Reflections

2010-07-22T10:01:00.001-07:00

God cannot be eliminated from any blog. He is everywhere. He is ruler of all things.

2009-09-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:19-20 ( NLT )
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

God is greater than even we can imagine. When I come home at night and look up at the stars, realizing that our incredible God made them, it’s mind boggling. When I look back at my life and see how He took things that I thought were tragedies and turned them into miracles, it is almost beyond comprehension.

Take the time to remember Who He is and what He has done in your life. Look around at this incredible creation He has placed us in and linger in the awe of that moment. Contemplate the power it took to create a world, the love that it took to give His only Son, and the power it took to raise Jesus from the dead! He is a Mighty God! Nothing we bring to Him in prayer is too hard for Him to deal with. Thank Him, love Him, follow Him, the Almighty God who is above all things.

2009-08-19T10:35:00.002-07:00

WORD

Empathy…understanding and entering into another's feelings (Princeton dictionary online)

This is something that we all need to keep in mind as we meet people every day that do not know the Lord or may be very young Christians. We need to remember that we were once just like them…without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in our lives. Grace fits into that concept, doesn’t it? It was by grace we were saved. Remembering where we came from helps us have patience to lead others to where we are.

Colossians 1:21-22 ( NASB )
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

Pray for those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Seek God to find out how you can be instrumental in introducing someone to Jesus.

2009-08-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

A friend shared with me yesterday that the theme for the Rex Allen Days parade is “Cowboy Thru it all.” As I thought about that, my mind went to the phrase “Cowboy up.” Maybe you’ve heard it before. The most common meaning that I have heard applied to this phrase is also found at urbandictionary.com:

“When things are getting tough you have to get back up, dust yourself off and keep trying.“

In Biblical terms that’s persevere. Hebrews 10:23 says,

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. ²⁴Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. “

Then down in verses 35 and 36 he says,

“³⁵So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! ³⁶Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

There is so much information today: news, people vying for our time and attention, things which would distract us and sometimes discourage us from sharing Jesus with others.

Someone might say,

“Well I talked to that person already about Jesus and they just don’t want anything to do with Him.” …..Cowboy up. Try again.

“I’ve asked God about what I should do for Him and He hasn’t really made it very clear to me.” …. Cowboy up. Ask again.

“I know God wants me to quit smoking (plug in your habit He wants to gain control of) and I just can’t do it” ….Cowboy up! Trust Him for the strength.

Do you want people to know who Jesus is? Maybe it’s time for you to “Cowboy up!” Let them see Jesus in you…

Philippians 3:14 ( NASB )
…press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

2009-08-08T12:09:00.003-07:00

God is working in our community. He is at work in The SPRING Student Center, in the lives of the teens and the staff that work with them. The "seeds" that are planted will grow and will produce fruit, which in turn will produce more "seeds".

Ignore the things that Satan would put in your path to deter you from doing God’s will.

Ignore the fact that there are thirty churches in our town.
There is only One Body of Christ and we each are members of that Body.

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV)
But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16b (ESV)
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19 (ESV)

2008-08-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

BELIEF

Earlier, I mentioned that the Lord had convicted me of the sin of gluttony. After I confessed that and turned it over to Him, I decided that I shouldn’t eat anything that day. Not because I owed Him anything, but because I knew I needed to exhibit control.

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 NIV

I also knew that only God could help me do that. I trusted Him, had faith in Him that He would do that. Twenty-four hours later, I can tell you that I never once thought about eating or experienced any hunger at all. Now that’s a God –thing!

Belief, faith, trust, conviction, principle, confidence, certainty…

Take your pick; they’re all very close in meaning. However, in reality it is what you put your faith, belief or trust in that matters. How dependable is your source of trust?

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 NASB

A verse jumped out at me in my reading this morning…

¹³And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14 NKJV

Mordecai trusted that God would deliver His people. Esther had a choice, as do you and I. We can choose to be an instrument of God, submissive and obedient to Him, or we can choose our own way.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-08-07T09:09:00.002-07:00

CHOICE

Here we are…another day…and more choices to be made. Will we choose God’s way or our own?

When Gideon went to battle against Midian, he took 32,000 men to fight. God wanted to receive the glory, so he had Gideon cut the forces down to 300 men to make it obvious Who had won the battle. (Judges 7)

When Joshua led the people against the city of Jericho, he chose God’s plan which sounded rather bizarre (a bunch of people marching around the walls of the city for several days and then shouting!) but God was glorified through their obedience and the victory over the fortified city. (Joshua 6)

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, he led them right up to the edge of the Red Sea. How were they going to get out of that one! God said, “Watch” and he parted the waters to allow the millions of people to cross safely. Even if you want to believe it was the “Reed” Sea, God still caused the entire army of Pharaoh that was chasing the Israelites to perish. (Exodus 14)

Which way will you choose today, God’s way or your own? God will be glorified. Make sure you’re part of the bunch giving Him the glory and diligently seek to do His will. He has promised:

That if we diligently seek Him, we will find Him. (Proverbs 8:17)
We are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:37)
He will never leave us (Matthew 28:20)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-08-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

SEEK

I may visit Second Chronicles chapter twenty more than a few times this month. The day that I figured out that was the passage I was supposed to preach on last week, I had read it two times in different versions. Later that day, I was told that some friends had discussed the passage on their way back to Willcox and another friend brought up the fact that they had read it.

I believe there may be special significance and relevance to the time we live in AND the town we live in. Last night, two women came into the SPRING wanting to know how they could volunteer to help. During our conversation it came up how they had never lived in a town (or a time) that spiritual warfare was so elevated. At the same time, we discovered that we all felt God was working among His people and that revival was just around the corner.

When King Jehoshaphat and his people faced a problem with an attacking army they came from all over the country…they united to find out what God wanted them to do…

⁴So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help. 2 Chronicles 20:4 NLT

In our day, in our town, I believe the Lord is calling His people from all the different churches to come together to seek Him, to seek His will and to seek His help. He tells us of a similar situation earlier in Second Chronicles and confirms that He will respond positively when certain conditions are met…

¹⁴Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

WHO

My people – The people who belong to God…the people that God created.

Called by my name – Those who are called, or call themselves, Christians (John 14:6)

WHAT

Humble – to be out of the limelight so that God may shine…to give Him all the glory, honor and praise.

Pray – talk to God…acknowledging His greatness and our weakness

Seek my face – when you are so close that you look into each other’s eyes…nothing withheld…complete honesty.

Turn from wicked ways – anything that is displeasing to God…anything that takes a priority over the things of God…anything that gets between you and God

THEN

God will hear our cries for help

God will forgive our sin

God will restore our land (to peace, to God’s control rather than being dominated by evil)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-08-05T18:54:00.001-07:00

FRUSTRATING

Yesterday I brought the message at a local church and spoke from Second Chronicles, chapter 20. King Jehoshaphat had a big army coming toward him and he asked God what to do, rather than taking matters into his own hands. God brought victory because the King and his people sought his help.

Immediately after service, someone who liked the worship music that we used came up and said they wanted to reach the twenty-something crowd and would like to have that kind of music on a Sunday night to “draw” them.

Jesus said, I will draw all men unto myself (John 12:32). He has power. We do not. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.

What then is our responsibility? As we see the need, we MUST seek God’s way to fulfill the need. Reaching younger folks is probably going to take involving younger folks in the PLANNING phase, not just hoping they are mysteriously “drawn” by sounds of drums and guitars.

As with anything, if we don’t feel a part of something, we feel outside of it and consequently do not participate. Young people must be involved in important roles in the church during their twenties and thirties if the church is to survive after the older generations are gone.

Oh yeah, so why did I call this Word “Frustrating”? Because it was brought out in God’s Word yesterday that King Jehoshaphat turned to God for deliverance. He had the people fast and then he led them in prayer. We all need to understand that the bible isn’t just a collection of cute little stories for encouragement, but that they are living words that are just as applicable today as they were thousands of years ago.

How are we going to reach the twenty-something’s?

Seek God.
Pray for His answer
WAIT for His reply.

Once it is clear what God wants and how He wants to accomplish something, then and only then should we move forward.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-24T11:48:00.001-07:00

CHANGED

Have you ever watched a movie or heard someone say something that really moved you? You may even vow that you will be a “changed” person because of what you heard or saw.

Perhaps it was a documentary on hunger throughout the world with pictures of starving, dying children. You decide that you will eat less and send money to help them. The truth of the matter is that the feeling will fade and you will gradually go back to the way things were before. It’s not that you don’t care but simply that change is difficult. Real change for the better is just about impossible!

I’ll give you a personal example. I had let myself get overweight. At first, it was just a few pounds but it gradually became more and more until I found myself over 80 pounds heavier than I should have been.

I tried diets, exercise and nothing seemed to work. Stay with me because here is the real deal, the secret to the whole thing…

The Lord convicted me that if I was to be a witness for Him, an example of Christianity, then I should be displaying the Fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians…

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 HCSB

Naturally I said, “Well Lord, maybe it’s genetic!” I figured He knew better than I did and besides, what difference would it make to give it a whirl. Why would it be different this time? Because it was part of the fruit of HIS SPIRIT, not mine. He was the power. All I needed to do was yield and let Him do His thing. Now, nine months later I weigh eighty-three pounds less than I did.

Change comes only as a result of allowing God to work in us. If we surrender every area in our life to Him (one at a time perhaps J ) then He will shape us and mold us into the people that we ought to be. We can’t do anything without Jesus (John 15:5).

At the Worship Conference we were at in Glorieta, NM last week, Pastor Wayne Barber, the preacher, put it like this (I’m condensing the story)…

We are a coat. You know, like a coat you’d buy at a store to wear. Without us inside the coat just hangs there and looks good. It can’t wave, it can’t talk, it can’t move. However, when we purchase the coat and put it on, it moves with us. We cause it to wave at people. We give life to the coat.

Similarly, Jesus purchased us with His blood (1 Corinthians 6:20). His Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). For in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Through Christ, we can do anything (Philippians 4:13).

Clothe yourself in the righteousness of Christ…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

MORNING

Here at the Glorieta conference center nestled in the New Mexico mountains, we have worship every morning at 7:30 a.m. It’s called “5.3 Worship.” The text for the name comes from Psalms five and verse three…

Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. (NLT)

The main point is, to start your day off by speaking with the Lord. He is the source of strength, peace, love and life itself.

When you look to the Lord as being the authority over you and each day freshly commit yourself or more appropriately, yield yourself to Him, you have an entirely different perspective on life.

No longer are you in charge of all the problems that come your way because you have turned them over to God.

No longer are you working hard to please everyone around you…you are allowing God to love them through you.

The last part of the verse speaks of taking our requests or our needs before God. The key is the last part of that sentence. We are to

WAIT EXPECTANTLY

Waiting for God’s timing can sometimes be frustrating because we always want things done NOW. We simply have to keep in mind that He knows everything that was, is and is to come. He sees the big picture whereas we see now and can only speculate about the future. But he does not say simply “wait.” He says “wait expectantly.” In other words, wait for God’s timing, but expect Him to answer you in a way that will benefit your life.

Start your day off right by becoming a 5.3 worshipper. That doesn’t mean you have to set aside an hour every morning. You can accomplish that by speaking to Him in the moment before you get out of bed. You can accomplish that by singing a song of praise to Him in the car on the way to work. There are many ways to become a 5.3 worshipper. Be creative. Try different ways to make Him your first thought in the morning. I know you’ll be pleased.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

BISCUITS

Ok, it’s an odd title for a devotion, I know. However, it comes from the message this morning by our Conference Pastor, Rev. Wayne Barber. He was speaking about the Christian life being intertwined with Christ.

The text for his message came from Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NKJV

He gave an illustration about how Christ lives in us really works. He took us to Paul’s letter to the church in Rome first…

⁵For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, Romans 6:5 NASB

There are a couple of words in the Greek for united. He used a baking illustration to illustrate the difference. If one is making biscuits, all the ingredients are put into a bowl. If you want to add more of a certain ingredient to the mixing bowl, you can. If you are skillful, you can remove some of the ingredients as well. That illustrates one meaning of united in the Greek…you can add or subtract to the whole, but it is still the whole. That is one of the Greek words but not the one in Romans 6:5.

The word used in Romans 6:5 has the meaning of inseparable. In other words, after you take those ingredients and put them in the oven to bake them, the product that comes out is it. You can’t take salt out. You can’t add flour. They are united.

We are biscuits for Christ. We are united, inseparably with Him when we invite Him into our lives. Pretty cool, huh?

How does that apply to our every day life? He is ALWAYS with us. He alone has the power, wisdom, righteousness and holiness to name a few things, to make our lives work. Being yielded to Him is our task. Think about it!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-14T12:22:00.001-07:00

I read a great article this morning in Worship Leader magazine by a young man named Glenn Packiam. The article was called “Follow the Leader.” He pointed out that the most incredible leader that ever lived on this earth, Jesus Christ, didn’t have marketing strategies, news conferences or a “look-at-what-I-can-do” attitude when he built his team of workers. He simply said, “Follow me.”

¹⁸Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And He said^* to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-20 NASB

Their response was immediate and complete. They left what they had considered important and followed the One who was all-important. They didn’t ask Jesus, “How shall we eat” or “Where will we live,” they simply followed the Son of God.

As I sit here writing this, a family rode by on bicycles. The Dad looked toward me and said, “Mornin’.” His son who was riding next to him thought he was talking to him and said, “More?” In that moment, it was as if all he lived for was to please his dad as he clung to every word he said. He didn’t want to miss one word, one opportunity to please his father.

Isn’t that the way it should be with our heavenly Father and us? We too, need not ask “How shall we eat” or “Where will we live” but instead, listen to every word He says to us through His Holy scripture, the Bible, and then spend our lives trying to please Him.

To you and to me, the Son of God says, “Follow me.” To His Church He says, “Follow me.” Don’t worry about each other and who has more power or the more glamorous positions…just FOLLOW ME. Don’t worry about who you think is doing it “right.” You simply do what you believe God is telling you to do.

Remember when Peter inquired of Jesus as to what was going to happen to His disciple John…

Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” John 21:22 NLT

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

HOPELESS

The other day I was talking with a teen who had given up all hope. By that, I mean he believed that life as he envisioned it was just not going to happen. He wasn’t going to be happy at home. He wasn’t going to have a normal job, make money and live a productive life. He had given up those hopes. His hope now was to be arrested and thrown into prison so that he would have some “normalcy” in his life. In his mind, he would have three meals a day, people to talk with and somebody to care about him, even though they were correctional officers!

All of us, even the Apostle Paul, give up hope at one time or another. When Paul was on a ship sailing for Rome, a storm came up that endangered the ship and all those aboard…

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. Acts 27:20 NIV

Notice it says “we.” Paul had given up hope as well just as the teen I was talking to the other day had. None of us is immune to that type of thinking. However, when you know Jesus as your Savior He will make some provision for your hope to be restored.

We only need to look to the Word of God for those reminders, those promises:

It tells us in Deuteronomy 31:6 (also Hebrews 13:5) that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord tells us that he has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. He has plans for your life that will give you hope and a future.

We simply need to listen to Him, to God, as He attempts to communicate with us. The main way He communicates with us is His Word (the Bible), but He has other methods too! Through our coming to Him in prayer, He may speak in a voice that only we can hear. He may send the answer through a friend. Paul’s answer came in the form of a message from an angel and he shared the message of that angel with the men on his ship…

²²But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ ²⁵So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Acts 27:22-25 NIV

Giving up may be the easy thing to do. It doesn’t require faith in God to lose all hope. I guarantee, no GOD guarantees, that if you look to Him for your hope, to save you from your circumstance, He WILL save you.

The first step is a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Admit you need help, that you have fallen short of God’s perfection for your life (sinned – Romans 3:23, 6:23) and ask Jesus to help you turn that around. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Things are not hopeless. Life is not hopeless. Place your hope in the God of all Creation, the LORD who made heaven and earth and all that is contained therein.

He is worthy of your trust…

⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 NIV

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-08T08:31:00.002-07:00

UNFAILING

We can often be disappointed by other people. Sometimes it is a loved one, a mother or father, a sister or brother or perhaps just a friend. We expect them to act as though they love us but our expectations may be based on a false definition of love. We want people to love us with an unfailing love, a perfect love.

Is it reasonable to expect unfailing love from someone? Here’s what God’s word says on the subject…

Many a man claims to have unfailing love,

but a faithful man who can find? Proverbs 20:6 NIV

While man’s love is often imperfect (women’s too by the way!), God’s love can be trusted…

⁸ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in man.

⁹ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in princes. Psalms 118:8-9 NKJV

God’s love never fails…………………..1 Corinthians 13:8

God is love…………………………………….1 John 4:8

Therefore, God’s love is unfailing!

Let’s look at how realistic our interpretation of what love should be is. We generally want someone to love us no matter what we do, even when we’re selfish and mean to them. We want them to always give us what we want (not necessarily what is best for us). We want to be the center of their attention. We want!

Now let’s look at God’s definition found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)

DESIRE TO HEAR (READ) A FRESH WORD FROM GOD ABOUT HIS LOVE...

⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul. Psalms 143:8 NIV

THANK HIM FOR HIS UNFAILING LOVE…

³¹Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalms 107:31 NIV

Remember, whereas men can disappoint you, God never will. You may not always get your way, but God in His infinite wisdom and out of His unfailing love for you, will always give you what is best for your life as you seek to follow Him…

²⁸And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

You can trust in His unfailing love. You can trust the God of all creation. Seek His will for your life. Seek His help in all things…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-07T11:39:00.001-07:00

HOPE

I hope I get a good grade in Math. I hope my boyfriend (or girlfriend) likes my outfit. I hope that the person that got hurt is going to be ok.

We all hope for certain things. But what is our hope based on? Is it in fate, karma or some mystical sounding word? Can we affect the outcome of our hope? Can our hope be based on something real?

Some of you may remember the story of Daniel’s friends that were thrown into the fiery furnace. Their hope was in the LORD. Here is their reply to the King regarding their forthcoming punishment…

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. ¹⁷If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. Daniel 3:16-17 NLT

Was their hope in vain? See for yourself…

“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25 NKJV

The three men walked out of the furnace unharmed!

Is your hope in yourself and your abilities or in the GOD of all Creation?

King David put his hope and trust in GOD.

¹To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

²in you I trust, O my God.

Do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

³No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame,

but they will be put to shame

who are treacherous without excuse.

⁴Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;

⁵guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long. Psalms 25:1-5 NIV

¹⁷A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

¹⁸But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

²¹In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

²²May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,

even as we put our hope in you. Psalms 33:17-22 NIV

⁵Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

⁶He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge. Selah

Psalms 62:5-8 NIV

⁵I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope. Psalms 130:5 NIV

The Prophet Isaiah put it in these words…

²⁸Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

³¹but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV

Jeremiah, another Prophet of the LORD proclaims…

¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For those of us who know Christ as Savior and the reason for our hope, this passage is meaningful…

²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-04T09:22:00.006-07:00

LIBERTY

Today we celebrate liberty and freedom. Those words mean different things to different people. Here is how those concepts are defined in God’s view…

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

Because the LORD has anointed me

To bring good news to the afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And freedom to prisoners; Isaiah 61:1 NASB

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. ⁶He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Galatians 4:4-5 NLT

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:7 NLT

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1 NKJV

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 NLT

I will walk in freedom,for I have devoted myself to your commandments. Psalms 119:45 NLT

If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15 NKJV

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-03T07:53:00.001-07:00

CHOICES

Life is filled with choices. We will all make some bad ones, but how can we increase the odds of making right choices, right decisions, more often?

¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers. Psalms 1:1 NLT

See, it isn’t just your mom and dad saying it! God said it first through the Psalmist, King David.

² But they delight in the law of the LORD,

meditating on it day and night. Psalms 1:2 NLT

While we today are not under the law (no one can keep all 613 commandments) because of the grace of Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary on our behalf, we are to study His Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15) and consider how it applies to our lives.

³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do. Psalms 1:3 NLT

Jesus often referred to the results that our lives produced as “fruit.” If we are doing good things, hanging out with good friends and obeying the authorities over us we will produce good “fruit.”

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:17 NKJV

The good news is that when we choose to depend on Him (Jesus) and let Him help us…we will produce good “fruit” and everyone around us will notice.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5-6 NKJV

Obviously, if choosing to hang out with good friends, studying and meditating on God’s Word and bearing good fruit brings a lasting joy and blessings to our lives, the opposite choice must produce depression, gloom and at the very least, short-lived “joy.” Here’s the rest of Psalms 1

⁴ But not the wicked!

They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

⁵ They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

Sinners will have no place among the godly.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the path of the godly,

but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalms 1:4-6 NLT

In the words of Jesus from verse six in John chapter fifteen,

⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

The choice is ours to make. The stakes are high. Think about it…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-02T09:01:00.001-07:00

DIFFERENT

There is a marked difference between how God thinks we should act (as He puts forth in His Word, the Bible) and how the rest of society believes we should act.

The title of an article intrigued me the other day, so I opened it to see what the author had said. The title of the article was “How to find inner peace amidst outer chaos.” Dr. Mercola, who puts out a newsletter on health related issues, wrote it.

The phrases following “The WORLD” were part of Dr. Mercola’s answer to how we are to find inner peace. Immediately following are Bible verses addressing the same issue.

The WORLD: Learning that saying “no” to others is saying “yes” to yourself.

The BIBLE: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

The WORLD: Trusting your instincts -- they won’t steer you wrong. Realize, too, that if you’re too distracted you may not be able to recognize these inner cues.

The BIBLE: Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV)

As you can see, there is a marked difference in ideologies. Here is God’s answer to how to experience inner peace…

Get to know God and His Son Jesus…

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2 (NIV)

Have faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior…

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1 (NIV)

Let Him be your Lord…

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15 (NIV)

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-07-01T08:39:00.001-07:00

ANSWERS

I saw a statistic not too long ago that stated, 86% of all people pray (yes, teenagers too!). They may not know to whom they are praying, but they are looking for help; they are looking for answers.

The problem is, so many of us think we have to hear a booming voice from heaven that gives us the answer to our prayer. Let’s look at an example from God’s Word about how he answered the prayer of King Hezekiah…

¹⁵And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 2 Kings 19:15-16 (NIV)

The answer didn’t come to him in a booming voice or even in a little voice inside his head (or heart). It came through the prophet Isaiah…

²⁰Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him… 2 Kings 19:20-21a (NIV)

Isaiah is now a book in the Bible. God’s words that were spoken through him were written down. The words that God spoke through Moses, Jeremiah, Matthew, Luke and all the other authors in the Bible were written down so that we could find answers in God’s Word.

How about this prayer…”Lord, I don’t know what to do.” Could these be possible answers?

Love each other

⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NIV)

Help others

Look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27b (NIV)

²¹Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21 (NIV)

Or how about this prayer…“God, I’m so mad at my friend, I don’t know what to do”

Could these verses be an answer from God?

¹⁴For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

²¹Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV)

The point is God has answers to our concerns. He also has promises concerning what we can expect from Him…

⁸The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

²⁹But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV)

The answers to our question, concerns and prayers to God can be found in His Word. We simply have to take the time to look! (If you’re interested in speed, get a software version of the Bible and use the search feature!!!)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

RETURN

Sometimes we look at calamity as being entirely evil…death, wars, accidents and things like these. In the book of Second Kings, we read about the Israelites being captured and deported from their land…

⁵The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. ⁶In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes. 2 Kings 17:5-6 (NIV)

What a horrible thing to happen. It surely must have been from the devil, right?

Hear the Word of the Lord…there is an accounting for sin, yes even the sin of an entire nation.

⁷All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 2 Kings 17:7-8 (NIV)

Was this punishment undeserved? Perhaps the people didn’t know!

¹³The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.” 2 Kings 17:13 (NIV)

What about us in the United States? Have we been warned? Has God sent His servants to warn us? What about the preachers and teachers that proclaim the message of God’s Holy Word…are we listening to them?

Does this scenario sound familiar?

²⁹Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. ³⁰The men from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men from Cuthah made Nergal, and the men from Hamath made Ashima; ³¹the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³²They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. ³³They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. 2 Kings 17:29-33 (NIV)

Now when he says, “they worshiped the Lord,” he is saying, “They went through the motions.” Listen to the next verse…

³⁴To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the LORD nor adhere to the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 2 Kings 17:34 (NIV)

Does that scene sound familiar? Here in the United States today do we not have a similar situation? Do we not have more and more people that are just “going through the motion” but worshiping something else like position in their particular social circle or “church”, career advancement, new cars, new houses, or just plain old money?

Do we not have people from other countries living here that worship Allah, Jah, Amlak, Brahman, Vishnu, Artemis, and a myriad of other gods? Yet it is becoming more and more “taboo” and considered “narrow-minded” to worship the One True God who Created us.

Do we not see more and more of our children being sacrificed to the gods of selfishness, addiction and apathy? Should we not expect God to punish us as He did the Israelites?

Here are the first three of the Ten Commandments…

⁶“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

⁷“You shall have no other gods before me.

⁸“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁹You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ¹⁰but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Deuteronomy 5:6-10 (NIV)

We must pray for our nation. We must pray for a return to God, the only God, through His Son and the Way that He prescribed…

⁹That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NIV)

¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-29T12:44:00.002-07:00

TIMING

God’s ways are not our ways. His timing does not necessarily match up with our idea of appropriate timing. We usually want it NOW. God may say, “Wait.”

We are often driven by emotions and feelings to do certain things at certain times. God, however, sees the whole picture. He sees every possible thing that could happen if we go down a certain path at a certain time and He knows which one is the best one for us to take. He makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Often He will use other people to help us with this type of decision. Sometimes we listen and sometimes we don’t.

The Apostle Paul was advised not to go into the amphitheater in Ephesus when his traveling companions were dragged in by an angry mob…

³⁰Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. ³¹Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. Acts 19:30-31 (NIV)

Paul listened to their advice. Had he gone in to the amphitheater, his life may have been ended prematurely and he might not have had the opportunity to continue to share the message of Jesus Christ with others. He would not have been able to share his testimony and the gospel with the council in Jerusalem, King Agrippa and his wife, Festus the governor, the people in Malta, the sailors on the ship that transported him to Rome or the Jews in Rome.

He listened to God speaking through others and was able to preach Jesus as the Messiah for many more years.

We all need to listen to the counsel of other Christians when it comes to the proper timing of things in our lives. God often uses others to speak with us. Of course, the first thing to do is seek God’s wisdom and advice through his word, but be prepared to have him answer you by speaking through circumstances and the godly people that you surround yourself with.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

We are an impatient people. We’d all rather have “it” now than have to wait. Patience is something that not many of us come by when it comes to getting something really exciting. Maybe it’s that new car or latest electronic gizmo…it’s just so hard to wait.

Then there’s what it takes to get those things we really want. You know, like money and time. If we want that new car, we have to work to save money, plan, figure out which car would work best for us, struggle through the sales pitch, wade through the bargaining process trying to get the best price…It can sometimes be unpleasant.

HOWEVER, the best things

are worth waiting for…

are worth working for…

are worth suffering for…

Well, what about living forever in a place that has no problems, no money is required, no complaining or crying and only joyful singing can be heard…Wouldn’t that be worth experiencing a little difficulty?

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:16-18 (NLT)

In order to provide us with such a wonderful heavenly reward, Jesus Christ suffered much. He experienced rejection by the very people he came to help. He experienced being beaten with heavy whips and even being nailed to a cross where he was left to die. Now that’s suffering!

Fortunately, the power of God raised him after three days and he is now in heaven preparing a place for us…for all those who will believe in him and accept his sacrificial death on their behalf.

Why then would we expect to have no problems on earth? The scripture above says, “if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” If we are living our lives for him we will be mocked, ridiculed and suffer because of our beliefs. That’s OK, because He is more than able to bring us through all of that and into glory someday to be with him forever.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NLT)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-22T10:21:00.001-07:00

DOUBTING

I was talking last night with one of the kids. I think I mentioned that we were going to have a time of prayer and praise today at the SPRING. Anyway, this particular kid’s response was “I don’t want to burst your religion stuff, but I don’t really believe in God.” Well after asking a few questions this person said, “Well I guess I do believe there’s a God but I don’t really believe everything the Bible says.” After a few more questions, it simply became apparent that these were simply excuses not to deal with the Lord’s call on her life. She was running away and her “doubting” was simply her means of escape.

Have you ever talked to someone who didn’t believe in God? Who had doubts about His Word? How do you deal with those questions? Perhaps by asking other questions...

Where did this world and everything in it come from anyway?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 (NASB)

We may be able to take someone's life but can we cause life to come into existence? Can we create life out of nothing but the dust of the earth? Who on earth created the process of conception and birth?

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NASB)

‘See now that I, I am He,

And there is no god besides Me;

It is I who put to death and give life.

I have wounded and it is I who heal,

And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

Deuteronomy 32:39 (NASB)

How many perfect people do you know; Perfectly Holy, perfectly pure, immovable and unchangeable?

“There is no one holy like the LORD,

Indeed, there is no one besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (NASB)

He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 1 Kings 8:23 ( NASB )

The Bible has been around for a long time. It is a compilation of 66 books written by over 40 different authors inspired by God. There are no contradictions and no errors in the original manuscripts. Nobody has ever disproved anything in the Bible. Archaeology has in fact supported and substantiated many things in the Bible. God’s Word is true.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

The Bible says in Psalms 14:1a,

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

The key to believing in God is faith…believing what He says in His Word…that He is God, that sin has spoiled our relationship with Him and that we must have faith that He has our best interest at heart…

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

Seek Him today. Trust Him today. You have a lot more to gain (eternal life, purpose for living, etc.) than you have to lose (your doubts, living for self only, etc.).

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Romans 10:9 (NASB)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-19T11:55:00.001-07:00

WISDOM

Every day that we are alive presents new challenges and opportunities. We have available to us so much knowledge, through books, media and the internet. Is it knowledge that gives us the ability to deal with these daily challenges or is it something else, like wisdom?

The Encarta Dictionary online defines wisdom as “the ability to make sensible decisions and judgments based on personal knowledge and experience.” It expands that definition further by adding, “accumulated knowledge of life or of a sphere of activity that has been gained through experience.”

So, it would seem that wisdom takes knowledge and refines it through experiences gained throughout a lifetime. Thus, we have come to think of older people as being wiser (though not always true) because they have had the opportunity for more experience in their years of living.

To carry that thought to an even further extreme, God would have more experience than any of us could because He has always existed…

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 (NASB)

It would make sense then that the wisdom of God would be the wisdom that we should all be seeking after. The Bible says that…

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;

His praise endures forever. Psalms 111:10 (NASB)

James tells us that we can have that wisdom of God. It is available to us for the asking…

⁵But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, ⁸being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 (NASB)

The book of Proverbs tells us that we will be blessed when we find wisdom…

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom

And the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13 (NASB)

James tells us how different the wisdom from God is from the wisdom from man…

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. ¹⁸And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18 (NASB)

Working with so many people that do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior, I have often wondered how to show them the miraculous, saving love that Jesus has to offer. I know that it is largely grounded upon how others see us and how we act toward them. The key is found in utilizing God’s wisdom. Listen to how Paul puts it in his letter to the church in Colossae…

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. ⁶Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:5-6 (NASB)

Using God’s Word, His Wisdom and His Love by means of His Holy Spirit, which indwells us, we will succeed in whatever task He puts before us.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-18T12:23:00.002-07:00

GENTLE

Have you ever noticed that your personality sometimes adopts traits of people with whom you hang out? It is almost as if those traits were contagious at times. If you’re around negative people, it is easy to fall into the trap of becoming negative yourself. If your friends tend to be physically violent, you may find yourself taking on some of those characteristics. Similarly, if you hang out with angry people, you tend to become angry. We have to watch ourselves constantly and carefully observe our own attitudes to be aware of this.

If we are trying to help a friend that is upset, it is best that we not act upset. The Bible puts it like this…

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

God is a powerful God and leads us by example for we were created in His image…

¹¹The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)

The voice of the Lord was in the gentle whisper.

Jesus described himself as gentle…

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 (NASB)

Paul tells us that we are even to be gentle with those who oppose us…

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV)

James tells us that we will find gentleness in the wisdom of God, which is available to us for the asking (James 1:5-6)…

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. James 3:17 (NASB)

Remember the old adage about when you get upset…count to ten (or twenty or thirty!). It really is a good idea. And, may I add that while those seconds are ticking away that you say a quick prayer to God seeking His help and His wisdom for the proper response. He is faithful and will help you in your time of need. His word says that if you seek Him, you will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17).

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

SLOW

There are many sayings that deal with patience…

Take your time and do things right.

Measure twice and cut once.

A Chinese proverb puts it like this, “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”

The wisest king in all history and the subject of many movies was King Solomon. He wrote the largest portion of the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. Here are a couple examples from that book on patience…

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 16:32 (NKJV)

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29 (NASB)

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

An angry man stirs up dissension,

and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

Proverbs 29:22 (NIV)

Hot-tempered people are ones that act on their feelings of anger and frustration before thinking through all the consequences of such actions.

In the New Testament, James puts it like this…

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19-20 (NIV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

ADVICE

Wisdom and experience versus friends and people my age… From which group would you be most likely to accept advice?

What about advice from Christians versus that of non-Christians… Would it simply “depend” on which you liked better?

Maybe there is a way to prioritize advice…How about putting the advice of the Creator of all that exists first? Novel approach, right?

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB)

The thoughts of God are above all. He sees and knows all.

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 (NIV)

The next verse says, “without doubting.” In other words, if you ask, you’d better believe He’s going to do it!

Ask Him…and wait for His answer. Too often, we think we “know what He will say” and go ahead with what we want anyway.

King Solomon’s son asked advice from his advisors and a certain matter. Then he asked the advice of his younger friends, people that had grown up with him. Here’s what happened with that…

The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, ¹⁴and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, 1 Kings 12:13-14a (NASB)

As a result, ten of the tribes of Israel were split off and he ruled over only Judah.

Be careful from whom you accept advice…but make sure you start with God!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-12T13:35:00.001-07:00

SACRIFICE

What do you think of when you hear the word, “sacrifice?” Perhaps it conjures up scenes from horror movies where the followers of satan or some other “god” sacrifice animals or humans to “appease and please” their respective deities.

The word may remind you of a sacrifice you have made like the people that do the 30 Hour Famine. Those involved give up eating for 30 hours and collect money to send to less fortunate individuals.

Some of us think of the church season called lent where we “give up” something like meat or soda (though I’m not sure anybody remembers why!).

We all should be familiar with the term sacrifice in terms of giving up something… The Encarta Dictionary online gives the following as meaning sacrifice:

Giving up of something valued

a giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more value or importance

You may have heard the stories of the soldiers who have given up their lives to save their fellow soldiers. They sacrificed their own life for the lives of their comrades. All those who have died in wars have sacrificed their lives for something they considered to be of more value or importance, such as democracy and freedom.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave His own life as a sacrifice for you and me….for the sins of the world. To reconcile us to God who is holy, our sin needed to be paid for and Jesus chose to do that for us.

What kind of a sacrifice can we be expected to give in return for something like that? Paul put it like this in his letter to the church in Rome…

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Our lives (our wants, wishes, desires, etc.) are to be “sacrificed” for something of more value and more importance…GOD’S PLAN. We are to be about God’s business…

telling people about Jesus’ sacrifice

showing them how much He cares by helping them

teaching them more about who Jesus was and is

helping them grow in their relationship with Him

The word translated “spiritual” in Romans 12:1 also has the connotation of being reasonable by means of logic. In other words, it is only logical when we consider with our minds (the mind of Christ!) and hearts, that we worship the Almighty God that sacrificed His only Son for us.

You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 (NIV)

We were bought and paid for with the blood of Christ. Daily, we should consider the sacrifice He made on our behalf and ask ourselves, “Have I given up anything in order to serve Christ?” “How serious am I about my relationship with Jesus?” “What would (or wouldn’t) I be willing to do for Him?

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

IMAGE

We view images of many different things on the computer, in magazines or in newspapers. They look just like the “real thing.” A picture of an apple makes us hungry even though we can’t eat that image of the apple.

You and I were created as an image of God.

²⁷So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

We all know the story of how that image was tarnished when Adam and Eve gave into the temptation put in front of them by Satan. They chose to exalt themselves instead of the One who had created them.

God Himself brought forth the answer to that tarnished image when He sent His Son Jesus, the perfect image of Himself, to provide the sacrifice necessary to remove the stain of sin from our lives.

¹³He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:13-15 (NKJV)

When we look on Jesus, we are looking at God…

⁴⁴Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. ⁴⁵For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. John 12:44-45 (NLT)

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we once again have that untarnished image present in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

My question for those of us that have taken that step is this…

When people see you, are they seeing God?

Here is Jesus’ prayer for you and me in that regard…

²⁰I pray not only for these,

but also for those who believe in Me

through their message.

²¹May they all be one,

as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.

May they also be one in Us,

so the world may believe You sent Me.

²²I have given them the glory You have given Me.

May they be one as We are one.

²³I am in them and You are in Me.

May they be made completely one,

so the world may know You have sent Me

and have loved them as You have loved Me.

John 17:20-23 (HCSB)

Let the image of Christ shine forth in you today as you surrender your will and your very life to Him.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

ACHEIVABLE

Some of us want to accept defeat before we even start. What I mean by that is, we sometimes don’t feel we’re able to do something or have what it takes to get it done so we don’t even begin our “project,” surrendering instead to defeat.

I wonder if that’s the way it is with some people who decide not to follow Christ. In other words, they think, “He was too perfect and I cannot possibly be that good, so I might as well not even try.”

As I pondered this, I found myself thinking of a passage of scripture from the book of Isaiah. I would suggest that you read the entire chapter fifty-three, but here is the main thought that came to me from that passage…

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,

nothing to attract us to him. (Isaiah 53:2b - NLT)

Jesus looked just like you and me. He didn’t walk around with a halo over his head as we see pictured in so many paintings from years gone by. To me that says, “It’s possible” for us to please God. Jesus came to earth as a man (Philippians 2:8). Of course, He was much more that just a man. He was also God. That’s why we can’t do it (please God) totally on our own. We have to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

Verse five from that same passage says it like this,

But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed.

Jesus came looking like us so that we could identify with Him. He could have come in the form of a ball of light (for you sci-fi fans) but instead He came in the form of a man...for you, for me and for the rest of humanity, in order that all who come to Him might be reconciled to God. He presented us with an achievable goal because He did all the work.

All we have to do is accept what He accomplished on our behalf and follow Him. Romans 10:9 says it like this,

…if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NIV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-06T09:46:00.001-07:00

NAMES

Some have said that Allah is the same God to whom we that claim Jesus Christ as our Savior pray. After all, what’s in a name, right? Let’s take a look at that thought…

Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹He is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the capstone.’

¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12 (NIV)

Well, that’s one person’s opinion, you might say. It comes down to this: Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God or not?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

Ok, but who is to say that the books we have in the Bible today are the ones that are supposed to be there. What about the gospel of Judas and all the “lost books” of the bible?

Let me ask you this one question…Do you really think that God, the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of all that is, including you and me, would allow anything of significance to be left out of His Holy Scriptures?

That brings us back to the importance of Jesus in this discussion…

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, ²in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. ³And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Hebrews 1:1-4 (NASB)

Jesus Himself said in John 14:6 (NKJV)…

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

So the question of the names of God comes down to this…If Islam were to teach that the only way to get to Allah was through Jesus Christ, then it would be OK to call God, Allah. However, they do not teach that Jesus is the only way.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3 (NIV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-04T18:00:00.001-07:00

DAILY

Many churches in today’s society have cancelled their Sunday night services and their Wednesday night services. I remember going to Sunday night services when I was a kid and they would have a time for people to give testimony of what God had done in their lives that week. Wednesday night was traditionally a time of prayer. Whoever wanted to pray had the opportunity to do so.

How often is “enough?” Is it too much to want to meet more than once on a Sunday morning? What did the early church do?

⁴⁶They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— ⁴⁷all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47 (NLT)

They met daily to fellowship and worship God. This was a priority in their lives. It was not just an afterthought or something you just did on a Sunday morning. Maybe we have become too busy with the things of this world. Perhaps our priorities are a little askew.

Yes, a daily time alone with the Lord is good, a time of prayer, reading and studying His word. However, I believe we miss out on a great deal of what God has in store for us when we do not spend time in fellowship and worship with each other…as much as we possibly can.

Maybe it will be in the form of lunch with a friend where the conversation is centered on Christ and what He is doing in each other’s lives. Perhaps it will be fellowship found in a phone call or an email where Christ is honored.

Encourage each other daily (Hebrews 3:13) and “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-02T07:26:00.003-07:00

ANGER

People get angry about many different things. If a friend of ours gets hurt, we get angry at circumstances or people that might have done the hurting. If our parents won’t let us do something, we get angry with them.

What do most instances of anger have in common? As I pondered that question, I concluded that most anger comes from one thing…

The inability to control our own circumstances.

Stop and think about different times that you have become angry. Do they fit into this category? Below I’ve broken down some of the sub-headings under not begin able to control circumstances and some examples from the Bible…

Not getting something you want (Jealousy, envy)

Genesis 4:5-8 – Cain killed Abel because God liked Abel’s offering better than his offering.

Not understanding circumstances

Numbers 2:27 – Balaam’s donkey laid down when it saw an Angel and would not speak any more. Balaam did not see the Angel.

Not getting your own way

Numbers 24:10-11 – Balak was angry with Balaam for blessing Israel rather than cursing them as he wanted.

Not having your advice or instructions followed

Matthew 2:16 – The Wise Men didn’t come back and report to Herod about the location of the baby Jesus as he told them to.

Not hearing what you want to hear from someone (broken expectations)

Acts 7:54-58 – Stephen told the High priest and those with Him that Jesus was the Messiah and they were in the wrong

So what is the answer? How can we stop getting angry about all these things?

¹²Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:12-13 (NLT)

Giving ourselves completely to God is the only answer! He desires the best for our lives and anger does not help us achieve that…

¹⁹Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:19-20 (NLT)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-06-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

BELIEVE

Doubt about the existence of God plays a big part in our culture today. At least it seems that way at times. People don’t want to place their faith in something or someone that they cannot see.

One of Jesus’ disciples was like that. Remember Thomas? He said to the other disciples, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (John 20:25). The “it” Thomas was referring to was the resurrection or the rising from death to life, of Jesus. Jesus then appeared to Thomas and told him to touch Him and see if it was really him. He then said, “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27). Below is Thomas’ response to Jesus…

²⁸Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas not only called Jesus Lord, but also recognized Him as the living God. Jesus’ response to Thomas is relevant for you and me today.

²⁹Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:28-29 (NIV)

You and I have not only the testimony of the Bible, God’s holy Word, but also the testimony of those who have chosen to live their lives for Christ. We see God’s handiwork all around us in His Creation, but the testimony of the saints who have gone on before us is equally as real.

We can read the life stories of martyrs from the 1^st Century to the present. We can read about people like Corrie Ten Boom whose faith in God directed and saved her life. We can see the hand of God working through people from Billy Graham to Chris Tomlin.

Is there any room for doubt when we see the evidence laid out before us?

Stop doubting and believe!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

WISDOM

Wisdom has been a desired attribute from the beginning of time. One of the problems is in thinking that we are wise or wiser than someone else is. The Old Testament writers cautioned against that sort of thinking…

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

And clever in their own sight! Isaiah 5:21 (NASB)

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

⁸ It will be healing to your body

And refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:7-8 (NASB)

The answer to seeking wisdom is looking in the right place with the right tools. The writer of Proverbs tells us where to look…

For the LORD gives wisdom,

and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 (NIV)

The Bible is one way that God has revealed His knowledge and understanding to us. Another way is His Spirit, the Holy Spirit that believers in Jesus Christ receive…

¹⁰but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (NIV)

If we are to have true wisdom, we must have God’s Spirit living in us. The only way to do that is to confess our inadequacies and accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf … accept Him as our, as your, Lord and Savior.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-30T09:10:00.001-07:00

FRIENDS

Some of you have heard (and some have said), “If you hang out with the wrong crowd, you’re going to get in trouble.” Those of you that are young no doubt hear that from your parents. Those of you who are parents have probably said that to your children.

Is that a valid statement? Where did that idea originate? In the Old Testament, it can be found in the Book of Proverbs…

He who walks with the wise grows wise,

but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)

Young people who obey the law are wise;

those with wild friends bring shame to their parents. Proverbs 28:7 (NLT)

In the New Testament, the same idea is found in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth…

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB)

The real answer is relying on God to help us choose those we call friend…Making God and His desires for our life the highest priority. King David put it this way…

¹¹⁴You are my refuge and my shield;

I have put my hope in your word.

¹¹⁵Away from me, you evildoers,

that I may keep the commands of my God!

Psalms 119:114-115 (NIV)

Jesus said it like this…

You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14 (NLT)

How about you, would you like to be friends with the God of all Creation and let Him guide your life? All you need to do is call on the name of Jesus and trust Him as your Savior. Keep in mind, Jesus is the only friend that will never disappoint you or betray you.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

ABOVE

The English language is constantly changing. Some words have taken on different meanings like the word “sick” that used to mean that you weren’t in good health and now means (at least for some) that something is exceptionally good. That’s the contemporary version of what happened to the word “bad” when I was younger.

I won’t get into the discussion about how this may be a method of causing things that are bad and sick to become normal and accepted. What I want to share with you is how some phrases or combination of words can become tired and cause us to avoid them even though they may speak of something good.

The term “Jesus Freak” started out to be a negative word against young Christians during the 1960’s and 70’s. Those young believers typically used and gave out a modern translation of the bible called “Good News for Modern Man.” It has vacillated back and forth as meaning something good (by those who embrace the label) and bad, even to this day.

The term “born again” is another label that has an interesting past. It is often used to make fun of conservative people who have religious convictions that cause them to “stand out” from others. Actually, that’s what we that call ourselves Christians are supposed to do, but that’s another discussion.

Here’s where the term came from originally…

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NASB)

The word translated “again” is derived from the Greek word, anōthen, which means…

1) from above, from a higher place

1a) of things which come from heaven or God

2) from the first, from the beginning, from the very first

3) anew, over again

Six of the fourteen occurrences of this word are translated “above” while three others are translated, “again.” Two of those are found in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. Three times, it is translated “top” and one time apiece for “first” and “beginning.”

Jesus clarifies what He is speaking about if you read on.

⁵Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷“Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:5-7 (NASB)

So, while “again” works here, it is definitely “from above” as the Spirit of God is from above. We must be born again, from above!

The next time someone uses “born again” as a derogatory term, tell them what it really means…and…don’t forget to act like you were born again from above…from a powerful miracle of God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ with the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-28T08:22:00.001-07:00

SANCTIFY

Do you have a specific task in life that you just know you are called to do? Perhaps you are a plumber, a carpenter or a schoolteacher and you KNOW that you were set apart from others to do that particular thing.

Those of us that identify with Jesus Christ as our Savior have also been set apart. Jesus, in a prayer to God the Father said,

¹⁷Sanctify them by the truth;

Your word is truth. John 17:17 (HCSB)

The word “sanctify” is from the Greek word, hagiazō, meaning to make holy, to separate from profane things and dedicate to God. It also means, to purify; to cleanse externally; to purify by expiation or free from the guilt of sin and to purify internally by renewing of the soul.

This happens by or through the truth. What is truth? That word has been maligned in our society today to the point where some say it means different things for different people.

However, the Greek word here is aletheia and means, “what is true in any matter under consideration” (Thayer’s Greek Dictionary). The scriptures say that…

The law is truth – Ps 119:142

Jesus is the truth – John 14:6

Here in John 17:17 the term translated “word” is logos. The word “logos” is used to describe Jesus in the very beginning of the book of John where we read,

¹In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

²He was with God in the beginning.

³All things were created through Him,

and apart from Him not one thing was created

that has been created.

¹⁴The Word became flesh

and took up residence among us.

We observed His glory,

the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father,

full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-3, 14 (HCSB)

If you claim Jesus as your Savior, you have been separated from the rest of the world and are being made holy through the Holy Spirit of Christ that lives in you and by the active, living Word of God.

There IS such a thing as truth. Seek it out. Read the Word (the Bible). Pray to Jesus. The Lord God Almighty has separated you out from among others and set you apart to serve Him.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

PERCEPTION

Perception is an interesting phenomenon. The Encarta Dictionary says it is, “the process of using the senses to acquire information about the surrounding environment or situation.” Yet, each of us perceives things slightly differently depending on many factors such as how we were raised, our life experiences and many other variables.

See what you think about this story that Nathan, the prophet told David, the king…

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,

“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

² “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

³ “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb

Which he bought and nourished;

And it grew up together with him and his children.

It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,

And was like a daughter to him.

⁴ “Now a traveler came to the rich man,

And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,

To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;

Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

Nathan had told David this story after David had taken another man’s wife, got her pregnant and then had the husband killed in battle. Now read David’s reaction to Nathan’s story…

⁵Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. ⁶“He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

2 Samuel 12:1-6 (NASB)

Nathan then told David that the story was about him. That he had taken what belonged to another even though God had already showered him with many wives, much wealth and victory in battle.

David finally saw what he was talking about and admitted that he had sinned against God.

Many of us are like that…we only see our side of the story instead of trying to look at the big picture from other points of view. Seeing things only from our own perspective is often the cause of many heartaches, disappointments and misunderstandings.

What’s the answer? Seek God’s perspective. Ask Him to help you understand the bigger picture that you may not be able to see. Then thank Him in advance for His guidance and direction. God is faithful. He knows the intentions of your heart and will reward you for your honesty with Him.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

WISE

A wise person thinks a lot about death,

while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 (NLT)

Hmm…why does thinking about death make you wise?

****thinking****

Well, perhaps we may realize how short life is or can be. Yesterday there was a funeral for a twenty-one year old young woman. Last night I learned that an eighteen year old was in a serious accident, was in a coma and had flat-lined several times.

There are no guarantees for the length of life that we live. So that should cause us to consider HOW we live the life that we are given…on a day-to-day basis. That would make us wise.

I wore a t-shirt last night from a Dare2Share event I had taken my youth group to a couple of years ago. Across the front is written in large caps, “LOSER.” Believe me that drew attention. Whenever somebody would read it aloud, I had them read the back, which had Jesus’ words from Matthew 10:39

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (NIV)

Why did I bring that up? Because, “losing our life” (as one girl last night put it) is giving up being selfish and just living for ourselves. In other words, it clarifies the second half of today’s verse…a fool thinks only about having a good time.

If we are to be wise, we will put aside our personal desires and instead plug in God’s desires for our lives. We will ask the wise questions…What does God want me to do with the short time that I have on this earth? What does He want me to do today?

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

NOW

Procrastination is putting off what could or should be done now, until a later time. Perhaps a time when we have more energy or are more motivated.

Some things are too important to wait. There may not be another tomorrow…for us or for someone else whose life we can have an effect on…today.

¹And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— ²for He says,

“At the acceptable time I listened to you,

And on the day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— ³giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NASB)

Notice three things…

Working together with Him

He has called us “friend” and here partners in the ministry of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is referred to as the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to “go,” “make disciples,” “baptize” and “teach.”

He helped us on our day of salvation

He sent someone into our life with the Gospel. Someone was obedient in sharing Jesus Christ with us so that we might inherit eternal life.

Give no cause for offense

Now that we have received salvation through Jesus, we are to be obedient to Him (share the message with others). We are to live as He would have us live so as not to bring dishonor to His name.

Is there someone you are to be sharing Jesus with today…either by the way you live your life or by sharing the message of salvation directly…

Today will soon be over…there are so many people to reach...so many children, teens and adults that do not know Jesus…

NOW is the time…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

DISAPPOINTMENT

Down at the SPRING Student Center there is always some “drama” going on about how a boyfriend or a girlfriend disappointed someone. I’m not making light of it, just pointing out that we see a lot of that kind of situation there.

Students are not the only ones disappointed by other people. The amount of devastation that conflict wreaks on our lives is proportional to the amount of confidence, or trust that we have in that individual with whom we experience the problem.

Whenever I come across a situation like that, whether it is best friends, boy/girl friends or whatever, I think of this passage of scripture...

⁸ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in man.

⁹ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in princes.

Psalms 118:8-9 (NKJV)

It amounts to having our priorities straight. Our relationship with God MUST be the most important. God will NEVER let us down. We can always trust Him to do what is best for us, even though we may not always agree at first.

People are going to disappoint us. People are not perfect, whether Christian or not. Only God is perfect.

This fits in quite well with my life verse of Matthew 6:33 where my sign-off comes from…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

SCARED

We tend to do things differently when we’re scared. We react instead of thinking through a problem to its possible outcomes. We often climb into a self-protective shell thinking that we can protect ourselves better than…God!

Listen to the following conversation about Jesus from the Gospel of John.

⁴⁷So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do since this man does many signs? ⁴⁸If we let Him continue in this way, everybody will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our nation.” John 11:47-48 (HCSB)

They were afraid of losing their place. That word can be looked at in two basic ways: their place in society as the ruling class or the temple where they worshiped. Either way, they took it upon themselves to come up with the solution rather than inquiring of God.

They were afraid of losing their nation. Those talking were the chief priests and ruling class of the Jewish nation. Had they forgotten that God didn’t allow the nation to be wiped out by the Egyptians or the Philistines? Were they saying then that the Romans were more powerful than God was?

Let’s face it...they were just being selfish. Their fear was causing them to act irrationally, totally leaving God out of the picture.

What does God say about fear?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

In First John 4:16-18 we read, “God is love…perfect love casts out fear…he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Do you allow your fears to get in the way of your relationship with God? Confess that to Him and seek Him in all things that you do. He will never let you down. Don’t ever be afraid of “losing your place,” whether it’s a position in the church or your job. God may have something different in mind for you…ask Him!

The chief priests and the ruling class were so overwhelmed by their personal fears that they completely missed knowing God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, the Messiah that they had been studying about and waiting for all that time.

Don’t miss out on what God has in store for you because of fear…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2008-05-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

FREED

Do you ever feel as though you’re stuck in a rut, as if nothing you do is getting you anywhere? Sometimes it seems as though we are stuck in time, in a past that we can’t escape. THERE IS A SOLUTION!

Read the following passage and see if you can find it!

³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. ⁶For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. Romans 6:3-10 (NIV)

Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus’ own life for your sin is your “ticket” to the future. You are free from the penalty of death and free to live for God, the author and finisher of your salvation. No longer are you stuck in the past and tied to your old ways. You have been freed by the blood of Jesus Christ from ALL guilt and free to live a fantastic life with Jesus at your side.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD