpredictable times?
We need to turn to the Bible to find an answer to that question. And the Bible has a great deal to say about angels. In fact these amazing beings are mentioned many times in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. An angel led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Angels announced the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Angels visited Abraham and Sarah and saved Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom. And the Bible tells us that when Our Lord returns He will be accompanied by hosts of angels. Scripture teaches that angels are created beings. God made them just as He made us.
The Biblical record shows that angels have the ability to change their appearance and shuttle in a flash from heaven to earth and back again.
If we study the scriptures we will find that:
• These amazingly powerful beings deliver, protect, and defend God's people.
• Angels also provide guidance from God.
• They also provide comfort and encouragement.
• And then angels often also serve as God's agents of judgement.
• And angels serve as God's messengers.
• But the Bible also tells us that there are fallen angels – Satan being one.
Okay, we know and believe the stories of angels in the Bible and we see the interest in them in today’s culture. BUT do we really believe they are with us and active in our lives today? Are they really here with us. Do people really have encounters today with these Heavenly beings. Hebrews 1:14 says, “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” Why would this not be as true today as it was in Biblical times?
Many angelic encounters seem to deal with dramatic rescues.
There have probably never been more stories of encounters with angels than in the days following 9/11. Country Music TV has done a series relating many of these stories.
From the CMT website: "Angels Among Us" is a CMT series that commemorates the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 with a very special episode. Genelle Guzman is on the 13th floor of World Trade Tower One when it collapses on top of her. Miraculously, she survives, but is trapped under the rubble for over 24 hours. With hope of rescue fading, an angel takes her hand and assures her that help is on the way. In Tower Two, Ron DiFrancesco escapes death when the second plane hits his floor, but soon discovers all escape routes have been cut off by a raging inferno. On the edge of despair, he hears an otherworldly voice urging him to run into the fire. And at the Pentagon, American Airlines flight 77 slams into the building 100 feet from John Yates. Despite massive injuries, he is guided towards safety. by an angel.
Witness events that led up to a life-changing moment and an ultimate encounter with what can only be described as an angel. These are your friends, your neighbors -- everyday people who against all odds have survived extreme events from catastrophic car crashes, to apocalyptic weather, debilitating diseases and even the biggest terrorist attack in U.S. history.
Each awe-inspiring episode features three incredible true-life tales of people who faced their darkest hour and saw a light. The uplifting hour-long series presents compelling firsthand accounts of life-and- death situations with carefully crafted re-creations, to bring viewers a one-of-a-kind look at the world of angel encounters.
Each episode will conclude with a follow-up to find out just how these people been impacted, where they are today and how they've applied the lessons they've learned to their current lives. Each story and each result will be personal, profound and unique -- the one common thread being that each of our subjects was truly saved by an angel.
Whether it's a shining light or a physical presence, these subjects are here to provide living testament that angels are real. At the end of every hour, even the most hardened skeptics will find it hard to deny there are indeed angels among us.”
One pastor writes: I believe with all my heart that millions of angels are at God’s command and at our service. The hosts of Heaven stand at attention ready to do God’s will at any moment of any hour of any day.
His angels are on call at all times. They don’t take vacation days. They don’t take sick days. They don’t take off for holidays. They never age and they are always ready and available to carry out God’s plans!
These angels of God are here to help us and they are prepared for any emergency, and Satan has no firepower that can match the heavy artillery of God!”
There are many stories of people having a personal encounter with an angel. But there are many times I believe that angels intervene in the lives of Christians and we are not even aware of this intervention.
What about you? Ever had an encounter with an angel? Ever met "strangers who were angels in disguise."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey0HrEvh44c
I was walking home from school on a cold winter day.
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone.
But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.
Mama couldn't see him, but he was standing there.
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.
When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees.
There's always been someone there to come along and comfort me.
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand.
A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand.
And ain't it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road.
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.
They wear so many faces; show up in the strangest places.
To grace us with their mercy, in our time of need.
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.
To guide us with the light of love. Song by Alabama
In the past few years there has been an explosion of interest in angels in our culture. These days angels are admired by millions of people, many of them not Christians, and not just during the Christmas season but all year long. Perhaps this is due to baby boomers's hunger for spiritual meaning in life - not sure - but interest in angels is seen literally everywhere. TV shows about angels have been extremely popular. Movies like Angels in the Outfield and City of Angels scored big bucks at the box office. Entire stores are devoted to selling angelic nicknacks. Dozens of books like Ask Your Angel and A Book of Angels are on best seller lists. In fact, the Los Angeles Times reports that "with angel catalogs, angel seminars, angel pins, angel newsletters and angels sightings...it looks like the winged ones have left the cosmic back lot for the forefront of popular consciousness."
Gallup polls in the 1990's report that 75 percent of teenagers believe that angels exist - a percentage even higher than that of Americans in general.
And, as Christians we should note that although our culture is fascinated with angels, the church has remained oddly silent about them. In his best-selling book on angels, Billy Graham (in 1975) wrote that he had never heard a sermon on angels, despite having read of "literally thousands" of personal accounts of people seeing these amazing beings. Inspired by the lack of more current information, Graham wrote Angels: God's Secret Agents. According to Billy Graham, angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible.
Exactly who are these mysterious creatures who turn up at unpredictable times?
We need to turn to the Bible to find an answer to that question. And the Bible has a great deal to say about angels. In fact these amazing beings are mentioned many times in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. An angel led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Angels announced the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Angels visited Abraham and Sarah and saved Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom. And the Bible tells us that when Our Lord returns He will be accompanied by hosts of angels. Scripture teaches that angels are created beings. God made them just as He made us.
The Biblical record shows that angels have the ability to change their appearance and shuttle in a flash from heaven to earth and back again.
If we study the scriptures we will find that:
• These amazingly powerful beings deliver, protect, and defend God's people.
• Angels also provide guidance from God.
• They also provide comfort and encouragement.
• And then angels often also serve as God's agents of judgement.
• And angels serve as God's messengers.
• But the Bible also tells us that there are fallen angels – Satan being one.
Okay, we know and believe the stories of angels in the Bible and we see the interest in them in today’s culture. BUT do we really believe they are with us and active in our lives today? Are they really here with us. Do people really have encounters today with these Heavenly beings. Hebrews 1:14 says, “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” Why would this not be as true today as it was in Biblical times?
Many angelic encounters seem to deal with dramatic rescues.
There have probably never been more stories of encounters with angels than in the days following 9/11. Country Music TV has done a series relating many of these stories.
From the CMT website: "Angels Among Us" is a CMT series that commemorates the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 with a very special episode. Genelle Guzman is on the 13th floor of World Trade Tower One when it collapses on top of her. Miraculously, she survives, but is trapped under the rubble for over 24 hours. With hope of rescue fading, an angel takes her hand and assures her that help is on the way. In Tower Two, Ron DiFrancesco escapes death when the second plane hits his floor, but soon discovers all escape routes have been cut off by a raging inferno. On the edge of despair, he hears an otherworldly voice urging him to run into the fire. And at the Pentagon, American Airlines flight 77 slams into the building 100 feet from John Yates. Despite massive injuries, he is guided towards safety. by an angel.
Witness events that led up to a life-changing moment and an ultimate encounter with what can only be described as an angel. These are your friends, your neighbors -- everyday people who against all odds have survived extreme events from catastrophic car crashes, to apocalyptic weather, debilitating diseases and even the biggest terrorist attack in U.S. history.
Each awe-inspiring episode features three incredible true-life tales of people who faced their darkest hour and saw a light. The uplifting hour-long series presents compelling firsthand accounts of life-and- death situations with carefully crafted re-creations, to bring viewers a one-of-a-kind look at the world of angel encounters.
Each episode will conclude with a follow-up to find out just how these people been impacted, where they are today and how they've applied the lessons they've learned to their current lives. Each story and each result will be personal, profound and unique -- the one common thread being that each of our subjects was truly saved by an angel.
Whether it's a shining light or a physical presence, these subjects are here to provide living testament that angels are real. At the end of every hour, even the most hardened skeptics will find it hard to deny there are indeed angels among us.”
One pastor writes: I believe with all my heart that millions of angels are at God’s command and at our service. The hosts of Heaven stand at attention ready to do God’s will at any moment of any hour of any day.
His angels are on call at all times. They don’t take vacation days. They don’t take sick days. They don’t take off for holidays. They never age and they are always ready and available to carry out God’s plans!
These angels of God are here to help us and they are prepared for any emergency, and Satan has no firepower that can match the heavy artillery of God!”
There are many stories of people having a personal encounter with an angel. But there are many times I believe that angels intervene in the lives of Christians and we are not even aware of this intervention.
What about you? Ever had an encounter with an angel? Ever met "strangers who were angels in disguise."
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