Rock Solid Addendum

We recently finished a series called “Rock Solid” addressing the subject of developing rock solid faith.

We spent 4 weeks discussing “Faith Stealing Experiences” that WILL come into our lives and how to be ready for them and be strong through them coming out the other side of the battle victorious.

Our first week we addressed that faith is trust, not some weird super-spiritual thing. We also looked at the importance of faith and all that it accomplishes in our life and the world around us. We also saw that the non-Christian world and the spiritual forces of wickedness are not only going to not support and encourage our faith, but will down right assault and undermine it.

So, the first step in “Rock Solid” faith is to be alert and on guard. Recognize how important our faith is and don’t take it lightly. Remember we live in a world system that will try to at best twist and distort your faith and at worst steal and destroy your faith.

The next step we looked at was the importance of saturating our lives with the knowledge of God’s word.

We saw that faith comes by hearing the message, and if we want strong faith in Christ then we must be hearing His message over and above the message of the world.

Our lives are constantly bombarded with secular messages in commercials, books, movies, tv shows, magazines, radio, internet, and people we’re around. It’s important that we make the time to fill ourselves up with the truth of God’s word. If we are diligent to do this we will find ourselves having stronger faith in what God says than in what the world says.

The next (third) step we addressed was the importance of putting the Bible into practice. It’s not good enough to know what it says. We must do what it says. If all we have is knowledge of what the Bible says then all we have is an intellectual philosophical argument, but if we do what the Bible says we will experience God in the process and this strengthens our faith even more.

By doing what the Bible says we are cooperating with God and what He wants to do in our lives and through our lives in the world around us. These cooperative efforts (obeying what the Bible says) produce experiences with God that out weighs any intellectual philosophical argument. We should always use the Bible to help us interpret and analyze our experience, because it is the measuring stick of truth by which we measure and evaluate all information and experiences of life, but having the experience solidifies all the more what you believe. You may not know all the answers to every question and mystery regarding God and the Bible, but you will know that you believe and whom you believe in, because you will have knowledge of the parts you understand and the experience of working with God Himself and seeing Him do great things.

We said the last step (fourth) is to filter all that we hear (learn) and experience through the filter of God’s word and our experiences with God. We learned that we must not believe just anything we hear or experience. We learned that there is deception out there. There are things that sound and feel like the real thing, but are a deception.

We must not have a double standard in our filtering. We cannot give favor and merit to the non-Christian scientific community when their theories have many unanswered questions, but look with disgust and consider Christian Faith foolish and naive because there may be mysteries or questions that we don’t have answers for, yet. We must be fair on how we evaluate, measure, and filter.

We learned that everyone is a person of faith, even the atheist, because faith is trust and we are all going to put our trust, faith, into someone or something. The question is not do I have faith, but rather where do I choose to put and grow my faith/trust? Will it be in what man can do and understand or will it be in what God can do (has done) and understand? I know people well enough to know that no matter how smart they are they will never scratch the surface of the intelligence of God.

We also saw that there is a cost, no matter where I choose to place my faith, be it in God and the work of Jesus Christ or in man and what he understands and has achieved, either way it will cost me… everything!

To live life God’s way and get His results it will cost me everything in this life, but I will gain so much more for all eternity.

To live life the worlds way and get all that it has to offer it will cost me everything in this life and in the life to come. I may gain everything the world has to offer, but I will loose it all and so much more for all eternity.

There is a choice to be made and make it we shall. Where will we put our trust/faith?

Now the addendum:

After all that we learned I was disappointed because there was one more key ingredient to “Rock Solid” faith that I didn’t get to address due to time issues.

So, here it is… Community/Fellowship. I know, some of you are like, “oh no, here goes Mike on his soap box again” and others of you are thinking, “that’s it? I read this whole stupid thing to have you tell me I need fellowship/community?”

Before you stop reading let me tell you, you cannot over emphasize the importance of community/fellowship. It is a key reason my faith is so strong today.

When I am weak others are strong. There is strength in numbers. We can do more and know more together than we can alone.

Community provides things I don’t like to do on my own, like holding myself accountable to do the things I should do and not do the things I shouldn’t do.

Community/fellowship provides alternative viewpoints that can help us better answer those questions we struggle with.

Community/fellowship provides encouragement in those times we would feel weak, weary, and want to quit.

Community/fellowship provides prayer support. Not only do we sometimes fall short in our prayer life and their prayers help fill the holes, but even when we are faithful in our prayer life there is strength in numbers. Our prayers may accomplish much on our own, but they accomplish so much more when coupled with the prayers of others.

Community/fellowship provides growth opportunities as I learn to serve, think about, and help others as well as learn to get along with people that are different than me and resolve conflict. As I learn to live life outside of just me, when life includes more than just what I want and prefer, I begin to live life to the full. As I share life with others, our good times and bad times, life is so much fuller than it would be if I lived a self-centered self-absorbed life where all I live for is me.

Lastly, Community/Fellowship provides fun/refreshment. We all need times to just chill out with good people that we know love us and just have fun; Fun that is constructive, not destructive. We need others to spur us to get out of our depressive funks, to pull us out of those isolationist tendencies.

I hope it’s clear that God knew what He was saying when He said, “Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9) and “Do not give up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25).

The truth is, we cannot do this alone… not faith and not life. We need one another. Together we are stronger. Together we are “Rock Solid”.

Intolerance

I was speaking on the subject of faith and I said, “It’s time to be intolerant…”

Everything I spoke after those five words was irrelevant for a young man who literally got up and walked out.

What did I have to say? What did I mean by using that word? None of that mattered.

The fact was I offended this person by using that word. In his mind, no matter what I said, what he heard me say was the word “Hate”. He heard me telling people to hate others.

Now, this couldn’t be further from the truth, but let me just say, that for those who heard me use the word “Intolerance” or “Intolerant” and thought I was teaching people to “hate”, I truly apologize and want to make clear that is not what I was saying at all.

Tolerance is a buzz word in our society, especially in the politically correct arena and in that arena “Intolerant” is equal to “hate”, so anyone from that background would’ve heard me say “hate”, and I am sorry.

I won’t change the that culture or their view of that word, but for clarification, the use of the word that I was trying to communicate is as follows…

Intolerant - Not enduring
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

There are other usages of the word that are very negative, but what I was trying to communicate was that we as Christians should not passively endure and accept the worlds influences and opinions that would lead us to compromise on the message or practice of Christian beliefs, nor should we embrace said contradicting behaviors or philosophies, nor should we sit by passively doing nothing while special interest groups and anti-Christian people groups strip away our American rights to free speech and freedom of religion.

I was speaking to the fact that this non-Christian world is not a supporter of our faith and it’s teachings and in fact will try to influence us away from them. The world’s philosophies and lifestyles undermine and smack against our Christian faith.

I don’t apologize for the truth of God’s word that there is a right and there is a wrong and we should not confuse the two, and woe to those who do, but I do apologize for coming across as communicating something that is not a part of my faith or the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t teach the hatred of anyone. He teaches the hatred of sin, not the sinner, but the sin, and not just because it’s wrong morally, but because it is destructive both to the ones committing the sin and to those who are connected to the perpetrator. There is always a ripple effect that causes the destructive forces of sin to overflow from the life of the perpetrator into the lives of those around him/her.

As Christians we should not sit by enduring passively letting these behaviors go on without a word being said, not just because they are wrong, but because they are destructive.

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, God loves us all and Jesus died for us all and I know this for a fact personally because I am a receiver of this great Grace, not because of me, but in spite of me. By God’s great love, He has forgiven this wretch and made me an object of His forgiveness, mercy, and favor.

God doesn’t love me more than anyone else. He doesn’t love the Christian more than the non-Christian. He can just do more in the life of the faithful Christian because the faithful Christian is cooperating with Him instead of engaging in destructive behaviors working against God (note: I said “Faithful” Christian).

God loves all people in this world and just like the woman caught in the act of adultery Jesus speaks to us the same words, “…neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:11

And just as Jesus came into the world to “destroy the works of the devil” (1John 3:8) so too have we been sent on this same mission (John 20:21)

Outside The Box

So, I was putting my kids to bed after our prayers and Bible reading and they bombarded me with all their spiritual questions like they always do (so they can stay up later) and we got onto the discussion of why God answered my prayers for a certain situation one way, but then didn’t answer them the same way in a similar situation, but instead answered the prayer in a completely different way.

It made me think about the series we are doing at church right now through the Christmas season, called “Ordinary”. We’re looking at the fact that God is in the business of taking ordinary people and circumstance and doing extraordinary things. In other words, God loves to “play outside the box.”

We all have a box, a set of boundaries and parameters that limit who God is and how God works. We all have this understanding and list of expectations of what we think God is like, how He would or would not do things, and so on. What I have found is that God likes to frequently do things outside of the parameters of what I know, understand, and am comfortable with. He loves to break out of the limitations and restrictions I tend to place on Him in my life and the world. The question is… Why? Does he just do it because He can? Is He a show off? Is there a reason for it? Yes. I’ll explain, but before I do, let me prove first that God likes to play outside the box.

1Corinthians 1:20, 27-31 20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

If ever it’s taught that God likes to work out of the box it is here in this scripture. Why? Partly to “show off”, to display His greatness, power, and wisdom, partly because He can and wants to so that our lives can be better, and partly because He wants us to see we can’t do it on our own, we need Him, and He alone is the answer.

We see all these things here, plus in other scriptures that reference God’s miracles as “signs and wonders”. What is a sign? It’s a message that “shows off” something good about a thing or place to get your attention so you’ll partake. It’s not the real thing, but it points you to the real thing.

God frequently defies our natural logic, understanding, comfort zone, and ways of doing things.

He calms storms with a word. He walks on water and enables others to do so. He casts demons out of people with a word. He made a lame man walk with a word. He healed a blind man by putting mud made of spit and dirt on the guys eyes. He enabled one disciple to survive boiling vats of oil without any harm, while He led another to lay down his life and be crucified for the faith. He provided for His servant through ravens. He cause a jar of oil to not run out for a very long time. He made an ax head float. He had His servant marry a prostitute. He had His servant lay naked for years on one side, only to tell him to flip and do it on the other side for a while. He used a pagan king to execute His judgment. He parted the Red Sea so His people could pass through on dry ground. He caused a virgin to be pregnant without the involvement of a man. He established His rule as King of the universe by entering our world as a humble servant and sacrifice.

Here’s another example of God playing out of the box.

Job 33:14 For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it.

As I understand this scripture, it’s not that God doesn’t talk/speak, it’s that He doesn’t do it the same way each time and thus many don’t hear Him, perceive Him speaking, or get the message.

Again we see God playing outside the box, not wanting to be stuck in the limitations of what we can fathom, understand, or are comfortable with.

Why?

Partly because of all we addressed earlier, but another reason is because God wants us to not only stand in awe of Him, but also trust Him and be passionate about Him.

God doesn’t want to have a formula that we just go through and begin to take Him for granted. God doesn’t want us to think we’ve got Him all figured out. He wants us to stay in a place of love, awe, trust, and dependence. He doesn’t want us to get stagnant and loose our passion for Him.

God is a person, not a vending machine. We have a tenancy to forget that, and so our “prayer lives” typically become the approach to the machine and the deposit of the money and the pressing of the buttons to get what we want.

God wants our “prayer lives” to be a conversation, and our lifestyle to be in “relationships” with Him. Yes, He wants to bless us and do things for us, in us, and through us, but in the context of relationship, not ritual or mechanism. And when God does do “His thing” in our lives He wants to do it His way and He wants us to trust Him that His way is the BEST way. It will be bigger and better than anything that we could do on or own or ask Him to do for us, but our way.

As I look back over my life of following Jesus I first have to say thank you to God for all the times He DIDN’T answer my prayers the way I wanted Him to. I thought I knew, but man I didn’t have a clue. Praise God He answered my prayers His way. Secondly I have to say that it is in those experiences of God answering my prayers His way that I’ve experienced the great adventure and joy of following Jesus. This things is so much bigger and more amazing and more awesome than we understand.

So, we may not always understand, or be comfortable, but we can always trust and follow knowing that God loves to play outside the box impressing His people and the world, wooing our hearts, and making this relationship the most exciting thing in the Universe for all eternity!

Missing The Promise

As we enter into the Christmas Season we talk about so many different aspects of the coming of the promised Savior of the world, the Messiah (Christ), God in the flesh.

We talk about God’s love being demonstrated. We talk about the humility of God, the Grace of God, the purpose of His coming, and many other things.

One thing that we often touch on, but never really address is… How could the Jewish people miss the very promise they were waiting for so eagerly? When they have the same prophetic scriptures (the Old Testament) that we have, when they made it their custom for each male to memorize the Scriptures by a certain age, and when they had religious leaders who studied the scriptures daily and taught them regularly, how could they not recognize their God in the flesh? How could they not recognize the manifestation of the promise that they clung to so tightly?

The Jewish nation was regularly, due to their unfaithfulness to God, overcome by foreign kingdoms. At the time of Christ’s coming they were occupied by the Roman Empire. They were praying for, believing for, and eagerly watching for the coming of their King, Messiah/Christ, and Savior. Yet, when He came not only did they not recognize Him (the Promise of God manifest), but they rejected Him and killed Him. Why?

I believe that the reason is very similar to why we often times fail to recognize God’s blessings (in the various forms they come in) in our life.

I don’t think the issue is ignorance. Most people of God know enough to know there is a promise, to ask and believe for the promise, and to watch for it.

I don’t think the issue is lack of adherence to religion. Most people of God who take it serious are faithful in their attending worship services at least and maybe studying scripture, praying, etc.

I think the issue is a few things…

1) I think the biggest thing is they put God in a box. They limited how God would fulfill His promise to how they thought He should fulfill it. They limited God’s promise to their narrow understanding of what it was. They had a picture in their minds of what and how and when it didn’t line up with that, rather than saying, “We missed it, we’re wrong! This is it!” they rejected the real thing and said, “This isn’t it. We’ll wait until God gets it right, until it’s the way and how we think it should be.”

How often do we limit God’s blessings/promises in our lives? How often do we end up rejecting that manifest blessing/promise, thus resisting God and His work in our life, in order to hold out for something in the method and form we think it should be.

2) I think they were proud and thus stiff-necked, about what they thought they knew. They were inflexible, unteachable, and unwilling to admit they were wrong or didn’t understand and then change.

This unwillingness to be shaped and molded, this unwillingness to be teachable and recognize that we don’t know it all, and even what we think we know may only be a small fragment of a much larger picture that will require us to change some things as we gain a more fuller understanding, this unwillingness to change when we’re wrong or when God wants to work outside the box of what we understand, what is convenient, and what is comfortable is sin and robs us and others of God’s best, His blessings/promises as He sees best to give them.

3) I think they were too busy with their own agenda. The were so busied with practicing a dead religion/covenant that God said was over, that they had no time to work with God in this new thing He was doing.

How often do we cling to dead things that are not producing? Maybe they worked in the past, but they aren’t today. How often do we cling to things because it’s what we know or prefer and are comfortable with? How often are we busied by the things of this world, even by religious activities, that we aren’t available to work with God on what He is doing? Thus we go about doing something for God rather than with God, spending our time, money, and energy in things that He’s not even a part of.

4) We know they were living a less than wholly devoted life to the Lord. Jesus regularly referred to them as hypocrites. We know they taught and practice one thing publicly, but privately they lived out something different. It’s not that they didn’t believe in God, but they didn’t walk in the Fear/Honor of God.

This lack of integrity in their faith/spirituality placed them at odds with God rather than coworkers and friends with God. This half-hearted approach to walking with God left them in a place where they had false security, thinking they were right with God, thinking they knew, when in fact they were neither right with God or right in what they thought they knew.

A lack of integrity in our walk with God puts us in the same position. We can lie to others and deceive them, we can even lie to and deceive ourselves, but we can never lie to and deceive God. He knows what we do and say in all places, not just church and around certain believers. He knows what we really think and feel in spite of what front we may put up to cover it.

5) They didn’t have that authentic, intimate, and passionate relationship with God and because they didn’t walk with God faithfully everyday, they were not in the position to really hear from Him and recognize His activity, what He was up to, and in fact they didn’t even recognize Him. They went through all the right motions, but what they had was a substitute for the real thing. They had religion and ritual, but they missed the whole point of this creation… relationship with God.

Relationship isn’t easy and to have a happy, healthy, passionate, and thriving relationship it takes work, investment, and sacrifice. It is for these reasons that many settle for less in their earthly marriage relationships and it’s why many Christians settle for less in their spiritual relationship with God. We think it requires to much from us, we think it costs to much, we want something and don’t want to give it up (we’re selfish). But the fact is, lack of quality relationship with God is probably the key reason we are robbed of God’s best in our life. It’s probably the key reason we don’t hear from God and experience God like He says He wants us to and that we should.

I realize that all 5 of these issues are connected and overlap; yet each one is a specific issue that we must take to heart and take to God.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to become confident in where I am and miss where God wants to take me. I don’t want to become cemented in what little I know and miss the more God wants to teach me. I don’t want to be praying for the blessings/promises of God and then miss them when He gives them to me. I don’t want to think I’m all right with God, but in reality be in a disjointed or even broken relationship with Him.

I want to become all God made me to be. I want to experience all God has for me to experience. I want to walk with God, know God, know His ways, and work with Him in what He is doing and how He is doing it, breaking free from my natural standard of living and break into a supernatural way of life.

What if... to What next

We just finished up a very challenging and inspiring series titled “What if…” which capitalized on the potential of those two words.

We saw that these two words could inspire, encourage, challenge, and build up, or they could discourage, depress, tear down, and steal away.

We saw that the determining factor in the effect of these two words was our Faith and Thought-life. What we choose to believe is ultimately what will happen and our thoughts are ultimately what we gravitate toward being and doing.

We saw that God has uniquely designed each of us for a unique and special plan and purpose. We also saw that God’s plan and purposes are always with best in mind, never less than best. God’s plans and purposes always intend for you to be reaching your fullest potential, never less, for you to be living life to the full, never less. In a nutshell, God’s plan is for you and your life to always be at your/its best, never less than best, according to the talents, abilities, interests, dreams, and resources God has given you.

We saw that to be best or great at anything there is always a price to pay. This is no less true in following Jesus and becoming all He made us to be and experiencing life at it’s best, as He intended.

The question is NOT “WILL we pay a price?” The question is “FOR WHAT will we pay the price.”

Many people pay the price for wealth, others for health, others for pleasure, others for fame or prestige, others for accomplishment, many for a combination of the above mentioned.

But, Jesus said, “27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:27-34

Or how about Matthew’s version… “25"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? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34

So, we see that as a Christian we have a real issue with the above list of goals, ambitions, and priorities. Jesus isn’t in it! Even if He was in the list, would that be enough? Not according to Jesus. Jesus teaches us that life at it’s best isn’t experienced when we just add Jesus to our lives and plans. Jesus teaches us that life at it’s best is experienced when Jesus is our life and plan; when He becomes the first priority and leading factor through which all other things are filtered.

So, What if…
What if we were fully devoted to Jesus and His ways?
What if we really LOVED Him?
What if He was our PASSION?
What if I lived my life like Jesus, His teachings, and people really mattered.
What if we really put Jesus first?
What if we really lived like this world was not our home?
What if we really lived like people mattered to God?
What if it really was all about Jesus?
What if you could really know Jesus?
What if Jesus really loved us?
What if Jesus meant what he said?
What if it really was spiritual?
What if it really was practical?
What if we lived according to the teachings of Jesus?
What if we prayed for people?
What if we told people about Jesus?
What if we blessed the people around us?

I could go on and on. The “What if’s” never end. But these are just a starting point and a waste of ink, paper, cyberspace, and thought if we don’t ask the real question…

What Next?

Will we apply or just add this information to the files in our brain, but do nothing with them?

In our series we saw that most of us know WHAT God’s standards are and what we should be doing. The problem is NOT ignorance. The problem is obedience.

We know what the Bible says; the question is “will we DO what the Bible says?”

Jesus tells us…”24Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

It’s sad, because I see people meet Jesus all the time. I see people experience God’s touch in their spirit, their mind, their emotions, their body, their relationships, their finances, their family, etc. and for a while they make Jesus #1 and priority in their life, but over time as the things in this world press in we lose sight of Jesus, but not just Jesus, we lose sight of who He made us to be and do, His unique design, plans, and purposes for us. We get caught up in the rat race of life as a regular earthling.

So, what is next? What will we do with the information, inspiration, talents, abilities, interests, time, money, relationships, and all that God has given us? Will we be like those who don’t know God and don’t know any better and live for the things of this temporary world? Will we just file the information into the hard drive of our brain to be forgotten or collect cyber-dust? Or will we apply/obey the teachings of Jesus?

Remember, the single greatest cause of atheism is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.

And, may I add, that besides the selfishness of our own hearts, the single greatest cause of backsliding is that people know what the Bible says, but because they don’t do what the Bible says they lack the experience with God, and thus satan and their own mind reasons them into believing that it’s not that big of a deal, or worse, that it’s not true.

I want to encourage each of us to answer the important question… What next?

How will you go about pursuing and seeking God? How will you apply His commands in your life? How will you use the abilities and talents to serve God and others? How will you use all the resources God has given you to serve and honor the Lord, to bless others, and advance the Kingdom of God, thus investing in a world and life that is eternal?

What would our lives look like, what would the effect be in our community and world, if we simply did what Jesus told us to do and didn’t do what Jesus told us not to do (AKA: Obedience, which is the proof of faith)?

Do I care? Do I believe?

I’ve been serving Jesus now for 18 years, 13.5 of which has been in pastoral ministry. I’ve studied hard, preached as accurately and in line with scripture as I could. I’ve tried to hit all the important topics and even the not so important ones. I’ve worked to make biblical principles and application clear, so we can know what the Bible says and do what the Bible says.

Some of the topics I’ve addressed in the last 16 months are sex (4), relationships (13), Finances (5), life fulfillment (4), leadership (2), attitude (2), healing (1), spiritual disciplines (11), mission (13); false spirituality (4); practical Christian living (8) and within each series I address many other issues we face as human beings.

The point: In this time I’ve watched people continue to struggle with poor financial management even though I’ve preached on the subject 5 times. I’ve seen relationships suffering and even ending in divorce even though I’ve taught on healthy relationships at least 13 times. In spite of preaching on mission and personal responsibility and life fulfillment about 25 times very few of our people are really sharing Jesus with the lost. And in spite of talking about spiritual disciplines at least 11 times we still have people that are not reading their Bibles, making prayer a priority, are not connected in fellowship, are not generally applying the Bible as they learn it, and in a nutshell aren’t maturing.

So what? Well, I have had to ask myself the question… What will make the difference? Because year after year I see some peoples lives transformed and others stay bad or even get worse. Even in my own life, knowing what I know, there are times I fail to experience God’s best in particular areas of my life. Why?

Why have some people heard the messages I’ve taught and they’ve grown and benefited from them? Their life and relationships and finances have been changed! But others have heard the same messages and been unchanged or perhaps have even gotten worse.

What is the answer? What’s the difference between these two groups? It’s not the message I teach, that’s the same for both.

I realized while driving for 4 hours and talking with Marne (my wife) that THE key issue is three things:

1) Do I care? Meaning, do I the individual care about the issues in my life and trying to change them and thus do I care about what I can learn and apply from the message of God’s word?

Relationships… Do I really care about the person(s) I’m in relationship with and thus do I care what this message is saying about how I can experience God’s best in this area of my life?

Finances… Do I really care about being a good steward, having financial freedom, pleasing God, helping others, and being out of debt and thus do I care what this message is saying about how I can experience God’s best in this area of my life?

The degree that people care is the degree that transformation becomes possible, because it’s to the same degree that information becomes more than just data, but life!

The honest answer for most people on this first question is, NO! I’m content to live in this mess. I’m to tired or lazy or hopeless to put forth the effort it will take to even try to change if it’s even possible. And that leads us to #2.

2) Do I believe? Meaning, do I the individual believe that with God and doing things His way my circumstance can really change and be great instead of nominal. Do I believe God will really keep His promise to change this situation?

This can be a cause or an affect from the first issue of “Do I care?” but the point is, this is often the energy source needed to do what needs done to make the changes.

If I have no hope for the future, I’ll have no strength for the present.

If I don’t believe the goal is attainable, I will not be motivated to put forth effort to reach it.

Crazy thing is, what I believe I can do I can and what I believe I can’t do I can’t. Jesus made it very clear, according to our faith things happen.

3) Selfishness. Most people suffer and don’t experience God’s best because they’re not willing to die to the selfish desires in their life. They aren’t willing to kill the behavior that gives them mediocrity and surrender to and apply the behavior that will give them great.

Relationships… They know certain behaviors are destructive, but they don’t care, because they care more about gratifying themselves through the destructive behavior.

Finances… They know certain behaviors are poor stewardship, displeasing to God, and beyond their financial means, but they don’t care, because they want it and they want it now! If they can’t afford it, that’s okay, use plastic!

It’s easy to break these down and identify them in discussion, but in real life these are connected with each other, kind of like the triangle of death.

I would say in my humble assessment of the people I’ve ministered to over the years these are the 3 core issues of peoples being victorious or victims, living nominal lives or great lives, being spiritual dynamos or luke-warm religious folk. I’ve seen probably thousands of people hear the same information from me; some it helped and some it didn’t. What was the difference, the message or the heart of the hearer?

Are you ready for 2008

It's a new year. We face war, presidential elections, a questionable economy and world scene, but the real question is are you ready for what God wants to do in YOUR life?

Click here to read more... http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/512975/are_you_ready_for_2008.html

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.

The Test

2Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?

I read these words and they make me very uncomfortable.

Depending on the translation you read some have the words “examine yourself” first in the sentence while others have the words “test yourselves”, either way it’s unnerving.

Let’s break this statement down before getting to the meat.

To examine something is to make through inspection, leave no rock unturned. It’s a serious and focused look, not some casual glance.

A test is a tool to answer the question: do I know or can I perform enough to qualify. Am I really the real deal? Am I really a 10th grader, am I really a Green Beret, am I really a mechanic, am I really a follower of Christ/Child of God? Tests answer these questions and more.

We’re called to thoroughly inspect/examine our lives and to test ourselves to answer a very important question… am I in the faith.

Of coarse for some, they’ve never put Jesus in charge of their life and don’t claim to follow Him, so the answer is easy and obvious, but this scripture wasn’t written to non-Christians. It was written to followers of Jesus. This is important!

The fact we, as Christians, are told to test and examine ourselves to make sure we’re in the faith points toward a reality stated at the end of the verse… we can fail the test. It points to the reality that no matter how sincere and perfect we started out we can get off track/stray and end up outside of the faith.

Proof: Look at the story Jesus told to illustrate how the condition of people’s hearts determines their overall response to the truth of God’s word and it’s affect in their lives.

Luke 8:11-15 11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

This same story is found in Matthew 13:1-23 and Mark 4:14-20. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with all three versions of the story, because there is some details that each brings out that are worth noting.

According to this story Jesus teaches that not everyone will turn to good/ accept the word of God in their life. In fact, Jesus tells us about 25% of the people we share with will not accept it. (Hard soil along the path)

Well, 75% isn’t bad. Right? Wrong. Another 25% (Stony ground) will hear it and accept it but their commitment is shallow and because of their “what’s in it for me” attitude when hard times come because they follow Jesus they will abandon ship.

So, 50% of the people we share with, in the end, will not live for Jesus.

Well, that still leaves us 50% to respond to the truth, experience the life of God, and go to heaven! Right? Wrong.

Another 25% (Thorny ground) will believe and follow until something better comes along. They don’t cease to believe, but they don’t make following Jesus the number one priority in their life. They will focus most of their time, energy, thought, and effort toward the accumulation of things and experiencing a variety of pleasures that this life has to offer. While they believe in Jesus, it is these things that are priority to them and these things that they live for.

So, 75% of the people will be of no value to God in the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth. 50% in the big picture will not believe and live for God and another 25% believe (and may go to heaven), but produce no good fruit.

The final 25% (Good Soil) is the only soil that will actually have long-term deep commitment and will produce large quantities of fruit, thus personally experiencing the life of God and being of value to God in the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth.

Even in this final 25% there is variance from one person to the next on just how productive they will be.

I had some questions based on 3 scriptures to test themselves and examine their life with. They were: 1) Do I seek God first above all other things? 2) Do I Know God’s word, do I believe God’s Word, and do I do God’s Word? 3) Am I becoming more and more like Jesus in thought, word, and deed?

But, I want to provide another tool to test us and evaluate our lives with… this story from Jesus. WHAT SOIL ARE YOU?


It seems like it would be an easy question, but take the time to study the attributes, qualities, and characteristics of each soil, their experiences, their responses, their results.

I’ve done this study and am going to post it in the document section of this website.

I encourage you to take the time to figure out where your heart/life is in relation to following Jesus faithfully and experiencing the life He’s planned for you.

It’s important that the test isn’t made up by the ideas or opinions of some guy. Let God’s word be the source and standard of our test.

Take the test! Be honest. How are you doing? Are you all you thought and said?

You are not taking the test so you can be condemned, but so you can have an accurate diagnosis on how healthy your relationship with Jesus is, an evaluation on how well you are running your race!

The whole point of this evaluation/test is to find the areas of weakness and make improvements! Not see how bad we are and quit.

We want to know where we’re missing it and how, so we can correct the issues and really experience the life God promises us in Jesus and be all he made us to be.

God is gracious, merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love, forgiving, patient and He is on your side. He wants you to win! He’s cheering you on and believes you can do it, you have what it takes, just don’t loose sight of the fact we are all human and have weaknesses and tendencies to stray, so we’ll need to make corrections regularly.