Every four years in The United States we have the privilege of electing a leader who has developed into not only the leader of our country but the leader of the free world. Here we are again making that decision. I am going to vote and I hope that you will vote as well. The question is how do you determine for whom will you vote.
For me it is easy. The first test is which candidate do I feel most closely aligns with what I see as biblical and moral principles. Which candidate do I believe will give America the best opportunity to be a beacon of light to the rest of the world and which candidate do I believe best takes care of the interest here at home. For me personally the decision is made in that order. I am not trying to impose that process on anyone else. I have spent most of my adult life coming up with that formula and it is the way I am bent and I am comfortable with it.
So I have made my decision. Both candidates fail when it comes to domestic policy for me. I just don't like or agree with their position or record on domestic policy specifically their economic policies. So I am left to make my choice based on the first two parts of the equation, which way the heaviest for me anyway.
I believe morals should have the greatest impact on that decision. And so I choose to vote for the man that I think best reflects what I believe to be biblically moral. Neither candidate comes up to the place that I personally think that stance should be, but one does present himself a lot closer to a biblical moral standard than the other.
My ballot is in the kitchen. I am going to vote. It is a privilege and a responsibility that I take seriously. I hope you will vote as well. I hope you will vote for the man that gives America the best opportunity to be beacon of the "Light of the World".
By the way there is an amendment to establish in our Florida law that marriage is an institution that reflects a man and a woman being the only recognized legal marriage in Florida. Not even a moments hesitation in my decision. Of course we should establish that is what marriage is because that is what God establishes as marriage. I am a Christian and I want the laws of this land to reflect biblical principles so that He will continue to keep His hand upon this land.
God bless America and may she choose to bless the rest of this world on His behalf.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
He Knows
This whole thing about trusting God's heart is simple when it is just a thought you share with someone. It is easy when you investigate His past behavior in the Word and even in your on life. However when you are in the dark and all you hear or see is something that is scary or overwhelming it is not quite the same.
I know God is good. I have seen His goodness. I have heard the testemonies of His goodness. But it is dark. I must hold to God's promise and wait for His provision. He is always faithful. He is always right on His time schedule.
There are times in our lives that we just have to come to the realization that "He Knows" and simply trust Him.
I know God is good. I have seen His goodness. I have heard the testemonies of His goodness. But it is dark. I must hold to God's promise and wait for His provision. He is always faithful. He is always right on His time schedule.
There are times in our lives that we just have to come to the realization that "He Knows" and simply trust Him.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Happy Birthday!
As it turns out October is a big birthday month for me. My wife, my son and my daughter all have birthdays in this month. In the last several days I have been to four birthday parties and I am going to another one this Saturday. That's a lot of candles (some more than others), that's a lot of birthday cake. Fun to watch the various response to birthdays. Little kids are just giddy, cake, parties, gifts. What's not to be excited about. My wife was excited about her party not because of her birthday but because she celebrated it with her grandchildren. I talked to a friend yesterday and he is not really excited about celebrating his day. Seems like he is concerned about the number. I encouraged him by telling him the number is really one year more. See if you are having your fifty-ninth birthday you are actually going into your sixtieth year. (hehehe)
Well I guess it is ok to celebrate birthdays. That is a day that God knew was coming and was excited over. You see God loves you. He has a plan for your life. His plan is that you are a part of His plan for His world.
I thought about my place in that world yesterday. I was considering my place in the grand cosmic scheme. (Don't ask why?) Look at this passage of scripture:
Isaiah 40:15
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
You know that made me seem kind of small. Well I have been trying to lose weight but that is not the kind of small I was going for. All the nations are a drop in the bucket, what does that make me. I had said to God that I knew I was just a "speck". And compared to what Isaiah said I was concerned I had overstated my size.
I was feeling kind of small and insignificant when I remembered another scripture:
Luke 12: 6-7
"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!
No matter what month yours comes in, Happy Birthday! Remember no matter what you are going through and at whatever age, God loves you and has a plan for your life.
Well I guess it is ok to celebrate birthdays. That is a day that God knew was coming and was excited over. You see God loves you. He has a plan for your life. His plan is that you are a part of His plan for His world.
I thought about my place in that world yesterday. I was considering my place in the grand cosmic scheme. (Don't ask why?) Look at this passage of scripture:
Isaiah 40:15
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
You know that made me seem kind of small. Well I have been trying to lose weight but that is not the kind of small I was going for. All the nations are a drop in the bucket, what does that make me. I had said to God that I knew I was just a "speck". And compared to what Isaiah said I was concerned I had overstated my size.
I was feeling kind of small and insignificant when I remembered another scripture:
Luke 12: 6-7
"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!
No matter what month yours comes in, Happy Birthday! Remember no matter what you are going through and at whatever age, God loves you and has a plan for your life.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Perspective
It is always interesting to me to hear people talk about the same subject only to find out that although they may use the same words to describe something, their perspective and understanding of those words can put them worlds apart.
I am thinking today about what it means to be a part of a church. Specifically the local body of believers. When someone says they have made a decision to be a part of a local body we all see that through our own lens. In other words what ever being part of the local church means to you is what you think others are saying when they say they belong to the local body.
We see these things based on our history or lack of it. We make decisions based on what is going on with us at a specific time. Our level of involvement is based on what we think of what is being presented to us or ask of us.
All of these things and a little money will get you, well coffee with Steve. However, what does the bible say about this. Most of the bible is prescriptive not descriptive. In other words the activities that we read about in the bible are impacted by the society of that particular time, but the principles of those activities transcend time and space. So what the church did as activities in Acts and what the church does as activity today may not be the same but the principles that drive the activities should match exactly.
For instance "God so loved He gave His only begotten son". The activity is that God showed His love for the world by sacrificing Jesus on the cross for you and for me. The activity is death on a cross. The principles are "love", "gave" and "only". The principles are that love is a choice and it is unconditional. That does not mean that you are to physically sacrifice your child for the salvation of the world. It does mean that the love that we engage through Christ is not cheap and it does require more than we might think at first glance.
The question for today then is, "what does a love for the local church look like based on God's sacrifice for us?" You will still have to answer, but look through His lens not yours.
I am thinking today about what it means to be a part of a church. Specifically the local body of believers. When someone says they have made a decision to be a part of a local body we all see that through our own lens. In other words what ever being part of the local church means to you is what you think others are saying when they say they belong to the local body.
We see these things based on our history or lack of it. We make decisions based on what is going on with us at a specific time. Our level of involvement is based on what we think of what is being presented to us or ask of us.
All of these things and a little money will get you, well coffee with Steve. However, what does the bible say about this. Most of the bible is prescriptive not descriptive. In other words the activities that we read about in the bible are impacted by the society of that particular time, but the principles of those activities transcend time and space. So what the church did as activities in Acts and what the church does as activity today may not be the same but the principles that drive the activities should match exactly.
For instance "God so loved He gave His only begotten son". The activity is that God showed His love for the world by sacrificing Jesus on the cross for you and for me. The activity is death on a cross. The principles are "love", "gave" and "only". The principles are that love is a choice and it is unconditional. That does not mean that you are to physically sacrifice your child for the salvation of the world. It does mean that the love that we engage through Christ is not cheap and it does require more than we might think at first glance.
The question for today then is, "what does a love for the local church look like based on God's sacrifice for us?" You will still have to answer, but look through His lens not yours.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Think
Do you ever stop to think about why you are going to do what you are going to do today? I suspect if you do it will bring a great deal of impact to what you do.
This past Sunday I met a lady at church who shared with me these thoughts. She said "the other Sunday I came to this church for the first time and during the time that you talked about giving you said "your job is a privilege not a right"." She went on to tell me how much that affected her life and she said everyday when I go to work now I think about the privilege I have of working at my job and it has changed everything about my job. She told me how much happier she is to go to work and how much more productive she is becoming.
That is happening because she added the value of thinking about why she is going to do what she is going to do.
I have another friend who is telling me that in the middle of a great crisis in his life the Lord is reminding him to start everyday with gratitude for everything in his life. You know, when I stop to think about how much God has done for me, it is hard to be to upset with what I have to confront today.
Now, what if I start out by thinking about why I am doing and thankful for the opportunity to do it, hmm.
Maybe I will be a lot happier, a lot more productive and a whole lot more content.
Be blessed!
This past Sunday I met a lady at church who shared with me these thoughts. She said "the other Sunday I came to this church for the first time and during the time that you talked about giving you said "your job is a privilege not a right"." She went on to tell me how much that affected her life and she said everyday when I go to work now I think about the privilege I have of working at my job and it has changed everything about my job. She told me how much happier she is to go to work and how much more productive she is becoming.
That is happening because she added the value of thinking about why she is going to do what she is going to do.
I have another friend who is telling me that in the middle of a great crisis in his life the Lord is reminding him to start everyday with gratitude for everything in his life. You know, when I stop to think about how much God has done for me, it is hard to be to upset with what I have to confront today.
Now, what if I start out by thinking about why I am doing and thankful for the opportunity to do it, hmm.
Maybe I will be a lot happier, a lot more productive and a whole lot more content.
Be blessed!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Fight
Daniel 4:14
"Don't be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
There are times when the bible surprises me. I found this little spot in the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall and it jumped out at me. There was a serious crisis. The crisis became obvious that it was life and death. Nehemiah was saying this project of rebuilding the wall is an important project. But your family's survival is at stake. Fight. Fight for your family.
We all have important things, but what is more important than the eternal destination and peace of our family. The bible says "what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul". I feel the same way about my wife and sons and daughter and grandchildren and all of my family.
There is a battle going on for our families. As important as all of things in our life may be, we must be vigilant and when the enemy comes and attacks our families, we must pick up our weapons and armor and go to war.
I say to our congregation from time to time, "Satan does not want you to have a bad day or a bad week or even a bad year. He wants to kill you." Well guess what, he has the same intention for your family. Your brother, sister, son, daughter, his intention is destruction for them all.
We are involved in a lot of important projects. I don't want to take away from the importance of doing life.
1 Peter 5:8
8-11 ...The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!...
"Don't be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
There are times when the bible surprises me. I found this little spot in the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall and it jumped out at me. There was a serious crisis. The crisis became obvious that it was life and death. Nehemiah was saying this project of rebuilding the wall is an important project. But your family's survival is at stake. Fight. Fight for your family.
We all have important things, but what is more important than the eternal destination and peace of our family. The bible says "what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul". I feel the same way about my wife and sons and daughter and grandchildren and all of my family.
There is a battle going on for our families. As important as all of things in our life may be, we must be vigilant and when the enemy comes and attacks our families, we must pick up our weapons and armor and go to war.
I say to our congregation from time to time, "Satan does not want you to have a bad day or a bad week or even a bad year. He wants to kill you." Well guess what, he has the same intention for your family. Your brother, sister, son, daughter, his intention is destruction for them all.
We are involved in a lot of important projects. I don't want to take away from the importance of doing life.
1 Peter 5:8
8-11 ...The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!...
Friday, October 10, 2008
It's a Process
I was praying yesterday and it seemed as though I heard the Lord say to me "it's a process just keep working at it." Actually I was giving Him thanks for some good news that I had been given. Not the kind of news that changes your life forever but if that news were a process and a pattern it would change your life forever.
I am probably just like most people . I think I prefer the big intervention that just changes everything. You know the miracle that wasn't here yesterday and today it is and now everything is different.
God doesn't always work that way in fact I think His pattern is probably the opposite. He meets our needs on a daily basis. He gave enough manna for the day. The miracle of feeding the Israelites in the desert was no less of a miracle because it happened on a daily basis.
Nehemiah experienced this kind of provision and intervention. Let me just share a little of it with you as he and his people rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 4:
4-5 Nehemiah prayed, "Oh listen to us, dear God. We're so despised: Boomerang their ridicule on their heads; have their enemies cart them off as war trophies to a land of no return; don't forgive their iniquity, don't wipe away their sin—they've insulted the builders!"
Keep working!
I am probably just like most people . I think I prefer the big intervention that just changes everything. You know the miracle that wasn't here yesterday and today it is and now everything is different.
God doesn't always work that way in fact I think His pattern is probably the opposite. He meets our needs on a daily basis. He gave enough manna for the day. The miracle of feeding the Israelites in the desert was no less of a miracle because it happened on a daily basis.
Nehemiah experienced this kind of provision and intervention. Let me just share a little of it with you as he and his people rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 4:
4-5 Nehemiah prayed, "Oh listen to us, dear God. We're so despised: Boomerang their ridicule on their heads; have their enemies cart them off as war trophies to a land of no return; don't forgive their iniquity, don't wipe away their sin—they've insulted the builders!"
6 We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work.
11-12 And all this time our enemies were saying, "They won't know what hit them. Before they know it we'll be at their throats, killing them right and left. That will put a stop to the work!" The Jews who were their neighbors kept reporting, "They have us surrounded; they're going to attack!" If we heard it once, we heard it ten times.
13-14 So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: "Don't be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
15-18 Our enemies learned that we knew all about their plan and that God had frustrated it. And we went back to the wall and went to work. From then on half of my young men worked while the other half stood guard with lances, shields, bows, and mail armor. Military officers served as backup for everyone in Judah who was at work rebuilding the wall. The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other. Each of the builders had a sword strapped to his side as he worked. I kept the trumpeter at my side to sound the alert.
19-20 Then I spoke to the nobles and officials and everyone else: "There's a lot of work going on and we are spread out all along the wall, separated from each other. When you hear the trumpet call, join us there; our God will fight for us."
21 And so we kept working...
God is looking for people who will recognize His plan and cooperate with Him. Sometimes He comes down and gives us a miracle that stops everybody in their tracks. Most of the time He requires that we follow Him step by step trusting His wisdom, His direction and His daily provision.Keep working!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Do Good and Don't Stop
Galatians6:7-8
Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
9-10So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
I admit it is a battle not to get fatigued doing what I believe is the right thing. The passage helps us understand that the way to do this is to keep our eyes on the prize of the harvest. Not the long days behind the plow. Keep your eyes on piles of increase that come from pulling weeds and fertilizing and all that goes with staying at it until the harvest comes.I also think I am being reminded that there is a cooperation here between me and the Spirit of God to do what I can and remember that I have to let Him do what He does. I can plant, I can water, I can weed but I cannot produce one grain of wheat. I can only do encouraging things to make that plant grow.
One other thing, what I am going to harvest and what you are going to harvest may seem a little different to each one of us, but the instruction and one of the secrets to not getting fatigued is found in the section where we are admonished to "every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."
I read this morning:
Psalm 133
1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!
It's like costly anointing oil
flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron's beard,
flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It's like the dew on Mount Hermon
flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that's where God commands the blessing,
ordains eternal life.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Remeber When
Yesterday was Ruth's birthday. Now she is... well she had a birthday. We had a birthday dinner with family and looked at old pictures and things we used to do and you know the drill. We spent time remembering.
I am not going to say how old she is, but she sure has a lot more room for memories than she used to. You know what I mean. What do we do with all those random things from our past. Some of them changed us. Some of them helped shift directions in our lives. The pictures cause us to remember we are different people now than we were.
Well our past has a lot to do with the way we think. We cannot help but be influenced by the events of our past. However I don't want to be overly influenced by it. I believe the future has the potential to be greater than the past no matter how good or bad it may have been. The pattern of God is to use the past to help us in the future if we choose to cooperate with him.
God has a plan for my life. He has always had a plan for my life and my choices have only caused him to reconfigure that plan. He can redirect in a moment and still get me to the place He intends. His ultimate goal is to make my existence a part of His overall plan to bring glory to His name.
I am not going to say how old she is, but she sure has a lot more room for memories than she used to. You know what I mean. What do we do with all those random things from our past. Some of them changed us. Some of them helped shift directions in our lives. The pictures cause us to remember we are different people now than we were.
Well our past has a lot to do with the way we think. We cannot help but be influenced by the events of our past. However I don't want to be overly influenced by it. I believe the future has the potential to be greater than the past no matter how good or bad it may have been. The pattern of God is to use the past to help us in the future if we choose to cooperate with him.
God has a plan for my life. He has always had a plan for my life and my choices have only caused him to reconfigure that plan. He can redirect in a moment and still get me to the place He intends. His ultimate goal is to make my existence a part of His overall plan to bring glory to His name.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Soccer
Yesterday I saw my grandson play soccer for the first time. Today I will see my other grandson play. How much fun is that? Chase who played yesterday is four. I laughed out loud just to watch those little kids run in a hoard around that ball. The ball never had a chance, nor did the shins of every kid on both teams. They ran, they kicked, they laughed, they smiled and when it was over they got a trophy. They deserved a trophy they had brought such joy to their parents and grandparents and friends. Chase was so proud of his trophy and I was so proud of Chase.
I am reminded of a song we sing in church:
You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around, but I never hear the sound.
God put within me the capacity for the love that I have for that little boy and all my children and grandchildren. Chase had no idea how proud I was of him, He just wanted to kick the ball and get the pizza at the end. He would not understand me writing about his soccer game this morning, he's off on another adventure.
I am dancing all around him and he doesn't really know it. I am singing the song about how I will never forget the first time I saw him play soccer and he is completely unaware.
The scripture says that God's love for us is so much greater, so much purer than our ability to love. In fact it says "if you being evil give gifts to your children, how much more will He give..."
The answer is I can't imagine. I just don't know how much He loves me. I am reminded of the rest of the song.
Lord I'm amazed by you,
Lord I'm amazed by you,
Lord I'm amazed by you,
How you love me.
I am reminded of a song we sing in church:
You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around, but I never hear the sound.
God put within me the capacity for the love that I have for that little boy and all my children and grandchildren. Chase had no idea how proud I was of him, He just wanted to kick the ball and get the pizza at the end. He would not understand me writing about his soccer game this morning, he's off on another adventure.
I am dancing all around him and he doesn't really know it. I am singing the song about how I will never forget the first time I saw him play soccer and he is completely unaware.
The scripture says that God's love for us is so much greater, so much purer than our ability to love. In fact it says "if you being evil give gifts to your children, how much more will He give..."
The answer is I can't imagine. I just don't know how much He loves me. I am reminded of the rest of the song.
Lord I'm amazed by you,
Lord I'm amazed by you,
Lord I'm amazed by you,
How you love me.
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Playoffs
In baseball there are two seasons. One is the regular season of 162 games. If you win enough games to qualify for the playoffs you keep playing. There is the Divisional Championship, The League Championship and The World Series. In order to get to each level you have to keep winning. It is in effect win or go home. Win or your season is over. Win or "wait til next year."
Life is always, " this is the last day". This is the last inning. This is possibly your last at bat. Because we are only promised now. What I do today may be it for me. I don't think it will be. I plan to live a long time. But life happens, stuff happens. Maybe it won't be my last day but my last day to have influence with someone else. They die, they move, their circumstance changes.
Their are people in my sphere of influence that will not be reached for Christ if I don't do it. If I don't care enough about them to do something they will be lost for eternity.
I heard about a church that operates with a philosophy called "Invest and Invite". That means that their people are trained and motivated to "invest in their friends and accuaintances" and then invite them to church and events that will give them a chance to accept Christ. That is a good idea. Today I have the opportunity to invest in someone that God has put on my heart to invest in so that they will come to know the freedom that is knowing Jesus.
I gotta go. I have a phone call to make. I need to make an investment. See ya later!
And by the way Go Rays!
Life is always, " this is the last day". This is the last inning. This is possibly your last at bat. Because we are only promised now. What I do today may be it for me. I don't think it will be. I plan to live a long time. But life happens, stuff happens. Maybe it won't be my last day but my last day to have influence with someone else. They die, they move, their circumstance changes.
Their are people in my sphere of influence that will not be reached for Christ if I don't do it. If I don't care enough about them to do something they will be lost for eternity.
I heard about a church that operates with a philosophy called "Invest and Invite". That means that their people are trained and motivated to "invest in their friends and accuaintances" and then invite them to church and events that will give them a chance to accept Christ. That is a good idea. Today I have the opportunity to invest in someone that God has put on my heart to invest in so that they will come to know the freedom that is knowing Jesus.
I gotta go. I have a phone call to make. I need to make an investment. See ya later!
And by the way Go Rays!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Would You Look At That
I have been thinking about what happened in Samaria with Jesus and the woman at the well. It was a part of a teaching that I shared Wednesday night. Apart from the teaching there were some things I identified as important for that confrontation and miracle to happen.
1. Jesus had to ignore the obvious to go to Samaria in the first place. Jews did not like Samaritans and the sentiment was returned. His disciples would have had to be convinced and conjolled into something they did not want to do.
2. There was a boldness and a risk that was demonstrated for this miracle to happen. You say this is Jesus so where is the boldness. If we understand anything about Jesus it is that He said and the Word always confirms that every act of His ministry was that of a "man" not God. A "man" lead by the voice and direction of the Spirit of God.
3. He had to be sensitive to seeing what the Spirit saw instead of what the obvious was. The obvious was, here is a woman drawing water from a well. Just like so many other women drawing water from the same well. How do you distinguish between all of these women. Jesus saw with the eyes of the Spirit. He saw the natural and He saw with supernatural eyes. God give me the sensitivity to see and respond in my circumstances with the eyes of the Spirit.
4. He had to put himself out for this to happen in the first place. He went out of his way to do something he did not even know would happen. He put his plan and his life on hold because he sensed that their might be something God wanted to do that was outside of His daily routine.
When I look at all of this I am struck by Jesus willingness to not follow anything other than the plan he sensed being directed by the Spirit. We are not lead to believe that He knew the of the incidents in advance or the outcome, but He made himself available to the work of the Spirit of God.
You can dismiss these thoughts or discount them by saying "get a grip we're talking about Jesus here". That is true the same Jesus that said "it is important for you that I go away, because then I will send you the teacher (implying that it was the one who taught Him as a man). The same Jesus that said "these things shall you do and greater things, because I go to my father (and send the Spirit to you)
I'm just saying, "God make me aware of not just what I can see with my natural eyes, but also what I can see through the eyes of your Spirit"
1. Jesus had to ignore the obvious to go to Samaria in the first place. Jews did not like Samaritans and the sentiment was returned. His disciples would have had to be convinced and conjolled into something they did not want to do.
2. There was a boldness and a risk that was demonstrated for this miracle to happen. You say this is Jesus so where is the boldness. If we understand anything about Jesus it is that He said and the Word always confirms that every act of His ministry was that of a "man" not God. A "man" lead by the voice and direction of the Spirit of God.
3. He had to be sensitive to seeing what the Spirit saw instead of what the obvious was. The obvious was, here is a woman drawing water from a well. Just like so many other women drawing water from the same well. How do you distinguish between all of these women. Jesus saw with the eyes of the Spirit. He saw the natural and He saw with supernatural eyes. God give me the sensitivity to see and respond in my circumstances with the eyes of the Spirit.
4. He had to put himself out for this to happen in the first place. He went out of his way to do something he did not even know would happen. He put his plan and his life on hold because he sensed that their might be something God wanted to do that was outside of His daily routine.
When I look at all of this I am struck by Jesus willingness to not follow anything other than the plan he sensed being directed by the Spirit. We are not lead to believe that He knew the of the incidents in advance or the outcome, but He made himself available to the work of the Spirit of God.
You can dismiss these thoughts or discount them by saying "get a grip we're talking about Jesus here". That is true the same Jesus that said "it is important for you that I go away, because then I will send you the teacher (implying that it was the one who taught Him as a man). The same Jesus that said "these things shall you do and greater things, because I go to my father (and send the Spirit to you)
I'm just saying, "God make me aware of not just what I can see with my natural eyes, but also what I can see through the eyes of your Spirit"
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Evil Strategy
I mentioned in a blog the other day that someone left an article on my desk as a word of encouragement. It was a good word that I have spent time thinking about. Let me share with you the short version.
Someone was praying for church leaders and the Lord opened their eyes to something in the realm of the Spirit. A strategy of the enemy for destruction of God's people. It went like this:
Discouragement - The appearance that everything is going wrong and there seems to be no way out of the difficulties.
Confusion - What does God really want from me? Perhaps we have been wrong all along. Maybe we don't really know how to hear from God.
Loss of Vision - The logical result of confusion is loss of vision. We are discouraged and confused and so what is it that we were really trying to accomplish anyway. The position of the double minded man. Rather than focusing on the goal, we begin looking for alternative goals or just drifting. Usually pointing fingers for blame happens about here also. Either at ourselves or others.
Withdrawal - The end result is withdrawal. What's the use? We throw up our hands and say it is too much for me. I don't know how to go on so I am not. The enemy wins. The Kingdom of God loses and precious time and God strategy is lost.
Sometimes just knowing what is going on is the greatest tool in stopping a train wreck. If you have been thinking these thoughts, recognize them for what they are. A strategy of the enemy. Why would God lead us to think any of these thoughts. These thoughts are based in the failure of God's people. Take courage and be encouraged. God is on His throne and if what you have believed was God's plan for you or your group, see if the plan lines up with the word of God and remember that the plan was developed through God's leading. If that plan fits the book of Acts concept of "it seemed good to us and the Holy Ghost" hang in there. Keep moving forward do not be a casualty of the devil's devices.
Discouragement
Confusion
Lost Vision
Withdrawal
Recognize the scheme of the enemy and reject it outright!
Someone was praying for church leaders and the Lord opened their eyes to something in the realm of the Spirit. A strategy of the enemy for destruction of God's people. It went like this:
Discouragement - The appearance that everything is going wrong and there seems to be no way out of the difficulties.
Confusion - What does God really want from me? Perhaps we have been wrong all along. Maybe we don't really know how to hear from God.
Loss of Vision - The logical result of confusion is loss of vision. We are discouraged and confused and so what is it that we were really trying to accomplish anyway. The position of the double minded man. Rather than focusing on the goal, we begin looking for alternative goals or just drifting. Usually pointing fingers for blame happens about here also. Either at ourselves or others.
Withdrawal - The end result is withdrawal. What's the use? We throw up our hands and say it is too much for me. I don't know how to go on so I am not. The enemy wins. The Kingdom of God loses and precious time and God strategy is lost.
Sometimes just knowing what is going on is the greatest tool in stopping a train wreck. If you have been thinking these thoughts, recognize them for what they are. A strategy of the enemy. Why would God lead us to think any of these thoughts. These thoughts are based in the failure of God's people. Take courage and be encouraged. God is on His throne and if what you have believed was God's plan for you or your group, see if the plan lines up with the word of God and remember that the plan was developed through God's leading. If that plan fits the book of Acts concept of "it seemed good to us and the Holy Ghost" hang in there. Keep moving forward do not be a casualty of the devil's devices.
Discouragement
Confusion
Lost Vision
Withdrawal
Recognize the scheme of the enemy and reject it outright!
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