Always Maturing

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14, 15 ESV)

We talk a lot about maturing. No doubt God's design (as we see in nature) is that men and women are developed from the likes of boys and girls. Each of us have aspirations regarding the growth we desire in God. We a instructed to covet certain useful spiritual gifts, we are encouraged to find strength in difficult times of tribulation and trial by contemplating the truths that "patience is having her perfect work" and that "God is working out all things" on our behalf. In fact, I am often disappointed by my own slow maturation process. "Aren't you past that yet?", I quip.

Today it suddenly dawns upon me that there is "another law at work in my members" as the Apostle might say. Sin grows and matures, too. Hmmm, that can't be good! Indeed, the scripture tells me that sin looks remarkably like death when it reaches maturation. Sin, left unchecked, in our hearts and minds wreaks havoc and brings death and destruction. So which will come to maturity in me? Will I be spiritually mature and over come the sin that waits at the door looking to master me, or will sin mature and bring death?

I suppose it will be the thing that I feed most. Paul said that we will " reap from the flesh if we sow to the flesh". A startling and sobering thought.

Talking sex with the kids

For decades, movies and sitcoms have presented a caricature of the sweaty-palmed, birds-and-bees conversation in which Dad stammers through a convoluted description of sex to a preadolescent child — who, it turns out, knows all of the details already. The humor arises from the tension most parents feel about discussing sex with their kids. ("What if we tell him too much?" "Will this rob him of his innocence?" "What if he starts asking about what we do?")

What isn't so funny is the reality that too many children learn about sex from everyone but their parents. Playground slang and obscenity, a distorted description of intercourse from the tough kid up the street, or worst of all, a look at some pornographic material on cable TV or the Internet often provides a child's first jarring glimpse of sex. What should be seen as the most beautiful, meaningful and private communication between a married couple becomes a freak-show curiosity. "Mom and Dad did that? More than once?!"

Efforts by public schools to correct misinformation from the street and lack of information from home often leave out a critical ingredient: the moral framework within which the facts about reproduction should be presented. Without an ethical context, sex education becomes little more than basic training in anatomy, physiology, infectious diseases and contraception.

Many churches have made laudable efforts to teach biblical principles of sexuality to their youth groups. But these important concepts are not always accompanied by accurate medical information or refusal skills. Furthermore, youth-group presentations usually begin late in the game (i.e., during the teen years) and rarely involve an on-going dialogue about this subject.

The best place for a child to learn about sexuality is at home from those who care most about him. Anyone can teach the basic facts about reproduction in an hour or two (or they can be read in any of several reference books), but you are in the best position to put this information in the proper context and give it the right perspective over a period of years. There are no cut-and-dried formulas for carrying out this assignment, but keep the following principles in mind:
Giving a child facts about reproduction, including details about intercourse, does not rob him of innocence. Innocence is a function of attitude, not information. A school-age child who understands the specifics of sex, while seeing it as an act that, in the proper context, both expresses love and begins new life, retains his innocence. But a child who knows very little about sex can already have a corrupt mind-set if he has been exposed to it in a degrading, mocking or abusive context.
If you feel squeamish or inhibited about broaching this subject with your child, reflect for a moment about your own attitudes. Do you harbor any feelings that sexual activity, even within the context of marriage, is somehow base or something that God really doesn't approve of? If you realize that this is an issue for you, some conversations with your pastor, a counselor or both may be in order. Hopefully these discussions, and perhaps a reading of the Song of Solomon and other Bible passages, will alleviate any uneasiness you might harbor regarding God's attitude toward sexuality. Books that are reliable, informative and honoring to sex, marriage and the Creator of both can also be very helpful. Two good examples are The Gift of Sex: A Guide to Sexual Fulfillment by Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner and Intended for Pleasure by Dr. Ed and Gaye Wheat. But for many people uneasiness about sex may be rooted in life experiences, especially if they involve sexual abuse experienced during childhood, adolescence or even adulthood. It is never too late to address such issues with an individual who has training and experience in this area and can help you work toward healing.
Don't wait to tell your child everything you know about sex during a single, intense marathon session. Doing so risks either waiting until it's too late or dumping more in the child's lap than he can process. Instead, information should be released gradually during many conversations over a period of several years. (The same principle applies to any other area of life — faith, values, responsibilities, relationships, handling money and so on — in which you intend to offer guidance to your child. These subjects are too important to be confined to a single conversation.)
In many instances, you will be giving information on a need-to-know basis. Your five-year-old is probably going to want to know how the baby inside Aunt Susie is going to get out. But your child may not think to ask how the baby got there, and you don't need to broach the subject at that time. On the other hand, if you haven't yet had any discussions about reproduction with your ten-year-old, you will need to take the initiative to start some conversations. She has already heard all sorts of things on the playground and needs to hear from more reputable and mature sources.
What if your child asks you questions you can't answer? Be honest, and then do some research. You gain far more stature in your child's eyes by showing candor than by bluffing. You may not have a detailed knowledge of the intricacies of the menstrual cycle or the developmental stages of puberty, but you're never too old to learn. 

The Unusable Believer

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:16 ESV)

There are those who make much noise about their own righteousness. They are loud and brash with their opinions for or against this thing or that, making sure that we all know how deeply they hold their Faith. But Christian faith isn't simply a matter of belief. Yes, salvation is by faith alone, sola fide, as Paul makes crystal clear in his letter to the Romans. Yet, the tendency toward extremism is held in check by the word of James in 2.26 "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

Often scholars pit one Apostle against the other but here in the letter toTitus Paul clarifies the same teaching. Works betray the reality of ones faith. Put another way, saving faith has demonstrative acts that accompany that belief. The longer one walks with God the more our own insubordination and rebellion should subside into submission to the formative hand of God's Word. When we persist in our own ways we make ourselves useless for the King and his purposes.

The unusable Christian is most frustrated. Each challenging word from the pulpit does not fall upon good soil; every effort to do something of significance ends in futility; every step forward in growth is undermined by the shallow faith that cannot yield to the Lord. We must die daily to self. We MUST learn to submit to God. We do this excruciating work as an honor to God. If we don't we remain unusable.

Maximizing Mornings

For the past two weeks I have been very busy. Many days right from the jump. I was trying to maximize my time by hitting the road as soon as possible in the morning. But in order to facilitate that I was cheating on my time with God. I don't mean that I was living prayerlessly, but I was squeezing prayer time in here and there. Earlier this week I felt The Lord drawing me away for some deeper fellowship. I objected complaining about the list of unfinished business that was waiting for me but the Holy Spirit persisted in calling me. I found that quiet place and spent undivided time with The Lord. How rich was his presence! What amazing strength I felt in those moments, as if his power was radiating through me! The refreshing of his presence brought me peace, strength, and joy. Those next few days were so productive! But I soon found myself slipping into the old pattern of trying to maximize my mornings with meetings and labor. I have concluded the following; Morning is the time to pray, my mornings are maximized in the presence of true greatness (God) not by my effort, and my life is only able to maintain a grace and peace about it when I am rich in his presence.

Going Deeper-10 Revival Prayers

TEN SPECIFIC PRAYERS FOR REVIVAL AND SPIRITUAL AWAKENING!!

(Copied  from A Powerful Prayer Life G Frizzell)

 

1. Ask God to bring deep conviction of sin, spiritual brokenness, a holy fear of God and

genuine repentance among His people.

There will be no revival without these elements and

only God can produce them in His people. After all we cannot program or work up genuine

brokenness and repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

 

2. Pray for deep cleansing, genuine repentance, and spiritual power to engulf pastors and

Christian leaders.

Revival and spiritual awakening are extremely unlikely without a mighty

move of God in pastors and Christian leaders. Renewed pastors are absolutely crucial to a move

of God in our day! (Ephesians 6:14-20)

3. Pray for God to bestow spiritual hunger in His people and draw them to fervent

intercession.

God has to grant people the genuine faith and the fervent desire for prayer. With all

our promotion and programming, we cannot “produce a genuine prayer movement. (Philippians

2:13)

4. Pray that God will bring loving unity in our churches and a deep harmony between our

churches.

Many churches need healing among members and many churches need to stop

competing jealously with other churches. (John 13:35)

5. Pray for God to fill His people with a passion to see people saved.

(Only God can give a

genuine burden for souls.) Until God’s people intensely pray for the lost and do aggressive soul

winning revival will tarry. Be sure you are constantly praying for many lost people by name.

(Romans 9:1-3)

6. Pray for God to give His people a passion for missions and starting churches.

Great revivals

produce an explosion of mission projects, new ministries and new church starts. Only God can

grant a genuine passion for missions. (Matthew 28:19)

7. Pray that God will call thousands into ministry, missions and Christian service.

Many

churches are dying for lack of soul winners, teachers and church workers. Furthermore, we can

start only as many churches as we have church planters to start them. (Matthew 9:37)

8. Pray that God will pour out His Spirit like a mighty purifying flood.

Ask God to purify our

“motives as we pray for revival. After all it is possible to pray for revival for selfish or ambitious

reasons. Our motives must be solely for: (a) the glory of God, and (b) the increase of the

kingdom of God. We must not pray for revival just to solve our own problems or make our

church successful in the eyes of men. (James 4:2)

9. Pray for a mighty move of conviction and salvation upon communities of cultural influence.

Some key examples are Hollywood actors and producers, government officials, educators,

teachers, and college professors, news and media people, talk shows hosts, comedians,

homosexual activists groups, and the music industry. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Provide specific lists for

your congregation.

10. Specifically pray for God to pour out His Spirit in a fashion even greater than He did in

America in 1858 and Wales in 1904.

(Ten percent of Wales’ population was saved in five

months!) Ask God for a modern day of Pentecost in the United States and Canada. (Mark 11:22-

24; John 14:13-14.)

Let us so Pray!

Losing or Forfeiting Salvation

Here are soem notes from and Ask The Pastor session Wednesday evening.

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

 

The New Testament answer is simply yes.

            In nearly every book of the New Testament there is a warning regarding this.

                        Matt. 7.21 not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”

                        Mark 9.42ff  NIV if anyone causes one of these little onese who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to b e thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck…it is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be  thrown in Hell.

                        Luke 12:8-9 ESV .. “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

                        John 15.6.if anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown into the fire and burned….

                        Acts 8.18-23 Simon… believed (v13) baptized (v16) repent or perish!

 

 

There are those who believe otherwise but it is not a biblically formed belief but one from a systematic theology. By that I mean that it does not spring from the scriptures themselves. This is the result of forcing a system on the Scripture (Calvinism). This doctrine at its most extreme has God in the position of assigning who will be saved and damned by his own volition. It is a slander against the character of God. Scripture isn’t a systematic theology book…

 

So How to Lose your salvation….

                        Jn 15.6   Stop bearing fruit

                        Matt 12. 30-32 Blaspheme the Holy Spirit

                        Rev 3.5 Give up (He who overcomes will… be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life…)

                        1 Tim 1.18-20 fail to fight the good fight, keep faith, or have a good conscience. (Shipwreck yoru faith)

                        1 Cor 9.27 live an undisciplined life (I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize)

                        1 Cor 15.1,2 believe a false gospel. (I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have toaken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preaced to you. Other wise, you have believed in vain.

                        Gal 5.1-6  become entangled again in a yoke of slavery…. (You have fallen from grace!)

                        Rom 2. 1-11, 13,16  Judge others hypocritically. (Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath)

                        Heb 10.26 continue in sin rather than embracing God’s Work in you

                       

 

A Few New Testament Examples of those who have lost their salvation

False teachers 2 Peter 2.20-22

Hymaneaus and Alexander 1 Tim 1.20

Unnamed “Lord, Lord” folks in Matthew 7 

Simon Acts 8

           

Joy Stealers

Like the Hamburglar from McDonalds, these bothersome creatures keep showing up to steal our most precious commodity...our joy. The Christian's joy is his or her greatest witnessing tool, strongest defense against tempation, and greatest relational asset. If you have been letting the JoyThief rip you off you already know this! Here is my list of things that seem to steal the joy frequently.

a.       Anxiety- though the bible says not to worry in Matthew 6 many of us allow this culprit to walk off with our treasured joy.

b.      Angry Words-Strife divides friends, and that gives room to the JoyThief

c.       Discontentment- It is impossible to hang on to joy when you haven't learned to be content Phil 4

d.      Jealousy-All that inner turmoil, even if it never surfaces, kills your joy. Love is not jealous 1 Cor 13

e.       Unforgiveness- This causes our joy to be swallowed up and pilfered  because we are too occupied with business that should be forgiven. Mark 11

f.       Legalism- Binding ourselves to religious and unbiblical expectations and traditions kills joy Gal 5.1

g.      Busy-ness- Overcrowding your schedule  is like leaving the door opn for the thief...

h.      Family Strife-make peace and you will find that your joy is restored.

i.        Clutter- you don''t have to be fastidious, just clean, to protect your joy

j.        Over-thinking- Think it through, make a decision, let it go. Joy always looks forward...

k.      Over emotionalism- If you are lead by your emotions you will find every emotion available to you except joy!

l.        Fear- the twin of anxiety, fear demands a full heightened response, and therefore rips off the joy. Fear Not!

m.    Prayerlessness- Joy comes from God. nuf said!

n.      Failure in Temptation-Guilt, both real and percieved, stifles joy. bring your guilt to God, go and sin no more!\

 

 

I suppose there are more but this list is a good beginning check list to find out where your joy went!

Febprayerary

This morning I was awakened wondering why people throw their lives away. Even many who have come to the Lord do sinful, self destructive things. Often these things cost them and those who love them dearly. Untimely deaths, horrific sickness, bondages and habits that limit joy and effectiveness in the Kingdom all come from these self destructive and sinful lifestyle choices. Certainly, there is a difference between having an experience with God and being in relationship with God. That in itself may explain some of this. Many of the people who followed Jesus had no relationship with him. They followed for the novelty, or out of curiosity, or for the fish sandwiches! But they didn't know him.

But we all do some mildly self destructive things. We all know Christ followers who struggle with tobacco,overeating, soap operas, or half a dozen other seemingly mild unedifying and self destructive things. It concerns me that those things, left unchecked will wreck our lives and testimonies for Christ. Maybe I am jaded having been to the funeral of one too many believers in Christ who never fully got what we old time Pentecostals called the victory. God has better.

So this month  I have decided to pray over my life and the life of the church here the simple prayer of Paul from Col 1.10-14. That God would guide us into a worthy life. I challenge you to pray it with me every day.  May God lead us into spiritual health and away from the things that compromise our witness for God.

Praying with Confidence

^{I John 3.21}Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²²and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Too often we come before God with reasons why he shouldn't answer our prayers ringing in our ears. Often this is Satan's work of condemnation even as we approach the very throne of God. he knows that if he can errode our confidence and boldness we will be hesitant to ask for what we do not deserve. And of course, we do not deserve anything good- hence the concept of grace.

But there is another aspect to this lack of confidence in our approach to God. It is the voice of our own conscience condemning us for half hearted obediences and lazy pursuit of the holiness of God. The context of the verse above is the role of sin in the life of the believer. We are too often lazy in walking out God's holiness. Don't get me wrong, God is not demanding perfection. We will always need to lean upon his grace in our approach to God. But when we come before the Lord we must remember these things...

1) Jesus is our advocate. The finished work of Christ alone makes us worthy of approach to the throne of God. And we should approach with a holy boldness.

2) We are living for Jesus! This promise of "whatever we ask" is not for the half hearted , fairweather beleivers. It is for those whose heart does not condemn them. This is the definition of praying in faith!

3) Our obedience is never perfect but it is growing into a habitual pleasing of God.

Knowing the grace of God, knowing our lifestyle of faith, knowing the willingness of the Lord to hear our petitions... Let us approach with faith.

Knowing the Season

Prov 24:27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that build your house.

Wen my kids were little I determined that we would not sit inside all winter and hope for spring. So we went sledding in the winter, and skating and eventually the kids took up figure skating and hockey. Winters became a season of fun rather than staring out the window and wishing for warm weather.

The point of the proverb above is that certain seasons in life have specific priorities. When you don't know what to do, or you don't know what should take priority in your life it's likely that you have failed to discern the season. Too many Christ-followers find themselves in this place! Diligence and duty are misplaced or worse -disobedient- if you don't know the season that you are in.

And each season has, along with its priorities, stumbling blocks and hardships. For instance, the season of singleness  has the hardship of loneliness, yet Paul spoke of the opportunities for growth and ministry that happen when you are single. The season of child rearing is exhausting. Homework with the kids, shopping for school supplies, up all night with a sick child, etc. Yet some of our greatest impact happens in the shaping of young lives. The season of the empty nest has a seasonal priority of reconnecting with the spouse you live with but have grow apart from. But it can be trying snd frustrating too.

There are other seasons beside those of chronology. There are seasons of growing in bible knowledge, or developing in faith, or learning to love like Jesus, or developing ministry skills. Each season has its advantages and disadvantages . Don't grow weary chasing the wrong priorities. The season defines the priorities. And when it becomes arduous in that season remember that each season has its benefits too!

We can become weary of a season...we all do. But remember this...seasons DO change!

Quench Not!

Reading through 1 Thessalonians 5 the other day and I came to the flurry of last minute one sentence commands from Paul to the fledgling church in Thessalonica.

¹²We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,^£ encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies, ²¹but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

 

Some of these are easy to understand. Rejoicing is important to the general moral of the church. (Nothing good comes of the fault finder who can't find joy in the moment!) Being thankful... I think we get that. Abstaining from evil (not the appearance of evil as one translation says. This has nothing to do with how things look, rather, every appearance of evil is literally "every where evil appears"!) But then we come to DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT. What? What kind of church would want to be the kind of church where the spirit is quenched? Who quenches the Spirit?

 

1. People who have grown cynical. Sometimes they say "Don't rely on emotions!" but the message they are really saying to the zealous is "calm down you will again be disappointed and grow callous and cynical as I have". This is really unfair to the person who has zeal. Rather than squash someones zeal we should add knowledge. Proverbs 19.2 says "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. " Rather than squash someones passion for Jesus, if you are concerned that it is strictly emotional, wait for the teachable moment and point them to the truth of the Lord. For instance, if someone is buring hot for God our message is not "calm down" but rather at the moment when the fire seems to wane a little stir them on to serve irrespective of emotion and zeal. God's work can be furthered rather than hindered.

 

2. People who are convicted. Often we are provoked by anothers fire. It actually casts light on the shadowy areas of our own lives... and we don't appreciate that when we are trying to hide our lukewarm hearts.Oswald Chambers writes in the Classic My Utmost for His Highest, "... if in sharing your personal testimony you continually have to look back, saying, “Once, a number of years ago, I was saved.” If you have put your “hand to the plow” and are walking in the light, there is no “looking back”— the past is instilled into the present wonder of fellowship and oneness with God (Luke 9:62 ; also see 1 John 1:6-7). If you get out of the light, you become a sentimental Christian, and live only on your memories, and your testimony will have a hard metallic ring to it. Beware of trying to cover up your present refusal to “walk in the light” by recalling your past experiences when you did “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7). When-ever the Spirit gives you that sense of restraint, call a halt and make things right, or else you will go on quenching and grieving Him without even knowing it."

 

3. People who are living contrary to the will of God. We surely can learn a great deal from others, but only if our hearts are submissive to truth. There needs to be a cultivation of humility and submission to the truth of God in our lives. Otherwise, we will try to dampen anyone's fire because it stir up conviction and because it infuriates the rebellious nature of our flesh. People who practice gluttony don't like to hear about self control! And when that rebellion gets stirred up it often lashes out at the spiritual person nearest us. A Spouse, a Friend, a co worker can have their spirit's fire quenched when rebellion stirs.

 

4. People who are confused because they haven't had the experience. Sometimes I hear people warn me regarding getting too spiritual. (Is that even possible?) I find that it is often because I am walking where they haven't been before. Spiritual experiences are otherworldly that is true but God is a God who leads his children from glory to glory! Don't fear the things of God... pursue God and he will lead you into truth!

 

 5. People who don't understand the need. The task given the church is large and gradiose that it is impossible unless we have the spirit's fire burnign bright. When we lose sight of our need for the miraculous intervention of God then we eventually don't see the need for this spiritual fire. In fact, we cannot be half of what the Lord has called us to be without the fire of God!

 

Let's determine to stoke fires rather than put them out. To feed the flame rather than steal the heat. To Burn brighter than ever before...Because we have a world to win for Jesus!

 

 

Lead or get out of the Way

The great hunger in every arena of life these days is for leadership. It is especially true in the church. For lack of leaders the church flounders in its mission. The church model we follow here at CLC is one that is based upon the book of Antioch model. Various ministries were called out of the Antioch church. These were assigned by the Holy Spirit to different leaders. They each gathered teams of ministries and began to do what God called them to do. For Paul and Barnabus we read that the Holy Spirit separated them to the minsitry of church planting through out the unevangelized gentile world. They gathered teams of ministers to follow them. Among Paul and Baranbus served Luke, Silas, Timothy, Titus, and a number of other lesser known spiritual leaders. We recognize that they leadership style they saw imodeled n Paul was implimented and mimiced in the their later ministries.

So how can you tell if you are a leader. Here are a few simple litmus tests that EVERY leader will live out.

Leaders lead out of their own God encounter. They are not dependant upon being spoon fed or entertained into the will of God. Jesus ministered out of his time with Father. Where ever he went he brought people to God. In the synagogue, on the dusty Jerusalem trail he "brought people up". To many of us are waiting for the next spiritual fad to tickle our carnal fancy. Leaders lead because they know where they are going. Is this pressure? You better believe it is!
Leader challenge people to purpose. Spiritual leadership is defined by great sacrificial generosity. Real Spiritual leadership calls people to follow but doesn't demand uniformity. Each of us have a purpose that is different and God inspired. Leaders aren't interested in recieving as they sit in the church as much as they are interested in giving out and mentoring others.

Leaders are out front and available. You can't take people where you haven't been and you can't lead people when your not out front. At CLC it is expected that Spiritual leaders will be available to lead. They don't have all the answers but they are their to push beyond the question. Leaders can't always leave service early, or be absent from their assigned place of ministry. To be Christ like is to be present at the moment of need.

Leaders work for transformation. They're goal is not to put on a slick service but to work for life transformation. Spiritual growth and spiritual health is foremost in their mind.It is their passion and their hunger; but not because they need the applause or accolades of men or titles, but because they are following Jesus.

Leaders raise the core temperature of the places that they go. Their presence should cast vision. Their life should be a challenge. They should smell of hope and sound like transformation. They should be walking billboards for what God is doing in these days. And they should be looking forward not backward at the past.

The Leaders authority comes out of the God encounters that they have not the titular recognition by men. In other wards a servant is a servant because he serves... whether or not he has the title of deacon. A pastor is a pastor when he sheperds, irrespective of his position in the church.

Fire came down to the Israelites in the desert to lead them in the Exodus. In the same way, we must pray that the leadership of the church expereinces the fire of God, that they will lead us out. Otherwise, we will just wander in circles around the mountain of the Lord.

Dealing with Tough Times

Okay, so the stuff hit the fan. Times are tough. You need to hear this- "Tough times don't last, tough people do." Go ahead say it out loud. It's not new...it's true. Here are three steps that will help you through the tough times.

1. Deal with the things that can be changed.
     Some things that we go through can be changed. You can adjust to the downsize. You can pick up a part time job until the right full time one comes along. You can find a way to change the circumstances. It may require schooling, training, and sacrifice. Granted you probably don't want to go back to school, or to self train on IT infrastructure, and no body likes to sacrifice. But you can deal with it.
     Changing the things that challenge you is a expression of your power as a person. God will give you the wherewithal to overcome the obstacles you face if you will seek Him and listen. Don't use precious prayer time to moan, grumble and complain about your disappointment. Suck it up and think through the issue in the presence of God and you will find a way to change that which is your challenge.

2. Deal with the things that can't be changed (by you).
     Not everything can be changed. You don't have control over the national economy, or the price of gas, or bring rain in a drought. Discerning what is change-able is the first step. When you are left with these things that cannot be changed you will have to do one of the following;
                  Find a Work Around- If there is a way to circumvent the issue, take it.
                  Accept the Reality- It doesn't have to be something that haunts your every waking moment
                  Change your Thinking- Changing the way we think is a part of the act of growing. If it can't  change then you must. That starts with you way of thinking about the circumstance.

Remember, God can change things. Pray, without obsessing, about the situation. Be mindful that often when we pray for God to change things, we are one of the things that gets changed!

3. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
     The world, your family, your coworkers are all looking for someone to step up and lead. Panic is for the weak. Rise up and make the adjustments and move forward. Others will follow your way out of the darkness and you will find a purpose in having a great testimony to share of God's provision of the exodus! Anyone can complain. Anyone can wallow in self pity. Anyone can bemoan the facts of tough times. But few will seize the moment to make a difference.

Tough Times don't last, Tough People do.

The Place of Blessing

What does it mean to be in the place of blessing? And what must I do to make my life into the type of life the God desires to bless? As I thought of these questions I became more and more convinced that there are some important steps that I can take to insure blessing on my life. Like you, I want my life to be a life that is a place of blessing.

1. Do I have a Heart Condition?- I recognize that God is looking beyond my outward appearance, beyond my externals, and looking into my heart. I am not always comforted by this prospect as I know that my heart can be "deceitfully wicked". But God sees down to the core. Amazing, isn't it? God looks beyond even the current manifestation of my own sinfulness and into my heart. In less than a second God has me sized up. He knows if my heart is entertaining grievous thoughts, if my heart is resistant to him or compliant, if my heart is soft and mold-able or hard and rebellious. If I want the blessing of God on my life I need to be consistently monitoring the "garden of my heart". Do I find myself resisting his commands? Do I demand they are completely understood by my limited, finite mind before I obey? Do I fight the will of God? Am I stubbornly resisting or am I yielding to his direction?

2. Am I a giver?- One of the reasons God asks us to give is to demonstrate the trust we have in him. Seriously, a lot of people talk a good game but few people practice the art of giving. Do I practice giving my money to the needy and the poor? Do I give habitually? By that,  I mean is it my regular practice to tithe (give a 10th) as the scriptures demand? Am I giving beyond the requirements of the Pharisees (Luke 18.12 and Matthew 5.20)? Do I care to support the ministry of missionaries around the globe? Do I give beyond my comfort level?

3. Am I a servant?- Do I practice the art of service? Do I see myself as one who has come to serve or to be served? Jesus viewed himself as a servant (Mark 10.45) do I expect that I should have a higher view of myself than my Lord has of himself? And if I do then is he really Lord of my life? When I do serve am I compelled to complain or am I challenged to find the things that God is teaching me in that act of servitude? Do I only serve those who can repay me, or is there a portion of my service that is offered up to God alone?

4. Do I walk in love?- It is hard to measure love. It certainly goes beyond a feeling in the recesses of my heart. Are my actions those of Christ's love or are they marred by self interest? Is it all about me, or is it about others? Am I convinced of God's love for myself so much that I feel constrained to love those around me, even those whom society has rejected? Do I go beyond what is expected?

I am sure there is more to having my life being a "place of blessing" but certainly there is plenty here to begin the soul work necessary to be blessed. If we understand it correctly the blessing of God on our life will not only enrich us but will flow through us to others and to the glory of God. Lord, make us a truly blessed people. Amen.

The Trouble with Compromise

We all do it from time to time. We compromise what we know to be good and right. A little lie, a half truth here or there, an act of disobedience that is in private, you get the idea. What we are talking about is going against your conscience. You know that you are supposed to be one way and you behave another. Human beings often overlook the little compromises in our behaviors but they are not without consequence. No, there are tragedies that exist today because of small compromises in the past. Marriages fail long before adultery happens, they fail when the Biblical standard is compromised. Businesses fail because of small compromises in the past. Ministries struggle today because truth has been compromised in the past.

Compromise is dangerous because it removes us from the place of God's obvious blessing, and because it erodes our foundation, and it jeopardizes our trustworthiness and calls our character into account. There once was a man who was in the  place of temptation. Family members were playing to his greed and telling him that a small compromise would make him money...lots of money. "Pastor what do you think?..." he began to ask me. Holding up my hand I told him this truth. "Don't compromise your soul". Unfortunately for him, he didn't listen to me. The temptation proved to be too much. And today he pays the price for his trifling with sin.

Carpenters will know this truth. If you are putting in a chair rail or cabinets, every step must be checked to insure that it is "true" to the level. Otherwise when all the work is done  and the rails go around the room, they will not match up. Your failure to stay true will be seen by all. The small compromise will eventually become obvious!

Meekness

From a friend "What did Jesus mean when he said 'the meek shall inherit the earth'?"

Some people think this has to do with a sort of effeminate weakness. But in the Greek New Testament, “meek” is from the Greek term praus. It does not suggest weakness; rather, it denotes strength under control. The ancients used the term to describe a wild horse tamed to the bridle.

So the promise is that the earth will belong to one who has channeled his strengths into the service of God. This is Spiritual discipline! Show me the person who has the discipline to refrain from acting out in anger, passion, lust, or intimidation and I will show you a person who will be respected by those who work with him or those who know him.

The question is is this a future blessing that is described or a present reality. Context seems to indicate that this is a present reality. God's blessing on those who have channeled their strengths into service of the King will find blessing on this earth. In a sense, the earth is theirs because they have this blessed spiritual discipline.

Is there a future blessing involved? Certainly, there is the millennial kingdom to consider. Those faithful in this life will be given future blessings, responsibility, leadership and authority. But we must not diminish the present reality either.

The Fellowship of Shamed

Dear friend,

What happened? I saw you the other day and your eyes darted away from mine in shame. You have separated yourself from people who care about you (however imperfectly) and find yourself cut off from God, his people, and most tragically his grace. You have joined the fellowship of the shamed.

It probably started with a compromise, it almost always does. Maybe you felt slighted, hurt or wounded and you could justify your compromise with sin. Now, many small compromises later you are walking in shame. Your friends and family members are concerned. They see your anger and your sin because you have changed. You probably don't think you have, but it is true. I was looking through a stack of photos and found a picture of you when you walked with the "unashamed". You had that radiant joy! You had such a beautiful hope and sense of promise.

I am praying that God will bring you back. Restoration is preferable to destruction. And make no mistake, destruction is on the horizon. That is the way it is when we walk away from truth. Please, please consider your life...the step back is hard, I know. But it is altogether simple. Repent. Earnestly ask for God's forgiveness. He can restore the broken. A bruised reed he will not break.

I write this not to further shame you...you have enough of that already. I write to remind you of the way back home to Father's house.

We miss you,

Pastor

Epic Failure

When ever a pastor, a minister, or a ministry leader fails it can come down to a single issue. We have seen over the years great men and women of God have failures. Often they are moral failures. Occasionally they are financial failures.  Frequently there are failures to honor the vision God deposited in their hearts. And less often they are failures to launch into ministries that God has called them to. The ultimate cause is a failure to believe the gospel of Jesus.

I know that seems too sweeping a judgment but I have found it to be true in my 3 decades of ministry. At the very core of the gospel we know that we are charged with one work. Jesus said that our work was to believe on the Son. That means to believe what he says about us, to believe what he says about our purpose in life and ministry, and to believe (and practice!) what he says about others. I cannot think of a single failure in ministry that doesn't spring from this failure to believe.

For instance, when a church planter hears the call of God to launch a church in some locality that God has chosen he or she must launch into a faith walk. 2 years later, having encountered severe headwinds, and being buffeted by life, Satan, and countless other resistences... they suddenly "hear a call" to leave this calling. Failing to endure has little to do with the strength of purpose... It, more often than not, reveals a loss of trust in God for the fruit. Or when a ministry flounders from vision whiplash it is usually a sign of deserting the vision that God put in the heart of the ministry leader.

This tells us that every ministry leader needs to examine his heart to find out if he or she is still in the faith. This internal examination is biblical and necessary if we are to have healthy business. A significant portion (THE significant portion?) of ministry is the examination of my inner world, looking at my heart to ask myself significant questions about my faith.

Do I still believe that God will provide?
Do I still believe the vision that God has deposited in my heart?
Am I still trusting that I am destined for failure if I rely upon my flesh?
Do I still believe that God can truly redeem the lives of others around me?

The answers to these and deeper soul searching questions require outward manifestations in my behavior. I must demonstrate that confidence, kindness, and compassion toward others. I must arise from the prayer closet with an answer rather than a list of more questions. I must take the next step in ministry with absolute trust. These externals are reflective of faith on the inside.

If I fail to live with introspection, I will fail. So guard your hearts, saints...

Designer Worship?

 I read recently that most evangelical pastors believe that tithing is not required for NT believers. It seems that we have become a people of strange fire. We like to design our worship to satisfy ourselves. But God's standard never changes. Cain and Able brought offerings (long before the Law) as a way to honor God. Worship always involves giving... even if that makes your flesh uncomfortable. The tenth (1/10 or 10% or tithe) has fallen out of fashion with American Christians. Why am I not surprised? Jesus warned us that we cannot serve both God and money!

We must ask ourselves the following questions if we are serious about being Christ followers and true worshippers in this world that we live in.

What standard of giving did God promise to bless in the Mal 3.10?
Does my 'self designed' giving pattern "exceed the righteousness of the pharisees"? (Matt. 5.20)
Do I give cheerfully? Generously? Weekly? Do I excel in the grace of giving? or am I cheap and selfish? (2Cor 8-9)
Do I recognize that my blessings are tied to my giving? (2Cor 9.6-12) 


Perhaps instead of "designer worship" we should be worshiping in accordance with the Designer!

Scofflaws in Charge?

Frustrated with their inability to change the laws regarding marriage in Illinois fast enough, the establishment leadership has adopted a new tactic. Simply ignore the laws they don't like! They will do an end around the existing laws by seizing upon Pres. Obama's public flip-flop on gay marriage. Gay activist groups and the ACLU are suing the Cook County Clerk on behalf of 25 couples who were refused a marriage license. This mornings Tribune reports that the Cook County Clerk - David Orr is "hoping" that these lawsuits "are the last hurdle to achieving equal marriage for all". Uh, excuse me, Mr. Orr, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act prohibits marriage "between 2 individuals of the same sex". But it is clear that David Orr will lay down rather than fight for the law. The Governor of Illinois- Pat Quinn-has endorsed same-sex marriage and will not fight the lawsuit either. Pres. Obama has already instructed the US department of justice to stop defending any lawsuits against the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Clearly, the Obama White House and the leadership of Illinois must feel that we ignorant slobs out here aren't smart enough to understand the implications of the current laws. But Civil Unions in Illinois gave all the legal benefits of marriage to homosexual couples. It seems what the gay activists are demanding is justification and full acceptance of homosexual marriage. But this end around the will of the people isn't going to lessen any rifts in our social fabric. If anything it guarantees a division (and maybe a political base for these scofflaws in high offices!)

So what is the electorate supposed to do when those in charge of defending the laws against these kinds of lawsuits  refuse to do so, so they can simply do an end around the legal process to ensure their political agenda is moved forward and their supporters appeased? The 32 states that have defeated proposed Same-sex legalization, are they to be ignored? This is scary... the laws are being ignored or circumvented by those who were elected to enforce them. What can the people, whose voice is being ignored, do?

Vote the Bums Out!!!!

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