Who are You to Condemn

For those of you who have been keeping up in the prayer journal for the 7 city prayer nights, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your diligence in following through with what I believe God wants to do in our church and city. I'm a little behind in my book because I didn't get one right away. By the time we handed them all out I had to get more. My devotion this morning was found in Romans 14; yes I'm that far behind. In Romans 14 was an amazing reminder to me of how we must treat each other.

Paul says in verse 14:4 "Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should."

Sometimes we think we are in charge of other people. This is a good reminder that God is in charge and we can't forget that. It's God's power that will bring people back into right relationship with Him. Listen each of us will sin and make wrong choices at some point in our lives. But God is the one who restores and gives grace even when we don't think people should get it. Don't be the one who thinks they are so spiritual that they can some how judge others; point fingers and cast judgment and get away with it. 

Jesus was sitting with His disciples one day sharing with them about how we should treat people and He said this...

Mat 7:1-6 "Stop judging, so that you won't be judged, because the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, and you will be evaluated by the standard with which you evaluate others. "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye." "Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you."

So here is our prayer today...Lord, help us to recognize each other by the spirit and to honor one another as we are sanctified and molded into your image. Cause us to remember your sacrifice and the grace gifts you gave us to lead and nurture us in our faith. Help us not to fight each other over differences, but to love and embrace what your Spirit is doing in our midst!

If you are involved harming others, think about it!

You are Loved!

Questions You Should Ask Yourself (2)

'Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.' Mark 10:43 NIV

I hope you noticed a pattern in these questions; they follow in line with what we believe God has us be as a church. The last month we have been looking at how we the church should fulfill the vision of God at CFW. How we should Engage, Belong, Serve, and Give. The next questions you should ask yourself are:

 

(1) Am I willing to serve others? You say you want to be a leader? Why? Until you answer that question with the right motives, God won’t promote you. Sometimes we just want to be in control. Other times we don’t want to pay the price for success. We just want the perks that come with it: a corner office, a higher salary, a respected title and the admiration of others. Jesus said, ‘Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.’ Leadership puts you in a position to take care of your own needs first—to set yourself up—before helping others. That’s always a temptation and it’s always wrong! You must genuinely care about people and help them to reach their potential. When you do that you’re honoring God and He will honor you.

 

(2) Am I doing what I’m called to do? ‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.’ (Romans 12:6 NIV) Samuel Johnson said, ‘Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess…and gain applause which he cannot keep.’ If you’re harboring a mental image of the qualities talented people are supposed to have and you don’t possess, you’ll have a hard time finding your true strengths. Henry Ford remarked, ‘The question, “Who ought to be the boss?” is like asking,  “Who ought to be the tenor in the quartet?” Obviously, the man who can sing tenor.’ To succeed in life, you must know what God gifted you to do.

 

You are Loved!

Questions You Should Ask Yourself (1)

'Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.' Proverbs 4:7 NIV

All of us want to be good parents and we want our children to succeed. God isn't any different in His desires for us. But to succeed in life, you must periodically ask yourself two questions:

 

(1) Am I committed to personal growth? ‘Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ Keep reading, keep learning, keep asking questions. A Chinese proverb says, ‘He who asks is a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t ask remains a fool forever.’ Some of us are like the little girl who thought she’d exhausted the subject of mathematics once she learned her twelve–times tables. When her grandfather asked with a twinkle, ‘What’s 13 times 13?’ she scoffed, ‘Don’t be silly, Grandpa, there’s no such thing!’ Your hunger for wisdom and knowledge determines your future. In order to keep giving out, you must keep taking in.

 

(2) Am I enjoying what I do? You’ll never fulfil your destiny doing something you despise. Passion lies at the core of true success and fulfilment; it’s the spark for your fuse. It energises you when those around you grow tired. It helps you come up with answers when others cease to have creative ideas and strengthens you when they drop out. It gives you courage to take risks while others crave security. When you lose your passion, two things happen: first, you fail to pursue excellence; second, you jeopardise your integrity, because you’re tempted to take shortcuts and compromise by settling for less than God intended. Clues to your destiny are found in those things that generates passion in you. When you find yourself working at what you love you’re being clued in to God’s purposes for you.

 

You are Loved!

Evidence

'He...saw...evidence of the grace of God.' Acts 11:23 NIV

Where there’s grace, there’s growth. And where there’s growth, there’s clear evidence of it. In my Acts 2 message yesterday the principle of belonging shows us there will be growth when we learn grace.

 

The church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to the church at Antioch, and ‘when he arrived and saw…evidence of the grace of God, he was glad.’ As believers, we should be growing in ‘grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.’ (2 Peter 3:18 NIV) And there should be evidence of it!

 

When you accept Christ, He ‘[equips] you with everything good for doing His will’ (Hebrews 13:21 NIV); you become ‘a new creation…old things have gone; everything is made new!’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NCV)

 

Grace makes you more caring and compassionate, and less critical and judgmental. It makes you slow to speak and quick to consider the other person’s point of view. You’re less likely to react in anger when things don’t go your way, and more likely to put the good of others ahead of your own (1 Corinthians 10:24). When you become a believer your role changes. You no longer have the job of looking out for your own interests; your job is to represent the interests of Jesus. You are the face of Jesus; showing up in the lives of others on His behalf… in hospitals… at funerals… at weddings… across the table as you share coffee with a friend… You’re on the job for Jesus, and the more you serve others in love, the more you’ll influence them toward Christ. Paul wrote, ‘Though I am free…I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.’ (1 Corinthians 9:19 NIV) That’s what it’s all about!

 

You are Loved!

Life Is About Choices (1)

'Daniel resolved not to.' Daniel 1:8 NIV

I absolutely love this Scripture...'Daniel resolved not to.' Daniel 1:8 NIV When Daniel was taken prisoner to Babylon, he was quickly promoted to leadership in the king’s palace. But as a Jew he refused to ‘defile himself with the royal food and wine’. Could his choice have affected his career, or even cost him his life? Absolutely! But what we choose to do under pressure results from one of two things:

 

(1) Clearly established convictions we live by.

 

(2) Fuzzy convictions we’re willing to compromise for personal gain.

 

Hard times don’t make you, they reveal you! In Leadership Gold John Maxwell writes: ‘After visiting twenty cities in seven days, it was good to be coming home! As the small private jet approached the runway, we were celebrating the success of the week. Then, in a moment, everything changed. The plane was hit by crosswinds and dropped straight down to the runway, the wheels hitting out of balance. All conversation stopped and our eyes widened as we realised we were in danger. The pilot, without hesitation, pushed the throttle and launched the plane back into the air… We all realised that could have been it! We sat quietly as the plane circled the airfield and a few minutes later we landed safely.’ As he got off the plane, John asked the captain, ‘When did you make the decision to put the plane back into the air?’ He replied, ‘Fifteen years ago.’ He went on to explain how as a young pilot in training, he decided in advance what decision he would make for every possible air problem. His decision was made long before the crisis. So have a gameplan in place before the problem arises.

 

You are Loved!

Prayer (5)

'...For we do not know what we should pray for' Romans 8:26 NKJV

Ever dialed 911 for an emergency? Prayer works like the emergency system. All you need to do is dial those numbers and you're instantly connected to an operator who is trained to keep calm in emergency situations and is able to connect with the emergency service required to send help straight away. You might not be able to say what the problem is. Perhaps a loved one has just suffered a heart attack and you are so out of control that all you can do is scream into the telephone. No problem. The operator doesn't need all the details. He knows where the call is coming from, and help is on the way.

There are times in our desperation and pain when we pray prayers that we just can't seem to get out. We're overwhelmed. Sometimes we don't know the words to speak. But God hears. He knows our name and our situation. Help is on the way; He's already begun to bring the remedy. 'Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.' (Romans 8:26-28 NKJV)

I love what John Bunyan said, 'In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.'

You are Loved!

Prayer (4)

'He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him' Psalm 91:15 NKJV

I love the story of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, who boasted that anyone could know his personal email address if they wanted it. So when The New Yorker magazine published Gates' email address he quickly got into trouble with email overload. Now anyone on the internet was able to mail the computer genius. In no time he was swamped with thousands of messages-he simply couldn't handle it. So he armed his computer with software that filtered his email, allowing important messages through and sending all the others to electronic oblivion.

Each of us are limited; we can handle only so much and do only so much. God, on the other hand, never tires of s-mail (spirit mail). His ear is always open to our prayers, and He has an unlimited capacity to help. You'll never hear Him say, 'Due to an unusually high call volume I am unable to take your message at this time. Please call back or leave a message.' No, the Bible says, 'He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.' (Psalm 91:15 NKJV) '...the desire of the righteous will be granted.' (Proverbs 10:24 NKJV) '...the prayer of the upright is His delight.' (Proverbs 15:8 NKJV) 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV) 'If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.' (John 15:7 NKJV)

So never give up in Prayer!
You are Loved!

Prayer (3)

'Pray continually.' 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

The Bible says, 'Pray continually.' I've even preached on it, and many have said it can't be done. But let me ask you a question? If you can worry continually, you can pray continually; you just have to change your focus!

Try to picture this: an enemy army has arrived intent on wiping Israel out. So Moses says to Joshua, 'Take your best soldiers and go fight them. I'm taking two men, climbing the hill that overlooks the plains, raising my hands toward Heaven and praying for victory.' (Exodus 17:8-9 paraphrase) As Moses' hands stretched heavenward, Joshua's troops prevailed. But when Moses' arms grew weary and he dropped them to his side, the tide of battle shifted. Joshua's troops were being struck down. Again Moses stretched his arms toward Heaven, bringing the matter before the Lord. Immediately the battle's momentum shifted back to Joshua. Then it struck Moses-he must keep his arms outstretched toward Heaven if he wanted to open the door to God's supernatural intervention here on earth. There's a lesson here: if you are willing to invite God to involve Himself in your daily living, you'll experience His power in your home, your relationships, your career and wherever else it's needed.

But the other side of the equation is sobering: it's hard for God to release His power in your life when you just put your hands in your pockets and say, 'I can handle this on my own.' If you do that, don't be surprised if you get the nagging feeling that the tide of battle has shifted against you and that you're powerless to do anything about it. To experience God's power in your life you must pray continually, pray Scripturally, and pray in faith.

You are Loved!

Prayer (2)

'...Your Father in Heaven [will] give good gifts to those who ask' Matthew 7:11 NIV

Can I challenge you to do something...'Pray the largest prayers you can. You cannot think of a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for wings.'

When we love our children we want to be generous with them. And that's how God feels about us: 'If you, then, though you are evil...give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.'

Some of us have difficulty accepting the gifts God gives us, particularly material things. One lady told me once, 'I distinctly remember feeling God must have had His wires crossed. Why would He do that for me? In fact I felt guilty, as if I'd somehow acquired something God didn't really want me to have.' Think how cruel the following words would sound if they represented your attitude as a parent: 'I'm too busy. I don't want to hear about your lost bike or your school problem. Don't bother me with your personal requests. I'll take care of everybody else but you. If you love me you'll survive on bread and water. Sure, I'm rich, but why would I give you anything-back off!'

Good parents don't talk like that! They want only the best for their children. So, take a good parent's feeling for their child, multiply it exponentially, and you'll only begin to understand how God feels about you. Nobody's voice sounds sweeter to Him than yours. Nothing in the world keeps Him from directing His full attention to your requests. So come to Him in prayer.

You are Loved!

Prayer (1)

'O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.' Psalm 65:2 NKJV

I wanted to pass on some encouragement today. Last Sunday was a pivotal day for our church. We were set free in the spiritual realm because of our praying church. The morning and evening services were filled with miracles signs and wonders. I'm excited for what God has for us. So don't give up praying...God is on the move and all He's asking us to do is believe and walk in faith.

Now, Mark records, 'Very early in the morning...Jesus got up...and...prayed.' (Mark 1:35 NIV) Do you want more of Jesus! Then follow His example. Jesus made deposits each morning so that He could make withdrawals throughout the day.

Many of us don't, and it shows! RA Torrey said, 'We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little.' The pastor of a mega-church acknowledged that for many years he knew more about prayer than he ever practiced. One day God interrupted his schedule and told him to explore, study, and practice prayer until he fully understood it. The results were life-changing. He writes: 'It has been twenty years since I began taking time to pray. My life has been transformed. The greatest fulfilment hasn't been the list of miraculous answers to prayer I've received, although that has been wonderful; the greatest thrill has been the quality of difference in my relationship with God. When I started to pray I didn't know what was going to happen. God and I used to be rather casually related to one another. We didn't get together and talk very much. Now, however, we get together a lot, not talking on the run, but carrying on substantial, soul-searching conversations every morning for a good chunk of time. I feel as if I've gotten to know God a lot better since I started praying.' Martin Luther said, 'I have often learned more in one prayer than I have been able to glean from much reading and reflection.' Do you want to know God better? Start praying!

You are Loved!

Not Connected?

'You cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.' John 15:4

Most of us own a smart phone today. Mobile phones can be life–savers…but the batteries have a limited lifespan and need to be recharged.

 

One weary weekend I was as drained as my phone battery. I went through my evening routine, dutifully placing my mobile phone on its charger. Unfortunately, I neglected to plug the charger into the socket. Next morning was Sunday and I woke refreshed—but my phone was no better than the night before. It was in the right place… but it wasn’t connected to the power source!

 

Sometimes the consequences of not “plugging in” can be more severe…many people dutifully march to church every week, but leave as drained as when they came. They’re in the right place, but they’re not plugged in to the power of God…and without that it doesn’t matter if you sit in a pew or on a barstool… You can study the Scriptures for hours on end, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7 NAS); you can even do great things for God but lack power in your life.

 

If I’d left my mobile phone on the charger for days or weeks instead of overnight, it wouldn’t have helped. Multiplication of effort isn’t a substitute for true power… Guard against things that disconnect you from the power source…obviously sin will do that, but so will weariness. We can’t remain connected if we’re weighed down by busyness. We can spend so much time doing things for God that we neglect our relationship with Him. Jesus said, ‘You cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.’ That means reading the Bible, praying and resting in His presence.

 

You are Loved!

Tapping God's Creativity

'He...reveals His thoughts to man.' Amos 4:13 NIV

I Don't know if you have ever seen a flashlight you have to pump or crank...the first time I ever saw one and decided to buy it I asked the sales lady how long the battery would last. “As long as you do,” she replied. “What do you mean?” I queried. “You are the battery,” she explained. “There’s no battery inside. You have to pump the handle at the bottom of the flashlight to make it light up.” I tried it, and sure enough I generated the power needed to make it light up! As soon as I stopped pumping the light went out…

 

If you make the right commitment to an idea but it seems impossible…pray…and keep pumping. Bright ideas will come your way—ideas that come from God’ (Isaiah 48:17).

 

Albert Einstein said it’s important that we never stop asking questions, or lose our holy curiosity. God’s Word says He ‘forms the mountains…creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man.’ Imagine tapping into the resources of a God Who knows you and can fill your mind with imaginative, inspired, innovative ‘thoughts’. Jesus knows the mind of God, the plans of God, the will of God and the purposes of God because He is God. And Paul says, ‘We understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT) Creativity has been built into every one of us. Each of us lives less of the life God intended when we choose not to release the creative powers we possess. When you tap into God’s creativity, He helps you see things not as they are, but as they can be. And that can change your life!

 

You are Loved!

You're In

'The word...which can...give you an inheritance.' Acts 20:32 NIV

I love the story of Linda Knox; she was in her eighties when she died of malnutrition in her Chicago apartment. "Apparently she’d lost her sight, and her mind had failed. Among her belongings they found the equivalent of $186,000 in uncashed checks, $206,000 in works of art, $440,000 in jewels, and $56,000 in antiques. In all, she had an estate worth over $900,000—yet she died alone in poverty. And what’s worse, she’d drawn up a will leaving these things to friends and family members. But she never filed it with the courts and it was never executed, so her beneficiaries were unaware of their inheritance."

 

There’s a lesson here for all of us today. When Christ died and went back to Heaven, He left a will. And you are named in it! You say, ‘Where can I find a copy?’ In His Word! You’re an ‘[heir] of God and a [co–heir] with Christ.’ (Romans 8:17 NKJV) I know it doesn't feel like it sometimes, but you are now of royal blood. Once that truth sinks down into your soul, your attitude toward reading the Bible will be revolutionised. Instead of spending mindless hours watching TV or surfing the internet, you’ll start meditating ‘day and night’ in the Scriptures. As a result, you’ll start to ‘prosper in all that you do’ (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2–3). Now you can understand why David said, ‘I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love… The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.’ (Psalm 119:47; 72 NKJV) Peter wrote: ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life…He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.’ (2 Peter 1:3–4 NIV) What more could you ask for?

 

You are Loved!

'The Man'

 

'Come, see a Man.' John 4:29 NIV

I poured myself a cup a coffee this morning and sunk in my chair to take some time to pray. I appreciate everyone who signed up to pray during our week of prayer. It's a blessing to know that you are "All In" as we walk this journey of faith another year. This portion of scripture is simple yet powerful. 

 

When the woman at the well met Jesus, unlike all the other men she’d met, He addressed her real need. ‘[He said,] “Go…get your husband”… “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said…“you have had five husbands, and you aren’t…married to the man you’re living with.”’ (John 4:16-18 NLT)

 

Because we’re weak, we keep getting into situations that leave us wounded. And those wounds can’t be healed by going from relationship to relationship. After meeting Jesus this woman ran to tell everybody, ‘Come…meet a Man who told me everything!’ (John 4:29 TLB) Her answer wasn’t another man; she’d already tried that! Her answer was meeting the Man, and asking Him to fill the void in her life.

 

The Bible refers to this as putting ‘on the new self, which is being renewed in…the image of its Creator.’ (Colossians 3:10 NIV) If you’re sick of the way you’re living and want to change, remember, the woman at the well couldn’t ‘put off the old man’ till she met the new One. When you’re attached to certain habits and relationships, it’s hard to break free in your own strength. You’ll only be able to disengage when you acknowledge Jesus as Lord of your life. Only by embracing the new will you find strength to say goodbye to the old.

 

So what does all this mean for you? It means coming to Christ as you are, asking Him to save you, and entering into a relationship with Him. James says, ‘Surrender to God… Resist the devil, and he will run from you.’ (James 4:7 CEV) When you do that, God will give you the strength to forsake those old patterns and begin a new life!

 

You are Loved!

Exercise Faith

He couldn't do any miracles among them... And He was amazed at their unbelief.' Mark 6:5-6 NLT

As I read this scripture this morning I had to ask the same question...why don't we see more miracles here in America?

 

The more I studied the answer became relatively simple, God answers prayer in a manner directly related to our level of faith. ‘According to your faith, be it unto you.’ (Matthew 9:29 KJV)

 

Yet sometimes in spite of our doubts and human reasoning, He comes through for us anyway. The believers praying for Peter’s release from prison were amazed when he suddenly appeared on their doorstep (Acts 12). When Jesus returned to His home town and began to teach in the local synagogue, the people were amazed by His wisdom. Because He lacked formal education and credentials they wrote Him off as ‘just a carpenter’. (Mark 6:3 NLT) And the result? ‘Because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.’

 

Question: How often does your unbelief tie God’s hands? The truth is: (a) sometimes our faith is so weak that we don’t expect Him to answer at all; (b) we fail to pray with confidence; (c) we don’t prepare ourselves for what He wants to do for us.

 

You can’t ask God for forgiveness, then continue to live under condemnation over sins He has put under the blood. Or pray about your financial situation, then worry yourself sick about how He’s going to meet your needs. You can choose to live by your feelings, or in a way that reflects total trust in God. The Bible says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He…is a rewarder.’ (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

 

So exercise your faith!

You are Loved!