People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
and then are angry at the LORD. NLT
I like the NLT translation of this Proverb because of the clear, readily understandable message.
How many times have we seen people live reckless, irresponsible, foolish lives that resulted in devastating illness, or have their lives fall apart around them because of their behavior and then turn around and blame God saying “How could God allow this to happen”, or, “How can a loving God do this to me”? .
I have personally witnessed many examples of this reaction. Consider the person who smoked for 30 + years then develops lung cancer, the compulsive gambler looking for the one big win but instead bankrupts the family, the alcoholic who develops liver problems, the drug addict with hepatitis C, the sex addict with an STD and a broken family. All have lived lives that put their health and well being at risk. How about those folks that max out their charge cards, take out second mortgages to buy a luxury car or to pursue other big ticket material items to the extreme then stress out and get sick over how they will pay their bills and are a layoff away from financial disaster? How many times have you heard these folks blame God for their problems? The end result is they have all sowed the wind and reaped a whirlwind of their personal idiolatry and sin and don’t even know it.
Some blame their plight on dysfunctional families, harsh living environments, or societal failures. Want to read about dysfunctional families, harsh living conditions, societal breakdowns and failures? Read the Old Testament.
The bad news was that after centuries of being obstinate in their own idolatry and sin the Jews were finally allowed to be defeated and were sent into exile. Many blamed God for abandoning them but the fault was their own.
After their return they rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple but once again lapsed into sin and developed a religious system that was foreign to the word of God.
The Good News is that Jesus Christ, the son of GOD, the word made flesh came to us so that whoever puts their faith and trust in him, regardless of their sin, will find forgiveness and eternal life. They can then rebuild their lives on a solid foundation. The bottom line here is that we are responsible for our own actions, not GOD. So please, turn to him and surrender your burdens and put your full trust and faith in him today. Please think about it.
Until next time, may the Lord Bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Be Faithful in the Little Things Part III
Give Consistently
In this the final part of this series I want to discuss another way we can be faithful in a little thing, in our giving. I have had several Pastors of different stripe put it in these terms, look at giving as an extension of or even a form of worship. It is a very simple way to look at it.
1 Cor 16:2 “On the first day of the week each of you is to set aside something and save it to the extent that he prospers so that no collection need be made when I come.” NIV
2 Cor 9: 6-7 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” NIV
I would suggest that whatever you decide in your heart to give, do it consistently. If you believe in Tithing, stick to it and be consistent. If you don’t believe tithing is for today and are of the opinion that Christ died to all the law, fulfilled all covenants, not just some of it, and are strictly “New Testament”, then I suggest you pray to God and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on what to give and stick to it. I’m not going to argue and play scriptural ping-pong with anybody on this point. That isn’t the thrust of this message. There are Phd's and Doctors of Divinity on both side of this and I'll leave it to them to battle it out.
Listen, I know, the church has historically torn itself apart over doctrinal matters, and this is one of them, BUT, it is secondary doctrine, not essential for salvation. I have seen and heard it all concerning giving. In a future blog I will share some of my experiences. To conclude on this point, when you give, follow 2 Cor 9:7 and do so happily. I know it's tough at first but as time passes you will find yourself happy to give back part of what the LORD has given to you.
Please also remember this passage from Luke:
Luke 21:1-4
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.[a] "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." NIV
To review, the three “little things” I suggest are
1) Read the Word Daily
2) Set aside quiet time with the Lord; Pray daily
3) Give Consistently
As I stated in Part I, I am sure some folks can come up with other little things to do but I am sharing what works for me. It has given me a solid foundation from which to improve my walk daily. I want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk and it is my desire to help you do the same. I am confident that if you start with these ‘little things’ the Lord will move in our lives and strengthen us. He will endow us with blessings beyond our comprehension both here and in Heaven. Does this imply smooth sailing, that our lives will be trouble free? Absolutely not! If all is sunshine then we live in a desert and we learn nothing and can't possibly grow in our walk. Always keep in mind that there are many true believers around the globe who are undergoing horrendous persecution and dying for Christ. Be aware of this at all times and you won’t fall into an entitlement trap. (Another subject for another day). The only thing we know for sure is that we have a savior and as believers we have a place reserved for us in Heaven.
Until the next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us. In Jesus name I pray.
In this the final part of this series I want to discuss another way we can be faithful in a little thing, in our giving. I have had several Pastors of different stripe put it in these terms, look at giving as an extension of or even a form of worship. It is a very simple way to look at it.
1 Cor 16:2 “On the first day of the week each of you is to set aside something and save it to the extent that he prospers so that no collection need be made when I come.” NIV
2 Cor 9: 6-7 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” NIV
I would suggest that whatever you decide in your heart to give, do it consistently. If you believe in Tithing, stick to it and be consistent. If you don’t believe tithing is for today and are of the opinion that Christ died to all the law, fulfilled all covenants, not just some of it, and are strictly “New Testament”, then I suggest you pray to God and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on what to give and stick to it. I’m not going to argue and play scriptural ping-pong with anybody on this point. That isn’t the thrust of this message. There are Phd's and Doctors of Divinity on both side of this and I'll leave it to them to battle it out.
Listen, I know, the church has historically torn itself apart over doctrinal matters, and this is one of them, BUT, it is secondary doctrine, not essential for salvation. I have seen and heard it all concerning giving. In a future blog I will share some of my experiences. To conclude on this point, when you give, follow 2 Cor 9:7 and do so happily. I know it's tough at first but as time passes you will find yourself happy to give back part of what the LORD has given to you.
Please also remember this passage from Luke:
Luke 21:1-4
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.[a] "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." NIV
To review, the three “little things” I suggest are
1) Read the Word Daily
2) Set aside quiet time with the Lord; Pray daily
3) Give Consistently
As I stated in Part I, I am sure some folks can come up with other little things to do but I am sharing what works for me. It has given me a solid foundation from which to improve my walk daily. I want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk and it is my desire to help you do the same. I am confident that if you start with these ‘little things’ the Lord will move in our lives and strengthen us. He will endow us with blessings beyond our comprehension both here and in Heaven. Does this imply smooth sailing, that our lives will be trouble free? Absolutely not! If all is sunshine then we live in a desert and we learn nothing and can't possibly grow in our walk. Always keep in mind that there are many true believers around the globe who are undergoing horrendous persecution and dying for Christ. Be aware of this at all times and you won’t fall into an entitlement trap. (Another subject for another day). The only thing we know for sure is that we have a savior and as believers we have a place reserved for us in Heaven.
Until the next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us. In Jesus name I pray.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Be Faithful in the Little Things - Part II of III
Pray daily/ Quiet Time
Last week we encouraged you to read the word daily. Today we talk about prayer and quiet time. There are plenty of books written and scriptures we could use for examples of a full prayer life but that is not the intended scope of this article. The purpose of this article is to encourage young and or struggling believers to start to set aside time for prayers and quiet time. This should be our initial goal.
Prayer is another way for us to communicate with the LORD. It is the second phase of communication. He talks to us through the Word, we talk to him through prayer. How many times in the Gospels is there a reference to Jesus going off alone somewhere to pray. If GOD in the flesh spent time in prayer and if we are to follow his example, then we should do the same. Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV
I have found that after reading the word is the best time for prayer and quiet time. One of my favorite scripture verses is from Psalm 46 verse 10, “Be still and know I am God”. (Some translations have it as “Cease Striving, and know I am God.”) Mediating on what you just read, being still and praying for greater understanding at this time reaps great benefits.
Here are some suggestions on what to pray for. Pray daily for the needs of your family as well as the church family. Pray for the nation and it’s leaders, (man is that hard!), pray for the gospel to be preached worldwide. Pray for whatever the spirit prompts you to pray for. EPH 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saintsNIV
As we grow and we mature in our walk we will find ourselves praying more often.
This is a good thing and as Pauls exhortation of 1 Thess 5: 17-18 says:
“Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. “ NLT
Starting off by creating a habit of daily prayer leads to greater maturity and a stronger walk. Remember our ultimate goal is to one day hear this; 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21 &23 NIV
Next week we we will discuss Giving consistently.
Until then may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Last week we encouraged you to read the word daily. Today we talk about prayer and quiet time. There are plenty of books written and scriptures we could use for examples of a full prayer life but that is not the intended scope of this article. The purpose of this article is to encourage young and or struggling believers to start to set aside time for prayers and quiet time. This should be our initial goal.
Prayer is another way for us to communicate with the LORD. It is the second phase of communication. He talks to us through the Word, we talk to him through prayer. How many times in the Gospels is there a reference to Jesus going off alone somewhere to pray. If GOD in the flesh spent time in prayer and if we are to follow his example, then we should do the same. Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV
I have found that after reading the word is the best time for prayer and quiet time. One of my favorite scripture verses is from Psalm 46 verse 10, “Be still and know I am God”. (Some translations have it as “Cease Striving, and know I am God.”) Mediating on what you just read, being still and praying for greater understanding at this time reaps great benefits.
Here are some suggestions on what to pray for. Pray daily for the needs of your family as well as the church family. Pray for the nation and it’s leaders, (man is that hard!), pray for the gospel to be preached worldwide. Pray for whatever the spirit prompts you to pray for. EPH 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saintsNIV
As we grow and we mature in our walk we will find ourselves praying more often.
This is a good thing and as Pauls exhortation of 1 Thess 5: 17-18 says:
“Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. “ NLT
Starting off by creating a habit of daily prayer leads to greater maturity and a stronger walk. Remember our ultimate goal is to one day hear this; 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21 &23 NIV
Next week we we will discuss Giving consistently.
Until then may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Be Faithful in the Little Things - Part I of III
I realize that many believers, new and old, struggle with finding their place in the body of Christ. Many struggle with what to do, when to do it, and how to know they are doing what the Lord wants them to do. If we are faithful in the little things these questions usually are answered. Jesus said in Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. “ Later, when asked what the greatest commandment was he replied:
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind . 38This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’ Matt 22:37-40. NIV
To make this as simple and as concise as possible, what better way to show our love for God and your neighbor than to be faithful in the little things? I am sure others can come up with other ways but here are three little things that I do to become more faithful and secure in my walk. Being faithful in these little things helps me see where I need to be.
1) Read the Word Daily
2) Set aside quiet time with the Lord; Pray daily
3) Give Consistently
Making these three things habitual has the additional benefit of keeping our focus on the LORD where it needs to be. It is when we lose focus that we encounter problems.
I will cover each of these points in the coming weeks. This week we cover:
Read the Word Daily
Those of us who are married realize that the best way to ensure a loving relationship is by communicating. One way for us to communicate and develop an intimate relationship with God is by reading the Word daily.
There are so many online resources and many modern English translations available to us that this should be an easy thing to do. If we can only read 15 minutes day, and be faithful in this “little thing”, many benefits start to accrue to us individually. The main benefit is that God talks to us through his word. It is a guaranteed way of hearing him and the benefits are many. Romans 10:17 states: “So Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ”. NIV and 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 says: ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.’ NLT
As our faith grows so does our understanding, as our understanding grows so does our knowledge, as our knowledge grows so does our discernment. We can then have a solid foundation from which to impart our knowledge to others. One thing we can be sure of, part of God’s plan for each of us is to have his salvation plan made known to the world and reading the word daily equips us for that task. What better way to show love for God than by following his plan? What better way to show love for our neighbor than sharing his word? This is a place where every believer should strive to be.
Where to start?
Let me make a suggestion. You can start with “The One Year Bible” which is now available online. www.oneyearbible.com . It is a structured reading program that will take you through the entire bible in one year. You can start any day, it really does not matter. If you miss any days don’t worry about it, start over with that day.
When you have questions ask them, that is what your bible teachers and pastoral staff are there for. Discussing and asking questions about what you have read leads to greater understanding.
I hope and pray that this has helped somebody today.
Next week we cover Quiet Time and Prayer in part II of our series.
Until then may the Lord bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind . 38This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’ Matt 22:37-40. NIV
To make this as simple and as concise as possible, what better way to show our love for God and your neighbor than to be faithful in the little things? I am sure others can come up with other ways but here are three little things that I do to become more faithful and secure in my walk. Being faithful in these little things helps me see where I need to be.
1) Read the Word Daily
2) Set aside quiet time with the Lord; Pray daily
3) Give Consistently
Making these three things habitual has the additional benefit of keeping our focus on the LORD where it needs to be. It is when we lose focus that we encounter problems.
I will cover each of these points in the coming weeks. This week we cover:
Read the Word Daily
Those of us who are married realize that the best way to ensure a loving relationship is by communicating. One way for us to communicate and develop an intimate relationship with God is by reading the Word daily.
There are so many online resources and many modern English translations available to us that this should be an easy thing to do. If we can only read 15 minutes day, and be faithful in this “little thing”, many benefits start to accrue to us individually. The main benefit is that God talks to us through his word. It is a guaranteed way of hearing him and the benefits are many. Romans 10:17 states: “So Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ”. NIV and 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 says: ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.’ NLT
As our faith grows so does our understanding, as our understanding grows so does our knowledge, as our knowledge grows so does our discernment. We can then have a solid foundation from which to impart our knowledge to others. One thing we can be sure of, part of God’s plan for each of us is to have his salvation plan made known to the world and reading the word daily equips us for that task. What better way to show love for God than by following his plan? What better way to show love for our neighbor than sharing his word? This is a place where every believer should strive to be.
Where to start?
Let me make a suggestion. You can start with “The One Year Bible” which is now available online. www.oneyearbible.com . It is a structured reading program that will take you through the entire bible in one year. You can start any day, it really does not matter. If you miss any days don’t worry about it, start over with that day.
When you have questions ask them, that is what your bible teachers and pastoral staff are there for. Discussing and asking questions about what you have read leads to greater understanding.
I hope and pray that this has helped somebody today.
Next week we cover Quiet Time and Prayer in part II of our series.
Until then may the Lord bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Encouragement for the New Year
What better way to start off the New Year but with a blog commitment to reach out to my Christian brothers and sisters who struggle with their faith. That is the purpose of this blog. I am not about "ologies" and "isms", only about a personal relationship with the GOD of the universe through his son Jesus Christ.
Many of us have been confronted with Pastors, elders, deacons, and church members in general that are so overbearing and self righteous that it forced us to consider leaving or to leave congregations. Many of us have encountered the "You must believe exactly as I believe or you are not saved" types, or the "what do you mean you won't serve where and when I tell you", or the "Oh please, no pressure" and then stealthily have pressure applied. For example a while back I was sitting in a pastors office of a church I was scoping out and a woman came in who was running a Woman's Outreach. She had just completed a three month project and the Pastor asked her if she was ready to start the next. I'll never forget this, she said "I'm tired and need a break". He laughed and then looked at me and said, "She is on fire for the Lord". I thought to myself, no, she is burned out, huge difference. I kept that in the back of mind and months later when I was confronted with a similar situation after witnessing similar situations with other members I left the congregation.
We have all been confronted with similar experiences. I want to tell you that in spite of the "people stuff" we all encounter to not lose faith, don't give up on your relationship with God through his son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to remain Christ centered, to remain in fellowship somewhere, to read the word daily. Don't be put off by apparent hypocrisy, but be focused on Christ. There are grace abusers everywhere, don't allow yourself to be discouraged by them, but be encouraged by what you know to be the truth. Don't be put off by theologies and "isms" you think may be erroneous at best or heretical at worst. Stay focused on THE WORD by reading the word. Eventually the Holy Spirit will lead you to the right place if you are not already there. Sometimes we need to go through things, to learn things before we are ready to be used by God.
Until next time, may the Lord Bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Many of us have been confronted with Pastors, elders, deacons, and church members in general that are so overbearing and self righteous that it forced us to consider leaving or to leave congregations. Many of us have encountered the "You must believe exactly as I believe or you are not saved" types, or the "what do you mean you won't serve where and when I tell you", or the "Oh please, no pressure" and then stealthily have pressure applied. For example a while back I was sitting in a pastors office of a church I was scoping out and a woman came in who was running a Woman's Outreach. She had just completed a three month project and the Pastor asked her if she was ready to start the next. I'll never forget this, she said "I'm tired and need a break". He laughed and then looked at me and said, "She is on fire for the Lord". I thought to myself, no, she is burned out, huge difference. I kept that in the back of mind and months later when I was confronted with a similar situation after witnessing similar situations with other members I left the congregation.
We have all been confronted with similar experiences. I want to tell you that in spite of the "people stuff" we all encounter to not lose faith, don't give up on your relationship with God through his son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to remain Christ centered, to remain in fellowship somewhere, to read the word daily. Don't be put off by apparent hypocrisy, but be focused on Christ. There are grace abusers everywhere, don't allow yourself to be discouraged by them, but be encouraged by what you know to be the truth. Don't be put off by theologies and "isms" you think may be erroneous at best or heretical at worst. Stay focused on THE WORD by reading the word. Eventually the Holy Spirit will lead you to the right place if you are not already there. Sometimes we need to go through things, to learn things before we are ready to be used by God.
Until next time, may the Lord Bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
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