2 Corinthians 6:18 I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
The problem that most people have with thinking of God as a Father is that we as fathers have given them the wrong view of God. We always hear that the earthly father is a reflections of the Heavenly Father. I like the way Louie Giglio talks about our Heavenly Father. "God is not a reflection of your earthly father He is the perfection of your earthly father." God is so much more than what any of us as fathers could reflect but satan knows he can use that distortion to turn us from God instead of running to God. If you have a view of God that He does not care, or that He might strike you down or that He left you, then why would you go to Him? So if we are going to be a child of God then there are a few things you have to understand about your relationship with God.
1) Once a Child always a child.
If you have a child that runs away from home does that mean they are no longer your child? Before we go any further just because you think you are a child of God does not mean you are. So before you apply this attribute of who God says you are to your life you need to make sure you are a child of His. But if you are then you can rest in the fact that you cannot be "Dechild" (yes I made that word up)
Romans 8:38-For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I heard a Christian Comedian talk about God like a GPS. If you do not listen to your GPS because you know better and you go somewhere you did not intend to be, the GPS does not jump out of the car it just recauluates. God always takes you where you are to where you need to be. Once you accept the free gift of salvation and you become His child, there is nothing that can take that away.
2) You are adopted not had
Ephesians 1:4-6 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
If you see a woman who is pregnant you ask her "what are you having". (Before asking any woman what she is having it is vitally important that you know for sure she is pregnant. Failure to do so could lead you to experience physical harm.) If you are a child of God then you are adopted. Do you see the difference? One is what are you having? (no choice) One is being adopted. (God picked you) If you are adopted did you know you were chosen by your parents? My mom had me and did not have a choice in what she was getting. God knew what He was getting when He adopted me as His child and He knew all of my faults ahead of time so when I do not do what I know I am supposed to do, He does not kick me out on the street. So if you are adopted into the love of God and become His child, you never have to worry about losing that love or your status as a child.
3) God really likes you
I know it sounds funny using the word like instead of the word love, but God does enjoy being with you. Sometimes we think of God loving us as something He has to do. Going back to our parents they will always love us but they get frustrated with our actions. Because of that we do not always have the view that God really wants to spend time with us as His children.
Zephaniah 3:17The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Do you picture God singing over you? Can you picture God singing? He created singing. He delights in you and He will even sing songs to you to let you know about how much He loves you. Yes God will sing you a love song.
4) Daddy is His name
Jesus really shook things up with this concept of God. The Jews had such a reverence for God that they would not even spell His whole name. Jesus was showing that God wants to be so close to you in a relationship that you will call Him daddy. (The other extreme is a danger if you do not revere God but for now we are focusing on what Jesus said about Him)
Matthew 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Do you start your prayers with Daddy? Jesus did. That is how He said we should pray. If a child brings their daddy a broken toy a loving daddy will take it and try to fix it. The child with tears in their eyes will say "Daddy Broken", as they hold the toy up. The loving daddy will reach down and take the toy and go to work. But you also know that there are times when a loving daddy cannot fix the toy (of course God always could if He chose to) so what does the loving daddy do then? He picks the child up and holds the child and comforts the child.
Do you see God as a God who reaches down and holds you when all of life seems broken?
Matthew 6:25-26 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
As a child you did not worry about your mortgage payment, the electric bill, the car payment or even the amount spent on groceries. You thought of things like playing and cartoons. When we get the view of God as daddy we realize that He will take care of those things. As children we trust our parents to handle all of those things and Jesus is showing us that God as daddy will take care of all of it.
5) God will give spankings
I know spankings are not something that is a popular notion anymore but when I was a child it was, and I deserved everyone I recieved. My parents loved me so much it hurt. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the discipline and training I recieved as a child. I hated it at the time but now I see the results of children who did not recieve discipline as a child.
Hebrews 12:7-11 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
6) God wants you to change your view of Him
In Luke 15 we see the story of the prodigal son. To us this story may not be as big of a deal but in Jesus day He took a common story and changed the ending. In the Jewish tradition the Jewish father would banish the son away from the house and the family as punishment for leaving the family. When Jesus told it he showed the Father running to the son, hugging him while the son was still filthy, and throwing a party for the son. Jesus whole point was to change how people viewed God. If you have the wrong view of God then you will not relate to Him the way you should.
Have you ever had someone talk negative about someone and after you meet that person you do not think they are that bad? Why? You had the wrong view of them until you really got to know them because someone tainted your view of them. People have the wrong view of God because others have given them the wrong view of God. So before you start saying how God acts, how He is and how He operates, you should ask Him for yourself. He has written a whole book about Himself so you can get to know Him. Just like you would not want anyone talking about you who did not know you, we need to go to the source in the Bible to see who God really is.
What view of God do you have that is not who He really is? Have you found yourself over the years changing your view of God? If you are not sure about some things of God then go to the source.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Direction you are looking will determine your direction
If you are driving and you look to your left or right you tend to start drifting that way. Where your eyes are focused determines which direction you are heading. One of the things we are always told is to "PAY ATTENTION" (yes it seems I always heard it in a screaming voice) But to pay implies that it will cost us something. We have to give up something now to gain something later. If you Pay Attention to your health every day then it will pay off later. You pay now or you pay later but you will always pay. There are always things we should pay less attention to and other things we should pay more attention to. We get sidetracked so easily by things that are less important and by people that we should not even giving any of our attention to.
“There are people and activities that have the potential to lure us away from the things to which we should be paying attention. And if we are honest, the cost of disentangling ourselves from unhealthy relationships and activities seems to high a price to pay.” (Pg 144 Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley)
One of the most difficult things to get rid of in our lives are the unhealthy relationships that we sometimes have. People that our in our lives that take too much attention away from the things we need to be focused on. As parents we always warn our children about who they hang out with and the negative effects those relationships can have on their lives. What about us as adults? Are we around people and places that steal our attention away? Do we have people in our lives that are more of a hindrance to the things we need to be doing? Getting rid of the distractions, or paying attention, will cost you. People will not understand why you no longer hang around them, people will not understand why you did not take that job promotion, people will ask you questions that you will not be able to answer because you do not want to talk badly about the people you need to move away from. People will not understand right away but your concern is to pay attention now to the things God is calling you to do rather than having people who pull you away with things they want you to do.
Deuteronomy 7:12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.
God is warning the children of Israel to not get distracted by the other gods and the other lifestyles of those living in their region. It is so easy for us to get trapped into thinking about the things they have instead of the things of God. We see commercials that show us things that they say we need even though we do not have any need for them.
<strong>Hebrews 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
You never wind up where you want to be by changing your course a bunch of times or by just drifting along. You have to be intentional about where you are going and how you are going to get there. Who are those people in your life that always try to get you off course by getting you to go somewhere or do something that you know is not going to help you get where you need to go? They are people that are concerned about only themselves and the joy ride they are on. You have to identify them and make sure they do not become a distraction to the course in life you set out.
A Captain will always set his course ahead of time and determine the best way to arrive at the destination. Yes he will have to make course corrections because of storms or even engine trouble but a captain will not allow others to tell them to make extra stops along the journey or to change the course of the boat. Too many people live their lives as if they are in a speed boat rather than on a cruise liner. They whip in an out around others cruising along without a care in the world.They change direction without even having to think about it but at the end of the day one boat goes back to the dock and one boat goes on a journey.
We all like the speed boat moments and it is alright to have those days but remember a cruise liner has fun as well. A cruise liner takes more people on the journey with them than a speed boat could ever think about taking. They have fun on the journey together and they go to places that the speed boat could not go. And when they arrive at their destination they have speed boats moments before leaving for their next journey together. The difference between a speed boat and a cruise liner is the cruise liner takes more thought and more planning to reach its destination. The speed boat just goes along not knowing what the day will hold and where they might go. The speed boat does not have a destination but only a concern for having fun for the day. There is minimal pay for the speed boat and the course can change quickly. The speed boat only takes a few on their day trip because only a few can be a part of someones life that has no direction or destination.
Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
Psalms 119:35-37Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
What goals do you have? Are you setting a course to reach those goals? People that say they want to be led by the spirit everyday do not realize that goals allow you to do just that. God always has the ability to redirect your course. He will allow storms to come your way so He can guide you where He wants you to be. The spirit guiding hand will be in your planning as well. (see Nehemiah)
Pay the price you need to pay in order to reap the benefits down the road and do not allow others to distract you.
“There are people and activities that have the potential to lure us away from the things to which we should be paying attention. And if we are honest, the cost of disentangling ourselves from unhealthy relationships and activities seems to high a price to pay.” (Pg 144 Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley)
One of the most difficult things to get rid of in our lives are the unhealthy relationships that we sometimes have. People that our in our lives that take too much attention away from the things we need to be focused on. As parents we always warn our children about who they hang out with and the negative effects those relationships can have on their lives. What about us as adults? Are we around people and places that steal our attention away? Do we have people in our lives that are more of a hindrance to the things we need to be doing? Getting rid of the distractions, or paying attention, will cost you. People will not understand why you no longer hang around them, people will not understand why you did not take that job promotion, people will ask you questions that you will not be able to answer because you do not want to talk badly about the people you need to move away from. People will not understand right away but your concern is to pay attention now to the things God is calling you to do rather than having people who pull you away with things they want you to do.
Deuteronomy 7:12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.
God is warning the children of Israel to not get distracted by the other gods and the other lifestyles of those living in their region. It is so easy for us to get trapped into thinking about the things they have instead of the things of God. We see commercials that show us things that they say we need even though we do not have any need for them.
<strong>Hebrews 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
You never wind up where you want to be by changing your course a bunch of times or by just drifting along. You have to be intentional about where you are going and how you are going to get there. Who are those people in your life that always try to get you off course by getting you to go somewhere or do something that you know is not going to help you get where you need to go? They are people that are concerned about only themselves and the joy ride they are on. You have to identify them and make sure they do not become a distraction to the course in life you set out.
A Captain will always set his course ahead of time and determine the best way to arrive at the destination. Yes he will have to make course corrections because of storms or even engine trouble but a captain will not allow others to tell them to make extra stops along the journey or to change the course of the boat. Too many people live their lives as if they are in a speed boat rather than on a cruise liner. They whip in an out around others cruising along without a care in the world.They change direction without even having to think about it but at the end of the day one boat goes back to the dock and one boat goes on a journey.
We all like the speed boat moments and it is alright to have those days but remember a cruise liner has fun as well. A cruise liner takes more people on the journey with them than a speed boat could ever think about taking. They have fun on the journey together and they go to places that the speed boat could not go. And when they arrive at their destination they have speed boats moments before leaving for their next journey together. The difference between a speed boat and a cruise liner is the cruise liner takes more thought and more planning to reach its destination. The speed boat just goes along not knowing what the day will hold and where they might go. The speed boat does not have a destination but only a concern for having fun for the day. There is minimal pay for the speed boat and the course can change quickly. The speed boat only takes a few on their day trip because only a few can be a part of someones life that has no direction or destination.
Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
Psalms 119:35-37Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
What goals do you have? Are you setting a course to reach those goals? People that say they want to be led by the spirit everyday do not realize that goals allow you to do just that. God always has the ability to redirect your course. He will allow storms to come your way so He can guide you where He wants you to be. The spirit guiding hand will be in your planning as well. (see Nehemiah)
Pay the price you need to pay in order to reap the benefits down the road and do not allow others to distract you.
God is our Friend
We have all heard the song about being friend of God but what does that mean? How can we call God friend when He is, well, God?
We must always remember that when Jesus came to earth He was constantly challenging the ideas that people had of God. He wanted to show that God was not a distant God but a God that is relational on every level.
Think about why you like hanging out with your friends. What things do you do together? What things do you have in common? That is how God wants to be viewed. Have you ever started liking a team or a television show because a friend of yours likes them? When we become friends with God we also start liking the same things He likes. We get interested in the things He is interested in. We do things He wants to do and we even enjoy them because we are with our friend who enjoys them.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Immanuel means God with us, not God over us, around us or even near us. God with us is an intimate term.
Read Luke 10:38-41
Martha was more concerned with doing things FOR Jesus and Mary was more concerned with BEING WITH Jesus. Do you see the difference.
Martha viewed the evening as dinner for God
Mary viewed the evening as dinner with God
John 15:13-15 13Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Look at what Jesus is saying. If you are a true friend then you will do things for Jesus. Girls are better at this then guys, but when a girl goes to a store and sees something for her friend, she buys it. She can not wait to see her friend so she can say, I was thinking of you when I bought this, or did this. She is not forced to do it, but it is something that comes naturally to her because she loves her friend and just wanted to do something for her. When we think following Jesus becomes a list of do's and dont's then we miss the joy of being with Him. We become a Martha who is trying to please Jesus rather than a Mary who just wants to be with Him.
Think about your true friends for a moment. Do you clean the house before they come over? Do you leave the dishes and the wash out because you know they do not care? Are true friends allowed to stop by whenever they want? People that are guest you have to clean the house, the car, the dog and anything and everything that can be cleaned. When Jesus becomes your friend you just want to spend time with Him and you act in a certain way because you are His friend. Servants serve and friends enjoy.
When you have a bad day do you tell a friend? We call our friends and tell them everything. Jesus says He calls us friends and He wants us to know what He is up to and what He is doing. If you do not see yourself as a friend to God then why not? Would you say you are a Martha or a Mary? God loves you so much and He wants you to have a relationship with Him that you have never experienced before. He wants to be your friend and do things with you and for you. Not for any other reason that He is your friend.
We must always remember that when Jesus came to earth He was constantly challenging the ideas that people had of God. He wanted to show that God was not a distant God but a God that is relational on every level.
Think about why you like hanging out with your friends. What things do you do together? What things do you have in common? That is how God wants to be viewed. Have you ever started liking a team or a television show because a friend of yours likes them? When we become friends with God we also start liking the same things He likes. We get interested in the things He is interested in. We do things He wants to do and we even enjoy them because we are with our friend who enjoys them.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Immanuel means God with us, not God over us, around us or even near us. God with us is an intimate term.
Read Luke 10:38-41
Martha was more concerned with doing things FOR Jesus and Mary was more concerned with BEING WITH Jesus. Do you see the difference.
Martha viewed the evening as dinner for God
Mary viewed the evening as dinner with God
John 15:13-15 13Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Look at what Jesus is saying. If you are a true friend then you will do things for Jesus. Girls are better at this then guys, but when a girl goes to a store and sees something for her friend, she buys it. She can not wait to see her friend so she can say, I was thinking of you when I bought this, or did this. She is not forced to do it, but it is something that comes naturally to her because she loves her friend and just wanted to do something for her. When we think following Jesus becomes a list of do's and dont's then we miss the joy of being with Him. We become a Martha who is trying to please Jesus rather than a Mary who just wants to be with Him.
Think about your true friends for a moment. Do you clean the house before they come over? Do you leave the dishes and the wash out because you know they do not care? Are true friends allowed to stop by whenever they want? People that are guest you have to clean the house, the car, the dog and anything and everything that can be cleaned. When Jesus becomes your friend you just want to spend time with Him and you act in a certain way because you are His friend. Servants serve and friends enjoy.
When you have a bad day do you tell a friend? We call our friends and tell them everything. Jesus says He calls us friends and He wants us to know what He is up to and what He is doing. If you do not see yourself as a friend to God then why not? Would you say you are a Martha or a Mary? God loves you so much and He wants you to have a relationship with Him that you have never experienced before. He wants to be your friend and do things with you and for you. Not for any other reason that He is your friend.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Seeking wisdom from those who have gone before you
One of the first signs of pride is that you have all the answers to every situation in life. When you always have an answer to every situation in life that shows that you are not only a "know it all" but you also think you are the authority on every issue. Since God created us to rely on each other we can not be a "know it all" and we cannot rely on our own knowledge. God created us for each other so that we rely on each other as we seek Him.
In 1 Kings 12:1-15 we see Solomons son take over as king. He is quickly put to the test with his first request from the people to lighten the load his father had put on the people. He makes the first wise decision when he tells the people to come back in three days for him to have time to make a decision. If someone is pressing you to make a decision quickly then you need to find out if this is a decision that can wait. Most decisions can and only in dire situations do decisions need to be made quickly.
He then makes another wise decision by seeking out the elders that had served with his dad. He asked them what he should do and they gave him some great advice. They told him that if he would lighten the peoples load then the people would serve him forever. Unfortunately, like many of us, he decided to go to his buddies and ask them what they think. Like most guys who say dumb stuff when they are together, these guys were no different. If you do not believe me read it for yourself. Statements like "my finger is bigger than my father waist" and "I will whip you with Scorpions" all show that his pride got in the way of him making the best decision.
He started off making the right decision but then when he did not get the advice he wanted he quickly moved on to find someone that agreed with him. That is not seeking advice that is just making sure you have friends that agree with you. Unfortunately because of his decisions he split the kingdom.
If you read about successful people they will tell you that they do not know it all. What they will tell you is they do know people that know about areas they need to know about. They know who to ask and who they can trust that will not just tell them what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.
Proverbs 1:5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-
Upgrade your GPS
If you want to be wise then you need to seek advice from those who either know or who have traveled the road ahead of you. The problem we sometimes run into is that we inherit bad road maps (advice) along the way. My GPS does not have all the updates that it needs for me to get where I need to go all the time. In fact my own house does not show up on my GPS so when I pull into my driveway my GPS shows that I am in the middle of nowhere. Part of the problem is I am cheap and I refuse to pay the money for the upgrade. Because of that it sometimes takes me a direction that takes more time because it does not have new roads that now exist. With all of us, whether we like it, or want to admit it, we have inherited maps from our parents. It is our way of negotiating through life. Because we have not paid he price to upgraded our system, it tends to cost us time and money in our journey. Yes it is our way of doing things but that does not mean it is the best way to go.
Don't Follow the Herd
Another common mistake is to believe that since so many people are going a certain that it must be the right way to go. Have you ever been following a group of cars somewhere only to find out the guy in the lead has no clue where they are going? That is so frustrating especially if they are the type of person that swears they know where they are going. The issue only gets worse because they are not willing to admit that they are lost and they will not stop and ask for directions. So just because many people are heading a certain way does not mean that it is the right way direction.
Don't be afraid to pull over
If you ever been lost you always have this feeling that it is just around the next turn that your destination awaits. This can be so deceiving and it can lead you to keep going even when you need to stop and get directions. No one likes to admit they are lost but at points in our lives we have to swallow our pride and realize that others can help us get where we need to be, if we would just ask. It may be time for you to stop and ask for directions and seek the advice of others to help you on your journey.
Proverbs 11:4 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.
Get a Coach
Does Tiger Woods have a coach? Does Micheal Phelps? These athletes would be good athletes by themselves but they know that if they want to be the best they can be that they need someone who will be willing to tell them the flaws they have in their life. The only way they can get better is to have someone help evaluate their flaws and give them advice on how to improve. We all need people that are not afraid to tell us the hard things in life. Unfortunately, like Rehoboam, we usually only surround ourselves with people that tell us what we want to hear. Sometimes the best people we can have in our lives our those that see things from a different perspective than us. People that are willing to ask us questions and to help us evaluate where we are going. If you do not have a coach ask God to put one in your life. Someone who can help you be better tomorrow than you are today.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
If you do not evaluate where you are going, and seek advice from those who have gone before you, then you will wind up in a place you never intended to be.
In 1 Kings 12:1-15 we see Solomons son take over as king. He is quickly put to the test with his first request from the people to lighten the load his father had put on the people. He makes the first wise decision when he tells the people to come back in three days for him to have time to make a decision. If someone is pressing you to make a decision quickly then you need to find out if this is a decision that can wait. Most decisions can and only in dire situations do decisions need to be made quickly.
He then makes another wise decision by seeking out the elders that had served with his dad. He asked them what he should do and they gave him some great advice. They told him that if he would lighten the peoples load then the people would serve him forever. Unfortunately, like many of us, he decided to go to his buddies and ask them what they think. Like most guys who say dumb stuff when they are together, these guys were no different. If you do not believe me read it for yourself. Statements like "my finger is bigger than my father waist" and "I will whip you with Scorpions" all show that his pride got in the way of him making the best decision.
He started off making the right decision but then when he did not get the advice he wanted he quickly moved on to find someone that agreed with him. That is not seeking advice that is just making sure you have friends that agree with you. Unfortunately because of his decisions he split the kingdom.
If you read about successful people they will tell you that they do not know it all. What they will tell you is they do know people that know about areas they need to know about. They know who to ask and who they can trust that will not just tell them what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.
Proverbs 1:5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-
Upgrade your GPS
If you want to be wise then you need to seek advice from those who either know or who have traveled the road ahead of you. The problem we sometimes run into is that we inherit bad road maps (advice) along the way. My GPS does not have all the updates that it needs for me to get where I need to go all the time. In fact my own house does not show up on my GPS so when I pull into my driveway my GPS shows that I am in the middle of nowhere. Part of the problem is I am cheap and I refuse to pay the money for the upgrade. Because of that it sometimes takes me a direction that takes more time because it does not have new roads that now exist. With all of us, whether we like it, or want to admit it, we have inherited maps from our parents. It is our way of negotiating through life. Because we have not paid he price to upgraded our system, it tends to cost us time and money in our journey. Yes it is our way of doing things but that does not mean it is the best way to go.
Don't Follow the Herd
Another common mistake is to believe that since so many people are going a certain that it must be the right way to go. Have you ever been following a group of cars somewhere only to find out the guy in the lead has no clue where they are going? That is so frustrating especially if they are the type of person that swears they know where they are going. The issue only gets worse because they are not willing to admit that they are lost and they will not stop and ask for directions. So just because many people are heading a certain way does not mean that it is the right way direction.
Don't be afraid to pull over
If you ever been lost you always have this feeling that it is just around the next turn that your destination awaits. This can be so deceiving and it can lead you to keep going even when you need to stop and get directions. No one likes to admit they are lost but at points in our lives we have to swallow our pride and realize that others can help us get where we need to be, if we would just ask. It may be time for you to stop and ask for directions and seek the advice of others to help you on your journey.
Proverbs 11:4 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.
Get a Coach
Does Tiger Woods have a coach? Does Micheal Phelps? These athletes would be good athletes by themselves but they know that if they want to be the best they can be that they need someone who will be willing to tell them the flaws they have in their life. The only way they can get better is to have someone help evaluate their flaws and give them advice on how to improve. We all need people that are not afraid to tell us the hard things in life. Unfortunately, like Rehoboam, we usually only surround ourselves with people that tell us what we want to hear. Sometimes the best people we can have in our lives our those that see things from a different perspective than us. People that are willing to ask us questions and to help us evaluate where we are going. If you do not have a coach ask God to put one in your life. Someone who can help you be better tomorrow than you are today.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
If you do not evaluate where you are going, and seek advice from those who have gone before you, then you will wind up in a place you never intended to be.
Monday, September 14, 2009
You are the Bride of Christ
Why is knowing who you are so important? Because if you think of yourself a certain way then you will act a certain way. Satan knows this so he tries to get you to view yourself as anything other than who you really are.
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
Yes there is someone who accuses you of being someone you really are not.
Did you know the the Bible never refers to a Christian as a sinner?
So if the Bible never refers to you as a sinner then who is telling you that you are? What if we lived our lives as if we are not sinners instead of saved sinners? Do you see the difference? One is telling you that you are no longer a sinner and the other is saying you are still as sinner who just happens to be saved. It is a lie that Satan uses all the time to trick us into believing something about ourselves that is not true. If he gets you to think that you are someone that has to sin then you will sin. If you believe what the Bible says about you then you know that you no longer have to sin.
Romans 6:6-7 For 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.
We are free from sin. That means we no longer have to sin. Why do we choose to sin? One reason is because we live as if we have not been freed from the sin. As my friend Brent Gambrell says, "when Jesus Christ died on the cross, he did not say, I hope this helps". No He said it is finished.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God has declared us righteous not because of anything we have done or can do but because of what Christ did on the cross. So if God sees you as righteous then how should you see yourself?
We have all been to a wedding and finally that moment comes,(no not the reception with all the great food) when the Bride comes to the door. It is a moment when a different song is usually played, everyone stands in her honor, and all eyes our focused on this woman who has spent hours getting herself ready for this big moment.As recent shows have demonstrated, Brides go to great lengths to make this day the perfect day. The average wedding cost around $20,000 as Brides try to make themselves and the wedding perfect. As someone who has performed weddings I can tell you that when the Bride comes into the room it is also the time that grooms knees begin to shake as they are overwhelmed with the beauty of their bride. It is a great moment and this is the moment that God is referring to when He calls us His bride. (See Ephesians 5:25-32) He says we are loved like a husband loves his wife.
Do you believe that God views you like that?
Do you see yourself the way God sees you as a Bride?
Too many times we listen to the accusations of the one who hates us instead of the one who loves us. We hear that God cannot love someone who has done that, or no other Christian thinks that way, or God cannot even look at you for all you have done. These are all lies and what it does is make us ineffective as followers of Christ.
Isaiah 38:17Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
God literally takes the sins that you have done and He throws them behind His back. He cast them away without a care about them because He knows that they are insignificant because they are no more. So when you hear the accusers voice whispering or screaming in your ear, that you are unworthy to be the Bride of Christ, you can no He longer sees your sin but the righteousness of Christ living in you. (Colossians 3:3)
Like every Bride, she has to accept the invitation from the groom to be married. Brides have to accept the invitation or they are not a Bride. If you want to be joined with Christ then you have to accept the invitation He is giving. If you do not accept that invitation then you will not be found Holy, Righteous or perfect. And if you are not found to be any of those things then you will have no union with God.
If that is not something you have done it is as simple as saying yes to God and allowing Him to have your life. Just like a marriage you will become one with Him and the two will become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24) This means that you will take on the characteristics of God.
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
Yes there is someone who accuses you of being someone you really are not.
Did you know the the Bible never refers to a Christian as a sinner?
So if the Bible never refers to you as a sinner then who is telling you that you are? What if we lived our lives as if we are not sinners instead of saved sinners? Do you see the difference? One is telling you that you are no longer a sinner and the other is saying you are still as sinner who just happens to be saved. It is a lie that Satan uses all the time to trick us into believing something about ourselves that is not true. If he gets you to think that you are someone that has to sin then you will sin. If you believe what the Bible says about you then you know that you no longer have to sin.
Romans 6:6-7 For 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.
We are free from sin. That means we no longer have to sin. Why do we choose to sin? One reason is because we live as if we have not been freed from the sin. As my friend Brent Gambrell says, "when Jesus Christ died on the cross, he did not say, I hope this helps". No He said it is finished.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God has declared us righteous not because of anything we have done or can do but because of what Christ did on the cross. So if God sees you as righteous then how should you see yourself?
We have all been to a wedding and finally that moment comes,(no not the reception with all the great food) when the Bride comes to the door. It is a moment when a different song is usually played, everyone stands in her honor, and all eyes our focused on this woman who has spent hours getting herself ready for this big moment.As recent shows have demonstrated, Brides go to great lengths to make this day the perfect day. The average wedding cost around $20,000 as Brides try to make themselves and the wedding perfect. As someone who has performed weddings I can tell you that when the Bride comes into the room it is also the time that grooms knees begin to shake as they are overwhelmed with the beauty of their bride. It is a great moment and this is the moment that God is referring to when He calls us His bride. (See Ephesians 5:25-32) He says we are loved like a husband loves his wife.
Do you believe that God views you like that?
Do you see yourself the way God sees you as a Bride?
Too many times we listen to the accusations of the one who hates us instead of the one who loves us. We hear that God cannot love someone who has done that, or no other Christian thinks that way, or God cannot even look at you for all you have done. These are all lies and what it does is make us ineffective as followers of Christ.
Isaiah 38:17Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
God literally takes the sins that you have done and He throws them behind His back. He cast them away without a care about them because He knows that they are insignificant because they are no more. So when you hear the accusers voice whispering or screaming in your ear, that you are unworthy to be the Bride of Christ, you can no He longer sees your sin but the righteousness of Christ living in you. (Colossians 3:3)
Like every Bride, she has to accept the invitation from the groom to be married. Brides have to accept the invitation or they are not a Bride. If you want to be joined with Christ then you have to accept the invitation He is giving. If you do not accept that invitation then you will not be found Holy, Righteous or perfect. And if you are not found to be any of those things then you will have no union with God.
If that is not something you have done it is as simple as saying yes to God and allowing Him to have your life. Just like a marriage you will become one with Him and the two will become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24) This means that you will take on the characteristics of God.
Monday, September 7, 2009
You are a Priest
1) What would change about your day if you woke up and you were dressed as a Priest and you could not take the outfit off?
2) If you could be anyone in the world who would it be and why?
3) If you could go anywhere in the world, that you currently could not go now, where would it be?
Several movies have been made with people waking up and they are not who they were. Santa Clause with Tim Allen, Freaky Friday, 13 going on 30 and even the shaggy dog, are all examples of people becoming something they were not before. The reality is this is what happens to you when you become a Christian. You become something you were not and something that God is creating you to be.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Just like any of those movies mentioned above there is an adjustment period as you get used to the person God is now creating inside of your old skin. The problem comes when we do not realize who we are and what God calls us. We need to know the new person that God has created in us because if we do not know who we are then we will not act who we are. If a grown man thinks he is a five year old then we look at them with pity because they cannot see who they really are.
1Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you have received mercy.
Reread that first line in 1 Peter 2. Do you believe that? Do you believe God looked down and chose you? That you are royalty? That you are a Priest? A Holy Nation?
Chosen
Do you remember what it was like in recess when they picked teams? Everyone got to play but you just did not want to be picked last. As soon as you were chosen you were so relieved and happy. The same thing is true with God, He chose to love the World despite how we acted toward Him. We are accepted not based on what we have or have not done but on what Christ did for us on the cross. (Hebrews 10:10)
Royal Priesthood
Do you hear the trumpets blowing when you step into the presence of God? This is not because you earned it but because of what Christ did but the fact remains you are royalty. Does that make you think differently of yourself? What about a Priest? Do you see yourself as a Priest? The image that comes to mind is probably like the one shown above. Although that is our first image the reality is the Priest was able to go where no one else could go. A priest had access to God like no other. Once a year a Priest was chosen to go and meet with God in the Holy of Holies. God would come down and sit on the Ark of the Covenant on a place called the Mercy Seat. Peter now says that you have full access to God just like the Priest had in the Old Testament. The audience of Peters day would have been blown away by such a thought and the notion that a Holy God would meet with a unHoly people could not be fathomed. This is exactly what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross. (Matthew 27:50-51)
Hebrews 10:19-22 So, friends, we can now-without hesitaion- walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place". Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body. So let's do it- full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. (The message)
Have you ever felt that after you have sinned you could not go to God? This is one of satan's tricks. He lures you into a sin and then he accuses you before the Father. He tries to make us inactive as Christians so that others cannot come to know about Jesus Christ. Peter was reminding them that because of Jesus Christ they no longer had to be frozen in their sin but could go back to God in full assurance that they were already forgiven. Jesus took care of all the sins that you have ever committed, and will commit.(Hebrews 9:28)
So if you were to wake up in the morning and realize that you are a Priest, how would your life change? The reality is that if you are a Christian, you are a Priest, so act accordingly.
2) If you could be anyone in the world who would it be and why?
3) If you could go anywhere in the world, that you currently could not go now, where would it be?
Several movies have been made with people waking up and they are not who they were. Santa Clause with Tim Allen, Freaky Friday, 13 going on 30 and even the shaggy dog, are all examples of people becoming something they were not before. The reality is this is what happens to you when you become a Christian. You become something you were not and something that God is creating you to be.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Just like any of those movies mentioned above there is an adjustment period as you get used to the person God is now creating inside of your old skin. The problem comes when we do not realize who we are and what God calls us. We need to know the new person that God has created in us because if we do not know who we are then we will not act who we are. If a grown man thinks he is a five year old then we look at them with pity because they cannot see who they really are.
1Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you have received mercy.
Reread that first line in 1 Peter 2. Do you believe that? Do you believe God looked down and chose you? That you are royalty? That you are a Priest? A Holy Nation?
Chosen
Do you remember what it was like in recess when they picked teams? Everyone got to play but you just did not want to be picked last. As soon as you were chosen you were so relieved and happy. The same thing is true with God, He chose to love the World despite how we acted toward Him. We are accepted not based on what we have or have not done but on what Christ did for us on the cross. (Hebrews 10:10)
Royal Priesthood
Do you hear the trumpets blowing when you step into the presence of God? This is not because you earned it but because of what Christ did but the fact remains you are royalty. Does that make you think differently of yourself? What about a Priest? Do you see yourself as a Priest? The image that comes to mind is probably like the one shown above. Although that is our first image the reality is the Priest was able to go where no one else could go. A priest had access to God like no other. Once a year a Priest was chosen to go and meet with God in the Holy of Holies. God would come down and sit on the Ark of the Covenant on a place called the Mercy Seat. Peter now says that you have full access to God just like the Priest had in the Old Testament. The audience of Peters day would have been blown away by such a thought and the notion that a Holy God would meet with a unHoly people could not be fathomed. This is exactly what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross. (Matthew 27:50-51)
Hebrews 10:19-22 So, friends, we can now-without hesitaion- walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place". Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body. So let's do it- full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. (The message)
Have you ever felt that after you have sinned you could not go to God? This is one of satan's tricks. He lures you into a sin and then he accuses you before the Father. He tries to make us inactive as Christians so that others cannot come to know about Jesus Christ. Peter was reminding them that because of Jesus Christ they no longer had to be frozen in their sin but could go back to God in full assurance that they were already forgiven. Jesus took care of all the sins that you have ever committed, and will commit.(Hebrews 9:28)
So if you were to wake up in the morning and realize that you are a Priest, how would your life change? The reality is that if you are a Christian, you are a Priest, so act accordingly.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
What's Your Story?
We all tell a story every day about who we are by the decisions we make. Too many times we do not think about the stories that people will tell about our lives, but we all know people do. We know this because we tell stories about others. We think that an individual decision will not cost us our reputation, but it can every time.
King David was in a situation where he had to make a decision in the heat of the moment. Would he make the right one? What was the right decision to make? He had several factors working against him but in the midst of it he was able to see clear enough to make sure he did not have a reputation that he would regret.
It all starts in a cave as David and his men were hiding from Saul and his army. In the midst of King Saul getting focused on killing David, he let his guard down and so did Saul's men. You can read the story in 1 Samuel 24 but the short version is that Saul went into a cave to go to the bathroom and it just happened to be the same cave that David and his men were hiding in. David had an opportunity to kill Saul and end all of his problems and the problems of his followers. He only had a short window of opportunity and a decision had to be made quickly. It seemed like a no brain er but David knew differently.
Looking at the Facts:
1) David was anointed King even though Saul was still King (1 Samuel 16:1)
2) David was hated by King Saul
3) David had to leave his wife and the comfort of his house to run for his life.
4) David had some loyal men who were also running for their lives.
5) Saul walked right into their hands, which seemed to be from the Lord.
6) David's loyal men were urging him to kill Saul.
If we were to look at this situation we would think the Lord had answered our prayer and wanted us to kill King Saul and have David take the throne. But David knew better. David knew that the same God who put King Saul in charge could also take Saul out whenever He wanted. Romans 13 is clear that God establishes those who are in authority to accomplish Gods will. David knew that God established the Kings of the land and decided to not kill King Saul. David did cut off a piece of King Saul's robe to show Saul that he did not have any intent on harming him. Only after Saul left the cave did David reveal to Saul that he had the opportunity to kill him.
David had incredible restraint to not intervene on the situation and change history forever. Instead he submitted to God and allowed God to do what He felt was best no matter how bad David's circumstances had become.
SO WHAT?
If David would have killed Saul, no one would have blamed him but at the same time it would have been a story that was told forever about how David rose to power. Instead the story David chose to be told about himself was that he trusted God with his circumstances no matter if it looked like he had a way out. This story would be passed down forever and because David chose to trust God instead of his own resources, people would admire him even more.
What will people say about you? Will they say you took matters into your own hands? You rose to power by knocking off the person ahead of you? Will they say you trusted God with your circumstances or your own resources? This was not the only time that David could have killed Saul but he knew that to touch the Lord's anointed would be an offense to God.
1 Samuel 26:9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?
Who in your life do you need to allow to live and allow God to take care of? Even though you have evidence against them that could destroy them, do you need to allow God to intervene? (Of course I am not referring to matters of law but of personal injustice) If you allow God to handle your situation, then your story will be how you trusted God even though you could have used your own means in dealing with them.
“One never accomplishes the will of God by breaking the law of God, violating the principles of God, or ignoring the wisdom of God.” Andy Stanley
1 Samuel 24:12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.
Before you act ask yourself: What story will they tell about me after I make this decision?
King David was in a situation where he had to make a decision in the heat of the moment. Would he make the right one? What was the right decision to make? He had several factors working against him but in the midst of it he was able to see clear enough to make sure he did not have a reputation that he would regret.
It all starts in a cave as David and his men were hiding from Saul and his army. In the midst of King Saul getting focused on killing David, he let his guard down and so did Saul's men. You can read the story in 1 Samuel 24 but the short version is that Saul went into a cave to go to the bathroom and it just happened to be the same cave that David and his men were hiding in. David had an opportunity to kill Saul and end all of his problems and the problems of his followers. He only had a short window of opportunity and a decision had to be made quickly. It seemed like a no brain er but David knew differently.
Looking at the Facts:
1) David was anointed King even though Saul was still King (1 Samuel 16:1)
2) David was hated by King Saul
3) David had to leave his wife and the comfort of his house to run for his life.
4) David had some loyal men who were also running for their lives.
5) Saul walked right into their hands, which seemed to be from the Lord.
6) David's loyal men were urging him to kill Saul.
If we were to look at this situation we would think the Lord had answered our prayer and wanted us to kill King Saul and have David take the throne. But David knew better. David knew that the same God who put King Saul in charge could also take Saul out whenever He wanted. Romans 13 is clear that God establishes those who are in authority to accomplish Gods will. David knew that God established the Kings of the land and decided to not kill King Saul. David did cut off a piece of King Saul's robe to show Saul that he did not have any intent on harming him. Only after Saul left the cave did David reveal to Saul that he had the opportunity to kill him.
David had incredible restraint to not intervene on the situation and change history forever. Instead he submitted to God and allowed God to do what He felt was best no matter how bad David's circumstances had become.
SO WHAT?
If David would have killed Saul, no one would have blamed him but at the same time it would have been a story that was told forever about how David rose to power. Instead the story David chose to be told about himself was that he trusted God with his circumstances no matter if it looked like he had a way out. This story would be passed down forever and because David chose to trust God instead of his own resources, people would admire him even more.
What will people say about you? Will they say you took matters into your own hands? You rose to power by knocking off the person ahead of you? Will they say you trusted God with your circumstances or your own resources? This was not the only time that David could have killed Saul but he knew that to touch the Lord's anointed would be an offense to God.
1 Samuel 26:9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?
Who in your life do you need to allow to live and allow God to take care of? Even though you have evidence against them that could destroy them, do you need to allow God to intervene? (Of course I am not referring to matters of law but of personal injustice) If you allow God to handle your situation, then your story will be how you trusted God even though you could have used your own means in dealing with them.
“One never accomplishes the will of God by breaking the law of God, violating the principles of God, or ignoring the wisdom of God.” Andy Stanley
1 Samuel 24:12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.
Before you act ask yourself: What story will they tell about me after I make this decision?
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