Courage (1)

               
'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' Mark 1:17 NIV

Sorry this so late today. I messed my back up on Monday and I'm running very slowly. I'm excited for what God has for this weekend as we begin the new series on "Power for Life." One of my points in my message is on our witness, sharing our faith. If you want to experience God's blessing in a new way, get ready to leave your comfort zone. When Jesus called His disciples they were on familiar turf, doing what they knew best: fishing. But they couldn't stay there and follow Him. Neither can you. The Bible records: 'As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net...for they were fishermen. 'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed Him.' (Mark 1:16-18 NIV) Notice, they had to leave the security of the familiar in order to fulfill their destiny. And in case you think you are too old to try something new, Abraham was seventy-five when he left the comforts of home to go out and establish a new nation. Your age is not the issue, your faith is. Understand this: today you are just one step of obedience away from the next truth God wants you to learn about Him, so you can't afford to stay where you are. We all have a tendency to cling to the 'tried and true'. The trouble with that is, when you are no longer being stretched you begin to shrink, you become complacent, you think you can handle things on your own, and you stop growing. That's a dangerous place to be. If you feel restless at heart today and believe that God has more for you than you've been settling for, then it's time to confront your fears, walk through them and launch out into a new experience with Him. When you do watch out, it's going to be exciting! You are loved...

The Truth about the Truth (2)

               
'...You desire truth in the inward parts...' Psalm 51:6 NKJV

If we're brutally honest, we'd have to admit that sometimes the truth seems inadequate to do what we need done. Everything we do in life has the challenge of being truthful attached to it. We want our bosses to like us, so we flatter. I remember one time when I worked for Safeway I told a half truth to my boss. It wasn't long after God began to work in my heart and I had to back to my boss and repent of the misrepresentation. We also want our friends to admire us, so we exaggerate. We want people to respect us, so we live in houses we can't afford and rack up bills we can't pay. Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property and gave a portion of the money to the church. But they lied, claiming the land sold for the amount of money they gave (Acts 5). Their sin was not in holding back some money for themselves; it was in misrepresenting the truth. And their deceit resulted in their deaths. You say, 'I'm glad God doesn't strike people dead today for lying.' Don't be so sure. Lying results in the death of: (1) A marriage. Falsehoods are termites in the trunk of the family tree. (2) A conscience. The tragedy of the second lie is that it's always easier to tell than the first. (3) A career. Just ask the employee who got fired for embezzlement. (4) Faith. Think: how can God use us if we won't tell the truth? Every NFL football team has a player assigned to carry the play from the coach to the huddle. But what if the player doesn't tell the truth? What if the coach calls for a pass but the player says the coach calls for a run? The coach won't call on him very long. God says if you are honest in small things He will trust you with greater things (Matthew 25:21). So, can God trust you? You are loved...

The Truth about the Truth (1)

               
'...You desire truth in the inward parts...' Psalm 51:6 NKJV

These are some other thoughts that I did not get into my message on speaking the truth a couple of weeks ago. Its amazing how we have just assimilated into our value system the worlds standard of lying. It looks like your going to get a piece of Sundays message about values as well. (By the way have you written out your values yet?)According to Psychology Today, more people say they have cheated on their marriage partners than on their income tax returns or expense accounts. Nearly half say that if they scratched another car in the parking lot they would drive away without leaving a note, although 89 percent agree that it would be wrong. Perhaps the question shouldn't be, 'Why does God demand such honesty of us?' but rather, 'Why do we tolerate such dishonesty?' Jeremiah weighs in: 'The heart is deceitful above all things...' (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV) For many of us, our credo is, 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you squirm.' At the age of three, when Mom asked, 'Did you hit your little brother?' we knew that honesty had its consequences. So we learned to rationalize: 'Uhhhh, well, it's not really lying.' And we learned to cover things up. 'Did I hit my baby brother? That all depends on how you interpret the word hit. I mean, sure, I made contact with him, but would a jury consider it a hit? Everything is relative, you know.' Or we excuse ourselves: 'Did I hit my baby brother? Yes, Mom, I did. But it's not my fault. Had I been born with nonaggressive chromosomes and had you not permitted me to watch television, it would never have happened. So I can say I hit my brother, but the fault isn't mine. I'm a victim of nurture and nature.' We might smile, but the Psalmist said, 'You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.' You are loved...

Keep Trying

               
'...Well done, good and faithful servant...' Matthew 25:23 NKJV

What a awesome day yesterday! God's house was packed and two more gave their hearts to Christ...I'm amazed at what our God is doing in our midst. It's because of people like you who are praying and loving Jesus that we are seeing a break through in those accepting Christ. I can't wait till we get to heaven and I look around and see God saying to you "well done, good and faithful servant." There is an awesome article in Discipleship Journal. Paul Thigpen writes: 'I remember coming home one afternoon to discover that the kitchen I had worked so hard to clean only a few hours before, was now a terrible wreck. My young daughter had obviously been busy "cooking" and the ingredients were scattered, along with dirty bowls and utensils, across the counters and floor. I was not happy with the situation. Then, as I looked a little more closely at the mess I spied a tiny note on the table, clumsily written and smeared with chocolaty fingerprints. The message was short-"I'm making something 4 you, Dad"-and it was signed, "Your Angel." In the midst of that disarray, and despite my irritation, joy suddenly sprang up in my heart, sweet and pure. My attention had been redirected from the problem to the little girl I loved. As I encountered her in that brief note, I delighted in her. With her simple goodness in focus, I could take pleasure in seeing her hand at work in the situation that seemed otherwise disastrous.' In the parable of the talents, Jesus pointed out that the two servants who invested and multiplied what had been entrusted to them received the Master's highest commendation: 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' On the other hand, the servant who buried his gifts rather than risk and lose, received the Master's harshest condemnation: '...You wicked and lazy servant...' (Matthew 25:26 NKJV) Commendation or condemnation: which will you receive? God doesn't say, 'If you can't do it right, don't do it at all.' No, He's pleased when you try, make mistakes, learn from them and grow. One of the biggest things I had to learn as a pastor was that everyone doesn't do it my way and well. I had to learn myself to give everyone the opportunity to learn and grow in their gifts and talents just like I was allowed to do. So keep trying! Amy and I our right behind you supporting you! We are your biggest supporter...you are loved

Vitamins for Spiritual Health (4)

'...Are you in health, my brother?' 2 Samuel 20:9 NKJV

Never forget the law of sowing and reaping. This is a big one. Time and again when I was younger I learned that if you put something in motion one way it would always come back the other. The problem was that I kept doing it over and over no matter what the consequences. It always got me in trouble and rarely did I ever use this principle for good. God set in motion certain laws and they never change. One is the law of gravity. Another is the law of sowing and reaping. 'While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest...shall not cease.' (Genesis 8:22 NKJV) This law works both negatively and positively. If you sow good things you will reap good things; if you sow bad things you will reap bad things. Consider parenting. Eli the high priest was not only called to be a role model to the nation, but also to his two sons. Now, he may have been a great success in ministry but he failed badly on the home front. His sons, who were also priests, enriched themselves by taking bribes. They even slept with women in the temple courts. Pretty shocking? So what did God say? '...I will judge his house...for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.' (1 Samuel 3:13 NKJV) As a result Eli's sons were killed at the hands of their enemies, and when the news of it reached Eli he dropped dead. That's the harvest law working negatively. But thank God it also works positively. Paul writes about it: 'Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord...' (Ephesians 6:8 NKJV) You say, 'What does that mean?' It means that whatever good you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. So whether it's a smile, a prayer, a gift or a helping hand, start sowing good seeds and you will reap harvests of blessing. It's a principle and it works. You are loved...

Vitamins for Spiritual Health (3)

'...Are you in health, my brother?' 2 Samuel 20:9 NKJV

If you are a vitamin freak like me, you'll never let the size of a vitamin sway you one way or the other. One time Amy says we should try this one vitamin because its going to keep our heart strong and I'm expecting some horse pill. But when we checked it out it was the size of a baby aspirin. Now I didn't mind the pill being small, but what happens when life doesn't follow the intended path? How do we keep ourselves spiritually healthy by Never allowing life's disappointments to make us cynical? If you live long enough people will disappoint you, including your family. Even spiritual leaders will let you down! Paul wrote: 'We wanted to come to you-even I, Paul, time and again-but Satan hindered us.' (1 Thessalonians 2:18 NKJV) Did you think Satan was going to send you a congratulatory card because you decided to serve the Lord? Not a chance! The walk of faith is one of delight-and difficulty. When you signed on for the first, you signed on for the second. Paul was on a sixteen-month missionary journey-one of miracles and church-building. But he ended up in prison on trumped-up charges and was left to rot there. How did he respond? 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!' (Philippians 4:4 NKJV) You say, 'How can somebody rejoice in prison?' When you see your disappointment as God's appointment, you start to understand its purpose. Paul had books to write that would change the world, so God needed to get him 'off the road'. Listen to what he wrote from prison: 'I want you to know...that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear.' (Philippians 1:12-14 NLT) Hidden in some of your biggest disappointments, you will find treasures of truth that literally transform your life and your future. "Are you in health, my Brother?" You are loved...

Vitamins for Spiritual Health (2)

               
'...Are you in health, my brother?' 2 Samuel 20:9 NKJV

One of the things we can Never do is take God for granted. Have you ever done that? Taken God for granted? Don't become so familiar with spiritual things you become contemptuous of them. What does that mean for as believers? Look at Samson; he became contemptuous and he paid dearly. After discovering the secret of his strength: '[Delilah] lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head...and his strength left him. And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep... "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines took him...' (Judges 16:19-21 NKJV) It's a story of tragedy. Samson was born to lead Israel to victory. But instead he gave in to his lowest impulses, consorted with the enemy and thought he could get away with it. Listen to him: 'I will go out as before, at other times.' But this was one time too many. His disobedience hadn't robbed him of his supernatural strength before, but it did this time. He crossed a line and ended up losing his sight, his strength, his liberty, his credibility and his usefulness. Eventually he died a prisoner of the Philistines. You say, 'Today's devotion sounds a bit harsh.' No, it's protective! The Bible says, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...' (Proverbs 9:10 KJV) When you persist in disobeying what you know God has told you to do and think you can escape the consequences, you're headed for trouble. Repent, get right with God and get back on track while you still can. You are loved...