If There Was a Third Testament……

In the beginning the word was with God and the word was God. Somewhere along the line some people where led by God to write down in great detail about the heroes, profits, and bad guys and all there works whether good or bad. They predicted with out flaws the coming of Jesus strait down to the way He was born to the way He would die and then rise again. Fast forward a few thousand years and we have once again many who wrote by Gods direction about the heroes, villains, and people that Jesus interacted with and the things that were said about Him and to Him. Now fast forward a couple of thousand of years again and here we are in our modern lives, with our modern problems, and our modern way of thinking of things. But what happens when Jesus comes and all that has been foretold comes and goes. Now fast forward an uncertain number of years. And once again by Gods direction and inspiration, and possibly directly writing it, imagine that there was a third testament to the Holy bible. The question I pose is simple. If there was a third testament what would it say about you? I would say that would probably be a tough question to answer. Or would it? We are given very plain, very easy, very strait forward commandments to live by. We are told exactly what is expected of us. Our faith determines who we are in Christ. We already know that He gave everything for us. And we know that the day is coming when we will be with Him again. So if and when that next installment of the greatest book ever written is published, what will it say about you? Will we be heroes that stood up to others with courage in our hearts to openly live and breath as Christians? Will we be the villains that try to make it so that we gain over everyone else? Will we be the ones so wrapped up in our own salvation that we don’t love our fellow man unless we have something to gain? Or, will we learn from our history and our mistakes and step out of that comfort zone, forget what others think of us, and do whatever it is that God wants us to do? Either way, we don’t have to wait 2000 years for someone to read our story and be influenced by it. We don’t even have to wait until tomorrow. We can start right now. This very second there is someone out there that needs you whether we realize it or not. We don’t have to go around and try to make things better for someone by giving money or time. Yes those things are great. But when was the last time you asked someone what you can pray for them about? If we hesitate or wait for the right moment, it may never come. Or the end may come and then it will be to late. That time can be in a few years, months, days, or even minutes. We don’t know when that time is. Bring others to Christ by not only loving your neighbor with what is needed to survive here on earth, but also tend to there spiritual needs. When the body is long gone and wasted away, the spirit remains. They say that human spirit can overcome anything. Well, where did you get your spirit?  What will be said about you if there was a third testament?

Broken Before the Lord….

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone and all they did was talk talk talk and you couldn’t get a word in edge wise? Ever try to tell someone something important, but they just wouldn’t listen?  We as humans are opinionated, stubborn, and set in our ways. No one can tell us what to do. And if they do we will put our own interpretation on it. Now, think of how God must feel when we do these things to Him. People say that God doesn’t talk to us. That He has turned His back on us. I tell you that we as humans need to learn to shut our mouths and open our ears. God wants to talk to us. He speaks to us all the time. Moses could hear Him plain as day. Why? Well, there were no phones, TV’s, indoor plumbing, cars, and what ever else you can think of. Moses was out in the world away from distractions. He was completely open and able to hear God.

Another aspect to think of is our sheer desire to put us first. For us to feel the Father of all creation we must submit. Submitting may have to come at a price of raising your hands to heaven and telling God that you surrender. When you are broken you can live again. Brokeness is an attitude of the heart that is completely submitted before the Lord.  No stubbornness, resistance, or self-will is within the heart of a person that is completely broken before the Lord.  Jesus said unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and die, it would not bear fruit.  Do you find that you struggle with stubbornness towards God?

We should want to live broken lives before God.  We should volunteer to be broken and embrace it as an act of love from a holy and righteous God. If He breaks us, it is for our own good. We may take comfort in knowing that He will not damage the vessel beyond its ability to be restored. In other words, He won’t put anything on us that we can’t handle. Like Moses, we must let go of what we think we are in control of. We must open our hearts to him. We must close our mouths and open our ears.

^{Psalm 51:15-17}

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
       and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
       you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷ My sacrifices, O God, is a broken spirit;
       a broken and contrite heart,
       O God, you will not despise.

Embrace us in your arms dear God so that we may be broken. May our old ways and self die and may we live for Him!

Love As I Have Loved You……

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."......Jesus (John 13:34-35)

Jesus tells us in to love one another as He has loved us. How much do you show love to those around you? How much do you care about those that are not very kind to you? What sacrifices are you making to help those around you? While all of the kindness, goodness, and joy are wonderful fruits of the Spirit, they are still not as great as love.

Having love like Jesus means growing a love for everyone. That is not always the simplest thing to do. People say mean things. They hurt us, and sometimes it is hard to keep our focus on love. Sometimes we are so hurt that we find it difficult to love anyone, not just those that hurt us. Other times messages get in the way of us loving ourselves, so it is hard to love others.

Still, having a love like Jesus' can be found in our hearts. Through prayer and effort we can find ourselves loving even the most difficult people. We don't have to like someone's actions to love them. Jesus did not like many of the things people around him were doing, but he still loved them. Remember, sin is an action done by a real live person. There is a saying, "hate the sin, not the sinner." We all sin, and Jesus loves us. Sometimes we need to look beyond the act at the person instead.

Lets challenge ourselves this week and focus our prayers on loving the unlovable. Think of people in your life that you have judged by actions, and ask God to help you look beyond the act. Ask God to open your heart to loving those around you as He loves you, and ask him to heal any hurts that keep you from loving others. For us to feel God’s love we have to be willing to be loved. For us to be loved we must love others. It is easy to love those that already love us. But greater is the reward to love those that hate us.

Prayer Does the Body Good….

How would you feel if your friends and family could hear every thought, every word, and every emotion and action you ever said or did? I would say we would be ashamed, embarrassed, couldn’t look any one in the eyes. We lust , steel, commit murder, and who knows what else we do in our minds on an almost hourly basis. Every day, of every month, of every year. Just think of all the times you have looked at that person you can’t stand, there very voice feels like nails going through your skull, and all we could think of is how much we hate that person and how we hope something was to happen to that person. We are all guilty of it. We all have sinned in our minds and hearts. Now remember this, there is one that does hear our thoughts, hears our words, and sees all of our actions. God knows us better than we know ourselves. I would venture to even say that He already knew what we are going to think, say, or do before we did. So if we are so flawed and so full of sin then why pray? I’ve heard to many times, “God already knows what I am thinking and what I want. So why pray?” This is why we need to pray. Inside of our infinite complex mind is the basic need to be forgiven and taken care of. This is something that God designed and put inside of us all.  I found an interesting fact from a doctor I used to see. His specialty was stress and what it does to the mind and body. Did you know that we as humans hold allot of stress in our posteriors? That's right lady’s and gentleman, our problems can literally be a pain in the --- well you get the idea. Why do we hold on to this in our lives? God has told us that He loves us. He knew what we were going to do before He even invented the stars in the sky. Have you ever just vented to a friend or loved one and felt almost instant relief when you got finished getting it off your chest? I have. So why not tell it to the absolute best friend we have? Tell it to God! It is a proven fact shown in a 2000 study at Duke University that constant prayer literally relieves stress and can give our bodies a health boost. Let us face the facts: we all have stress. It is the way we deal with stress that differs. The good news is that prayer for stress relief works! Prayer is that unique form of communication with God available to us all that, when used often and in accordance with God's will, brings us into alignment with God's viewpoint. Being in good alignment means that our whole being is put into its proper perspective and that means life is less stressful and we are better able to deal with the stress we do have. I have personally found on more than one occasion that if I ask God for internal peace and I talk to Him like I talk to my dad or my best friends, that He not only listens, but He lifts me up and sets me back on my feet. So I propose this, the next time your feeling stressed, stop and say a little prayer asking for internal peace and serenity. And tell Him what is on your mind.  So when we find ourselves stressed, and we actually talk to God and tell Him all the things on our hearts and in our minds. That guilt and those sins are lifted up to Him where He can deal with them for us. Just like any good father would want to do for there kids. Friends I pray that you find your way to pray through out the day when you drive, take a shower, as you lay in bed, or even just sit there and stare at the walls. I pray that God blesses each and everyone of you and that He grants all of us that internal peace that is so beautiful. With all my love….Go with God….Amen!!

Remember…….

 

On this day remember where you were 8 years ago. Remember who picked a fight with us. Remember those who have stood up to fight. Remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in that fight that keeps the enemy off of our shores. ......May God bless the friends and families of the fire fighters, police officers, and service men and women that serve and have served during this period in time.

Isaiah 40:29-31 reads: ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  ³¹ but 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.

Remember that the price of freedom is not free. Remember that the ultimate sacrifice given for your fellow man is the greatest thing one can do for another. Remember that all will come to Jesus and every knee will bend and every tongue proclaim that Jesus is lord. Remember and pray for thanksgiving and for forgiveness. Remember…….

How to Spend Quiet Time With God….

 

When was the last time you actually heard God talk to you? Today we have cell phones, cable TV, cars, girl/boy problems, sexual tension, peer pressure, drugs, work issues, and many others that I am sure we can come up with that distract us. So how do we cope with these things? One of the ways that I have seen from friends and have learned is finding time to spend with God quietly. Jesus gave us examples in the Gospels where He stepped away from the followers, the work, and even all the troubles that came with the ones trying to discredit and even kill Him; retreating to a quiet place to commune with His Father. These quiet times spent with God gave Him, and can give us, a chance to let go of all the problems in our lives. The way He did this had some very important elements in common.
Jesus understood the importance of truly knowing the Father. The elements of how to spend quiet time with God have three parts to it: The place is free of distractions, use of prayer and thanksgiving, and use of God’s Word.

• An Area Free of Distraction – Each time Jesus wanted to spend time with His Father, He always retreated to a secluded area free from distractions. He could talk with God, and listen to Him as well. The same is true of us. Our quiet times with God should be in a place where we are alone with no TV or phone. It can be outside under a tree or even indoors in a room with nothing in it -- only God and us.
• Prayer and Thanksgiving - Jesus’ prayers were not always for Himself, but for others. In our quiet time spent with God, we use Jesus’ example by offering prayers for others such as friends and those that hurt us; and thanksgiving to God for all that He has done for us. These prayers should also include a time of reflection, thinking of what we have received, how we can do good with it, and on how God has seen us through the good and bad times.
• God’s Word - Just as our bodies need food to keep it going, we need to spend quality time with God to feed our souls. Jesus often quoted from God’s Word in His quiet times. Quiet time with God is also a time to read God’s Word and meditate on it. If we don’t understand a certain passage of Scripture, we can ask God to help us understand it. This is how God can speak to us and tells us what He wants us to do. It is through daily prayer and reading God’s Word that we will grow in our walk with God.

These are elements of spending quiet time alone with God. The importance is setting time aside each day to talk with God, because this is the best way to draw close to Him. We are flawed and just like little children we need our Father to take care of us and give us direction. When things are rough go and be quiet and alone with God. When things are good also go and spend time and thank God for what he is doing in our lives. This is how to spend some quiet time with God.

When Things Go Wrong….

When it seems that things are piling up and you can’t seem to get a hold of the issues affecting your life. Ask yourself this. Have I made Satan mad? The reason I say this is because it seems to me that when our walk with Christ gets stronger, that pulls us away from the grip of the evil one. The more that God wins over the angrier he gets. So let’s look at it from the stand point of a victory. We are very much so in the realm of the devil. He has no direct power over us, but he can influence things in such a manner to entice, or otherwise trap us into his snare. We allow these things to dig in and set us off. It’s not the words that come out of our mouths, but our actions and the way we react to things that show our faith in God. So if life is starting to pile up and get in the way that is probably because in some way you have decided to give in more to God or even feel a stronger connection with Him. So what happens? Satan attacks and tries to over throw the way we react and the way we interact with day to day problems. Because if the devil can get others to see us lose our religion, why would they want to come and join the walk with God? And if they decide that the path with Him isn’t the right one, then Satan has won a battle and another soul pulled away from God. One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 40:29-31 were it says “²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹ but 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.”

There is a story about an eagle which was chained to a perch for many years. One day a man came by and saw the eagle chained; his heart broke because he knew the eagle was created to fly and soar across the mountaintops. So the man purchased the eagle at a great price and took it home releasing it from the chains that had it bound. To his surprise the eagle remained on its perch, it did not realize or understand that it had been set free. There are times when hope seems to get lost in the midst of chaos. We feel inadequate and unable to change. Scripture says we will soar like an eagle, and we will not tire. While our hearts long to fly it would seem sometimes it is all we can do to walk. It is at those very times that we need to empty ourselves and allow God to fill our hearts and minds with His truth. The truth of who we are in Christ. Too often, we are just like the eagle. We have grown accustomed to our chains. We need to understand that in our own strength, we will fail, but if we will begin to view ourselves through the eyes and the ability of Christ, we will see that we are free to fly off the perch and soar as we were created to. I would like to offer up this prayer that I got off of someone else. But I believe it to be a good one and a powerful one if we pray it from our hearts. Please join me in breaking these chains and telling Satan to go back to where he came from.

Prayer

God you are faithful and I trust in you. I do not want to be content to sit on the perch, I long to fly above the mountaintops. Help me to see myself through Your eyes and Your ability. Remind me that I have been purchased for a great price, my chains are gone and I am free to fly. Amen.

Christian Forgiveness

What is Christian forgiveness?

Defining Christian forgiveness is done with words and actions. The word “forgive” is a grace word in the English, as well as the Greek, meaning “to give or to grant.” The meaning is “to remit a debt, to give up resentment or claim for requital, or to pardon an offense.” Christian forgiveness also encompasses action. Our confession with God involves us seeing our sins as He sees it, bringing God’s forgiveness. When we sin against others, we sin against God. For this reason, we ask God to forgive us of our sins, but we must also forgive our fellow man.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV).

What guides Christian forgiveness if an offender is not willing to repent, when the victim has done nothing wrong? The Lord commands us to forgive, releasing the offense and the offender to Him. This is done in prayer to the Lord. God recognizes these situations with this Scripture.

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 NIV).

When we have been wronged, and know we did nothing to deserve harsh treatment from the offender, we normally begin to think of retaliation. Retaliation or revenge is not the right course of action. We no longer dwell on the offense when we relinquish forgiveness, allowing God to take care of the vengeance in a fair, just, and appropriate manner.

Steps to Christian Forgiveness

1. We recognize that we are sinners in need of forgiveness.
2. We make the choice to forgive others.
3. We believe and experience Christ’s loving forgiveness in our lives.
4. Christ helps us to overcome negative thoughts that are blocking our ability to forgive.
5. The Holy Spirit empowers us with the right attitude to forgive those who have hurt us.
6. Trust that God will judge all the wrongs in the world.
7. When struggling with forgiving others, talk with someone you respect and trust to give you wise counsel, such as your pastor or friend.

How does this apply to us?

Our anger, our desire for retribution, our need to be respected, and our vanity in our authorities tend to get in the way of our relationship with Jesus and with others. Whether family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or those who do us wrong; we must strive to be better than what we get. I know this is easier said than done. And I would be a hypocrite if I said that I could forgive everyone always. But I am reminded of that Amish village who forgave the man that showed up at their school and killed their children in cold blood. That takes a strong faith in our God and a strong belief that He will deal with all transgressions.

We are quick to ask for forgiveness, but giving forgiveness is the Godly thing to do. I pray that we all take a step back and a few deep breaths and learn how much more at peace and how much closer to God we can get when we learn to forgive. After all, joy is always better than despair.

The Dark Hall

How many times have you gotten up out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and stubbed your toe? The next thing you feel is intense pain and anger. Probably followed by a torrent, whether internal or external of profane words. It has happened to me numerous times. But more often than that we get up, walk out our bedroom doors, down the hall, and into the bathroom without turning on a light and probably have our eyes closed. This in itself could be a metaphor for how we live. We know that all deeds no matter how righteous are like filthy rags to the Lord. So we walk through life never turning on that light and just making our way through the normal obstacles in our way until that time when we stub our toes. These obstacles that we wander around take away little by little away from what really matters. And that is our connection with God. Our vanity and self love, our compassion for self first, our desire to think of us before others. We do things that draw attention to ourselves in order to be lifted up. Whether it is showing off or telling about our great exploits. We put ourselves up on that pedestal for all to see. Then once we are up there we rarely if at all give credit to the one that has given us the ability and talents to do such things. So how do we counter this trap that is so easily fallen into? First we must recognize what Timothy said in his second letter. “All Scripture is God –breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. We trust in the word of the Lord. We take what it says and apply it to our own lives. It is not the words that come out of our mouths but our actions that show the world our relationship with the Lord. And it is those actions that show whether or not others will see that following God is the only path to salvation. Our actions speak louder than our words ever will. I have had the privilege of God revealing to me just what it means to be in His presence when He uses the Holy Spirit to draw someone to Him. It is amazing how God plans everything. So the next time we are in the mode of self first, ask how can I turn what I am doing into something for the glory of God? Use this train of thought to turn on that light in that dark hallway so that we don’t stub our toes. Our time on this planet is limited. Only the Father knows when it is time to go home. Go out and make believers of nations. And just as Jesus did so should we, not just by our words. But by our actions.

Anger...

Before it’s too late think about what we do. Our emotions can bring us closer to someone, and just as quickly separate us from that same person. Anger in itself is not a sin. God is angry with the wicked, God was angry at Solomon, God was angry at Israel, Jesus was angry with the Pharisees. If you remember Jesus even flipped tables and yelled at those who were desecrating the house of the Father. It is what we do with this strong emotion of anger that determines who we are and what we do. James told us that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger; our anger separates us from the life that God desires for us. So let’s think of it this way, what does anger really get us? Headaches, lack of sleep, loss of friendship. It brings your inner self out and that isn’t always a good thing. Proverbs 17:9 (NIV) says “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Anger and jealousy helped cause the first murder ever. Many times what our actions and what comes out of our mouths when we are angry are impossible to take back. If a friend makes us angry, then we should be grateful that we have a friend close enough to do just that. So what can we do? When angered walk away, take a breath, and let it go. But the most important thing that we can do is to ask for that person’s forgiveness and our own forgiveness in prayer to God. Remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When we mess up, cross God, make friends mad; we want to be forgiven right? So let’s live that example. Remember that God does get angry, but He also forgives. The fact that we are still on this planet is proof of that. How much better would the world be if we were to treat each other in this manner? How much better would our lives be if we were to make this one of our ways to live? So before it’s too late think about what we do.