Stop Being So Critical (1)

'The sin we have so foolishly committed.' Numbers 12:11 NIV

When Miriam criticised her brother Moses because of the wife he chose, the Lord heard and she was smitten with leprosy. Maybe you grew up in a family that was forever finding fault, and now you hear the same tone in how you talk to your children. You can’t enjoy God’s blessings because you’ve been programmed to inspect, nitpick and form opinions—usually negative ones. The Bible says, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see…happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil.’ (1 Peter 3:10 NLT) The definition of the word ‘criticism’ (dwelling upon the perceived faults of another with no view to their good) should cause you to pause and think. First, there’s the word perceived. Often your perceptions aren’t accurate; there are always circumstances you don’t understand. Next we come to the words dwelling upon. We’re inclined to walk through life saying, ‘That’s not right,’ or ‘I wouldn’t do it that way.’ You say, ‘I’m an analytical person, it’s how God made me.’ That’s fine, but the problem comes when you choose to dwell on your observations—when you can’t set them aside. You say, ‘But how can I help somebody if I don’t dwell on what they’re doing?’ That’s why the last part of the definition—with no view to their good—is so important. It’s not wrong to dwell upon somebody’s faults, provided you do it in a non-judgmental way with a view to helping them find a solution. Does that mean it’s ok to discuss it with a third party? Only if you can end the conversation by saying, ‘Let’s pray about it, keep it in confidence, and try to help.’

Faith Perspectives

'Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I'll have even more.' Philippians 1:21

When the apostle Paul wrote the Philippians, he had first hand knowledge of what Roman prisons were like. Offenders were stripped, flogged and placed in leg irons. Their blood-soaked clothing wasn’t changed even in the dead of winter. And the ‘inner cell’ (Acts 16:24 NIV) where Paul and Silas were imprisoned was the worst. Lack of water, cramped conditions and the stench of toilets (if that’s what you could call them) made sleep impossible. Prisoners routinely begged for death, and some even committed suicide. It was your worst nightmare! Yet ‘Paul and Silas were…singing…and the other prisoners were listening.’ (Acts 16:25 NIV) Paul’s attitude impressed his fellow inmates before his religious beliefs ever reached them. Let’s face it, anybody can sing in church, including hypocrites. But when you can praise God in the midst of pain, pressures, and problems—that’s something else. How did they do it? They had a faith perspective! It’s not what you have lost, but what you have left that counts! Paul didn’t just sing in prison, he wrote some of his best stuff there. Here’s his take on it: ‘...through my being in prison, the Lord has given most of our brothers and sisters confidence to speak God’s word more boldly and fearlessly than ever... I will speak very boldly and honour Christ... now as always, whether I live or die. Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I’ll have even more.’ (Philippians 1:19–21 GWT) What are you going to do with a man or woman like this? They’re beyond your threats. Their strength comes from a source that’s not diminished by outside circumstances. That’s because they have a faith perspective. And that’s what you need today too!

Today, Depend on God

'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Hindrances, hang-ups, and hurdles are God’s gift to the self-sufficient. While He won’t let you use your weakness as a crutch or a cop-out, He’ll allow it to keep you dependent on Him. Paul wrote, ‘I was given a thorn…to…keep me from becoming proud.’ (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT)


Why would God keep you in touch with your limitations? To embarrass you? No, to empower you so that you can do His will. God’s intention is to increase, not decrease your need for Him. Perhaps this illustration will help you. Imagine four steel rings. The first can support eighty pounds, the second sixty, the third forty, and the fourth twenty. Linked together, what’s the greatest weight the chain can support? Two hundred pounds? No, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so the answer is twenty pounds! And it’s the same with us; we’re only as strong as our weakest area. That’s why we sometimes try to excuse or ignore them. But that’s dangerous because relying on your own strength may win you a few victories and accolades and cause you to think you can handle everything on your own. It was because Paul was so brilliant that God permitted difficult circumstances that kept him on his knees, living in a state of forced dependence. After praying repeatedly for God to take his weakness away, Paul finally came to the place where he could say, ‘I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV) So today, depend on God!

Today, Speak Words that Encourage

'You have... encouraged those who are weak or falling.' Job 4:3




The Bible says, ‘...let us pursue what makes for… mutual upbuilding.’ (Romans 14:19 ESV) When Job was in trouble, his friend Eliphaz reminded him how in the past Job’s words had ‘encouraged those who were weak or falling.’ Words can hurt or heal, bless or blister, destroy or deliver, tear down or build up. ‘The tongue has the power of life and death.’ (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)


Think about this for a moment: ‘You…the one with Jesus in your heart—are capable of murder. And so am I. We have the power to speak death with our words, and… the power to speak life. Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of a message meant to murder. “You’re not smart enough…fast enough…good enough…a real Christian wouldn’t think such things.” In a world where people are beaten up and put down, God gives you superhero power to punch through the negativity. You speak life when you say, “You matter to me. I like you just the way you are… Your life counts. You were created for a purpose. God loves you, and you’re incredibly valuable to Him.” You can become the voice of God’s grace in the lives of others, supporting, loving, helping and encouraging them with the words that flow from your mouth.’ God wants us to encourage each other, but that doesn’t mean flattering or buttering people up. It means speaking words that help them to stay on their feet and keep going. What you say can give fresh hope to a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or a co-worker who’s about to collapse. What a gift!

Different Types of Prayer (2)

'Pray...with all [manner of] prayer.' Ephesians 6:18

Here are three more types of prayer: (1) The prayer of petition. You must learn to be confident in asking God to meet your needs. Jesus promised, ‘Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.’ (Mark 11:24 NKJV) If we’d stop trying to impress God, we’d be a lot better off. Length, loudness or eloquence isn’t the issue; it’s the sincerity of our heart, the faith that’s in our heart, and the assurance that we’re praying according to God’s will that gets results.


(2) The prayer of agreement. ‘All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer...’ (Acts 1:14 ESV) When you’re up against something too big to handle alone, find a prayer partner and get into agreement with them. This isn’t for people who constantly live in strife, then decide to agree because they’re desperate. God honors the prayers of those who pay the price to live together in harmony (See Psalm 133:1)


(3) The prayer of thanksgiving. When your prayers outnumber your praises, it says something about your character. Self-centred people ask, but rarely appreciate. God won’t release us into the fullness of all He has planned for us until we become thankful for what we’ve already received. Petition avails much; praise avails much more! ‘In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ (Philippians 4:6 NIV) Powerful living comes through thanksgiving. We can literally ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV) by being thankful all day long, praising God for His favor, mercy, loving kindness, grace, longsuffering and goodness.

Different Types of Prayer (1)

'Pray...with all [manner of] prayer.' Ephesians 6:18 AMP

In Scripture there are many different kinds of prayer. Let’s look at some of them and see what we can learn:


(1) The prayer of surrender. When Paul met Christ on the Damascus Road he prayed, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ (Acts 9:6 NKJV) That’s like signing your name to a blank check and saying, ‘Here I am, Lord, do with me as You please. I hope I like what You choose, but even if I don’t, I’ll do it anyway; Your will be done, not mine.’ You’re deciding to voluntarily follow God rather than trying to get Him to follow you. As a result He will do the work that needs to be done in you, so that He can do the work He desires to do through you.


(2) The prayer of commitment. The Bible says, ‘Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him.’ (1 Peter 5:7 AMP) As long as you keep trying to control everything, your stress levels will keep mounting. But once you learn to hand things over to God, you’ll wonder why you spent even a single day worrying.


(3) The prayer of intercession. The prophet Ezekiel writes, ‘I looked for someone…who would…stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land.’ (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV) ‘The gap’ is the distance between what is— and what can be. And when there’s a ‘gap’ in someone’s relationship with God due to a particular sin, as a believer you have the privilege (and responsibility) of placing yourself in that gap and praying for them. You are Loved!

God... "choses things the world considers foolish"

'God... choses things the world considers foolish.' 1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT

Writing about his time at a teen Bible camp, a counsellor tells this story: ‘Teenage boys have a tendency to pick on some unfortunate child. That summer it was 13-year-old Billy, a child who couldn’t walk or talk right. When the children from his cabin were assigned to lead devotions, they voted Billy in as the speaker. It didn’t seem to bother him. He dragged himself up to the pulpit amid sneers and snickers, and it took him a long time to stammer, “Je–sus loves…me… and…I…love Je–sus.” There was stunned silence, and when I looked around there were boys with tears streaming down their cheeks. We’d done many things to try to reach these boys, but nothing had worked. We’d even brought in famous baseball players whose batting averages had gone up since they started praying, but it had no effect. It wasn’t until a special needs child declared his love for Christ that everything changed.' I was at a bible camp counseling the year I heard that story. Even today as I sit here and reflect on it, the story it still effects me. When you are tempted to look at and treat people in a less than positive manner; always remember that the Bible says, ‘God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.’ (1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT) So when you find yourself focusing on what you can’t do, remember His ‘power works best in [your] weakness.’(2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT) Just do what you can, and God will do the rest! He’ll crown your efforts with success.

Your Time with God (4)

'I have...treasured His words more than daily food.' Job 23:12 NLT

Your quiet time with God is more than just a good idea, it’s vital to your spiritual survival. It’s also essential to your spiritual growth and maturity. You say, ‘But I go to church every week.’ Can you imagine what would happen if you ate only once a week? The patriarch Job said, ‘I have…treasured His words more than daily food.’ Peter described the Scriptures as nourishing milk (1 Peter 2:2), and the writer to the Hebrews called the Word of God solid food (Hebrews 5:14). Your quiet time is also like a spiritual bath. Jesus said, ‘You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you.’ (John 15:3 NKJV) You shower every day to stay clean and avoid body odors. It’s not easy to be around someone who smells badly, and you run the risk of offending them by telling them so. But if you love them you’ll do it. Paul describes the Christian as: ‘...the aroma of Christ to God.’ (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV) Here’s the bottom line. Unless you protect your quiet time with God: (1) you’ll be cut off from your source of strength, guidance, and wisdom; (2) your usefulness to God will be limited; (3) you’ll be inconsistent in your Christian life. You say, ‘But I don’t have time!’ You have the same 168 hours each week that everybody else has! And how you spend them is determined by what you think is most important. So if you think being in fellowship with God is important, begin to make time for it. You are Loved!

Your Time with God (3)

'He went out into the mountains to pray, and prayed all night.' Luke 6:12 TLB

Why do you need a quiet time with God each day? Because Jesus did, and He’s your example: ‘He was up long before daybreak and went…to pray.’ (Mark 1:35 TLB) The truth is, we make time for what we value most, for the people we love most, for our highest priorities, and what we find most rewarding. Notice, Jesus seldom prayed for anybody in public. Why? Because He’d already done His praying before He got there! He made deposits each morning so that He could make withdrawals all day long. And the busier He got, the more He prayed. Did He know something we don’t? Jesus had no difficulty choosing between the crowd’s agenda and His Father’s will. ‘I can do nothing on My own. I judge as God tells Me. Therefore, My judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent Me.’ (John 5:30 NLT) Why do spiritual leaders sometimes fall? Because they get caught up in the work of the Lord and neglect their relationship with Him. Throughout history, anyone who has been greatly used by God was a person of prayer. Martin Luther said, ‘I have so much to do that I must spend the first three hours each day in prayer.’ Ceaseless activity will drain you and leave you vulnerable to Satan’s attack. The sign on a church bulletin board says it all: ‘Seven prayerless days make one weak Christian.’ So the busier you become, the more time you need to spend with God. Simply stated: if you’re too busy to have a quiet time with God, you’re too busy!

Your Time with God (2)

'...it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created.' Revelation 4:11 NLT

What an amazing time with God we had on Sunday. I hope you were refreshed and touched to make it through another week. But think about being in His presence everyday? Did you know you need your time with God: (1) God created you for His own pleasure and His greater glory. He also saved you ‘both to will and to work for His good pleasure.’ (Philippians 2:13 ESV) Your attitude towards quiet time with God will be transformed when you realize this. Time spent with God brings Him great pleasure, honor and glory. He waits for you and welcomes you into His presence—He knows how much benefit you will receive from Him. (2) The cross is what made this relationship possible. When Adam sinned, God drove him from the Garden of Eden and placed angels with swords at its entrance so that mankind could never re-enter. Then God did something truly amazing; He took on human form, lived among us, died in our place, and was cut down by the sword of divine judgment at the cross, providing us with a way back into His presence. Wonderful, isn’t it? In the Old Testament only one man, the high priest, could go into the Holy of Holies. And he could only do it one day a year. A thick veil separated God from the people. They stood outside wondering what God’s voice sounded like, what His presence felt like and what His glory looked like. Only the high priest knew. But when Jesus cried, ‘It is finished!’ (John 19:30 NKJV), the Bible says, ‘The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.’ (Mark 15:38 NKJV) Now, as ‘priests unto God’ we can come into His presence at any time and meet with Him (Revelation 1:6 KJV). What a privilege! Grace makes it possible. And gratitude should be the magnet that draws you there each day.

Your Time with God (1)

'Seek first the Kingdom of God.' Matthew 6:33 NKJV

Many years ago I when I was a kid in Sunday school, I was bribed to memorize this verse. I say it that way because it was a method to get me to memorize something I didn't want too. But I'm thankful to Mr. & Mrs. Anderson who cared enough to know this verse would never leave me. A candy bar was all it took and this verse has stuck with me all these years.  Jesus said, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’


What kind of ‘things’ was He talking about? Things like money, houses, relationships, health and jobs. What did He mean by ‘the Kingdom of God’? Living under the rule of Christ each moment and submitting to His will in all things. When Jesus used the word ‘seek’, He called for three things: (1) Intentionality. When something important is lost, you must put aside other things and seek until you find it. (2) Importance. Position, performance, prosperity, and popularity can be good things when properly used. But without the rule of Christ in your life, you’ll always be vulnerable to the devil. (3) Importunity. No matter how long it takes, how hard you must work, or what you must rearrange, restore your quiet time with God to its rightful place. The psalmist wrote, ‘When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”’ (Psalm 27:8 NKJV) ‘Quiet time’ has been called many things throughout the history of the Church: morning watch, daily devotions, appointment with God or personal devotional time. It really doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you have it regularly. Your quiet time with God is just daily fellowship with Him through His Word and prayer. It’s a time you deliberately set aside to meet with Him. The goal is that you might grow in your personal relationship with God so that you can know Him, love Him, serve Him and become more like Him.

You've Been Forgiven, So Live Like It!

'I will...remember their sins no more.' Hebrews 8:12 NIV

This is one of the biggest things Christians fight with, how to forgive ourselves. When an accusing voice confronts you with your past, respond in the manner Jesus did—It is written: ‘I will… remember their sins no more.’ It’s not that God’s forgetful; it’s that He chooses not to remember your sins. And when you choose otherwise, you question His forgiveness, allow the enemy to guilt-trip you, and forfeit the confidence you need to receive what God has promised you (See 1 John 3:21–22). When you keep rehearsing your past you not only keep it alive, you empower it. What you keep on deposit, you’re more likely to withdraw and act on in a moment of weakness. Just as nobody knows when a dormant volcano may erupt, you can’t predict when an unresolved issue will resurface, turning your words into hot coals and your behaviour into a blaze of destruction. Only by the power of God’s forgiveness, and by forgiving others, is the hold your past has over you broken. Shame isn’t a blessing; it’s a weight Jesus bore for you on the cross. So set it down and walk away! God’s Word says, ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.’ (Psalm 103:12 NKJV) Notice, there’s a North Pole and a South Pole, but no east or west pole. Why? Because that distance is infinite and beyond measure. Are you getting the idea? Whenever you are reminded of past sin, the enemy hopes you’re ignorant of the truth in order to rob you of your future. Don’t take the bait! Instead look to the cross of Christ, refuse to dwell on it further, and keep moving forward.

Why We Do What We Do

I received this email this morning from Laura and was blown away with the fact that loving people is the key to leading them to Jesus; and we can never give up on people no matter what. Please Pray for Laura as God is doing some amazing things in her life.


During my day...rolling over and over in my heart..all the work that went into Trunk or Treat last night...The Faith, Trust, Prayers of Readiness.....an exhaustive preparation, amidst everything being a son, Pastor, husband and dad....

Last night if not one child/family stopped by ..I Knew Jesus, God was completely Glorified...

Today began prepping, readying my effort of resubmitting receipts, included into my State budget...Past few days came to understand of late had asked 3 C/W's if acceptable to do so....asked permission to do so...acceptable for me to leave this portion of the 'system'... 

Truth, 1st lifetime de-containing myself from COPES Program....system as I Follow Jesus...not one C/W replied to me...during my paperwork effort...began to feel upset, hurt, angry at moments, frightened...

Do know I have been contained whether loving or by family, my Catholic upbringing full on Devotion to God as care 'Love' tend to my mother from 1967 forward, every choice first came taking care of my family in what ever way popped up, after 2010 shifted demanded respect of my siblings over myself, to present realized continue.. reporting in, checking in, sense a responsibility for, same life long habitual 'tending'...

Instilled in me well over 50 years, an inner stronger sense, the need to 'ask another's permission' to move Forward...

After listening to this mornings Message, just this evening, been in tears since...

With help of recent weeks, Prompting from The Spirit am finally decontaining myself, beginning free life to discover me, Love on others as Jesus has, as witnessed last night... free me from 50 years of dated, kind Loving, to the undue, unkind most difficult duties...

Pastor I could not be more humanly frightened...I don't know anything else...

Do Know Jesus has me..been in Prayer for hours, now tears, weeping into late hours...Have not a clue what is to come...

Know, Following Him, Trust Jesus..this is absolutely the correct turn to take....the biggest about face I've ever Moved Forward Into, His Timing, making a huge Turn....shake one's heart, mind soul, Spirit....

Am speechless, for all the Love since my arrival..meeting you and Amy in my apartment on first floor....all the Love, Prayers as Lead Pastor and my friend, for and from my sweet, dear Sister Amy, to all those at CFW past and present who have helped me, come along side, opened themselves up to and for me...

Day by day, Prayer by Prayer.....May you and yours Always be so Richly Blessed....As you so graciously Blessed and enrich others in Jesus...

 

Teary eyed, heart shivering...Amy pointed out my photo w/ Sadie posted on her board, a big WOW...

Never an adult photo of me posted by any, in my life time...

[Mom kept us all on her wall photos as 'babies'....

To many more Countless Awesome Amazing Grace Jesus Sightings which began upon arrival 10/5/2011, Keep on Moving Forward in the name of Jesus...