Pastor jays thoughts

Guard your heart Proverbs 4:23-27

2011-10-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

In this passage of scripture Solomon gives us some godly wisdom on how we should use our body to avoid folly. In these couple of verses he names our heart, mouth, eyes, and our feet. This passage instructs believers to “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” I have thought about this verse often and I ask myself okay, what does that mean and look like to truly guard your heart? When Solomon refers to guarding the heart, he really means the inner core of a person, the thoughts, feelings, desires, will, and choices that make that person who he/she is. The Bible tells us that our thoughts often dictate who we become (Proverbs 23:7, 27:19). The mind of a man reflects who he really is, not simply his actions or words. That is why God examines the heart of a man, not simply his outward appearance and what he appears to be. Just as there are many diseases and disorders that can affect the physical heart, there are many ailments of the spiritual heart that can impair growth and development as a believer. If we could see a picture of your spiritual heart what would it look like?The Apostle Paul instructs us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”(Philippians 4:8). Dwelling on these things will help to build a guard fence around our hearts. So the reflective question I have for you is how protected is your heart??

Wisdom Directs our Path Proverbs 3:1-12

2011-09-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

The key verses in this chapter are verses 5-6, a promise God's people have often claimed as they have sought the Lord's direction for their lives. And this promise has never failed them-if they have obeyed the conditions God has laid down in verses 1-12. God ALWAYS keeps His promises when we obey His precepts, because our obedience prepares us to receive and enjoy what He has planned for us.

The first condition for receiving God's guidance is that We learn God's truth (1-4). The will of God is revealed in the Word of God, and the only way to know His will is to study His Word and obey it. It isn't enough for believers to carry the Bible in their hands; they must let the Holy Spirit write it on their hearts. Obedience to the Word can add years to your life and life to your years.

Secondly Obey God's will (Verse 5-8): This means we must trust Him with all our heart and obey Him in all our ways, total commitment to Him. The word translated "trust" in verse five means to lie helpless face down. It pictures a servant waiting for the master's command in readiness to obey, or a defeated soldier yielding himself to the conquering general. The danger that we might experience is that we lean on our own understanding and thereby miss God's will. This warning doesn't suggest that God's children turn of their brains and ignore their intelligence and common sense. It warns us not to depend on our own wisdom and experience or the wisdom and experience of others. Let this be a reminder to all of us be careful of times when we become wise in our own eyes Prov.3:7 then were heading on the path of trouble.

Third Share God's blessing: (Verse 9-10): If we don't faithfully give to the Lord, we don't really trust the Lord. Our tithes and offerings aren't payment for His blessings; rather their evidence of our faith and obedience. Christian industrialist R.G. LeTourneau used to say, "If you give because it pays, it won't pay." Giving is heart preparation for what God wants to say to us and do for us. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Matt. 6:21.

Submit to God discipline: (Proverbs 3:11-12) Discipline is part of God's plan to help His sons and daughters mature in godly character (Heb.12:1-11). God disciples us, not as a judge punishes a criminal but as a parent disciplines a child. He acts in love and His purpose is that we might become partakers of His holiness (Heb.12:10). Sometimes God might discipline us because we have rebelled and need t0 repent; other times He disciplines us to keep us from sinning and to prepare us for His special blessing. No matter how much the experience hurts us, it will never harm us, because God always disciplines in love (Deut. 8:2-5). Take sometime and reflect and ask yourself how is your path being directed? Are you leaning on your strength or are you relying on Gods wisdom to lead you?

Proverbs 2:1-15 the search for wisdom

2011-09-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

In these verses of scripture it reveals three things about wisdom

Wisdom is sought after by man (Verses 1-5)

If you were told that in your front lawn,there was burried chest of silver and gold, wouldn’t you dig up every inch of it? The knowledge of God is the greatest treasure anyone can find because it brings with it eternal life (John 17:3). How important that we should search for it with all our heart! Sadly it seems our search for wisdom is often over before we even start.

II. IT HAS TO BE GIVEN BY GOD (6-9)
We can only "discover" God as he reveals to us. He has done this in nature, in the Bible, and supremely, of course, in the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

III. IT HAS TO BE APPLIED TO LIFE (10-15)
To say that we know God, and to continue "to walk in the ways of darkness" (13) is, of course, a complete contradiction. Knowing Him should keep us from sin in every shape and form. Look at 8:13 where we read, "The fear of the Lord" (and that is the beginning of wisdom) "is hatred of evil."

My prayer is that we would search after Godly wisdom for our lives. It's not going to be easy or quick but its what we need to rely on.

Voice of Salvation Proverbs 1:20-33

2011-08-31T08:56:00.001-07:00

To whom does wisdom speak to in this passage? To three classes of sinners : the simple ones, the mockers and the fools. The simple are naive people who beleive anything but examine nothing. They are gullible and easily lead astray. They have not taken ownership of their faith and so every new idea or thought leads them astray. Mockers think they know everything and belittle, ignore or even laugh at the things that are really important. The simple ones may be lost or confused the mockers wear a sneer. Fools on the other hand are people who are ignorant of the truth because they are dull and stubborn. Their problem isn't a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God's wisdom. Fools enjoy their foolishness but don't know how foolish they are! The outlook of fools is purely materialistic and humanistic. They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal .
How does wisdom respond to them? First she brings a charge agaisnt them and asks how long they plan to remain in their dangerous spiritual condition. wisdom has spoken to them again and again but they have refused to listen, and this will make their judgment even more severe. After this wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts. This is really a call to repentence and faith. She promises to change their hearts and teach them the wisdom of God from the Word of God.
Tragically the simple, the mockers, and the fools refuse to obey her voice. They laugh at her warnings; and mock her words. Note the word "also" in verse 26. Because they laughed at Wisdom, one day Wisdom will also laugh at them. Because they mocked her, she will mock them. Wisdom sees a storm of judgement coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God's invitation. When that judgment comes sinners will call upon the Lord but it will be to late. How tragic that day will be. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isa. 55:6). They turned away their ears from hearing the truth and were complacently comfortable wit beleiving lies. In contrast to the judment promised to unblievers, wisdom promises security and peace to those who will listen to her and beleive (Prov.1:33). Question what is wisdom sayinng to you?

The voice of Temptation Proverbs 1:11-14

2011-08-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Looking at these friends in these four verse its easy to say there not friends at all. Anybody who makes it easy for us to disobey God certainly isn't a friend. Lets be honest and say sin is appeasing to the eye and our flesh, if sin wasn't then nobody would do it. In Hebrews 11:25 it says, "He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time." Sin sounds exciting to our flesh but it only leads to disaster and death. How tragic that a group of people would find enjoyment in doing evil; and how foolish they were for thinking their quick fix or their fast cash would satisfy their desires. That's the thing about our sinful desires there never satisfied. We as people don't realize how far we have strayed until its rock bottom. Sometimes it even feels like we have blinders on and we forget what's really important, and the only thing we care about is our sinful agenda. It seems like it's a bunch of small compromises that lead to bigger and bigger compromises of our choices and character. They rejected the eternal treasures of wisdom for the cheap trinkets of this world, and they lost their souls in the bargain. As I reread this passage I thought a lot about Judas and how he sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver. Question how many times do we sell Jesus out for less? How many times do we give up Godly blessings for worldly treasures? Something to think about.

The voice of Instruction? Part 1 Proverbs 1:8-32

2011-08-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

I think one of the greatest tragedies is that there's so much noise that people can't hear the things they really need to hear. God is trying to get through to them with the voice of wisdom but all they hear are foolish voices that lead them farther away from the truth. This passage of scripture reveals three voices that we as he reader need to identify. I'm going to try and break it into 3 blogs so stay tuned for part 2, and 3.

The voice of Instruction (Verse 8-10, 15-19): This is a voice of a godly father, urging his son to listen to wisdom and to obey what he hears. Both the father and mother of this son have taught him well. Both parents warn him not to abandon what he's been told. These parents have obeyed the instructions of Moses (Deut. 6:6-9) and have faithfully taught their family the Word of God. But what will the children do with their fathers and mothers teaching? A question we all have to ask ourselves. There comes a point in all of our lives when we reach the point of making decisions on our own. How do we respond to those who have tried to instruct us spiritually? In Proverbs 1:15-19 The father tells his son how to avoid yielding to temptation. First: He says, check carefully the path you're on and don't walk with the wrong crowd. Bad company corrupts good character. Stop sticking up for those people in your life that really have a negative effect on you, 1 Corinthians 10:12, "So if you think you are standing firm be careful that you do not fall." No your limits.

Second: don't play with temptation, because temptation always leads to a trap. Lets not play the game how close to the line of sin can I get to without actually sinning. Thats a losing battle avoid the line altogether!! We should always have an exit strategy in mind there is no temptation for us that is to much to bare. Lets be honest whatever the temptation is we always linger to long with the thought after the thought we try to justify our sin to make it sound okay before we actually sin. Then we commit the sin and regret remorse and guilt always follow. Proverbs 1:17 "Birds don't take when they can plainly see the trap," we should be smarter then birds. Be aware of the traps!!

Third: When you disobey God by harming others, you only harm yourself (verse 18-19). You're free to take what you want from life, but eventually you'll have to pay for it , and the price you pay is higher than the value you gain. You end up sacrificing the permanent for the immediate, and thats an awful investment. There will come a day when we will all stand before God what will your investments show??

What in the World Does a Christian Do? Luke 10

2011-06-15T08:57:00.001-07:00

Have you ever asked yourself this question? I'm a Christian now what? What's supposes to be different? Where gonna take a look at Luke chapter ten because it displays three points that answer this question, and I'm gonna break it down over the next couple of blogs. The first thing we notice is that we are the Lord's ambassadors, sent to represent Him in this world (verse 1-24). The 72 people that were sent out were about to embark of a difficult calling. Harvesting is hard work, even when there are many people helping you, but these men were sent into a vast field with very few workers to help them reap a great harvest. Instead of praying for an easier job, they were to pray that more laborers would join the Masters cause, we today need to echo this prayer. It's interesting to point out that it is laborers, not spectators, who pray for more laborers! To many Christians are praying for somebody else to do a job they are unwilling to do themselves. IT'S TIME TO START WORKING AND STOP WAITING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT!!! LETS GET IN THE GAME! I don't mean to yell but the older I get the more tired I get and I'm tired of living a mediocre christian life. I want to be used by God to do amazing things in his name!! Its time to get off the sidelines and step out in faith. I respect the 72 so much they were given a task to go and reap a harvest they weren't promised a Holiday inn or a great meal everywhere they went they need to rely on the Lord for there blessing, provision, and their comfort. Lord help me realize the security in which I seek can only be found in You! They're calling was a dangerous one. As They invaded enemy territory they would be like lambs among wolves. But as long as they relied on the Lord, they would win the battle. It would require discipline and faith for them to do the job. They were ambassadors of peace, bringing healing to the sick, deliverance to the possessed, and the Good News of salvation to lost sinners. We can understand the joy of the Seventy-two as they returned to report their victories to Jesus. He had given them power and authority to heal, to cast out demons and to preach the Word, and they were successful!! In the midst of their great joy, they were careful to give God the glory. Christ's ambassadors were indeed privileged people. They were able to see and hear things that the greatest saints in the Old Testament ages yearned to see and hear but could not. The Messiah was at work, and they were a part of His work! Here I sit thousands of years later and I yearn to be a part of that work. I want to be obedient to what God has called me to be and do. I want to end this blog with Ruth 1:16 Ruth in this passage is talking to Naomi but as I thought about it I pray Ruth Response would be our response to our Lord and savior. Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16

Enduring, (Luke 9:37-62)

2011-05-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

"How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?" Is one phrase that is mentioned in this passage of scripture by Jesus. When you look at this portion of scripture you can better understand why Jesus spoke those words: He was grieved over the failures of His followers. He had given His apostles authority over Satan, yet they were to weak to cast out a demon (vv. 37-45). In feeding the 5,000 Jesus gave them an example of compassion, yet they persisted in manifesting selfishness and lack of love (vv. 46-56). He taught clearly what it meant to follow Him, yet the volunteers turned out to be "me first" disciples (vv.57-62). It's starting to make sense why Jesus is grieved.

Lack of Power(vv.37-45): The disciples had the power and authority to heal this boy but they did not have the success why? When you study all three reports (Matt. 17; Mark 9), you discover what was lacking in their lives. The first thing that was lacking was faith (Matt.17:19-20); they were part of an unbeleving generation and had lost the confidence that they needed in order to use their power. (If I can be honest and say their generation sounds a lot like the one in which we find ourselves in today). But prayer and fasting were also lacking (Mark 9:29), which indicates that these men had allowed their devotional disciplines to erode during their Lord's brief absence. No matter what spiritual gifts we may have, their exercise is never automatic. Jesus restores the boy gives him back to his father then took the twelve aside for another lesson about the cross.

Lack of Love (vv. 46-56): The disciples did not have much love for each other, or they would not have argued over who was the greatest. I'm not sure why this arguement started was it pride or was it envy, either way the disciples where more concerned about who is first instead of really listening to Jesus. In His kingdom, the example of greatness is a little child. somebody who is dependent, without status living by faith. There is a big difference from being child like and childish. The disciples showed a lack of love for beleivers outside their own group. Maybe John was trying to impress Jesus with his zeal for protecting His name, but the Lord was not impressed. John thought they were the only group that was blessed and recognized by Jesus that was not true then and its not true for us today. Beleivers who think their group is the only group God recognizes and blesses are in for a shock when heaven is revealed to them. Nor did the disciples love their enemies (51-56). James and John had seen the Prophet Elijah on the mount, so they thought they might imitate him and call down fire from heaven (2 Kings 1)! The Samaritans and Jews had been enemies for centuries so it would make sense for the village to reject Jesus as he traveled toward Jerusalem. Samaria would be later reached with the Gospel in (Acts 8).

Lack of Discipline (vv.57-62). Three man could have become disciples, buy they failed to meet the requirements that Jesus required. The first man had to deny himself which he was not willing to do. The second man was called by Jesus (what an honor!) but he was rejected because he would not take up his cross and die to self. Jesus is not suggesting here that we dishonor our parents, but only that we not permit our love for family to weaken our love for the Lord. The third man also volunteered, but he could not follow Christ because he was looking back instead of ahead. Jesus saw that this man's heart was not wholly with Him, but that he would be plowing and looking back.

After reading this passage it seems like what Jesus taught His disciples and the multitudes had done them little good. They lacked power, love, and discipline, and they grieved His heart. These spiritual essentials are available to us from the Lord. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power, of love, and of self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7). So the question I have for you is what are you lacking?? Are we a joy to Jesus Christ, or are we breaking His heart?

Teaching Luke 9:18-27

2011-05-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

In The Roman world, the cross was a symbol of shame, guilt suffering, and rejection. There could be no more despicable way to die. Crucifixion was not mentioned in polite conversation. Jesus laid down the stern requirements for discipleship. We must first "say no" to ourselves not simply to pleasures or possessions, but to self-and then take up our cross and follow him daily. This means to be identified with Him in surrender, suffering, and sacrifice. You cannot crucify yourself; you can only yield your body (Rom. 12:1-2) and let God do the rest. This life seems foolish to the world; but to the Christian it is wisdom. To save your life is to lose it, and how can you ever get it back again? But to give your life to Christ is to save it and to live it in fullness. If a person owned the whole world, he would still be to poor to buy back a lost life. Discipleship is a daily discipline: we follow Jesus a step at a time, a day at a time. Our motive should always be to glorify Christ. Anyone who is ashamed of Christ will never take up a cross and follow Him. But if we are ashamed of Him now, He will be ashamed of us when He comes again and we will be ashamed before Him. Jesus asks Peter two questions in this passage and as I think about I think he's asking the same questions to us. 1.Who do people say that I am, 2. And who do you say that I am. So I want to leave you with that question who is Jesus to you??

Feeding Luke 9:12-17

2011-05-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

In the crisis hours of life, when your resources are low and your responsibilities are great, it is good to remember that God already has the problem solved. Jesus started with what they had, before we ask God to do the impossible, let's start wit the possible and give Him what we have. The Lord looked up to heaven, the source of our daily bread (Matt. 6:11), gave thanks, and blessed the food; and the bread and fish were multiplied. Jesus was the producer and his disciples were the distributors. Were in the same role today Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith and we our the distributors of the grace that He has shed on us. The amazing thing is that everybody was served and satisfied, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers, one for each of the disciples. This miracle was more than an act of mercy for hungry people, although that was important. It was also a sign of our Lord's Messiahship and an illustration of God's gracious provision for man's salvation. The next day, Jesus preached a sermon on "the bread of life" and urged the people to receive Him just as they had received the bread (John 6:22-59). But the people were more interested in their stomachs than their souls, and completely missed the spiritual impact of the miracle. How often is that true in our lives. God maybe directing us, or leading us, or revealing something to us and all we see is the small picture and miss the real miracle. Their desire was to make Jesus king so He could give them bread for the rest of their lives! (John 6:14-15.)

I often have wondered after Jesus returned to heaven did the disciples ever sit around and reminisce about all of Jesus miracles? This miracle teaches us to have compassion, to look upon problems as opportunities for God to work, and to give Him all that we have and trust Him to meet our needs. If we do all we can, He will step in and do the rest. Corrie Ten Boom said, "Let God's promises shine on your problems." That is good counsel for us to rely on.

Four Aspects of Ministry Luke 9:1-11

2011-04-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Luke chapter 9 is an amazing passage of scripture. In the next four blogs I'm going to break down four aspects of ministry that are found in this chapter. The first aspect of ministry we see is Jesus SENDING out the 12. The 12 had been ordained by Jesus some months before and had been traveling with Jesus as His helpers. Now he was going to send them out in pairs to put into practice what they had learned. Before Jesus sent them out, He gave them the equipment needed to get the job done, as well as the instructions to follow. Jesus told the apostles what to take on their journey, with an emphasis on urgency and simplicity. They were to rely on the Lord knowing He would open doors for there provision. (Wow what an awesome piece of scripture). It reminds me of God leading the people of Israel out of Egypt and how they needed to rely on his provision. Application for us are we ready to step out, and trust that the Lord is still holding us in the palm of his hand? Are we relying on God's provision for our life? Or our we holding unto our "security blankets." I challenge you to think about your life who are you relying on? Are you making steps of faith or are we making steps in comfort. Let us not forget that he is our provider our help and ever present need. God knows what your going threw he doesn't abandon his people. the disciples where provided for just like the people of Israel where. If God is calling you to go or do something rely on his provision and step out in faith.

"The Parable of the Sower" Luke 8:1-15

2011-04-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

The seed without the soil is fruitless, and the soil without the seed is almost useless. The human heart is like soil: if it is prepared properly, it can receive the seed of the Word of God and produce a fruitful harvest. In this passage Jesus described four different kinds of hearts, three of which did not produce any fruit. The proof of salvation is fruit and not merely hearing the Word or making a profession of faith in Christ. Jesus had made that clear in His "Sermon on the Mount" (Luke 6:43-49).

Hard Soil: Represents the person who hears the Word but immediately allows the devil to snatch the seed away.

The Shallow Soil: Illustrates the emotional hearer who quickly responds to the message, but he quickly loses interest and does not continue. In many places in Israel you find a substratum of limestone covered with a thin layer of soil. The shoot can grow up, but the roots cannot go down, and the sun withers the rootless plant. The sun represents the testing that comes to all professing believers to prove their faith. The sun is good for plants if they have roots. Persecution can deepen the roots of a true Christian, but it only exposes the shallowness of the false Christian.

The Crowded Soil: Illustrates the person who does not repent and "weed out" the things that hinder the harvest. There is enough soil so the roots can go down, but not enough room for the plant to grow up and produce fruit. the plant is crowded out and the fruit is choked. The person with the crowded heart comes closest to salvation, but he still does not bring forth "fruit to perfection."

The Good Soil: Alone is fruitful. It illustrates the individual who hears the Word, understands it, receives it within and is truly saved, and proves it by patiently producing fruit. Not everybody produces the same amount of fruit but all true believers will produce some fruit as evidence of spiritual life. That fruit may include winning others to Christ (Rom. 1:13). Financially supporting the work of the Lord (Rom. 15:25-28), good works (Col.1:10), Christian character (Gal. 5:22-23), and praise to the Lord (Heb. 13:15).

This parable shows that Jesus was not impressed by the great crowds that followed Him. He knew that most of the people did not really "hear" the Word and receive it in their hearts. He gave this story to encourage the disciples in their future ministry, and to encourage us today. When you consider how much teaching, and preaching in the course of a month or a year, you wonder why there is such a small harvest. The fault does not lie with the sower or the seed. The problem is with the soil. The human heart will not submit to God, repent, and receive the Word and be saved. Close with this as you think of your life what kind of growth are you producing in your own life?

Amazing Faith!! Luke 7:1-10

2011-04-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

In the Gospels and the Book of Acts, Roman centurions are presented as quality men of character, and the one found in our text is a prime example of that. The Jewish people in that time had little or really no love for the Romans soldiers. However these Jewish elders commended this officer to Jesus. This Roman centurion loved his servant and did not want him to die. I'm really impressed by this Centurions love but also his humility. Imagine a Roman officer telling a poor Jewish rabbi that he was unworthy to have Him enter his house! (Talk about counter cultural) this Centurion is definitely going against the grain. The Romans were not known for displaying humility especially to Jewish people. But the characteristic that most impressed Jesus was the man's faith. Twice in the Gospel record we are told that Jesus marveled. Here in Capernaum, He marveled at the faith of a Gentile; and in Nazareth, He marveled at the unbelief of the Jews (Mark 6:6). The only other person Jesus commended for having "great faith" was a Gentile woman whose daughter He delivered from a demon.

The centurion's faith certainly was remarkable. After all, he was a Gentile whose background was pagan. He was a Roman soldier, trained to be self sufficient, and we have no evidence that he had ever heard Jesus preach. What Jesus and this Centurion had in common was they where both under authority, and because they were under authority, they had the right to exercise authority. All they had to do is say the word and things happened. This centurion displayed amazing faith no wonder Jesus marveled!!

Application:

If this Roman, with very little spiritual instruction, had that kind of faith in Jesus how much greater our faith ought to be! We have the Word of God to encourage us, and yet we are guilty of no faith MArk 4:40 or little faith Matt. 14:31. Our prayer needs to be Lord increase my faith Luke 17:5

Blind leading the blind Luke 6:37-45

2011-04-05T09:54:00.001-07:00

This is amazing piece of scripture and I want to encourage you to read this whole chapter it's definitely life changing. But today I want to reflect on verse 37-45 in chapter 6. I think this section of scripture teaches us some important lessons about ministry. As disciples of Christ we must be sure that we see clearly enough to guide others in their spiritual walk. Jesus in this passage was referring to the Pharisees who were leading the people astray (MAtt. 15:14, 23:16). If we see ourselves as excellent guides, but do not realize our blindness, we will only lead people into the ditch (Rom. 2:17-22).

The Pharisees were excellent at judging other people to make themselves look and feel better about themselves. After reflecting over these verses A question comes to mind. Is it ever okay to judge somebody? If you look at scripture there are several verses that say judging is okay (I'm not going to list all of them heres a couple (John 7:24, 1 Corinthians 6:1-5) In fact there is a whole book called Judges found in the Old Testament. The question isn't is it okay to judge somebody else the real question is what is your intent of your judging? Difference between Righteous judgement and condemning judgement: when you condemn your giving no hope. It’s to late. You can't ever atone for your sins. Righteous judgement is to help restore that person. Matthew 18:15-17 is a perfect example of two brothers in Christ one judging another on his fruit. Today we use the word accountability and if you think about it when your accountable to somebody else your really judging them. Your saying there's a standard that I'm suppose to hold you to and if you live contrary to that standard it's my responsibility in love to approach you and confront you.

Again Jesus in this passage is speaking to the Pharisees people who new the law. People that should have known better!! The Pharisees were always judging the gentiles, people who didn't know the law. The pharisees should have been showing people grace not condemnation. And this is where the application lies as man and women of God we need to show the love grace and compassion of our savior to those who our outside the family of God. Is there sin in the world absolutely but we can't hold people to a Christian standard if they don't know who Jesus is. Another key point of this passage is before you go around judging other peoples lives judge yourself first. Verse 40 reminds us that we cannot lead others where we have not been ourselves, nor can we be all that our Master is. In fact the more we strive to be like Him, the more we realize how far short we fall. This is a warning against pride, for nothing blinds a person like pride. It certainly is not wrong to help a brother get a painful speck of dirt out of his eye, provided we can see what we are doing. If you think about it, it's kind of humorous to see an eye doctor with a plank in his eye preforming surgery on somebody that has a spec in his eye. The emphasis here is on being honest with ourselves and not becoming hypocrites. It is easy to try to help a brother with his faults just so we can cover up our own sins! Here's a thought to reflect on people who are constantly criticizing others are usually guilty of something worse in their own lives. So lets remove the planks in our eyes before we remove specs from others.

Follow the Leader Luke 5:27-31

2011-02-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

In this passage Jesus has an encounter with a tax collector named Levi or other wise known as Matthew. Tax collectors were regarded as traitors to Israel because they collected taxes for the hated Romans. And not only were they seen as traitors, but also as thieves, because Rome only required a fixed sum but allowed the tax collectors the right to charge people any amount above that sum for their own pay. And sometimes they would charge exorbitant amounts. The people had to pay whatever the tax collectors demanded because these were the representatives of Rome. Now along comes Jesus - walking down the road - and he stops right in front of Matthew’s table. And He says nothing more than: “Follow me.” Matthew jumps right up, closes shop and leaves everything to follow Jesus. As I thought about this I couldn't imagine somebody I didn't no coming into my office and say follow me and actually take that person serious. Put yourself in Matthew's shoes your in the middle of your job working a man comes by and says follow me. What do you do?? How crazy does that sound. Matthew gets so excited about following this stranger named Jesus, that he holds a meal and invites all his friends to come and meet him. I want to blog about three observations this passage has revealed to me.

1. Jesus went looking for Matthew

Jesus only had 12 disciples. These were primary builders of His early church. And here Jesus hand-picks Matthew to be one of those followers. A lot of people would not have picked Matthew after all he was a tax collector. But people like Matthew is who Jesus was looking for. People who were sick inside and who wanted to change their lives. This is why I think Matthew was so prone to follow Jesus when he said, "Follow Me" Matthew needed a change from the inside out.

2. Jesus looked for Matthew because He knew Matthew was ready to change.

Most people would have written Matthew off he's a tax collector lowest of low. There are people out there that we just don’t think are interested so we don’t invite them or don't talk about our faith. I want to challenge you to never give up on people you don't know what the Holy Spirit is doing in their heart. Sometimes it can be simple words like follow me that have such an impact on somebody's life. Thats all Jesus said to Matthew and his life was forever changed. Some of the people that you may have written off long ago may be ready to be changed from the inside out and there waiting for you to step up and say something!!!

3rd thing we learn from this story is that every new person we bring to Christ has friends.

Matthew had friends probably not many but the ones he did have he wanted to share his new found faith with. A relationship with Jesus is contagious as a Christian we have the greatest gift ever offered what are we doing with it??

Rejected Luke 4:14 -30

2011-02-02T11:24:00.000-08:00

By this time in the gospel of Luke the news has spread widely about the miracle worker from Nazareth so His family, friends, and neighbors were anxious to see and hear Him. Jesus was asked to read the Scripture text and to give the sermon. The passage He read included Isaiah 61:1-2 and He selected it for His text. The Jewish rabbis interpreted this passage to refer to the Messiah, and the people in the synagogue knew it. Can you imagine how shocked they were when Jesus boldly said that it was written about Him and that He had come to usher in the "acceptable year of the Lord." The reference here is the "Year of Jubilee" described in Leviticus 25. Jesus was bringing a spiritual "Year of Jubilee" for the nation of Israel.

The problem was that His listeners would not believe in Him. They saw Him only as the son of Mary and Joseph, the boy they had watched grow up in their own city. How crazy is that!!!! Jesus is right there in front of them and all they see is the son of Mary and Joseph. The crowd wanted Jesus to preform miracles in Nazareth like he did in Capernaum, but He refused. That's the meaning of the phrase, "Physician heal thyself.

At first, they admired the way He taught, but it didn't take long for their admiration to turn into antagonism. Why? Because Jesus reminded them of God's goodness to the Gentiles! The prophet Elijah bypassed all the Jewish widows and helped a gentile widow in Sidon 1 Kings 17:8-16, and his successor Elisha healed a gentile leper from Syria 2 Kings 5:1-15. Our Lord's message of grace was a blow to the proud Jewish exclusivism of the congregation, and they would not repent. Jesus is saying that Jews had to be saved by grace just like the pagan gentiles!! The congregation was so angry they waned to kill Jesus! Augustine said, "They love truth when it enlightens them, but hate truth when it accuses them." (Ouch!!!) This applies to us today we want gracious words but we don't want to face the truth.

In spite of the unbelief of the people in Nazareth, the scriptures declared that Jesus of Nazareth is God's Son, the Messiah sent to fulfill His promises. I bloged about this passage because maybe like Jesus you feel like the hardest people to reach are the ones who have known you the longest. Be encouraged today that if you face rejection from those who say they know you your in good company.

Temptation Luke 4:1-13

2011-01-19T14:33:00.001-08:00

TEMPTATION!!!!! We all deal with it. But how do we over come it. The famous author Oscar Wild had this to say about temptation," The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." I disagree with this quote but how do we overcome temptations when they come our way?? Lets look at our example. In this passage Jesus exposed the tactics of the enemy and revealed to us how we can overcome when we are tempted. This experience helped prepare our Lord for his present ministry as our High priest, and we may come to Him for the help we need to overcome the tempter (Heb. 4:14-16). The first Adam was tempted in a beautiful garden and failed. The Last Adam was tempted in the dessert and succeeded. We have at our disposal the same spiritual resources that Jesus used when he faced and defeated Satan: prayer (3:22) the Fathers love (3:23), the power of the Spirit (4:1) and the Word of God ("It is written"). Plus we have in heaven the interceding Saviour who has defeated the enemy completely. Temptation is Satan's weapon to defeat us, but it can become God's tool to build us (James 1:1-8, 13-17). In the first temptation, Satan suggested that there must be something wrong with the Fathers love since his holy son was hungry. This temptation Satan is asking Jesus to separate the physical from the spiritual. Whenever we label different spheres of our lives physical, material, financial, or spiritual, we are bound to leave God out of areas where He rightfully belongs. Christ must be first in everything, or He is first in nothing (MAtt. 6:33) It is better to be hungry in the will of God than satisfied out of the will of God.( That deep take a moment and think about it). When Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, He put the emphasis on the word man. As the eternal Son of God, He had power to do anything; but as the humble Son of Man, He had authority to do only that which the Father willed. As the servant, Jesus did not use His divine attributes for selfish purposes (Phil 2:5-8). Because He was man, He hungered; but He trusted the Father to meet His needs in His own time and His own way. Question do we do he same thing? Is it your timing or his?? You and I need bread for the body (Matt. 6:1) but we must not live by physical bread alone. We also need food for the inner person to satisfy our spiritual needs. This food is the Word of God. What digestion is to the body, meditation is to the soul. As we read the Word and meditate on it, we receive spiritual health and strength for inner person, and this enables us to obey the will of God. Satan questioned the Father's love when he tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread. He questioned His hope when he offered Jesus the world's kingdoms. Satan questioned the Father's faithfulness when he asked Jesus to jump from the temple and prove that the Father would keep His promise. Satan attacked three basic virtues of the Christian life-faith hope and love. I want to suggest that there are no "shortcuts" in the Christian life, and there is no easy way to spiritual victory and maturity. If the perfect Son of God had to hang on a tree before He could sit on the throne, Then His disciples should not expect an easier way of life. (See Luke 9:22-26 and Acts 24:22). Jesus came out of the dessert a victor, but Satan did not give up. He watched for other opportunities to tempt the Saviour away from the Fathers will. Author Andrew Bonar said i like this, "Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle." Question: When temptation comes will you be ready?

To Grow Luke 2:39, 52

2011-01-11T12:08:00.001-08:00

Before reading this you should read Luke 2:39,52

Having Obeyed the Law in everything, Mary and Joseph returned to Nazareth, which would be the Lord's home until He started Hs official ministry. One question I have always had is what was Jesus like as a teenager into adulthood? Was he picked first for dodge ball(I'm not really sure if dodge ball was invented at this time)? Did all the other teenagers in the neighborhood look up to him? Was he popular or was he a fringe kid? Luke reports that he developed physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. We know Jesus worked with Joseph in the carpenter shop (Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3) and apparently ran the business after Joseph died. (Just a thought How awesome would it be to own furniture made by Jesus. How many people could say you see this couch yeah the son of God made it. Got to be honest it would be pretty epic). Joseph and Mary had other children during those years Matt. 13:55-56; John 7:1-10). How was Jesus as an older brother?? Luke gives us only one story from Jesus youthful years. Joseph and Mary were devout Jews who observed Passover in Jerusalem every year. Three times a year the Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem to worship (Deut. 16:16) but not all of them could afford to do so. If they chose one feast, it was usually the passover; and they tried to take their family with them, for it was the most important feast of the Jewish calendar. People would travel to this feast in caravans, the women and children leading the way and setting the pace, and the men and young men following behind. Villages often traveled together and kept an eye on each other's children. At age 12 Jesus could have easily have gone from one group to another and not been missed.

They had gone a day's journey from Jerusalem when they discovered that Jesus was missing. It took a day to return to the city and another day for them to find him. I wonder what was running through Mary's and Joseph mind when they couldn't find Jesus? Mary's rebuke brought a respectful but astonished reply from Jesus; "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had t be in My Fathers house?" Jesus was affirming His divine Sonship and His mission to do the will of the father. Even at the age of twelve, Jesus was moved by a divine compulsion to do the Father's will. To my teenagers that read this you are not the church of tomorrow you are the church of today!!! does your life bring glory to the fathers will.

Jesus grew in a balanced way without neglecting any part of life, and His priority was to do the will of His Father. He knew how to listen and how to ask the right questions. He learned how to work, and HE was obedient to His parents. Jesus grew up in a large family, in a despised city, nurtured by parents who were probably poor. The Jewish religion was at an all-time low, the Roman government was in control, and society was in a state of change. Yet when Jesus emerged from Nazareth, eighteen years later, the Father was able to say of Him, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased"(Luke 3:22). May the Father be able to say that about us!!!!!

A Song of Joy Luke 1:39-56

2010-12-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Mary knew at this time that she was to become a mother, and that her relative Elisabeth would give birth in three months, she wanted to see Elisabeth so they could rejoice together. " Joy"is the major theme of this section as you see three persons rejoicing in the Lord.

First is the joy of Elisabeth verses 39-45. As Mary entered the house, Elisabeth heard her greeting, was filled with the Spirit and was told by the Lord why Mary was there. The one word that filled her lips was "blessed. Note that she did not say that Mary was blessed above women but among women, and certainly this is true. While we don't want to ascribe to Mary that which only belongs to God, neither do we want to minimize her place in the plan of God. What Elisabeth emphasized was Mary's faith: "Blessed is she that believed" (Verse 45). We are saved by grace through faith Ephesians 2:8-9. Because Mary believed the Word of God, she experienced the power of God.

Second, there was the joy of the unborn son. This was probably the time when he was filled with the Spirit as the angel had promised. Even before his birth, John rejoiced in Jesus Christ, just as he did during his earthy ministry. As John the Baptist, he would be the forerunner for the Messiah.

Third the Joy of Mary verses 46-56. A joy that compelled her to lift her voice in a hymn of praise. The fullness of the Spirit should lead to joyful praise in our lives Eph 5:18-20. And so should the fullness of the Word Col. 3:16-17. Mary's song contains quotations from and references to the Old Scriptures, especially the Psalms and the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Mary had God's word in her heart and turned it into a song. Her great desire was to magnify the Lord, not herself. Question of the day who do you try to magnify in your life? Do we give ourselves all the credit for what we have achieved or do we realize every good and perfect gift is from above! She used the phrase He hath eight times as she recounted what God had done for three recipients of His blessing.

1. What God Did for Mary-To begin with, God had saved her (verse 47). Which indicates that Mary was a sinner like all of us and needed to trust the Lord for her eternal salvation. Not only had He saved her, but He also had chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah. He had regarded her, which means He was mindful of her and looked with favor upon her. No doubt there were others who could have been chosen, but God chose her! Not only was God mindful of her, but He was also mighty for her, working on her behalf. Because she believed God and yielded to His will, He performed a miracle in her life and used her to bring the Saviour into the world.

2. What God did for us-In the second stanza of her song, Mary included all of God's people who fear Him from generation to generation. We have all received His mercy and experienced His help. Mary named three specific groups to whom God had been merciful: the helpless, the humble, and the hungry. The common people of that day were almost helpless when it came to justice and civil rights. They were often hungry, downtrodden and discouraged and there was no way to fight the system. Mary saw the Lord turning everything upside down: the weak dethrone the mighty, the humble scatter the proud, he nobodies are exalted, the hungry are filled, and the rich end up poor! The grace of God works contrary to the thoughts and ways of this world system

3. What God did for Israel-He shall save His people from their sins. In spite of Israel's destitute condition, the nation was still God's servant and He would help the people fulfill His purposes. God was on Israel's side! He would remember His mercy and keep His promises.

99% Obedient part 2 1 Samuel 15:15-35

2010-12-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long delay regarding this blog I had it done just didn't post it. Looking at these last 18 verses I've outlined them into two topics.

Lost Sight of what was Important 1 Samuel 15:15-23

Looking at verse 15 we imedietely see that Kings Saul blames his soldiers for his disobedience. As I thought about that do we do the same today? When we our confronted with mistakes or things we have done wrong do we pass the buck? Do we try to make excuses for our short comings or do we take ownership of what we have done regardless of how painful it will be. (Something to think about). God could do everything without us, however he chooses to use us and so wants us to trust and obey him that these things naturally flow out of hearing and obeying His world Sacrifice without obedience is hypocrisy and sickening to God! Samuel goes on to say that the sins of stubbornness (arrogance) and rebellion controlled Saul’s heart. Then condemns them as bad as witchcraft and idolatry. When we know God’s word and deliberately disobey it we are exalting ourselves above the throne of God. This is the height of idolatry!! What resulted from Saul’s disobedience of God’s word, an inability to take responsibility for his own actions?

Rejected by God 15: 24-35

Saul was sadly more concerned with his popularity than his right standing with God. Someone truly broken over their sin would sound much more like David, “I have sinned against heaven, and against you Oh God!!”It seems that problem carries on today. People are more worried about being popular than with pleasing God. Was it that Saul failed that was so terrible? No!!! It was that when confronted with the truth of that failure he lied and made excuses. Oh what a difference it makes when we own up to our failures and sin and allow God to cleanse us of our unrighteousness.

Conclusion: What can we learn from king Saul? Saul began his life so well. He became the first king of Israel through the divine appointment of God. However as he grew older he depended on God less and less, disobeyed and made excuses for his failures. God can work with anything except disobedience. God will work on you, or through you. But if you live your life in continual rejection and disobedience to His word he will ultimately do what he did to Saul, he will reject you. What should we do?

1) Always obey the word of God
2) Never make excuses for your failures (take responsibility)

Saul's attitude of optional obedience led to:

SAUL’S DISOBEDIENCE

SAUL’S DENIAL

SAUL’S DOWNFALL

99% Obedient 1 Samuel 15:1-14 (Part 1)

2010-11-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

We are told, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning" (Romans 15:4). Today I want to take a look at the king of Israel Saul, I want to point out some observations and hopefully we can learn from them. In 1 Samuel 15 :3 Samuel went to Saul with a command from the mouth of God and this is what he says, "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." The first thing we see is that this command is very specific and direct, anything that required air to breath was to be destroyed. after hearing these words Saul gathered his men and made ready his attack. He attacked and killed every man, woman, infant, and nursing child. Tens of thousands were put to the edge of the sword by Saul and his army. However there were some problems Saul spared the king of Amalek. Why? Possibly he was conforming to the culture of that time. If you conquered a nation and took alive its leader, you brought back to your palace a slave, to show your trophies off. Saul also slaughtered thousands of animals. Yet he spared the best of the sheep, oxen, fated calfs, lambs and all that was good, and gave it to his people so they could sacrifice to God. As I thought about this I'm sure Saul's army thought he was doing a good thing or even the right thing. I wonder if they thought they had a godly king who was always putting the Lord first. If you take a look at verse 11 we see God has a different take on this matter. He lamented to Samuel, "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed my commandments." Saul killed tens of thousands and spared but one. He did 99.9 percent of what was commanded of him. Most of us would look at this and see obedience in his actions, yet God saw disobedience. In fact the prophet a few verses later called it rebellion. From this we learn that partial obedience is not obedience at all in the eyes of God. 99% is not considered obedience; rather it is rebellion.

Samuel left to meet Saul, and when Samuel reached him, Saul enthusiastically greeted him, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the Lord's instructions (1 Sam 15:13) You can hear the joy and confidence in his voice. I believe Saul was sincere. He really believed he did what was commanded, yet God said he rebelled.

The Moment a person disobeys the Word of God clearly revealed to him, a veil goes over his heart, and that veil distorts and obstructs his view. It is deception. Saul was deceived in his reasoning and confident he did right when, in reality, he was wrong. His belief conflicted with God's reality, even though it might agree with human reasoning. Can we see today the consequences of disobedience? More than all the sacrifices and religious observances, God wants us to obey him. Are you obeying God in every area of your life? Remember 99% isn't good enough and it's not what God wants. Whatever he is asking you to do follow through and be obedient. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (Joh 14:21)

Why Worship!! Rev 5.

2010-10-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 5 The focus of attention shifts to a seven sealed scroll in the hand of God. The scroll could not be read because it was rolled up and sealed with seven seals. John could see writing on both sides of the scroll, which meant that nothing more could be added. What was written was completed and final. The scroll represents Christ's "Title deed" to all that the Father promised Him because of His sacrifice on the cross. He is our beloved Kinsman Redeemer who was willing to give His life to set us free from bondage and to restore our lost inheritance. No one in all the universe could be found worthy enough to break the seals. No wonder John wept, for he realized that God's glorious redemption plan for mankind could never be completed until the scroll was opened. Jesus Christ meets all of the qualifications. He became flesh, so He is our kinsman. He loves us and is willing to redeem; and He paid the price, so He is able to redeem. Now we are able to enter into the worship experience described in the remainder of Revelation 5. As we take a look at this chapter we will discover four compelling reasons why we worship Jesus Christ.

BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS (Rev 5:5-7) Three unique titles are given to our Lord to describe who He is. First He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This refers back to Genesis 49:8-10, where Jacob prophetically gave the scepter to Judah and made it the tribe of the Kings. (God never meant for Saul to establish a dynasty, because he came from the tribe of Benjamin. God used him to discipline Israel because the people asked for a king; then He gave them David from the tribe of Judah.) The image of "the lion" speaks of dignity, sovereignty, courage, and victory. Jesus Christ is the only living Jew who can prove His kingship from the genealogical records.

Son of David was a title often used when he was ministering on earth (Matt 1.) But He is also the Root of David, which means He brought David (and David's line) into existence. As far as His humanity is concerned, Jesus had His roots in David (Isa.11:1, 10) ; but as far as His deity is concerned, Jesus is the root of David. How the Messiah could both be David's Lord and David's son was a problem Jesus presented to the Pharisees, and they could not (or would not) answer Him. (Matt. 22:41-46).

When John turned to see, he saw not a lion but a lamb! Jesus is called "the Lamb" at least twenty-eight times in the book of Revelation. The theme of 'the Lamb" is an important one throughout Scripture, for it presents the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. The Old Testament question, "Where is the Lamb?" (Gen. 22:7) was answered by John the Baptist who cried, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The choirs of heaven sing, "Worthy is the lamb!" (Rev. 5:12)

BECAUSE OF WHERE HE IS (5:6) Jesus is in heaven. He is not in the manger, in Jerusalem, on the cross, or in the tomb. He is ascended and exalted in heaven. Our savior has defeated every enemy and is now controlling events from glory! He too suffered, but God turned His suffering into glory. The Lamb is the center of all that transpires in heaven. Angles around the throne encircle the Savior and praise Him. We do not worship a babe in a manger or a corpse on a cross. We worship the living, reigning Lamb of God who is in the midst of all in heaven!!

BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY (5:8-12) When the Lamb came and took the scroll the weeping ended and the prasing began. Warren Wiersbee a famous Christian author said this about worship and I tend to agree with him. "Too many contemporary songs are "I" centered rather than "Christ" centered. They so emphasize the believer's experience that they almost ignore the Lord's glory. Certainly there is a place for that kind of song, but nothing can compare with adoring Christ in spiritual worship."(BOOM that just happened!!!!) Sometimes I feel like our worship time has turned to a request time. God I need this, I want that, gimme gimme gimme I, I , I. WE need to stand amazed shift our attention from ourselves and focus on the one who is worthy!!!! Challenge for today take time and just be amazed because our savior is worthy!!!!!!

BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS (5:13-14) He was born in weakness and He died in weakness; but He is the recipient of all power. He became the poorest of the poor and yet He owns all the riches of heaven and earth. Man laughed at Him and called Him a fool; yet He is the very wisdom of God. He shared in the sinless weakness of humanity as he hungered, thirsted, and became weary. Today in glory, He possesses all strength. On earth, He experienced humiliation and shame as sinners ridiculed and reviled Him. They laughed at His kingship and attired Him in a mock robe, crown and scepter. But all of this is changed now!! He has received all honor and glory and blessing!! I want to leave you with this closing question. You may believe in Christ as the creator, but have you trusted Him as your redeemer???

Worship the creator Rev 4:8-11

2010-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

The book of Revelation is filled with hymns of praise. The emphasis on praise is significant when you remember that John wrote this book to encourage people who were going through suffering and persecution! The theme of this hymn is God the Creator. If the 24 elders typify people of God in heaven then we have to ask ourselves, " If the heavens are declaring the glory of God, why shouldn't God's heavenly people join the chorus? Creation bears constant witness to the power, wisdom, and glory of God. Acknowledging God the Creator is the first step towards trusting God the redeemer. "All things were created by Him "Christ" and for Him and by Him all things consist and hold together."(Colossians 1:16-17) But sinful man worships and follows the creature rather than the Creator. Sinful man has polluted and destroyed God's wonderful creation; and he will pay for it (Rev 11:18). Creation is for God's praise and pleasure, and man has no right to usurp that which rightfully belongs to God. Man drove creation into sin, so that God's good creation is today a groaning creation (Romans 8:22). But because of Christ's work on the cross, it will one day be delivered and become a glorious creation. (Romans 8:18-24). I want to leave you with this closing thought to those that our found faithful to God the creator of all things. Heaven is a place of worship, and God's people shall worship Him throughout all eternity. It would be a good idea to start practicing now!!

Laodicea the land of opportunity.

2010-09-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Laodicea was a very, wealthy city, founded by Antiochus II and named after his wife Laodice. The city was strategically located where three highways converged, thus it was highly commercial. It was well known for its banking industry, its manufacture of black wool and a medical school that produced eye ointment. The wealth in the city had been used to build theaters, a huge stadium, lavish public baths and fabulous shopping centers. Sound familiar? Sounds like any typical American city. So wealthy was this city that when an earthquake almost entirely destroyed it in 60 AD, its wealthy citizens refused help from Rome in rebuilding the city. If you were a real estate agent at the time it wouldn’t be hard to sell Laodicea. It was a great place to live. The land of opportunity. The only real negative about the place was its lack of an adequate water supply (we will deal with the details regarding this shortly). The Christians here had become victims of their environment. Indeed, a valuable lesson for us all today!

In writing to the other six churches, Jesus found something good to say, he recognized something positive about the congregation. Not here!

The Amen… says this – In the Greek, this phrase means firm, stable, sure, established and trustworthy. What point is Jesus trying to get across? He’s saying, "Don’t kid yourselves, what I’m about to say may shock you, but you can take it to the bank!"
Unfortunately, the Christians at Laodicea had grown to love and put their faith in the “things” of this world, not their creator!

Vs. 15: I know your deeds…

What a powerful and sobering truth! Jesus knows our deeds, both individually and as a church. Jesus knew all about the church at Laodicea, the details of which we will get to momentarily. What about us? Does Jesus know our deeds? This is not one of the key issues I want to focus upon in this lesson; however, when I ponder this truth… well, it stands as a sobering reminder for us all to examine ourselves from time-to-time. A couple of passages come to mind here:
Mark 4:22: For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light.
Col. 3:17: And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…

Jesus, the true and faithful Witness, knows our deeds! What were the deeds of the church at Laodicea? Look again at verse 15. Jesus says they are neither cold nor hot; I would rather that you were cold or hot. What is Jesus saying here? We all know the answer, He’s saying they are lukewarm!
This is perhaps the most familiar passage in the book of Revelation. Many, lessons and sermons have been given from this text. Lukewarmness is a characteristic which is most despised among Christ’s churches, even today! So popular is this verse, we often fail to recognize that the Laodiceans were guilty of another serious sin which is often overshadowed by their lukewarmness. First, what is lukewarness? According to the dictionary, it means lacking warmth of feeling or enthusiasm. To a Christian, it describes a state of indifference, complacency, or apathy. Perhaps because they are self-satisfied, or feel self-sufficient. In reality, they are like a chicken with its head cut off – dead, but don’t know it yet!
How would you describe a lukewarm church today? If I were to take your definitions, what would be included? How about a church that just goes through the motions. They gather to worship and mindlessly go through the motions. There is no heart, no zeal, no focus in their worship. When they sing, it’s just blah! When they pray, study, and remember our Savior at the Lord’s Table, their minds simply wander. They don’t worry about spreading the gospel, visiting the sick, carrying for the those in need – they don’t do anything for Christ! Would that be a lukewarm church?
Wait a minute, let’s look at verse 15 again, Jesus knew their deeds, in particular they were lukewarm. But what about Jesus’ desire for them? He said, (I wish) that you were cold or hot. Now I understand His desire for them to be hot. Have you ever wondered why He would prefer them to be cold?
He is using a local, well known problem relating to their water supply to allegorize a spiritual meaning. This is a sort of parable, if you will!
Laodicea, as rich as it was, had a serious water problem. The city’s water was “piped in” from six miles out. It came to them along an aqueduct. By the time it arrived it was lukewarm. The city of Hierapolis, just seven miles north of Laodicea, was famous for its hot springs. Colosee, less than ten miles away, was known for its cool water. What was Jesus saying to them in His desire that they be cold or hot? He’s saying their spiritual condition is of no benefit. He would rather they be spiritually beneficial like a refreshing drink of cold water or like the soothing warmth of the hot springs! What’s the message? If we are simply going through the motions, if our heart is not in it, if we are not living and working for Christ everyday of our lives, we are of no benefit to Him! I don’t know about you, but that thought scares me!
How does this condition of lukewarmness really make Jesus feel? Let’s look at the next verse in our text.

Vs. 16: … I will spit you out of My mouth.
Jesus says that because of their lukewarmness, because they are of no spiritual benefit, He will spit them out. The Greek word here means “to vomit.” John could have used another Greek phrase that means simply “to spit.” If a church of our Lord has become so passionless, so indifferent… if a church of Christ has become of no spiritual benefit, if we as individuals have become of no spiritual benefit, it makes Jesus so sick, that He wants to vomit! This should make us all examine our walk with Him. Jesus knows our deeds. There are no secrets. Where do we stand with Him today?
Lukewarmness, being of no spiritual benefit is a serious issue; however, as stated earlier, because we have given this topic so much attention, another serious sin at Laodicea is often overlooked. Let’s continue reading our text.

Vs. 17: Because you say, “I am rich

the second spiritual problem with the church at Laodicea. They had become infected with the love of material things. Perhaps the most dangerous point made here is the fact that they are so “caught-up” in their wealth, they were unaware of their sinful state – they were dead and didn’t know it!

We could approach this from many different angles. We as American’s are so blessed. Compared to most of the world, we are a modern day Laodicea. There is a very, very important lesson here for us today! Our time is running short and there are so many points one could make here. When I read and contemplate the message here as it relates to me, here’s what I consider:

Self-dependence – Can we get to the point in our lives that we have so much and are doing so well that we think we don’t need God?

Thanksgiving – Can we get to the point where we have so much and are doing so well that we fail to realize and be thankful for the source of all our blessings?

Priorities – Can we get to the point where we have so much and are doing so well that we become slaves to our things? Can our priorities change such that we put having things, doing things, more and more things in front of God?

Jesus knew the condition of the church at Laodicea. Not only were they wretched and miserable (dead and didn’t know it), notice again what Jesus says about their condition in the later part of verse 17: they are poor blind and naked.
Jesus, in pointing out their areas of misery, contrasts all the riches of the city.

Poor – there was plenty of money here, but they were spiritually poor.

Blind – known for it’s eye salve, yet all of the salve in the world wouldn’t cure their spiritual blindness.

Naked – known for the finest wool in the world, all of which couldn’t cloth their spiritual nakedness.

Is there a cure? Let’s continue to read our text.

Vs. 18: I advise you…

If Jesus were to give us advise today, do you think it prudent to follow it? The truth is, He is giving us advise today, we are all reading it together. What was His advise to them and any today who are “dead and don’t know it?” To buy from Him! Jesus provides the only true cure for spiritual sickness. It can’t be found in banks, goods, medicine or in any worldly treasure. A true cure can only be found in Christ! How do we do that? Let’s continue with our text.

Vs. 19-20: Those whom I love… repent.

Though blinded by their wealth, love of material things and lukewarmness, Jesus still loved them and provided an opportunity for repentance. The same is true for us today. He stands at the door and knocks. We have to make the next move, it’s our responsibility to open it!

The City of Brotherly Love Rev 3:7-13

2010-08-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

As most people know, Philadelphia means "Love of the Brethren."

Certainly, brotherly love is an important mark of the Christian. But it is not enough to love God and our fellow believers; we must also love a lost world and seek to reach unbelievers with the good news of the cross. This church had a passion to reach the lost. Philadelphia was situated in a strategic place on the main route of the Imperial Post from Rome to the East, and thus was called "the gateway to the East." It was also called "little Athens" because of the many temples in the city. The church was certainly located in a place of tremendous opportunity. The only major problem with the location was that the area was prone to earthquakes. Philadelphia sat on a geological fault, and in 17B.C. it was destroyed by a severe earthquake that also destroyed Sardis and ten other cities. Afterward, some of the citizens refused to move

back into the city and remained in the surrounding countryside, which they called "the burnt land." There did not seem to be much secuirty in the city of brotherly love!

The Lord gave the church at Philadelphia a great opportunity for ministry. But could they take advantage of it? There were at least two obstacles to overcome, the first being their own lack of strength (Rev. 3:8). This was not a large or a strong church; however it was a faithful one. They were true to God's Word and unafraid to bear His name. Looking at verse ten we can see that they had endured some special testing and had proved faithful. It is not the size or strength of a church that determines its ministry, but faith in the call and command of the Lord. If Jesus Christ gave them an open door then He would see to it that they were able to walk through it!

The second obstacle was the opposition of the Jews in the city. The Jews in the city of Philadelphia were excluding Jewish believers from the synagogue. The believers in Philadelphia were in a similar situation to that of Paul when he wrote 1 Corinthians 16:9-there were both opportunities and obstacles! Unbelief sees the obstacles, but faith sees the opportunities! Since the Lord holds the keys, He is in control of the outcome! So what do we have to fear? Fear, unbelief, and delay have caused the church to miss many God-given opportunities. (STOP MISSING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES LETS BE OBEDIENT TO WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SAYING TO US!!!!!)

Jesus gave three wonderful and encouraging promises to this church.

1. He would take care of there enemies. Rev 3:9 If we take care of God's work, He will take care of our battles.

2. He would keep them from Tribulation Rev 3:10

3. The third promise to this church is that God would honor them Rev 3:12. God honors faithful people who bear His name for His glory (Gal. 2:9).

To be honest the church of today is very much like the Philadelphian Church. For God has set before us many open doors of opportunity. If he opens the doors, we must work; if He shuts the door, we must wait. Above all, we must be faithful to Him and see the opportunities, not the obstacles. I've been saying it all week and I'm going to say it again Therefore be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord because you know your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

The Zombie Church Revelations 3:1-6

2010-07-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Sardis was once one of the greatest cities of the world. It had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, and in the 6th century B. C. was ruled by a fabulously wealthy king whose name, Croesus, became a byword for uncounted wealth. Several times armies had tried to overthrow it but were unable to do so. But twice in its history it had fallen to foreign assault, once by the Persians, and once by the Greeks, and both victories were achieved by stealth. Sardis was so confident it could not be overcome that it failed to guard its walls adequately. In the dead of the night a band of brave soldiers climbed up the sides of the ravine and entered an unwatched gate and overthrew the city. Thus, Sardis was a city characterized by a complacent spirit. The church in this city is the least attractive of the seven churches to whom these letters are written. Our Lord finds nothing to commend about it. As in all these letters, the life of the church is revealed in its deeds. Our Lord says, as he does in most of the letters, "I know your deeds; I know your works." In Sardis these were works that were done to impress people They had a good reputation, but it was actually a dead church. The members of it were for the most part not even believers. They were not spiritually alive. This indicates a church made up of people who outwardly professed Christ -- probably many of them thought of themselves as believers -- but who actually possessed no spiritual life. They were Christians in name only. Sardis had grown comfortable and content and was living on its past reputation. There was reputation without reality, form without force. Like the city itself, the church at Sardis gloried in past splendor, but ignored present decay. In fact, even what they did have was about to die! Why? Because the beleivers had gone to sleep or what I like to call Zombies. They were lifeless!!! The impression is that the assembly in Sardis was not aggressive in its witness to the city. There was no persecution because there was no invasion of the enemy's territory. No friction usually means no motion!!! the unsaved in Sardis saw the church as a respectable group of people who were neither dangerous nor desireable. They were decent people with a dying witness and a decaying ministry.

The first step toward renewal in a dying church is honest awareness that something is wrong. When a organism is alive, there is growth, repair, reproduction, and power, if these elements are lacking in a church, then that church is either dying or already dead.

However, a remnant of dedicated people often exists in even a dying church. The Lord admonished them to strengthen what remained and not to give up because the church was weak. Where there is life there is hope!! The remnant in the church at Sardis had not compromised with the pagan society around them, nor had they grown comfortable or complacent. It was this devoted spiritual remnant that held the future of the church's ministry. WAKE UP!!! BE WATCHFUL!!! REPENT!! REMEMBER the WORD you RECEIVED and OBEY IT!! In another words stop being a Spiritual Zombie. It is not enough to be true to the faith and have a great history. The faith must produce life and works.

The warning to the church at Sardis is that we can't grow comfortable in our churches we will find ourselves slowly dying. The encouragement is that no church is beyound hope as long as there is a dedicaed remnant in it, willing to strengthen the things that remain.

Francis Drake

2010-07-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting over this prayer so I thought I would share. Just an amazing prayer I think its awesome that a "pirate" wrote this in 1577.

Disturb us, Lord, when  We are too pleased with ourselves, 
When our dreams have come true  Because we dreamed too little,
 When we arrived safely  Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when  with the abundance of things we possess
 We have lost our thirst  For the waters of life;
 Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity
 And in our efforts to build a new earth, 
We have allowed our vision  Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, 
To venture on wilder seas  Where storms will show Your mastery; 
Where losing sight of land,  We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back The horizons of our hopes;
 And to push back the future  In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain, Who is Jesus Christ

Thyatira Rev. 2:18-29

2010-07-23T08:40:00.001-07:00

Thyatira was a military town as well as a commercial center with many trade guilds. Wherever guilds were found, idolatry and immorality the two greatest enemies of the early church were almost always present too. Thyatira was located about 35 miles southeast of Pergamum. It was a very small city, but a busy commercial center. It was on a major road of the Roman Empire. There were some good things going on in this church. Our Lord tells us what they are. "I know your deeds [i.e., your works], your love and faith, your service and your perseverance." Those are related. Love leads to service; faith leads to perseverance. If you love God, you will serve his people. You cannot help it. It is the sign that you love that you are willing to serve. And if you have faith you will persevere; you will understand that God is in control and things will work out according to his purpose. You keep at your work; you do not quit. So here was a church that had many people that loved God and served his people. They had faith in his word, and they persevered. They helped many, and they kept it up. As others then got involved, the church grew. So the deeds, or the works, of the church were far more when this letter was written than when it first began.

However the Lord found much to expose and condemn in the assembly at Thyatira. No amount of loving and sacrificial works can compensate for tolerance of evil. Evidently there was in the church at Thyatira a woman who was a very dominant leader. Jesus names her "Jezebel." That was not her name, of course, but our Lord always names people according to their character. That is why he often renames people in the Gospels. Here He chooses the name of the most evil woman in the Old Testament. (Food for thought if we were to be given a new name by Jesus what do yo think your name would be??) What does your character say about you???

The problem Thyatiran Christians faced, In order to make a living they had to belong to a union, but to attend the union was to become involved, or to be sorely pressured to become involved, with the worship of idols.So they had to make a choice. It was difficult to live in Thyatira for this very reason. But apparently Jezebel had begun to teach that it was all right for them to go along with the requirements of the guild, that they needed to submit to the pressures of the world around in order to make a living, and that God would understand and overlook this. Her philosophy was what you often hear today: "Business is business." If business practices collide with your Christian principles, then your principles have to go -- because you have to make a living. Have you ever heard that argument. Not only was the church at Thyatira tolerant of evil, but it was proud and unwilling to repent. The Lord gave the false prophetess time to repent, yet she refused. Now He was giving her followers opportunity to repent.

God’s exhortation to these churches is, Repent!! Turn back to Him!!! It is not only lost sinners who need to repent, but also disobedient Christians. If we do not repent and deal with sin in our lives and in our assemblies, the Lord may judge us and remove our lampstand. How tragic it is when a local church gradually abandons the faith and loses its witness for Christ! He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!

Compromising Church Pergamum Rev 2:12-17

2010-07-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

Like their brothers and sisters in Smyrna the believers in Pergamos had suffered persecution, and one of their men had died for the faith. In spite of intense suffering, this church had remained true to God. Despite their courageous stand against persecution, the believers in Pergamos were not faultless before the Lord. One problem the church at Pergamum had was it started listening to the teaching and practices of the "Nicolaitanes." The Nicolaitans, were the early Christian-pagan syncretists, the false teachers that crept into the church, who disguised themselves as followers of Christ – who professed to be His ministers and servants – but who led the people astray. Understanding the story of Balaam helps us interpret this group more accurately. (Number 22-25). Balaam was a true prophet who prostituted his gifts in order to earn money from King Balak, who hired him to curse the people of Israel. God prevented Balaam from actually cursing the nation -in fact, God turned the curses into blessings! Balak followed Balaam's advice and making friends with Israel, and then inviting the Jews to worship and feast at the pagan altars. The Jewish men fell right into the trap. They ate meat from idolatrous altars and committed fornication as part of heathen religious rites. Twenty-four thousand people died because of this disobedient act of compromise (Num. 25:19). You might be saying how does this relate? Because a group in that church said, "There is nothing wrong with being friendly to Rome." What's wrong with displaying your loyalty to Caesar? The Lord accused the Christians in Pergamos of committing "spiritual fornication" by saying, "Caesar is Lord." This compromise welcomed in the Roman guilds and protected them from Roman persecution, But It Coast Them Their Testimony and Their Crown!!! Today we may face the same temptation to achieve personal advancement by ungodly compromise. Compromising in your faith is one sure way to lose your influence on those around you (Something to think about) Would the people around you say of you that your a person who stands for what is right? Or your a person who cuts corners to get ahead in life? The congregation or the individual Christian that compromises with the world just to avoid suffering or achieve success is committing "spiritual adultery" and being unfaithful to the Lord. It's hard to make a stand when those around you disagree or even would kill you for your stance. But when you make a stand there's NO COMPROMISING!!!!! Know what you believe and be unwavering. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The Crowned Church Rev 2:8-11

2010-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to reflect about the second church mentioned in the book of Revelations, Smyrna. The city remains a functioning community today called Izmir. The church of Smyrna was not going through an easy time they were being persecuted for their faith, they would not accept Caesar as Lord. From both the Jews and Gentiles, the Christians in Smyrna received slander and suffering. But they were Rich!!! They lived for eternal values that would never change, riches that could never be taken away. There suffering for Christ only increased their riches. Unlike the church of Ephesus there are no words of accusation given to the congregation in Smyrna! They may not have enjoyed the approval of men, but they certainly received the praise of God. However. The Lord encouraged this Church to not be afraid! The main point of this letter is standing true to Christ no matter what the government might threaten to do. Today as Christ followers we need to stand up for what is right! Not seek the approval of man but in all things desiring to be obedient to our father in heaven. The "crown of life" is the winner's crown awarded at the annual athletic games. Smyrna was a key participant in the games, so this promise would be especially meaningful to believers living there. The Lord reinforced the promise given by James (James 1:12) and assured His people that there was nothing to fear. Because they had trusted Him, they were over-comers, victors in the race of faith (Heb12:1-3) and, as over comers, they had nothing to fear. Even if they were martyred they would be ushered into glory wearing crowns!! It coast to be dedicated Christian, in some places more than others. As end-time pressures increase, persecution will also increase; and the people of God need to be ready (1 Peter 4:12). The world may call us "poor Christians," but in God's sight we are rich

Spiritual Exam I hope your prepared!?!?

2010-06-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

My plan for this chapter is to take a look at the seven churches in Asia minor and apply the message Jesus had for those churches to our lives. Jesus Christ can accurately inspect each church and know its true condition, because He sees the internals not only the externals. In this chapter the Lord gave each assembly an "X ray" of its spiritual condition. Even though it's addressed to one church specifically it was intended for all the churches to read these messages and to benefit from them. This passage of scripture is really speaking to individuals, this is where you and I need to heed is message. "He that has an ear let him hear." Churches are made up of individuals, and it is those individuals who determine the spiritual life of the assembly. So I want to challenge you as we read this chapter apply the message to your own heart.

Ephesus was a serving church, busy doing the works of the Lord. This church kept going when the going got tough. Looking at the church from the outside you would think it was a great church to be apart of (Appearances can be deceiving). This busy, separated, sacrificing church really suffered from "heart trouble" they had abandoned their first love!! As I sit here and think about that what an awful thing to experience! Imagine Jesus saying to you, you lost your first love OUCH!! Man thats painful. Their actions where not motivated by a love for Christ. What we do for the Lord is important, but so is why we do it!! The Ephesian believers were so busy maintaining their separation that they were neglecting adoration. Labor is no substitute for love; neither is purity a substitute for passion. It is only as we love Christ fervently that we can serve Him faithfully.

"First Love" can be restored if we follow Jesus checklist. First we must remember (literally "keep on remembering") what we have lost and develop a desire to regain that relationship once again. Second we must repent change our minds and confess our sins to the Lord. Third we must restore the original fellowship that was broken by our sin and neglect. This means a return to prayer, Bible reading, obedient service, and worship. The church that loses its love will soon lose its light. The church of Ephesus was the "careless church," made up of careless believers who neglected their love for Christ. Are we guilty of the same neglect???

Revelations 1:9-18

2010-05-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I read this book so I wanted to start a blog series on the book of Revelations. John wrote this book to encourage first-century Christians who were experiencing great suffering. In every age of the Church, Revelation has brought comfort and hope. Why? Because its symbols are timeless and may be understood by believers in any period of history; because its promises are eternal and may be trusted by all saints.

This book was born out of John's spiritual encounter while he was exiled on he island of Patmos. The Lord had commissioned John to write this book and send it to the seven churches that God had selected. Christ's garments are those of a Judge -King, One with honor and authority. The white hair symbolizes His eternity "the Ancient of days" (Dan 7:9) His eyes see all enabling him to judge righteously (Heb 4:12). His feet of brass also suggest judgment since the brazen altar was the place where the fire consumed the sin offering. He speaks with power and authority and must be heard. The sword from his mouth represents the living Word of God. He fights his enemies by using His Word (Rev 2:16). This visions of Christ had to be totally different from what John was use to. In this vision Jesus was not the gentle Jewish carpenter that John was familiar with He is the risen, glorified exalted Son of God!! The King that has authority to judge all men starting with his own people. What John does is not surprising he falls to the ground as if he was dead. A vision of the almighty Christ can only produce awe and fear (Dan 10:7-9). Johns response was what Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 5:16 "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. John no longer related to Jesus as he had done before.

The Lord reassured John by touching him and speaking to him. "Fear not!" Those two words our such an encouragement to any child of God. We need not fear life because He is "The Living One." We need not fear death because He has conquered death! We need not fear eternity because he hold the keys of Hades and of death. The One who holds the keys is the One who has authority!!! At the very beginning of this book Jesus presented Himself to His people in majestic glory. What we need today is a new awareness of Christ and His glory. Jesus help me to daily fall at your feet and be in awe of you the One and only Wise KING!!!

Who's ready to be hated? Anyone

2010-05-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

John 15:18-24 f the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. ²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. ²³He who hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

We should begin by clarifying what Jesus means by "the world," because the term is used in Scripture in at least three different ways. It can mean the created world ("the world was made by Him"-John 1:10), the world of humanity ("For God so loved the world"-3:16), or a society apart from God and opposed to God. "The world" involves all the people, plans, organizations, activities, philosophies, values etc. that belong to society without God. as Christians, we must be careful not to love the world or be conformed to the world. So the question I want to reflect on is Why does "the world" hate Christians the ones who believe in Jesus Christ and seek to follow Him? Jesus gave several reasons

1. We are identified with Christ. He is the Master we are the servants. Heres a thought if with all His greatness and perfection, Jesus does not escape persecution, what hope is there for us with our imperfections? The wold hates Him, and therefore the world must hate us. Be encouraged that Jesus is with us as we suffer.

2. We do not belong to this world. When we begin a relationship with Jesus we our in the world physically but not of the world spiritually. What this means is that we look at the things of earth from heavens point of view. You start to despise what is evil and desire what is good. You make a stand for what is good and right and flee from the conformity of this world.

3. World is spiritually ignorant and blind. If you had asked the religious leaders in Jerusalem if they knew the God they were seeking to defend, they would have said, "Of course we know Him! Israel has known the true God for centuries!" But Jesus said that they did not know the Father and, therefore they could not know the Son. The religious leaders knew a great deal about Jehovah God and could quote chapter and verse to defend their doctrines but they did not personally know God. Question do you know Him? Not do you know about Him. Do you have a relationship with Him?

4. The world will not be honest about its own sin. The people had no excuse for their sin. They had seen His works and heard His word but they would not admit the truth. All of the evidence had been presented, but they were not honest enough to receive it and act upon it. There are many people out there that know Jesus is the savior of the world but wont commit to be a disciple of Him. They choose to do what they want to do. there flesh wins against the Holy Spirit tugging at there heart. Pastor said this a couple of weeks ago, "salvation coast you nothing discipleship will coast you everything." Are you ready to be hated by the world?

The Grace of God Neh 9:31-38

2010-04-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

God was good to His people when His people were not good to Him. He sent them prophets to teach them and to warn them, but the nation refused to listen (2 Chron. 36:14-21). He was merciful to forgive them when they cried out for help, and He stood by them as they repeatedly rebelled against His Word. He could have destroyed the nation and started over again but He graciously spared them. In His mercy, God didn't give them what they deserved; and in His grace, He gave them what they didn't deserve. The Levites had acknowledged God's greatness and goodness; and now, on the basis of His grace, they asked Him for a new beginning for the nation. If God had been merciful to Israel in the past, forgiving their sins when they cried out to Him, would He not be merciful to them now? But in this passage the Levities did more then ask God for mercy; they also made a solemn covenant with God to obey His law and do His will. I know I say this all the time but today we to need to hold strong to the commitments we make!!!! When we say where going to do something we need to do it!!! When we say, "God I want to live for you" we need to do that!!!! This might mean a life change riding ourselves of what so easily entangles us and striving to be more like Him. Let our yes be yes and our no's no. Men and women who hold strong to their word!!! By no means is this easy but we weren't called to an easy life. Our God is a glorious God (Neh. 9:5). He is powerful (v.6), faithful (v.8), and concerned about the needs of His people (v.9). He is a pardoning God (vv. 17-19, 31) who stands by us when we sin (vv. 21,30) but who chastises if we rebel (v.26). He is a generous God (vv. 24-25, 35), who gives us far more than we deserve. He is a God who keeps His promises even if we are unfaithful. He deserves our loving obedience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wherever you are in your journey of faith know your never to fare away from a new beginning. His arms are always held out open willing to embraces his children!!!!

The goodness of God

2010-04-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Looking at these verses you have to ask yourself, How could these people turn their backs on God after all he had done for them? I don't think they truly loved Him. Their obedience was only an outward form; it didn't come from their hearts. In their hearts, they were still living in Egypt and wanting to return there. They did not have a living faith in God but were willing to receive His help and enjoy his gifts. During the forty years of Israel's discipline in the wilderness the old generation died and the new generation was born. But God never forsook His people. He led them by the cloud and fire, taught them the Word, provided them with life's necessities, and gave them victory over their enemies. GOD keeps His promises and Fulfills His purposes. If we obey Him, we share in the blessing; if we disobey Him, we miss the blessing; but God's purposes will be fulfilled and his name glorified. Even today there our many people who are short sighted just like the Israelites. They forgot the glorious purposes that God had in mind for the nation. Had they meditated on God's promises and purposes they would not have wanted to go back To Egypt and mingle with he godless nation around them. Israel was a people who lived beneath heir privileges and failed to accept fully God's will for their lives. Israel delighted themselves in God's great goodness but they did not delight themselves in the Lord. Like the prodigal son they wanted the father's wealth but not the father's will. When Israel obeyed Him, He was faithful to bless; when they disobeyed Him, He was faithful to chastise; when they asked for mercy, He was faithful to forgive. god is willing to give His people many privileges, but he will not give them the privilege of sinning and having their own way. God's purposes are more important than our pleasures, and He will accomplish His purposes even if He has to chastise us to do it. Praise God he is faithful even when we are not!!!!!!!!!

Nehemiah 9:1,6

2010-04-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

God is the main subject of this chapter- who He is, what HE does for his people and what His people must do for him. This chapter reveals the history of Israel, the majesty of God and the depravity of man. Aldous Huxley once wrote "That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important off all the lessons that history has to teach," Philosopher George Santayana wrote, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it." I think today as Christians we can learn much from the experiences of those before us. If we are willing to humble ourselves and receive the truth. My next several blog entries are going to be about this prayer in chapter nine, your gonna see it reveals the greatness of God (9:1-6), the goodness of God (9:7-30), and the grace of God((9:31-38), so today I would like to look at the greatness of God.

The Feast of Tabernacles had ended, but the people lingered to hear more of the Word of God. Feasting had turned to fasting as the Word brought conviction and people started confessing their sins. This was the beginning of a new life for them and their city. God's greatness is seen in the fact that he receives our worship. True worship involves many elements: hearing the Scriptures, praising God, praying, confessing sin, and separating ourselves from that which displeases God. Each of these elements can be found in these six verses. If you look at verse 2-3 you'll see the worshipers took time to seek the Lord's forgiveness because they new they needed constant cleansing and renewal from the Lord. Whenever you see sin or failures in your life immediately look by faith to Christ and seek his forgiveness; and keep on looking to Him. The more you look at yourself the more discouraged you will become. As christians we need to focus on his perfections not our imperfections. Lastly we see in verse 6 the people finally realized the greatness of God. He had saved them from there enemies and they worshipped Him for being there shield, protector, provider and for being Their Great GOD!!!! In our worship, it's wise to begin with the greatness of God. If we focus too much on what He gives or what we want Him to do, we may find our hearts becoming selfish. Sincere worship honors God in spite of circumstances or feelings or desires. Have you told him today that he alone is a Great God!!!!

Fear Neh. 4:11-23

2010-03-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Jews who lived in the outlying villages kept on bringing reports of the enemy planing another sneak attack. Nehemiah saw that his people were starting to become afraid, so he began to act. Henry David Thoreau, American naturalist, who wrote in his journal on September 7, 1851, "Nothing is so much to be feared as fear." Why? Because fear paralyzes you, fear is contagious and fear paralyzes others. Fear and faith cannot live together in the same heart.

Nehemiah's first step is to post guards at the most vulnerable places on the wall. He armed entire families, knowing that they would stand together and encourage one another. Families stood together to protect their homes and their city.

After looking the situation over, Nehemiah then encouraged the people not to be afraid but to look to the Lord for help. If we fear the Lord we need not fear the enemy. Nehemiah new that God was strong enough to meet the challenge. He reminded them that their fighting for their nation, their city, and their families. If the nation was destroyed, what would become of God's great promises to Israel and his plan of redemption? When we face a situation that creates fear in our hearts, we must reminded ourselves of the greatness of God!! If we walk by sight and view God through the problems, we will fail, as did the Jews at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13:26-33). But if we look at the problem through the greatness of God, we will have confidence and succeed. That was the approach David took when he faced Goliath (1 Sam 17:45-47). I know I have said this many times before but here we go again what stops the people of God from stepping out of he boat (FEAR)!!!! When the Holy Spirit asks us to do something all of a sudden we become fearful and we start making excuses instead of being obedient. We need to realize our help comes from the maker of heaven and earth, there should be no fear for those who our found in Christ Jesus.

When the enemy learned that Jerusalem was armed and ready, they backed off. God had frustrated their plot. "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the people of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations" (Ps.33:10-11 NKJV). It is good to remind ourselves that the will of God comes from the heart of God and we need not be afraid.

The people where armed with both a tool and a weapon prepared to fight as they continued on their task to rebuild the wall. They realized it was God who fought with them and He alone could give the victory. Building and battling are both a normal part of the Christian life if we are faithful disciples. Nehemiah not only organized the workers and guards and encouraged them to trust the Lord, but he also set the right kind of example before them. He was a leader who served and a servant who lead. The late Dr. Alan Redpath explained why the Jews succeeded in getting the work done and keeping the enemy at bay: The people had a mind to work (v.6), a heart to pray (v.9), an eye to watch (v.9) and an ear to hear (v.20) and this gave them the victory (Victorious Christian Service, Revell, 1958; pp.76-79). They also had a godly leader with the faith to stand. I want to leave you with this verse and I hope it encourages you in your journey of faith. "Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor.15:58, NKJV).

Discouragement Neh 4:10

2010-03-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to see the contrast between verse 9 and verse 10. In verse 9 we see the people of Jerusalem seeking after God to be there shield and protector. Verse 10 is a different story. Discouragement begins to creep in and take control of their lives. Pressure that we face daily creates problems from within. It isn't easy to carry on your work when you are surrounded by danger and daily face the demands of a task that seems impossible. If the Jews discouragement continued to grow Sanballat and his allies wouldn't have to wage war the Jews would have defeated themselves. Discouragement is one weapon that Satan uses against us. It was discouragement that kept Israel from entering the promised land (Number 13). The ten unbelieving spies discouraged the hearts of the people of Israel and as a result the nation wandered in the wilderness for forty years until the next generation was ready to conquer the land. Nehemiah didn't pay much attention to these complainers but went right on with the work. That's the best thing to do. If you take time away from your work to listen to everybody who wants your attention, you will never get anything done. Nehemiah got his encouragement from prayer and the promises of God. For some reason, God likes choosing ordinary people to do His work. Remember Gideon? He was a farmer threshing wheat in a winepress to hide from the Midianites but God choose him to deliver Israel. How about David a little shepherd boy? God choose him to be King. Or Moses who had a stuttering problem but was called to lead his people out of captivity. Or Ruth an unknown widow from Moab. God choose her to be the great great great grandmother of Jesus. Or what about Jesus’ very own disciples like Peter, James, John, Andrew? They were plain old fishermen but God choose them to lay the foundation for His church. There our countless Biblical characters who weren't qualified for the task given to them. This causes me to ask if these men and women of faith let discouragement take control of their lives would they have been obedient to the task given to them? Don't let discouragement take control of your life!! Philippians 3:12-14, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Surrounded by the enemy

2010-03-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

The next attack is intimidation of the enemy. This attack can be found in Nehemiah 4:7-9. The walls of Jerusalem are being built, and because of this Jerusalem enemies need to do something about it. So the enemies of Jerusalem surrounded the city and plan a secret attack. To the north was Sanballat and the Samaritans; to the east Tobiah and the Ammonites; to the south, Geshem and the Arabs; and to the west, the Ashdodites. Nehemiah suspected that his enemies would launch an attack, so he posted a guard and encouraged the people to pray, We learn in verse 17 that the workers held both tools and weapons and were prepared to fight when the signal was given. Watch and pray combines faith and works and is a good example for us to follow. The Christian battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and his demonic forces that use flesh and blood to oppose the Lord's work. If we hope to win the war and finish the work, we must use the spiritual equipment God has provided. If we focus on the visible enemy alone and forget the invisible enemy, we are sure to start trusting our own resources; and this will lead to defeat. I think there's a huge lesson to be learned in this passage of scripture could you imagine what it must of been like to be Nehemiah, to be surrounded by your enemy!! I don't no much about war but 1 thing I do know is you never want to be surrounded. Your chances of escape or victory are very slim. Applying this passage to our lives it can be difficult to see the victory we have when were surrounded and intimidated by the enemy. You might feel hard pressed on every side or beaten down you might even say it's hard to be light with darkness all around if I can encourage you today know that God has given us to tools to stand and we need to rely on them in our time of need. I love in verse 9 how it says they prayed, so many times we look at the problem and not the answer. Nehemiah didn't let his enemy intimidate him he new his God would see him through. Be encouraged today that God will help you through any situation your facing regardless of how intimidating the enemy is.

Facing Opposition?

2010-03-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sure many of you know growing closer in your relationship with Jesus isn't always easy. That there is a refining process that we go through. Today I want to look at Nehemiah chapter 4:1-6, Nehemiah has been commissioned to build the walls of his people but along the way he runs into opposition. In this chapter alone he runs into four different attacks of the enemy. Where going to take a look at just one of those oppositions today. This chapter reminds us that God's people can be steadfast and defeat the enemy. If you are continually building upon your relationship with Jesus you will soon be battling so preparation is vital!!!!

1. Ridicule (Neh. 4:1-6)- Ridicule is nothing new for those that oppose the will of the Lord. Goliath ridiculed the God of the Israelites, the Roman soldiers and the rabbi's ridiculed Jesus as he hung on a cross. It amazes me how God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. Sanballat saw what Nehemiah was doing as an insurmountable task. But Nehemiah had great faith in a great God, and that's what made the difference. I love how he responds to the ridicule he prays and asked God to fight the enemy for him! Nehemiah didn't let the words of his enemy forget the task that God gave him to due. In our lives it can be very easy to listen to the ridicule of the world. Words like what your doing is a waist of time, you'll never amount to anything. Remain obident to wherever the Holy Spirit leads!! Anything that keeps you from doing what God has called you to do will only help the enemy. Be encouraged today that whatever storm you may be facing that those that are found in Christ have already won the battle.

Does Anybody Really Care?

2010-02-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Today I want to look at Nehemiah chapter 1 (Take five minutes and read the chapter). You might not know the context of what's going on in this book so before I get into this blog I might need to back up and explain what's happening. The book of Nehemiah occurred during the period of the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity. When the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem and overthrown the nation of Judah, they took the Jews into captivity away from Palestine into Babylon But the Medes and Persians later overthrew the Babylonians and began a policy of allowing the Jews to return to Palestine. Upon the Jews release Nehemiah was challenged by God to rebuild the walls of there city and to get people back in right standing with God.

Nehemiah was the kind of person who cared. He cared about the traditions of the past and the needs of the present. He cared about the hopes for the future. He cared about his heritage, his ancestral city, and the glory of his God. He revealed this caring attitude in four different ways.

1. He cared enough to ask (Ne1:1-3): Some people prefer not to know what's going on, because information might bring obligation. In 1987 the slogan for the AIDS publicity campaign was "Don't die of ignorance." I think that slogan can be applied to many areas of life besides health. Mark Twain once wrote, "All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." What we don't know could hurt us a great deal! Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem and the Jews living there because he had a caring heart. When you truly care about people you want the facts no matter how painful they may be. A famous writer Aldous Huxley once said, "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." Closing our eyes and ears to the truth could be the first step toward tragedy for ourselves as well as others. Are we like Nehemiah anxious to know the truth even about the worst situations? Is our interest born out of concern or just pointless curiosity? Are we the kind of people who care enough to ask? Do we want the facts, and do the facts burden us?

2. He cared enough to weep (Neh 1:4): Sometimes weeping is a sign of weakness; but with Nehemiah, it was a sign of strength, as it was with Jeremiah 9:1, Paul Acts 20:19, and the Lord Jesus Luke 19:41. Nehemiah willingly shared the burden that was crushing others. When God puts a burden on your heart don't try to escape it, you may miss the blessing he has planned for you. This book starts with great affliction but before it closes, there is great joy. Nehemiah spent several days fasting, weeping and praying. He knew that somebody had to do something to rescue Jerusalem, and he was willing to go. I want to challenge you with this are you willing to pray, fast and weep for your generation. I know even for me it's so easy to complain about our surroundings. But when was the last time you prayed, or fasted for your friends and family, or even wept on there behalf?? Something to think about. What burden has God placed on your heart?

3. He cared enough to pray (Neh. 1:5-10): I don't know if you know this but we pray to a great and awesome God who is worthy of our praise and worship!! If you are experiencing great affliction then you need the great power, great goodness, and great mercy of a great God!! Is the God you worship big enough to handle the challenges that you face??? Too often, we plan our projects and then ask God to bless them; but Nehemiah didn't make that mistake. he sat down and wept, knelt down and prayed, and then stood up and worked because he knew he had the blessing of the Lord on what he was doing.

4. He cared enough to volunteer (Neh 1:11): Nehemiah planned to volunteer, to rebuild the walls. He didn't pray for God to send somebody else nor did he argue that he wasn't properly equipped. He simply said hear am I send me!! Nehemiah would have to approach the king and ask if he could leave to rebuild the walls of his people. His life may have weighed in the balance. He was facing a test of faith but he knew that his God was a great God and would see him through. With Gods help he was able to rebuild the walls in 52 days. The walls were rebuilt the gates restored and the people were rejoicing! It started with a man who cared. Abraham cared and rescued Lot from Sodom. Moses cared and delivered Israelites from Egypt. David cared and brought the nation back unto the Lord. Esther cared and risked her life to save her nation from genocide. Paul cared and spread the gospel throughout the Roman empire. Jesus cared and died on the cross for a lost world. God is still looking for people who care, people like Nehemiah who cared enough to ask for the facts, weep over the needs, pray for God's help, and then volunteer to get the job done. HERE AM I SEND ME!!!!

The Recabites

2010-01-21T05:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a life changing event in my life! Even though this weekend was an amazing time when you come back to "reality" what's going to be different, I think we as humans have a tendency to resort back to what we are use to. (it's familiar it's comfortable). Most of us do not like change even if its a good change because we can be fearful of the unexpected, (the what happens next) And I think instead of taking that step of faith we return to our comfort zones. Like the speaker said you need to take control of your body. I'm gonna be honest it's been a challenge to break my patterns of waisted time but it can be done it's not easy but its a choice you need to make daily.

I want this morning to challenge you with this passage of scripture Jeremiah 35:1-19. I'll sum it up but you should read it! What happening is The people of Jerusalem were being unfaithful to the Lord and were resistant to the revelations brought by Jeremiah. The Lord brings in this dedicated family as a contrast. In Jeremiah’s day, the Recabites were an example of a group of people who stayed faithful and never deviated, even to customs within their own family, the people of Israel were never consistent, but always deviated from God’s revelations. This passage isn't talking about alcohol but a commitment of a family. Jonadad was commanded not to live in houses, not to have farms or vineyards, and not to drink wine. 250 years later his descendants are still honoring a commitment there for father made!! Obeying Jonadab's words had only a limited and temporal significance, but disobeying God's Word has eternal consequences!! How often God's people are put to shame by the devotion and discipline of people who don't even know the Lord but who intensely loyal to their family, their religion, or their personal pursuits. Even people who want nothing to do with the Word of God can be loyal to traditions and man-made codes. If Christians were putting into their spiritual walk the kind of discipline that athletes put into their chosen sport, the church would be pulsating with revival life. REMEMBER THE COMMITMENTS YOU MAKE!!!!! I want to leave you with this verse have a blessed day. Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

2010 is here!!! It's hard to believe. I've been asking myself recently what's going to make 2010 different from 2009. Looking at Ephesians 5:15,17 I think the Apostle Paul has some words of wisdom that we need to heed. Ephesians 5:15, 17 says, "Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Looking at these verses I feel like Paul is saying don’t walk in your sleep! WAKE UP!! Open your eyes! Make the most of the day. It is sad to see many professed Christians “drift” through life, like sleepwalkers who never really make the most of opportunities to live for Christ and serve Him. Paul presented several reasons why we should be accurate and careful in our walk.

(v15) It is a Mark of wisdom: Only a fool drifts with the wind and tide. A wise man marks out his course, set his sails, and guides his rudder until he reaches his destination. When you want to build a house you first draw plans so you know what your doing. How many Christians plan their days so that they use their opportunities wisely? It’s true we cannot know what a day may bring forth. But I think a planned life can better deal with unexpected events. Someone once said, “When the pilot does not know what port he is heading for, no wind is the right wind.”

(V16) Life is short: Simply put since life is so short this is a strong reason for making the best use of the opportunities God gives us.

(V16) The days are evil: In Paul’s time, this meant that Roman persecution was on the way. How foolish to waste opportunities to win the lost when soon those opportunities might be taken away by the advances of sin in society! If the days were evil when Paul wrote this letter, what is their condition today?

(V17) God has given us a mind: Understanding in verse 17 suggests using our minds to discover and DO the will of God. To many Christians have the idea that discovering God’s will is a mystical experience that rules out clear thinking. But this idea is wrong and dangerous. We discover the will of God as he transforms the mind (Rom 12:1-2); this transformation is the result of prayer meditation, and worship. If God gave you a mind he expects you to use it. This means that learning his will involves gathering facts, examining them, weighing them, and praying for his wisdom (James 1:5) God doest not want us to simply to know His will; He wants us to understand his will.

(v17) God has a plan for our lives: Paul alluded to this plan (Eph 2:10) If God saved me, He has a purpose for my life and I should discover that purpose and then guide my life accordingly. He reveals His plan through his Word (Col. 1:9-10), His spirit in our hearts (Col. 3:15), and the working of circumstances (Rom. 8:28). A servant of God can walk carefully and accurately because he knows what God wants him to do. Like the builder following the blueprint, he accomplishes what the architect planned.

Challenge question: what does God want you to do in 2010??

Philippians 2:5-8

2009-12-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Philippians chapter two what a powerful piece of scripture. Verse 8 really stood out to me it says, "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross." I know this is Christmas time a time of the year when we recognize Jesus birth. You might be asking why did this verse about his death stick out to me? As I sit here and reflect about it I wondered how did Jesus feel growing up knowing that he came to this earth to die for the sins that we committed? Does knowing the purpose God has for you change how you live?? Many people are willing to serve others if it does not cost them anything. But if there is a price to pay they suddenly lose interest. Praise God that Jesus knew his father plan from the beginning and remained faithful even to death. His death was not a death of a martyr but a death of a savior. Dr. J. H Jowett has said, "Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing." If there is to be any blessing there must be some bleeding. I once heard a story about a missionary shopping at a festival in Brazil he saw a sign that said "Cheap Crosses." He thought to himself thats what many christians are looking for these days Cheap Crosses. Jesus cross wasn't cheap. Why should mine be? A follower of Christ does not avoid sacrifice. He lives for the glory of God and the good of others, and if paying a price will honor Christ and help others he is willing to do it. I think it is one of the paradoxes of the Christian life that the more we give the more we receive; the more we sacrifice the more God blesses. We share in his joy as we also share in his sufferings. I want to conclude with this question is it costing you anything to be a Christian????

REMEMBER THE LORD YOUR GOD

2009-11-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

In DEUTERONOMY 8:7-20 In this sermon, Moses urges Israel to remember their dependence upon God and warns them about pride and self-sufficiency when they reach the promised land. In this sermon, Moses remembers their experience in the wilderness, especially the harshness of those conditions when compared to the relatively lush surroundings of the promised land and God's miraculous provision of manna. Moses calls for Israel to remember their dependence upon God and reminds them that their faithful observance of the commandments is the proper way to further that relationship. In God's plan, the difficulties of the wilderness prepared Israel for their life in the land by teaching them that nature alone cannot provide for their every need (v. 1-6). Upon their arrival in the promised land, its relatively prosperous abundance will tempt Israel to forget their dependence upon God's nurture (v 7-17). Their proper response is to remember and to "Thank" (literally "bless") the Lord their God (v18-20). Moses encourages Israel not to forget who to thank even though all these amazing resources are in front of them.

Looking at today when God brings us through a trial due we thank God for our provision in the wilderness. Or do we think we deserve whatever were seeking because we worked hard for it. That we achieved something by ourself with no help from anybody. I want to encourage you today THANK GOD daily for his provision on your life. And the unmerited favor he sheds upon us. 1 Thessolonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Veterans Day

2009-11-11T09:15:00.001-08:00

Today we celebrate Veterans day!! I think over time people have forgotten about this Holiday and to some it has lost its significance on our culture. Today we remember those who fought and gave there lives for our freedoms. This past weekend I went to Gettysburg I can't describe the feeling of what it was like to stand on a battlefield where thousands of men gave their lives so freedom could prevail. As I take a moment and reflect over wars this country has fought I was thinking how would our lives be different if our veterans didn't respond to the call to fight? Imagine if the British won the revolutionary war? What would our country be like today? Or if the South had won the civil war? Or if we decided not to get involved in WWI and WWII? Our world in which we know might be drastically different. In John 15:13 it says "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." We as Americans our indebted to those soldiers who give up their lives so we can live another day. What a selfless act of love our soldiers show towards there country and its people.In 2 Sam 23:13-17 David is dyeing of thirst 3 mighty men who served David risked their lives just to bring him a cup of water. David would not drink it, David showed his gratitude, David did not take lightlythat they risked their life for him Many Americans risked and gave their lives to bring us freedom Do we take it without considering the price paid for it. Far be it for us to do this. Lets honor and remember those who gave of themselves. I want to concluded with this We honor our vets because it is their day. However, everyday is the Lord's and we should honor him every day. He is our hero, he defeated the enemy and has given us gifts to serve with.Lets continue to honor him with our words, and deeds. Have you begun to honor him? What does Jesus ask in return Accept him as Savior and Lord Turn your life around, be baptized, and live for him.

Stand in Awe of God!!!!!!!

2009-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

In Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Solomon has been watching worshippers come and go, praising God, praying, sacrificing, and making vows. Solomon sees that many of them where not sincere in there worship, and they leave the temple worse then when they entered. What was their sin? They were robbing God of who he is. There worship became hypercritical. Offerings in the hands without obedient faith in the heart become "the sacrifice of fools," only a fool thinks he can deceive God. The fool thinks he is doing good but he or she is only doing evil. And God knows it. Solomon then brings up the topic of careless praying (vv. 2-3). If we had an opportunity to bring our needs or request to those in authority we would approach the situation with careful choosing of words and exhibit proper behavior. How much more then should we as we approach our father in heaven?? The last two things Solomon notices is making a vow to God with no intention of keeping it,(lying) the second was making a vow but delaying to keep it, hoping you could get out of it. When we rob the Lord of the worship and honor due to Him, we are also robbing ourselves of the spiritual blessings on those who worship him in spirit and in truth. To me it seems like the people in this passage were more concerned about presenting an image of holiness instead of being amazed and really wanting to grow closer in their relationship with God. I think we can get so consumed with life that we forget to stand silently in awe of God. My challenge is today stand in awe of God and give him the reverence that he deserves!!!!!!!!

Selfless Love

2009-10-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of months I have been reflecting over 1 John 4:7-21. A very famous passage of scripture. As I take time and reflect over this passage. I can't get over Jesus selfless act of love towards us. It's something of a paradox that he has to die so we may have life. Lately I have been so amazed that God loves us regardless of how we treat him. I have been so amazed that I have actually been challenged by it and today I want to challenge you. My challenge to you is to be selfless!!!!!! That regardless of how people treat you, can you show the love of Christ to them. I have been challenged by this question. Is it possible to love people and expect nothing in return? To genuinely care about somebody even if they never say thank you or reciprocate that love. Sometimes I think we treat love like a math problem. I shouldn't say we maybe I do this. Where we say in our head I've done this and that for you and what's in it for me! when are you going to do something for me! I know I have felt like that at times, where because we did this we expect the same feelings or care or love in return. Does your stance of love and care change because of how the other person treats you? Is it possible to say, "regardless of how you treat me it doesn't change the fact that I love and I need to reflect Christ love to you. I have to be honest I have been trying to do this in my own life for months now and it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. My challenge is more of a dare, I dare you to find ways where you can put your pride and your agenda aside in order to show selfless love to somebody.

Sunscreen

2009-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

I heard this on a road trip home from North Carolina a couple of weeks ago, and every now and then I play it. I thought it had some compelling things to say. Let me know what you think. The lyrics are taken from a famous essay written in 1997 by Mary Schmich, a columnist with the Chicago Tribune. Copy and paste the link in the url.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

Proverbs 12:1

2009-10-14T08:49:00.001-07:00

Today I read Proverbs 12:1 where it says "Whoever loves discipline loves Knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." At first glance I was a little confused, it sounds to be counter cultural. I mean how many people liked to be disciplined? I don't know that many people that like to hear what they are doing is wrong or like to be corrected. Sometimes being corrected can be a humiliating process. I remember one time when I was a teenager in the country of Ecuador when my pastor told me not to jump over the fire pit (to my teenagers don't try it!!!!) . I must not have been paying attention or I didn't hear him correctly because I kept on doing it. Which caused other teenagers to follow in my footsteps. So the result of my disobedience was my senior pastor scolding me in-front of everybody, man was I embarrassed and humiliated. I think this is a hard principle to grasp, those who wish to improve themselves must learn to accept correction. As Christians we are striving everyday to be more like Christ. The Bible says to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. How willing are we to learn from our mistakes? Do we respond well when somebody tries to correct us or is our immediate reaction to be defensive and lash back at them? Are we willing enough to put our pride aside and say your right I do need to work on these areas. The one who is unwilling to except correction must think they know everything or is just to ignorant to care. So the theme of this post is how willing are you to accept correction? Please feel free to post your comments and thoughts.