Temple Baptist New Beginnings Class

Humble Yourself

2011-10-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

1. How do these two verses go together?
2. How does God Oppose the proud?
3. What does it mean to be humble or poor is spirit?

Introduction:

We all want our children to be successful; we want them to be winners. We don’t like the idea of surrendering because we think of it as the opposite of winning. We think of Japan or Germany that surrendered, but when you surrender to God the opposite happens. You don’t lose; you win! You become strong. When you give up and surrender to God you find your life instead of losing it. This is the wonderful paradox of the spiritual world. “and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all” Mark 9:35. If you want to be rich with life, love and power, you must become poor in spirit which is an attitude of humbleness, helpless, a beggar towards God.

Luke 9:22 -24 “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” As Jesus took up the cross to die for us we must take our cross to die – daily. We must die daily to our selfish desires, it is the only way to find the fulfillment Jesus intends for us.

When we surrender to God, we give up trying to figure out the best and most fruitful ways of living our lives. When we give up and admit that our own way has gotten us into a deep rut, addictions, misery, unhappiness, bitterness; when we go our own way we are fighting against God. In other words this is a description of SIN. Sin is doing your life your way and ignoring God’s ways. So, when you surrender you stop fighting God; you realize that He is more powerful, His way is perfect.

Teach your children (of any age) that humility is the secret to being filled by God; teach them that humility means being helpless and powerless before God.

Guard your heart:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

Focus on each word in this verse.

1. Blessed. – Sacred, holy, supremely favored. Think about this, if you are blessed you are highly favored by God. He values you above all of His material creation. He wants me to enjoy, be fulfilled, happy and complete in HIM.

2. Poor in spirit. – Three basic meanings:

a. Being humble, a beggar, helpless or aware that you are like a newborn baby. You say to God “I don’t have any power, character, or love like you have; I cry out to God and say please give me your grace, love, and power.
b. Put your self last; it means being concerned about others well-being before your own needs
c. Have an awareness that your spirit is dead; “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Finally focus on the thought of daily.

Daily is the key to success in staying humble. You must chew on God’s word daily in order to embed them into your heart. Oh how easy it is to allow the weeds of life, the cares, and the lack of watering and nurturing to choke out God’s word’s from our heart. When this happens, the world’s beliefs and our flesh take over our lives quickly!

Remain humble by emptying yourself each morning before you jump out of bed. Work with your children with this before you send them out for the day!

Your plan:

1. Make a list of all the ways that Pride and Humility are displayed in your home.
2. Mark them as dark or light beliefs
3. Identify what is the opposite belief.
4. Which ones are you going to change? Focus on one every week.

One more verse to help you is “O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8

Practicing Humility:

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12

• How does this verse relate to humility?
• Who do you need to forgive in your life?
• Who do you need to seek forgiveness from?

Forgiving and seeking forgiveness from our children and others is an important way to show humility. Admitting when you have offended someone is always humbling.

When seeking forgiveness, you may want to keep three things in mind:

1. Your approach sets the tone of the conversation. Your voice should be soft and receptive to the other person’s feelings and attitude; everything needs tenderness and sincerity in our voice. Ask yourself “how receptive are you to hear what the other person may say?” Too many times we want to blame others for the hurt that we cause! Blaming does not work!

2. Ask specifically how you hurt the person; your assumptions may not be correct. This is a major step in validating their feelings and their value to you. This allows the other person to share their feelings.

3. Worry only about your own faults! Don’t worry about what the other person did to you. You are not in control of the other person and can’t make them seek your forgiveness!

Four actions to guard your child’s heart

1. Practice High Honor – Honor is a choice! It is the simple decision to place high value, worth and importance on another person, to view them as a priceless gift: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21. Love involves putting that decision into action; honor is a gift we give to others – whether the want it or not; whether the deserve it or not!

2. Keep anger low – Anger is an emotion that in and of itself is neutral. Anger drives us to an action. The problem we have is not letting the anger go once we have acted on the situation that gave us the anger. It is unresolved anger that destroys relationships with your spouse and your children. Going to the deepest level of anger it is rooted in unfulfilled expectations; it is frustration on not receiving what we had expected from other people or circumstances.

3. Seek forgiveness – Forgiveness starts with a pardon. Forgiveness also involves caring for the offending person; that person has something in their heart that needs healing. When you forgive others they are released from your anger and you are healed by God! Forgiveness helps the offended person as much as the one who offends. Prolonged and unforgiven anger is a form of pride, and since God resists the proud, He will resist the unforgiving angry person because that angry person is really shaking his fists in God’s face and calling Him a liar! You don’t believe that God can work something that has happened for your good.

4. Find ways to serve one another.

a. Your family needs to feel valued
b. Your family needs open communication
c. Your family needs your shoulder before your mouth – empathy and comfort
d. Your family needs to be held and touched
e. Your family needs verbal praise
f. Your family needs the basics: food, water, shelter, warmth, touch, validation by listening and understanding.

The Third Step to Making a Difference for God

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Introduction: God is searching…
“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30

… for just one man or woman to “step out” and make a difference!

Israel was far from God; wickedness and sin was thriving; God, through the prophet Ezekiel wrote “I sought for a man . . . and found none.” God throughout history has a plan that is carried out through ordinary people who assume that great things for God must be done by others; The qualifications are quite simple – He is looking for a man, a woman whose heart is fully His and when He finds a man or a woman whose heart is fully His, regardless of background, race, gender, stature, education of appearance, He will resource them to stand in the gap to build up the wall to make a difference. God is searching with His eye, going to and fro throughout the whole world for one who would forsake it all and step out and say “All I have is yours and I am willing to do what ever you want me to do, to stand in the gap to be your representative.

The Question:

Review - What does it take to make a difference for God? What kind of person?

1. The 1st prerequisite to make a difference is a Dislocated heart.
• Do you care?
2. The 2nd prerequisite to make a difference is a Broken spirit.
• Are you dependent? Do you have God centered prayers that says “God I can’t do this but I am asking you to do what only you can do”
The 3rd Prerequisite:
3. The 3rd prerequisite to make a difference is a Radical Faith
• Will you step out?

Our Model = Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:11 “O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer”.

We pick this story up where Nehemiah finishes his God centered prayer. Here is his request, after four months of fasting and praying God has revealed to Nehemiah that it is not an accident that he has this position, this education, this circle of influence and place near the King; God wants Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. God has given him a plan as he prayed; Nehemiah has gathered a group of people about him “. . . and to the prayer of thy servants. . .” as he prayed. He is about to walk into the Kings presence; he is putting his life on the line! Nehemiah was taking a radical step of faith; he was putting his life on the line; he will come out of his comfort zone and align himself with God’s agenda.

Nehemiah 1:12:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

The greatest things ever done by God’s people are done by people who are absolutely terrified and afraid of what they are about to do. But, they do not look at themselves; they don’t let the fear of finances, the fear of rejection, the fear of their physical life and they do what God shows them to do even though they are afraid.

"3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. 6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. “

He had a dislocated heart – he cared; this was not a knee-jerk reaction to bad news; he prayed individually, he gathered a group of people to pray with him for four months he had developed a broken spirit. And now he takes a radical step of faith.

Definition:

A radical faith is choosing to “step out” to fulfill God’s clearly defined will at great personal risk and sacrifice.

This is not just some wild thought that you get; this is God’s clearly defined will. He knew that it was God’s will that the wall be rebuilt. We know that it is God’s will that poor people receive love, lost people to get the gospel, we know that the gospel is to go into the whole world, we know that it is God’s will for fathers to love their family, We know that it is God’s will for mothers to take care of their children, we know that it is God’s will that single people to live pure lives and they are to be loved and encouraged. These are all the clearly defined will of God. You know that it is God’s will for His gospel to cross ethnic barriers.

When you look at churches where God is working and moving you will find people that have taken a radical step of faith. And these people oft times do it reluctantly; we get the idea that they are super-stars and they have super faith and they know so much more than we do. Remember Moses when God called him he said send someone else? And then there is Ester who said “not me please”. When God finds people that are willing to fearfully take a step in faith great things happen.

How Do We Develop a Radical Faith? There are four things to remember to develop a radical faith:

1. By remembering what faith is and is not. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith has to do with things you can’t see. Faith is not based on logic or facts. Faith is not emotions.

Faith is nothing more or less than trusting in the character and the promises of God to the point where you act whether you feel like it or not.

Old Testament example is manna. God provided enough manna for the day, If more was gathered than was needed it spoiled; on the day before Sabbath gather enough for two days and it did not spoil. God was teaching them to trust in Him!

New Testament example is Jesus talking about money; He talked about money more than heaven and hell combined. He says that there are only two gods; it’s either God of money and you can’t serve both!

2. By remembering how deeply God values our faith. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Two things please God first that you know that He exists and secondly that He rewards those who seek Him. God is not impressed with your morality, He is not impressed with your knowledge, nor is He impressed with your success.

The number one agenda that God has for you is that you trust Him.

What would it take to trust Him? What would it take for you to trust God in your marriage, your job (or lack of having one), your relationships, your choice of a mate, your addiction, what would it look like to launch a project or ministry that He is leading you to do?

Where there is no risk there is no faith! The goal is not to be good but to trust Him!

3. By remembering what Jesus taught His followers about a radical faith.

The only time Jesus rebuked his disciples was for their lack of faith. In all four gospels someone asked “what is the work of God? What does it mean to be right with God? What does God really want?” His response in John 6:29 was 'This is the work of God that you believe'; believe what? Believe everything; believe that this book is God’s word, believe what it says about what’s coming and what happened in the past, believe and trust that you are made for eternity, believe that God can meet your needs, believe that God is sovereign, believe that God is good, believe that He is a rewarder, that He loves you, that He is for you.

Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God.(Romans 10:17) You will never be able to have faith in Him unless you are in the Word of God! It is “God I want to get to know you!” You will never be able to trust His character and know His promises unless the Bible is a part of your daily habit!

• Jesus called them to a radical faith.

Luke 9:23-27 “23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.”

You may say that you do not have enough faith to be the kind of person that makes a difference for God. But Jesus says that you don’t need much faith. He told his disciples that all they needed was faith the size of a mustard seed to say unto that mountain to be cast into the sea and it would be done.

• Jesus clarified the object of their faith. Luke 9:28-45 “ If you can ever see Jesus for who He is, how good, how kind, how powerful, how trustworthy, how loving, how much He wants for you. If you can ever see God for who He is you don’t really need a lot of faith!

Luke 9:28 – 45 “28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

Jesus was showing them who he was! He’s God. He’s all powerful. He will never let you down.

• Jesus warned of the dangers of having a radical faith. Read Luke 9:46-56

1. Self; Missuse of power.

2 Exclusivity; Misuse of privilege: God will use many to accomplish his work

3 Zeal; misuse of talent: this produces a critical nature, one that criticizes other ministries or churches. It may be one that God does some things and you get carried away by the experience instead of the Lord.

• Jesus outlined the cost of having a radical faith. Read Luke 9:57-62

The first man: And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Translation: You can’t hang onto stuff; to follow me you will have to travel light. Don’t trust in material substance but trust in Him.

The second man: And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. Translation: You can’t hang on to people; there can’t be any higher relationship other than your relationship with Jesus. It can’t be your spouse, your children, your friends, your sibling, your parents. You can’t say “I’ll do whatever you want within this box.

The third man: Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Translation: You can’t hang on to the past.

4. By remembering you can’t “walk on water if you don’t get out of the boat.

Read Luke 10:1-27 After this in Luke 10, Jesus sends out 70 people out two by two to do what He sends them to do and He gives them power to do it; he tells them to not take an extra bag, don’t take an extra purse – in fact he says to take nothing; why? He wants them to trust Him.

Read Luke 10:17-20

“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

God through them did miraculous things.

Summary:

What does it take for you to take a radical step of faith? Is it becoming the man in the house spiritually? Is it giving God 20 to 30 minutes every day to get to know Him? Is it launching your personal ministry? Is it giving back to God what is due him? Is it giving up an addiction or un-godly relationship?

Ezekiel 22:30-31 " And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

The Second Step to Making a Difference for God

2011-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

A Broken Spirit:

Did you know that there is something that will block your relationship with God? It is a barrier that will keep God from hearing your prayers, it’s a barrier that will keep God from blessing your life, and it’s a barrier that He wants to remove so that He can bless you. What is this barrier?

Introduction: God is searching...
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

…for a select group of people.

The Question:

This is a principal throughout scripture that God is looking for a man or a woman whose heart is fully his. God is looking for regular ordinary people that are all His so that He can show Himself strong for them; to give them whatever they need – wisdom, faith, people, staff, finances, whatever they need to do His will, His purpose. Some He has a lot some a little, some not a all. What does it take to make a difference for God? What kind of person does He promise to strongly support?

The Answer:
There are 6 prerequisites The first is that when God looks your heart: Do you have a dislocated heart? Do you really care? Is your heart really beyond self needs and worldly possessions to really care for other people? Our model was Nehemiah.
• A Dislocated heart.

Nehemiah 1:1-4 "1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,”

When he heard these words he took them to heart. He was just a businessman, someone who had a fulltime job, yet his heart was going out to the needs of his people far away.
• What is a dislocated heart? It is a God-given concern for others that propels us out of our comfort zone. It is a passionate concern for God’s agenda that supersedes our own desires for personal peace and prosperity.
• Two other examples where Jesus and Paul

The second prerequisite is a Broken spirit.
• There are Two Timeless Axioms Concerning God’s Character:
1. There is something that God hates 100% of the time. When he sees it in a man, when he sees it in a woman when he sees it in a child or corporation, when he sees it in the old testament when he sees it in the new testament God moves against it; It’s not like he is unhappy about it, it is not like he is displeased, he’s against it, he comes against it! He brings consequences, He hates it! That one thing is Pride, God hates pride100% of the time. Pride can be strutting yourself rebellion, pride can be self sufficiency – I don’t need God, and doing your own thing as if God doesn’t exist.

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 ;"

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6

2. God responds to a Broken Spirit 100% of the time. After David committed adultery with Bathsheba, after he had murdered her husband David repented and the Lord revealed to him these words:

“16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17 ;

You see, we have this idea that after we have done something terrible that God will never use you; "I did this", or "I did that", "I’ll try to be a better person", "I’ll do better"; "I’ll be kinder to people"; we have this "works" mentality and it doesn’t work! When we are far from God, and you understand that you are spiritualy bankrupt the only way back is through a broken spirit, You must come to the point to say God, I messed up, I blew it, what I did was wrong, would you forgive me? Will you have mercy on me?

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15

The Bible is full of great examples. Moses was a murderer, David was an adulterer and a murderer, Paul was a murderer; somehow we get the picture of these men who are the heroes of the faith but these men did horrendous things, they were very evil people at a certain time, they broke the heart of God – and then they repented! They recognized how they had violated a holy God, They didn’t try to cut a deal they just said “Oh God I was wrong, I don’t deserve it but please forgive me.” When they came to that point and sought forgiveness from a humble and contrite heart the floodgates of heaven opened to them! He restored him!
How Do We Develop A Broken Spirit?
You don’t develop a broken spirit by beating yourself up. Here are three parts for the development of a Broken Spirit.
Our Model = Nehemiah
• A broken spirit begins with a restored view of God – not beating yourself up!

“4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: 6a Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel” Nehemiah 1:4-6a

We tend to focus on the problem, focus on the problem, focus on the problem and then you start to view all life through the lens of the problem and begin to think that life stinks! So, you drink stuff you shouldn’t, take pills that don’t really help, Watch TV all the time, eat too much all in an attempt to push away or hide the problem as if it doesn’t exist.

Either you have very big problems and a small God or a very big God and very small problems in comparison. These are only two options. Nehemiah had God centered prayers! Do you have God centered prayers or do you just whine before the throne? “God what about this, God what about that. “ Sometimes we just worry out loud and call it prayer. We do not consider who it is that you are talking to!

Nehemiah was speaking to the Great I AM, the one who spoke and the galaxies came into existence, he was speaking to the One with all power and all resources, he was speaking to the One who keeps his covenants of loyal love: he had a high view of God! A view of majesty, power, love, wisdom, justice, and holiness.

The words of the Psalm 46:10 and the song “Be still, and know that I am God: . . .” means next to nothing for the majority of today’s Christians. Christianity today has had big external gains (bigger churches, padded pews, conditioned air) but we have, by and large, grown weaker in our walk with the Lord. Over the last fifty or seventy years the type of Christians that the church is producing is progressively less and less like Jesus; less holy, less loving, less faithful Today’s Christian are many times “It’s all about me” Christianity and when hard times come, they get mad at God for not answering their prayers like they wanted – and fall away.

The way to get a “high view” of God is to become a “worshiper”. You must worship God for who he is. That is when you get alone in a room and think about Him; that is where you adore Him, praise Him, honor Him and thank Him; this is where you are not trying to get something done; this is where you do not constantly look at your watch to see what time it is; you think on the beautiful things God has made and you cry out Holy, Holy, Holy is God almighty!

Application: Worship

Isaiah 6:1-6 “1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:”

• A broken spirit leads us to an accurate view of you.

Nehemiah 1:6b-7“6b and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.”

Until you get a “high view” of God it is difficult to get to a place to realize your need of repentance; once you come to understand not only who God is but how you stand in His sight - your need of repentance and confession comes.

Application: Confession

James 4:7-10 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

• A broken spirit results in a renewed commitment to fulfill God’s agenda.

It was after three months of prayer:

Nehemiah 1:8-11: 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,”

Application: Intercession

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.“

Summary Principles for Impact:

1. We must let God work deeply in us before He will work significantly through us!
2. Until we make prayer a priority progress and power will never be a reality
3. Difference Makers are not necessarily those with “a lot to give,” but those who make available all they have.

The First Step to Making a Difference for God

2011-08-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

Introduction: God is searching. . . . . .for a select group of people.

2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him"

God is seeking a people that He can empower and equip to do amazing things in them and through them, are you one of them? "For the Eyes of the LORD run to and fro . . ." this means that the eyes of God is going up and down the halls of your home, going up and down the street where you live, going up and down the rooms of the place you work or go to school, going up and down the fields and industrial places of this country. He is seeking for a man or woman whose heart is fully His, when he finds one He will equip, give whatever it takes, to allow that person to do His will. Are you that person?

The Context of 2 Chronicles 16:9

• Past “Success” 2 Chronicles 14-15:

Asa in chapter 14 gets his heart right with God and honors God by removing the idols. God gives him about 10 years of rest; Asa is obedient to God and God continues to bless Asa.
God brings a test.The Ethiopians brings an army of well over a million soldiers against Asa; Asa’s army was nothing in comparison. Asa goes to God and says that if the battle is to be won God would have to do it.Asa knew who he was and who God was and what each were capable of doing.
After the victory wrought by God a prophet comes to Asa and says “if you will be for God, He will be for you, but if you turn away from Him he will turn away from you”. Asa leads the nation in repentance and God gives them 25 more years of peace and prosperity.

Great Door of Opportunity

2 Chronicles 16:1-6 “1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 4 And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease. 6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.”

Asa’s greatest problem was really his greatest opportunity!

Judah and Israel have been at odds with one another for generations. God was giving Asa an opportunity to deal with the nation Israel and Syria to demonstrate God's authority. One thing that happens with age and prosperity is that you begin trust in yourself more than you trust in God!
Asa had matued, he has been king for thirty-five years, he was experienced and God had prospered him. Asa learns that Israel was planning an action against Asa and the nation of Judah. Asa, decided to go the king of Syria for help instead of the Lord.
The king of Syria did the work and Asa was feeling good about the outcome; he had a problem, he had resources to get out of it, he got out of the problem and now everything is okay; but . . .

A Sad Commentary

2 Chronicles 16:7-12 “7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. 11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.”

Asa started well, but finished poorly!

A lot of people start well but finish poorly. What happens is that as you move along in life you get risk adverse; you start operating on the success of yesterday, you start to put your faith in yourself.
You end up this nice moral person who has missed out on what God had prepared for your life.

I don’t know about you, but I want to make a difference, I want that holy ambition that God has planned for me; I don’t want to miss it!

The Question: Will we answer God’s call to make a significant impact?

Our great door of opportunity

We have such uncertainty today, (suicide bombers, economy, strife, false religions, etc.) that produces a fertile environment where people are seeking an answer and are willing to talk about Christ and receive Him as never before.

What will it mean for each of us?

It means that we will have to model it; you cannot pass on what you do not have; you have to walk the talk!
It will require focus.
The key to impact is concentration; the key to concentration is elimination. Your have to simplify your life.You cannot do everything. Discover a few things that God wants you to do and do it with all your might.

Our Model: Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:1-4 "1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire."

Nehemiah had a full time job; he had a life with responsibilities, he lived in a gated community, he had the finest of clothing, he had privilege, he drove the best chariot, just like you and me! He was just a business man! Notice his response to the news:
"4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,”
Nehemiah had developed a dislocated heart!

What is a dislocated heart?

A dislocated heart is a God-given concern for others that propels us out of our comfort zone. It is a passionate concern for God’s agenda that supersedes our own desires for personal peace and prosperity.

What does a dislocated heart look like?
Exhibit A = Jesus

Philippians 2:5-13 “5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
We need to have this same attitude of crossing a culture - whether its age culture, background culture, education culture, job culture, tatoo culture: to reach people who are different than us!You have to cross some barriers to get the message out that God loves them!Jesus was living in heaven in comfort, He was receiving the adoration of the hosts of heaven, Jesus saw the needs of mankind, He left His comfort zone and became a missionary to mankind.

Exhibit B = Paul
Romans 9:1-3 “1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:. . ."

What is a dislocated heart? It is “do you care?" No, do you really care? Care enough to sorrow, to morn to sacrifice your time, talent and treasure?

How do you develop a dislocated heart?

Honest evaluation, do you really care; not by your thoughts but by your actions?

Genuine repentance, a change of mind and resulting change in behaviors.“God please forgive me, I really have not cared for people and their needs. I’m fairly consumed about me
and my needs and desires. Please change me.

Careful consideration. This does come with a cost be careful before moving forward.

Ask God for a dislocated heart.I don’t want to be a fake or phony.

Paul was willing to give it all up if it would draw his Jewish family to the Christ. Asa was a good king at a bad time! The people where into idol worship, they had forgotten the Lord; they were doing evil things; this was the condition of the land when Asa became king. If you study back from Asa you will discover that Judah had kings that were not good. Occasionally there would be one that was ok, but not good.

Teach Them to Live Grace Filled Lives

2011-06-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Introduction: David – 2 Samuel 11

This is an accurate, historical story of a the most powerful man in the world. He has very very humble beginnings; he comes from a lower class family; he is the youngest child and he went from being a sheep herder to the most powerful king of the world. He had everything any man’s heart could desire; he had wealth, he had fame, he was an artist, he was a warrior, he had beautiful women; he had everything that God could give him so far as a man’s hearts desires. This is a story of a man who was passionate and loves God; a man who never planned to make a mistake in a weak moment destroyed major portions of his like. Read 2 Samuel 11:1. Every other year he would have gone to battle, but things were going great, he has had a lot of success. But then it happened, this was not planned!: 2 Samuel 11:2 – 5. This was God’s man in a weak moment! Read 2 Samuel 11:6 – 11; note the contrast; Uriah’s commitment, loyalty integrity, what’s fair, what’s right

Notice the phrases “it came to pass”, “he saw”, “he inquired”, “he sent”, “he lay”, and “she conceived”. And then begins the cover-up. Plan A – verse 12-13 get Uriah drunk and send him home; plan B – verse 14-15 get Uriah killed in battle.

Much of the Psalms were written by this man under the direction of God’s Holy Spirit, David was a man who was passionate for God. The path of his life changes because one night he could not sleep; he’s not where he is supposed to be, it’s not planned, it’s not malicious, he just can’t sleep!

– do not be deceived, your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

Some Observations:

• He was a good man at a weak moment. We tend to look at people that have been found out as being evil, bad, terrible but the reality is not so; David was a very good man. According to the bible, there is not a person in this room that given the right circumstances, and window of time when you are vulnerable that you couldn’t do the same or worse; and until you come to that conviction that it could happen to you, you are even more vulnerable!

• He was described as a mighty warrior, righteous king, and "man after God's own heart." Note this was said of him long after these events happened (book of Acts)

• Yet the words “murderer” and “adulterer” were later added to his biography of this amazing, godly man who is used by God in ways beyond anything we could imagine.

Here is the point I’m making: We all make "big mistakes" sometime in our life. Some of them get found out some of them do not, but we know it!

The question is: How do we recover?

Most of us have regrets over our past actions. It is the devils desire that we cover our mistakes, hide them from view resulting in our carrying guilt all of our days. This is one of the devil’s tools to keep us living a defeated life!

Transferable Concept: Teach them to live Grace Filled lives.

A Theology of Grace: What does it mean to receive grace? What is grace?

1. Grace is the unmerited and unconditional Love of God toward us.

· On your notes, underline the words unmerited and unconditional. Unmerited means that you cannot earn it: unconditional means you have it when you’re bad, you have it when you’re good, you have it when you’re up, you have it when you’re down, Grace is what the eternal God wants to give to you what you do not deserve on the basis of His character alone not on your performance!

2. • Grace is free to us, but COSTLY to God.

· It is absolutely free; not connected in any way with our performance, but is very costly to God!

3. • The CROSS is God’s greatest act of grace.

· The cross where He allowed His son, Jesus Christ, wholly God – wholly man, to die in your place to pay for (to atone for, to be the substitute for) all the things you have ever done, will ever do, ever thought, or ever will think that violates a HOLY GOD. You are responsible for every one of those, I am responsible for every one of mine: and God says that since neither you or I can live up to that cost He will allow His son (who is absolutely perfect) to die in your stead to take the judgment for sin that belongs to you – He allows His wrath for your sin to be poured upon His perfect, sinless son’s head to pay for all sin past and future. If you, in faith, asks for this gift of substitution of grace, He will give you the gift on the basis of your believing! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”

4. • SALVATION is a free gift from God.

This is not from your works!

5. • Grace must be received by RECEIVED BY FAITH.

· Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

· This is a concept that is so foreign to most of us; our beliefs are so imbedded in us that it is hard to shake. For most of us we have this concept of God has this huge chalkboard, one side is marked good deeds and the other side is marked bad deeds; every time you something good you get a tic mark, every time you do something bad you get a tic mark: when your life is over the marks are tallied – if the good outweighs the bad you go to heaven, if the bad deeds outweigh the good deeds then you go to hell. Nothing can be further from the truth! To get into heaven you would have to have a perfect score – zero bad deeds. It is by grace that you are saved – nothing else!

6. • Grace produces Gratitude toward God, and love toward others.

· When you experience grace it activates something. Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”” When you get saved God deposits his Holy Spirit in you; you are literally taken out of the kingdom of darkness and put into the kingdom of light; you are put into this supernatural thing called “the body of Christ”, and you receive your spiritual gifts to fulfill your purpose (Ephesians 2:10 ) Your mind begins to be renewed, your sealed with the Spirit so that no one can take you out of his hand. The Christian life is far from trying to be a “good” person but it is abiding with Christ to live out this new life to do His good works.

· The opposite of Grace is not effort (it takes a lot of effort to live the Christian life) but merit which is something earned; the opposite of Grace is a “performance” mentality! The opposite of grace is: when I read my Bible God loves me, when I don’t read my Bible God doesn’t love me; when I really give, when I really do good deeds, when I live morally God loves me when I don’t do these things God does not love me – this is a performance mentality!

· Many of us think this way and live this way that if you do bad that God will not love you. This is not grace but performance.

· Grace produces gratitude for God; for his forgiveness and payment for your sin. This gratitude produces a love towards others.

• Old Testament Roots

Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

After the sin God covers their sin by the shedding of blood and making a covering for them. Something had to die, blood had to be spilled and two people got covered; this is a good picture of what happens in salvation.

The other passage is Genesis 6:8 (“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”) Where there is this terrible violence in the world. In Noah’s day the people were preoccupied with violence; Look at today – the top 15 video games that our children play they kill things and blowing up people. Try this someday, just browse the TV guide and check off every program that has to do with death, and harming others. It got so bad in Noah’s day that God regretted creating man. But in the midst of this Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord!

• Biblical Profiles – David the adulterer / murderer and Peter the betrayer

We are so quick to point out the bad in both David and Peter yet each one of us could do worst!

David: found grace with God and went on to be mightily used for God’s purposes. And Peter became the foundation for the church. Failure is never final. The great thing about Grace is that God will give you another chance to do right; he is the God of the second chance, the seven times seventy chances! He is willing to withhold the judgment that each of us deserves; He is willing to forgive, cleanse, restore and renew.

• New Testament Command: –

John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Most of us can quote verse 16 but look at 17 and 18! The unsaved will spend an eternity in hell not because God was unwilling to forgive but because they were unwilling to believe and accept His grace! Jesus’ message was not “everyone is messed up so get with the program already!” but His message was “I didn’t come to condemn you, I came so that you can come to grips with the failure in your life; all the lying cheating, stealing and gossiping; to know that all that has been forgiven; you can have a relationship with the father – He loves you! I’m going to pay the terrible price for your sin to accomplish this! I will be your covering.

The number one reason that people do not get saved is that they are unwilling to humble themselves, admit their need and realize that they cannot do this on their own; it takes huge humility to admit that you have a need – pride gets in the way.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

No one has ever been saved except through grace!

How do you pass this on in a “performance oriented” world?

Application: I, (your First Name Last name), choose to believe that with God, my Failure is never final!

Teaching Your Children That Failure Is Never Final

1. Encourage them to MEDITATE on the lives of David and Peter; a murderer, adulterer, and betrayer who are among God's most beloved and mightily used servants.

Moses – murdered, David – adulterer / murderer, Apostle Paul – murderer, Rahab – prostitute, James and John – anger management issues, The other Judas – he was a terrorist (plotting to overthrow the government), Matthew – a crook, an embezzler, liking people for their money; hey, this is God’s “dream team”! And, we have the audacity to say that “God could never forgive me”

Teach them to consider how through Grace God has restored and used many good people that have done wrong, teach them that God loves them regardless of their sin – I’m not saying here that we give license to sin, or that you don’t have to discipline for disobedience – there are consequences for sin! But God still loves you and died for you and wants to give you grace – you must reach out and take it!

Read to them and discuss the stories where you find a good man who in a weak moment failed and how God through Grace restored that, and used them!

2. Help them remove the power of the SECRET and condemnation by practicing repentance (James 4:7-10) and confession (James 5:16) with some mature believers you can trust.

The way the enemy works is like this: when you sin, when you blow it big time, when you make a mistake, we do exactly what David did – we start to cover it up, we’re embarrassed by it, we don’t want the consequences of it, it becomes a little secret. The enemy uses this against you. Every time you want to move forward he whispers in your ear “you don’t really think God will use you? Look at what you have hidden!” When sinful things are brought into the light they die!

James 4:7-10 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

What is in your past that is hidden - covered up? What load of guilt and defeat are you bearing? Here’s God plan to bring it into the light! I’m not saying that you need to do this publicly but you need to get it out of hiding so that your healing can start!

3. Teach them to REFUSE to continue living with a “performance-orientation” in your relationship with God; it is and always will be a grace-orientation.

Develop a set of "Desire Cards"; keep them in places that you must see every day - review these every day. Below are some examples that I use.

· I desire to please God and to find my worth and security in Him rather that trying to please people to get their affirmation.

· I desire to focus on my faithfulness to God rather than my success in my duties.

· I desire to enjoy my relationship with Jesus Christ each and every day. (Psalm 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore").

· I desire to allow my children to have the freedom to fail; to allow home to be pressure free.

· I desire to have some good fun once or twice each and every week.

· I desire to worship God for who He is with praise and adoration.

Life Message: You were created to RECEIVE grace and to give grace!

Teach Them to Manage Their Wealth Wisely

2011-05-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Teach Them to Manage Their Wealth Wisely

Introduction: Money!

I’m going to ask five questions; answer first what you think the best answer would be and then what you think the five people that you are going to leave a legacy would answer. Are the answers the same? This is a little diagnostic tool.

• How much is enough? Write in a number – no soft answers here; how much is enough for you to live and do what God wants you to do? What do you think your son or daughter would say?

• How much is too much? Write down a dollar amount. If God gave you a million and this was enough but eleven million may send me over the edge.

• Can I be both godly and rich? Yes or no. How do you think the person that you want to pass this on, how would they answer that?

• If riches and material goods can "choke out" spiritual life (Mark chapter four, seed being sown in four different soils and the thorny soil the seed was choked out), is poverty God's calling for spiritual maturity? If not, what is? “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer.

• Why does Jesus warn against the "deceitfulness" of riches? Deceitful means that you are deceived; remember when you are deceived you are not aware of the deceit! Wealth has the ability to deceive you into thinking that you are living a pleasing life unto the lord, living a good life being in fellowship with God where in reality you are not doing what would please God. Money has the ability to appease us into thinking that we are doing right and well, when we really are not!

When do you view yourself as rich (or poor). Our tendency is to always place ourselves at middle class and the “Rich” are those people above you and the “Poor” are those below you. Your definition of wealth is constantly changing.

Some things are taught, some things are caught, and the rest you learn the hard way.

How you handle money is the clearest barometer of the condition of your relationship with God. That’s why Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. How you handle money reveals your values, your priorities, and where your heart is.

How do you pass on to others what wealth is –how do you transfer God’s concept of wealth to those you love?

Transferable Concept:

Teach them to manage their wealth wisely.

A Theology of Stewardship:

• God owns everything: Psalms 50:12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”

• God has entrusted His things - time, talent, and, treasure- to us to manage for Him.

This is a key concept to pass on. It’s not yours, it’s not mine, and it’s His: you’re just the manager! You’re a Stewart. He has given to you just so much time, talents, and wealth into your hands; your job is to manage it wisely.

• God expects a positive return on His investment.

God is the best banker ever! He has deposited his time, talent and money into you; he expects to get a return on this investment.

• God will hold you accountable: 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

This not the judgment of the lost, but of the saved where you will gain crowns or experience loss of rewards.

• God wants you to share in His glory: 2 Corinthians 5:12 “For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.”

As you seek God to ask “how do you want me to use this ___ “as you obey, you will share in His glory. You will have a level of joy and intimacy with Him as you cooperate in His will.

• Old Testament roots – Genesis 1:26-29, Job 1:20-21

God says to Adam, I created it all, I’m giving it to you to manage, manage it well and be fruitful and multiply and have an increase! You are my Stewart.

Job declares that all that he had was not his, he then fell and worshiped God. How many of us would do that – consider the recent economic down turn. Do you get angry when God takes something from you? I worked hard for this stuff, how could you take it away from me? Did you think it was yours and not His?

• New Testament Command – Matthew 25:14-30

Jesus teaches the disciples about stewardship, how that a master was going away to a far country and left talents (money) with different Stewarts, and discusses the outcome of their stewardship upon his return. For those who had an increase they were told “well done you faithful servant, enter into your reward”.

The one who did not get and increase was chastised and what he had was taken away and given to another. He did not get a positive reward. He buried his money; he did not put it to the use that the master had desired.

Jesus teaches us that it is not about how much money but what you do with the things entrusted to you; He expects us to do something with what we are given.

Note that both the five talent guy and the two talent guy got the same reward; it wasn’t about how much they ended up with but all to do with “did they invest and use the talents according to the Masters desire of increase”.

• Biblical Profiles – Nehemiah in the Old Testament and Barnabas in the new.

Nehemiah’s story goes like this. He has become the king’s right hand man; he has a place of privilege, has all of the best things and is the confidant to the king. God blessed Nehemiah with this life for a purpose, for a window of opportunity for Nehemiah to do God’s work. God had send two others (pastors) before to rebuild the Temple but the work languished; then God sent Nehemiah, the businessman, to get things organized and the people motivated. Stewardship is not feeling guilty about having much, but realizing that the possessions are not yours but God’s to accomplish God’s will. To those that much is given much is required. If you are wealthy, six figure income, and you tithe God is not very impressed – how hard is it to tithe when you have that much income? The most generous people are the poor that give when they do not have much to work with! Nehemiah is the model of what it looks like to be godly, wealthy and generous.

Barnabas was a very wealthy man, owning much property. He was the key; we would not have heard of Paul if Barnabas had not been there to step in and introduce Paul to the others and vouch for him. Barnabas was the leader who went to Paul and said let’s partner on this and do a work for God. Barnabas was a wealthy man with leadership skills that God used to get the church going.

God has given to each of use skills and possessions to use to further His work.

Question: how are you managing your wealth today? If God was to give you a report card what would your grade be? You can not pass on what you do not have!

Application: I, (First Name) (Last Name), choose to become faithful in the little things Luke 16:10

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

How to Become Faithful in the "Little" (Material) Things:

1. Help them recognize the three purposes of money are giving, saving, and spending. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

When I was teaching my daughter about this concept we had three jars labeled “Giving”, “Saving”, and “Spending”. When she earned money we divided it up between the jars; the lesson is that you need to distribute your God given money between these funds so that you will have it to spend when the need comes up.

2. Encourage them to commit to honor God with first fruits of every paycheck to remind them that it's God’s money, not theirs. Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Teach them not the rigidity of the tithe but that you give back to God because you love Him; give because your heart is in line with God. Teach them how to become a generous person. Did you know that the word miserable comes from the root word miser? You become less miserable when you are less miserly: learn and teach how to become generous.

Generous people live longer, generous people are happier, generous people have better relationships, generous people are liked by others, and generous people are emotionally healthy: the most generous person in the whole universe is God and His Son!

It’s not your check book, its God’s, so spend form it in a way to make God happy.

3. Encourage them to make time with God ) their #1 priority so they’ll know how to invest the time, talent, and treasure entrusted to them

The keys to life, the anchor that will hold you in the storms of life are in the word of God. This is your source of power; it is your weapon against the devil; it will teach you how to be a parent, how to be a good spouse, how to judge rightly, how to live!

Make dwelling in his word a habit, He will revel things to you, He will meet you and talk to you while you are dwelling in His word. The more you do the more you will thirst for His presence!

Mark 1:35 Records a very busy day in Jesus’ life, he was pressed, after all this “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed”

Sometimes we seek after some book or some other person for wisdom on how to solve a problem, but God wants to help you solve the problems His way. You can only do this if you will first turn to Him for help.

This is something to pass on to others; that your source of wisdom and help is in God Himself!

Life Message: Your Life is a sacred Stewardship!

Discussion Questions:

1. Which of the last two messages "hit home" the most with you? How will you share what you’ve learned with your children and grandchildren?

2. What midcourse changes do you need to make in your attitude toward work? Money? What are they? How about your children and grandchildren?

3. What specific action steps of faith do you sense God is leading you toward in response to His Word? How will you pass this on to your children and grandchildren?

4. What does it look like to obey God in your life? How will you pass this knowledge on to your heirs?

Passing on what matters most

2011-04-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have a hypothetical question to ask you. If you knew today that you had only 365 days to live, that exactly one year from right now I have three other questions to ask. 1.) Who are the five people that you would want to prepare for your passing? 2.) What would you want to pass on them to bless and to promote their success after you are gone? Wealth, wisdom, heirlooms, a business or an education? 3.) What if you didn't have 365 days? What if you only had today; what would you most regret not passing on?

The fact is that we are passing on who we are, what we value are and what we possess to others every single day. For some this is a very strategic matter, you have a game plan and are actively passing on what you think is important to those that you feel responsibility. For others, it is a haphazard, hoping for the best accidental sort of thing because you unconsciously think that you have plenty of time to do this. The average person does not live as long as they think and will fail to pass on what matters most to the people they love the most.

Most Christians have spent more time thinking on how to transfer their wealth than their faith and values. Isn’t it odd that we place so much value on money and so little on our faith and values?

Paul is considering these thought when he is writing to Timothy. Notice what he says here:

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

He is talking about the principle of transfer. He was saying that God, through the Holy Spirit has transferred things to him and he has transferred these things to him and that these things must be transferred to other faithful men to pass on the very thoughts of God to mankind so that they may do the same thing.

What will you leave your children and grandchildren?

What are you going to leave your friends? What are you going to leave your spouse? What are you going to leave those whom you have responsibility?

Will it make them or break them? Will it give them what they need to make the kind of decisions that will allow them to be the kind of person God desires them to be? Will they have the values, the perspective, and the faith and the regard for God that will sustain them in a world that gets crazier and crazier? Or will they learn that you gave them the Grandfather clock and your best suit?

Paul speaks of life compared to a race. 2 Corinthians 4: “I have run the race, I have fought the fight,” Life is pictured as a race. Paul sees life as a relay race; he sees all that Christ has passed on to him, like a baton, he must pass the baton on to the next person to continue the race. In a race when the baton is dropped, the race is lost.

1. The key to victory prior to the race = Be fully prepared; fueled up!

2. The key to victory in the race = Don’t drop the baton!

3. Five Core Values we must pass on to the next generation.

· Learn to suffer well

· Learn to work unto the Lord

· Learn to manage their wealth wisely

· Learn to make wise choices

· Learn to live a grace filled life

4. Radical, sustained change always begins with our thinking not our behavior.

As Christians we sometimes focus way too much on our behavior and not nearly enough on the thinking that should control our behavior. It’s what are they doing, what are they doing, control the dress, control the words, control the activities; it’s an emphasis on the visible, the exterior. Lasting change only comes through the thinking; it is a matter of the heart!

Paul, in Romans teaches that change is possible only through a renewing of your mind; it is getting a new “world view” to see the world as God see it and to get His perfect will for your life.

Transferable Concept #1: Teach them to suffer well.

We have a generation of believers who think of suffering in terms of how to limit it, how to avoid it, and how to get out of it? This is an unbiblical view and sets us up with some bad expectations.

A Theology of Suffering:

• Life is hard, but God is good!

Life is hard; you get saved and something hard comes along and they say “gosh I’m a Christian, what’s going on?” The fact is that life is hard. Jesus said himself that in life there will be tribulation; but I have overcome the world!

Note Psalm 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

• Life is unjust, but God is sovereign!

Life just isn’t fair. But, God is in control. Non-Christians get cancer, Christians get cancer, Non-Christians lose their jobs, Christians lose their jobs, Non-Christians get hit by the economy, and so do Christians! His primary agenda to make you holy not happy.

• Old Testament Roots - Genesis 37-50

Story of Joseph. In the book of Genesis all the major doctrines are introduced. God spends about 25% of this book of beginnings to explain what happened between the 1 and 2 and three. In chapter one we have this perfect world and a perfect God and a perfect creation: in chapter two we have a rebellion where man rejects the perfect world and bring sin into the world; then in chapter three God has a plan of redemption. The life of Joseph is a story of how God works good in us and through us in the midst of a fallen world to bring about the highest and best for us and to accomplish His purposes. Joseph was sold into slavery, slandered, he was betrayed, they will be forgotten; this is all a part of life! Genesis 50:20 “. . .you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. . .”

• Biblical Profiles –Jesus

He was called, you were called, to suffer vs. 21.

• New Testament command - I Peter 2:21-23

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Modeling is the most powerful teaching method.

Application: I, through Christ, will commit to grow through my present suffering.

How to Grow Through Suffering:

1. Teach them to face it; to identify what they are concerned about.

95% of all depression and illness is directly related to us not facing the issues; we push it down; we try to hid the problems. We don’t talk about it; “hey, no complaining in this house!” “We’re going to be positive around here!”

It’s good to be positive but it is better to be honest about it.

2. Pray honestly about it.

Model this with you loved one. When was the last time you argued with God about something? You need to vent to God sometimes. God will honor those who come to him in truth. Have you wept

3. Help them to share where they are suffering with someone they trust.

Point them to a mentor, someone that is older and wiser.

Peers; let them in on where you are struggling.

Pastor / professional counselor.

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

4. Help them align specific scripture with their specific situation.

Align a Biblical truth to the situation.

· You’ve lost it all: James 1:2-4

· Refining your character: Romans 5:1-5

· Spiritual opposition: Ephesians 6:10-18

· Persecution: 2 Timothy 3:12

· You made some bad choices: Romans 6 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Life Message: Suffering is Normal!

Building an Indestructible Marriage - 5 Resolve Conflict

2011-02-27T22:31:00.000-08:00

Conflict resolution skills are critical for us to learn. The reason is because we are sure to have conflict in marriage. Without the ability to successfully resolve our problems, anger and emotional distance builds over time.

Every marriage has problems, even good marriages. The difference between a good and a bad marriage is simply the ability to work through our problems. The good news is every person can learn the skills of successful conflict resolution. Regardless of the mistakes you may have made in the past, you can turn your marriage and life around by learning these skills. By the way, conflict resolution skills don’t just work in marriage they help us in every relationship.

Be Angry…But Learn to Deal With It

Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath…” The first thing the Apostle Paul tells us about dealing with anger is that we must acknowledge it. He says, “Be angry…” Denying anger doesn’t make it go away, it makes it build up until it explodes in a destructive and unmanageable manner.

When I got married, I didn’t know how to deal with anger. I stuffed a lot of it inside and about every three months I would have an explosive fight. Sometimes the fight were about the dumbest little things but they were just the spark that caused the stored up anger inside to explode.

What I learned over time is that I couldn’t go to bed on anger. I not only learned to accept my own anger but I also learned that I had to give the other the right to be angry and to express anger. In dysfunctional relationships, there is always a wrong method of dealing with anger. The range goes from an explosive anger that damages others to an enabling spouse who lives in the fear of their own anger and what might happen if they were honest about it. Many people live in fear of their own anger and their spouse’s anger. This is one of the ways you know you aren’t resolving conflict properly.

Anger isn’t necessarily good or bad it’s just real.

Anger isn’t necessarily good or bad it’s just real. As human beings we get angry. Sometimes it is because we’ve been genuinely violated. In other cases, it’s because we’re immature or have unrealistic expectations or are selfish. When I’m angry and need to get it out I’m not claiming that I’m right, I’m just angry.

Learning to be honest about your anger and allowing your spouse to do the same is the first step in successful conflict resolution. Remember, Paul said, “Be angry and do not sin…”

Once you are able to accept your anger you must also commit to doing the right thing with it. You can never use your anger to justify unrighteous behavior. The end doesn’t justify the means. How you resolve conflict is crucial. It must be done in a manner that honors God and treats your spouse with dignity and care.

Yesterday’s Anger is Dangerous

Positive conflict resolution begins with an acceptance of our anger and by allowing our spouse to be honest about theirs also. The second step in positive conflict resolution has to do with how we confront each other. Even though some anger can be dealt with in prayer or on a personal level, much of our anger related to our spouse’s behavior must be talked out.

This means we need to learn how to approach one another when we are angry. This is such a critical lesson for us to learn because uncontrolled or unrighteous anger can be so destructive. In learning to deal with confrontation, we first of all need to wait until our anger is under control but to do it today. Ephesians 4:26b-27 tells us, “…do not let the sun go down on your wrath, neither give place to the devil.”

Going to bed on unresolved anger gives the devil an opportunity to interpret our spouse’s behavior to us and accuse them. The word “devil” in Ephesians 4:27 is the Greek word “diabolos”. It means “slanderer”. Wait for an hour or two until your emotions are under control but don’t fall into the bad habit of going to bed angry and waiting for days or weeks to confront.

Today’s anger is very manageable. Yesterday’s anger is dangerous because it has fermented and been affected by “diabolos, the slanderer”. He is a master at dividing us and creating offenses. Remember, he is a liar and the father of lies. His job is to offend you at your spouse and convince you they are against you and their motives are evil. Unresolved anger is his open door to do this.

When I first got married I could go for months angry. When I got mad, I got quiet. That is my natural personality. When I’m the maddest, I’m the quietest. That is ok on the short term, because it keeps me from saying or doing things I would regret in response to my anger. However, it is a very negative trait in the long term.

I have learned over the years not to get mad and get quiet. We know how dangerous it is to give the devil an opportunity in my marriage through unresolved anger. I make it a practice to confront in love every day. It is just a matter of housekeeping in a good relationship. It takes anger and makes it a domesticated cat. Going to bed on anger allows it to grow into a raging lion. Anger is going to be in your marriage but how you deal with it determines its size and nature.

You don’t have to be afraid of anger. It is a reality in every marriage. The first thing you do is to allow yourself and your spouse to be honest about your anger. The second thing you do is confront today, but wait a few minutes or a few hours until you are in control and won’t say or do anything you’ll regret or that will damage your spouse.

Talk with your spouse about this issue. Make a commitment to allow each other the freedom to talk about your negative feelings without being punished. Also, make a commitment never to go to bed angry again without talking things out and mapping out a plan of resolve. This is crucial to the success of your marriage.

First Three Minutes are the Most Important

It has been proven in research that the first three minutes of any confrontation between spouses dictates the rest of the encounter. Harsh start-up dooms a conversation to failure from the beginning. Harsh start-up means beginning our disagreements with our spouses by yelling, accusing, making threats, name calling or so on.

Again, research proves that how we start determines how we finish. So, if you start in a wrong manner, it is better to stop the conversation and come back in a few minutes or hours and start it back up. It is also very important that we apologize and take responsibility for anything we’ve said in starting up the confrontation that is mean or damaging.

When you’re angry, it’s important that you talk it out with your spouse. The danger of going to bed angry is because it gives the devil (the accuser) an opportunity to interpret our spouse’s behavior and motives to us. This sets us up to confront them with our guns blazing as we accuse them and are verbally aggressive. This immediately puts our spouse in a defensive, no-win situation. The only thing they can do is to admit they are a louse and beg for mercy. That won’t happen very often!

The way to confront is to begin by affirmation of your love and commitment to the relationship. Say something like this: “Honey, I’m upset and I want to talk to you. Before I say what I want to say, I just want you to know that I love you and I’m committed to you. I’m so glad we’re married and I know we’ll work this out. I also know I may be wrong, but I just need to talk and let you know how I’m feeling.”

The way to confront is to begin by affirmation of your love and commitment to the relationship.

When you confront in this manner, your spouse is in no way threatened. Your humble, affirming posture puts them in the best environment possible to hear what you have to say and to be able to respond.

I have known many couples who begin every serious confrontation with threats of divorce or by calling their spouses terrible names. Remember this…words are nuclear and eternal. The Bible says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21); we have the power of death and life in our mouths. People who don’t understand this damage each other and ruin their chances at happiness.

Those who understand the power of words realize that they must be careful with what they say. Never is this principle more important than in conflict resolution. When our feelings are hurt and we feel rejected and angry we must keep our words carefully controlled. This is when we must not allow our emotions to control our actions but rather, let wisdom control our words.

To successfully resolve conflict you must begin with words of love and affirmation. Remember, the first three minutes of the conversation will determine the outcome in almost every case. Use them wisely and your marriage will reap the benefits.

Complain But Don’t Criticize

There is a difference between complaining and criticizing. This is such a crucial distinction to understand when we are trying to work through problems.

All of us need the freedom to complain to our spouse. We also need to make sure our spouse knows they have the right to complain to us. In a healthy marriage, there is a freedom of expression that allows us to talk openly without fear of retribution or shame.

When we complain, we must remember that it isn’t about our spouse, it is about us. Even though we may be complaining about something they have done that bothers us, the focus is on how we feel. In other words, if Debbie has done something that bothers me and I confront her about it I would say something like, “Debbie, you were short tempered with me this morning and it bothered me. I don’t know what was wrong, you could have been mad at me or it might have been something else, but I don’t like it when you respond to me that way. If I’ve done something to make you mad then I want you to tell me.”

Notice that I didn’t begin by accusing or attacking her. I began by talking about how I felt and my desire to understand what happened. I also said that if I had done something wrong, then I wanted to know it and take responsibility for it. Complaining gets everything out on the table without demeaning our spouse or putting them on the defensive.

Criticizing is different. Criticizing focuses on the other person as it accuses them and immediately puts them on the defensive. If I were going to say the same thing I said before to Debbie, but I did it in a critical manner here is what I would say: “Debbie, you were short tempered with me this morning and I don’t appreciate it. There is something wrong with you and I want you to figure out what it is and stop it. I don’t deserve to be treated like that. I’ve done nothing wrong and you’re just a hot head. The next time you do that I’m going to let you have it.”

Notice the difference in complaining and criticizing? Complaining explains the problem, but gives our spouse a gracious way to respond and explain their side. Since it focuses on how I feel and doesn’t try to interpret their actions, it keeps the conversation civil and constructive.

Criticizing immediately puts you in a battle mode. The confronter becomes the judge and jury and the confronted spouse becomes the criminal trying to prove their innocence in a hostile environment. Bottom line — criticizing doesn’t work.

You must be careful to begin your confrontations with affirmation and respect for your spouse. Research has proven that a conversation will seldom rise above the tone of the first three minutes. Also, complain but don’t criticize. Get your emotions under control before you confront and keep your mouth in check. Focus on how you feel and allow your spouse the right to complain back to you and explain what is going on inside of them.

If you will do this, you will see a lot of fruit from it. Your confrontations will be much more pleasant and productive. You will also be able to talk more freely with each other without the risk of hurting each other. This creates intimacy and friendship. That is the end result of successful conflict resolution. It lets you work through problems as you preserve and enhance the good will between you as you build an indestructible marriage.

Building an Indestructible Marriage – 4 Romance in your marriage

2011-02-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Song of Solomon 2:1-4 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. ₂As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. ₃ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. ₄ He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Song of Solomon 4:7-9 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. ₈ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. ₉ Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

Introduction:

As many of you know I owned a 1969 Karmon Gia convertible. What many of you saw was a Candy-apple red with metal flake and five coats of lacquer on the outside and white leather interior. It was a very classy car and a head turner. That car was not in that shape when I bought it. I found it at a junk yard. The body was rusty and dinged, the top was in shreds and the leather was cracked and torn. In 1969 when that car was driven off the show room floor it was someone’s pride and joy. I can imagine that it was washed and polished weekly, the leather carefully cleaned. At some point they stopped washing and waxing the exterior; at some point they stopped cleaning the carpet and upholstery; at some point their desire toward that car dwindled and the car became a common-place mode of transportation. So, how did it end up in the junk yard? Lack of maintenance!

Last week I quoted that 51% of all marriages ends in divorce. Each of these couples stood at the altar with all the hopes and dreams of a wonderful future together. I dare say that none of them thought that in a short time they would be standing at the judge’s bench at divorce court! None of the friends and family that attended the wedding thought that this marriage would end this way. How does this happen? Lack of maintenance! One day they just woke up and weren’t as excited about the marriage and about the spouse. At some point they get used to each other and take each other for granted; at some point the marriage becomes common-place: the shine and excitement has worn off of the marriage! Is this your story?

The good news is that the Lord is a great forgiver and if you want to you can restore the relationship and make it shine again – all it takes is maintenance. If your marriage has become boring, if your marriage has become something other than what you got married for there is a chemical you can spray on it that will take away all the rust. Remember the Ronco commercials? There is a substance that you can apply to your marriage that will make it strong and indestructible; it will restore the passion in your marriage: that chemical is called ROMANCE!

Romance is the least understood but the most important part of marriage. Every person, man and woman, desperately needs romance. Romance is so nebulous and misunderstood. There are three things that many people believe; first is that romance is just for women and some strange men. Actually, romance is not just for women, it is a deep seated need that we all have. The second thing that many people believe is that it is a feeling that you cannot control; a mood: “Iwish that I was romantic but my hormones are out of whack”; “I wish I was romantic but I’m just not that kind of person”. However, romance is an atmosphere that you can control! It is not dependent on your personality type, it doesn’t matter your stage of life – Romance is an atmosphere and you can control it! Thirdly, people believe that romance is a seasonal extra and not a daily event; it is for Valentines Day or when you are in trouble . . . Romance is a daily feature in strong marriages; romance is the emotional cornerstone of passion and intimacy. Because, when you keep your relationship dynamic, life is so exciting, life is so full! You will never have the marriage that your really want with out romance.

The term Romance is so nebulous, and so undefined that most people do not know what you are talking about and will not have the same understanding as you have. Romance; made up of three ingredients:

The first ingredient is meeting an unspoken need or desire. This means that you are proactive and take the initiative and not having to be asked or begged for all the time. It is important to tell one another what your needs are, after all we cannot read one another’s mind; but when you have to keep telling someone to do something for them – when it is done it really doesn’t matter anymore. Romance is meaningful when you don’t have to beg to get something; this is being proactive!

Here is an example. Men, when you go out to eat have a list of restaurants that she like to offer. If you offer Appleby’s she may say no, then you suggest Grandys that is a no also, eventually you will offer the one she wants! This is being proactive; women like it when you are proactive: you are showing that you thought of where to eat, all places that she likes; this shows that you care. When it come to choosing where to go she will say “Honey, you choose something”; they will change it but you are demonstrating that you are proactive and that you thought of something yourself for them! The way you fell in love was being highly focused and proactive. When you started dating you studied each other intently, you were sitting there calculating all the time; “here is what they like, here is what they don’t like and if I want another date I’d better watch my manners!” You learned all that you could about the other person. The way you fall out of love is to become insensitive to the other needs; you don’t care anymore: you say by your inaction “I don’t care, I’m not studying you anymore, I’m not trying to be proactive any longer; I’m not trying to figure out what you need before you need it” – no maintenance

Here is the core issue: Romance says two things that are incredibly important to say. The 1^st thing romance says is “you’re on my heart”. When a husband sends flowers to his wife, it is not the flowers that are important, it’s the fact that he was thinking about his wife. Why was he thinking of his wife? She was on his heart! The 2^nd thing romance says is “I’m paying attention to you because I want to please you; your needs are important to me”. A lack of romance says “I don’t value you”. Rejection is our greatest fear we have as human beings; love is our greatest need, rejection our greatest fear. When we feel rejection is causes such tremendous pain that we do all kinds of crazy things to protest ourselves from rejection. One of those things is that we withdraw: because you make me feel rejected I want to get away from you! I want to stay away from you, your mouth, and your attitude; when I’m around you I feel ugly and less attractive. It is your responsibility to speak the language of desire to your spouse, that language is romance!

The second ingredient in romance is speaking love in your spouse’s language. Men and women are very very different in the language they speak; this is profound but not well understood. We both need romance, but romance looks different to men and women. Off times, in a marriage, there is a battle over the definition of romance. Men need romance, but to a man romance looks like – Naked, sex, fun, let’s watch the football game in our underwear – This is romantic to him. But, to a woman, romance is long, slow, touch, talk, staring, anticipating; she doesn’t what to get there too quick. If there is sex involved it is at the end of a very long road!

So, what happens is this battle takes place to see who is going to win in the battle of romance. Romance is a demonstration, not a lesson! Great marriages are emotionally bi-lingual; he speaks woman; she speaks man. Romance is a harmony.

Romance is this: she has an instrument that she is playing, but she is playing his song; it’s intoxicating to him; she speaks man. She comes into this world with a gift of sex, it doesn’t matter if she feels sexual or not, most of the time she does not, Doesn’t matter! What matters is that she knows how to play his song, and she knows how to use her gift. She is playing his song and he’s sitting over there playing her song, it’s “Let’s talk about our feelings, all about our feelings” and it’s beautiful and an intoxicating song of harmony that happens when people are romantic!

Lack of romance is this: He completely rejects her and says “Ah you want me to come to a candle light dinner with you and talk about my feelings and do all that foo foo stuff? I don’t want to do that! We’re going to watch NASCAR; we’re going to play the man song in this house! We’re going to watch football and I have special plans for half-time! That’s what we’re going to do in this house! And, she’s sitting there and is saying “No, we’re going to watch the Lifetime Network and during commercials we’re going to talk about our feelings and cry! You just don’t know that you need this, but you really do!” The truth is he really doesn’t need that and neither does she need his view.

I once met a man who is a missionary to Columbia, SA. He had his child hood in Bronx, New York, USA. He was raised speaking English in an English speaking home. He had been on the mission field for 30 years when I met him. I asked him the question "What language do you think in?" His response was "Why, . . . Spanish"

Listen, for you to succeed in marriage you must learn to think in the opposite language! Marriage is not giving language lessons! If you feel that you must give a lesson in Man or Woman that means that someone is not paying attention! You were successful in dating because you were focused, learned what was important and started speaking their language! Romance is learning your mate’s language! And speaking it!

The third ingredient in romance is communicating a unique value to your spouse: Romance is for one person! Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: You must be consistent; your spouse must know every day that you are interested in them and them only. Be disciplined, romance is a daily habit not just when you are in trouble. Habits are built of perfect practice. Have you ever noticed that the more you exercise and eat right the more you want to; the more you don’t exercise and eat poorly the more you want to do that also! Be your spouse’s best friend.

Men, she needs security knowing that you are for her and her only; she needs your non-sexual touching and affection; she needs you to talk to her about your feelings towards her. Talking, touching and being close is romantic to a woman!

Building an Indestructible Marriage - 3: Guard your Heart

2011-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

Introduction:

The family is under attack! In 1930 84% of all households consisted of a married couples, in 2010 only 49% of all households consisted of married couples.

We know that the devil hates marriage and has two primary agendas: to sow strife between the Christian and God, and to sow strife between the husband and wife because marriage is a picture of the relationship between the Christian and God. We also know that one of God’s keys to an indestructible marriage is stated in these two words: Sacrifice and Honor. We learned last week that it is God’s plan for us to stop, rest and prioritize our life in order to build a strong relationship with God and family.

The Devil uses the media to brain wash us by giving a view that having a relationship with someone who is not your spouse and outside of marriage as normal; many call this relationship “having an affair”. There are even websites that give easy access to people seeking an affair. Television used to be the problem, today it is all variety of electronic media: DVD, internet, even “smart” cell telephone all give avenues to access media portraying affairs. Many teenagers and adults of all ages live in a virtual “fantasy” world where they believe that no real harm occurs by looking or chatting.

No one is immune to an affair. It can happen at any age, at any stage of life. And, the effects of an affair are devastating to you, your spouse, and your family. It happens to church people as well as un-churched people.

The world calls this an "affair", God calls it what it is – Adultery!

God has something to say about having an affair:

Exodus 20: 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

Proverbs 6:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

What is Adultery?

There is Sexual, Emotional and Spiritual Adultery.

Sexual adultery: The world view of sexual adultery consists of having an intimate sexual relationship (of any type) with someone other than your spouse. This view has evolved from this being abnormal behavior to being today normal. But God expands this to not only being an actual act with another to include having a desire (lust) to have a sexual relationship with someone other than your spouse.

Before sexual adultery occurs one will look with desire and then fantasy arises in the heart. That desire will lead to flirtations, flirtations if received will lead to meetings, meetings lead to the act. God says to stop it before the lust even has a chance to take hold in your heart.

Emotional adultery: A marriage consists of much more that the sexual relationship. It is founded on an emotional relationship first. If you’re emotional relationship is strong and right than a wonderful sexual relationship follows; naturally. If you are emotionally connected with your spouse your desire will be to meet the emotional and physical needs of your spouse.

Emotional adultery occurs when you connect emotionally with someone other than your spouse.

Spiritual adultery: If you are saved you are a part of the “Bride” of Christ. We are engaged to Him! We are just waiting for the marriage to happen. Christ woos us and draws us spiritually, He desires to be emotionally and spiritually connected to us and we should desire to be emotionally and spiritually connected to him.

Spiritual adultery occurs when we flirt with other gods. Look at this in this manner. Remember way back when you became engaged to your now spouse? Now imagine that the person you are engaged to looked at every girl / guy that passed instead of you; imagine that you stumbled upon your intended at a restaurant and he / she was at another table having a great time talking to one another without you; imagine that you saw them embrace! How would you feel? What would you think? That’s just a fraction of how God feels when you connect spiritually with anyone or anything but Him! That connection could be another person; it could also be a job, money, possessions, or position.

So, what is adultery? It is giving to someone something that they should not have that belongs to your spouse.

How do they happen? Think in terms of Walls and Windows. Whenever you open the window of opportunity to another person, you build a wall of separation between you and your spouse.

*It starts with an inappropriate conversation about emotions: conversations about relationship with your spouse or child that is not going well; conversations about how someone has emotionally hurt the person. These conversations connect at the emotion level and once connection and trust is established it is far easier to move ahead. Whenever a spouse connects emotionally with someone other than their spouse they are giving a private part of themselves to someone that it does not belong.

* Emotional adultery always happens before physical adultery.

* It happens to those who didn’t think it could happen to them.

* There is never justification for adultery; it does not matter what issues you have in your marriage it is never right to get into an affair.

* There is no benefit in it; in fact you have everything to lose and nothing to gain!

God’s key to an indestructible marriage – Guard your heart!:

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” God gives the pattern for our marriage with the right relationship with Him.

1. Set appropriate boundaries

* be friendly, but move on.

* watch your eyes

* no touching

2. Protect the priority of your marriage

* Decide to make your marriage first!

3. Give your passion to no one but your spouse

* Adultery is giving to someone something that they should not have.

4. Connect on every level with your spouse every day.

* Women want the emotional connection!

- Talk; have conversations

- Hold, touch

- Do all things together: It all started with you two and it needs to remain so!

5. Take responsibility for your actions

* Apologize for your wrongs and correct your behavior.

* No blame; no excuses.

Building an Indestructible Marriage - 2: Stop, Rest and Prioritize

2011-01-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

God’s design for marriage is a “Win-Win” situation: The husband is like a green house and the wife is like a cheerleader. Ephesians 5:33 says “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”; one of God’s keys to an indestructible marriage is stated in these two words: Sacrifice and Honor; the husband to be sacrificial to his wife and the wife to honor and respect her husband.

We know that the devil hates marriage and has two primary agendas:

To sow strife between the Christian and God.
To sow strife between the husband and wife because marriage is a picture of the relationship between the Christian and God.

Stress is a huge epidemic in America, we feel like we have to go faster and faster, we must multitask and have full agendas. We are a driven people! Stress builds day to day with the flood of information, deadlines to meet, and unrealistic expectations to be realized. Stress has a negative effect spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. Stress always has a negative effect on your marriage. Stress is one of the devil’s greatest tools to destroy our lives because he knows that all he has to do is to push us faster and faster until we eventually wear out!

To have a marriage that is truly indestructible as God intended we must learn to manage stress!

The model of success is “The journey is the destination”; the model of failure is “The destination is the journey”: in both statements it is always about where we are going! We’re saving for college, we’re saving for a new house, we’re saving for retirement; oh yeah, we’re miserable today but when we get enough money – Oh, we are going to be so happy!

There are two curses of the driven life. The first curse of the driven life is not getting what you want; you live your whole life for something you never get. The second curse of the driven life is getting what you want – and then you realize it is not like you thought it would be! You get that new house, car, position, all the accolades and you wake up one morning and realize that you are just as empty as you were before. You realize that it wasn’t worth all the sacrifices you made in attaining, especially when you had to sacrifice the most important things in your life – God and family.

The only way that you will be able to focus on the most important things in your life, God and family relationships, the way that you should is to put your faith in God that He will take care of you as you give your attention to Him and your family. It all comes down to your faith in God! Jesus asked the question in Matthew chapter 6 ‘why do you worry oh you of little faith, don’t you know that you have a father who cares for you?’

“I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” Matthew 6:25-34

The Bible also says in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him . . .”

Listen, being a provider is a very good thing, all men and women who work are doing a good thing. But, there is a fine line between being diligent to provide and being driven. The difference between a driven person and a diligent person is that the diligent person does what needs to be done and stops; whereas the driven person cannot stop and just searches for that next opportunity. That is the difference, it takes faith to stop! It takes faith to stop rest and put priority on God and family: this is one of the greatest levels of faith; this is a faith that God rewards!

America, a Driven People:

In God’s plan for our life he commands us to stop one day out of seven – this day is called the Sabbath Day. A lot of people think that God is a slave driver, that He is a harsh task master and someone who is compelling us to do more and more. The truth is He is exactly the opposite! If you want to see a harsh task master take a look at yourself in a mirror! Did you know that Americans have the longest work week of any industrialized nation? We work harder and longer than any other group of people; we are a driven people. We excel and are diligent – that is a good virtue. But we are driven; we as a people do not know how to stop! God’s system you have to stop one day in seven; you had to stop one year in every seven; and you had to stop for two years in the 49th and 50th year. How would you like to have a two year vacation? God is a generous boss!

The nation Israel did not stop. Remember Psalm 23 where it says “He maketh me lie down in green pastures . . .” Did you know that the #1 cause of illness today is stress related?

God says ‘You won’t stop? I have ways to make you stop!’ Did you know that 2/3rd of all office visits to the family physician are due to stress related symptoms? God did not design your bodies to continually go; He designed it to rest one day in every seven.

It takes Faith:It takes faith to stop! It takes faith that you have a father that will provide for you while you are resting. Psalm 127:2 “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” You have to believe that your God in heaven is able to make you more money for you in six days than a heather can in seven!So, why don’t people stop? Many people are fearful of the competition getting ahead of them. They believe that their child has to be in three different sports, take two musical instruments, and learn dance so that they will have a competitive advantage and so that their child will not “miss it”, what ever “it” is. Listen; if your child has the blessing of God on them they are not missing anything!!

You have to have faith that says “we’re going to stop and have family dinner together; we are going to shut off the cell phone, the internet and the television and believe that the universe will not go into a negative vortex! You are not going to miss out on anything because you are disconnected.

Do you understand that Jesus did not have a cell phone? He did not have a fax machine, and did not have IME? Imagine Peter in the garden sending an IM to Jesus saying “Watch out, Judas is coming!”?

They didn’t have that stuff. Some may think that they were backward but I tend to believe that were blessed! I’m thankful for technology; but, it is my servant and not my master!

You have to stop:We have to learn to stop! God is good! Men were not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for men. He made it for you to re-create. You need to stop every 7th day to recreate so that you can go another six. We have a good God who doesn’t want you to live a driven lifeYou say “We’re going to send our children to the best of schools so we are sacrificing today so that we can give this to them. It is a worthy thing to desire your children the best of schools. But listen; when you give up your relationship with your child today, there is nothing you can give them tomorrow that is worth the loss of that relationship they lost!

What we need to say is that “We’re going to have a family today and God; we want the right opportunities for our children and are trusting in You for that blessing!”

The cost of Stress:

The driven life and the stress that it brings have a tremendous cost! Stress brings physical problems and depression. Depression is epidemic in America! The cause of most depression is mental exhaustion. Stress brings about most marriage problems. A successful marriage takes energy and priority, if you are so exhausted from all the things you do you will not have sufficient energy to maintain the marriage.

If the devil can’t get in front of you to stop you he will get behind you and push! He will be constantly bringing things into your life to distract you and to cause you to lose focus on the things you should have as a priority namely each other!

Stress brings about marriage problems, sexual problems, communication problems financial problems, emotional problems – all of these are directly related to stress and exhaustion. Stress causes all these problems as well as child problems and their behavior problems.

So many of us are guilty of saying yes to often. We say yes because of fear of failure and fear of men.It takes faith to say no. Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 6 that we have a father who cares for you and desires to provide for you; would you let Him care for you? The faith we need is a faith that says that you know that you have a father and do let a orphan spirit drive you where you think that provision is entirely up to you. You are not fatherless child! You are a fathered child and your father cares for you.

Would you stop? And would you care about God and care about people and seek first the things that are important – He will provide all your needs!Do not let the devil push you; do not yield to the lures he dangles in front of you; lures of money, success, and possessions; do not justify inappropriate priorities and sacrifice your family relationships for things that are unobtainable or empty.

You may not have that tomorrow! We are living in a today; a successful future means using our “today’s” properly and getting God’s blessing on our life.

Building an Indestructible Marriage

2011-01-23T21:56:00.000-08:00

Indestructible basically means being unbreakable. The truth is many marriages are broken or damaged and is not at all like God intended them to be. Here are some facts. In 1930 84% of the adult population was married and today that percentage has dropped to just under 50%. A broken or damaged marriage has tremendous impact on the whole society leading to increased populations in prisons and juvenile homes, school drop outs, higher drug addiction, and other crimes against society. This was not God’s plan for marriage.

We know that the devil hates marriage and has two primary agendas:

To sow strife between the Christian and God.
To sow strife between the husband and wife because marriage is a picture of the relationship between the Christian and God.

The devil will never quit trying to do these two things in our lives. We must fight him by learning from each other, and better yet we must fight him by seeking the answers from God’s word. We know that God’s word is indestructible and true; a marriage based on God’s instruction and plan will be an indestructible marriage!

In Ephesians 5 starting in verse 21 we learn that God has pre-defined roles for the husband and wife to follow:

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

Most people love what the Bible says about their spouse, but not what it says about them!

* Every woman loves the part where a husband is to be sacrificial and loving; one who nourishes and cherishes her!

* Every man may know any other scripture other than Ephesians 5:22 which says “wives submit yourselves unto your husband”!

Reading these scriptures raises your defense mechanisms due to it telling you that you must submit to someone other than yourself! Let’s explore to find out the why behind these feelings.

The roles as stated in scripture makes us attractive to your spouse and opens each heart to the other.

Please note that the verse that says “Wives submit” is preceded by the commandment “Submitting yourselves one to another”. In other words one is not to dominate the other! We are equal to one another in marriage.

These verses are speaking about our attitude towards respect and honor; verse 24 commands wives to give respect and honor to their husbands. Why? It is because this is the key to his heart! Men are attracted to honor and respect. It is noted that God does not allow negative people into his presence, likewise wives should not be negative towards their husbands: to do so will turn his heart away just as a negative spirit will turn the face of God away. God and husbands are attracted to word of praise.

1 Peter 3 instructs wives on how to deal with a husband who is not obeying the Lord. “. . . they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation . . .” These verses say that without a word spoken, by giving respect and honor he may be changed; it is with a “meek and quiet spirit” (vs.4) that change is brought about. When a wife is loud and aggressive the heart of her husband is turned away.

The #1 need of a man is the need of honor and respect.

The #1 need of a woman is the need of security; she needs a sacrificial man.

Men and women are different whereas a man is a very visual being a woman responds and is drawn by character! Men, you become attractive to your spouse by displaying good character – a sacrificial, giving attitude and meeting her needs. A recent study was done where a large number of wives were asked the question “When is your husband most attractive to you?”; the #1 response was when he was helping with the housework! The point is that when the husband is working for her, serving her sacrificing for her, raising a sweat for her – it turns her on! Men, God wired women this way!

Our society is obsessed with the outside appearance; the cloths, the house, the car, the education, the position, the body, the hair, etc. However God created women to respond to what is in the inside and not the outside. You both fell in love because she honored and respected him, and he knocked himself out to satisfy her needs!

Living God’s roles in marriage releases the full potential in the spouse!

God’s design for marriage is a “Win-Win” situation:

* A man is like a greenhouse for the wife and family. He shelters, controls the environment, keeps the weeds and pests out, water, nourishes and cherishes every living thing in the greenhouse. When he does this the wife and family flourishes; everyone reached their full potential.

* A woman is the cheerleader. Cheerleaders are used in sports because they make a difference. Even when things are going badly the cheer on the players, “defense, defense, defense, Hold the line, and hold the line . . .” A cheer leader does not say “Is that he best you can do?”, “What’s the matter with you, you bunch of wimps?” “Don’t you know anything?” or “Here, take these pom-poms and I’ll clean the field!” A cheer leader must learn to say negative things in a positive way. M man will respond and reach their potential with a good cheer leader at home. Men will do anything for honor! A man will slide down a mountain of razor blades into a pool of lemon juice just to hear one person say “You’re the MAN!”

Yeah, your husband does things you don’t like but God’s role is that you have to learn to say negative things in a positive way. Men are sensitive to their ego; if a man could meet his own needs he wouldn’t get married – but he can’t! It is your differences that attract.

A bad marriage is a standoff!
A good marriage is one where each person fills the gaps of the other!

Summary

Wives:

ü Be your husband’s cheer leader to help him reach his full potential

ü Be positive and honoring

ü Say negative things in a positive way, and leave the results to God

Husbands:

ü Be sacrificial – provide for her security

ü Watch your words; your words can either build up or tear down her security

ü Cherish her and nurture her in everything

“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

God’s key to an indestructible marriage is stated in these two words:

Sacrifice and Honor.

Spiritual Warfare 4

2011-01-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

How to Gain Deliverance from Demonic Influence
Ephesians 6:18-20

Introduction: The “Missing Ingredient”

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:10-12

** We are in an invisible war.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” Ephesians 6:13-15

** We are to prepare ourselves for battle.
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Ephesians 6:16-17

**When we resist the enemy, he will flee from us.
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:18-20

**Intercessory prayer is pivotal and essential for deliverance.
Summary of Ephesians 6:18-20 – The means by which believers are to withstand and overcome the attacks of the enemy in spiritual warfare is by consistent, intense, strategic prayer for one another in conjunction with the personal application of the armor of God.

1. Intercessory Prayer is Our Most Powerful and Strategic Weapon in Spiritual Warfare.

• Prayer has a direct impact on spiritual warfare. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29

• Prayer provides / assists in the deliverance of others who are undergoing spiritual attack. “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:31-32

• Power falls where prayer prevails. Church history is replete with examples:
Acts 1:14, 2:42, 3:1, 4:24-35, 6:4-8, 8:14-16, 9:40-42, 10:1-4

2. What Kind of Prayer Brings God’s Deliverance and Power in the Midst of Spiritual Attack?

• Consistent Prayer Ephesians 6:18a

**** “all prayer and supplication” = all kinds of prayer
**** “praying always” = prayer on all occasions
**** “pray . . . in the Spirit” = in communion with and directed by the agency and power of the Holy Spirit

• Intense Prayer Ephesians 6:18b
**** “watching thereunto” = lit. = without sleep, vigilant
**** “with all perseverance” = enduring, not giving up

• Strategic Prayer Ephesians 6:18c-20
**** “open my mouth boldly” = that God’s messengers will be bold
**** “utterance may be given” = God’s message will be clear and have opportunity

Summary: The Missing Ingredient in most Christian’s lives and in most churches is the commitment and regular practice of intercessory prayer. Scripture indicates that consistent, intense, and strategic intercessory prayer will in fact “deliver us from the evil one". The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray.

3. The Ministry of Deliverance; what are we to do however when the enemy gets a foothold in our life or in the life of someone we know and love?

• Its Validity

**** Jesus regularly exercised this ministry: “And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” And “And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.” Mark 1:27, 39

**** The apostles regularly exercised this ministry: Luke 10

**** The early church regularly exercised this ministry: Acts 16

**** The New Testament writers provide clear direction concerning this ministry: James 4:1-10
• Its Problems

· Extremism and fanaticism tend to negatively color this ministry.
· Confusion concerning demon possession versus oppression of believers cloud this ministry’s validity among Christians.
· Fear and ignorance have caused many to simply ignore this ministry.
· Those who engage in this ministry are often tempted by pride or become so singularly focused they fall into theological error.
· Assigning blame of all one’s problems to demonic influence versus assuming personal responsibility and using Biblical common sense call this ministry into question.

• The Cause(s) of Demonic Influence

· Yielding to sin: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” John 8:34
· Spiritual rebellion: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft” 1 Samuel 15:23
· Participating in the occult: Deuteronomy 18:10-11
· Attempting to contact the dead: Deuteronomy 18:11
· Unresolved anger and bitterness: “Be ye angry, and sin not . . . Neither give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27
· Association with those involved in Satanic activity: “Be ye not unequally yoked together” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

• New Testament Evidences of Demonic Influence

· Severe sickness: “one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb:” Matthew 12:22
· Divination (telling the future): “ . . . a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination . . . " Acts 16:16
· Unusual physical strength: “ . . . had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains . . .” Mark 5:3
· Fits of rage: “ . . . neither could any man tame him . . .” Mark 5:4
· Resistance to spiritual help: “ . . . I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.” Mark 5:7
· Other voices from within: “My name is Legion: for we are many” Mark 5:9

• The Cure for Demonic Influence

**** General Purpose

1. Victory is through the Cross of Christ: Colossians 2:14-15

2. Victory is in the name of Christ: Matthew 10:1, Acts 5:16

3. Victory is by the power of the Holy Spirit: 1 John 4:4

**** Specific Steps for Deliverance from Demonic Influence

1. Accept Christ: John 1:12

2. Confess sins: 1 John 1:9

3. Renounce works of the devil: 2 Corinthians 4:2

4. Destroy occult objects: Acts 19:17-20 (see also 2 Chronicles 14:2, 23:17)

5. Break friendship with occultists: 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

6. Rest in Christ’s deliverance: Colossians 1:13

7. Resist the devil: James 4:7

8. Meditate on and apply the Word of God: Ephesians 6:17, Matthew 4:4, 7, 10

9. Engage in corporate prayer: Ephesians 6:18, Matthew 18:19

Spiritual Warfare 3

2010-12-12T19:39:00.000-08:00

The Invisible War Spiritual Warfare:

How to Do Battle with the Enemy and Win

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Ephesians 6:16-17

Introduction: Four Facts You Need to Know

FACT #1 God has objectively defeated Satan and his agenda. He has delivered us from sin’s penalty and power and ultimately will deliver us from sin’s very presence. In the interim, we are involved in guerilla warfare with demonic forces.

FACT #2 As believers, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light with all the rights, privileges, and position that being a child of God entails.

FACT #3 The spiritual battle we fight involves a responsibility on our part to “put on” the spiritual protection that God has provided for us. We can and will resist the enemy’s attempts to “deceive,” “accuse,” and “cast doubt” when we stand firm against him by:

1. Being honest with God, ourselves and others as a prerequisite to all spiritual battle.
2. Responding to the truth that God shows us about His will for our lives – righteous living.
3. A clear understanding of and readily sharing the “Gospel message” of grace.

FACT #4 The great majority of spiritual warfare need never go beyond the regular practice of living out our position in Christ by faith. Our practice of Paul’s metaphor of the spiritual armor protects us from Satan’s ongoing attempts to break our fellowship with Jesus and, as a result, greatly minimizes any impact by the enemy.

There are times however, when we must move beyond “standing firm” and engage the enemy in actual combat:

• When we’re taking significant steps of faith for spiritual growth.
• When we’re invading enemy territory (i.e. evangelism).
• When we’re exposing him for whom he really is.
• When we repent and make a “clean break” with the world, a long-held sin pattern, or an unholy relationship.
• When God is preparing us (individually and/or corporately) for a “great work” for His glory.

The Question—Once you’re wearing your spiritual armor and yet you feel yourself bombarded by spiritual opposition, How Do You Engage and Win Battles?

The Answer:

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Ephesians 6:16-17

How to Engage the Enemy and Win:

1. “Taking the shield of faith” Ephesians 6:16

• Metaphor Explained

Definition = Faith in this context is our “absolute confidence” in God, His promises, His power, and His program for our lives. Although rooted in the objective reality of the Gospel and our new standing with God (justification) through Christ (saving faith), this faith refers to our “present faith in the Lord Jesus for victory over sin and the host of demonic forces.”

• Its purpose – to quench all the fiery missiles of the evil one.

“Fiery darts/missiles” = The schemes, temptations, lies, deceptions, and attacks aimed at (us) God’s people to get us to “shift our trust” to something or someone other than God. (i.e. blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts, doubts, burning desire to sin, questioning other’s motives, waves of discouragement or depression) these are often rooted in lies about God’s identity or our new identity in Christ.

Classic Examples are found in Genesis 3, Matthew 4

Classic Methodology – Disguise, doubt cast on God and His Word or on you and your worthiness. Then provides appealing, immediate alternatives rooted in the pride of life, lust of the eyes or lust of the flesh. See 1 John 2:15-16

** Application:

Darts of doubt and deception must be immediately met by the shield of faith. (i.e. your active, present, application of truth to your personal situation as soon as you recognize a dart has been received).

How?

• Trusting in God’s Character – God has my best in mind. Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:32
• Trusting in God’s Promises and Word – He will accomplish what concerns me. Numbers 23:19, 2 Peter 1:2-4
• Trusting in God’s Program and Timing – His ways are not always easiest, but are always best. Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:8-13

2. “And take the helmet of salvation” Ephesians 6:17

• Metaphor Explained

Definition =

1) Obvious allusion to the security we have as saved, justified believers, safe from Satan’s attacks. But, focus in on present deliverance from sin!

2) The helmet of salvation is the certainty of deliverance from sin and the protection of our minds in the battle.

• It’s not something you can do – “receive,” but something you must allow God to do in your mind.

• How? Focus is God’s renewing of the believers mind. Romans 12:2 2 Corinthians 10:5 = The battle is for the mind!! Romans 8:5-8

• Practically – Prayer, worship, music, Scripture, teaching, “Scripture Memory,” fellowship.
• Paul calls the helmet our hope (certainty) of God’s deliverance. 1 Thessalonians 5:8

**Application:

Christians who are not filling their minds with Scripture are like warriors going out to battle without a helmet.

3. “And take . . . the sword of the Spirit” Ephesians 6:17

• Metaphor Explained

• Definition =

The sword of the Spirit is the Word (rhema – spoken word, or words given to us by the Spirit of God) to do close, hand-to-hand combat with the lies and deceptions of the enemy. The truth of God’s Word quoted and applied to the specific lie or deception of the enemy will allow you to take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

** Application:

Jesus models for us the use of the sword of the Spirit. Matthew 4:1-11
• Implications for us Psalm 119:105, Psalm 19:9, 11
• Practical considerations – Note that the sword is both a defensive and an offensive weapon. Hebrews 4:12

Summary: How to Engage the Enemy in Spiritual Warfare

1. Prerequisite is a healthy spiritual life.
2. Understand your position in Christ.
3. Discern when demonic influence may be the cause.
4. Claim God’s promises out loud. 1 John 4:4, 1 John 5:4-5
5. Take our authority and position in Christ to command demonic forces to cease their activity and depart.

Spiritual Warfare 2

2010-11-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

The Invisible War Spiritual Warfare

How to Prepare Yourself for Spiritual Battle Ephesians 6:13-15

Introduction: The South Pacific after World War II Was Won

• Pockets of guerilla warfare continued on hundreds of islands.

• The victory had been won, but battles continued and lives were lost; the bullets were real.

• The same is true spiritually:

1. Satan was defeated at the Cross.

2. Sin’s penalty was paid for all people for all time.

3. Sin’s power was broken.

4. Yet, Satan and his host of fallen angels engage in guerilla warfare to discourage, deceive, divide, and destroy God’s people and God’s program.

5. Believers are commanded to equip and prepare themselves in the strength of the Lord and in His mighty power to stand firm against the enemy’s schemes, repel his multi-faceted attacks, and engage and defeat him in specific battles. Ephesians 6:10-12

The Question: How Does This Work?

The Answer: Four Keys to Spiritual Victory

1. We must become aware of the Invisible War.

2. We must learn to appropriate God’s protection for daily living.

3. We must learn to engage the enemy with supernatural weapons.

4. We must utilize God’s means of deliverance when spiritually attacked.

How Can You Prepare Yourself for Satanic Attack?

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace . . . “ Ephesians 6:13-15

Ephesians 6:13

· Our commander (Jesus Christ) “urgently” commands us to “pick up” our spiritual armor and put it on.

Why? = For the purpose of being fully prepared and enabled to withstand the grave and difficult “dark times” when the enemy attacks. Ephesians 6:14a

· After picking up our armor in preparation for battle, we are then commanded to consciously and vigorously make a decisive act (or succession of acts) to stand our ground firmly and fearlessly against the enemy’s assaults as he seeks to deceive, accuse, and discourage us. Ephesians 6:14b-15

· Using the metaphor of a Roman soldier’s armor (which protected him in battle), we are given three specific pieces of spiritual armor that must be “put on” by us as believers as a prerequisite to standing firmly and fearlessly against demonic attack.

1. “Having girded your loins with truth”

· Metaphor Explained
· “Truth” = Candor, sincerity, truthfulness rooted in the objective reality of the truth of God’s Word, but here refers to the subjective practical application of openness and honesty in all things with God and men.
· Satan’s first attack on mankind was deception, which was followed by man’s hiding, denial, and blame-shifting.
· The best of truth is the man or woman whose “mind will practice no deceit and attempt no disguises” in their walk with God. – Kenneth S. Wuest

** Application: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

2. “Having put on the breastplate of righteousness”

· Metaphor Explained
· “Righteousness” = Uprightness, right living, integrity in one’s lifestyle and character – conforming of our will with God’s will. Although rooted in the object righteousness that we already possess in our standing before God through the work of Christ, this breastplate of righteousness (that guards and protects our heart) is the practical application of the truth to our lives – i.e. Lordship of Christ.
· Satan’s attacks are not merely deception, but accusation (resulting in guilt and condemnation) of the believer. When we willfully turn away from what we know is God’s will, we open ourselves to demonic influence in our lives.

~ Old Testament = Saul
~ New Testament = Peter

** Application: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin..” James 4:17

Personal area to address = ___________________________________________

3. “Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace”

· Metaphor Explained
· “Preparation” = Establishment – the means of a firm foundation; also conveys the idea of readiness to share the Gospel which brings peace between man and God.
· Satan not only uses deception and condemnation to neutralize believers, but also specializes in casting doubt on the very basis of God’s goodness and the means by which we have received it – the Gospel.

Attacks Grace – How? “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

** Application:

1. Know and understand the content of the Gospel.
a. 1Corinthians 15:1–5;
b. Ephesians 2:1–9
2. Know the basis for your eternal security and the assurance of your salvation.
a. Security – Romans 8:38–39; Ephesians 1:13–14.
b. Assurance – 1 John 5:11-13
3. Faith is based on facts, not feelings.
4. Sharing your faith is one of the most powerful faith-builders available – Often “the best defense is a good offense.”

Conclusion:
God has objectively defeated Satan and his agenda. He has delivered us from sin’s penalty and power and ultimately will deliver us from sin’s very presence. In the interim, we are involved in guerilla warfare with demonic forces.

As believers, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light with all the rights, privileges, and position that being a child of God entails.
The spiritual battle we fight involves a responsibility on our part to “put on” the spiritual protection that God has provided for us. We can and will resist the enemy’s attempts to “deceive”, “accuse”, and “cast doubt” when we stand firm against him by:

1. Being honest with God, ourselves and others as a prerequisite to all spiritual battle.

2. Responding to the truth that God shows us about His will for our lives – righteous living.

3. A clear understanding of “the Gospel” and the habitual sharing of this message of grace.

The great majority of spiritual warfare need never go beyond the regular practice of living out our position in Christ by faith. Our practice of Paul’s metaphor of the spiritual armor protects us from Satan’s ongoing attempts to break our fellowship with Jesus and, as a result, greatly minimizes any impact by the enemy.

There are times however, when we must move beyond “standing firm” and engage the enemy in actual combat. This will be the topic of our next study, Ephesians 6:16–20.

Spiritual Warfare - 1

2010-11-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Warfare:

What is the Invisible War?

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

Ø General Command (Ephesians 6:10) – Allow yourself to be continually strengthened by the power already made available to you in your new position and relationship with Christ. It is the power that raised Christ from the dead and now dwells in you.

Ø Specific Command (Ephesians 6:11) – How? By continually and repeatedly putting on the spiritual protection God has provided for you . . . for the express purpose of holding on to your position in Christ as you are bombarded by Satanic strategies designed to destroy you and/or render you ineffective in Kingdom pursuits.

Ø The Reason for Commands in Verses 10 – 11 (Ephesians 6:12) – It’s because our real struggle (battle, wrestling match to the death) is not against physical/material adversaries (people, circumstances, organizations), but against a hierarchy of demonic forces doing battle in the spiritual realm.

Five Basic Truths about Spiritual Warfare:

1. There is an Invisible World that is Just as Real as the Visible World.

Examples:

• Old Testament 2 Kings 6:15-19

• New Testament 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

2. We are Involved in an Invisible War, a Cosmic Conflict That Has Eternal Implications.

Ephesians 6:12 (The why)

• For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

• . . . in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:4

• Application – When was the last time you honestly considered that some struggle or relational conflict was rooted in satanic opposition?

3. Our Foe is Formidable and His Goal is to Destroy Us and Discredit the Cause of Christ.

Ephesians 6:12 (The why continued)

• Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1 Peter 5:8

• Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Jude 9

o Is Satan for Real?

§ Authority of the Bible - Genesis 3:1; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Revelation 12:9

§ Testimony of Christ 25 References, Matthew 4

§ Reality of Demons – He’s their “prince.” - Luke 11:15

o Who is Satan?

§ A created spirit - Colossians 1:16, Job 1:3

§ An angel - Matthew 25:41, Revelation 12:7

§ A cherub - Ezekiel 28:14

§ Highest of all created beings - Ezekiel 28:14, Jude 9

o Where Did He Come From?

§ Created perfect - Ezekiel 28:12 -13

§ Had heavenly estate - Jude 6

§ Guardian of God’s glory - Ezekiel 28

§ Occasion of his sin = power and beauty - Ezekiel 28

§ Nature of his sin = pride - 1 Timothy 3:6, Isaiah 14:13

§ Cause of his sin = personal free choice - Habakkuk 1:13, James 1:13

4. We Must Respect Our Foe, but Not Fear Him – Become Acutely Aware of His “Methods,” but Not Be Preoccupied by Them.

Ephesians 6:11 (specific Command)

• Paul agrees to forgive a brother along with the Corinthian church . . . “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

2 Corinthians 2:11

• The Vital Question – How can we make sure we are not ignorant of his schemes?

o Satan’s Names Reveal His Tactics

· Satan (adversary) - 1 Peter 5:8

· Lucifer (son of the morning) - Isaiah 14:12

· Beelzebub - Matthew 12:24

· Belial - 2 Corinthians 6:15

· Evil one - 1 John 5:19

· Tempter - 1 Thessalonians 3:5

· Prince of this world - John 12:31

· Accuser of the brethren - Revelation 12:10

· Representations include:

o Serpent - Genesis 3

o Dragon - Revelation 12:3

o Angel of Light - 2 Corinthians 11:14

o Satan Attacks God’s Program, the Church, by . . .

· False philosophies - Colossians 2:8

· False religions - 1 Corinthians 10:19

· False ministers - 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

· False doctrine - 1 John 2:18

· False disciples - Matthew 13

· False morals - 2 Thessalonians 2:7

o Satan Attacks God’s People by . . .

· Directing governments - Daniel 10:13

· Deceiving men - 2 Corinthians 4:4

· Destroying life - Hebrews 2:14

· Persecuting the saints - Revelation 2:10

· Preventing service - 1 Thessalonians 2:18

· Promoting schisms - 2 Corinthians 2:10, 11

· Planting doubt - Genesis 3:1-2

· Provoking sin:

o Anger - Ephesians 4:26-27

o Pride - 1 Timothy 3:6

o Worry - Matthew 13:22

o Self-reliance - 1 Chronicles 21:1

o Discouragement - 1 Peter 5:6-8

o Worldliness - 1 John 2:16

o Lying - Acts 5:3

o Immorality - 1 Corinthians 5:1-2

· Producing sects/cults - 1 Timothy 4:1

o Satan’s Power is Limited

· He is created, therefore not omniscient or infinite

· He can be resisted by the Christian - James 4:7

· God places limitations on him - Job 1:12

o Application – “Balance” and wisdom are crucial in our assessment of spiritual opposition. To assign too much or too little credit to the reality of demonic activity is to error greatly.

5. As Believers in Christ, We Do Not Fight “For” Victory, We Fight “From” Victory. In Christ’s Power We Are Invincible!

Ephesians 6:10 (general command)

Promises from God Concerning Victory Over Satan

• Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 4:4

• For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4-5

• And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation12:11

• Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Summary:

1. Satan is a defeated foe. John 12:31

2. Jesus destroyed the work of the devil. Colossians 2:14-15

3. We are victors in Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

4. We have the power and resources to resist Satan and demonic attacks. 1John 4:4

5. We must learn how to put on the “full armor of God” to experience in daily living the victory we already possess. Ephesians 6:13-17

God's Goodness

2010-10-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Psalm 34:8 " O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Perception is everything:

* What we think people think of us determines our response to them.
* How we think about God determines how we respond to God.
* What comes into your mind when you think about God means more than what you say about Him.
* Worship is as pure or base as our thoughts about God.
The gravest question for all of us is always God himself: it's not what we say or do but what is our belief about God in our heart!

The Goodness of God:

In Exodus 34 Moses meets with God on the mountain, he has seen all the miricles of God, the protection of God, the provision of God and Moses wants to see God himself. God's response to Moses in Exodus 33:19-20 was "I will make all my goodness pass before thee . . . thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." And then in Exodus 34:5-7 the Lord "passed by before him, and proclaimed, . . . gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness . . ." Of all the qualities that God could have shown Moses He chose to reveal all His goodness!

What is goodness? It is defined as having a disposition to give to others not with a motive nor limited by what they deserve.

How is His goodness revealed to us?

1. Through His nature: "They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalms 145:7-9

2. Through His Deliverance:

* From Enemies: "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;" Psalm 107:2

* From the shadow of death: "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses." Psalm 107:10-14

* From diseases: " Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them" Psalm 107:18-20

*From the storms of life: "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." Psalm 107:23-29

**when you have tried it all and failed, turn to God.

3. Through His Son: "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Mark 10:18

*Undeserved goodness: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

* Promise of future goodness: "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

* The source of all goodness: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." James 1:17-18

Our Response:

1. Repent of our unbelief and ingratitude: "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Romans 2:4

Repentance is like this: say I want to go to Oklahoma City and get in my car, drive to and get on interstate highway 35; after an hour I see a sign that says Waco 1 mile ahead. I then realize that I'm going in the wrong direction, I exit the interstate, turn left to go over the bridge, turn left again and get back on the interstate going now in the correct direction: I have repented of the direction I was going and am now going in the right direction. Repentance is realizing your direction is wrong and you turn your life around so that you are going in the right direction. Repentance is a changed mind leading to a changed direction which results in a changed life!

2. Rest in His goodness when in adversity: (bad things does happen to good people)
"Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues." Psalms 31:19-20

3. Risk it all, step out in faith! " For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalms 84:11 (the sun is energy and the shield is protection)

* Walk uprightly in your marriage:

* Walk uprightly in your job:

* Walk uprightly in your parenting:

* Walk uprightly in your finances:

Overcome Satan!

2010-10-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Ambassadors provided great music to the New Beginnings class today along with their personal testimonies. The Lord brought to me Revelation 12:10-11 that speaks about a testimony overcoming the devil. My thoughts throughout the week were about our need to have a testimony! When you have a testimony you are speaking about something you witnessed, to something you know as a fact or to something that you have experienced. I am so glad that I have a testimony to tell others about on how God has seen me through situations throughout my life. I am so glad that as a young boy I accepted Jesus as my Savior, that my sins were forgiven, that I have a home in heaven, and that I have an advocate speaking for me before God as that great accuser accuses me before God!

I am reminded of the recorded story in Mark 1:40 – 45 where a man full of leprosy called out to the Lord requesting healing and the Lord reached out and touched him and healed him of his leprosy. Following his healing the healed leprous man went about the country telling others how once he was full of leprosy and now he was clean; healed by the touch of Christ! Oh, to have a testimony! Has Christ reached out to touch you, to heal and cleanse you?

The one who bring disease and troubles is that great liar, Satan. God allows him to do this for several reasons: to shape us, to test us, to strengthen us to give us a testimony. Why? To glorify God; to be an encouragement to someone else! After you have gone through the trial; after God has brought you through you will have a testimony of God’s provision to help another who is going through the same problem. God will bring these people across your path, it’s up to you to fulfill your purpose and testify! Have you had a job loss and are now employed? Find someone out of work and tell them that God will see them through. Have you been through an illness; encourage someone who is in the illness about God’s healing hand. Have you been through a death? Encourage some one who is in grief!

God gave you these experiences to help His children and to receive glory for His blessing bestowed! Hebrews 4:16 speaks to this “. . . we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” God’s desire is to be merciful and to meet your needs.

There is a great day coming spoken of in Revelation 12:10-11 “. . . Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” The devil is overcome by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and our testimony! I am so glad that we can overcome the devil today by these same two things.

You can help a brother or sister in Christ to overcome the attack of Satan on their lives by your testimony. Praise God for seeing us through our trials and troubles! Use this victory to help another to achieve a victorious lift – Share your testimony today!

When you have blown it BIG

2010-08-29T16:56:00.001-07:00

When You’ve Blown it Big Time Psalm 51

Introduction:

Sometimes …

• . . . smart people do dumb things
• . . . wise people do foolish things
• . . . godly people do sinful things

• A Story to Ponder:

Over and over again the Bible is packed with stories of people that blew it! We learn that God understands that we are but dust and is willing to forgive – He wants to reclaim us! Consider this one from 2 Samuel 11:1-27: King David was in a place that he shouldn't be, not doing what he should have been doing when he saw one of his soldier's wife taking a bath. He allowed lustful desires overtake him and he forced Bathsheba with the results of her becoming pregnant. If this was not bad enough the king tried to deceive and cover up his sin. When that didn't work he arranged for Bathsheba’s husband to die in battle; he committed murder! But God knew what had transpired and He sent his man, Nathan, to confront King David. 2 Sam 12:1 – 14 “1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”

• A Question to Answer

This story may be many of us in the room; oh it may not be an actual adulterous life and murder but you may have something in your past, or present, that you are hiding or covering up just like David did. You may have a very dark past or maybe just a cloudy one and you are wondering who knows or who might find out? Or you may be saying that oh that’s not me! I’ve never done anything that bad! Check out the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus said that if you look on a woman and lust after her you are guilty of adultery, that if you are angry in your heart you are guilty of murder, that if you have said malicious or slanderous things about another you have committed a sin of Gossip (ranked right up there with adultery and murder). You see with God it is not so much the outward but the inward; it’s the condition of your heart that is at issue! You have to have a breakthrough on this; you must realize that we are all sinners and that we are guilty of these sins!

But, how do you ever recover when you know that you have done something terribly wrong? How do you get back on your feet? How do you overcome your guilt? How do you ever get right with God again? How do you rebuild that fellowship with God? How do you get restored? How does this work?

What you have to realize is that What all humans have in common is failure.

But with God . . . . . . FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL!

God gives us an answer to these questions in Psalms 51. After Nathan had spoken the judgment on David from God, David penned the Psalm. This Psalm is David’s prayer. David in a weak moment made a disastrous mistake that not only affected David but the whole nation! Folks, your sin affect more than just you; it affects those around you, those that you have responsibility for; sin comes with judgment! David did what most of us do, he tried to hide the sin, tried to cover it up, and he tried to shift the blame to someone else. But God got hold of his heart through a prophet. And now in this Psalm we find seven steps to spiritual recovery.

A Song of Confession:

Psalm 51

1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

7 Steps to Spiritual Recovery:

1. __Come_____ clean with God! 2 Samuel 12:13 (“And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”)
Get honest, get it out in the open, stop the secrecy, stop rationalizing, stop minimizing, stop saying that it’s ok because everyone else is doing it, stop comparing yoursel to someone that is worse than you! Do what David did! He said “I have sinned against the LORD:. This is very difficult for most people but without this step the other six steps are meaningless!

2. __Ask_______ God for forgiveness. Psalm 51:1-2 (“1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”)
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Attempt no deals with God here; simply trust in God’s goodness and mercy: Ask Him to forgive. Note the four action verbs here: Have mercy, Blot out my Transgressions, Wash me, Cleanse me.

3. __Own_______ Responsibility for your sin. Psalm 51:3-5 (“3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”)

Just own up to it! You transgressions, your sin; just take responsibility for your actions!

4. __Accept____ God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Psalm 51:6-9 (“6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”)

David was a man of faith. He knew that he was a sinner from birth. David here accepts God’s forgiveness and moves forward! David is affirming what God has done in him already! Note that the words (Bolded above) are future tense: these are actions that are ongoing! As soon as you accept His forgiveness that the work of restoration begins! God loves you unconditionally but you have to accept the forgiveness to take away the guilt!

5. __Accept____ a “fresh” work of grace! Psalm 51:10-12 (“10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”)

Note these future tense words: Create (a miracle in itself). Pray to be filled again! The Bible is full of example to people who have prayed for restoration that went on to serve the Lord in great ways! The baggage and judgment may still be there but you can be useful to God!

6. ___Resolve___ to use past failures for ministry. Psalm 51:13-17 (“13Then will I teach Transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”)

Note RU. God wants to use what were to help those who are in the place that you had been. God forgives for a purpose: to help others! By your confession and His forgiveness He gets all the glory.

You want more than forgiveness; you want to get back on the team to serve the Lord! You are never a second class Christian you are a forgiven one!

7. __Pray_______ for “limited fall-out” from your folly. Psalms 18-19 (“18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar”)

Sin has consequences. Pray that the burden of your sin will be minimized on others!

Ezekiel the Watchman

2010-06-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

The employment I found while I was in my twenty’s was as an Operator in a petroleum refinery. Refining petroleum into useful consumer products involves chemical and physical processes that use complicated mechanical equipment. On a daily basis one of the primary tasks was to keep a close watch on the mechanical integrity of the equipment. I was essentially a “watchman” over the process. As a watchman I had to be on a constant lookout for danger in failing equipment and had to use my five senses to detect problems. If there was a problem detected I had to alert others so that proper defenses could be put in motion.

This is very much like a watchman in a military sense. A watchman will pace his walk looking and listening for signs of intruders or enemies. If one is found the watchman must sound the alarm to warn others.

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel was also a watchman. Ezekiel was an ordinary person just like you and I. He happened to be in the family of Levi which meant that the caring of the temple fell to his family and by employment he performed the duties of the priest; taking care of the altar, the table of showbread, the candlesticks, maybe even caring for the animals brought into the temple for sacrifice. He performed the dailies of the temple life, just like we take care of the dailies of Temple Baptist Church. He was just an ordinary man doing an ordinary job in the temple. The time in which Ezekiel was thirty years of age he was a captive of the Babylonian Empire. Because of the sin of idolatary the nation Israel the Lord gave the nation over to the Babylonians for a season. Babylon carried away captive 10,000 of Israel’s best: the educated ones, the nobles, the craftsmen, the wealthy ones and all the treasure of the country. Ezekiel was one of these 10,000.

Ezekiel was an ordinary man living in a refugee camp for five years when an extraordinary thing happened to him. As he was sitting on the riverbank the very presence of God came upon him and God Himself opened the windows of heaven where Ezekiel could see God in his glory and things in heaven! There are only two other recorded instances when a person was permitted to look into heaven and see God! This is a very significant event. All of a sudden, God, heaven and all the things of the temple took on a reality that Ezekiel had not had before; he discovered that what he had been taught was not just a myth but reality! What a shock! Can you imagine what must be going on in Ezekiel’s mind? It was so shocking that after the window into heaven closed Ezekiel just sat there on the riverbank for seven days digesting what hat just happened. Who knows what he was thinking!

After seven days the presence of God came on Ezekiel again but this time God gave Ezekiel a new job. “Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days. And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 3:15-17. After Ezekiel’s close encounter with God he had a new job, a new perspective, and a new command. He was given the job of being the “Watchman” of the nation’s souls.

His new job consisted of two separate commands: he was to “hear the word at my mouth” and then to “give them warning”. God was going to tell Ezekiel of the right way to live and then it was Ezekiel’s responsibility to tell those he was watchman over what the Lord said. So long as Ezekiel did this he was absolved of their blood. It was then up to the hearer whether to obey or not. It was up to Ezekiel to tell.

This is very much like it is today. I am an ordinary person, living an ordinary life, doing ordinary things. One day I had a close encounter with God, I accepted him as my savior and He came to indwell me. My life was forever changed. I have a new perspective, a new command and a new job. I too am a watchman over the souls of those that God brings across my path. I too have a command to hear God’s word; I too have a command to warn others.

If you have ever accepted Christ as your savior, if you have His Holy Spirit dwelling within, then you also have this same command to hear His word and to be a watchman over the souls of others. You have circles of people that you are watchman to. You have your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, and those that you meet on occasion. God has warned the saved person “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 3:18

My brother or sister let not the blood of your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or brief encounters be upon your hands. Be a faithful watchman over their souls.

No fear of the shadow

2010-05-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

As a child, and sometimes as an adult, I would play hide and go seek. The best time to play this game is at dusk, or even better yet once it is dark. It was most fun to hide and when someone least expects to jump out from the shadows and shout to scare them. Of course the girls screamed so much better than the boys! As you got into the game it seem that in every shadow there appeared to be a girl or boy lurking there ready to jump out! It was during this time that I learned that every shadow did not have a scary side and that, most importantly for later life, that shadows cannot harm you! They may be scary but ultimately no harm.

Psalm 23:1-4
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thinking about Psalm 23, in the “Valley of life” there are many shadows out there to bring fear. Of course there is the shadow of a death, but there are also the shadows of a job loss, a sickness, a financial reversal, a wayward child, a broken marriage, or a broken friendship. Though painful and very worrisome these shadows will pass. It is such a great comfort to remember that, as being in the family of God, I know that He is with me. He is in fact within me as the Holy Spirit and that He will never forsake me and will always provide and protect me as I have need!

But what about this reference about His rod and staff? How could they comfort me?

Thy Rod and thy Staff:

• Rod of punishment:
The rod can be a rod of punishment as found in 2 Sam 7:14 “I will chasten him with the rod of men”; and Proverbs 10:13 “but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.”

• Rod of provision:The rod can also be a rod of provision as we have read in Exodus 17:6 “6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”; and in Numbers 20:11 “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly.”

• Rod of direction:
That same rod in the hand of the master’s servant becomes a rod of direction, pointing the way to go and clearing the path before us as found in Exodus 14:16 “16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."

• Rod of Protection:
In the hand of Moses the rod became a rod of protection and Gods favor in Exodus 17:9, 11 “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. . . . 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed:”

• Rod of Care:
But in the context of Psalm 23 the rod spoken of is like the rod of a shepherd that is used in the counting and inspection of the sheep. A shepherd would stand at the entrance to the sheep fold and allow the sheep to enter the fold one by one; the shepherd would block the way with the rod to allow time for the shepherd to confirm the that sheep was his; that the sheep had his mark and to look for any blemish or injury that needed attention. If any did not have his mark it was rejected – it was not his! Ezekiel 20:37-38“”And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me:”

What a wonderful picture to remind me that our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has marked me with his Holy Spirit, He knows me and counts me as His own. He inspects me to see if I have any need or injury; he will provide for me and bind up my wounds! What a Great Shepherd!

Do you know the Great Shepherd? He wants you as his own, to mark you with His Holy Spirit! Oh, accept Him today!

Why We Wound Others With Our Words

2010-04-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

Who among us has not had a remark or accusation made against you that just was not true? That was hurtful and maybe even mean? Sometimes it comes from someone who you love, maybe another Christian even. Maybe it was you that did this to another. Have you wondered why these things happen? The Scripture talks about such a situation in the book of James:

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?" James 4:11-12

This was written to brethren and brothers in the Lord; saved people! Saved people that had a problem with speaking evil of one another; saved people who sat in judgment on their family. Sound familiar?

This passage commands us, brethren, to stop!

We are commanded to stop “tearing one another down” by our “slanderous” speech.

• What is “slanderous” speech?

Saying something that is untrue; it may be saying something true but your reason of saying it is to tear someone down; includes fault finding and gossip; it is speech that when it is done that the hearer thinks less of the person you are speaking about.

• How is slanderous speech commonly practiced?

This was being address in the 1st century; it still happens today! There are three degrees of slanderous speech.

1st degree slander: casual talk, i.e., that blue dress just doesn’t go with her figure, we’re getting out late again, the deacons are just insensitive to . . . ; this is so common and generally not mean spirited or willful – water cooler talk, commute talk.

2nd degree slander: oft times it will take the form of a prayer request; I’m not sure you know this but . . ., so that you know how to pray for ___ this is what is going on . . ., pray for __ there are some real issues . . .. This is a veil to hide the true purpose of the conversation and that is to spread some juicy piece of gossip!

3rd degree slander: getting help for a problem relationship. Usually spoke to a strategic person under the guise for seeking wisdom whose real purpose is to frame the situation thru your lens of reality: you speak it to frame the situation, you analyze the situation, and you become the victim.

• Why do even sincere Christians get caught in the “web” of speaking against others? How could this happen to people that love God? Here are two reasons:

1. The lie that we believe “If other people would just shape up my life would be okay”. You have a conflict with your spouse, a conflict with a co-worker, a conflict with sibling: if this person would just do this or do that everything would be okay; the problem is the other person. You slant the situation with the other person to lift yourself up and tear the other one down. The problem is the other person.

Why do we do this? It is to cast blame and avoid responsibility; justifying your behavior; people may have hit home inregards to you and you have fear of rejection – oft times the best defense is an offense to mask your insecurity – you need to realize that we are all insecure; when you see a conflict coming you speak things to position yourself in the best possible light

2. We have a perverse appetite for gossip.

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Why is “tearing others down” by our speech and judgmental attitudes one of the most serious sins mentioned in Scripture?

Reason #1 = Because it demonstrates total disregard and contempt for God’s highest command – to love one another. (Leviticus 19:18, Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.)

He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. James 4:11b

Reason #2 = Because it reveals that we are in fact “playing God”.

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? James 4:12

Grey areas: my beliefs may not be as someone else’s but so long as it is not against Scripture you should not judge.

How can we break the habit of “playing God?”

• Step 1 – Develop convictions about speaking against others.

**This is not talking about beliefs, but convictions; not just trying harder but something that arises from deep in your heart! You have convictions about purity, lying, stealing: develop a conviction about not speaking against others.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” Matthew 7:1-2

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

Note: You will have to account for "every idle word", every slanderous word.

• Step 2 – Ponder the consequences of your speech.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35

We should have words of unity, words that build up, words that we are a team, words that we are family.

When you have words of back biting, bickering, and tearing down you break the heart of God.

• Step 3 – Refuse to buy The Lie!

The lie “it is someone else’s problem or fault.

“And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Romans 2:3

• Step 4 – Refuse to let others Gossip to you.

When someone starts to gossip what do you do? Have the courage to say “we are not a part of the problem or the solution.” Put up the stop sign. Say “can we talk about something else?”

• Step 5 –Talk less!

“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

Meditation Questions

1. Why, from God’s perspective, is it so important that we speak about one another and relate in a loving manner? What’s at stake?

2. Where do you find yourself most prone to “speak against” someone or become judgmental?

3. Which of the practical steps to stop “playing God” do you need to put into practice?

4. Is there someone you need to apologize to?

Affair Proof Your Marriage

2010-02-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

Introduction:

The family is under attack! In 1930 84% of all households consisted of a married couples, in 2010 only 49% of all households consisted of married couples. The media gives a constant view that affairs are normal; there are even websites that give easy access to people seeking an affair. Television used to be the problem, today it is all variety of electronic media: DVD, internet, even “smart” cell telephone and avenues to access media portraying affairs. Many teenagers and adults of all ages live in a virtual “fantasy” world where they believe that no real harm occurs by looking or chatting.

However the scriptures record a different story:

Exodus 20: 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

Proverbs 6:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

What is Adultery?

There is Sexual, Emotional and Spiritual Adultery.

Sexual adultery: The world view of sexual adultery consists of having an intimate sexual relationship (of any type) with someone other than your spouse. This view has evolved from this being abnormal behavior to being today normal. But God expands this to not only being an actual act with another to include having a desire (lust) to have a sexual relationship with someone other than your spouse.

Before sexual adultery occurs one will look with desire and then fantasy arises in the heart. That desire will lead to flirtations, flirtations if received will lead to meetings, meetings lead to the act. God says to stop it before the lust even has a chance to take hold in your heart.

Emotional adultery: A marriage consists of much more that the sexual relationship. It is founded on an emotional relationship first. If you’re emotional relationship is strong and right than a wonderful sexual relationship follows; naturally. If you are emotionally connected with your spouse your desire will be to meet the emotional and physical needs of your spouse.
Emotional adultery occurs when you connect emotionally with someone other than your spouse.
Spiritual adultery: If you are saved you are a part of the “Bride” of Christ. We are engaged to Him! We are just waiting for the marriage to happen. Christ woos us and draws us spiritually, He desires to be emotionally and spiritually connected to us and we should desire to be emotionally and spiritually connected to him.

Spiritual adultery: occurs when we flirt with other gods. Look at this in this manner. Remember way back when you became engaged to your now spouse? Now imagine that the person you are engaged to looked at every girl / guy that passed instead of you; imagine that you stumbled upon your intended at a restaurant and he / she was at another table having a great time talking to one another without you; imagine that you saw them embrace! How would you feel? What would you think? That’s just a fraction of how God feels when you connect spiritually with anyone or anything but Him! That connection could be another person; it could also be a job, money, possessions, or position.

So, what is adultery? It is giving to someone something that they should not have that belongs to your spouse.

How do affairs happen? Think in terms of Walls and Windows. Whenever you open the window of opportunity to another person, you build a wall of separation between you and your spouse.

*It usually starts with an inappropriate conversation about emotions: conversations about relationship with the spouse or child that is not going well; conversations about how someone has emotionally hurt the person. These conversations connect at the emotion level and once connection and trust is established it is far easier to move ahead. When ever a spouse connects emotionally with someone other than their spouse they are giving a private part of themselves to someone that it does not belong.

* Emotional adultery always happens before physical adultery.

* It happens to those who didn’t think it could happen to them.

* There is never justification for adultery; it does not matter what issues you have in your marriage it is never right to get into an affair.

* There is no benefit in it; in fact you have everything to lose and nothing to gain!

Affair Proof: Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

God gives the pattern for our marriage with the right relationship with Him.

1. Protect the priority of your marriage * Decide to make your marriage first!

2. Give your passion to no one but your spouse * Adultery is giving to someone something that they should not have.

3. Connect on every level with your spouse every day. * Women want the emotional connection!
- Talk; have conversations
- Hold, touch
- Do all things together: It all started with you two and it needs to remain so!

4. Take responsibility for your actions * Apologize for your wrongs and correct your behavior.
* No blame; no excuses.

Becoming a greater Husband

2010-01-31T07:20:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 5:17-29 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”

Introduction:

We learned last week the Holy Spirit is the role model of a wife. We men need to have a role model also. Men are not called to be a husband according to your family history. Do not look to other men – they will fail you; but look to Jesus as your role model. Jesus is the Anointed one! So, what does the anointing look like?

1. First it represents the Glory of God. The glory is a reflection of something or someone. When someone was anointed in the OT they were not dabbed with a little oil but the whole horn of oil was pored over the head so as to shine representing the Glory of God. In 1 Corinthians 11:7 the scripture reads “he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.” In translation this is saying that a man should be a reflection of the God that he chooses; if you are a Christian then you should have the attributes of God (love, joy, peace, patience). The woman, on the other hand, reflects the glory of the man that she chooses. Men your wife is your glory, or reflection.

2. Secondly the anointing is from the Holy Spirit. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit before he started his earthly ministry (Matt 3:16). Bear in mind that the first name of the Holy Spirit is Holy! Jesus walked and worked through the power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16-18 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
Galatians 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ." If you don’t walk in the spirit you will have sexual problems. But in Acts 1:8 we are told that “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” This word power means having moral excellence – doing holy things, living a moral life. The worst way to live the Christian life is to trying not to do what your flesh wants to do. You cannot do it alone. Jesus himself depended on the Holy Spirit for power. When you realize that it is not within yourself to do right but it is your surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit that you will gain victory over the flesh. You have to have your wanter changed to succeed! Galatians 5 goes on to say that the effects of not walking in the spirit are emotional problems, relational problems and behavioral problems Galatians 5:20 - 21 "idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: . . " Sometimes I am not a good husband; I gripe, complain, am selfish: those are the days that I try to control my wants on my own power. I can never have the victory without the power of the Holy Spirit! Regardless of the problems you are under the “influence” and exhibit love, joy, and peace as a result. When the man of the house has peace, when the man of the house is full of joy – it makes a difference and there is only one place to get it!

3. The third note on the anointing of Jesus is that three offices were fulfilled in him:

a. Prophet: A prophet diligently seeks to hear God’s voice and to know God’s word for his family. This includes living a life consistent with scriptural values. You can have more fun in life by just doing what the Bible says to do! Ephesians 5:17-29 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Jesus is washing us with the word to make us a pure bride that will respond to him and be for him what the bride should be. Men need honor and intimacy: the more your home reflects the Bible way the more you will get what you need.

b. Priest: The priest is a man who sensitively and sacrificially meets his wife’s spiritual and emotional needs! Ephesians 5:28-29 “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” The role of the priest is to get everyone well in the family. You will never be better than what your wife is! When your wife’s needs are meet so will yours!

c. King: A king is a servant / leader of the home, treating his wife as an equal with a focus on her well-being; he is the initiator of decision making and problem solving without dominance. Ephesians 5:23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:" and he is the saviour of the body. A wife does not mind a savior head but does mind a selfish head or a sleeping head! Christ like authority is not domineering but a servant.

To become a Great Husband you must reflect the Golry of God; you must be anointed with the Holy Spirit; you must fulfill the three offices asigned to him: the offices of Prophet, Priest and King. My prayer is that you all become a Greater Husband in 2010.

Becoming a Greater Wife

2010-01-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

John 14:15-17 "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

John 16:13 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

Introduction:

In Genesis 1 when creation is recorded, after every creation event God said it was good with this one exception: in Genesis 2:18 God said that it was not good for man to be alone so he created a help meet for him – that help meet (companion) was Eve, Adam’s wife. She was his helper and companion! From the beginning God’s plan has been for wives to be the companion and helper of her husband.

It is also recorded that God create man in his own image, a three part being: the father, the son and the spirit. These distinct beings are what we are fashioned after and we should look to each of God’s parts for examples. The husband follows the role model of Jesus Christ as the priest / son. The Holy Spirit is a role model for a wife to follow.

We have in this room great marriages, with great wives and husbands. Today I am going to give to you five roles of the Holy Spirit that you wives can use to become even greater wives!

Five roles of the Wife

1. Companion

*In John 14 we read about another comforter, Jesus being the first. This word that we read as Comforter in the Greek has two separate meanings. It can mean a helper or one that runs beside you. In John 14 we learn that God gave to us another helper / comforter that will be with us throughout eternity! If you are saved, the Holy Spirit lives within you, the Holy Spirit is a person - not a thing; you can sense his presence. He runs beside you and is your constant companion.

*Husbands need their wife to run along beside them, he needs to sense your presence; you can’t help your husband if you’re not there!

*Husbands need a buddy – he does not need to be treated like one of your children; he does not need another mother!

2. Comforter

The second meaning of the word translated a comforter is one that comforts and advises. Husbands have three distinct needs in the sense of needing comfort.

a. Praise him and encourage him:

*Wives need to learn to say negative things in a positive way
*To stay emotionally connected with your husband you must be able to keep him calm. It is an established fact that if your heart rate gets above 100 beats / min men can’t think! You need your husband to be able to think clearly.

b. Give affection:

*This is more than sexual fulfillment, though it is a part of affection. Men will not admit to this need but they do have it. Men do not cling but still need to receive affection. Did you know that when you husband is upset that your touch will calm! Oh, the power of a gentle touch!

*Men will gravitate to where they will get comforted. Give him comfort and he will not stray.

*Men will stay away from where they get upset. Do not drive your husband to another who will give comfort! Make sure that he finds all the comfort he needs at home.

c. Your faith comforts men:

When things are going seemingly wrong your faith in God’s provision and your faith in your husband will give him great comfort! Remind him that “God’s done this before and He will again!”, “It’s going to be alright.”, and “You’re the best man in the whole world!”

3. Counselor

We read in John 14:16-17 and then in John 16:13 how the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. An important role of a great wife is to be that spirit of truth. Men and women do not think alike. Men use radar and women use sonar! Men can sometimes be more objective because they don’t deal with the emotions of a situation; whereas, men need to listen to their wives when emotions play an important role in a decision. Men are not in touch with emotions. I depend on Debbie to tell me about the feelings of situations because I just don’t see it most of the time. If she tells me not to trust or to trust someone, I’d better listen; her sonar sees things that I do not!

4. Convictor

John 16:8 “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts! Likewise you wives are truth sayers and keep your family on target! It is a documented fact that men live longer when they have a woman in their life. She says “Slow down!”, “Watch out for. . . !”, “Don’t eat that it’s not good for you, . . . !” Husbands, you’ll live longer ( you may not want to, but you will!)

5. Connector

Jesus tells us in John that the Holy Spirit will point others to Him. The Holy Spirit is a connector. Wives likewise should reconnect her husband to herself and the children on a daily basis. When your husband comes in the door it is your task to refocus his attention from everything on the other side of the door to everything that is inside the door!

In God’s master plan wives play a very important role as the Companion, the Comforter, the Counselor, the Convictor, and the Connector. Look to the Holy Spirit as your role model to go from being a great wife to being an even greater wife for the glory of the Lord!

All you need

2010-01-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Philippians 4:15-19 “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Introduction: The five Greats in Philippians 4:15 - 19

1. A Great Necessity “. . .all your need”

This was written to saved saints. Can you fathom how big the needs would be of multiplied millions of Christians world wide? I can't, but know that He is able to meet all their needs. This verse though is not written to every one but to you, me, us individually. Not the world’s need but your need, not just some of my needs but all!

Imagine, if you can, the variety of needs that God supplies!

There are temporal needs: food, raiment, household cares, family trials, sickness, losses, job, - remember Elijah whom God fed by ravens!

Spiritual needs: need for perpetual pardon; need of fresh strength to battle sin; need for spiritual armor to protect us to accomplish our life’s work; help to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right spirit and manner!

Suffering needs: patience in pain, hope under depression: He will either make the burden lighter or the back stronger: He will either reduce the need or increase the supply.

Sin forgiveness needs: we need to be daily converted from some sin; we need to be instructed by God; we need to be illuminated as to the mind of Christ; we need to be comforted by His promises; we need to be strengthened by His Word!

Oh, what we do not need! We are just a bag of wants and a heap of infirmities! “ My God Shall supply all your need”

Are you well provisioned? Then you need to be kept from loving the world, its follies and fashions; are you poor? then you need help against envy and bitterness.

2. A great Helper “My God shall supply all your need”

Whose God is this? It is the God of Paul. Paul who was in prison, Paul who was ship wrecked, Paul who was stone yet lived, Paul who suffered much but tasted of the provision of God

This is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. This is the God of Moses, Elijah, and the apostles.

This is My God that has supplied my every need!

3. A Great Supply “My God shall supply all your need”

Remember the widow and the oil in 2 Kings 4:1-7? She was faced with a great debt, all she had was two sons and a little oil. She was faced with the possibility of having to sell her sons into slavery to pay her debt until God stepped in. God caused the oil to increase enough to fill every available pot to the full which she then was able to sell to satisfy her debt. She believed and God supplied! Oh that we would have the same faith as that widow!

4. A Great Resource “. . . according to his riches in glory”

• Consider the riches of His creation, not only the earth but the universe!
• Consider the riches of His providence – without bounds
• Consider the wealth of His grace
• Consider His glory that no man has seen but the angels only
• His riches in glory means not only the riches of what He has done, but the riches of what He could do!

5. A Great Channel “according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ”

To have your soul’s wants satisfied you must go to Christ! Jesus Christ is the fountain head where the living waters well up. You will not have your spiritual wants supplied by your own efforts; nor will they be satisfied by going to man.

We learn of Ishmael that was sent into the wilderness with only a bottle of water whereas Isaac dwelt by the well. It is wise for us to dwell by the well of Christ Jesus, and never trust to the bottles of our own strength.

My prayer for this year is that we all dwell by the well of this Word. Draw from it. Draw from it, for it is full; when you plead this promise the Lord will supply all your need. Do not let unbelief hinder the Lord’s bounty, but cling to this promise “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

What I want for this New Year

2010-01-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

1. Faith enough to accept whatever God designs

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Christ designs everything that comes in my life.

“My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me. I cannot choose the colors, He worketh steadily. Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride forget He sees the upper, and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.”

How often God interrupts our plans! Though we don’t understand it in that moment it always turns to our good. Even trails are designed by God. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” He knows our limits and promises not to overload us.

If I am going to enjoy this New Year I must have faith to accept what so ever God designs for me! Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” If you are born again you are His handiwork! Philippians 1:6 says “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” God is working on each of us. He brings just the right blessings into our lives that will make us into the vessel He intends us to be. In Jeremiah 18:6 God says “. . . as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand. . .” every child of God is in His hands being shaped and molded!

However, it is not always easy to follow the admonition is Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God” But if you couple the “all things” of Ephesians 5:20 with the “all things” of Romans 8:28 then we can thank God for everything no matter how bad it seems at the moment!

I want faith enough to accept whatever God designs for me this year!

2. My life so yielded so as to realize His Purpose for my life

Romans 12:12 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” God has a purpose for my life, every creature even the smallest insect has a divine purpose.

God has something He wants me to do for Him this year; I want to cooperate with Him to discover that perfect will! We are admonished in Romans 6:13 to “yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” It is hard telling what anyone of us could do for God if we were only yielded. We are valuable to God only when we are available to Him!

Our greatest ability is availability! God does not always use the educated man, but always uses the available man. He used a tongue tied Moses who made himself available, He used Gideon who was least among the smallest tribe because he was available. He used David who was overlooked by his father because David made himself available. He used a little boy with five loaves and two fishes because he made himself available.

He will use any of us also if we just make ourselves available! God has plenty to do; he is always hiring!

3. Gratitude enough to be thankful for every mercy and blessing

Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”and Psalm 68:19 says “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits” One of the greatest Christian graces is gratitude! Thank God for His mercies. Lamentations 3:22 says “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” Then in verse 32 He says “yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies”

Be thankful for the things you may take for granted, be thankful for the drudgery of work, be thankful for the dirty laundry, and messy areas your children leave behind – it will be just a short time and they will be gone into adulthood!

4. God’s approval for all that I say and do.

2 Corinthians 5:9 says “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him."

So often we go to great efforts to be found acceptable in the sight of others, but how much better to be found acceptable in the sight of All Mighty God!

Financial Contentment

2009-11-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

God’s Big Idea about Finances

Introduction:

The most widely accepted idea about a financial goal is to achieve “financial Freedom”. Financial freedom is freedom from the slavery of the lender and freedom from the bondage of materialism. My thought process for years has been that if a person is not a slave to the lender, has the right view of money and possessions and recognizes that God owns it all, then he (or she) is free; he is not caught up in materialism. None of this is wrong, but, I really think that that God’s plan is different than this. The ultimate goal is contentment! I have observed that a person can be financially independent and not be content. Conversely a person can be content without being financially independent.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Hebrews 13:5 “. . . and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

How to be Financially Content:

First of all is it possible today to be content? The world demands that for us to be content we have to have the latest gadget, the newest big screen T.V., the newest technology, the latest fashion. If you do not have the money to obtain then you are not content.

What is contentment? Contentment is being satisfied with one’s circumstances, not complaining, not craving something else, and having a mind at peace. Another person has said contentment has three views: looking back without regret, looking at the present without envy, and looking to the future without fear. Contentment has nothing to do with money. A person may have little or much money and still not be content; we can complain whether we have little or much; and we can covet just as easily with a lot of money or with a little.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity." Contentment has nothing to do with money! It is a learned response. Paul said in Philippians 4:11-12 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

The Paul is referring to learning to think correctly about money, possessions and God. Contentment is learning to see money and possessions as God sees them, and nothing more. Money and possessions are vehicles for providing for our needs and those of others. Contentment is also learning to see God for who he is. He is the bedrock of our contentment. All you need is what you have; what you have is what He is; you cannot have more; and you cannot have less.

Only when I realize that the God of the universe loves me and has my best interests at heart can I be content. Only when I realize that He is sovereign and in control of my vocation and income can I truly be content. Only when I learn to trust Him can I have true contentment. You see, contentment is a spiritual matter; it’s not a money matter. God is always there; He never changes, He is consistent and stable. You can trust Him, but, can you say the same about money? Proverbs 23:4-5 “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”

No financial principle can have a greater impact on you or free you up more than this truth: Money is not the key to contentment! Contentment has everything to do with your relationship with God and nothing to do with money. Once you are free from your love of money and the pursuit of it, you can have a lot or a little and be content all the same. At that point you have learned the secret of contentment.

What does Financial Contentment Look Like?

Two examples:

First consider a family that chooses to live within their means; they have a modest home, an older car, much entertainment at home – little debt and a savings account. This family has low stress, their needs are met, and they have time together as a family.

On the other extreme is a man who earns in excess of $600,000 per year and is miserable as he spends $700,000 per year. He is so stressed because he wonders how he can make it.

Both of these examples are from real people, with real families; both are church goers. The key to contentment in one’s finances is not the amount one makes, but rather a willingness to live within that amount.

Financial contentment has less to do with money and more to do with our attitude, our belief systems and decisions. Financial contentment brings peace of mind! Financial security is not the same as financial peace of mind. You can have financial security without financial peace of mind.

So then, what is financial peace of mind?

Financial peace of mind has four elements: eternal perspective, faith based decisions, biblically wise counsel and financially wise counsel.

Eternal perspective

Having an eternal perspective helps us deal with the earthly ups and downs of life, stock market highs and lows, and acquiring and losing stuff. James 4:13-15 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

We need to keep in mind the brevity of life; I call it the 100 year rule. When it comes down to life in 100 years, all that matters then is, did I glorify God in all that I do? It is then that you realize that I can be less concerned about hoarding, giving my kids only the best stuff, being comfortable at all costs, seeking a life of leisure or keeping up with my neighbor.

Faith based decisions

Faith is so vital to our relationship with God:

If I am exhibiting faith, then I’m pleasing God.
If I’m pleasing God, then it’s easier to be content with my physical and financial position.

As the Bible reminds us in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It takes faith to give a substantial amount to your church. It takes faith to launch a new career or business. It takes faith to give up immediate gratification now and invest for later.

Biblically wise counsel and Financially wise counsel

If you rely on movies, advertising, fashion trends, Hollywood or sports celebrities, or the gang at work for your guidance and counsel then you will not be content! You’ll be anxious and feeling as if you don’t have what it takes to be successful. “Seek ye first the God’s kingdom and counsel” Matthew 6:33. Look at what the Bible says about earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom:

James 3:16-17 “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Which wisdom do you seek?

Tool, a Test, and a Testimony

2009-11-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

We are in a growth Process:

We have a limited, finite time on earth; we are to use our time, our talent and our possessions for the Lord.

Money and possessions are used by God as a Tool, a Test, and a Testimony.

Paul understood this as he penned Philippians 4:11-12 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” He has learned that God uses money and possessions to shape our lives.

a) Money and possessions are effective tools that God uses to help you to grow. God allows times of having much or little. During these times the question should be “God what do you want me to learn?” He wants you to learn the right response to these situations. He wants to know that you will continue to do his will and trust Him during these times. You need to know that God is not trying to frustrate you; He’s trying to get your attention!

Luke 16:11-12 “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?”

b) Money and possession is also a test! Your eternal position and reward are determined by your faithfulness in your handling of property entrusted to you; remember Matthew 25:14-30 and the lazy servant? The lazy servant not only lost his reward but also lost his position all because he did not use God's possessions for God's intended purposes.

c) Money and possession is also a testimony! Christians are called to be salt and light!

Matthew 5:13-16 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Our attitude toward wealth is a testimony. Those around you who know you are a Christian is watching you to see what, if anything, is different about you. They will observe your testimony when He withholds. They will observe your attitude when He gives. Jesus wants children that have learned to rely on Him!

Also note that the Amount is not Important:

In Matthew 25:14-30 you find that the first two servants are both told they have been faithful, and they both received the same reward. It did not matter what they started with; it did not matter to what degree the increase; what mattered is that they put the master’s resources to use for profit! It mattered How they handled the resources.

Have you ever wondered why God gave the talent of the unfaithful servant to the one who had the most? I don’t know – it doesn’t really matter! Why does someone have more than me: why does someone have less than me? I don’t know this either. We spend too much time trying to figure out God when all He wants is for us to be faithful. What I do know is that I’m only accountable for what He has put in my hand!

Bear in mind that God neither condemns wealth nor commends poverty!

Faith requires Action:

Simply knowing God owns it all is not enough! The lazy servant knew he had his master’s money but chose to do nothing and suffered great loss. Many of us know what we ought to do, but we disobey – or delay. We know deep down what God would have us to do, but we take no action. We take no action because we fear making a mistake, or we become frustrated or confused about what to do. We end up doing what we feel good about. Living by feelings rather than truth can be dangerous!

We are constantly bombarded with the world view; the world view tells us to acquire and to consume! The world view of today is “It’s all about me!” However, the most common world view dictates where you live, how you dress, the car you drive – all to gain stature among men, to appear attractive, or to experience less inconvenience (pain). If you have a Biblical world view then you behavior is dictated by what the Bible says. Your world view will determine if you are a faithful servant!

September 20, 2009

2009-10-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

God Owns it All!

Matthew 25:14-30 "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

We learn in Psalms 50:7-12 and Haggai 2:8 that God owns it all. There is nothing in your hand but that God put it there to use. In reality your hours, your automobile, your spouse, your children, your Bass boat, even you 401K belongs to God: we just possess it for a season. What this means then is that we simply become managers of what belongs to God.

Once you come to the realization that you really own nothing but are a stewart (manager) of God's property you can easily come to three truths.

First: God has a right to whatever He wants, whenever He wants it. He’s the owner and has rights. As a steward I only have responsibilities!

If you really believe this then:

a) Each financial decision is a very important decision because you are handling God’s resources.
b) You will have less anxiety over money because you are just a manager; He has promised to meet your needs.

These two facts leads to true contentment. Therefore, whether you have much or little is un-important; what you possess is not yours but God’s to use for a season – He is supplying your needs!

Second: Not only are giving decisions a spiritual decision, but, every spending decision is a spiritual decision.

a) Nothing is more or less spiritual in buying a car, taking a vacation, buying food, or paying a debt; all of these spending decisions are responsible uses of God’s resources.

b) God doesn’t say much about what are correct uses of His resources.

c) God give to us to use resources to:

Provide for our needs
Benefit us
To reach the world for Him
Bear in mind that God gives latitude and responsibility; we will give an account on how we used His resources. (Matthew 25:14-30)

Third: Wise stewardship is an indicator of spiritual health.

You can fake prayer, bible study, evangelism, and even church going, but your checkbook reveals what is truly important to you!

What are you spending God's resources on? Is it self? Is it to meet the needs of others? Is in to promote the spreading of the Gospel?

Would God be pleased with how you are spending what he has placed in your hand?

Biblical perspective of money - Part 1

2009-09-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Buck Stops Here!

I'll take full responsibility, as in “You needn't call my boss; the buck stops here.” This saying gained fame as a sign on the desk of President Harry S. Truman. It alludes to another expression that means the opposite, pass the buck.

The Big Picture.

Think of an Iceberg. What you see is about 10% of the total mass of the berg; that means that 90% is below the surface. Concepts about handling money and possessions is just like that. What you see, the techniques, tools, stratigies, and methods, is the 10% - The how to; what you don't see - the Why, is the foundation for decisions and includes the what I call spiritual capital, the eternal perspective.

Introduction to the series:

Series will include the following topics:

· Money: a tool, a test, and a testimony
· God’s idea about finances
· Commonsense principles that can change your life
· How much is enough
· Setting financial fitness goals
· Making smart Choices
· Global economy
· Others possible

Stewardship is a concept recurring throughout the Bible.

· Genesis 15:2 names Eliezer, Abram’s steward
· Genesis 43:18 – 20 discusses Joseph’s steward
· Matthew 20:1-9 discusses a duty of a steward
· 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 says “. . . it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Essentially a steward is charged with the management of the resources of the owner of the resources.

Biblical stewardship is defined as the use of God given gifts and resources (time, talent, treasure, truth and relationships) for the accomplishment of God given goals and objectives.

Compare:

Ownership (full rights) vs. Possession (rights allowed by the owner)

Here is a truth: God owns it all! Read the following passages.

· Psalms 50:7-12 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof."
· Haggai 2:8 "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts."

September 13, 2009

Psalm 116

2009-09-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

Psalm 116:1-8 "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling."

I love the Lord because:

He hears our prayers
He is gracious and merciful
He preserves me

Psalm 116:12 "What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD."

What to Render unto the Lord:

Salvation: “13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.”

· Forgiveness of sin is God’s gift
· He wants you to accept it
· He wants you to tell others

Surrender (yielding): “14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.”

· Render by yielding to Him
· Render by living a Holy life
· Render by living through Him

Romans 6:12-14 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

(Be a) Saint (finish well): “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
· Live the Christian life to the end
· Don’t back slide
· Grow in the Lord

(Be a) Servant: “O LORD, truly I am thy servant”
· Do the works of Christ
· Give to the needs of others
· Speak the works of God to others
· Be an encourager
· Be humble

Without bonds! “thou hast loosed my bonds.”
Sacrifice: “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving”
· Render to God thanks for the things He has done for you
· Take time today and reflect of what God has done for you
· Give thanks
· Tell others about what a wonderful God you have.