Finding God in the moment

Why Some Find Him and Others Don't...

Ever find yourself in a place with a group of people sharing a particular environment or event and you walk away with some having experienced God and others not?

For some thoughts on why this happens and how to find God in the moment of each day, each event, each church service, click the link and read the article.


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/840203/finding_god_in_the_moment.html

Hungry

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

Read more...

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/795825/hungry.html?cat=34

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

Getting Serious

We just finished a series called BECOMING A SPIRITUAL BLACKBELT where we emphasized Spiritual Maturity.

We discussed the 4 key disciplines that are necessary to build upon a persevering/unwavering commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. The application of these 4 key disciplines will cause us to grow and mature, but a breakdown in any one of these disciplines effects the whole experience. It is important to understand that you are only as mature as your weakest area.

In a nutshell the 4 disciplines were 1) Growing in the knowledge of God, 2) Application of the knowledge we gain, 3) Prayer, and 4) Community.

Here’s the breakdown:
1) Growing in the knowledge of God – If you don’t know it you can’t do it! How do you know what you believe or how you should behave?

2) Application of the knowledge we gain – The experience is in the doing, not the knowing. So, get busy applying/obeying those commands of loving one another, serving one another, telling the Gospel to others, tithing, giving generously, correcting, staying sexually pure, taking a Sabbath, and so on.

3) Prayer – talking to God and listening to God talk to us. Maintaining lines of communication and tapping into the supernatural side of life.

4) Community – We can’t do this alone. We need one another to instruct, encourage, hold accountable, correct, rebuke, and pray for each other. No one knows it all. No one can do it all. We need each other. No ONE of us is as smart or as strong or as productive as ALL of us!

All that said… the question is… what do we do now?

The answer: Get Serious! No playing games with God. Notice these scriptures:

Hebrews 2:1-3 1We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

Hebrews 3:12-14 12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

Hebrews 10:23-31 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 12:1-4 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

2Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

2Peter 1:5-11 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

How serious do these scriptures come across regarding the subject of living out our faith sincerely, whole-heartedly, passionately, zealously, eagerly, without compromise?

When you read these scriptures do you sense a seriousness about it? Do you sense an urgency? Do you sense that your faith/relationship with God/doing God’s will should be a priority in your life? I sense that this is a BIG deal!

To the Baby Christian/New Believer these may seem scary or intimidating… don’t let them be. While these can warn and encourage you (the new believer) to take your faith seriously, these are actually written for those who have claimed to follow Jesus for some time and should be mature in their faith. But, new believers should also hear this message and take their faith seriously from the start so they do not fall prey to satan’s strategies to keep them ineffective in their knowledge of God.

So many of us believe whole-heartedly the truth of God’s Word when it comes to Jesus and salvation, but we seem to stop there. We stop reading or listening. The truth is there is more to the Christian life, more in promise and more in responsibility.

We’re told we will all be held accountable for what we did and didn’t do (in thought, word, and deed) in life with all our talents, time, and wealth.

It’s not always that we’re off sinning doing something wrong/immoral. We may simply be NOT doing what we should. Or, we may be doing something that is simply different/less than what God has called us to do. This too is sin.

If we’re constantly busied by pursuing our own selfish ambition, or by working to make that extra buck to buy that extra unnecessary thing then how will we have the time to fulfill God’s commands of being a faithful follower of Jesus, a Godly Spouse, Godly Parent, Faithful Friend, and Faithful Witness? We won’t! Something’s got to give! We cannot do it all!

We will have to decide what is most important, what is the biggest priority. We can always tell what is most important because that is what you are most serious about. You invest the majority of your time, energy, and money into what matters most.

You can say it’s God and family, but what does your schedule and check book say? How much time are you really giving to spending time with the Lord? How much time are you giving to serving the Lord? How big of a giver are you? How much time do you spend with your family? How serious do you take the commands of God? How serious are you at following God’s instructions and commands? How seriously do you pray for the lost and look for the opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus with those around you? When is the last time you led anyone to Jesus? How easily do other things distract you and cause you to stray from faithful pursuit of God? How easy is it to get you to compromise in your commitment to the Lord in time, giving, obedience, morality, serving, etc? How quickly do you gossip or speak negatively/critically of others?

Many people walk around declaring their belief and commitment to the Lord, but you can tell what kind of tree it is by the fruit that it produces. Loyalty, commitment, faithfulness are three words that some would say to look for and they’re right, but it’s not just these three words… it’s WHAT they are loyal, committed, and faithful to! Is it God and his ways and his purposes and his priorities or is it something of this temporal world?

So what do we do? Get serious! Determine not to be nominal. There are rewards to gain or loose. There is a judgment day to face. There will be an account with our Heavenly Father.

How many times have we ditched God for something less important? How many times has God placed us among sinners to be a light and we never told them about Jesus?

Let’s do what we claim to be! As a follower of Jesus… Follow!

We can say, these other things came up, but the reality is… we do what we want to do. If we want to go to church, nothing can keep us from it. If we want to be at cell group, nothing can keep us from it. If we want to tithe, nothing can stop us. If we want to tell the lost about Jesus, nothing can keep us from it. If we want to be stingy, gossipy, dishonoring to God, work excessively, be materialistic, lie, steal, stay home and watch football, commit adultery nothing will keep us from it. We do what we want to do!

What do you want? What is your priority? What is most important to you? Is it Jesus or the things of this world? Don’t fool yourself, because you’re certainly not fooling God or anyone around you.

1John 2:15-17 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

The Power of Thanksgiving

How do we release the positive and blessings into our life?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/455790/the_power_of_thanksgiving.html