Do You Need a Breakthrough?

'...They called the name of that place Baal Perazim.' 1 Chronicles 14:11 NKJV

The Bible says: 'The Philistines...made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of God saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" The Lord said to him, "Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand." So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water." Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim [which means breaking through].' (1 Chronicles 14:9-11 NKJV)

To get a breakthrough in your life you must do what David did: (1) He reminded himself that 'the Lord had made him king' (1 Chronicles 14:2). You must remember Who called you, and Whose spirit lives within you. God called David, and He's called you too. When you know that, you won't let the enemy put you down or push you around. (2) He enquired of the Lord, 'Shall I go up against the Philistines?' (1 Chronicles 14:10 NKJV) Have you talked it over with the Lord? God doesn't respond to your need, He responds to your obedience. When you've obeyed Him, you'll win. (3) He gave God the credit: 'God has broken through my enemies.' (1 Chronicles 14:11 NKJV) Sometimes God will do it for you, other times He will do it through you. That's why you must hear from Him before you make a move. You can't do God's part, and He won't do yours. It's not just a matter of 'doing something', it's a matter of doing what God tells you! When you do, you'll get a breakthrough. You are loved!

Get God's Opinion! (2)

'Don't let anyone look down on you because...' 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
Yesterday I ended with the thought, "Try as you may, you will never fulfil a dream that is not your own."
 
Why is that important to you and God? Stop and think about your personal history. How have your plans, goals and desires been influenced by others?
 
Is it possible your dreams are the result of who your parents think you are? Who you think you are? Who you wish you were? Or are they the result of who you really are and what God meant you to be?
 
You will live the life for which God created you, only after you figure this out. When a dream is right for you and you are right for a dream, the two cannot be separated from each other. I love what TS Eliot said, 'Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure it is what you want.' Paul told Timothy, 'Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young.' Evidently certain people in the early church thought Timothy was too young and inexperienced to be in leadership. Paul thought differently; and so did God. Maturity always trumps age as Timothy was Gods man for the job. Cecil G. Osborne writes, 'The young child has no clear picture of himself. He sees himself only in the mirror of his parents' evaluation of himself... A child who's told repeatedly that he is a bad boy, or is lazy, or no good, or stupid, or shy, or clumsy will tend to act out this picture which the parent or some other authority figure has given him.' Let God, and God alone, tell you who you are and what you should do. Get His opinion, for in the end it's the only one that counts! You are loved...

Get God's Opinion! (1)

'...The Lord does not look at the things man looks at...' 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

This morning as I was doing my devotion's I was reminded of the fact that our journey of faith is an inward or spiritual one. In the Old Testament men were so used to looking on the outward appearance of a man then on the inward, it didn't surprise anyone when King Saul was chosen as Israel's first King. When it came time to choose again God changed the playing field.

The bible tells us when the prophet Samuel came looking for a successor to King Saul, David's father presented his oldest son Eliab, who was a general in the army. Samuel was impressed. '...Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here..." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."' (1 Samuel 16:6-7 NIV)

When it comes to your life's calling, only one opinion counts - God's! In order to fulfil his destiny, David had to overcome his family's opinion of him. John Maxwell writes, 'Any time you see people pursuing a midlife career change, you can be almost certain that they have been living someone else's dream and lost their way.' Nobel Prize winner for literature Joseph Brodsky observed, 'One's task consists first of all in mastering a life that is one's own, not imposed or prescribed from without, no matter how noble its appearance may be. For each of us is issued but one life, and we know full well how it all ends. It would be regrettable to squander this one chance on someone else's appearance, someone else's experience.' It's not too late to become what God wants you to be, and do what He wants you to do. If you've been living somebody else's dream, ask God for a dream of your own and He will give it to you. You are loved!

Ready to Journey...

Remember this? It has been over two months since we took a break in Ephesians. Christmas came and went; then the New Years. It's the first of February and we are celebrating the Super Bowl...Go Hawks!

There was a time when I was young I wanted time to go faster; now that I'm older I want time to slow down. Funny how that works isn't it. One thing that doesn't change is our God.

As we get into the last three chapters of Ephesians we are going to see Paul shift from God's responsibility to us, to our responsibility to God. The question Paul is going to ask us is; How do we live our lives in an obedient way that pleases God?

There is more but this is a great question to ask yourself. It's one I asked over 30 years ago as I sat alone talking to God. This transformation that was taking place inside of me, how could I ever live up to what God desired for me. It's probably something you have asked or are asking. Don't give up, because God never gives up on you. When you give God the control of the journey of faith you are on, it gets more awesome than you can imagine. Are you ready? I hope so...This Sunday I'm sharing on how you can make a difference...you are loved.   

A Spiritual Check-up

'He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit...' Romans 8:27 NIV

Doing a spiritual check-up from time to time is a way of making sure you are still in spiritual balance. It's like getting a physical from your doctor. Preventive physicals are to help you stay on track with bodily health. Doing a spiritual check-up means examining things like:

(1) Priorities.'Seek first the Kingdom of God...and all these things shall be added to you.' (Matthew 6:33 NKJV) Do you submit your schedule to God for His approval? Does your check book show that He is first in your financial decisions? (2) Values. 'You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God... Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.' (Colossians 3:3;12 NLT) Do you love what God loves and hate what God hates? Do you value highly the things that please Him? Are your desires and goals governed by God's Word? (3) Sacrifice. 'I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ... I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him...' (Philippians 3:8-10 NIV) Are you fully surrendered to God? Is there anything you value more than Him? If there is, pray: 'Father, forgive me for taking back control of my life. I come before You surrendering, repenting and asking You to cleanse me. Renew me and fill me with Your Spirit. I renounce my selfish ways and make You Lord of my life. You said that You would rather I was hot or cold, but not lukewarm. Light a fire in me today that will burn so brightly, others will be drawn to You.' You are loved!

Seek God - Not Things! What About the Money....Final

'...The Lord...gives you the ability to produce wealth...' Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV

One more before we move back to our Journey through Ephesians. If you didn't get our booklet on why we give yesterday, just ask Amy and she'll put one together for you. It's a wonderful tool to help on you're journey in giving God's way through Stewardship.

This Sunday 1.26 Todd Kaplan from Ignite Youth Mentoring will be with us as we kick off our Mission Conference this Sunday. I'm looking forward to making our missions pledges for the coming year as we support missions at home and around the world.

I hope you will take to heart the message that God takes care of His people; God holds back '...no good from those who do what is right.' (Psalms 84:11 NLT) But it's important to acknowledge Him as the source of all your blessings. And on this one, we all fall short! Let's face it, more isn't always better. In fact, your dependence on God lessens as your dependence on things increases. That's why Levitical Law discouraged empire-building. In the Old Testament, loans to the poor were to be interest-free (Exodus 22:25); outstanding debts cancelled every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1-2); slaves freed and given the means to start over (Deuteronomy 15:12-14); repossessed land redeemed by family (Leviticus 25:25); and property that was sold, or lost and not redeemed, returned to its original owner (Leviticus 25:14-17). Why? Because God wanted His people to depend on Him, not possessions. So He cautioned them, 'When...all you have is multiplied...You may say...My power and...strength...have produced this...remember the Lord...gives you the ability to produce wealth...' (Deuteronomy 8:13-18 NIV) God's principles haven't changed. Andy Stanley points out that a list of do's and don'ts is like having a man give you directions. If he hands you a map, you focus on it, but when you're following the man you focus on him. The Bible doesn't say that God is a rewarder of those diligently seeking 'things'. No - it says, '...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.'(Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) Bottom line: if you're depending on anything but God, you'll always struggle. 'Don't worry about these things...your heavenly Father already knows...and...will give you everything you need.' (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT) You are loved!

What About My Money (4)

NUTS For Christ In Stewardship
Eccl.11:1-6 2 Corinthians. 8:1-12 9:6-9

Some people ask, “Well did Jesus ever tell us to tithe.” Look at Luke 11:42 Jesus was having a conversation with these guys one day and he said, "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”

What was Jesus is saying to them, fellows when it comes to paying tithes, you tithe on everything you get and that’s good, but remember you also have to practice justice and show others the love of God. You should have done these two things, along with your paying tithes. Paying tithes is not paid in our service to the church or to others. We are to excel in both our service and our giving. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 8:7 “But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

We need to see ourselves, not as owners of wealth but as bank managers. A bank manager knows that money that is in the bank belongs to someone else. The manager is allowed to do some things with some of the money, but the money belongs to the person who has deposited it in the bank. Every week, God deposits different amounts of money in our banks. God is very generous in the way He allows us to use His money. Would you take your money to the bank and say” now 10% of this money I always want to claim, but use the other 90% of my money in a very productive way? Spend some of it on yourself if you like” Not many of would allow chase such freedom.

Now one day, Jesus is going to ask us to give an account of all the money that He gave to us, not just the 10% but the 90% as well. Let’s imagine entering into the courtroom of heaven. All the saints are standing around, and we go before Jesus to see how we did with what was put in our care. Jesus looks at us and He shows us his hands and his side to remind us of the price he paid for us to be saved. He then says, “I came to seek and to save those who were lost, how did you help in my mission? How much did you use to spread the gospel, to feed the hungry, to help the homeless, to care for the sick, and to remember those in prison?”

How many of us are planning on saying, “Lord you know I did the best I could.” I’m not a lawyer but I’m not sure I would use that line of defense. I’m not trying to be abrasive today; Do you realize that if this is going to be our line of defense, our first words spoken to Jesus will be a lie?” Do we actually plan to try to lie our way out of how poorly we managed what God gave to us? The best time to prepare for that day is now. When we say “I can’t afford to tithe, let’s be honest with God and with ourselves. What we’re really saying, is the decisions I have made for my choice of lifestyle requires that I spend up the money God told me to set aside.”

God will never allow us to use the excuse, “I could not afford it.”

No the reality is we could not afford that home, or that car, or that vacation, or that dress, or that place to eat, or that furniture, or that savings plan, or that brand of clothes, or that school, or that apartment or that neighborhood, or that jewelry, or that amount of savings or whatever it was.

Some of us are in so much debt because of either greed or some unfortunate experience in our lives that we cannot make ends meet. Does God expect you to start tithing tomorrow? No, but God expect you to begin to make changes today in your lifestyle, so that you can become faithful in this area of your life as well. What would you be willing to let go of, if all of a sudden you lost your job and your income was half of what it is now. Well those are the kinds of things we need to examine if are serious about getting our lives in spiritual order. That’s why we believe in courses like Dave Ramsey or Crown financial. They give you the tools to be successful in this spiritual area of your life. (Commercial: Dave Ramsey class starting this month)

Tithing is never a matter of the amount of money we make. It is always a matter of how much do we appreciate what God has done for us and how important it is being in the will of God. God never intended for tithing to be a means to keep people poor. Tithing was both a means to support the work of Jesus Christ for the church and means to a step of faith in being blessed by God in a number of areas in our individual lives. Tithing teaches what it means to be grateful to God.

People all the time ask God to bless them. But the issue is, “are you bless able by God.” We do not know how many blessings we have missed out on because we used our money as we wanted to rather than according to God’s plan for it and for us. Have you already shown God you can be faithful in the little areas of life? When we actively live in disobedience to God’s will for our lives, we are not bless able by God. For the Scripture tells us everyone the Lord loves, the Lord disciplines to get back on the right track.

All God did was send Jesus along to love us. Christ provides us with new life here on earth and eternal life beyond. He pays for our salvation with His own life. He forgives our sins and gives us purpose. He then turns around and tells us, “come and use what you have that I might save others.”

It’s okay to give because you believe you’re going to get something back. That’s just one of God’s promises. But it is a much higher form of giving when we say; Lord I can never repay my debt to you, but I do just want to say Thank You. You are loved!

 

What About my Money (3)

NUTS For Christ In Stewardship
Eccl.11:1-6 2 Corinthians. 8:1-12 9:6-9

The Bible gives us standards for our giving. Jesus spoke about one person gave 100% of what she had, but it was only a one time sacrifice. He shared that one person gave 50% of what he had with a promise to give an additional four times the amount he had cheated from others. We find that Jesus requested one very wealthy person to sell all he had and give it to the poor.

Yet when it comes to consistent regular giving, the Bible speaks of us giving a tithe. A tithe is giving God one penny out of each dime that we get. It never ever gets more than that.

Suppose you’ve been dating a guy who you think is really a great guy, but he is very low on funds because of a low paying job. When they go out to eat, he takes you to McDonald’s and buys you the medium size meal. You’re ready to marry this guy in a few months. But then a lawyer contacts him, and says he’s sending a check for $200,000 from a relative’s estate.

When the money is in the bank, the two go out to dinner to celebrate. You think you’re going to finally see Red Lobster or Famous Dave’s or the Bonefish. Once again though they pull up to McDonald’s and he says, “today, I want you to feel free to super-size your meal.”

How are you feeling about your future mate? You’d hope their love for you would be demonstrated in proportion to what he has to give to you. This is why God asks for a tithe and not an amount. God gives us the opportunity to give in proportion to how we have been blessed.

Now with God there is a whole different level involved. The Bible is clear that everything in this world belongs to God. God has made it possible for us to have everything that we have. Your bank account or your home?

No one anywhere is more generous than God. God takes His stuff, and gives it to us and then asks if we will keep 90% of it and give Him back 10%. Now God knew that some of us would not be grateful for the exchange so He throws in an extra blessing. God says, “Let me help you become NUTS in your giving for my work.”

So we see in the promise in Malachi 3:10-11. God is having this exchange with Malachi and he says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.”

We see the principle give today and be blessed tomorrow. The only problem is that the money I have in my hand right now, looks a whole lot better than what God says He might give me in the future. I remember one time when one of the members called in and said, “I’ve got my tithes in my hands, but I don’t want to wait until Sunday to bring it because I’m being tempted to spend it and I don’t trust myself. Therefore I’m coming by to drop it in the tithe box to make sure it goes where it is supposed to go.” This person was struggling with whether they were going to obey God with their money, or give in to temptation to use it on themselves.

In Malachi 3:8, “God told his people, they were thieves by not paying their tithes,” and the people who did not pay their tithes, were charged by God with robbing Him. Can you imagine that exchange between God and Malachi?  Malachi your people down there are ripping me off.

Then God sent curses upon the people, so that even what they had never was enough. Anyone who thinks that it does not matter what you give to God, so long as you give something, should read the books of Malachi and Haggai. More tomorrow...you are loved!

What About my Money (2)

NUTS For Christ In Stewardship
Eccl.11:1-6 2 Corinthians. 8:1-12 9:6-9

Being NUTS For Christ in Stewardship means never underestimating the Spirit when we make personal sacrifices because we are grateful for what God has done for us.

There are many people who are willing to give, only when they think it won’t cost them anything to do it. A couple of weeks ago, there was the big mega Lotto fever of 800 million; I heard people share what they would do with it if they won. They would give away millions to the church and to the cause of Christ. We would get a new church building, fancy digs.

Let me ask you a question: Why would people be willing to give so much when they didn’t have it in the first place? Because they did not have it to give? It was imaginary. We all like to dream. My wife and I dream about winning publishers clearing house…well she dreams. When you have the money in your hands it changes the game doesn’t it.  

If you have accepted Christ into your heart; if you had to choose between winning 800 million dollars and living and dying without Christ or having what you have now and living and dying in Christ, which would you choose. That’s a no brainer; I’ll take what I have. What if you had won and God said give it all away if you really want to know Me, then what would you have done? I know this is all hypothetical, but what happens when you get that big tax return? Is that Gods money?

We sing songs like, “Lord you are more precious than silver, precious than gold, and beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with you.” I wouldn’t trade you for silver or gold. I wouldn’t trade you for riches untold; you are my everything.” Are we telling the truth to God in our praise and worship? God already knows based on what we do with the little silver and gold we do have if we are serious or not.

 Jesus came to earth with a mission. He said, “I came to seek and to save those who were lost.” That was the most critical aspect of Jesus’ ministry. Then Jesus turned around and gave the mission to us.

He tells us in John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

Notice that as a result of us doing what God tells us to do, God is able to bless us with answers to our prayers. Our purpose statement flows out of Jesus’ mission. He came to seek and to save—Our purpose is to Love God and Love People-and bring people into a right relationship with God. We all share this obligation and this privilege together. Stewardship is coming to a level of gratefulness which leads to self-sacrifice. Now we know that Jesus does not lie. Jesus told us, we cannot love God and also love money in Matthew 6:24. How do we know, when we’ve started to love money. We know it, when we and our money determine how we live rather than our God determining how we live. Great things to think about...you are loved!

CAN A CHRISTIAN DRINK?

I was doing research for our series in Ephesians coming up in February, and found this Great Article by a pastor in Indiana and I thought I would pass it on.  I hope and pray you will make the right choice in your life.


On Monday night, news broke that Olympic gold medalist snowboarder, Shaun White, had been charged with vandalism and public intoxication. On my Facebook wall, I posted the following comment: “This just in . . . and the gold medal for character enhancement, once again, goes to alcohol.”
For years, well-meaning, sincere Christians have debated the subject of drinking. Let me be clear by saying there isn’t a single verse in the Bible that says a Christian cannot have a drink; although the Bible clearly warns about the destructive and addictive nature of alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; 21:17; 23:29-35; Ephesians 5:18) and is very clear that drunkenness is always wrong (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Peter 4:3; Habakkuk 2:15; 1 Corinthians 5:11).
The Bible is also clear that mature Christians should avoid causing others to stumble by drinking (Romans 14:21), and that leaders ought to avoid drinking alcohol (Proverbs 31:4-7) and cannot be given to drunkenness (1 Timothy 3:3, 8 Titus 1:7.)
I have yet to hear from anyone who drinks how alcohol enhances anything or blesses anyone. Max Lucado said, “One thing for sure, I have never heard anyone say, ‘A beer makes me feel more Christlike . . . Fact of the matter is this: People don’t associate beer with Christian behavior.”¹ I’ve yet to see how it improves someone’s testimony or makes anyone a more effective witness for Christ. Quite the contrary, like Shaun White mentioned above, or Richard Roberts, Oral Roberts’ son, who was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, driving under the influence, the result doesn’t enhance your testimony. Rather, it takes away from what testimony you had.
Recently, a friend of mine, former mega-church Pastor, John Caldwell, wrote an article in Christian Standard magazine called To Drink or Not to Drink? Here’s the link to his article. John’s article explained why he has personally abstained from drinking alcohol and dealt with the bigger issue of the contemporary church becoming more and more like the world.
Not surprisingly, a number of people responded to John’s article and some called him to task for taking such a strong stand against drinking. In response to the responses, my good friend, Ken Idleman, former President of Ozark Christian College and now Pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Evansville, IN, wrote these words, which are among the very best I’ve ever read on this issue. I asked Ken for his permission to share them here.
“Okay, I am conscience bound to weigh in on this one…. For a minute, forget about making a definitive case for or against ‘drinking’ from the Bible. Here’s the truth from logic and real life. No one starts out to be an alcoholic. Everyone begins with a defensive attitude saying, ‘I’m just a social drinker and there is nothing wrong with it!’ no one says, ‘It is my ambition that someday I want to lose my job, my health, my self-respect, my marriage and my family. Someday I want to be dependent on alcohol to get through my day.’ yet, this is the destination at which several millions of people have arrived. Why do you suppose that is? It is because alcohol is promoted and elevated as a normal/sophisticated activity in life…. It is also expensive, addictive and enslaving. People get hooked by America’s number one legal drug. And just like all illegal drugs, alcohol finds it way into the body, the bloodstream and the brain of the user/abuser.
I had two uncles whose lives were wrecked by alcohol. The exception you say? Hardly. It is not what they wanted when they dreamed of their futures when they were in their 20s. Praise God, they were wonderfully delivered in their 60s when the grace of God became real to them. And can you imagine it?…. They got their lives back by becoming total abstainers by the power of the Holy Spirit!
One of my most memorable conversations in the state penitentiary in Jefferson City, MO, was with a young man facing a 28-year prison sentence for the brutal sexual assault of his own 8-year old daughter. I will never forget the image. The tears literally ran off his chin and splashed on his shoes as he gushed, ‘I guess I did it. I don’t know. I was drunk at the time.’
Listen, some of those who are defensive in response to Dr. Caldwell’s thoughtful and courageous article will want to revise their text if, in a few years, they discover that they were able to handle their drinking just fine, but their son or daughter could not. Answer honestly. Could you live with the knowledge that your dangerous exercise of Christian liberty factored into your children’s ruin? Or, if your loved one is killed some day in a head on collision by a driver under the influence who crossed the center line, will you still be defensive of drinking?
A good friend during my growing up years was the only child of social drinking parents. When his folks were away, he would go to the rathskeller [German for tavern] in the basement where he developed a taste for alcohol. I won’t bore you with the details. He is 65 today. A broken life, broken health, broken marriages, a broken relationship with his only son, a broken relationship with his only grandchild, a broken career and a broken spirit that…. Tragically…. He tries daily to medicate with the alcohol that led him to this tragic destination.
Hey, thanks for indulging my rant. Like my friend John Caldwell, I confess to setting the bar high for Christian leadership [especially] when it comes to aesthetic holiness. Call me a ‘right-wing fundamentalist.’ Call me a ‘throw back to the days of the tent evangelists.’ Call me a ‘simpleton.’ Call me a ‘minimalist.’ but, if you do, go ahead and also call me a ‘watchman on the wall’ where the welfare of my family [children, in-laws, grandchildren] and my church family is concerned.”²
Personally, I’ve yet to have my first beer and have no desire to start now or to drink alcohol of any kind. At the same time, I don’t judge those who believe they have freedom in Christ to drink. But when asked, I always tell people I don’t believe it’s the best choice.

The bottom line is this: the question really isn’t CAN A CHRISTIAN DRINK? Rather, it is: SHOULD A CHRISTIAN DRINK?
© 2012. Pastor Barry L. Cameron

What About My Money

NUTS For Christ In Stewardship
Eccl.11:1-6 2 Corinthians. 8:1-12 9:6-9

“What about my Money, are you ready?” Has someone ever said to you, you are nuts? What they mean by that is they think you’re a little crazy. Some of us will admit we are. Last week I told you you’re not normal if you follow Christ. I would personally rather be abnormal in this world and be normal for Christ.

For me, being nuts stands for “Never Underestimating the Spirit.” When I trust Gods spirit in my life to help me be all I can be, I can have a positive outlook to living a life in the spirit; Trusting God with the day to day operations of my life. I know I can trust God. That’s what I pray you will find out in your life.

Today is the day for financially committing ourselves to supporting the ministry of Christ. I have spent immense amounts of time on what it is to give of your time, talent, and spiritual gifts this last year. So we are going to talk about money. Whatever we do for God, give of our time, talent, gifts, or money, we ought to do it with a passion to offer our best.

Let’s meet Bobby for a moment. Bobby is eleven years old, and knows his parent’s 20th anniversary is coming up. He tells his parents, “Mom and Dad, you’re the greatest parents in the whole world. I sure wish I had a $100 because if I did, I would get you the best anniversary gift ever.”

In the past, Bobby had always drawn them a picture card and told them how much he loved them. Bobby’s parents were interested in seeing just what their son would get them if he had the money. The next day, they sent him a hundred dollars in the mail, with no return address, and with a typed message saying, “This is for you, to do as you please.”

Bobby was thrilled when he opened the envelope. “Wow, a hundred dollars, and it is mine to do what I want to do with it.” Two days later on his parent’s anniversary, the anticipation was building in their hearts as to what their son would give to them. Expectation mounted as Bobby came through shouting as he always did “Happy Anniversary!” He presented them with another hand drawn card. In it he told them they were the best parents ever, and he loved them very much.

They smiled and said, “This card is great where is our gift.” Bobby said, “You’ve got it. I always make you a card for your gift.” His father said, “but son, you said, if you had a $100, you’d get us best anniversary gift ever.” Bobby replied, “Well Dad I would have, if you had of given me the $100 when I said it. The father said, “But, son you got a $100 in the mail.” Bobby replied, “I would have used some of my money, but after I bought my new video game, and two cd’s, I barely had enough left to go to the movies, so you can see why I didn’t have anything left for gifts for you.

How would you have felt if you were Bobby’s parents? It’s not that Bobby did not love his parents or even that Bobby was a bad kid. Bobby simply did not understand the concept of being grateful and demonstrating it by making personal sacrifices. Being NUTS For Christ in Stewardship means never underestimating the Spirit when we make personal sacrifices because we are grateful for what God has done for us. Who knows how many envelopes Bobby would have received if he had of acted differently? Think about it for a moment, how many blessing didn't you receive because you weren't grateful? Being grateful is the key to being blessable. More Tomorrow...you are loved!

Series: What About My Money? (4)

Take Up Your Cross

Matthew 16:21-28

The Last thing Jesus said is that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross.

Jesus is saying, “if you want to be my follower, you cannot have everything you want to have, and you cannot do everything you want to do no matter how happy or good you think it might make you feel.” Satan wants you to operate your spiritual lives through feelings; Nothing wrong with feelings. But this Christian life is not about what makes you happy.

There is nothing easy about being a Christian if you’re serious about it. Most people are not strong enough to do it. Anybody can be a church goer, but not everybody is going to be willing to pay the price to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

To deny yourself does not simply mean I don’t do these things anymore. It also means, making yourself available to do what God is calling you to do. What God has created you to do? It’s not possible for us to go from denying ourselves, to following Jesus. There is that stage of picking up our cross first. To pick up the cross is just as voluntary as denying yourself.
Denying yourself does not always include pain. When you deny yourself illegal drugs, your body benefits? When you deny yourself, the temptation to steal, you stay out of jail. When you deny yourself premarital sex, you avoid pregnancy, Aids, child support payments, a life of poverty and a whole lot of other things. This is the kindergarten, first grade level of Christianity

But this idea of taking up a cross and voluntarily suffering pain today for a long term gain requires people who are willing to be NUTS for Christ. The cross is moving on to higher level. The cross is always going to involve some pain in our lives. It will always involve some element of hurt. It’s not going to be something that we look forward to, or jump with joy at the prospect of going through.

When we pray, “Lord, use me to win one person to you this year for Christ, and Lord I want to go deeper in 2014.” Do we realize we’re saying, “Yes Lord, I’m willing to go to the cross?” The only way for Jesus Christ to bring salvation to the world was through his suffering on the cross.

There are going to be hardships we are going to have to endure in order for God to bring salvation to those around us. A lot of it is going to have to do with the attitudes we display when trials come into our lives. Especially those that are unfair. Nothing could have been more unfair, than for Jesus to have picked up his cross and died for you or for me... To take up our cross means eliminating the belief that our lives are somehow going to be fair. It’s a given your teacher is not fair, your boss is not fair, your spouse is not fair, your children are not fair, your parents are not fair, your friends are not fair.

1 Peter 2:19-20 “For it is commendable if a person bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” that’s an incredible statement by Peter. To take up our cross is always a voluntary positive act on our behalf. This is exactly what Jesus did on the cross.

It’s important to realize that Jesus never told the disciples anything about the suffering he was going to go through and the cross they were expected to carry, until they were convinced that Jesus was the Son Of the Living God. It is only after we have settled our relationship with Jesus Christ that He begins to introduce the cross into our lives. We cannot move beyond Kindergarten faith, without a cross in our lives. It is sheer nonsense to ask to grow deeper in God or to be used by God without expecting there to be some sufferings and inconveniences in our lives. The same God, who willed a cross in the life of Jesus, wills a cross for anyone who would come follow after Jesus.

Whether or not we are willing to take up our cross depends a lot on what we believe about what’s on the other side of death. If we believe, the really good things in life and the fun things in life are what we presently see around us, that’s what we will spend our lives chasing.

If we believe, that what really matters in life is how and where we spend eternity, we will take up our cross as often as required not only for our sake, but for the good of those we love. You see, Jesus picked up his cross, not to be able to say “look what I did.” He picked up his cross, knowing that nothing he could have gained by bypassing the cross, was worth the reward of having been to the cross.

Picking up our cross is not a one time event. We are called to do it everyday. The next time you want to do something that God says not to do. Pick up your cross. The next time you don’t feel like doing, what it is clear God wants you to do, pick up your cross. Who is truly going to be able to do this daily? Only those who have made up their minds that this is real. Following Jesus is a costly thing. It does cost us our lives. But we never know the tremendous good God is going to bring into our lives, by us taking up our cross so that we can follow Jesus.

People are giving their lives for so many things that ultimately do not really matter. Why not choose to give your one life to something that will count for all eternity. Make it worth it.
Jesus even throws in a bonus promise. Like us the disciples were thinking, well Lord if I take up my cross, it might seem like I have to leave everything just to follow you. Peter even said, “Lord we have left everything to follow you.”

But Jesus’ bonus verse in Mark 10:29-30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”

You can make the decision to hold on to what you have, but realize in the end you will lose it all. Or you can take up your cross for a whole new level of living. You are loved!

Series: What About My Money? (3)

Take Up Your Cross

Matthew 16:21-28

 

It's one of those mornings and as I was getting ready to come into the office I said, coffee time! Time to get my bodacious on. this morning we are on the third part of  this weeks look at "Taking up our cross in Stewardship" So if you haven't read the first two, please do before reading on because it will make a whole lot more sense.

Coming to Christ is a voluntary act of our will. Nobody can make us come to Jesus. Nobody can keep us away from coming to Jesus.

Sure our parents or our spouse can make us come to church, but that’s not making us come to Jesus. We never come to Jesus as a group. When we stand before God, nobody is going to be standing with us. It will be a one to one session. This is the only in Christianity when it will be all about you. God has chosen us to be His children, but we have to decide whether or not we will have him as our parent. We are not born God’s children, but rather we are adopted into the family of God.

Eph. 1:4-7 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

The blood which Jesus shed on the cross will not do us a bit of good, if we do not choose to follow him. It’s like having a million dollars in the bank, but choosing to never write a check on it because we would rather get our money somewhere else. Did not God promise to take care of you if you gave Him control of everything? Did not Jesus say “Seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you?” One of the things about taking up the cross of Christ includes taking on the mentality of a steward; it changes our thought on who’s in control in our lives. It allows us to see the big picture plan that God has for each of us. Trusting Him is a big step, but a step that worth it. You are loved!  

Series: What About My Money? (2)

Take Up Your Cross

Matthew 16:21-28

One of the great misunderstandings we have is that if we do what God wants us to do; everything will work out in life just as we want it to.

 

There was no doubt in the prophet Jeremiah’s life that God had called him and gave him a message to give to the people. Jeremiah had it figured out, when I do the right thing by obeying God, the people will do the right thing and obey God. Nothing was further from the truth because latter on some men got together and planned an assassination attempt on Jeremiah’s life. When Jeremiah found this out he said, “Lord you tricked me. I did what you said, and now these people are trying to kill me.” Do you see why some say you have to be NUTS to follow God? There is no way for us to understand all God is doing. We can even make our situation worse by being obedient to God. Here's were trust comes in; We simply do what God asks, and never underestimate the Spirit’s ability to work in a given situation. God is working on your behalf.

There is a difference between going to Kindergarten and entering the 12th grade. Now education is the goal of them both. What would happen if someone enjoyed Kindergarten so much, the person refused to leave at the end of the year, and came back year after year. Now you’d say that’s a nut of a different kind. There sitting in class is an 18 year old playing with playdoh and coloring outside the lines. We know that growth is necessary in the physical world. The same is true in the spiritual world. Our prayer for this year is to grow deeper in Christ in 2014 and to move beyond the grade we’re in to the next level.

Now there is a difference between salvation and discipleship. Salvation is open to all those who will come by faith, but discipleship is for believers willing to pay a price. There are too many Christians who are content with being in Kindergarten year after year. They are not willing to change their lives in order to grow in Christ.

They are stuck on convenience and comfort, and honestly believe following Jesus is all about them. “What are my wants and my needs is their predominant way of thinking” Once they start to mature, they will discover following Jesus, is really all about Jesus and His claim upon our lives.

(Look at the example in Matthew 16) Jesus asked the disciples one day, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples said, “Some think you’re John The Baptist risen from the dead, some think you’re Jeremiah the prophet, Some think you are Elijah, others think you’re one of the prophets.” Jesus then asked, “But what about you, who do you, say I am.” Peter told him, “You are the Christ, The Son Of The Living God.” Jesus told Peter, “Peter you got it right, but only because the Father has revealed it to you.” Now that they really knew who he was, Jesus attempted to take them to the next level of the cross.

 Jesus started telling the disciples, “I’m on my way to Jerusalem. When I get there, I will be beaten and I will be killed, and on the third day raised to life.”

Peter took Jesus aside and began to give a lecture on why this would never happen to Jesus. “Jesus don’t talk like that. You’re the Son Of The Living God. It would be a great injustice. You don’t have to put up with that. We don’t have to go to Jerusalem. There are plenty of other places we can go to and continue to have a wonderful time in this life. You deserve a lot more than this. You would have to be nuts to go to Jerusalem and surrender to those hypocritical religious leaders. Look at all these people who are willing to stand with you.”

Whenever we are faced with obeying God in sticky situations and God is attempting to move us to the next level, Satan will come to us with excellent reasons for why we do not have to be obedient and should not put forth the effort to move higher. He tells us we deserve the best in life. He tells us, God expects us to have a good time and to be happy. He tells us, we have a right to not have to put up with such and such. He tells us there will be plenty of time in the future to do the right things. He tells us, it is possible to have a crown without having any suffering.”

Let make this clear, I’m not advocating that your life with Christ is all about pain and suffering. But those things in your life that make it uncomfortable when you have to make the right decision that is what taking up your cross is all about.

Jesus made the statement once, “I have not come to do my will, but to do the will of the Father who sent me.” The whole purpose in Jesus coming to earth was to go and be nailed and murdered on a cross. You see each time we do something wrong and disobey God, the holiness of God demands that we be pushed further away from his presence. The further we are from God, the closer we are to hell which is the punishment for disobeying a righteous and holy God.

The only way to pay for sin is by death and the shedding of blood. In the Old Testament, they sacrificed animals to cover their sin. The animal’s blood covered their sin to keep God from destroying the nation, but it never removed their sin. Finally it got to the point, that because of the tremendous increase in sin, not even the animal’s blood could cover it. Yet God loved us so much, God would not simply wipe us out and give us the fate we deserved.

Instead God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to shed his blood, for only the pure and sinless blood of God could remove our sins. Jesus knew that going to the cross was going to be more painful than anything he could imagine because it would mean separation from God while all the penalty for all sin from every person who had lived and ever would live would be demanded of him. His blood and his blood alone was the answer for the world.

On the night before he was crucified, Jesus was in such agony, he prayed, “Father if there is another way this can be done, then please do it, but not my will, your will be done.” As Jesus prayed, the sweat dropping from his head was filled with his own blood.” More blood flowed from the beating with the whip and the crown of thorns on his head. At first his blood was spilled in drops from the nails. But then as Jesus hung on the cross, a soldier jabbed a sword into his side and out flowed the blood that makes eternal life possible.

What got Jesus through the cross, was not thinking about what he was going through, but what was going to happen on the other side of the cross experience. It tells us in Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus saw where he wanted to end up. That’s why he voluntarily chose to pick up His cross and go to Calvary. His goal was not to hang on the cross on Good Friday. His goal was to be seated at the right hand of throne of God. People had told him, you’re nuts to stay on that cross. Get down and save yourself. Jesus knew he could call 80,000 angels to his side, but he’d rather please his Father. More tomorrow...you are loved!

Series: What About My Money?
Take Up Your Cross

I know you may be thinking why does taking up your cross have to do with stewardship? Jesus made a bold declaration to anyone who wants to be his disciple. He said, “If any want to come after me, they must deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow me.” One of the things we must do in being a good steward is to understand that we must give everything to Christ, which includes our money.

The story has been told of a man who constantly complained about the size of the cross he had been called to bear. He was convinced he had it more difficult in life than anybody. Nobody had gone through the things in life that he had experienced. If only he could talk to God face to face about this situation. His complaining was so extensive it began to get on heaven’s nerves.
Finally an angel came down and took the man to heaven where crosses were assigned. He told the man, “Look, all you do is complain about the size of your cross. I’m going to take you into the room of crosses and you choose which one you want to bear.” The man finally got a smile on his face. When he went into the room, he saw crosses of all sizes. He was like a giddy kid in a candy store. Some seemed as tall as four and five story buildings. As he went through the room, he finally noticed two crosses, one was about three feet high and the other was four feet. He yelled out, “that’s the cross that I want!”, as he pointed to the small cross that was about four feet tall.” He didn’t want to seem too immature by getting the smallest one.” The angel said, “what, are you sure that’s the cross you want.” The man replied, “Look, you don’t know what I’ve been through. I’m not carrying any of these large crosses.” The angel said, “well the only reason I asked the question of whether you were you sure that particular cross is the one you wanted, is because that’s the cross you had before you got here.”

For years, many people have misunderstood what it is to take up their cross. It does not mean pinning a piece of jewelry on our clothes, our necklace or our ears. Our cross is not the boss on our job who gives us a hard time, a child that’s involved with drugs, a prison sentence that we are living out, an incurable disease that we have, or a problem in our lives that we would like to get rid of. Many times you will hear people say of something that’s come into their lives, “well I guess this is just my cross to bear.”

When we hear the word cross, we usually think of something that’s decorative or somewhat attractive in its design. It’s often pleasing to look at because that’s how crosses today are made. In the first century, when people heard the word cross, they immediately thought of pain, suffering, and death.

The cross was an instrument of death. After a criminal was found guilty by the Roman Government, the person would be forced to carry his own cross to the place of crucifixion. Carrying the cross was a public admission that you were wrong and Rome was right, and now you’re in submission to the government. People knew what it was like to leave a city and see people hanging on a cross in great suffering eagerly waiting for death to come.

You may not like this but you cannot be normal if you want to follow Christ. Let me clarify that. To bring Jesus’ words into today’s language, Jesus would be saying, “If any wants to come after me, let them deny themselves and sit down in their own private electric chairs to be zapped as needed and follow me.” Most of us would say, “You’d have to be NUTS to voluntarily sit in electric chair, with the electricity turned on. Suppose I get shocked.” The question must be asked; will we do or sit where God tells us to sit, or make up our rules as we go along? More Tomorrow...you are loved!

Expect Great Things from God

'...Thus far the Lord has helped us.' 1 Samuel 7:12 NKJV

I love to share with others the thought that we can expect great things from Him. The Bible says, 'Then Samuel took a stone...and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."' As you end this year and look back, what do you see? Monuments to failure? Wasted opportunities? When it comes to your failures, God says, 'I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.' (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV)

When it comes to your wasted opportunities, God says, 'I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten...' (Joel 2:25 NKJV) A wise man said, 'If we do not learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it.' It's ok to look back and learn, but if you drive looking in the rearview mirror, you'll end up in a ditch. Whether good or bad, don't get stuck in the past. 'Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning this."' (Ecclesiastes 7:10 NKJV) One of the dangers of growing old is that you become more excited about the past than you are about the future. A lady wrote to a newspaper editor and said, 'Your newspaper is not as good as it used to be.' He wrote back and quipped, 'It never has been.' God says, 'I know the plans I have for you...they are plans for good...' (Jeremiah 29:11 TLB) God has a plan for you this coming year. So, 'hats off to the past and coats off to the future!' Roll up your sleeves, go to work, and expect great things from God. You are Loved!

Being Visionary in 2014 (3)

A Vision does not Necessarily Require Immediate Action.

A lot of people have good ideas. Many times God may be in the process of birthing a vision in their hearts. But most of the time, they want to start NOW!

But the story of Nehemiah, along with numerous other Biblical accounts, illustrates the truth that a clear vision does not necessarily indicate a green light to begin. Too often when a person with an idea that seems to be a God ordained vision charges out of the gates too early; the result is failure, discouragement and disillusionment.  A vision rarely requires immediate action. But it always requires patience. Many people ask, why wait? After all, there are people to rescue. Why not just plunge ahead?

Because developing and discovering a vision is a process. Sometimes it’s painful and agonizing. But it is always worth every bit of the agony along the way.

Waiting often seems like a waste of time. The assumption is, since we aren’t moving ahead, nothing’s going on.

 This false; Good things happen to those who wait. Our culture has trained us to think that if we can’t see anything or we don’t get immediate satisfaction then nothing has happened or is happening.

God’s spirit moves as it wills and just because you can’t physically see it, it doesn’t mean his spirit isn’t moving in our midst. The lie of the enemy is impatience and a belief that we must see a physical manifestation. Now do physical manifestations happen, yes? In God’s time not ours.

In 2^nd Corinthians 5:7 Paul says, “We live by faith and not by sight.”  Faith is something that God raises up in us so we can trust Him as we walk this journey of faith. We don’t see God yet we believe he is the creator of the universe. So we must as an individual and church wait on God believing in faith that what he has laid into our spirits will be fulfilled.

While not every good idea is vision material, every vision begins as an idea. Not all burdens are vision material, but every vision begins as a burden. Waiting gives us a chance to examine our emotions and sort out minor concerns from major ones. If what concerned you yesterday is of little concern today, odds are that it was not vision material.

Just as you cannot rush the development of a child in the womb, you cannot rush the development of a vision. God determines the schedule for both. Acting too quickly on a vision is like delivering a baby prematurely. They are always weak. And in some cases a preemie cannot survive the rigors of life outside the womb.  So it is with vision. Immature visions are weak. They rarely make it in the real world.  As we wait, not only does the vision mature, but we also mature and become ready for the vision.

Many times the tendency is to assume that since I know what I am to do, I’m ready to do it. But God has to grow us into our vision. Just as a vision must be God ordained, it must also be done according to God’s timetable.

Philippians 2:13-14 says “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.”

Everything you do includes waiting. Yet, we often complain about waiting, and argue with God that our timing is better. Have you ever met someone who had a good idea but bad timing?

Remember Moses? He had the right idea, but his timing and methods were terrible. His vision was to free his people from Egyptian slavery. And that was a God thing if there ever was one. So what did he do? He went to work and killed an Egyptian. If Moses had sat down and calculated how long it would take him to kill all of the Egyptians, he would have realized that it would take several lifetimes. So, what did God do? He sent Moses to the University of Sinai to study in their wilderness program for 40 years. It took Moses 40 years to grow into the vision that God has designed for him.

Nehemiah, on the other hand, had it pretty easy by comparison. He only had to wait four months before the wheels started turning. But working for the King of Persia was still somewhat of a desert experience for him. Nehemiah was a man with immense leadership ability who awoke every day to do a job that tapped little or none of those skills.

I know you can you relate? Do you wake up every day to circumstances that seem to have nothing to do with the vision you sense God is developing in you?

Then you are in good company.
Joseph reviewed his vision from an Egyptian dungeon.
Moses spent years following sheep.
David, the teenage king, spent years hiding in caves.
And Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king whose ancestors had destroyed the very city he longed to rebuild. Be encouraged. God has you where He has you for a reason.

Not only does the vision need to mature, and we need to mature to be prepared for the vision, but God is also working behind the scenes to prepare the way. This is why it is so important to wait on his timing.

Remember that the vision God has for our life is only a small piece of the entire puzzle. God’s vision for your life is much bigger than you. Apart from his intervention and preparation, you and I are incapable of pulling off even our small part of the operation.

One of the most difficult things related to vision, is distinguishing between good ideas and God ideas. We all have good ideas. Everybody is concerned or burdened about something, but how do you know which ideas to act on?

You may have asked yourself where is this leading up to? We have been praying and seeking God as to how we can continue to reach our community. As I shared earlier we would love for you to sign up to pray for needs and for renewed vision for 2014. What’s our vision for this year?

Serve days: 2^nd Harvest, Gospel mission, Teen Challenge, Helping Families locally, Youth Missions Trip, Adult Missions Trips, Church Care Days, Community Outreach: Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving & Christmas families…

Serving the church family…serving on the worship team, media, hospitality, greeters, children’s and youth ministries, women’s and men’s ministries.

These things aren’t just jobs. They are ways to serve your God and to carry out His vision for this community through this body. I hope and pray you will catch the vision and be a part of this amazing body of believers.

Finally, one of the big things we have been praying about is having a second service to reach more families; Seeking God on having options that meet the needs of those who call CFW home. But this takes time for all involved to catch the vision. I hope you’ll catch the vision and say pastor sign me up.

Because all of this requires you!  I pray you will take the time to seek God during our week of prayer and then plug in were God wants you. Let’s pray…