Hungry

Are we filling up on the junkfood and missing out on God's best for our lives?

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Living by faith

FAITH – Faith means to trust, be certain, rest in, or put confidence in. It also means to be committed to that trust or confidence.

While Faith is definitely a part of believing God’s promises to experience a supernatural work of God, it’s also meant to be the lifestyle of every Christ follower.

Because of this, I want to share a few quick insights on the subject of faith in general. For a detailed study on the subject of faith you can refer to the document library and download the study titled “ABSOLUTE FAITH”.

Click here: Absolute Faith.doc

What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1, 6 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

How important is Faith and When do we use it?
Romans 5:1-3 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Faith is how we access God’s favor/promises.
2Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.

Faith isn’t something we’re to do sometimes, it’s something we’re to do all the time. We’re to LIVE by it.

Romans 1:16-17 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

From beginning to end all that we receive from God is by faith.

Isaiah 7:9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.' "

A lack of faith affects every area of our life. If we’re unstable in our faith we will be unstable in the other areas of our lives.

Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"

The key issue here, according to Jesus, is not the power of God, not the will of God, but the people’s trust/faith in God and His promise.

Romans 14:23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Anything that is done without confidence/certainty/faith is Sin. If I’m not confident/certain that what I’m about to say or do pleases/glorifies God then I should not do it, otherwise I’m sinning.

Matthew 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Here we see that a lack of faith is a reason that many miracles don’t take place.

Where does it come from and How do we grow in it? Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (NASB)

Hearing is present active indicative, meaning hear and keep on hearing. It’s an ever present activity.

But, WHAT we hear is just as important as hearing. Most of us fill our ears with the opinions of philosophers, preachers, teachers, doctors, movie stars, etc., but that is all commentary.

The only real question is… what does God’s Word say? It’s not just hearing, but WHAT we hear, because WHAT we hear is what we will believe over time the more we hear it. So, we need to fill our ears with the Word of God.

Is there something we can’t use it for? We cannot exercise faith over the will of another person.

How do we exercise/apply it? James 2:14-19, 24, 26 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Faith always has corresponding action. It’s more than a belief.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.


Faith requires the fuel of patience/perseverance, or the analogy of a person standing, one leg is Faith the other is patience… Patience brings strength and stability to faith.

1Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Courage and resoluteness of spirit is a part of applying faith… you can’t be a coward or pushover. Understand we must be on Guard because our faith will be tested and challenged.

Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

True faith lives morally right before God.

Galatians 3:1-5, 10-12, 19-25 1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? 10All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 21Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

This life in the Spirit is a life of faith, not rigid adherence to a written code of right and wrong, but instead living out the same morally right life from our heart, because we want to not because we have to. The author of the written code now lives in our heart. By study of the written word, by prayer and learning to follow the leading of the Spirit we enter into a new kind of life.

Now the blessings, promises, and favor of God are ours not because we deserve it according to the law, but because we trust his promise regarding the work of Jesus and its affect in our life.

Colossians 2:6-23 6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Living by the Spirit is not going to look the same for everyone… By faith some will celebrate certain Holidays while others don’t; By faith some will eat and drink certain foods that others will abstain from (Vs 16). Some will engage in activities that for others are not appropriate.

The principles of “Do not… taste, touch, etc” are rules for a fallen world. We are no longer fallen, but restored and now are not governed by the law, but by the personal guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God shows us the non-negotiables of right and wrong (lying, adultery, murder, stealing, etc.), but it also makes it clear that there are many areas that are left between the Disciple and Jesus.

Romans 14:1-23 1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' " 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

It is clear there are disputable matters in life and we are left to conscience, not law to guide us in those matters. When the Bible is not clear on a matter, or at least not clear to us maybe due to a lack of knowledge or understanding, we are to be led by the spirit/heart/conscience keeping a teachable and pursuant attitude toward Christ and his truth and maintaining a humble merciful non-judgmental attitude toward others.

If our attitude is right and we continue to diligently pursue Jesus we will, in time, find greater understanding on these matters, answer some questions, and find even more questions.

It is clear that there is great freedom in Christ, but it also teaches that with that great freedom comes great responsibility; Responsibility to care for a brother with weaker faith. The key word is distressed (Vs15), not critical. There will always be critical people that nitpick your life, but it’s the ones that are genuinely distressed that we are to be concerned about.

1Corinthians 10:23-33 (NASB) 23All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
24Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
25Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience' sake;
26FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.
27If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience' sake.
28But if anyone says to you, "This is meat sacrificed to idols," do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake;
29I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?
30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

Here we see that all the earth belongs to the Lord and we have many freedoms in Christ, but we are to be careful about operating in those freedoms thinking of those around us. [Vs. 23, 25-27]

We see two standards to guide us: 1) Do all things for the glory of God with thanksgiving [Vs. 30-31] and 2) Don’t do something to cause someone to stumble [Vs. 32-33], but don’t worry about offending someone unless they approach you and say something to you out of concern of conscience [Vs. 27-29].

The key issue is: am I confident (do I have faith) that what I’m about to think, say, or do honors, pleases, and glorifies the Lord? Causing distress or guilty conscience in a person by our activity is not walking in love and is not honoring to God. We must find the balance of freedom and responsibility, not allowing one to spoil the other.

BALANCE

We hear it everyday. Live whole heartedly for Jesus! Be passionate for Christ! In fact it is written, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11

But we’re also told that Jesus came to give us life to the full, and that we’re to enjoy life, and that following the teachings of Jesus is “easy and light” compared to the teachings of other religious leaders.

So, why are so many Christians worn out, burned out, miserable people with no joy or fulfillment? Why do so many feel so wasted and wanting to quit?

One word… BALANCE. This of course is an over simplification.

The truth is there is a balance to it all, but I must say something before I talk about the balancing aspect of the Christian life… most “Christians” are not following Christ, and this is reason #1 why they are all of the above descriptives.

I do not say this lightly, nor do I say it condemningly. The truth is most American Christians have bought into something Jesus didn’t come to offer… Religion. The truth is most American Christians approach living for Jesus (True Biblical Christianity) for something far less and harder to live (a religion).

See, God never intended for us to add a new set of believes and new set of religious and moral behaviors to our pre-existing way of life. He always intended for our life to be completely changed.

It’s this religious approach (adding a few religious and moral behaviors to a pre-existing lifestyle) that has ruined so many of us. We honestly can’t figure out how to do all Jesus told us to do and still keep up the other lifestyle too. It wears us out and kills us. We think, “Jesus lied when he said his yoke (teachings) is easy and his burden is light.” But, we’re wrong.

Jesus’ teachings are easy to live out when it’s your lifestyle, not just a religious addition to your present lifestyle.

So, this is reason #1 why so many people feel so badly about their experience with Christianity.

But, reason #2 is imbalance, though this is less experienced than #1, but it does happen.

People get so focused on serving Jesus, being passionate about the mission, studying God’s word, winning people to Jesus, serving people, and so on that they miss Jesus’ M.O. (Method of Operation).

Jesus did say he lived to do the Fathers will solely, but we also know that while Jesus and many other Bible characters took following God seriously they also enjoyed life.

Part of this was learning to find joy no matter where you are and what you’re facing… Paul talks about this in 1Timothy 6. So, it’s a mindset/attitude.

But, there is also the reality that everything they did was done in the context of community (sharing life together).

We see much of their work for the Kingdom of God being done as a group, so there is a sense of community among the workers. We see much of the miracles of Jesus taking place as he was going about his business from one day to the next. It’s interesting, but it’s not the norm that Jesus sought out the sick… they sought him out while he was in their town.

It was in the midst of an open-air seminar that Jesus turned around and performed the miracle of feeding the multitudes. It was in route on a business trip that Jesus calmed a storm and healed a woman with an issue of blood. Peter was hungry, waiting on lunch, and talking with God when he had a vision and was told to go witness to the non-Jew Cornelius. Paul was in a shipwreck on his way to trial when he survived a snake bite and then healed many island people. David was simply bringing some supplies to his brothers, who were at war, when he ended up killing Goliath. Moses was simply shepherding his sheep, just like normal, when he encountered the burning bush. And on and on it goes.

The balance we have to find is one where this supernatural spirituality is lived out in everyday life. We are human beings and meant to rest and laugh and so on.

So, two things… 1) Stop living a Christian religion where God is simply an addition to your already busy and hectic lifestyle (usually contradictory too) and 2) Start renewing our mind with God’s truth and begin to see and live things from his perspective.

Good Soldiers

2Timothy 2:3-4 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.

What is a “good” soldier?

It’s one who understands and lives out his responsibility as a protector and defender of both his fellow soldiers and the citizens he represents.

It is one who takes his role and responsibility seriously, seriously enough to interrupt and inconvenience his civilian lifestyle, seriously enough to abstain from those things that would limit his ability to perform his duties to the best of his ability, seriously enough to motivate him to prepare diligently sharpening his skills well before any need arose.

It is one who takes seriously the preparation, training, necessary to be victorious in the battles he will face.

It is one who takes his enemy seriously and doesn’t let his guard down.

It is one who understands the transcendent cause to which he has committed and is so compelled by that cause and commitment to both live and die for it.

It is one who understands the nature of the war he is engaged in, understands his enemy, and strategizes seriously for victory.

It is one who, no matter the odds or how hard things get, will never ever quit.

It is one who considers the cost and lays aside self-interest (selfish living) to serve THE King and fellow countrymen and those in need.

It is one who keeps his eye on the cause and the prize and doesn’t loose sight of either no matter what the situation.

It is the label each Christian is to live up to, not for just anyone, but for THE King of all kings and THE cause of all causes.

Are We At War?

Depending on the circles we run in we may hear a lot or a little about spiritual warfare, but the Bible talks about it very directly and gives numerous examples of real life spiritual warfare.

Here are a few references for Spiritual Warfare:

Ephesians 6:10-18

1Peter 5:8

Colossians 2:13-15

1Timothy 6:12

1John 4:4

Romans 8:35-39

Here are a few examples of Spiritual Warfare:

Luke 13:10-17

Mark 9:14-32

The Entire Book of Acts

2Corinthians 11:23-12:10

We sometimes loose sight of the unseen/supernatural/spiritual world and all it’s effect on the seen/natural world.

Often circumstances and everyday living can become so routine that we forget that this natural world is just a scratch on the surface of what life is all about and that there is another side of life/creation that is even more real and more important in the big picture.

Within this unseen world exists an unseen (supernatural) enemy who takes our destruction seriously.

The Bible gives us good news about our fight against this enemy, but we do have to fight.

The Bible also warns that not taking this war seriously or giving up will have serious negative consequences.

The question, “Are we at war?” is not about weather or not we are in a war, but rather are we engaging in it properly, or are we ending up passive victims.

Jesus said, “…The GATES of hell will not prevail against the church.” (Matthew 18) It’s important to note he said “GATES” because it points to the offensive posture the church (God’s People) is supposed to have and be in.

Think about it. Gates! What is a Gate? It’s a kind of door. Is there anything scary or destructive about a door? No! Do doors chase people around and hurt them? Do people have signs at the edge of their property saying, “Beware of door/gate!”? Are doors/gates buying guns and assaulting people?

When Jesus referenced the gates of hell he was pointing out the fact that we (the church) would be assaulting hell, not hell assaulting us. He was pointing out that we (the church) would be taking the offensive, putting Hell on the defense, driving it back to it’s headquarters. He was pointing to the fact that the church is a mobile thing, not a building settled on a plot of ground. There is no mention by Jesus of the “gates of the church”.

In life (in this world and western culture as we know it) the opposite seems true, so I ask… Are we at war? Are we taking the offensive in our life (in our personal life, our home, our family, our work, our neighborhood, and so on)? Are we hitting back when the devil does blindside/surprise attack us?

Too many Christians lie down and play dead. They think being passive and doing nothing will make the bad guy go away. NOT SO! This bad guy and his brothers-in-arms are hell-bent on your total destruction in the most miserable way possible, and they intend to enjoy every second of it.

For others they start the good fight well, but after a while they get weary and tired and end up not taking any offense against the enemy and when he attacks they try to defend a little, but eventually yield to just taking the hits and trying to role with the punches or bombs (whichever the case may be), but the bottom line is in the end they give up, they quit, and thus live out the rest of their life in misery (a prince/princess living as a prisoner/slave) constantly being assaulted in every area of life by a ruthless, merciless, tyrannical captor (2Timothy 2:20-26)

The fight is not always easy and it is one that requires time, energy, thought, and so much more, but it’s a fight that God promises we will win. That’s what makes it a “good” fight (1Timothy 6:12).

I used to fight a lot as a kid. The only fights I ever considered a “good fight” was the ones that I won.

You can do it! God made you a victor, a winner! He made you to kick devil butt and take no prisoners! He made you to be a liberator to set other captives free. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! You are more than a conqueror! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!

Be the hero God made you to be! Put on the full armor of God! Fight the good fight! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfecter (meaning he not only wrote the book, but lived it out proving that it works) of our faith, and never, never, never quit/give up!

Pray, strategize, implement! Let the church yell a war cry that makes the demons tremble and let’s start fighting!

The Best Part

As a person who claims to be a follower of Jesus I have to regularly evaluate my life with Jesus, as it is written to “Test yourselves to see if you are STILL in the faith.”

I have to ask the tough question of, “Am I living up to the commitment I made to Jesus?” I have to honestly evaluate whether I’m the real deal, or just a hypocrite.

Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…”

Do I seek Jesus and his way above all other things, or do I put OTHER things FIRST?

Jesus said, “If you love me you’ll obey my commands.”

I say I love Jesus, but do I really? What am I saying and proving by my actions daily? Am I showing love toward God?

Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Is there anyone or anything that I love (prioritize/pursue/live for) more than Jesus? Do I take the time to “take up my cross”, in other words consider my life and the things in it that need to change, and then make those changes no matter how painful? Do I make the time, do I put forth the energy and effort, do I make the sacrifice to grow in my faith and be more like Jesus?

Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Am I passionate and zealous in living for Jesus or am I half-hearted about it? Do I diligently pursue God and his plan for my life? When I obey Jesus and follow him, am I doing it because I really want to or because I have to (it’s my religious obligation)? Am I really living FOR Jesus, or do I still live for myself?

God said, “Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.”

Is God getting my best or my leftovers? Is he number one in my life, the one I truly live for, or is he just a hobby? Am I taking the BEST of ALL God has given me, and giving it to Him (The best of my time, money, talents, energy, etc.)?

These are questions that no one can answer for me, except me, and they must be answered.

For too long people have been able to just attend church and live life any way they want, but at some point we have to say, “Enough is enough!”

When will we really care enough to be the real deal and to make following Jesus (which we claim to be) THE priority in our life, so much so that we will make the commitment and sacrifice to personally grow, becoming more like Jesus every day, and reaching out to those who don’t know him with the love and truth of Jesus?

Good News

It’s interesting that Jesus used the term “gospel AKA: good news” to classify His message to the world. Yet, if we are honest, most of the world gets a different message from Christians.

It would seem that many churches and church people are communicating through attitude, word, and deed that God hates the world, is angry with everyone, and is against them, but the Bible teaches something different.

According to Jesus, “God so LOVED THE WORLD that he gave his one and only Son.” (John 3:16) In this most familiar verse of scripture in the whole world Jesus communicates God’s attitude toward the world. He loves us, all of us, with a love that initiated a pursuit and redemption of every human being.

Jesus took it a step further. Not only did he teach that God loved the world and was at work for their eternal good through Jesus Christ for the life to come, but is at work in our everyday life for the good of every person, not just the saint, but the sinner too! Jesus said it this way, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)

God is at work in our world for good… for the good of every person. He’s at work in the life of each person for good; to draw them to himself and to help them experience life to the full being all God created them to be.

Most of us are blind to the works of God in our life. Most go unnoticed and the few we stop and recognize we quickly pass off as being the product of something else. We need to learn to see the unseen! Develop those spiritual eyes.

How will we experience this “goodness of God”? Two ways, 1) through the direct operations of God himself (God does things in our life that go unseen. Like stalling us in a traffic light to miss an accident, working healing in our body beyond what a doctor can do, and causing certain factors to line up that are favorable, to name a few) and 2) Through the avenue of Nature: This happens in two ways…A) God has established order in the world to our benefit and B) He works in the hearts of people to bless us at various times in various ways.

While we have little to no control over nature we do have control over ourselves. So, the question is… Am I open to being used by God to demonstrate His goodness to others?

What message, as a Christian, am I communicating? By attitudes, words, and deeds do people experience the good news/gospel or bad news?

LEFTOVERS

I don’t know about you, but if I walked into a restaurant and ordered a meal and it came out cold and soggy I’d be a bit miffed. Let me add, I’d feel a little weird if someone invited me over to his or her house for dinner, without forewarning, and it was cold soggy leftovers. I may or may not have passed.

Does this turn your stomach? Let me give another picture…

Imagine a pro athlete on Game Day going out to the beach, swimming, maybe going to a mall shopping, going out to dinner, and heck, let’s mow the lawn too, then he goes into the arena, suits up, and runs onto the field to play the game.

How good of a game do you think he’ll have? What benefit will he be to the team? What is he really offering to his boss and teammates? (The answer is leftovers or not much of anything)

We do this often with God… but he deserves our best. Our best time, best talents, best energy, best character, best thought, best you name it.

So often we claim Jesus is number one in our life, but in all honesty we are hypocrites.

A hypocrite is literally a person who wears a mask, a person who pretends or acts, a fake, someone whose claims and lifestyle do not match or line up.

While we claim Jesus is Lord (the master, boss, supreme authority) of our life we don’t live like it… we still run our life (acting and reacting) the way we want to or feel like in any given circumstance.

While we claim Jesus is number one (first place) in our life we don’t live like it… If we can’t fit Bible reading, prayer, church, serving in ministry, or just plain acting like a Christian by serving someone in need into our busy schedule then we just cut one or all of these things out because we can’t cut out those extra hours of work, or hobbies, or movies, or TV, or household chores, and so on.

In a very real way, when it comes to our lives, for most of us God is just getting our leftovers, the cold soggy parts of our lives; Certainly a lot less than our best.

I challenge you to examine whether God’s getting your best or your leftovers. Ask the tough question: Am I a hypocrite? And then respond accordingly.

We don’t ask these questions just to gain information. The point of learning is always transformation through application. In other words, if we’re not acting like a Jesus is really number one in our life, then let’s admit it, and change! Start living with Him as number one, doing things his way getting His results!

Optional Obedience

If God says to do something or NOT do something, do I have an excuse to disobey if other people disobey?

For example: If a fellow Christian doesn't treat me in a loving way is this an excuse to disobey Jesus' command to "love one another as I have loved you"?

If a spouse is unfaithful does this mean the victimized spouse is free to break their marital vows too, engaging in romantic or sexual relations outside of their marriage covenant, ignoring Jesus' command "do not commit adultery"?

If a co-worker acts arrogantly and self-serving does this give the Christian license to disobey the command to "clothe yourselves with humility, serving one another out of love"?

I think we as Christ-followers have been approaching our obedience to God from a very worldly/non-christian perspective. The reason why is obvious... doing it the way God says to is not always easy, comfortable, pleasant, or pleasurable. In fact, sometimes it's just plain hard and uncomfortable, but something to remember is this: Our comfort zone is usually within the parameters of what we (man) can do, so we'll experience ordinary, natural, man-sized lives/works/experiences. On the other hand when we step outside the comfort zone, outside the parameters of what we (man) can do for ourselves, but instead step out into the unknown, the place beyond us and our abilities it is there that we experience the extra-ordinary, the super-natural, God-sized lives/experiences/works.

Have we lost sight of the fact that only God can change people and if we're really going to see people changed then we've got to release God into the situation. This is done by praying and obeying. It's done when we handle the situation and behave in the way that Jesus says to. Our disobedience simply closes the door to us being used by God and everyone involved experiencing what God wants in that situation.

Only through our obedience, especially in the hard situations, will we be used by God, see God do amazing things, and experience Gods blessing in our lives.