Behind Enemy Lines

“ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

II Corinthians 10:4

If we agree with the Word of God that there is an enemy and that he desires to steal, kill and destroy, then we would be wise to be aware of some of the weapons he uses.

Sin, self-absorption and separation are three of the weapons the enemy will use to fight with.

Sin is so appealing to our fleshly nature and the enemy tempts our flesh in ways often customized to our own weaknesses.

One man may be tempted in the area of gambling while the next man is not moved by it. Instead he battles with anger and rage, while the gambler just has not had anger as a significant problem in his life.

In other words, the enemy knows the “temptation hot buttons” in your life and those are the ones he is always trying to push.

Self-absorption or self-centeredness is a huge problem for all of us.

Every choice we make that places ‘self’ in the center of our life is a choice that pushes Christ out of the position of pre-eminence He alone should occupy.

Separation is often subtle and slow in its origin and progress.

Miss an opportunity or two to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ and before you know it you begin to look for reasons to not be a part of anything happening at church. Sometimes it’s an offense or hurt that keeps us away, other times it is a busy schedule or the ‘issues’ of life.

No matter the reason, it is a weapon the enemy can use to weaken our walk and keep us from finishing the fight.

God gives us insights into the enemy’s strategies that we might be wise to his ways.

Recognizing the weapons in his arsenal is a way to arm us in prayer.

It is as if God takes you behind enemy lines and exposes his arsenal to ensure your victory.

God will help you to overcome the areas of sin, self-absorption and separation that you may be struggling with.

Each morning commit your day to Christ and ask Him for the insights and help needed to be victorious over every work of the enemy!

Running God’s Race and Not the Rat Race

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a

roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

I Peter 5:8

 

Finishing the fight demands, not only a recognition that the enemy is real

but also, that I remain self-controlled and alert at all times.

In other words, focus on the task at hand.

Keep your eye on the ball.

 Keep your eye on the prize.

Keep your head in the game.

These are all sentiments used to express the need to persevere and remain standing, not only through the ebb and flow of life but also, when the enemy throws everything he has against us. Certainly one of the tools used to keep us from finishing well (or at all) is distraction.    

Imagine an Olympic sprinter who – in the midst of the race – slows to locate and then wave to a friend in the stadium. You would rightly question his commitment to winning or, at the least, putting in his best effort in the competition.

Yet, we do it all the time.

We say we want to finish well the race set out before us and

we’ll certainly get to it right after our favorite TV show is through.

We declare our faithfulness to God but then say: “Understand, I am committed to this sports program for my child so God will understand being second fiddle.” 

We plead with God to use us more and bless our lives but then blast the store clerk who wasn’t quick enough for our taste in the check-out line.

Distractions are used to blur our focus, not to sharpen it.

They detour, block or stop our running of the race.

Sometimes we don’t even realize we have left “God’s course” and have entered the “rat race”.

Be alert. Be sober. Be vigilant. Be self-controlled and disciplined.

Persevere in the race.

Use the opportunities that all of the “would-be distractions” present to sharpen your focus.

Keep your eyes on Christ and you will finish well.  

I’m Not Paranoid, My Enemy is Real!

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a

roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

I Peter 5:8

I’m not paranoid, my enemy is real!

But there’s good news…

…while the enemy of my soul is real the lover of my soul has defeated him.

The devil does not hold a pitchfork, wear red tights and have horns.

He is not a cartoon character but very real.

Sometimes we do well to be reminded, as we were this past Sunday morning that, we are in a fight and there is a very real enemy stalking us. 

He is out to steal, kill and destroy.

But there’s good news…

I John 4:4 tells us “…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

 The enemy is a deceiver and often subtle in his attempts to draw me away from the Savior.

In his desire to harm you and I, he touches the Apple of God’s eye.

But there’s good news…

“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all;

no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:29

As a matter of fact, we could go on and on with the encouragements of God’s word that remind us that while our enemy is real, he is no match for the Father!

 (or the Son and the Holy Spirit for that matter!)

I’m too old to remember the protective arms of my earthly father but each and every day we can know those protecting and loving arms of the heavenly Father wrapping Himself  around us in an embrace that no forces inside or outside of hell can break.

Understand that the enemy is real, but we need never fear him as long as we remain in under the wings and in the arms of our heavenly Father.

That secret place was secured for us by the Son!

Ark to Jerusalem – Take Two

“So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing.  Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.”

I Chronicles 15:25-28

 

Last Sunday, as we looked at this question of anger, we were given an acrostic to help us remember the same steps we have looked at this week.

I would like to show that to you below:

Admit your anger to God                                                         I Chronicles 13:11
Narrow down the cause (hurt, frustration or fear?)                   1 Chronicles 13:12
Gather information                                                                  I Chronicles 13:4
Examine yourself                                                                     I Chronicles 15:1-24
Resolve it                                                                                I Chronicles 15:25-28

We have seen how King David followed these steps in dealing with his anger with God.

The last step today is to resolve it.

Don’t go through each of the previous four and then decide it is done and over with.

David resolved his anger and we find the results in our text today.

He moved forward and was able to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

He didn’t just get stuck for the rest of his life in his anger.

That would be unproductive and that would be sin.

But too often that is what we do.

When we fail to deal with it properly, the anger seeps into every part of our life.

You can spot it in someone by just taking some time to talk with them.

It sneaks into the conversation.

It can be recognized in their children who have that anger passed on to them.

What a sad picture when God, through His Word, has shown us how to deal with it.

Instead of steeping in your anger, like a tea bag in hot water,

take the steps outlined today and resolve it!

“Uh-Oh, Maybe I’m not so Innocent”

“It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

I Chronicles 15:13-15

David was angry.

He was angry with God.

Or was he?

Was his anger with God justified?

A man was dead and God did it!

It was a lot for King David to take in.

Why would God do such a thing?

If this is what happens in trying to bring the Ark back then let is stay with Obed-Edom.

But David had taken the steps in admitting his anger, narrowing down the cause and gathering information.

That brought him to the most difficult step for him and for many when they deal with their anger, not wanting it to lead to sin.

It was time for some self-examination.

God had some very specific instructions that were ignored.

In David’s haste and zeal to bring the Ark back he had failed to follow Gods’ requirements.

The first 24 verses of I Chronicles 15 tells the story well. The results of David’s self examination are summed up nicely in the portion that is our text for today. 

Are you angry with God?

Have you admitted it to Him?

Have you stopped hemming and hawing and dug down to the root cause?

Have you looked into the facts presented in Gods word to get the whole picture?

  After these steps have you examined your heart and motivations?

With each step, the Holy Spirit is there to guide you through the process.

Don’t allow your anger to stew.

Don’t immerse yourself in it in such a way that it permeates all that you do, say or think.

Tomorrow we will look at the final step in dealing with our anger.

“Don’t Avoid the Dentist”

“The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.”

I Chronicles 13:4

 

We have admitted to God that we are angry with Him.

We have narrowed down the cause to hurt, frustration or fear.

What is the next step in dealing with our anger so that it does not lead to sin?

We gather information.

What does that mean?

If you look at the story in I Chronicles 13, David’s desire to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem may have been right but the method he used was not.

God had given specific instructions on how the Ark was to be moved and who was to do it. The entire process was detailed and available. But if you look at our text today as well as the three verses that precede it in chapter 13 we find that

David sought advice of everyone except God.

He gathered information from the people but failed to enquire of the Lord.

Maybe this is a bit of a stretch in comparison but suppose you had a terrible toothache and asked everyone what to do about the pain except your dentist.

That would be silly.

The expert would be the first person to contact.

God gave Moses exacting instructions about the Ark and David should have ‘gathered information’ from God.

God was the ‘expert’.

As a matter of fact, after he parked the Ark, David did set out to gather information from God.

Somewhere between the record of I Chronicles 13 and 1 Chronicles 15

David was ‘enlightened’ as to Gods’ directions.

When you are angry with God, don’t simply write it off to lame excuses like:

“I didn’t deserve what He did to me”

“Its’ God’s fault”

“He made me this way”

Instead, admit it, narrow down the causes and ‘gather information’ as the first steps to dealing with it in a way that does not lead to sin.

Enquire of God.

Through the Holy Spirit, He will bring you understanding.

An Anger Sleuth

“David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”

I Chronicles 13:12

                                                                                                                         

We have been encouraged to be honest with God by admitting when we are angry with Him.

Let’s assume we have taken that advice, so now what?

What is the next step?

We now need to narrow down the cause of our anger.

Are we angry out of hurt, frustration or fear?

On Sunday an example was given of anger out of hurt which I think we can all identify with.

You get out of bed during the night and it is dark so you stub your toe very badly.

Can you say: “Been there, done that”?

Of course we can also be angry when are ‘feelings’ are hurt.

 Anger does not just result from physical hurts.

The same holds true with anger resulting from frustration and fear.

If you are a parent you may have watched as frustration in your child quickly turned to anger when they realized that they could not seem to do what others were able to do more easily.

As a parent of a developmentally disabled adult I saw this often – and still do – in my daughter.

Finally, in our text today we find David was afraid of God because Uzzah was struck down by God as he tried to steady the cart.

David fear was evidenced, in part by his anger as we read in the previous verse from yesterday’s blog. 

Hurt, frustration or fear are three leading causes of most people’s anger toward God. Remember that we do not want anger to put distance between us and God.

 Once you narrow down the cause you are ready for our next step in dealing with it.

We will look at that tomorrow.

Being Two-Faced Won’t Work With God!

“Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah,

and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.”          

                                                  I Chronicles 13:11                                                                              

God, I’m angry with you!

Say that out loud in some Christian circles and you suddenly find yourself solitary and all alone as others duck for cover so as not to be hit by the lightening bolt that has your name on it.

But is that true?

Is God prepared to annihilate you because you are honest with Him?

I don’t think so.

If I were to direct a “no-brainer” question to you at this point it might be this:

Is it better to be honest with God or to “hide”

(as if that were really possible) our feelings from Him?

If you agree that we cannot hide how we feel, then doesn’t

it make sense to come clean with God when you are angry?

Admit it.

That really is step one in dealing with your anger.

Hide it or (more accurately we might say) fail to admit it and it is like the Monopoly piece that cannot move past “Go”.  

We become stuck in a relationship that has barriers and distance between the two parties.

Not barriers or distance of Gods’ choosing but because we are being dishonest with Him.

Begin to deal with your anger toward God by admitting that it is real.

Honestly, when you do this He won’t run away, He will draw near.  

In our own lives when there is anger between us and a friend our admission doesn’t always bring the other person running back.

Sometimes they want to nurse their wounds.      

They want to hold a grudge.

They want to make you pay.

They want to be in control.

God is not at all like that.

When you admit you are angry, He is prepared to help you past that to a restored relationship.

Over the next several days we will look at how that is accomplished.



Set Apart but Set Within

 “He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary.”          

II Chronicles 29:4-5

Yesterday we read how Hezekiah, King of Judah, established priorities in his kingdom by beginning to repair the Temple of the Lord. Our text today continues to show Hezekiah zeal for the Lord as he brings together the priests and Levites and instructs them in three actions to take. He tells them to:

1.      Consecrate themselves

2.      Consecrate the temple of the Lord

3.      Remove all defilement from the sanctuary

Hezekiah desired to restore the ways of the Lord which his predecessors had abandoned. 

This meant that those who were called to serve the Lord in the temple with the sacrifices would need to consecrate themselves.

Consecrating themselves meant devoting or setting themselves apart to serve the Lord in this way. They were to dedicate themselves to the work of the Lord.

As believers in the New Covenant made through Christ’s work we are called a royal priesthood and a holy nation in I Peter 2:9

The need to devote and consecrate ourselves to His service is no less needed today than it was when Hezekiah reigned.

Have you consecrated yourself for God’s service?

Have you set yourself apart in devotion and dedication to Him?

We need not serve God in isolation and detachment from the culture.

Instead He sends you to but inserted in it as salt and light.

Set apart but set within.

On Day One …

 “In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened

the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them.”      

II Chronicles 29:3

Last night I watched the second presidential debate between President Barak Obama and candidate Mitt Romney.

A phrase we often hear (and it was spoken last night) from a candidate seeking office or an incumbent fighting for re-election is: “On day one of my administration…”

This is usually spoken to place emphasis on those matters most urgent to the candidate and that carry great importance for the audience he is addressing.

Our text quoted above is speaking of King Hezekiah of Judah.

King Hezekiah was a king who honored God.

He purified the temple, got rid of idols in the land and brought tithes into God’s house.

We read in our text that he put first things first.

God was neither an after-thought in his life nor did God receive second best from the king.

He led the nation in the way they should go and in a way that turned their focus back to God.

As we, in this nation, approach the national elections may we do so with humility, prayer and repentance. May we ask God for leaders like Hezekiah who placed God before other pursuits in his own life and in the life of the nation. 

If the church won’t pray then who will?

Our culture today is swiftly moving away from any thought of God.

Like the people of Judah, we have built and worshipped idols in our own individual lives.

It is well past time for us to follow the admonition of II Chronicles 7:14

As God spoke to Solomon, He was not in error by stating: “If my people…”

The call goes out to believers.

The obligation is not with Hollywood, Washington or Wall Street.

Will you pray and seek God?

Will you humble yourself and seek His face?

Will you turn from your sin?

Will you consider today Day One and be certain God is first in your life?

  

It Just Doesn’t Add Up!

 “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?
    Who is like you—majestic in holiness,
        awesome in glory, working wonders?”

Exodus 15:11

It just doesn’t add up!

The most advanced civilization at the time has sent an army equipped with horses, chariots, spears and shields after a rag-tag group of recently freed slaves.

The one million plus men, woman and children are led by Moses, God’s chosen leader, to a ‘dead end’ called the Red Sea.

They are, figuratively at least, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea

(even though it was called the Red sea!)   

But something still just doesn’t add up.

What is it then, that doesn’t add up?

Well, if you were able to stand as an observer on the other side of the Red Sea you would see that the rag-tag bunch made it across and the sea swallowed up Egypt’s mighty army.

That defies all logic and reason.

It’s just not natural but it is supernatural.

You see, God was included in the equation.

When we do include God we discover that our logic and reason won’t add up to what we would consider a ‘natural’ answer.

Ask the Philistines who were siding with Goliath.

 Ask the Roman guards at the garden tomb.

Ask the Roman jailer who had locked up Paul and Silas.

Invite God into your impossibilities.

When you do, watch as others scratch their heads and say:

“It just doesn’t add up!”

When you hear those words, it is your signal to gently show them the ‘new math’ that includes God in the equation of their impossibilities!

Feelings

 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

Matthew 6:9-13

So what is missing from above?

“How dare you ask what is missing”; you say? –

“Those are the words of Jesus and what makes you think He missed a point?”

Actually, I am not implying He did.  

Instead, we often inject something that He never spoke of.

We are guilty and not the Lord.

When it comes to prayer we often validate their effectiveness based on our feelings.

Where, in this teaching on prayer, does He speak of feelings?

Go ahead; I’ll wait while you read it again.

Did you find anything there?

Too often we are people ruled by our feelings when we, instead, need to be 

guided by our faith!

Our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God where the currency is faith.

Today’s culture clashes with faith.

We are told that we, individually, are the center of the universe.

If we are not told this directly then often it is implied. 

Our prayer life is to be informed, not by feelings but, by faith.

It is true that God created us with feelings and emotions,

but they are not meant to dominate our prayer life.

Let faith rise in you as you pray following the pattern Jesus established.

Partnered for Victory

“But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

I Corinthians 6:17

What is a natural talent?

They are natural abilities that God has given to every person.

What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

They are 9 character qualities manifested by the Holy Spirit in you as you partner with Him.

What is a spiritual gift?

It is a supernatural ability that is given by the Holy Spirit.

What is a spiritual office?

It is a person that Christ has given to the church to live out a position of spiritual leadership, oversight and empowerment.

Whether we are speaking of the talents, gifts, fruit or offices all can be used in the cause of Christ for the advancement of His kingdom on earth.

God desires to minister through you and I to others.

As we become His hands and his voice in the earth each of these: talents, gifts, fruit and offices are ways that He uses us in that reaching out to others.

Why doesn’t God just do it Himself?

He chooses to partner with us.

Perhaps it can be seen through the comparison of a “collector” or a “coach”.

A collector gathers his or her collection to themselves, perhaps displaying them or merely delighting in adding to their collection.

A collector “owns” his collection.

A coach inspires, motivates, trains, teaches, and equips his players. 

A coach partners with the team and his goal is a victory.

God doesn’t collect you to put you on a shelf.

God calls you and partners with you.

His goal is victory in your life and for the team, His church.

Partnered for Victory!

Compelling Love

“For Christ’s love compels us…”

II Corinthians 5:14a

Stop for just a moment and think of someone you really love.

Now consider how that love you have for them causes you to act.

It should make you want to do good things for them and things that bless, encourage and uplift them.

Now think of someone who has been a source of fear to you.

Did you – or would you – react to them in the same way?

Probably, you would not.

The same is true with our understanding of God.

Is our first response one of love or fear toward God?

This will impact how you deal with your sin.

Some might say: “Well, if I’m afraid of Him I would deal with my sin quickly.”

But the truth more likely is we would do what we could to avoid that relationship and so we delay action, pretend we have no sin and go on our way separated from God.

If we love God and we are assured of His love for us our response is quite different.

We want to be near Him.

We do not like the broken fellowship and can’t wait to be in His presence again.

This causes us to deal with our sin and to have that severed companionship,

we so look forward to, restored.

God loves you.

He desires to be with you.

If there is anything in your life today that hinders that reality then bring it to Him,

ask for His forgiveness and have that fellowship restored.

Turning Over A New Leaf Just Won’t Cut It!

“All of us have become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

Isaiah 64:6

 

All our wonderful works are like filthy rags to God.

Stop and think about the implication of that as it relates to our walking in holiness.

The only way out of sin is that God brings you out of it.

The work of the cross and the power of the blood alone are what make the difference.

That means I can’t “willpower” my way out of it.

If I could then I wouldn’t need God.

I can’t even pray or fast my way out of it because even in those acts I would be far too quick to take the credit. 

That is not to say we shouldn’t pray, fast or conform our will to Gods’.

But we must recognize that our very best efforts are never, and will never, be enough. 

Have you struggled with a particular sin and no matter how much you confess, repent and try to turn over a new leaf it doesn’t seem to work?

As a matter of fact, your life looks like my backyard this time of year.

It is littered with leaves.

Mine from a Maple tree and yours from the new ones you have tried to turn over.

Even the victory I seek over my besetting sin (as the Bible describes it) is a work of grace and not a work of my own blood, sweat and tears.

Some may come to you and say:

“Well, you don’t have victory because you just haven’t tried hard enough!”

Since when is it my effort or yours?

One of my favorite verses tells us we are to walk in the Spirit so we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

You and I must value that relationship with God.

Jesus talked about it as “…abiding in the vine.”

Holiness comes through relationship.

It does not come through adhering to a long list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts”

Through relationship I do things through love and not through compulsion.

Let the power of God break the power of sin in your life.

Your own power can’t touch it!

A SHOUT or a Whisper?

“DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, MY FRIENDS, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD’S WRATH, FOR IT IS WRITTEN: “IT IS MINE TO AVENGE; I WILL REPAY,” SAYS THE LORD.”

Romans 12:19

“O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.”

Psalm 130:7

 

So what’s the problem here?

One verse is in bold, ALL CAPS, and large font size while the other is much smaller font, lower case and not bold.

I did it because I wanted to somehow represent how each of these verses, and in turn the character of God, often ‘plays out’ inside our head.

It is often a thundering, booming, fearful voice that shouts, echoes and reverberates in our head the verse from Romans.

If we hear the verse form Psalms at all it is barely audible, just below a whisper and hardly something that grabs our attention.

Both verses are true. That is not the point.

Sometimes we only hear what we perceive is the judgment voice of God and completely miss His words of compassion and mercy.

In our heads, it is as if one bellows while the other comes across as nothing more than a hushed tone or in inference.

God exacts vengeance on His enemies.

God will judge the unrepentant sinner.

But God looks at the believer and He sees a man or woman cleansed and justified through the blood of His Son.

He or she is righteous before God because of Christ.

Sometimes when we sin – and believers do – we forget about the work of the cross and we start amplifying the vengeance at the expense of His redemption.

Pastor made a statement on Sunday that addresses this question when he said:

“If you present a God who is only as good to you as you are to Him – you’ve got a problem.”  

That is true.

And the problem that you have is it removes God’s grace out of the equation.

It puts me on the same level as God – and if that happens it is either a very puny god or quite an over-inflated view of myself.

Maybe both!

God’s mercy, His grace, His compassion and His love for me is far, far, (infinitely) greater than I could ever imagine.

So the next time, you as a believer have a screaming voice of vengeance and judgment in your head, silence it with the mercy, and cleansing work of the cross!    

Connecting the Right Dots

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17

The baptism of Jesus is recorded in the Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke.

In each of them we hear the words of the Father to the Son as noted above.

Some might be tempted to ask:

What had Jesus done up to that point to please the Father?

After all, His public ministry had not yet begun.

He likely had no marketing plan and, what about a team of disciples?

Well they would follow soon.

Oddly though, His ‘inner circle’ is held to only twelve men.

Surely mailing lists could have been more fruitful in marketing Jesus so that He could gather around Himself more than just the twelve? 

How could a man amass the resources to sustain a thriving ministry with only twelve adherents?

Forgive me for my ‘tongue-in-cheek’ assumptions concerning what it takes to please the Father.

I don’t believe it is coincidental that we find the Father’s expression of pleasure with His Son at this very point in the record of Jesus’ life. 

The words are spoken before a single act of public ministry is performed.

You see, the Father delighted in His Son, not for what He could or would do, but for who He was.

Maybe you seek God’s ‘approval’ through what you do.

Yet God loves you, not because of how you ‘perform’ for Him, but because of who you are! 

 He created you and He loves you.

You don’t need to earn His love.

As a matter of fact, you can’t.

His love is given to us apart from what we do.

Maybe you are struggling today because you connect the love of God to your life in a way He does not.

 Don’t connect the dots He doesn’t connect.

Let go of all the ‘work’ to earn His love.

You already have it!

 Connect the right dots!

Here Comes the Bride…Again!

“and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,”

Revelation 1:5

Here comes the bride…

Here comes the bride…

Here comes the bride…

Here comes the bride…

Here comes the bride…

This is beginning to sound like a broken record, what’s going on here?

Well, imagine if every time you and your spouse had a disagreement

it was necessary to get married all over again.

Why would you do such a silly thing?

Perhaps, if you failed to understand the difference between broken fellowship and a broken covenant you would fall into such a fruitless pattern.

What we, as believers, need to know is that sin doesn’t destroy your covenant with God.

It does however; break your fellowship with Him.

In the same way that an argument can send my wife and I to separate corners of the house where we ‘stew’ instead of repent; my sin ‘separates’ me from God.

It is as if I go to the opposite end of the house from where God is (if that were even possible).  

I remain alienated from the intimate fellowship that is mine through Christ because I choose not to confess my sin, repent and be restored.

During that time I do not cease to be a child of God.

 I am a saint who has sinned.

I do not need to be “born-again-again” anymore than the couple who need not get married all over again following a spat.

This does not minimize sin; it magnifies the grace of God!   

Are you in time out – so to speak?

Is the fellowship broken through un-confessed sin in your life?

Bring it to God – confess and repent and be restored in fellowship with the Lord!

Obedience

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore.

Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,

"Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.

But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said,

"Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

Luke 5:1-11

In this short passage we find Jesus calling his first disciples. But it also reveals three things about obedience that we can apply to our own lives. Let me tell you what they are:

1. Obedience catches the fish. There would be no “catch” of verse six without the obedience, “…because you say so…” found in verse 5. Peter had to respond in obedience before he saw the results. Sometimes we want to respond only at the guarantee of results not in faithful obedience.
2. Obedience maximizes the catch. Read verses 6 and 7 again. God doesn’t just “do things”. He does all things well. He gives to us abundantly. When our purposes are tied to His kingdom purposes through obedience we will see everything we put our hands to blessed in abundant ways. If we don’t see abundance we should ask the questions: “Am I doing what God asked me to do?” “Am I being obedient?”
3. Obedience re-orders our priorities in life. Verse 11 says: “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” Notice they were leaving their “profession”, not at its lowest point but at the biggest catch of their careers. They were walking away from it all to follow Jesus. We don’t even find that they followed after “cashing in their catch”. It says they “…left everything…”. Sometimes obedience requires you to leave the good to pursue the best.

It Is As Plain As The Nose On Your Face!

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
    but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

Proverbs 28:13

It was strawberry picking season and my son, who was then 4 or 5 years old was on the back of the farm market wagon with his mom and grandmother.

The farmer turned around on his tractor and said to him:

“Now when you are out there picking, you can eat all the strawberries you want.”

Fast forward a little while later after all the picking and on the ride back.

The farmer turns around again but this time with a twinkle in his eye but with the sternest voice he could muster says:

“Now, you didn’t eat any of my strawberries did you?”

My son was too young to challenge that the farmer had told him it was o.k.

He simply looked at him and said no while simultaneously moving his head from left to right.

There was just one problem.

Every inch of his face and most of his t-shirt was stained with bright red strawberry juice.  This did more to indict him than any signed confession ever could.  

Funny, isn’t it, how we do the same thing with God?

We don’t like the consequences of our sin so we try to hide or cover up our transgressions.

It didn’t work in the Garden of Eden and it still doesn’t work today.

Sure, there may be many who go to their graves keeping secrets from others of the offenses they are ashamed of or don’t want anyone else to know.

But that is not possible with an omniscient God. 

We cannot hide our sin from Him.

To pretend that we can is to deny who God is.

Worse yet, it means we are unwilling to deal with them.

Don’t hide your sins.

There is forgiveness and mercy available to you as you confess and repent.

Separated By Sin

“But your iniquities have separated
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.

Isaiah 59:2

We have presented the undeniable truth that sin has consequences.

So what are the consequences of sin?

Well, there is no doubt that there are many consequences.

There are far too many, in fact, to cover in this one blog entry.

But let’s take a look at just one of them.

Sin divides relationships.

Broken trusts, un-kept promises, anger, these are just a token sample of the sins that can completely sever relationships that were once so close and that seemed indivisible. 

Joseph’s brothers allowed jealousy to sever their family bonds.

Cain was so enraged by Gods’ acceptance of Abel’s offering that he committed the ultimate act of separation by murdering his brother.

Listen to this broken relationship caused by Samson’s lust for Delilah:

“Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”

He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.”

But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”

Sin divides relationships.

Whether we are speaking of families, friends or especially our relationship with God our sin pushes away.

Some results of broken relationships are loneliness, isolation and abandonment.

Would anyone disagree if I said those effects are not Gods’ plan for you?

His plans for you are good.

His plans include strong and life-giving relationships with Him and with others. 

I have heard (and you probably have as well) people say:

“I am looking forward to hell, to be with all my friends.”   

What an ironic statement when you consider it.

They are looking forward to eternal separation from God and yet

speak of enjoying enduring relationships with friends.   

Sin divides relationships.

God restores relationships.