Today's Christian Martyrs

Who are today's Christian Martyrs? This question might be more properly phrased, "Are there any Christian martyrs today?" A martyr is one who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion; a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle; or a great or constant sufferer. Are there any today who have so dedicated their lives to Christ and His cause that they have paid the ultimate price or those who suffer constantly for His sake? Jesus once said to His disciples in Luke 14:26, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple."

This is the mark of all those who may be called martyrs today. These individuals have learned, even as Christ learned obedience in the things that he suffered, to hate their own lives and willingly travel a road of suffering. They seek the things of God, the furtherance of His Kingdom and the vindication of his name with a zeal and passion nearly foreign to the modern Christian.

The majority of today's Christian martyrs are nameless to the outside world. Their selfless dedication to the great commission has brought them no earthly fame or notoriety.

It is difficult for those of us living in areas that have avowed freedom of religion to understand the concept of religious persecution and martyrdom. There are two reasons for this. First, since there is a freedom to worship whatever god or set of religious codes one wishes, most individuals go to and fro to their places of worship without any hint of the value of the privilege; they receive no renunciation from those who disagree with their ideals or challenge their lifestyles.

Secondly, we have not learned to "hate" our own lives. We are so entangled with the pursuit of the "dream" that we dare not live in anything less than whatever comfort we can or cannot afford. If necessary, we will remain silent rather than be ridiculed or intimidated because of what and who we believe.

David and Linda are a striking exception to the average Christian today. Eighteen years ago these present-day martyrs left their home and church in Brooklyn, NY to minister the gospel of Y'shua to the Jews in Israel. They have undergone severe persecution paralleling the ordeals of the early Christian church. David has had his back opened up many times from beatings; they have suffered threats and intimidation. Yet the gospel continues to go forward in Israel; their converts include Jews and Arabs and Gentiles. They must use extreme methods to preach the gospel to the Palestinians and Muslims; those who convert risk being ostracized and/or tortured. Many have lost their lives simply because they would not renounce their new found Savior. David must secretly meet believers in out-of-the-way places to minister to them and encourage them in the faith. They cannot worship openly and freely.

One of David's converts, an ex-muslim, suffered much hardship. This new believer had lost everything. He was separated from his wife and children; he had lost his job and had been ousted from his neighborhood. He was living in an unsanitary "room" which was nothing more than a deep rectangular hole in the ground. There was very little light and fresh air. He had to rely upon others to bring him food. These others also put their lives at risk to minister to his needs. This type of discomfort is foreign to us who live in luxury. There are many highly civilized parts of the world where the authorities cause those who believe in Jesus Christ to suffer. There is no freedom of religion, only the guise of such. These modern day believers in Jesus Christ, their sufferings unheralded, are today's Christian martyrs. They have forsaken all to follow Christ. These nameless individuals have counted the cost and found that Christ is worthy. They have decided that they would "be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time" (Hebrews 11:24-25).

What to do with Christian discomfort?

     The Christian encounters discomfort from time to time in various areas of their lives.  What are they to do with this discomfort?  As with most things, discomfort can be positive and negative.  How we handle that is up to us and our relationship with God.  Part of the problem is identification.  Do we identify as God's own or do we stand in the world wondering where we are?  Whenever we encounter a problem we should immediately ask ourselves what God is in that problem.  Is he doing what he said he will do in the Word?  Is he using that problem to cause positive or negative discomfort in the Christians life?  Both, again, can work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  There it is again!  The focus on God and what He is doing in bringing His will to fruition in and around our lives is prevalent if only we would take the time to see it.  When encountering each and every day we can see either the hand of the devil or the hand of God.  We can serve either as well.  Remember that God never violates our free will. 
     When in a social or work setting people who foul language or tell dirty jokes are a real turn off for me.  The fact that they think they are doing something "funny" isn't funny at all.  These Christians are flaunting their lack of relationship with God whenever they do so.  James 4:17 tells us that "If we know what is right to do and don't do it, we sin."  Sin should take us to a place of discomfort with God and consequently with mankind.  The world wants this tension in our lives and has brought mankind to a place where we almost feel the need to sin in order to fit in or to be a part of the crowd.  The reality of knowing what we are doing should fuel us to find a place of comfort (with God) instead of remaining in a state of discomfort with those around us.  It's better to be offensive to those around us than to be offensive to the God who loves us.  The discomfort that our faith generates amongst unbelievers and believers alike isn't our problem.  We don't need to be "politically correct" when we are Godly correct.  Should something you or I say, think, or do reflect the love of God, it will almost certainly offend someone. 
     Christian discomfort either convicts you of what you are doing outside the will of God or it convicts others as you are doing what's inside the will of God.  Discomfort is important for our growth.  If, as a Christian, you aren't in a state of causing discomfort around you, one needs to ask what you ARE doing or NOT doing.  Billy Graham lives his life as an example of this.  His steadfast faith is known around the world and many have given their lives to Jesus because they were put in that discomfort zone by the Holy Spirit through Billy.  Presidents may not like what he has to say to them (as they do with his son), politicians may cringe when he walks onto the floor, expectations may rise or fall amongst people all because Billy has lived his life for God alone.  There are many others who have done the same.  The 12 disciples, the prophets, those healed by Jesus are only a few categories.  Your children should feel the discomfort of their sin if you have parented them in the way of the Lord. 
     We are in a pivotal time in history where our Christian discomfort (positive and negative) is shaping the way the world sees or doesn't see Jesus.  There are countless millions who do not know Jesus.  Does your or my discomfort prod them on to see Jesus or does it cause us to withdraw and be ineffective in our witness?  Discomfort can be your friend or your enemy.  With all other things in life, it's a choice of whether we want to live for Jesus or not.  It's always your choice.

Christian complaining

     "Thou shall not complain."  No, it's not one of the ten commandments.  Guilting by fellow Christians doesn't make it a commandment either.  "All things work together for good for those..."  Still not one of the 10.  We innately know that complaining isn't what God wants us to do.  However we still do the complaining.  At least I do.  We'll get to that in a moment.  The Bible is full of God's people individually and collectively complaining.  Whether it was to be rescued or to overcome someone or something, the complaining was present.  In Thurston County, Washington, killing gophers is illegal as they are a protective species.  However, the abundantly annoying mole is left for us to kill.  That's a good thing.  They ruin more than they help.  You see, there is a connection with complaining and our ability to justify and rationalize that action on our part or on someone else's part.  Complaining is here to stay.  I complain about things from the weeds that seem to be way beyond prolific but only in my garden or flower beds.  I complain about the animals that enter my yard to do their business.  I complain about traffic, politics, friends, enemies, courts, and so many other things.  Am I preaching to the choir?
     In looking at complaining from a Christian perspective there are questions that arise about how we should react before the complaining starts.  Complaining is basically saying (to the Christian) that God hasn't taken care of something.  Complaining is saying that we know better than God and if we were God we would have taken care of this or that a long time ago.  Complaining says that others actions, words and thoughts aren't good enough to some unspoken standard.  Complaining teaches our children to do the same.  What would happen if instead of complaining we proclaimed joy at every junction of our lives?  Would we be seen as the eternal optimist?  Would people think that we have "arrived" and curse our life?  Would we be a believable witness to the greatness, love and grace of God?  And yet I complain and you probably do so as well.  Perhaps if we understood the point of not complaining we would be better fitted for the mission of leading others to Jesus who complained not as he was beaten, falsely judged, condemned and crucified?  Certainly that would change the perspective and perhaps our lives as well.  But even Jesus complained as he threw the money changers out of the temple, confronted the hypocritical religious people he was accused by.  Yet, God has the right to complain.  Do we have that same right?
     What is a Christian to do?  First and foremost, we must bring our complaints to God in prayer.  Laying our complaints before God was something clearly outlined throughout the Old and New Testament.  Acknowledging that we have complaints before the Father allows us to leave them on the altar where they belong.  Having left our complaint to God to deal with we are faced with the second step which is very difficult for most  That is actually believing that God IS dealing with the situation and IS taking care of the situation and HAS already formed a solution to our complaint even before we have uttered the complaint to him.  He isn't interested in the complaints outside of this formula.  He wants us to let him have free rein in all areas of our life.  So, whether we are in a good or bad place in our lives it's important to realize that he has the perfect solution tat will keep the good good and let the bad be transformed.  Realizing that I am powerless over whatever I am complaining about is the final step we must take.  You and I have no power over the situation in the world.  You and I have all the power to lay those situations at the foot of the cross and LEAVE them there.  It's always your choice.

Once we neglect our faith

     As I've said before, my dogs are funny.  Yesterday we were out in the front yard.  I was pulling weeds and they were "sniffing" everything.  That's their job.  Suddenly out of the bushes came the "croak, croak" of a frog.  This mystified them and they cocked their heads from side to side because they couldn't see the frog.  That's the frog's job.  After a few moments the frog stopped and the dogs went on to chase imaginary noises in the bushes and to do their business.  So, with weeds lining my driveway and iris bulbs and other plants ready to be planted I went on to do other stuff.  The dogs neglected to chase a squirrel and I neglected to finish my job of planting.  That's my job.  We all have jobs where we neglect what seems like the real focus of those jobs.  Eve and Adam neglected to obey God.  Lot's wife neglected to obey God.  The list reads like a who's who in the Bible as we unveil the Old and New Testament stories.  The neglecting we do has all kinds of excuses attached to them.  In the end, they are all just excuses.  Or are they?  If we look at the neglect area alone, we will recognize nothing.  When we look at the consequences then the picture gets quite different.
     The damage from neglect is unfixable.  There is a finality in our neglecting that can never be retrieved.  The innocence of simple faith and simple obedience gets mucked up with all the superfluous garbage of the world.  Soon, we find ourselves neck deep in water similar to those who laughed at Noah.  To late, sorry.  The Egyptians found out too late that they couldn't defeat God.  There were many who were very surprised when the walls and the city of Jericho fell to the ground by simple obedience of Joshua and the Israelites to the instruction of God.  The greatest neglect is our "neglecting such a great salvation."  The Bible is clear that those who neglect the need of their soul will spend eternity in hell.  The cries of the lost, those who neglected God, will be lost in the torment of hell forever.  Neglect has it's consequences.  Should we neglect attending to our faith, we will fall.  Perhaps not to a state of apostasy but certainly to a place where the blessings of God cannot be enjoyed.  Replacing the joy of God with the joy of the world only neglects the blessings of being saved by the Lord.
     Should I neglect pulling weeds, my garden will be overcome with them and the beauty of the garden will be diminished or even eradicated.  Should I neglect the care of what God has entrusted me with regarding my home and property that too will be diminished and eventually decay and fall apart.  Should I neglect exercise my body will become weak and unable to function as God intended.  Should I neglect restricting eating and drinking what I'm allergic to, my body will suffer.  Should I fail to read the Word and pray, my faith will become weak and the blessings of God will taper off.  Should I neglect my relationships with family, friends, work and enemies my witness will become thin if not invisible.  Should I focus my life on the world instead of God my faith will represent the world and not God.  Should you do so, the results will be the same.  It's always your choice.

A Christian And Anger: How To Overcome It.

A Christian And Anger: How To Overcome It

I Was Angry
I mentioned in my last post that someone made me angry.
So I asked — How should Christians view anger?  And I saw from Matt 5:22, Eph 4:31, and Col 3:8 that I should see my anger as wrong.
Then I asked — Why is it wrong?  And I saw that anger means trying to satisfy my pain by getting back at the person who hurt me — by thinking bad thoughts about them, giving them the silent treatment, slandering them, and so forth.
But that’s wrong, because God tells me not to get back at people, and because only Jesus Christ can fully satisfy my heart-pain.
OK.  But that leaves one more question —
How Can I Overcome My Anger?
This is something God calls Christians to do —

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So God calls me to put away all my anger.  But how?
Many of us try will-power or psychological techniques, like —

• Taking a deep breath.
• Counting our blessings.
• Letting go of what is troubling us.
• Focusing on positive thoughts.

These might bring temporary relief.  But the relief won’t last, because none of these techniques deal with the root cause.
What Is The Root Cause?
In 1 Samuel 18 we read that Saul became very angry —

And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  And Saul was very angry. (1Sam 18:7-8)

Why was Saul angry?  It’s because David’s victories, and the women’s song, had taken away Saul’s fame.  This loss of fame caused Saul pain.
At this point Saul could have turned his heart to the Lord, confessed his desire for fame, and sought his heart-satisfaction not in fame but in knowing God, beholding God, and worshiping God.
If Saul would have done this, God would have met him.  Saul would have been filled with fulness of joy in God’s presence (Psa 16:11), and his heart-pain would have been fully satisfied in God Himself.
But that’s not what Saul did.
Saul turned his back on God.  Saul tried to satisfy his heart-pain by being angry at David — by getting back at David.  So Saul nurtured bad feelings toward him, entertained evil thoughts about him, planned ways to hurt and even kill him.
So what’s the root cause of Saul’s anger?  It’s that Saul had turned his back on God and was seeking to satisfy his heart-pain by getting back at David.
Is That What I Was Doing?
Yes.  To my shame, it was. Someone had caused me pain.  But I was not bringing that pain to God.
Instead, I was seeking to satisfy my pain by getting back at this person — by thinking of how wrong he was, grumbling about him to my wife, having imaginary conversations where I told him off.
That’s the root cause of our anger.  Someone causes us loss, but we turn our backs on God, and seek to satisfy our heart-pain by getting back at those who caused it.
So What Can I Do?
When I saw the root cause I could see what I needed to do.  I needed to stop trusting that getting-back-at-someone would satisfy my heart-pain, and I needed to turn to Jesus Christ and trust Him to satisfy my heart-pain.
That was not going to be easy.  But Jesus has already put my anger to death on the Cross (Rom 6:6).  Which means that now, by His Spirit, He can put it to death in my heart (Rom 8:13).
So I turned to Jesus Christ just as I was — angry, upset, and bitter.  I confessed that I had turned my back on Him, and was looking elsewhere for heart-satisfaction.  I asked Him to forgive me through the Cross.  And He assured me of complete forgiveness (if you struggle with this, pray over 1 John 1:9, Isa 53:4-6, and Rom 4:7).
Then I prayed and asked for more of the Spirit’s work in my heart.  I asked the Father to strengthen my faith so I could see and feel Jesus once again as my all-satisfying Treasure.  I prayed verses like Luke 11:13, 2Cor 3:18, Jer 2:12-13.
Then I set my heart on God’s majesty, power, glory, and love — using verses like Gal 2:20, Rev 1:5, Psa 138:5-6, and John 20:30-31.
I prayed over these verses until I felt the Holy Spirit strengthen my faith, and change my heart.  Slowly my hard, bitter heart softened.  I started to see, and then feel, the glory of Jesus Christ.
And as I worshiped Jesus Christ my heart-pain was healed.  I felt peace and even joy in Christ.
And my anger was gone.
Comments?  Thoughts?

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And here are some related posts you might find helpful –

• What Does The Bible Say About Anger?
• 6 Reasons Heart-Satisfaction Is Crucial
• How To Be Content
• Don’t Settle For Just Knowing The Truth — FEEL The Truth (4-min video)

"What would you do if I sang out of tune?"

     "I'd get by with a little help from my friends."  The element of Christian relationships is found in our taking the responsibility to be a friend with each other.  Whether that be a Christian brother, sister, wife, husband, child or the church you go to; you all need a little help from your friends.  I know that I do.  So, why don't we seek help from our friends?  Why do we forsake the gathering of the saints?  Just what is it that keeps us sedentary and content at a place of less than?  There are two elements found missing when this situation rears it's ugly head.  The first is our dedication and the second is our responsibility.  Dedication to Jesus should equal dedication to our Christian friends in support, love, and correction.  A friend doesn't skirt around the issues and nor do they join in when the Christian isn't following the path God intended for us to follow.  Dedication means I care about you with (you guessed it) all the love God has bestowed upon you in Jesus.  Dedication means that you aren't afraid to love your friend but hate their sin.  Dedication also isn't shy.  When we are dedicated to God, we are known as we are.  He sees our hearts where the real man/woman is and encourages us to be more like Christ.  This means our dedication with other Christians means a transparency of our lives with those who do likewise.  I'm not encouraging you to do or say foolish things.  Nor am I telling you to keep things secret that keep you from conveying Jesus to the world you live in.
     Christian responsibility is quite another thing.  Responsibility has long been misunderstood when using it to create guilt in others.  You know what I mean.  Someone out of righteousness (self) tries to shame you into being what they think you should be.  We all know the difference.  Mike Warnke once was approached by a man after a performance and he said, "Brother Mike, I want to tell you this in Christian love."  Mike stopped him and said, "When you put it that way I know that it's not from God.  If you say something to me in Christian love, I will know it."  Approaching the Christian with the attitude that what you are saying is from God isn't necessary when the love of Jesus is guiding your thought and words.  Responsibility belongs to Christ within you as you convey his love for a lost world.  When you express your idea of love versus Christ's idea of love, people will know whether they are being loved unconditionally by Christ or conditionally by you.  When choosing to say what Jesus would say, do you sing out of tune or do you get by with a little help from your friends?  Many times I have been approached by someone who tells me that what I am doing in wrong, what I am thinking and saying is wrong and I know by the Holy Spirit that what they say may be true, how they say it doesn't convey the love of God.  People don't care about how much I know until they know how much I care.
     The song goes on to say, "Do you need anybody?  I need somebody to love."   If you guessed the song is from the Beatles, congratulations!  The message may have been meant in a worldly way but God can use anyone, anything to convey his love to us.  That innate part of us that desires to be loved, accepted and approved is very strong.  That part also desires to be given to others to the degree that we have received that love acceptance and approval.  IF you believe, feel, or know that God loves, accepts and approves of YOU just the way you are, then why don't you (and I) give it away to others?  Why don't you give it away to your Christian friends?  They want and need it.  Why don't you give it away from your non-Christian friends?  They really need it.  Why don't you give it away to your enemies?  They are in desperate need of salvation and the love acceptance and approval from God.  YOU are that conduit.  What you do with what you receive is essential to the mission of God amongst an unbelieving world.  In the end, you will need to make a choice.  Remember that the choice is always yours.

Warnings for the Christian not living their faith

     The last couple of years have seen many changes (actually 8) where the worlds form of socialism has been steadily gaining ground even with some Christians.  Much like the frog put into cold water and going nowhere until being boiled to death, the Christian who isn't living their faith is doing the same thing.  Letting Jesus live his life through you isn't giving up, nor is it permission to compromise on the great commission.  Remember?  Go into all the world and make disciples of men.  Lukewarm Christians are not doing anything significant.  How can I say that?  Take a look around and notice the number of alleged Christians who have children who aren't believers, don't honor their parents and don't honor the Lord.  When we have the rampant disregard for others, we are not honoring anyone much less God.  Personally, I am tired of hearing men and women alike crying on TV when their child who just robbed a store is killed by the police and they are blaming it on the police.  Where is their responsibility and why did their child turn out this way?  She/he went to church every Sunday and visited their grandparents to help out during the week just isn't proof that the parents did their job.  I'm no stranger to abdicating my role as parent.  I've failed as well.
     We live in a world of violent unrest.  There are both the lack of two family parents and children being raised according to God's word.  If you disagree, just look at the priorities of your family compared with the guidelines in God's word.  There is clear Scripture that tells mothers and fathers exactly what to do.  Teach their children to Love God and to obey God's Word.  Pretty simple if you accept the fact that it is your and my responsibility to raise our kids so that they do so.  But, then, what do you do with a child who has rebelled and unwilling to submit to God and his Word?  Why are they rebelling in the first place?  What is it they are rebelling against?  Why has that become acceptable to you?  The Bible says that the sins of the fathers/mothers visit the children to the 3rd and 4th generation.  For example, that would mean for my children the sin of the parents goes back 4 generations.  What were the standards when you think back to your great-grandfather?  It was a completely different world.  Please, thank you and mam or sir were the standard.  Working as a teenager at home or out in the fields was not a choice.  The food cooked was the only food that was eaten.  You wore conservative clothes and brand names didn't mean anything.  You were grateful and did not make demands of anyone.  Things have changed.  Christians are not living the faith of their forefathers.  Are you?
     Take a moment and think of your priorities.  Halloween isn't a holiday where there is innocent little children begging for candy.  Halloween is a pagan and satanic holiday honoring and celebrating the devil.  But, then, everyone is doing it.  Not if you are believing in and loving God as your Lord and Savior.  St Patrick's day, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter bunny, and so many other "holidays" that are nothing but distractions from the Christian faith.  Still with me?  We are talking about al those things tat have implanted themselves by demonic forces to destroy the Christian and his/her family, friends, and acquaintances.  It doesn't get any better when we think about our daily life.  When we consider the priorities, are they all about Jesus?  Does your and my life live out the 2 commandments or does the world we've surrendered to?  Sin is your responsibility and needs to be dealt with out of fear of the Lord.  What's at stake?  Do our children have a true relationship with Jesus or are they living out the same lie that you've been living?  Remember that the sins of the father/mother can stop with your generation.  It's always your choice.

Christians and the word "but".

     Obviously there at positive and negative connotations to this word both in the Bible and what we think and say.  First, there is the "but unless a man is born again he cannot be saved."  My paraphrase but you get the point.  We have references to "but if you believe..." and "but if you do..." then...  That's the key point.  Whenever there is a "but" from God, there is also a "then".  It's like a formula that he has given the Christian to right living.  It's not okay with God that anyone perish.  But, then, what happens to those who were saved but appear to have fallen away?  The Bible is clear that if someone has given their life to Jesus that they will have their name written in the book of life forever.  But, then, what happens to the believer who claims to be Christian but lives like a pagan?  The Bible is clear that we can claim to be a Christian all day long but not be saved or know the truth that can set them free.  Self deception is an incredible force that brings down many.  "There will be many in that day who will cry 'Lord, Lord,' and He will tell them, 'I never knew you.'"  It's a matter of choice of whether we enter into a relationship with Jesus on his terms or our terms.  You know whether your faith is genuine, something learned, or even something deceptive.  You know...
     I bring up the two commandments once again.  There is no "but" in either of them. In fact if you go back to the original 10 Commandments you won't see a "but" in any of them.  What you will se is cause and effect.  Love the Lord your God...  Love your neighbor as yourself...  Both are unconditional and not optional. We may think we have the choice, but, then, you can choose to reject Jesus and not live for God.  Hmmm....  I'd love to tell you that I have always, since giving my life to Jesus, I have never been one of those who live the "but" life.  That wouldn't be true and wouldn't give glory and honor to Jesus.  I have failed Jesus more often than adhered to the Gospel.  Like Paul, I too am the greatest of sinners.  What God wants for us is to love him with all our heart, soul and mind.  Should we do that, we would automatically be doing that to our neighbors.  Turn that around.  Does the way you love your neighbor show them how much you love God?  Perhaps you don't know who your neighbor is?  Then I suggest you look around you.  All people are our neighbors.  Would God say that you are loving your neighbor as He loved us when Jesus died on the cross for our sins? 
     But, then, if we love our neighbor as ourselves, how are we loving ourselves?  Do we offer mercy and grace to ourselves?  Do we believe that the life we are living is only by the grace of God?  Do we humbly acknowledge Him in all our ways?  Are we intent on letting the Holy Spirit examine us fully in order to be whom God wants us to be?  Are we so consumed with the love of God for us that we can't see any fault in anyone else?  Are we open to constructive discipline from God in order to be more like Jesus?  IF we could attend to these things and not enter into the pettiness of mankind the whole world would see Jesus and not Steve.  What do they see when they look at you?  Do they see Jesus living through you?  Check these areas of your life:  secret sin, selfishness, ungratefulness, gossiping, lack of prayer, lack of Bible reading, and...well, you get the idea.  You see, there is a way that seems right to man but leads to destruction.  It's your choice.  It always has been your choice.

The Humility test

When your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end – Deuteronomy 8:14-16.

This test was to bring them to a place where they would be able to see their weaknesses and cry for the healing remedy that was on offer. It takes humility to walk into the hospital and be told to strip naked in order to be examined by a total stranger. It takes even more humility to be told by a total stranger that the cause of such illness and the reason why the patient have been denied good health is because he or she have not taken good care of their body, have not fed well and not rested well enough, all of these coming from a complete stranger would require that the ego of the patient take a back seat, why? Because such a patient wants to come into the promised state of good health which correcting those faults would deliver.

Still on the hospital example, I have also seen patients refuse to change or even accept that the medical experts were right in their prognosis and out of pride they would storm out and refuse to acknowledge the need for change in the areas highlighted. Sadly these patients would suffer some serious health complications which could even prove fatal, some dying way before their time.

This scenario is no different from what God required from the Israelites and yes even from us too who are the recipients of the new covenant. How did the scripture put this so that both the one under the old and the new covenant may understand? I believe Jesus captured this succinctly well from the words of Prophet Isaiah:

He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them. – John 12:40.

Who has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts? The enemy of their soul of course and he did it with pride, the pride that refused to acknowledge the need for healing of the heart through the process of transformation. With humility so far removed from them, how could they or anyone in their position be able to see their faults? The truth is, there is a general consensus that there is not a man without fault, what each individual would perhaps struggle with, is the humility to see and admit those faults. As a result many continue to live with such faults until they are consumed by it. So God had to humble them? How you may ask? By what he made them pass through and what he made them to face in the wilderness. He brought challenges to them which they were powerless against, he made them hungry and he took them through terrains which they were not familiar with, these entire processes he subjected them to in order to humble them.

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. – Deuteronomy 8:3.

He humbled them in order for them to see the issues at stake from his own perspective, he humbled them that it might become possible for him to teach and instruct them, but did they pass this test? The answer is No they did not, because God declared them to be a stubborn people with a hardened heart. This was a heart that could not be taught, a heart that refused to be taught. You see instead of submitting to the humbling process they rebelled against their leaders, at some point they threatened to stone them if they did not take them back to Egypt. Instead of submitting to these humbling processes they rebelled against God by declaring that life was better in Egypt and not only that they asked for a god to be made for them that would lead them back to Egypt. As far as they were concerned Jehovah was not up to the task.

It is sad to note that many Christians walk around with this same heart today, like the Israelites they have rejected the humbling process with a cry for a return to their own Egypt, while pointing accusing fingers at God wondering what God had to say in their situation.

Where were we and where are you?

    Yesterday I recounted an event each of us could potentially face as our faith in Jesus becomes increasingly hated amongst those in the world.  It's not enough to just exist within our world but to actively engage in bringing the Word to those who are perishing.  The quest we are engaged in must be taken very seriously.  The Bible warns us of complacency and especially the urgency needed to bring the Message to all the world.  The Bible also informs us that in the last days people will turn against one another and become witnesses against those who call upon Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  That should include you and I.  When Jesus completed his resurrection and ascension, he fulfilled over 600 prophecies in the Bible.  Paying attention to the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments is pivotal to the transition that will be taking place around us.  It's not a matter of "if" but of "when".  The Lord has tarried so that all whom are predestined should come to know him.  That tarrying will not last forever.  The reality is plain that Christianity will become such an evil in the world's eyes that it will become a capital crime much like it was when Paul (then Saul) was hunting down and imprisoning and killing those who wouldn't recant their faith in Jesus.  Many stood firm and are listed as martyr's for their faith. 
     "There will be wars and rumors of war and yet the end won't come."  "Children will turn against their parents."  We needn't be reminded of the way that the disciples died.  There faith brought them to that crux where they looked forward to being with Jesus more than staying on earth.  Is your faith at that point?  Take this scenario for example.  Christianity is illegal and punishable by death.  You and your family have been arrested for the crime of being a believer.  You are about to be beheaded in front of your family.  Those who are carrying out this execution are backed by the government.  They tell you to recant your faith.  You refuse.  They tell you that if you don't recant they will kill your youngest child who is watching with tears running down their face.  What do you do?  Do you recant and save the life of your child?  Do you watch your child be killed and then your other child and finally your wife before you are executed?  This scenario is not for the faint hearted.  This is a scenario that many will actually face according to the Word.  It may not happen today or next year but the prophecies of the Lord are 100% accurate and this will happen. 
     Remember where we were yesterday with the opening of the trap door of the gallows upon which you were standing?  I stopped the illustration and continue it today.  What transpires in that twinkling of the eye is immense!  The cacophony of the world was all around you.  People were screaming, yelling and both for and against you.  Your family was watching and crying.  The media was in a frenzy and the TV monitors were blaring the whole event to the world.  When you dropped and the noose tightened you went from all of that to complete silence...but only for a moment.  All of the cares and things we attached ourselves to as important were gone in that moment.  What we entered into if we are Christian was first the silence followed by the praise the people were offering up to the King of Kings who sits on the throne.  Total worship, total peace, total joy!  Time now ceases to exist. Temptation is gone.  Guilt and regret have no place in heaven.  The Lord Jesus himself comes to you and brings you into the presence of God and the saints who have gone on before.  He takes away your tears as the prophecy tells us. 
     Today, your and my life may be required of us.  They were required of us when we were saved and so much more now.  We are required to die to self.  Dying to self means that Jesus is more precious to us than anything in our lives here on earth.  More important than family, friends, and yes, even our enemies.  To have Christ alive in us, we must be dead to the world.  When we are dead to the world, the transition to heaven is a blessed event.  Those who are believers around us are in the same situation.  Will they, in their living for Christ, die for you?  Would you die for them?  Where were we and where are you?  Have your children been raised on the truth of God's word and ready to meet Jesus more than recant their faith to save your life?  How about your spouse or extended family?  Your neighbor who lives mere yards away from you?  Even your enemies need to know Jesus.  What do you pray for?  All of these questions make your Christian life a choice out of love.  It's alw

The return of innocence for the Christian

     With the annihilation of innocence with Eve and then Adam's actions, we lost that innocence for what seemed like forever.  With the knowledge of good we were doing okay but then the knowledge of evil turned the tide in the devil's favor with those in he world even to this day.  Where once there was no time, no stress, no selfishness and no other God to contend with, there is now all of that and more.  Innocence, though, has a way of being reinstated for the Christian.  When we come to that place where we are at or above the age of accountability (more on that in another blog), we have two choices to make.  We either accept Jesus or we reject Jesus.  No, there are no other choices.  Just like there are no other choices than heaven or hell.  Where humanity has taken the stance of shades of gray on all matters spiritual, they have no vision from God to be living out.  The innocence birth at our conversion is conditional and not just a given part of the Christian living.  The innocence of the Lord brought to us through the mercy and grace of Christ is a choice.  For most of us we view and enjoin our Christianity in a conditional manner.  Innocence at rebirth then is little more than a slate wiped clean with a chance to live in that innocence.
     We live our lives and usually choose what we think, say and do.  Is that so bad?  Yes, if we are taking the initiative to interpret the Bible as we wish rather than as God has written.  When we play with God's word, the innocence of God cannot enter in.  God abhors our changing what he has said to live as we want.  He says at least twice in the New Testament that those who do this will have their names erased from the Book of Life.  Pretty serious consequences for living according to man and not God.  Yet, that's what is being done in Christian (allegedly) organizations all in the name of God.  God, being gracious, slow to anger and abounding in grace, gives us another day on earth to let him live through us...everyday.  For some it may be the last day and for others it may be time to let us return to His way.  So, in a sense, we are allowed, should we choose, to enter into an innocence as we wake to a new day.  I don't know about you but I've found that I don't make it through a day without violating that innocence each day.  We are not perfect and can't be perfect until we pass into the presence of God. 
     The return of innocence for the Christian can be seen in our thoughts, deeds and words in the lives we live while here on earth.  What would the judgement of a court be regarding whether you and I are living a Christian life of the innocence of God?  Remember that Jesus was innocent and was crucified for our sin.  The court would or wouldn't find you guilty of belonging to Christ?  It's not a matter of hoping when the judgement is read.  What would you do if the judgement is that you were NOT a Christian and your sentence was to have your life ended.  Taken to the gallows your mind would be running a mile a minute wondering why you didn't follow Christ in spite of what the world though, in spite of what your family thought, in spite of what your work thought, in spite of what your children may think.  As the noose is put around your neck and you are crying out for mercy, what would you do?  What would those watching do?  Would they be cheering or would they be screaming for you to be released?  The moment comes, the trap door is opened and...  Innocence is returned for the true believer.  Nothing of the world remains.  All, according to Scripture, that we would do as we lived for God is worship him!  That's when innocence takes it's place again in our lives.  IF our only focus is on Jesus now, we can touch that innocence every day.  If we die so that Christ can live through us, we can touch that innocence every day.  Having the innocence of Christ inside of us translates to our love for God and others without condition.  Are you there?  Am I there?  It's a matter of choice of who is to live.  Do I live or do I die?  If I die, it's the innocence of Christ that lives within me.  Then there is no fear of death and breathing out for the last time here will mean breathing in for the first time there.  It's always your choice.

The goal of santifictication

     Sanctification is a big and loaded theological term indicating the process of becoming who and what God wants us to be.  That process ends in one of two manners.  First, there are the steps of becoming less like me and more like Jesus daily bringing about changes that bring us into a deeper relationship with God.  Secondly, there is the final sanctification move when we pass from this life o life in heaven with God and all those who have gone on before.  That's the two movements that should take place in the Christians life.  The goal of sanctification is not to be perfect but to perfect Jesus as Lord of our lives.  Most Christians don't do this.  There is some moment in time when they have made the believers prayer an event that has set them in the definition of a Christian.  Then they stop.  While it's true that at conversion we are made righteous and cleansed from all sin, it's not true that we have arrived.  With the war the world wages on us combined with those areas of our heart we have not surrendered to God, there is a need for ongoing work.  The fall was great and had an eternal affect on mankind.  Why should the process of sanctification be any less important? 
     People try to be better Christians for numerous personal reasons.  How many of those reasons are driven by the need to be more like Christ and less like me?  Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 that we are to be "perfect as God is perfect."  How can that happen?  Can we even imagine what "perfect" is like in our imperfect hearts and minds?  I know that I cannot.  The Greek in this passage actually says that we should be "being made perfect even as God is perfect."  That makes more sense and backs the need for ongoing sanctification.  But what is the goal of sanctification?  Is it something attainable?  Will we ever be perfect here on earth?  The simple answer comes juxtaposed to a previous series of posts I did on innocence.  The original sin separated us from God and took our innocence away.  The act of Christ in his life, death and resurrection brought to us the chance to regain innocence not through our thoughts, deeds and words; but through the sanctifying process in our lives.  The more we are reconciled to Christ, the greater innocence we are blessed with.  The war then is with the devil and his world trying to keep us from knowing the innocence of God found in Christ. 
    There is that old saying about the duck.  If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, then it's probably a duck.  It's no different with the Christian.  How many of you would be defined by the general population of the world as a Christian?  Do you represent Jesus or your idea of who he is?  Does your life produce so much evidence of Christianity that a court of law would convict you should it become a crime?  You do know that is what is prophesied?  Yes, we will one day be called upon to renounce Jesus or to die.  It's something the Islamists/Muslim are already doing.  There have been shootings where the shooter asked their victims if they were Christian and then killed them if they said yes.  Would you die for Jesus?  Would you lay your life on the line like Jesus did?  If you answered yes, good for you.  If you couldn't answer yes, what are you doing with your faith?  If you had the choice to renounce Christ or to have your most loved person in your life killed in front of you, what would you do?  Are you sanctified enough that the choice is a no brainer?  Can you say with Paul that "to die for Christ is gain!"?  Sanctification leads to innocence as we step outside of ourselves and let Christ live for us.  It's always your choice.

"Well, different people interpret the Bible differently."

     The statement is true but not necessarily accurate.  People can define words to their liking just as they can define what the Bible says to their liking.  It's a matter of what purpose you and I have in mind to accomplish.  The act of "Scripture twisting." is widespread and getting more and more out of control.  The argument over different precepts of the Bible only serve to divide and spread the chasm between Christians and Christian groups/churches.  One may believe this while another believes that and they are both right or both wrong.  The test of time isn't the best factor as things in the world change with time.  The ability of theologians to interpret and apply the old languages is dependent upon their particular focus and application.  So it is with the Sunday school teachers and pastors as well as the Christian amongst the unbelievers.  So, what are we to do?  Do we participate in the worlds changing attitude and understanding?  Heaven forbid!  Do we try to interpret the Word ourselves for our own purposes?  Heaven forbid! What would happen if we as God's people read the Word and let the Holy Spirit speak to us?  Now that's a rare thing indeed.  Furthermore, what would happen if we believed that God speaks through the Bible and has answers to all of our questions? What a concept!  Then, what if the Christian were to ACTUALLY think, say and do what God wants thought, said and done? 
     When I was in seminary I became engrossed with a conversation with two other people about the problem of polygamy.  We were young, totally in the know and speaking out of our ignorance when a third man, a missionary, joined in.  He was quiet and spoke from personal experience.  He told the story of ministering Christ to a small village in Africa where the chief had a central hut and there were 9 huts surrounding his.  They belonged to his wives.  The chief listened to the Gospel and accepted Christ.  Soon, his wives did the same as well as the majority of the village.  The missionary then asked us what would we do regarding his polygamy?  He continued to say that if the chief was to only have one wife that the other "tainted" women would have only one place in that society.  They would need to become prostitutes in order to stay in the village and tribe.  No one else would have them.  What do you do?  The missionary said that the cause of Christ is for all of mankind to be saved.  Having more than one wife doesn't take away your or their faith in Christ.  Adherence to the law that was fulfilled by Jesus is no longer the standard.  There are only two laws we need to contend ourselves with.  You know what they are:  love God first and love others second. 
    Jesus lived in the present life of those he encountered.  He met people where they were and not where he wanted them to be.  From tax collectors to prostitutes, Jesus didn't enjoin them to continue in their sin but to leave their life of sin and follow him.  He saw and accepted the person God had created that person to be...not what they should be.  He didn't sidestep Scripture making it up as he went along.  When people became genuine as they were exposed, they also encountered the very real Son of God who could save their souls.  They, like me and you, need only ask, die to self, and let Jesus live through us.  Doesn't take a scholar to explain that.  It takes a true believer who is open to what the Holy Spirit can do when listened to.  I was once asked by my ordination board what my theological stance was.  I thought for a minute before saying what I felt the Holy Spirit wanted them to hear.  I said, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  These learned men were shocked and one even asked me what field of theological thought I followed.  I told them, "Jesus, born, raised, crucified, and risen."  It was the last question they had for me.  People can interpret the Bible anyway they want.  In the end, what matters is that each and every man, woman and child has the chance to choose Jesus as their Savior.  After all, it's always your choice.

What to do if you disagree with the Bible.

     In short, repent!  You are wrong!  Should be able to say "Nuff said" and leave it at that but...that's not going to happen.  Some folks believe that if the Bible is silent on an issue that's when you can take it to be okay.  Not so.  The Bible is never silent on anything.  God has covered all subjects.  Basically, if you disagree with the Bible, you are disagreeing with God and making yourself the god of your world.  I'm not talking about a person here or a person there.  I'm talking about whole groups of folks who actually read the Bible and still disagree with it.  To the church that preaches prosperity as it's gospel, repent.  For the church that preaches tolerance of any sin, repent.  To that group that has taken upon itself to assert that Mary can forgive sins, repent.  To that faction of the Christian community (I use the term loosely) that doesn't believe that hell exists or that everyone will have a final chance to go to heaven, repent.  Then to those who believe that Jesus was just a good man, repent.  You see the pattern.  Man has made mockery of God's Word and God himself, repent.  If you happen to believe that you can live whatever kind of life you like but only need to be baptized as a child to enter heaven, repent.  Confession means nothing if you use it as a flag to say you are a good believer, repent.  If you are one of those numbered as believing you don't need to do anything with your faith to further the kingdom of God, repent.
     So, if we are to be called believers legitimately, what does that look like?  I can tell you that the Bible answers that question no matter where you read in the Bible.  Does your smoking tobacco or any other substance honor your relationship with God.  Contrary to popular thought, Jesus wouldn't smoke with you.  At the wedding in Cana, he made water into wine.  It doesn't say that he drank it.  Sometimes when we look at the Scripture we are really trying to formulate what it says to our liking.  God wouldn't get drunk with you, go to the bar and drink with you while your family is waiting at home.  Jesus told the money changers to rid themselves of his "Father's house" and so should we of those who do so now.  TV evangelists please hear this, you are not honoring God when you ask the poor to fund your mega house and million dollar lifestyle.  When did it become Christian to NOT take care of the poor and needy?  To the folks who buy $6 or coffee and biscotti on the way to work but do not share with those in need they walk by everyday, repent.  Within the Bible there is no verse saying it's okay to amass personal belongings while there are those in need, repent. 
     Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we, if we are living a Christian life, will encounter trials and persecution because of our FAITH.  The old saying is, "If you don't feel persecuted, you aren't doing anything for God."  Hmmm...  Satan doesn't bother those who do nothing for God as he has you doing exactly what he wants.  Satan violently attacks those who are not just preaching the Gospel but also living the Gospel.  If you are living your faith, your life will make a difference with every day you breath and bless the Lord God.  Jesus tells us to not store up treasure on earth but to store up treasures in heaven where they won't be destroyed.  Treasures are not just money.  Treasures in God's eyes are the lives of the lost being found.  Treasures are the number of those with whom you shared your excess so that they would have clothing and food and shelter.  Treasures are those moments when God works through you to change your community, church and other organizations including your job.  Treasures are found not in what you choose to do but in what God has chosen for you to do.  If you disagree with the Bible, with God, and haven't repented, repent.  It's always your choice.

Wreckers or Builders

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
As the men you’d hire if you had to build?”
He gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.
I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do.”
And I tho’t to myself as I went my way,
Which of these two roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?

— Carmelo Benvenga

When you are done thinking...

     You still have to make a decision.  That decision is put off most often by your and my thinking.  We don't need to think.  What?!  Yes, we don't need to think.  The Christian only needs to make sure they are loving God in every thought, deed and word in order to live a wholesome and blessed life.  Whenever I think, I find myself putting things in MY perspective instead of God's perspective.  My mind only operates in finite ways while God's mind works in infinite ways.  While my mind is functioning in the hear and now with limited past to reflective off of and no idea what the future has, God's mind is all encompassing and he knows everything!  So, why think?  We obviously will only be thinking in a manner that denies us the full blessings of God.  James 4:17 says that "if we know what is right to do and don't do it, we sin."  Pretty simple and doesn't take any thinking.  We know, as Christians, in our hearts what is right.  We may pretend we don't in order to justify and rationalize not having God in the center of ALL of our life; but pretending isn't reality.  Reality is my thinking is not as good as God's thinking.
     I was chastised one day for sprinkling the flowers with my soaker nozzle.  The party involved was first an observer and secondly was not doing the watering.  They told me that spraying water on the flowers will make the flowers drop off.  Why didn't I think of that!  Because it's stupid when you think about it.  Think about it from God's perspective and you would immediately know that when it rains (no matter how hard) that the flowers don't lose their petals.  Watered down thinking is detrimental to our belief in a God who cares for the birds of the air, flowers of the fields and yes, you and I.  He knows the number of hairs on our heads (even the bald ones as fuzz counts).  We've often heard the phrase, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know..."  Well, it doesn't because God knows everything.  Why bother thinking when we can rely on that which is already stated.  I've plenty of experience  thinking and having things not turn out the way I thought they should or would.  Why?  Because I was thinking instead of leaning on the wisdom of God.  Maybe you have done the same.  Jesus tells us to "take no thought of tomorrow as it has enough troubles of it's own."  That relieves me of thinking of the future.  God's got my back, front and side.  He's under me, above me and all around me. 
     There is the story of the monk and his underling walking a tiny road down the mountain from the monastery to the village.  They come upon a lady on the side of the road wanting to cross to the other side.  The monk takes off his cloak and lays it across the mud puddle that had been prohibiting her from going to the other side.  Then the monk helps the lady across the road and carries on down the mountain.  As the duo neared the village the underling asked, "Isn't it dangerous to help that lady to the other side of the road because of temptation?"  The wise old monk stated, "The difference is that I left the lady on the other side of the road and you've carried her with you down the mountain."  Whenever we carry our past with us there is no room for the present.  Whenever we base our lives on what we think will happen in the future there is no room for the present.  Whenever we do either, we incapacitate ourselves and are unusable for Christ.  When you are done thinking, you still are left with making a decision...think or not to think.  Rely on Jesus or yourself and others.  It's always been your choice.

I've been having trouble with my balance.

     A few years back I was injured during a surgery for my shoulder.  My back was injured during the transfer from the gurney to the operating table.  I was out so I didn't know anything was wrong until I came out of anesthesia about 5 1/2 hours later.  I awakened to my back in incredible pain and a few moments later to the realization I was paralyzed from the waist down.  My back had been injured and would take 7 days to have the swelling go down and the pressure released on my nerves coming out from the spine.  It took me months to recover and when I did, I walked with a cane for about a year.  I still have balance problems and they will not be going away.  Balance, I've found out, is a very precious gift.  Once it's gone, you are living in a totally different world.  My habits and actions are all determined by whether or not I have the balance to stand, walk or do other ambulatory activities.  The lessons around my injury serve to remind me of what I DO have.  I know that is true in the spiritual realm as well.  My first spiritual  response was to ask the "Why?" question of doctors, medical personnel, physical therapy specialist and the like.  My second "Why?" question went out to God.  He was silent.  Or so I thought.  I knew the Scripture of "all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called by him.  You know it too.  But that question wasn't answered right away.  Well, it actually was, I just didn't know it.
     The Word tells us that he answer to our prayers are on their way from heaven even before they pass over our lips.  He also tells us that he knows our needs even before our asking.  So, where was my balance?  I indulged in self pity for months and stopped reading the Bible and praying for the most part.  Maybe some of you have done the same?  It would be several years before I returned to my daily reading and prayer.  My physical life would never return to the level of functioning that I once had.  Where my reading of the Word and prayer returned to balance, my physical and mental limitations set a new balance point based on where and who I was.  Asking for help was a new balance point.  Accepting help offered was another.  Having been a self-sufficient person I found a new balance of relying on my family, friends, and Christian brothers and sisters.  As if this wasn't enough, several years later I would find myself in the hospital after having a heart attack.  After double bypass open heart surgery this time I remembered the balance.  Though I yet again had a new balance I didn't abandon the Word and prayer.  The type of physical activity I could entertain was a new balance.  The caution urged by family, friends, and others were a new balance point of level of concern and prayer. 
     Balance comes to us in many different episodes over our lifetimes.  New balance points are a good indicator of your and my ability to adjust to the changes that come to us.  It may be the death of a loved one like when my brother died at 57 from cancer or the death of our old dog Buddy.  It could be the loss of a job and the taking of a new and better job.  It might be that your old car breaking down would push you to having a newer and better car.  Hopefully the main balance point with God would always be the most important and the most steady.  The Word tells us that he will never leave nor forsake us.  Period.  Never.  Ever.  How is that for a solid balance point?  I know that life has yet to bring other episodes to me that will require change.  What should never change is my love for God and dependence on his strong and unchanging love for me.  The lessons from old episodes in my life have served not only my own personal growth but also have been valuable to those who are going through the same or similar situations.  Where we are when those situations arise should always be in balance with who we are in Christ.  It's a choice.  It's always your choice.

Which god do you serve?

     I hear OMG statements all the time as I'm sure you do as well.  While that exclamation isn't intended to be a prayer or meditation, it is using the word god for something other than honor of God.  Similarly we find ourselves praying to different gods all the time.  "Please god, let me get to the gas station!" is honoring the god of the nearby gas station because you have failed to fill your vehicle with gas.  "Please god, you have got to get them into the end zone!" is honoring the god of football (insert any sport you like) because you have more invested in "your team" than you do in your relationship with God.  "Please god, don't let me be late to work!" is praying to the god of I didn't manage my time this morning just like many other mornings. "Please god, help me to achieve success to this venture and have financial success." is praying to the god of money instead of God who knows all of our needs.  We do similarly with our children, friends, parents, and pets, the water quality, air quality, the choice of color for our matching décor and countless other "things" that come with our taking our eyes off Jesus.  I have done this and so have you.  It sounds like nonsense and it is!  Why is it we do this?
     Perhaps we just don't have a clear understanding of Scripture?  Let's see, Jesus told us that he knows our needs and will take care of them IF we let him.  Jesus said that the blessings from heaven would fall upon us IF we honored him as God.  Jesus said that we wouldn't receive what we "wanted" because we would consume that for ourselves.  There is a pattern here...  Should we have the insight to understand Scripture and should we decide to live our lives according to God's Word, we would then would be in such a position to receive all that God has in store for us.  There is the old story of the rich elderly man who lost his son early in life.  The man had a picture painted of his son which had a place of honor above the grand fireplace.  When the man died some years later all of the relatives gathered to hear the reading of he will.  What they found was there was an auction of items that the man had acquired.  The first to be auctioned was the beloved picture of the mans son who had tragically died many years earlier.  The bidders (family) didn't respond to the auctioneer until finally one member paid $10 for the painting.  With the picture sold, the lawyer told the family the auction was over and the winner of the painting won everything else the man had amassed.  The lawyer said, "Whoever has the son, has everything." 
     It's just a matter of choice.  There are the Ten Commandments that addressed the requirements of the Israelites.  The first four address the laws regarding relationship to God while the last six are the commandments for the people among themselves.  Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount beginning with the Beatitudes, listed the Ten Commandments in reverse order (read them!) and then summarized them with the two commandments.  He said, "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul and mind." and "Love others as you love yourself."   Here we are with the truth of ages.  How will we respond?  Where is your love for God?  Are you allowing him to be God of all or not God at all?  Do you attempt to serve God and the world?  OMG!  Please help.... or God, please help me to love you with all my heart, soul and mind.  You see, if we do the first, the second is automatic.  We cannot live in the love of God as He wants us to and still not love our neighbor.  IF we give up and let God live his life through us, there is no second command.  Automatically, we will have the heart and mind of God governing our words, thoughts and deeds.  It is only then that we will hear "well done thou good and faithful servant." and truly not care because we know we can never do enough, be enough or surrender enough for the God who sent his Son to redeem us.  Whoever has the Son, has everything.  It's always your choice.

"I Felt Stuck in My Faith"

Joy Williams: "I Felt Stuck in My Faith"

     When her spiritual walk slowed to a crawl, Grammy-winning artist Joy Williams turned to her mentor to get things going again.

Mark Moring

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     You're such a prude." Joy Williams heard that line plenty in high school, but she'd just smile and keep moving. She figured it just came with the territory of being a pastor's kid who was serious about her Christian faith.

     People looked at her and saw something different—in the way she acted, the way she talked. On the outside, she looked like a model Christian who had it all together—straight-A student, sports star, all-around leader. But inside, well, that was a different story.

"I felt uncool," says Joy. "I felt self-conscious. And I felt stuck in my faith. I wasn't growing."

Joy needed a jumpstart.

     That's where a young teacher at her high school came into the picture. Hillary Brubaker, just a couple years out of college, had something Joy wanted: Faith that was real.

"Hillary was the spunkiest, most carbonated, wonderfully devoted woman of faith I've ever met," says Joy, now a Grammy-winning solo artist, formerly half of the duo The Civil Wars. "I wanted to be like her."

     Late in her sophomore year, Joy went to Hillary and said, "I see where you are with your faith, and I know where I want to be. You're closer to that goal than I am, so I want to hang with you."

So they hung—on lunch breaks, after school in coffee shops, and on occasional Girls Nights Out on Fridays. They talked. They prayed. They read the Bible and good Christian books. And Joy's faith grew like crazy.

     "She challenged my thinking and she challenged my heart," Joy says.

When Joy graduated and moved to Nashville to pursue her music career, she couldn't bear the thought of going without a mentor. Hillary stayed back in California, and they kept talking on the phone. But Joy wanted someone up close and personal.

     Then she met LeChelle, the pastor's wife at the church Joy now attends. LeChelle picked up where Hillary left off—encouraging, teaching, praying, helping. "She's always there for me," Joy says.

Joy is such a fan of being mentored that she decided to become one. "I think it's just as important to be a mentor as it is to be mentored," says Joy, referring to Titus 2:3-5. "That way, you can continue the cycle of pouring yourself into someone's life the way others have poured into you."

Joy says you don't have to be a spiritual giant to mentor someone. "You just have to be faithful to the Lord. You don't have to be perfect."

Christian response to 911 15 years later

     Let's freak out!  Okay, that's probably not Scriptural.  But, that's what many want to do.  Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount to be "anxious for nothing."  Easier said than done.  I remember where I as and what I was doing when President Kennedy was assassinated.  I remember where I was when Elvis Presley died.  I remember where I was and what I was doing when John Lennon was murdered.  I remember when President Reagan had an attempt made on his life.  I remember the riots of the criminal elements in southern California and the havoc that was wreaked on those days.  I remember when Martin Luther King was assassinated.  There are lots of other tragedies like the bombing in Oklahoma City, the shooting in Orlando, the school killing in Colorado and many other places.  I remember the bombs that have rocked the world in many different countries.  Do you remember?  What is your response?  My Christian outlook was challenged with each and every traumatic happening.  Sometimes the traumatic happening was to me, involved me and was about me.  So, I sit here a changed man by history of our nation, world and my life.  My Christian response has been challenged and morphed to what it is now.  How about you?
     The Christian is to be anxious for nothing.  Yet, there is one thing I am positively anxious for.  I am positively anxious for that moment when I first step into heaven.  I will have left behind all of the fore mentioned.  I do get anxious today.  I remember and re-experience the trauma of the day.  I remember the hopelessness, anxiety, and uncertainty as if I was there still.  My brother was a pilot and was near the area.  Unable to get hold of him for 2 days my anxious feelings seemed justified.  He was okay and taken care of.  Thank God!  That's what we say when things turn out okay or even good.  What do we say when they don't turn out good?  Jesus told us to rejoice when evil is done to us.  WHAT!  Jesus told us that we were to store up our treasures in heaven where mankind cannot take or steal from us.  But I remember...  You remember...  The rest of the world remembers...  Christians remember...  Can't seem to get away from remembering.  The key, according to Jesus, is to not be held captive by that which comes our way, to not be captive of that which we think, see and do.  He tells us that He is in control and EVERYTHING is under control and his plan is being worked out.  Remember...
     I feel very conflicted over so many of the events listed above.  I feel conflicted by the Christian response that is expected by God, the other Christians around me and of course, myself.  What am I to do?  I think the Christian is okay to remember, understand the anxiousness of the moment and to move on.  When we stand in one place for to long, we become immobilized by inaction.  Inaction means we are a sedentary target by the enemy and sometimes by ourselves.  Remember but don't be anxious.  Remember but don't stop moving.  Remember but don't take your eyes off the goal which you have fought so hard and long to attain.  Remember who fights for you, hems you in on all sides and delivers you from the valley of darkness.  Do not be anxious about what is in the past but be anxiously awaiting the coming of our Lord Jesus.  All is not lost.  Never has been lost and never will be lost for the Christian.  It's just a matter of you and I making a choice.  It's always your choice.

Stories of our youth.

     There are many stories each of us have from our youth.  That's both youth as in chronical age and youth as is after receiving Christ.  I have shared many stories of each example.  To date I still feel like I am young even though I'm 63.  I remember my first love in 4th grade, the teacher I had a crush on, the awards won and games lost.  I remember being out working in the fields for 10 plus hours a day alone on many acres with no one in sight.  I remember many pleasant stories and there were also the unpleasant ones.  Within my Christian life I remember my first love faith.  I remember praying and seeing answers to prayer.  I remember laying my hands on people and seeing them healed.  I remember giving a word of the Lord to those he directed me to tell.  I remember the many I had the honor of praying with as they received Christ.  I remember as a young husband becoming a father for the first time.  All were spiritual stories of importance to me.  Without these and many more stories I wouldn't have much to say.  You see, we live our stories everyday in one way or another.  We live out our heritage (family and Christian) every day.  Our stories are what make us who we are.  We are fit for the race because we have a story.  You might remember the story of Jesus from birth to resurrection.  That story too lives out in our lives as Christians.
     I hear people share stories all the time.  You probably do as well.  Some are unreal (and maybe are embellished) and hardly believable.  Some are real and we are gripped by the import of their story.  Some people tell stories in such a way that we want to be a better person because of them.  The story lives on as we pass them onto our children and grandchildren.  Like the Israelites of the Old Testament, we pass on the story.  Sometimes we don't though and the story is lost.  As Christians it's important that we at least pass on the stories of faith, struggle and eternity.  Without them our children are left in the hands of the world.  With a world that is increasingly taking away the story of our nation we have a resultant lack of love for this country by many.  With a world taking away the story of Jesus we have a lack of love for Jesus by that population.  With no story about ethics and morality we have become a nation of desperation and hopelessness.  With no story about the grace of God many are floundering in a world going to hell in a handbasket.  The story is important.  Your story is important.  No one can tell your story like you.  There is no substitute for a personal story of your life to help someone else. 
     The world wants me to know that my stories are out of line and should be kept to myself.  The world wants me to avoid the truth so that I won't offend anyone.  The world has it's own story that is designed by Satan himself so that we are commanded by law (man's law) to not do this, not say this, and not live our story outside the privacy of our home.  The story of putting a frog into a pan of cold water and turning on the heat should resound with us.  The frog doesn't notice the subtle changes in the temperature and before he knows it has been boiled alive.  Subtle changes to take away the Gospel are taking place all over the world but especially in the United States.  Where are the Christians with their story?  Are they afraid their story (which is Christ's story) might upset or offend someone?  Then they are serving the world and not God.  We languish about the condition of society and the world but don't tell our story of hope and peace.  We guard our lives when Christ commanded to give our lives away.  The story gets silenced by choice. It's always your choice.  Tell your story.

Do you take this promise of Jesus seriously?

February 6, 2015 By Marilena Fackerell 

 This morning, while reading the Bible, God challenged me through this verse:

‘And whatever you ask in My name, that I WILL do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask ANYTHING in My name, I WILL do it’ (John 14:13,14).
God really challenged me with these questions:
Mari, do you REALLY believe this?
Do you really believe I spoke the truth and did not lie when I made this promise?
Do you think I do this only some of the time or only in certain circumstances or did I mean it?
Can you truly rely on My word here?
Do you really understand the scope of this?
I know this is not about God fulfilling our lusts and greed, but what about the things that are really pleasing to Him and in His will for my life?
Have I taken this promise seriously, literally, to the full extend of the promise? 
Thus followed a list of requests to God, prayed in a renewed faith and trust in the promise of God.
Jesus is motivated to answer our requests in prayer by His desire for God the Father to be glorified in the Son – that I WILL do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You have a motivated Savior who is keen to answer your prayers!
And don’t just ask small, only for your personal needs and solutions to your problems, ask big, cause you have a big God, ask for big things for the Kingdom of God, ask God to do big things through you, to expand your capacity, ask Him to do big things in other people’s lives and in the world. He is keen to answer.
Don’t limit Him through your smallness of thinking or desire. Believe that anything is possible with those who believe and ask according to this possibility.
He doesn’t want us to bring Him down to our level and our limitations or what we think it’s possible, He wants us to rise to His level.
Why don’t you take a few minutes to ask God for things in Jesus’s Name, that are in His will for your life and ask according to His possibility, for big things.