Discipline

Feb

2019

“One Thing You Lack”

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” Mark 10:17-21

There are several other locations where this encounter is recorded as well. In Matthew 19:20 the man is identified as being young, and Luke 18:18 describes him as being a ruler.

So, from these three passages we can easily deduce that this was a young, wealthy, man of influence, perhaps he was training to become a Pharisee, or was the member of the Roman government; we really don’t know for sure.

Typically when we read this passage of Scripture we talk about money and the power that it can have over individuals; this passage reveals much, much more than we may have anticipated!

This passage reveals to us the characteristics of a person that did not qualify that person to be a Christian.

So let’s look at the characteristics of this young man that were not enough to constitute salvation.

Sincerity

It is easy to see that this man was sincere. Here was a wealthy young man of an elite background, and in full view of everyone, he ran to Jesus and knelt before Him. He did not care if anyone was looking. He must have thought that Jesus Himself held the answer to the question he was seeking.

It is quite possible that this young man believed that Jesus was the Messiah; why else would he risk his reputation by kneeling to Him.

Over the course of ministry I have seen hundreds of people kneel and pray to God for salvation; most are as sincere as this young man. They come risking everything, kneeling and asking God for the way of eternal life; but like this young man, sincerity is not enough; Jesus Himself asked for more!

Righteousness

This young man was a righteous man. Jesus reminded him of the commandments; You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.” yet this young man had kept them all!

He never committed murder by killing anyone; he honored his father and mother; was not a thief, nor did he give false testimony or defraud anyone! He was a young man who kept the commandments of God faithfully; what more could he do?

People today are no different; far too often we think if we just live a good life, then we somehow will gain access to heaven and eternal life; that is simply not true! It was not enough for this young man and it will not be enough for you either!

While living a righteous and good life is to be commended; and doing a lifetime of good works may get you a plaque on a wall; it will by no means cause you to have eternal life.

God’s Love

The Bible declares in this passage that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” As Jesus was looking over this young man, kneeling in the dirt, hopeful eyes locked with His, He had compassion.

God also has compassion for us too. The Bible declares that God Himself is love; and the most quoted verse in the Bible; John 3:16 says it best:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

However, God’s love for us; His amazing love for us, does not, in and of itself, bring about the salvation of our souls. God looks in love at this young man, and still there is something more required.

So, if being sincere; recognizing Jesus to be the One with the answer; and being a righteous, good and moral person, and sensing God’s own love for me is not enough for salvation to be complete; what am I missing?

Becoming a Christian, as evidenced in this story, is to believe Jesus to be trustworthy enough to surrender control of our life to. Not partial, or selective control, but ALL control.

To put it bluntly, a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus strong enough to follow Him!

This particular young man had considerable wealth, and it turned out to be his “one thing.”

Jesus said to him; “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Jesus knew that in order for this young man to find salvation, he would have to relinquish control of his wealth. Apparently it had quite a grip on his heart; and for this fellow, it was the “one thing” that prevented this young man from eternal life.

The conclusion of this story with the wealthy young ruler ended sadly, as the Bible says:

“One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

This story is not really about money, but about that which keeps us from following Jesus.

Jesus could easily say . . .

“How hard it is for the bitter to enter the kingdom of God!”

“How hard it is for the jealous to enter the kingdom of God!”

“How hard it is for the self-reliant to enter the kingdom of God!”

“How hard it is for the unforgiving to enter the kingdom of God!”

What “one thing” stands in the way of your salvation?

Perhaps it is time to get rid of it and start following Jesus!

Feb

2019

Ask, Seek and Knock – Do It!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7-11

This is a very familiar Scripture that many of us have read dozens, if not hundreds of times. We often refer to this Scripture when talking about prayer, as we should!

This section begins with the admonition to ask, seek and knock. As we read this, we get the feeling that these are not simply suggestions; perhaps the words carry just a little more weight than that!

Jesus does not frame these words with any kind of condition associated with the request; He simply says to; ask, seek and knock! Therefore, these three words come with an expectation that you will do it.

Jesus further indicates that those who ask, seek and knock, will receive, find, and gain entrance. Again, there is no hesitation in Jesus very straightforward statement here.

He says that if you ask, you will receive, if you seek, you will find, and if you knock, the door opens for you. I find this to be very exciting indeed!

In the following verses, we get a partial idea of where the answers to the asking, seeking, and knocking are coming from. Jesus begins verse 9 by asking the crowd a rhetorical question:

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

I can see the crowd laughing as he makes this statement; some parents are no doubt planning a practical joke on their kids later in the day!

Jesus then contrasts the crowd; sinful humanity, against a holy and righteous Father; by saying:

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

We see that “good gifts” come from our Father in heaven. James echoes this truth in the Book he wrote:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

So, we see clearly that Jesus is saying if you ask, seek and knock, then God Himself will respond with good gifts.

I have heard it said by well meaning Christians that we need to be careful what we ask God for, we might just get it! I think that is an ugly statement, one in which we think that God our Father, who is incredibly good and holy, who has our best interest at heart, would somehow give us a bad gift!

I think that if I am knocking on a door that is going to lead me astray, God will not open it.

When God opens a door, gives a gift, or reveals Himself to His children, according to Jesus, it is going to be good!

Now to be sure, we can go beyond knocking, and go get a crowbar and force open a door that God is unwilling to open for us.

Remember, He knows what is best, and if the door will not open by knocking on it, it is best to leave it shut.

So go ahead; ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK . . . this is going to be good!

Feb

2019

Count the Cost

Jesus calls everyone who would follow Him, to count the cost; it is quite high. While the gift of salvation is free to receive, the cost of following is steep! One must consider the ramifications of following the Lord before jumping in.

Jesus said that those who choose to follow Him must deny themselves; this means putting others ahead of you, it means a life of service given to those who may or may not like you, much less, love you!

Jesus even went so far as to say that you must pick up your cross and follow Him.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Matthew 16:24-26

A cross was the very instrument used to kill Jesus. The cross was the first century equivalent of the electric chair, only much, much crueler.

When they led Jesus away for crucifixion, the Bible says, He carried His own cross; and since He did, so must you!

Following Jesus will cause you to lay down your life; it is a willing decision on your part to place your life, your will, your preferences, and all your hopes and dreams, into His hands, trusting Him with the outcome, whatever it may be!

It is a requirement of following Him; for some it might mean laying down your wealth. For others it might mean that your reputation is, put on the line; yet for others it might mean serving somewhere obscure with little or no recognition; and yet for others, it may require your very life; the decision is His to make, and it is your cross to carry!

What is your Cross . . . everyone who follows Jesus, gets one!

If you don’t have one, then there is a pretty good chance, you don’t belong to Him!

Feb

2019

Watch Out For – Hypocrisy

Jesus never condemned sinners; He did however denounce and deplore hypocrites!

A hypocrite is a person who excuses his own sin, while condemning the sins of others.

The hypocrite does not see his own hypocrisy, because he cannot see, or refuses to see, the flaws in himself.

The one who cannot see their own flaws, rarely if ever, seek mercy. Since he does not seek mercy, he has no mercy to give; and since he is always under God’s judgment, he passes judgment on others.

If we are to be seekers of holiness, we cannot remain as hypocrites; or better stated; hypocrites cannot find holiness.

The first step in pursuing holiness is to admit that we are not as holy as we appear to be; this first step is called humility.

As we draw near to God, each one of us will become aware of the sins in our own heart. The Holy Spirit is not revealing these sins in order to condemn us, but rather to establish humility, and to deepen our knowledge of our own need for more grace.

Anyone choosing to follow God, will humble themselves before God, asking God for grace to deliver them from the sin that has entangled them.

For those who will try to excuse their sin, the title hypocrite is, justly deserved. Jesus used a parable to highlight this very issue.

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14

Holiness is not about obeying a set of rules and regulations; that only breeds more hypocrisy. Holiness is about getting rid of pride; which enables us to come to terms with the true condition of our heart.

Have you humbled yourself before God, lately?

Feb

2019

Abide in Me

The word “abide” simply means to remain, or stay put; Jesus used the word in the context of vineyard work. The vine that remains grows, and that vine begins to produce fruit.

Abiding gives us the idea that we are continuing to grow and mature, and just like the vine needs to produce fruit, so do we!

If we don’t produce fruit, then we are not growing and are taking up precious resources from those who are, and we risk being cut off by the Master Gardener!

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1-8

The first step in learning to abide has to do with faith. When we read the command “abide in Me,” and it is a command, not a suggestion; we know that this is something we can do! God never commands that we do something that we cannot do.

We see this command, and by faith, we begin to abide . . . we stay put in Christ, and as we do, we feel the love and security that comes from staying in Christ. Answers to prayer begin to abound.

As you continue to abide in Christ, you become even more aware of God’s Word, the authority, and power, associated with it, and you begin to realize that with this great gift, comes tremendous responsibility as well.

You will begin to find that something more is required than simple faith; obedience is required. Hear the words of Isaiah . . .

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 1:18-20

We need to be willingly obedient in order to “abide in Him.”

To remain in Christ is to live a life of obedience to His Word; doing anything less will cause you to be a vine that produces no fruit; and according to Jesus, you will be, cut off!

Feb

2019

Beware of the Selfishness Trap

We need to be careful that we do not fall into the “Selfishness Trap” mentioned in the following passage of Scripture. As you go about your life in Christ, be generous. What people need the most, is your time and attention.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

As followers of Christ, the Scripture above ought to be, turned on its head!

We should be; selfless, generous with our money (tithe more, tip well) be humble, kind, obedient to our parents, grateful, holy, loving, forgiving, encouraging, self controlled, merciful, loving the good, honest, prudent, modest, loving God, and exemplifying Him in all things, walking in great power!

Make a fresh commitment to live this way today . . . and every day; you can be sure, the world around you will take note, and God will too!

Feb

2019

Learn the Word

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

The Scriptures call us to become students of the Word of God. We MUST apply all of our abilities to this task. We live in a day and age of information; we have access to computers, bibles, books, commentaries, etc.

If there ever was a generation that is WITHOUT EXCUSE for learning the Word of God, it is this generation.

You MUST engage yourself in the study of God’s Word. To avoid this most elementary part of Christianity shows your lack of desire to, really know, the God you say you love!

Jan

2019

Martha, Martha

Martha’s idea to invite Jesus to her home was turning out to be a problem for her. This was supposed to be a good thing. The Son of God is in my home! We had better get the best dishes out, the choicest drink and food; prepared just right! Everyone had better be on their best behavior too!

Mary, Martha’s sister, knew what was most important, and was not about to be moved. She decided to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to the Words of Life He would speak. She hung on every word! Martha was missing out, distracted by the busyness of preparations.

Martha was so distracted that she even complained to Jesus; “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” She now wanted her distraction to be everyone else’s distraction too, even Jesus!

Jesus was quick to set Martha straight, showing her that what Mary was doing was the best thing. Not that dinner preparations are not important, but sitting with Jesus is even better!

When faced with a distraction that threatens to pull your focus off Jesus, do what Mary did, and just sit still, and listen to Jesus. Rest assured that you are doing the right thing; the distraction will wait.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Jan

2019

Godly Sorrow

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10

“Godly sorrow” produces repentance. I have to ask; have you ever felt godly sorrow? Have you ever felt the need to repent, and then actually do it?

Because if you have not ever repented, you are NOT redeemed, and you are still in your sins, and are as lost as ever; even more lost, because you have deceived yourself into thinking you are redeemed, when in fact you are not.

Jesus said these stunning words . . .

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:21-23

The most revealing and frightening aspect of this passage is that the people were convinced that they knew Jesus; when in fact, He NEVER knew them!

Jan

2019

Roaring Lion

Satan has considerable influence in our society. His malevolent intentions are evident the world over.

It seems with each passing day, the darkness of the devil’s evil persuasion is poisoning the hearts and minds of humanity in ever increasing proportions.

We must remain vigilant and on guard, keeping our minds clear of distractions, otherwise we fall into sin, becoming ineffective in our prayer, and even becoming a tool in that hands of our enemy.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

Dec

2018

Bitter or Better – You Get to Choose

Anger is an emotion we all have, and how we express it is very important. Uncontrolled anger quickly turns to rage, a form of abuse.

Anger, when properly controlled helps shape new ideas, it is a healthy mechanism used to set boundaries and keep us from over reacting to situations. You may recall Moses becoming angry many times, as he encountered difficult people, and God used those moments to help shape the man Moses, and indeed an entire nation of people.

Uncontrolled anger turns to rage, and rage is very destructive, often becoming addictive. Anger in and of itself, is not bad. When we are faced with a situation that causes us to become angry, we need to talk it out, find solutions, set boundaries.

Unresolved anger turns to bitterness

The Bible tells us;

Ephesians 4:29-32

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Did you catch that? “Get rid of all bitterness . . .”

Let’s look at this word for a moment.

The root word used for bitterness is:

Pikros pik-ros’ (piercing); sharp (pungent), that is, acrid – bitter.

Bitterness is a powerful explosive

I grew up in Cameron County, a rather remote area in North Central Pennsylvania, the heart of the Pa. Wilds. Residents are familiar with the term Picric.

Early in the settlement of Cameron County, there was an abundance of Hemlock; it was everywhere. The hemlock trees were debarked, and the hemlock bark processed to produce tannin, in turn used in the process of tanning hides.

Picric (bitter) acid helped pull the tannin out of the hemlock bark. Since there was an abundance of Picric acid, also used to produce the powerful explosive TNT, factories sprung up across Cameron County in the 1800’s.

So . . . “Pikros” or bitterness is a powerful explosive, and the Bible says to get rid of it . . . all of it!

Bitterness usually manifests in three ways, bitterness toward God, toward others, and toward oneself.

Bitterness towards God

Bitterness towards God can happen many different ways, and I have seen it happen many times. A precious loved one is taken away, and there are no clear answers.

Someone prays for a healing, and the object of his or her prayers is suddenly gone!

Someone is faithful to God, serving the church, generous in giving, yet end up losing their job, the house is now in foreclosure, and they are about to lose everything!

The natural question in situations like these are; “why would a loving God allow this to happen?

It is easy to fall into the trap and begin to question God’s love, His mercy, and His wisdom. Perhaps you have been there!

You begin to feel angry at God, and you begin to shrink back from Him. You see God blessing others but you feel cursed and wonder why God is passing you by. I have heard people say; “when is it my time to be blessed!”

Your anger towards God grows, and you become resentful, and question everything God does, you even begin to question the very existence of God. A prime example of this, is found in the Book of Acts.

Acts 8:9-23

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Simon had a bitter heart because he saw the real power of God being used in common everyday folks and he wanted it!

Bitterness towards others

The second way we become bitter is towards others. This usually begins with an offense and a hurt that is not forgiven. Often this takes a lifetime to develop and can start at an early age. A child, abused emotionally or physically, finding no way to express the pain; become angry, and resentful to their parents or toward others.

I have seen families devastated when a cherished family member passes away. Heirlooms divided unevenly, the estate, managed improperly, and someone gets hurt, resentment sets in. As time progresses, the hurt festers, and bitterness of heart, overtake the person and they become toxic.

When a family lives with a bitter person, life can be almost unbearable! The bitter one cannot truly love, rarely if ever says the words “I love you,” unless spoken with an unhealthy dose of sarcasm.

The bitter person cannot find it within himself or herself, to express hope and encouragement to anyone, life revolves around them and their pain. The bitter heart always sees itself as the victim, the one who is always hurt, and if not hurt now, will most certainly hurt again soon.

The bitter person is almost always angry about something, works hard at producing guilt feelings in others, and when those they must live with distance themselves, more anger and guilt comes rolling out. A bitter person is full of poison and is toxic like picric, an explosion waiting to happen!

Bitterness to oneself

The last form of bitterness expresses inwardly, toward self. Some people see themselves as ugly, sinful, and disgusting. They have committed crimes against God and man, and simply cannot forgive themselves.

They feel as though God could never forgive them for the things they have done. I have encountered many a person with this affliction; when asked; they often say something like; “I hope God will forgive me.” They have not yet believed that God could, or would forgive them.

For this person, God’s forgiveness is just a bridge too far. Many times this person will do works for God, hoping somehow to earn His forgiveness and love!

Bitterness of heart settles in, and in the end, without forgiveness received, the person’s eternal life is lost; a sad end indeed.

The Bible warns us about bitterness;

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Bitterness will defile many if left unchecked and if you are reading this today, and you know you have the symptoms of bitterness; then let’s get healed of this disease today!

Get free of bitterness, once and for all

To get started, we deal with bitterness toward God. The first step is to realize that we live in a fallen world; a world full of sin and destruction. Remember, bad things happen to good people, and just because we are Christians, does not exempt us from the brokenness of this broken world.

The Bible does give us hope though:

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

While there will be pain and suffering in this world, God is working in ways we may not see clearly. In the midst of great pain and suffering, ask God to lead you, hold tight to His hand.

As we encounter painful experiences in this broken world, rather than despise God, let’s ask Him if there is anything that can be discovered from this? Not that God instigated the pain, but rather, can God help me through this and help me learn something too, perhaps something to help another.

Remember the Scriptures . . .

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Many reading this have been through tremendous pain and suffering, yet you still love God! Could one of the blessings be that there is a way for you to comfort others who may be heading into a season of suffering?

Do not become bitter toward God, He is not your enemy, He is your salvation, trust Him, fall into His arms and love Him, let your bitterness toward Him dissolve!

Secondly, let’s deal with the bitterness toward others. Remember to make your anger temporary; recall Ephesians 4:26 “. . . do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

Do not allow your anger to cause you to sin; make up your mind you will not do it!

Forgive and forget! Now I know this sounds simplistic, but it works. For someone reading this today, you have kept a running list of every hurt, every offense, and you have learned to nurse them; holding them dear, not realizing that the very thing you clutch to your heart is killing you and is a contagion to those around you!

First, forgive them. That means letting go of the right to retaliate! Give the outcome to God; let Him be the Judge, and the One who has the final say. In your forgiveness, be sure to get rid of all malice, give it up!

Stop wishing harm to those who harm you, stop it!

Once you have made up your mind to forgive; then forget. By forget I mean that you will never bring up the offense again.

A man was meeting with a marriage counselor and he said; “please help me, my wife is historical, she’s absolutely historical!” The doctor said; “Don’t you mean she is hysterical?” “No,” the man replied; “she is historical and is always bringing up the past.”

We will not forget the incident, and the scar may last for a lifetime, but when we forgive, we leave it alone and determine not to bring it back up.

One more thought on this; if you are in an abusive relationship and you have within your power the freedom to leave, then do so; God calls us to live in peace. I have known people who feel it is their duty to live in an abusive relationship, to suffer great pain and humiliation, only to end up bitter, resentful and lost; this is not God’s plan.

It is one thing to suffer for Christ and quite another to suffer for man; you must discern between the two, and make a decision.

Finally, let’s deal with bitterness toward oneself. To tackle this one, you need to believe God’s Word. If you do, then there is real hope, if you do not, then you will suffer a long life of bitterness and die without Christ.

Those who suffer bitterness toward themselves often wallow in self-pity. Many, who struggle in this way, have what we often refer to as a besetting sin, the one thing that always trips them up! They tend to live in a cycle of sin and self abasement.

The Bibles says something wonderful;

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Remember that God has provided everything you need for salvation, including the gift of forgiveness. If you have sinned, then confess it to God, tell Him about it! Once you do, then forgiveness comes, it’s over, and He will remember it no more.

Avoid not forgiving yourself, this makes you become as God in your life. Are you stronger, wiser and more powerful than God? I don’t think so! Let it go!

So, let’s get rid of all bitterness today! Make this the first day of a life without bitterness.

For those of you who have experienced bitterness of soul, this is not easy; it will cause tears and great pain. Bitterness has been part of your life, and living without it will be a frightful thing at first. However, to live with it, will cost you your soul, because there will not be one bitter soul in heaven and if you do not deal with it here, you don’t get to go there!

Time to cast bitterness into the sea

For some of you, you have accumulated a mountain of hurt, so much pain and suffering! You have carried it for years and years; it is time to bring it to God.

Mark 11:22-25

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

It is time to cast off the mountain of bitterness; when you, by faith, release this burden to the Lord, He will cast it away into the sea, and sweet water will begin flowing into your soul!

Dec

2018

Pray Upside Down Series

For many years I have been trying to put together a series of Bible Studies designed to help the Christian understand their true position in Christ.

Finally, I have set aside the time and put them altogether, The studies were born out of my own desire to understand the power of prayer, and how this meshes with our relationship to Jesus.

My experience in pastoral ministry took place in rural Pennsylvania; nestled in the mountains of Cameron County, the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

A small community with big problems

Like many small rural communities, the one my wife, Sherri and I served, had its fair share of problems. Having lived in the community for many years, we knew in detail the problems associated with the town; problems of drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide and sexual abuse. These issues were far more common than folks there care to admit.

As pastors in this community, we saw firsthand the hurt and pain the devil had inflicted upon the community, and we began earnestly to pray for the deliverance of this town.

For many years, every Sunday morning, Sherri and I would head to an overlook that provided a stunning view of our little town, and we would pray there.

On one particular occasion, I went alone and began praying over the town; what happened that day would change my life forever!

An encounter with God on the mountain

I stood where I could see the whole town and began praying against the powers and principalities that had been enslaving the people in my community.

Determined to see a breakthrough, I was passionately praying aloud, fists punching at the sky as if pounding on the devil himself!

It was then the most unexpected thing happened; the Lord seemed to draw near, I could sense His Presence, and while I was praying, He asked me a question. To the best of my recollection, here is how the conversation unfolded.

The Lord said to me; “Rock, what are you doing?”

I was somewhat taken aback, it seemed obvious to me what I was doing, so I answered the Lord; “I am praying.”

He said in the kindest way possible; “Why are you praying like that, punching at the sky?”

I was not sure what He was getting at, and I really did not know how to answer, so I responded; “This is how I do it.”

There was a pause, and then he asked me another question; “Rock, where are you?”

I am getting even more confused now, and all I could do was to say; “I’m here, Lord!” There was another pause, and then He rephrased the same question,

“Rock, spiritually where are you?”

I responded by saying, “I’m with you, Lord.” It was then that the Scripture from Ephesians 2:6 (And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus) came rushing to my heart.

The Lord asked me again; “Rock, where are you?”

I responded; “I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms” What the Lord said next would forever change my life and ministry!

The Lord said to me; “Rock, stop praying with your fists pounding at the sky, as if you were fighting an enemy that you are in subjection to. Start praying from your true position in Me.

God taught me to pray Upside Down

Instead of praying with a down-side up mentality, pray from the up-side down; from the heavenly realm where you are seated; the battle is not over your head, but is under your feet.”

Wow, stunned by what had just taken place, I realized that much of my prayer life took place without recognizing the authority with which one could pray.

I learned that I do have authority and that I can pray expecting powerful answers. That day on the mountain changed everything!

It was out of this encounter with the Lord on that mountain, the idea of Praying Up-side Down and consequently the name of our ministry; Faith Up-side Down came to fruition.

The Faith Upside Down Bible Study Series will help you to understand the truth of who you are in Christ and you will discover the powerful position you have, and your prayer life will take on new passion and power!

You can check out our new series at Pray Upside Down.

Nov

2018

Give it Away

Our world has a growing disparity between those who have much and those who have little. The society sees this, and cries inequality and demands justice!

The answer that quickly comes to the mind of some is the “Robin Hood” answer; take from the rich and give to the poor! We romanticize the story of Robin Hood, the outcast hero outsmarting and outwitting the snobbish, wealthy overlords, gathering their hoarded riches and giving to the poor.

Yet, this tactic of pressuring the wealthy, to give to the poor, seems unfair. Many wealthy people have earned their money legally, working smart and hard to get it. Pressuring them, even extorting them, into giving it to an oft times dishonest government to spend, seems as repulsive as Robin Hood stealing it!

As Christians who champion the teachings of Jesus, why we do we relegate the care of our neighbors to the government? Here is an idea, how about just giving your own money and wealth away, and doing it on your own accord.

To highlight the joy of giving to my congregation, I hatched an idea; we would pray and take the Sunday morning offering as usual; however, whatever amount came in, we would give it ALL AWAY the next Sunday! I talked it over with the leadership team of our church and they wholeheartedly agreed!

We received the offering that morning, and for our church, it was awesome; we took in just over $1600. So the next Sunday, we took 80 envelops with $20 in each one, making sure that everyone who came received an envelope; if you were old enough to walk, you got one!

I preached a message on giving, and the Scripture lesson was from Matthew 6:1-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I challenged the folks to; secretly get the $20 bill into the hands of someone you felt could really use it. We would find out later that some folks used the money to put together a meal for a family; another bought the fixings for a steak dinner and gave it to a family. One young boy, about 8 years old, saw an elderly woman in the grocery store and he secretly slipped the $20 bill into her purse.

The stories of that day filtered in over the next few months and it was awesome!

Additionally, it really made no sense from a practical point of view, to give away the offering; our church could have really, really used it then; however God more than compensated what we gave away!

As followers of Jesus, we have the title of ambassador, and we are to represent the Kingdom of God to the residents of this broken world; why then would we willingly give that task to a broken government; let us do what God has called us to do!

Go ahead, get generous and bless a family. If you have enough money to take your family out to eat; then wait an extra couple of weeks setting aside a tip near the amount of your dinner and bless the waiter or waitress; the expression of joy far exceeds the $75 tip!

Pray and ask God to reveal the name of a family that could use a blessing; and then follow through.

An amazing blessing is to take one or two hundred dollar bills and put them in a “Thinking of You” card and write a quick line: “I wanted you to know that you have been on my heart, and I see your need, I hope this helps” ~Jesus

Oh, and remember, your time is more valuable than money, your willingness to befriend someone and walk with them through life, is a blessing that is priceless!

Remember, you are an ambassador and have the authority to use His Name!

Go for it!

Be a blessing and be blessed!

Aug

2018

A Stroll in the Woods – Lesson 3 – Smorgasbord

One of the things I found a little unnerving on my recent hike to the Red Moshannon Viaduct, was the dense terrain that I had to walk through. The area was new to me, as I had never been there before. On my way back to my car, I got somewhat turned around, or uh, you might say, I was taking the scenic route . . . Oh, I’ll just tell the truth, I WAS LOST! There . . . I said it!

As I was walking through this dense, sopping wet forest, I noticed many blackberries, huckleberries, and then I began to see large rotten trees and tree stumps torn apart, then it dawned on me, there were bears rummaging through this area, and I was walking through their kitchen!

I started to feel uneasy. The rain was pouring down; the ground was silent to my steps, and I anticipated coming face to face with a black bear at any moment; possibly surprising the bear, and hoping it was not with a set of cubs, making the encounter even more dangerous.

So I proceeded with an increased level of scrutiny as I took each step, looking this way and that, being very careful as I picked my through.

It reminded me of an old passage in the Bible; the passage in Genesis, shortly before Cain killed his brother Abel. Both had brought offerings to God, Abel’s offering was acceptable to the Lord, but God was not pleased with the offering Cain brought.

Cain got angry and jealous of his brother and began to think ugly thoughts; God spoke to Cain and said; “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)

We live in a world where “sin is crouching” at every turn, looking to ensnare anyone who falls into the temptation trap! Satan cannot make you sin, but he is very good at setting a tempting table; a smorgasbord for you; and as you pass by, he whispers in your ear . . . “Oh there must be something on this table for you, try a little something, so tasty!”

The Apostle Peter described the devil as a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We need to be careful as we negotiate the crazy world we find ourselves immersed in, the dangers out there are far worse than encountering an angry bear!

To coin a phrase used by an old friend, Phil Burkhouse, author of a weekly outdoor column, Wandering Aimlessly; “You be careful out there.”

Aug

2018

A Stroll in the Woods – Lesson 2 – Stuck in Mid-Air

As I was walking through the woods on my way to the Red Moshannon Viaduct, I came across a rather odd-looking site; a leaf stuck in mid-air! I took a picture of the leaf, as it dangled in the air, four feet off the ground.

As I studied the optical anomaly, looking for the solution to the magical dangling leaf, I saw it, a single silky strand, barely visible to the naked eye!

The leaf, released from its lofty perch, sent on a mission to add to the beautiful tapestry of the forest floor. While en-route to the desired destination, a single thread captured it in mid-air, effectively ending the desired journey and the hopeful outcome.

A single spider thread is only about 10 microns thick, that is four ten thousandths of an inch! Yet, as small as that single thread is, it has great strength; a single spider strand is 5 times as strong as a strand of steel the same diameter!

As I stood there pondering this amazing sight, I realized that it only takes a little “sin” to stop a person’s spiritual journey with Jesus. Just as the little leaf stopped in mid-air, so too does the Christian’s journey suspend in time, until the minute thread, cut loose.

Only when we call out to Jesus, declaring we have made an error in judgment, does He stop and cut us loose. It is the confession of the deed, which sets us free. If we choose to ignore the issue at hand, we will remain stranded and more silky thread will be applied, and the bonds grow tighter and tighter, choking the very life out of us!

When walking through dangerous places with Jesus; it is best to keep your eyes on Him; you will be less likely to be enticed off the trail. The Good News; if you do fail, call out quickly to Him, even if you feel embarrassed, or ashamed, tell Him what you did, and how sorry you are. He will come quickly and free you from the snare.

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Aug

2018

A Stroll in The Woods – Lesson 1

Annually I like to take a weekend and spend it in solitude, deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I do this to reflect on God’s Word, to clear my mind and heart, seeking God’s direction for the year ahead.

This year, I chose to hang my hammock and pitch my tent, on a secluded spot on Sandy Ridge, Pa. It was a gorgeous spot overlooking the scenic valley below, surrounded by forest.

I decided to take a day to hike into an area I had always wanted to see, the Red Moshannon Viaduct. My grandfather used to pick cranberries there.

Reuben & Helen Pifer with 119 quarts of Cranberries

My devotional for the morning, prior to my hike, was one of my favorite passages in the Bible, Matthew chapter 5, 6 and 7; we often refer to this section as the “Sermon on the Mount.”

This part of the Bible contains the “Nuts & Bolts” of Christianity. Jesus really laid it out here; I recommend that you read it . . . all three chapters, and then read it again, a little slower, savoring all the nuggets along way; then read it one more time for good measure. I guarantee you will want to go back to this passage, repeatedly, I know I do!

In chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus says this: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

As I headed down over the side of the mountain to reach the Moshannon Viaduct, I found myself paralleling Interstate 80. As I headed down over the bank, I was about 100 yards from that massive highway; the cars and truck roaring by; careening to destinations unknown to me.

I was picking my way through the soggy, dense forest, now on a deer path traversing a 50-degree slope, pushing through thick, wet mountain laurel, stinging twigs slapping my face, brushing off mosquitoes, slipping from time to time! Only 100 yards away was a smooth, flat, easy highway; people whizzing effortlessly past me.

I sat down to rest, and then I realized that this must be what Jesus was talking to me about earlier. Getting on the interstate is easy, and once you get on it, it’s pedal to the metal and off you go!

So many today are flying through life, roaring to new jobs, bigger homes, adding relentlessly to a retirement fund, breathlessly chasing dreams, running fast and hard; all the while unaware at the end of this broad highway, according to Jesus, there is nothing but eternal destruction.

The other option is not so much a road, but a path; this road has a Gatekeeper, and His Name is Jesus; there is no other entrance-way; you MUST go through Him. Once you meet Him, He takes you on a journey. Jesus leads the way, looking back and with a grin stretching from ear to ear, He says; “Come, Follow Me.”

The way is often precarious, the twists and turns can be both frightening and exhilarating. There is danger, mysterious intrigue, and profound wonder, as you follow the Son of God. The narrow road is full of sights and sounds that those, only 100 yards away, never see.

The destination of this road less traveled is life . . . life never ending; it does not end in destruction, but continues; on and on, it is eternal, forever and ever!

If I have wet your whistle and you want to enter this narrow way, then consider Jesus. If drawn to the gatekeeper, and by ANY means, run to Him, and get in on this journey.

I can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend . . . Hey Jesus, wait up . . . I’m coming!

Aug

2018

Hornets’ Nest

I recall one hot summer afternoon when I was about 8 years old my dad, mom and me, went looking for some chokecherries so mom could make some chokecherry jam!

There were a few chokecherry trees not far from our property, so we took a couple of small buckets and off we went. We found a tree loaded with them, but the first few branches were high of the ground, so dad hoisted me up, then handed me the bucket, and I scurried up into the tree.

I was carefully plucking chokecherries, when suddenly; I felt a sting on the back of my neck, then another, and another! In a matter of seconds, I felt stung repeatedly!

I dropped the bucket and started yelling to dad as I made my descent as quickly as possible. When I got to the last branch, I jumped into dads arms and we ran away as fast as we could!

When we got home, mom attended to my stinging wounds; stung about a dozen times or more.

A hornets’ nest, tucked in the tree; unnoticed by us, and disturbed by my presence, the hornets attacked me!

Watch out for Hornets in the wild

I am so glad that my parents rushed me home and took care of my stinging wounds, applying pain-relieving ointments and cold cloths to the afflicted areas. I am sure the temptation was for my dad to knock down that hornet nest and make them “pay” for what they did to me.

The fact is, we have hornets in the wild, and when we get too close to their nests, they react. It is best to be a little more careful when investigating the great wilderness surrounding us, and when we locate a hornets’ nest, give it a wide berth.

It is an entirely different situation when the hornets decide to build near our home; we simply cannot permit it, so we take measures to ensure that does not happen. When we spy those aerial stinging insects, attempting to build a nest on our house, we knock it down and destroy it swiftly.

Furthermore, we remain diligent, keeping close watch, inspecting our homes and properties often, making sure they are safe from these stinging critters.

We are born with a fatal sting

While remembering this almost forgotten event from my childhood, it dawned on me, that we could make an important spiritual application from this story.

We know that, spiritually speaking, we are all born with a sting in our soul, a spiritually fatal sting; we know only one cure for this lethal condition, and that would be Jesus.

Jesus went to the Cross embracing every sting of every person; you could say on the Cross-, He was swarmed. The fierce stings of sin penetrated His flesh, burning deep.

Even after He had given up His Spirit to the Father, one last “sting” for good measure given, as they pierced His side! It was finished!

Of course, we know that the Father raised Jesus up; Praise God for that! The Bible now declares . . .

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For those who have come to Christ Jesus, the “sting” of death, now erased, and all our “stings” forgiven; this is great news!

On a mission to remove the sting of death

Now, as followers of Jesus, we are on a mission to show people everywhere, how to get that “sting” of death out, and replaced with the River of Life!

Early in my Christian journey, as I wandered through our community, I noticed all these “hornet” nests established throughout our town; cults, bars, secret societies, and the like. I recall standing in front of these establishments praying against them, invoking the power of God to come and destroy these places of iniquity.

Almost every time I did this, I would feel swarmed by “demonic hornets” throughout the following week; some spiritual attacks were quite vicious and painful; I got the feeling the devil was out for blood!

I began to wonder what I was doing wrong, so I began to examine Jesus’ life and His tactics; and my eyes opened.

During the time of Jesus’ ministry, certainly one HUGE hornet nest, was the Roman Empire. The folks following Jesus, wanted Him to eradicate that nest; to tear it down and bring freedom, political freedom from the oppression everyone felt from that ungodly regime!

Jesus did not go to Rome, standing there praying against it; rather He went to people, offering to remove the “sting” of death from their heart. He knew advancing His Kingdom would happen, one heart at a time!

He focused on His mission; Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

His mission has become our mission; we would do well to follow it!

Do not permit hornets to build in your house

Jesus did not go to the “hornet nests” in the wild; rather He left them alone. However, He would NOT tolerate the building of “hornet nests” in His household; He tore them down quickly, and so should we!

It is one thing to encounter a hornets’ nest in the wild, and another thing to discover one in your house. The ones we find in the wild, we avoid, and give wide berth to; the ones we find in our home, we quickly exterminate, so it is in the Kingdom of Christ!

When Jesus encountered the money-changers, Pharisees, and false teachers of the Law, doing business in His Father’s house, He let them have it, and called them out; even driving them out with a whip!

In light of these truths, I have decided to change my tactics a bit; rather than looking for spiritual hornet nests in the wild, and standing there shouting at them. I have decided to concentrate on identifying hornet nests inside the church (His Body) exposing and knocking them down!

I intend to be intentionally helping persons remove the sting of death in their soul; then warning them to stay away from known hornets nests in the wild.

Now, don’t get me wrong here, if the Holy Spirit directs me to stand in front of a hornet nest and shout at it; I will do so without hesitation, fully expecting that the nest will fall, just like the walls of Jericho fell when the Israelite army shouted at it!

Meanwhile . . . there are stings to remove, soothing salve to apply, a Kingdom to advance . . . one soul at a time!

Get your gear, let’s get at it!

Jul

2018

We Wrestle

Growing up, our family were neighbors with the James Baker family; James (Jim) was the high school biology teacher, and the head wrestling coach. His influence brought all the neighborhood boys into the wresting club. I started my school-wrestling career when I was in the 6^th grade.

When I was in high school, I made the wrestling team; we were called; BAGUBA’s, pronounced BAH-GOO-BAH. It was an acronym that stood for: Brutally Aggressive Guy Uninhibited By Adversity.

To be a wrestler requires tremendous practice and preparation. A typical practice session begins by stretching. We would stretch our legs, arms, and even stretch our necks by doing what we call the arch technique; while laying flat on your back, arms across your chest, you would arch your body upward, using only your neck muscle. I recall the first few weeks of practice everyone had sore necks!

After 15 to 20 minutes of stretching, we would do sprints back and forth across the gymnasium to build up our cardio. We would do this until we thought we would drop!

Once we stretched and got our heart rate pumping, we would go into the wrestling room! The heated room felt like a sauna! The floor and walls were padded, and a ladder attached to the ceiling.

We would each take turns going across the ladder. You jumped up, grabbed a rung, then pulled your knees up to your chest, going across the ladder as fast as possible; it was grueling!

Once all these preliminary steps were out of the way, the “Real” practice began! We would learn wrestling maneuvers and tactics, practicing on each other in that sweltering room.

Finally, we would end the practice session by doing an exercise called, “Shark Bait.” You broke into groups of four, as close to a similar weight class as possible. One wrestler would be the “Bait” and would wrestle the other three, one at a time; one minute each; once finished, a second wrestler would be the “Bait.” The session continued until all had an opportunity to wrestle.

After an hour and a half of wrestling practice, you were exhausted, and trust me, you felt it the next day!

All of this practice and preparation helped get us ready for a real match. When that day came, everything you had leaned and practiced, you needed to remember.

When you entered the ring and looked your opponent in the eyes, it was game on!

Wrestling is a hard sport and not for the squeamish, you will have your limits tested, you will learn what it feels like to be beaten, and what it feels like to win. It is an aggressive sport, and as our name declared; it is “Brutally Aggressive.”

As Christians, the Apostle Paul reminds us, that we are in a spiritual wrestling match; and the stakes are very high! Let us listen in as Paul reveals this truth . . .

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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 Lord’s people.

In this amazing passage, the Apostle Paul reveals what we need to do, in order to win this spiritual wrestling match. Let us look into it . . .

BELT OF TRUTH

In the time of the Apostle Paul’s writing to the church in Ephesus, the Romans soldiers were on patrol throughout the area. The Roman soldier wore armor to protect himself in battle. The “BELT” sometimes called the “GIRDLE” set in place, buckled around the middle.

The lower armor hung on the belt, and the sword rested in a sheath attached to the belt. The “BELT” was central to the armor of the Roman soldier, and the Belt of Truth is central to the Christian’s armor too; everything hangs on this.

Truth remains truth, so long as it is not manipulated or twisted. Satan loves to take Scripture out of context, and bend it to get his way, rather than God’s way.

GOD EXPECTS US TO WALK IN TRUTH ALWAYS, even if it may cause pain, we need to be truthful at all times. We must be truthful about ourselves, in our “INMOST PARTS” not holding back from God anything that would keep us from Him.

Psalm 51:6

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Satan referred to as “THE FATHER OF LIES” does some of his most crafty work in this area. Let us be careful not to give him a foothold, but rather buckle firmly the belt of truth around your waist.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Roman soldiers wore a breastplate. This piece of armor PROTECTED THE HEART, and other vital organs from attack, and without this essential piece of armor, the soldier was vulnerable to a fatal strike. FOR THE CHRISTIAN, THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS INDISPENSABLE, without this, we would be vulnerable to attack as well, an attack of the heart!

Satan loves to accuse, cast doubt, and instill fear, in the heart of the believer.

Unless we have this covering over our heart, his attacks may prove successful! God’s word declares the believer, righteous in Christ.

Romans 4:6-7

Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sin are covered. . .

Imputed – to ascribe to or charge (a person) with an act or quality because of the conduct of another over whom one has control or for whose acts or conduct one is responsible.

It is sometimes hard for us to believe that simply by placing faith in JESUS CHRIST, ALL our sins forgiven, and we stand before God as if we never did anything wrong.

Just like Abraham “BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS” we believe God too, and by faith, just like Abraham, we believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Our sins forgiven, WE STAND, NOT IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT IN CHRIST’S.

FEET FITTED WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

We are now going to get our FEET FITTED with a pair of GOSPEL SHOES!

Following the Lord is not an easy task. The road may get difficult, we see SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS to crush along the way, and hot desert places to walk through. We need the proper equipment to walk this path.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

God has lifted us up out of dark places and sets us on a solid path; directing our steps.

Psalm 40:2

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.

As you can see, our God is able to cause us to stand, and He gives us spiritual SHOES, that will tread down our enemy. This is good news, but there is more.

Once we have our feet fitted with shoes that are able to cause us to stand, and have the ability to crush our enemy, we need to use these shoes to carry forward the incredible message of the GOSPEL OF PEACE.

SHIELD OF FAITH

When Roman soldiers fought, often they would take their arrows and dip them in tar, then set them on fire before shooting at an enemy. If the arrow hit its mark, it would burn deeply into the flesh, causing great pain, and often would lead to further damage by way of infection. The shield would protect the soldiers from these “MISSILES.”

In the spiritual realm, Satan launches “FIRE TIPPED MISSILES” at the Christian, trying to inflict pain and infection, causing deep hurts in the heart. Satan’s goal is to get the Christian to strike back.

When a Christian strikes back, returning evil for evil, the tactic Satan used, is successful. With the Shield of Faith, we protect our heart from the ungodly attacks that WILL come our way.

HELMET OF SALVATION

The helmet was crucial to the Roman soldier. It protected the head. You may recall seeing pictures of Roman soldiers with bright plumage on top of their helmet, this would often indicate what division, or regiment the soldier belonged. Quite often, as soon as you saw the soldier’s helmet, you knew whom you were going to be fighting.

Satan loves to manipulate and distort God’s Word; he is a master of deception. Often we will find his greatest deceptions have an element of truth to them. We must be on guard at all times.

The HELMET OF SALVATION is vital, as it helps to protect our mind from the continuous attempts by Satan to influence our thoughts. Salvation is not just redemption; it is also restoration; completeness and a new sense of who we are.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

The WORD OF GOD is more than able to slay the enemy, but we MUST know it, in order to use it! We need to “HIDE IT IN OUR HEART,” meditate on it, filling up on the “WHOLE COUNCIL OF GOD” and not just the parts that make us feel good.

We need to grasp the WORD OF GOD, and learn to use it effectively.

In Roman training manuals, it states that a “sword-slash” rarely kills. A soldier needs to take careful aim, and plunge in the sword.

We too, need to be careful not to wield the WORD OF GOD carelessly, but rather study it, and learn to use it wisely.

So, spiritually speaking, are you a BAGUBA: Brutally Aggressive Guy (or Gal) Uninhibited By Adversity?

Let us be clear; if you belong to Jesus, you ARE in a wrestling match! Your opponent is out for keeps; he is relentless, strong and cunning. The Bible refers to him this way. . .

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

However, with constant training, which includes stretching faith muscles, building perseverance, pressing through the hard trials, enduring persecution, you become stronger and stronger!

Remember, we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS in Christ Jesus!

So suit up, listen to your Coach, follow His lead, and you will most certainly win the championship crown!

The match begins . . . NOW!

Jul

2018

Carnival Barkers

Every summer I recall my parents would take us kids to the Clearfield County Fair. As we wandered around, the sights and smells gave us a sensory overload!

We would start by walking through all the farm exhibits, cows, rabbits, chickens, hogs, horses; you name it, I think they had it! Mom would want to walk through all the exhibits that highlighted things like canned foods, knitting, quilts, paintings and the like.

While the animals and farm exhibits were interesting, I would catch glimpses of the Mid-Way; the rides, games, and cotton candy were beckoning me to come and see! I would tug on mom and dad’s hand, hoping they would get the hint.

Finally, we entered the Mid-Way . . . WOW what a site. Dad took me on the double Ferris-Wheel, and as we spun high above the clamor, we could see forever, or so it seemed! Getting a bird’s-eye view, we could see it all; and could even see mom; far below waving up at us.

As we began to walk through the gauntlet of games and attractions, some of the game operators began to call out to my dad, and I became a bit uneasy. They would say slightly demeaning things like; Hey you, why don’t show your boy how strong you are, take the hammer and ring the bell; make your boy proud!”

It seemed like every game we went by, some carnival worker would bark out stinging little slogans designed to get my dad to react and buy a ticket to play.

I recall stopping by a game where one of the players was having a dispute with the operator. The game looked simple; a pool ball placed in the center of a circle with a silver dollar on top of the ball.

The idea was to take a cue ball and knock the ball away, dropping the coin in the center of the circle, not touching the lines of the circle drawn on the table. One of the men who had been trying the game, declared it impossible to win; and the argument was heated.

Since we had a pool table at home, I knew I could do it! I asked dad if I could play. He was not too keen on the idea, since I had the money for the game, and he let me play.

I lined up the cue stick and put a hard spin to the left and hit the cue ball hard, it nearly missed the desired ball with the coin on top, but just nipped it, leaving the silver dollar drop perfectly in the center!

The carnival game operator made such a fuss about me accomplishing this task, that he gave me the largest stuffed animal he had; it was nearly as tall as I was! The man, who had been arguing, walked away in disgust!

The experiences at the carnival, reminds me of the current state of political unrest in our country. It’s as if the politicians have become nothing more than “Carnival Barkers” attempting to illicit emotional responses by shouting empty slogans, designed to get a quick reaction.

It seems both sides of the political spectrum are fully engaged with constant “Carnival Barking” hoping to gain the most attention in the shortest amount of time. The goal seems to be convincing those passing by, to join in the hate, and animus of the day.

How are we, as Christians, supposed to negotiate the constant clamor and confusing rhetoric coming from those elected to serve us?

First, we need to keep our “True” citizenship in perspective. Jesus reveals that we are not of this world anymore than He is! “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16)

When we decided to follow Jesus, and make our allegiance to Him, we became part of His Kingdom. The Apostle Paul declares in Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love . . .”

Therefore, even though we love our country deeply, our first and strongest loyalty is to Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom!

So when the political “Carnival Barkers” shout demeaning slogans against people, created in the image of God, as you journey by, you can see it for what it is; an attempt to draw you out of the Kingdom of God and back into the kingdom of darkness.

Secondly, it is OK to get involved with the political system if you choose to. If you decide to jump in, be sure and do so with the prompting and leading of Jesus. Go in with a clear-eyed view of what you are doing.

Just like the little game I played and won; the training, confidence, and the backing of my dad, gave me everything I needed to do it and win; you need the same from your heavenly Father, and you will win too!

So, let the carnival barkers bark; it is what they do! Do not believe every word they shout; most of them are not true at all, it is only a ploy to get YOU off your game and into theirs. Enjoy the carnival . . . but be careful out there!

Jun

2018

Coffee with God

In an ever increasingly distracting world, it is easy to get off course. The constant chatter on TV, social media, radio, and a host of other venues, beckons us into the world of chaos.

Once distracted, we ramble on down a pathway we should never have embarked on and we get in trouble. Too often, once there, we begin to justify our stay, and our trouble only worsens.

Now confused and struggling, we wonder what to do; then God suggests an amazing solution . . .

One of my favorite passages in the Bible . . .

Isaiah 1:18-20

“Come now, let us reason together,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the best from the land;

but if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

I just love this Scripture; God says; “Come now, let us reason together.” It is as if God has just poured a cup of coffee for you, and invites you to the table, One on one, to see if there can be a solution. God is awesome!

Even though you have rebelled, God wants to forgive you, but there is a condition, you must be willing and obedient. You have to be both.

It’s not enough to be willing, and it’s not enough to be obedient, you must be willingly obedient.

Settle this one before you start the day!

Apr

2018

Set Sail

Following Jesus and serving Him, is not for the faint-hearted. You will find it a costly endeavor; but one full of great rewards, both in this life, and certainly in the one to come.

God is not safe . . . but He is Good!

To know the depths of His riches and grace, one must surrender to His Lordship.

Remember, a ship in the harbor is safe there . . . but that is not what ships are built for!

Be un-tethered and set sail into the deep waters; the Lord will fill your sail and the adventure of a lifetime gets underway! Hang on; this is going to be Good!

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Apr

2018

Jesus + Humility = Friend of Sinners

1 Peter 5:5-7

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

There may be no other word used in the Bible that congers up more confusion and misunderstanding than the word holiness. The Bible declares that holiness is a very important component to the Christian faith; so important that without it . . . we are in big trouble!

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.

In light of this, it is important to understand what this means, since so much depends on this! The word used for “holiness” is this:

Hagiasmos hag-ee-as-mos’

“Purification, a state of purity; to be consecrated, sanctification”

When the Hebrews established a system of sacrificing to God, they eventually built a large temple in Jerusalem. All of the temple equipment went through a ritual of cleansing and was consecrated to God; being made holy.

The best concise definition of holiness; set apart for God, for His purposes only. When we come to faith in Christ, we become holy, by His blood, which He shed for us!

Holiness is a product of Grace; none of us did anything to become holy. In and of ourselves there is nothing holy about us; but by faith and through grace, we came to Christ . . . and He made us holy!

Therefore, it makes sense that if we would experience more holiness in our lives, we need more grace. The road to experiencing more grace in your life is learning the way of humility.

Jesus said . . . “Learn from me; for I am humble and lowly in heart;“Jesus was a humble man. Remember the opening Scripture; “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” We need more grace! So today, we will explore what it means to be humble.

To begin, we must remind ourselves that Jesus did not come to condemn sinners.

John 3:17-18

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

It is interesting to note that Jesus never condemned sinners; He did however denounce and deplore hypocrites!

“A hypocrite is a person who excuses his own sin, while condemning the sins of others.”

The hypocrite does not see his own hypocrisy, because he cannot see, or refuses to see, the flaws in himself. One who cannot see the flaws in themselves rarely, if ever, seek mercy.

Since he does not seek mercy, he has no mercy to give! Moreover, since he is always under God’s judgment, he passes judgment on others.

As a person draws near to God, they become acutely aware of the sins in their own heart. The Holy Spirit is not revealing these sins in order to condemn them, but rather to establish humility and to deepen their knowledge of their own need for more grace.

It is at this critical point that people either humbles themselves before God, or become hypocritical.

Those who choose to follow God will humble themselves and ask God for grace to deliver them from the sin that has entangled them. For those who will try to excuse their sin, the deserving title is hypocrite.

Jesus used a parable to highlight this very issue.

Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Holiness is not about obeying a set of rules and regulations; that only breeds more hypocrisy. Holiness is about getting rid of pride, which enables us to come to terms with the true condition of our heart.

If we cannot see the depravity of our own sinful nature, we could become “Christian Pharisees” hypocrites full of contempt and self-righteousness.

Whenever we judge another, too often, we do it with a sense of self-righteousness. Whenever we criticize like this, we do it with contempt as the motivation.

Too often, when you get a group of people together, like those mentioned in Jesus’ parable, those who are confident in their own perceived righteousness, they look others with a sense of superiority.

The idea in their heart is that they are somehow a little more holy than the next one . . . this is in fact the very opposite of holiness, because they lack humility!

The holiness we seek must go beyond the living of proud lives, occasionally interrupted by brief moments of self-abasement; we need to allow meekness and humility to become a way of life; we must make a choice to walk in humility.

The hypocrite loves to judge, it makes them feel superior, and too many Christians fall into this category. Remember, Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but to save. Anyone can pass judgment, but who will promote salvation?

Will the critical one lay down their life?
Will they love the one they are condemning?
Can a critical person spend time fasting and praying for the perceived weaknesses in others?

That is what Jesus would do!

One act of Jesus’ love operating through us, would do more to warm a cold heart than all of our wonderful criticisms. So grow in love, give mercy, be humble in heart, and you will be sure to grow in holiness!

Examine your own heart . . .

Do you insist on finding fault in others?

Do you consider yourself to be spiritually superior?

Jesus’ standard of judgment is very high; remember Jesus said; “he who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

We need to speak out about sin, but our motivation needs to be one of love, with redemptive purposes in mind, not showing others our superficial spiritual superiority!

In the kingdom of God, unless you are first committed to die for people, you are not permitted to judge them.

Mar

2018

Crying in a Bucket – A Lesson in Humility

The year was 2000 and our church had just undertaken an amazing act of faith; we purchased an old school building. Built in 1924, it served as the High School in our community for many years. Later, it became a middle school; in the year 2000, the school placed it for sale, and by God’s provision; we bought it!

We began to renovate the building, a little at a time, but the task was daunting. As we went about the work of renovating the building, we also went about the work of renovating the hearts of people as well.

We developed a food ministry, and outreach center, along with a variety of ministries aimed at helping g the poor and disenfranchised.

Over the course of the next few years, we met dozens of wonderful people; many of whom came to a saving knowledge of Jesus. The folks we encountered were interesting, to say the least!

One of the folks I was privileged to know, was a gentleman named Brad. He was a tall, lanky man, about 65 years old at the time. He would frequent our center, stopping in several times each week.

Brad was a pleasant man; witty with a wry sense of humor. He was a chain smoker, and chose to live outside, under a bridge during the summer months. He would stop in my office and chat endlessly about everything!

I had a large comfortable, cloth chair, in my office that Brad’s thin, gangly frame would disappear into as he chatted. The chair would retain the “essence” of Brad, long after he left. It was during this time that I learned of the blessing of Febreeze air freshener spray!

As time progressed, I found myself cutting short some of my visits with Brad; not wanting my office overly saturated with the scent of stale cigarettes and campfire smoke.

Sometimes I would see him sauntering down the hall toward my office and I would quickly meet him in the hall; feigning some work project, I needed to get to!

One day, the phone rang in my office and it was one of the wealthiest people in our community. He previously owned a large manufacturing center in our area and was a multi-millionaire! The conversation went something like this . . .

“Hi Rock, this is **** and I would love to come and talk to you about your building, I have some great ideas that may interest you and your church, can I stop down next Tuesday morning and see you?” I was stunned and said, “I would love to meet.”

Over the weekend, my head was spinning. One of the wealthiest men in our community was coming to see me; I wondered what he wanted. I wondered if he would want to help us renovate; with one stroke of the pen, he could cover the entire cost of the project, with room to spare!

Monday came, and I looked at my office and realized how dirty it was. I figured I had better give it a good cleaning, since I was going have a very important meeting the next morning; a meeting that could alter the direction of our church renovation project immensely!

I got a bucket of warm soapy water, a scrub brush and a couple of rags. I got on my knees to wipe the dust off the baseboard. As I was scrubbing, I got the sensation the Lord was nearby.

I continued to scrub and I felt the Lord ask me a simple question; “Rock, what are you doing?” With a little excitement, I began to share that a very important man was stopping by the next day; perhaps he would help finance our project!

There was a moment of silence; I was waiting for some indication that God was listening; perhaps He would help persuade this wealthy man. As I waited for His response, I felt Him ask another question; it was a simple one, and it changed my life.

He asked; “So Rock, how is it that you would clean your office for this very wealthy man, but you never even swept it for Brad?” I was undone, busted if you will! Still on my knees, scrub brush in my hand, tears began to splash in the bucket.

I stopped cleaning, emptied my bucket, and spent most of the day repenting of my foolishness, reminded of the passage of scripture in Matthew . . .

Matthew 25:34-40

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

God helped me to see that my motives were askew; revealing that I was more interested in financial support, than I was for the soul of kind old man.

A couple of years later, Brad moved from our area; he stopped to see me before he left. He brought me two antique oil lamps; a gift thanking me for spending time with him. Those lamps meant more to me than anything the other man could have ever done.

Oh, by the way, I did meet with the wealthy man; we had a pleasant, albeit short meeting. He wanted to turn our center into a museum . . . go figure!

God is great; I love Him so much! The lessons He teaches last a lifetime!

Mar

2018

Passing Judgement

On weekends, I love to preach the Gospel whenever and wherever I can. During the week however, I drive a big-rig; racking up about 2000 miles weekly.

I have lots of time to think and pray as I drive along. Occasionally the Lord tests my patience and internal motives while driving, and He does it in the most creative way.

Recently while driving along a very twisty road, an old beat up Ford Explorer pulled out in front of me then went really, really slow!

I saw that the back bumper of his Ford was barely hanging on, and the left taillight was broken too. As I moved closer to him, he put on his right turn signal; I braked sharply, thinking he was going to turn.

As I backed off, he turned his right signal off. I quickly realized that he had no brake lights and was using the turn signal instead. It seemed as though he was turning the right turn signal on every time he slowed down.

As this behavior continued for the next few miles, I found myself becoming indignant about this driver. I thought how foolish it was to drive like this and how dangerous; it was an accident waiting to happen!

After about 4 miles of this driving this way, and judging this man’s actions, I looked down at my dashboard to do a quick check on my speed and gauges. I noticed that my right turn signal was blinking; probably since my last turn, nearly 6 miles ago!

It dawned on me that the man was trying to send ME a signal that I left my right turn signal was still flashing! I felt like a real dummy! Here I was, judging the man ; all the while, he was only trying to help me!

As I continued to drive along, I wondered how many times I misjudged someone based on appearances, preferences, or some other external influence; I cannot count how many times I have done that!

I am reminded of an Old Testament Scripture let me share it with you.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (Italics mine)

That verse reminds me to stop judging by outward appearances; the results of which produce faulty thinking; God does not do it, so why should I?

Lesson learned!

Feb

2018

Lost Love

Today is Valentine’s Day and I thought it would be appropriate for us to talk about love. We are going to take a look at the Book of Revelation in just a moment, but first, for informational sake, St Valentine was a real person.

Who was St Valentine?

He was a Roman priest during the time of the emperor Claudius. This emperor had issued an edict that young people not be married. Due to his desire to have the strongest military, he felt it was important that ALL of his young soldiers be unmarried.

He reasoned that those who were married would be less likely to die for the Roman cause, since they would be worried about their families.

St Valentine would secretly marry these young couples. Eventually he was caught and was put to death for his actions.

“One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind. Valentine was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result.”

In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to death; the story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius’ daughter. He inspired today’s romantic missives by signing it, “from your Valentine.”

Today however, we are going to move past St Valentine to Another in Whom our love and affection needs to remain constant. To do this, we will take a look into the Book of Revelation.

Have you lost your first love?

In chapter 2, the risen Christ begins addressing the seven churches; the first of which is the church of Ephesus, and this will be our focus today.

Revelation 2:1-7

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.⁵Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The letter to the church of Ephesus begins with several affirmations; and they are:

deeds done
hard work
perseverance
intolerant of wicked men

After these 4 affirmations, the Lord now shares something that He is holding against them.

If you were the church in Ephesus, and just received this letter from a messenger sent from God, and heard those words; “Yet I hold this against you” you would get that nagging pit in your stomach, and the words following would cut to the heart; let’s look at what Christ had to say in greater detail.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

The word that is translated “forsaken” comes from the Greek word:

aphiēmi af-ee’-ay-mee forsake, lay aside, leave, let alone

It means to lay aside, or let alone.

The second word in this phrase is this:

prōtos pro’-tos foremost, best

The last word in the phrase is the word used for love:

agapē ag-ah’-pay love, that is, affection or benevolence

When we put these altogether, we begin to get an idea of what Christ was saying. A paraphrase of this verse might read;

“You have set aside your best and foremost, affectionate love.”

You might ask the question; how does a person get to this place of laying aside their foremost and first love? Does it happen overnight? What is the driving factor?

How does one go about losing their first love?

To begin, what was it like when you first fell in love with Jesus? For most there was:

Passion
Hunger for His word
Fearlessness
Unashamed
Joy unspeakable
Faithfulness
Relentless pursuit

Then, slowly, over time, the pressures of this world encroach. People change, Christians turn on each other, the ugliness begins to press hard and you become disillusioned.

You cry out to God for relief, yet sometimes He seems distant. The passion you once had begins to cool and you struggle.

Matthew 24 contains a clue to the mystery . . .

The disciples had asked Jesus what things would be like prior to His coming again.

Matthew 24:9-14

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

One of the things we need to be on the alert to, is the increase of wickedness that is taking place today. This increase of wickedness has a numbing effect on our senses. It is a gradual thing, a gentle slide, if you will.

We live in a wicked world; evil is rampant!

In our society, wickedness is quite rampant, and because of the increase of technologies, we are able to see it in a moments notice. We hear of atrocities happening all around the world. Even today’s popular TV shows and movies invoke great evil.

We become desensitized to the wickedness around us, the faces of the people involved begin to blur, we lose compassion for the lost, we slowly enter into tunnel vision, and we tune out the reality of living in a lost, broken, evil world.

This coupled with painful experiences; some of which may have taken place in the context of “church-ianity”, can lead to the chilling affect that Jesus spoke of!

Those closest to Jesus, experienced this phenomenon too; do you recall James and John, nicknamed “sons of commotion” or “sons of thunder.” I do not suspect that you will get this kind of reputation by being gentle and easy going, but by being boisterous, loud, and perhaps even confrontational. In the Gospel of Luke we get an insiders look, let’s take a peek!

Luke 9:51-56

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶ and they went to another village.

By the way, John who mentioned here is the same one who wrote the Book of Revelation!

What was going on here? James and John were beginning to go into what I might call an intolerant protective mode. By that, I mean they were getting the first hand view of how the increase of wickedness was affecting the world around them.

When Jesus was insulted, they took it personally; even having a desire to destroy those who would come against Jesus!

Peter really highlighted this! You will recall Peter, was the first of the disciples to “get it.” Recall the Scriptures . . .

Matthew16:13-19

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Peter knew who Jesus was; truth revealed to Him by God Himself. As Peter began to get an understanding of this reality, he became overly protective of Jesus. Recall Peter was the only disciple who had the nerve to rebuke Jesus.

Matthew 16:21-23

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must

go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

The fact Jesus mentioned that evil men would do bodily harm to Him, repulsed Peter; he (Peter) would never stand for it! Peter got angry at the mob came to arrest Jesus . . .

John 18:10-11

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) ¹¹ Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

What was happening to Peter, to James and John? The increase of wickedness was “on.” They saw the hatred in the eyes of those coming against them; but more specifically, against Jesus, the only begotten Son of God!

These men began to lose their first love. Perhaps they had forgotten the joy of “agape love” when they provided thousands of men, women and children, a meal of fish and bread; looking into those eyes, hungering for sustenance that day.

Maybe they forgot the wonder of “agape love” as commanded by Jesus, to go out into the villages and towns, healing the sick, casting out demons; doing the work of a “sent one.”

Now, as the reality of living in an evil world begins to press in, they felt the need to protect God, as if God needs protecting! The love they once had for fallen humankind was waning, and they started to become part of the problem, instead of the cure.

Now we begin to get an idea of why Jesus places this rebuke right after He affirmed the church in Ephesus concerning their testing of false apostles.

They would have certainly put the false apostles out of the church, but perhaps they did so with a sense of pride. Maybe they began to take on the old attitudes that James, John, and Peter had.

Perhaps they forgot that behind the false prophet was man, a sinner in need of redemption. Maybe the fact that another human being could be eternally lost no longer broke their heart.

They had indeed lost their first love. The flame was dangerously low, if lit at all, and Jesus tells them; “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

What a rebuke! A powerful warning to everyone who have ears to hear!

Love being restored

We will conclude our talk today by looking at an encounter that Peter had with Jesus after the resurrection. Remember, Jesus rebuked Peter; after trying to kill one of the crowd who came to arrest Jesus, and he had denied Jesus three times; in Peter’s estimation, quite a failure.

Let’s pull up a seat by the fireside chat, and listen in. . . .

John 21:1-19

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

In this remarkable story, Jesus reaffirmed His love for Peter by His actions. He could have criticized Peter, ridiculed him, and said; “I told you so!”

Sitting by that fire, Peter experienced what I would call blazing, majestic, overwhelming love, coming from the Risen Christ! It must have been overwhelming!

The issue that Jesus was trying to bring to Peter’s attention was not that He (Jesus) loved Peter; that was now very evident. The question was; Peter, do you love Me?

Jesus simply asks you; “Do you love Me?”

Jesus calls us to repent, and do the things we did at first. I encourage you today, to renew your commitment, not only to Jesus, but also to the lost, wicked world around us. Recall the greatest commandment:

Matthew 22:37-39

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jan

2018

Busted!

The day started with a doctor’s appointment, which set me back about an hour and a half from my usual scheduled work time. I am accustomed to starting my secular job, driving an 18-wheeler, at around 10 am.

The time for me to be working is not set in stone, so I can go in an hour earlier, or I could go a couple hours later if I needed to. Like many folks, I am a creature of habit when it comes to working, so I prefer to leave at a set time each day.

I am traveling a little faster than I should today, and I know it. Since I travel this road five days a week, I know the spots where police like to hide, running radar traps, so I am constantly on the lookout.

As I come down over this one hill, where I know the police are prone to wait for speeders, I’m watching my speedometer, I know I’m going a little too fast, but there’s fresh snow on the ground, certainly not a day anyone will be running radar.

Heading down this very familiar slope, the road drops sharply, followed by a nice wide-open area; you can see clearly in every direction. I knew I was going faster than I should, but again, I was sure no one would be running radar on a day like today. I let my car drift faster than normal, as I came down off that incline and into the sweeping corner at the bottom.

After I careened around the corner at the bottom of the hill, satisfied I made it undetected, I took a quick glance in my rear-view mirror, and there, approaching quickly, the familiar silhouette of a State Police car; a quarter-mile later, his lights came on and I pulled over.

The trooper was pleasant and all business, issuing me a ticket for $221, I was going 61 miles an hour in a 45 mile-an-hour zone. I told the officer I was guilty, I knew I was going too fast, no reason to argue with him, or make excuses.

I went on to work that day, an extra half hour later now, due to the stop, and a couple hundred bucks in fines that I would have to explain to my wife soon, Oh boy!

I began pondering what happened, it certainly was no accident. I did not have to be to work that soon, another couple of minutes would not have made any difference at all. I knew I was breaking the law, and I thought I could get away with it.

I was actively looking across the landscape, to see if I could find out where the police were. I was wrong and deserved the fine.

That got me thinking about my spiritual walk, my daily spiritual drive if you will. I wondered how many times have I broken God’s will, or how many times I tried to skirt one of His directives, knowing that I was wrong, sometimes trying to outwit God.

I wondered how many times I made lame excuses to God for my bad behavior. I wondered how many times I knew ahead of time I was going to do something God would disapprove.

I began to wonder what the consequences of those actions are going to be for me. Disregarding God’s commands is a very dangerous thing, and the consequences have eternal implications. You cannot just write a check to God and pay a fine.

I recalled the Scripture about giving an account for the actions we have done in this life, whether good or bad; a wave of conviction flooded over me!

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The next scripture that came to my mind was the one where God declared that if we confess our sins to Him, he would forgive those sins; but more than that, He promises to purify us from ALL sin!

I spent the rest of the day talking to God as I drove my truck around my route. I remembered things I had said or had done, that I knew were displeasing to Him and I began confessing them.

His forgiveness washed over me that day, and since then, I am more aware of my actions and thoughts; keeping short accounts with God.

Perhaps the $221 fine had greater value than I thought. God was using this encounter with the police as a way of getting my attention, a way of reminding me that my Father in heaven always has His eye on me!

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I wonder if I am alone in this endeavor, or if perhaps this rings a bell in your own Christian journey. If it does, then take time to think about your own life, avoid making excuses for the sin that you commit.

Do not ignore it, go straight to God and tell him what you have done, and perhaps He will show you grace and mercy and forgive you still; He did it for me that day.

Do it now, before it costs you more than you can pay!

Oct

2017

The Dangers of Dabbling in Christianity

Matthew 7:13-23

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

One of the things I have a strong disdain for are the cute little so-called “Christian” bumper stickers that I have seen. One that comes to mind is the one that says; “Try Jesus.” Now I know that those who promote this sticker mean well, but the consequences of this flippant suggestion can be fatal!

Jesus is not a fad to be tried, He is not a passing idea, He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings; a better sticker might say . . . Have you considered Jesus? Let me explain . . .

Over the course of my life I have heard folks say things like; “Yes, I used to “dabble” in the stock market; or I “dabbled in the occult” or “I used to dabble in Buddhism” or some other religion.

Today I want to address a problem that exists in our culture that may be far more dangerous than anything we ever imagined. It is a mindset that can be fatal, if allowed to run its course.

I fear that many people, maybe even some reading this today, are “dabbling” in Christianity. Here is the definition of dabbling . . .

Dabbling – to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest

Christianity is a very attractive way of living for those who have no real understanding of what being Christian entails. The hallmarks of a Christian from an earthly perspective might be things like:

Godly
Wholesome
Moral
Respected

What tends to happen, is that a person feels attracted to the “Christian lifestyle” and may even end up attending a church; checking things out to see if they can “fit in.”

After a season at the church, those folks who want this lifestyle learn all the Christian speak, they have the words down pat, and begin to look and act like a real Christian.

These folks have heard about Jesus, about the new birth, the need for baptism, and membership, they have taken communion and have done all the right things and are a bona fide member of the church community . . . yet there is a certain something lacking.

Could it be that this group is just “dabbling” in Christianity?

Could it be that the need to belong has superseded the need to be converted to Christ?

There are certain aspects of the Christian lifestyle that tend to be overlooked by the dabblers. Primarily those aspects are things that involve serving, money, and commitment.

It is hard to get a “dabbler” to consider the Biblical mandate to tithe on income they receive, or to give financially to any major project or missionary effort.

The giving is only done to the point where it is manageable and is rarely if ever, a true sacrifice. Money is far too important to the “dabbler” to squander it on Jesus and His efforts to reach the lost.

The “dabbler” often looks for ways around this mandate. Some will consider their acts of “service” to equate to a tithe. For instance, a “dabbler” may have some talent and will use that talent in the church, then consider that talent as a tithe, or benefit to the church and they placate themselves thinking that they gave something to God. The fact is, God gave them the talent in the first place and they are stealing from God.

The problem with that sort of thinking; trading service for tithe that is, is that the service given to God is then purchased, it is not service at all, there was no sacrifice, no true worship of God, but rather a deception and an ungodly attempt to steal from the Most High God! What a dangerous activity . . .

Along those lines, getting a “dabbler” to serve God is really hard. Just like those who try and trade tithe for service, the “dabbler” seldom serves unless there is a direct benefit to them.

If service means a few accolades from the church body; a pat on the shoulder, then they will go ahead and do it, after all, they need to stay in the lifestyle and service appears to be a part of that.

Yet, for the “dabbler” there are always excuses for not being able to serve, there are family issues, time constraints, and a host of other things that are far too important to allow service to Jesus to interfere . . . He will understand.

Even more difficult, is getting a “dabbler” to make a strong and abiding commitment to the church; it is almost impossible! The “dabbler” will find many reasons to avoid commitment to any lasting agreement.

Often a “dabbler” will make a commitment, then realize later on that the commitment was a mistake and will begin to find ways to get out of the commitment, often getting upset at the leadership for prodding or end up having problems with someone inside the church, which usually leads to that “dabbler” leaving the church and heading to another one.

The unfortunate end of those who “dabble” in Christianity, is that they end up lost and without Christ!

Most of these “dabblers” have convinced themselves that they are actually Christians and that they are saved, rescued from sin and Satan, but the sad reality is that they are not, and in the end, the stunning Words of Jesus will ring painfully in their ears . . .

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

How terrible to hear these words of Christ after a lifetime of “dabbling.”

Self-deception is a powerful tool the enemy uses to keep people deluded right up to the end!

So what constitutes a real Christian anyway . . . let’s see . . .

First, back to the bumper sticker . . . “Try Jesus.” When we try and compel a lifestyle on someone, we could actually be leading them into a lifetime of self-deception that could be fatal to their soul!

You see, Jesus says in John 6:44

John 6:44

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them . . .

Unless you have been drawn by the Holy Spirit to come to Christ, you cannot be saved!

Too often we end up introducing people to a lifestyle rather than a Savior!

When this happens, the person begins “dabbling” in Christianity and they will suffer a terrible fate!

True Christians introduce people to Jesus, and He and them come to a decision about salvation! If the Holy Spirit has been drawing them to Himself, then there is a strong possibility that they will be redeemed and the new life of Christ will explode in them!

The person who has been drawn by the Holy Spirit to Christ, who then receives the Savior, who openly and honestly embraces the salvation granted through Jesus, will experience a new birth; Jesus called it “being born again.”

It is a spiritual birth, a new and amazing spiritual awakening that transforms everything.

The newly born Christian falls madly in love with the deliverer; they no longer live for themselves, but for Him!

The new spiritual babe is exceedingly hungry for God’s Word, and the first thing they ask for is a Bible; they will fly into it, devouring all they can!

You will find it hard to pull them away from God’s Word; often they will even give up meals so they can read it!

Unlike the “dabbler” when a person who has been born of the Spirit, comes across passages that speak about giving tithes and offerings, they rejoice, often giving way beyond the minimum of 10%. I have known those who have given everything they have and they did it with tremendous joy!

The true Christian will see the financial need within the Body of Christ and will sacrifice much to see those needs met, often going without so that others may not have to!

The true Christian does not think their needs outweigh the needs of others, but actually, see others as being infinitely more valuable than they are!

When it comes to service, to offering their talents to God, the true Christian will give it all. Like the prophet Isaiah who heard these words from God . . .

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

The true Christian is not self-centered, but rather God-centered. When an opportunity arises to serve the living Christ, they will not miss it!

When the Body of believers finds an occasion to serve Jesus, they will do all they can to be there, supporting anyway they can . . . and they will do it with a cheerful and happy heart, not grudgingly and sad!

The truly converted person will not only step up and serve when the occasion arises, they will also find new and creative ways to serve God!

For the true Christian, commitment is part and parcel of their life now. They are more than willing to step up and serve Christ in the church, making lasting commitments to the Body of Christ through the church.

Membership in the church is not taken lightly and they step up, making a difference to the organization that God is using to advance His Kingdom.

May I continue to draw a contrast . . .

Dabblers tend to complain a great deal; always seeing the negative side of things. The reason being is that they have very little experience of God.

They know that God is strong, or at least part of the Christian lifestyle is to say that God is strong and able; but the sad reality is that God is not very strong to them personally, so they tend to live in an attitude of defeat.

The true Christian knows God is strong; He has been delivered from death, hell and the grave and he knows it!

Whether life on earth is hard or easy really does not matter to him, because he knows the Master in an intimate way and the true believer will exude an air of joy, even in the midst of pain.

Finally . . .

After a great deal of consideration, I believe that “dabblers” are of the utmost importance to the enemy of God and that would be satan. Now hear me out . . .

I think it is a strategic decision on the part of satan to foist upon as many as he can the desire to “do” Christianity.

To be sure, this is risky business on his part, to send to the church interested people who are attracted to a Christian lifestyle, but historically, this seems to have worked for him.

Let’s say we have a church that is growing and people are truly coming to Christ. The word will get out, and those who are interested in the Christian lifestyle, are very much attracted to those moves of God. The real deal is amazing to watch and participate in.

The devil is very interested in any move of God, so he will do all he can to attempt to shut that down, and one of the best ways is to send “dabblers.”

The work of God begins to grow and those who “dabble” gently infiltrate the Body of Christ. The “dabblers” have preferences you know.

After time goes by they will want the worship styles to look and sound a certain way, the focus is no longer on God, but on their favorite way of singing or worshiping, squabbles over Bible translations may arise, along with a host of other things to nit-pick over; things that draw attention away from Jesus and on to man. Some will be very vocal about this and divisions begin.

The “dabblers” will step into positions of leadership and try and move the church in directions other than where the Spirit had intended.

Too often when “dabblers” do not get their way, they try and create little groups convincing these little clusters that the church is going in the wrong direction and we need to change it.

The powerful move of God is now beginning to wane; the attention is being shifted from a powerful God who is converting the lost, to the needs of the “dabblers” who never knew God in the first place.

The church slows even more; the newly converted are disillusioned and begin to drop away; by now even the “dabblers” see the church falling away too and the “lifestyle” they wanted to keep appears to be diminishing.

Since many of the “dabblers” remain, and they are not free to give of their time and resources, the church suffers and slows even further.

A new work in the area shows promise and word of a revival begins to spread, the “dabblers” quickly run to see and join into the work, only to be used by the enemy again.

In the end, dabblers will hear the stinging words of the Mighty Savior as He declares . . . ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Jesus also said . . .

John 17:3

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

I think when we see Jesus; we will all utter those words . . . Lord. Lord! Let me ask you; do you know what His response will be when you say those words to Him?

Will He welcome you in, or send you away? If you are not sure of the answer, then please . . . settle it once and for all!

Have you been dabbling?

Are you being used by the enemy to put down a revival?

Is the Spirit calling you, drawing you?

Would you like to meet Jesus?

Why not now?

Oct

2017

The Lord Disciplines Those He Loves

I had met Jesus during the summer of 1990; what an amazing year! Through the efforts of a local church; my family was drawn to an encounter with God; an encounter that would change the course of our lives forever!

I was employed at the time by a local manufacturing facility. I was a project maintenance technician. My job was primarily to install new equipment, which also required fabricating the necessary support apparatus required; things like steel decking, catwalks, chutes, ladders and much more.

Now, prior to me becoming friends with Jesus, I was quite versed in the ways of the world. What I mean to say is that, among many other things, I had a serious cursing problem . . . I knew all the curse words and was quite proficient in that particular dialect.

However, when I met Jesus, everything began to change; especially my language. After about 6 months of walking with my new found Friend Jesus, I really thought I was making great progress.

One evening at work, a coworker who had a special knack for getting under my skin, was pushing the limits of my new found patience. He was really getting to me and I couldn’t take it anymore, so I spun around and gave him a real verbal tongue lashing, using some of the more disgusting vocabulary I had accumulated over the years.

Now, to be sure, this was not the first time I had delivered such a tirade to this man; but it was the first time I had done it since I’d became friends with Jesus! My coworker was equally versed in this crude American dialect, and as always, gave it right back to me. After he uttered his comeback, he stormed away in a huff!

I stood there feeling awful and quite disgusted with myself for having stooped so low. Since it was the night shift, I headed out back of the building and went outside.

I got on my knees, and looking to the dark sky, I cried out to the Lord; “Oh Lord, I can’t believe I said that to him.” In the quiet darkness, I thought I heard the Lord say back to me; “I do!”

I apologized to the Lord for the unkind and ugly words I had spoken to my coworker; and I asked God to forgive me. The Lord, as always in His kind voice, assured me that I was forgiven. I felt relieved, and as I stood up to go back inside, the Lord said to me; “Now I want you to go in there and apologize him.”

WHAT!

“Wait a minute Lord; you don’t know him like I know him. If tell him I’m sorry, I’ll never hear the end of it! He will only get even angrier with me.” I could tell that the Lord was serious about this and that He was not going let me get out of it.

So . . . I went and tracked down this guy whom I had excoriated a half hour ago. I pulled him aside and told him how very sorry I was that I had said such unkind words to him.

He looked intently at me; then he proceeded to tell what a blankety blank blank jerk I was and then he told me to go and blankety, blank . . . you get the idea!

He did just what I knew he would do . . . and I had it coming. The thing is; after God pressed me to do the right thing with that guy; the whole cursing thing was over and done with! I don’t think I have ever used a curse word since and it has been nearly 30 years!

God will discipline those He loves . . .

When was the last time God showed you some love?

Unresolved anger turns to bitterness

Bitterness is a powerful explosive

Bitterness towards God

Bitterness towards others

Bitterness to oneself

Get free of bitterness, once and for all

Time to cast bitterness into the sea

A small community with big problems

An encounter with God on the mountain

God taught me to pray Upside Down

Watch out for Hornets in the wild

We are born with a fatal sting

On a mission to remove the sting of death

Do not permit hornets to build in your house

Who was St Valentine?

Have you lost your first love?

How does one go about losing their first love?

We live in a wicked world; evil is rampant!

Love being restored

Could it be that the need to belong has superseded the need to be converted to Christ?

Self-deception is a powerful tool the enemy uses to keep people deluded right up to the end!

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