Joe's Thoughts

Worshiping in Suffering

2011-12-14T06:12:00.001-07:00

The other day I was in a worship service and what should have been an awesome time with God turned into a miserable time of me complaining to God. We were packed in this room, our chairs were super close and my legs and hips were just killing me. Instead of enjoying my time with the Lord, I couldn't wait for it to be over. When it was over, I was feeling empty, feeling like I really missed out on something great.

The next day was another time of worship and I had situated myself to be more comfortable. I was really enjoying the moment and I heard God say "so you can worship me now that your comfortable, but you couldn't worship me when you were suffering?" ... OUCH. He was so right. In my minor suffering I was so consumed with me and what I was feeling, what I was going through that I didn't worship God.

Shortly after that 2 Corinthians 23-27 was read:

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked

Now I don't mean to take Paul's words out of context or away from the point he was trying to make in the text. But what I saw in my head as I listened to this list of things that Paul suffered...was a picture of Paul praising and thanking God constantly through it all. Giving God glory no matter his circumstance.

I am so thankful for this lesson that the Lord so gracious shared with me. I'm thankful that He pointed out to me how no matter the circumstance I need to focus on Him. Brothers, we will face many trials, we will have to deal with suffering...some of us are going through a season of it now. I encourage you to be steadfast in the Lord, focus on Him and worship continually through it all. Don't waste your suffering, use it to come closer to the Lord.

Lists

2011-11-23T06:32:00.001-07:00

I'm a person who likes lists. Give me a list of things to do, or a list of groceries needed and I'll work that list and get things done. When that list is done, give me a new list. I find control in a list well defined, self worth in a list well followed, accomplishment in a list completed. I like to compare my list to others list...how far are they compared to me, are they ahead of me, behind me...have they even started yet?

My favorite verses and books of the Bible are those that seemingly give me a list. Those defining what I should do and what I shouldn't do. I've made lists from verses in Titus: blameless, not overbearing, not quick tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, hospitable, loves what is good, self controlled, upright, holy, etc...

Having a list puts me in control. The problem with that is that Jesus has something else in mind. Jesus isn't interested in my list of things I am doing or not doing. Jesus is interested in my HEART. When I give him my heart, I mean truly give my heart to Jesus, HE does the work. He changes my heart...which alters and sets my behavior.

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Colossians 3:10 - ...and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

2 Corinthians 4:16 - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Titus 3:5 - ...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Today I encourage you to give your heart fully committed to Jesus, give up your religious lists, and let HIM do the work in you. When we do...we truly find freedom and that is truly the good news.

Being Prepared

2011-10-31T06:49:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite verses, a verse I've clung to the last couple years is 2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."

Where I'm being challenged by the Lord today is what does "prepared" really mean? For me, being prepared meant that I was spending time reading the Bible, spending time praying and writing in my journal, attending church, reading books by other Godly men, listening to sermons on podcast, learning from every stream I could find to learn from. All good things to do.

The last couple months, I've slacked in the things I was doing that would match my idea of "prepared". I still did everything, but just not as much, sometimes going a few days without having my normal routine.

What's interesting, as I look back at the last couple months, I'm finding that through this time...God still used me. I also realized that even though I wasn't doing some things as much, I was still praying, and in some cases praying more than I had before. I realized that by reducing the "noise" of everything I was doing to be "prepared", that I was able to hear from Him more clearly and often.

For me, today, what it means to be "prepared" has changed. Being "prepared" is about my heart not about what I can learn and cram into my head. Being prepared is being in submission to the Lord, hearing and doing what He is asking me to do.

Are you prepared? What does "being prepared" mean to you?

Hold onto hope...

2011-08-24T06:32:00.000-06:00

Hebrews 10:23-24 - Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

No matter your situation, no matter the struggles you are going through...HOLD onto HOPE! Our Lord is faithful and trustworthy, He loves you and wants the best for you. Focus on Him and his promises.

Proverbs 11:25 - A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

There is power is helping others. When I focus on spurring on others, when I focus on refreshing others my problems diminish and my hope is strengthened.

What are you focused on?

2011-07-20T07:02:00.000-06:00

To often I catch myself being so focused on my current circumstances that I stop looking to Him. When I'm focusing on what's happening in my life I get more selfish, I become more self reliant... My circumstances begin to dictate my attitude, my focus intensifies and then I just go deeper into depression over what's happening in my life. I focus on the negative, and can't see the positive.

But when I focus on Him, when I change my focus from me to Him, what he has done, what he is calling me to...when I change my 'me' centered focus to a God centered focus, everything changes...everything in me that is. My circumstances don't change, the bad things still happen...but how I feel about those 'things' change tremendously. Suddenly the problems become much smaller, they become bearable and eventually get resolved or just go away.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"

Today I encourage you to take heart, focus on what Jesus has done for you, what Jesus has promised you. Find peace in today's hustle and bustle world by making Him the center yours.

Annoying Circumstances...

2011-07-13T07:25:00.000-06:00

This last weekend was NightVision 2011 and the family and I really enjoyed it. Hanging out with family and friends hearing some great music, it was definitely a good time.

At one point though I found myself distracted, irritated. I was annoyed with a circumstance of our surroundings, I wasn't focusing on the blessing of being at a huge FREE christian concert. I was focusing on some little insignificant thing, and for a while was missing the whole point of even being there.

Has that ever happened to you?

Luckily God got a hold of me and pointed out what I was doing, I gave the annoying circumstance to Him and started focusing on Him again.

The following day while ushering at church, God showed me another example of this same thing, I noticed a man sitting out in the lobby during worship looking frustrated. I approached him and found that his frustration was about worship, like me the day before, he was letting things that annoyed him about how things were handled in church keep him from worshipping the God he loves.

So today I wonder...What is going on in your life that is keeping you from focusing on God? Where in your life have you let minor, insignificant circumstances keep you from worshiping, praying, or accepting what Jesus has planned for you?

Lord, today I ask that you would reveal to us where we have been distracted and deceived, where we have let OUR attitudes, beliefs and traditions get in the way of what You have for us. Lord reveal to us YOUR attitudes and beliefs, instill in our hearts YOUR love, grace and mercy. Help us to remove that which hinders so that we can freely come before You and worship you the way You deserve to be worshipped. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, Amen.

Confident of your own righteousness?

2011-07-01T06:31:00.000-06:00

Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

I tell you that this man, rather than the other went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

I think the way that Luke introduces this parable is key. "To some who were confident of their own righteousness". We as humans tend to want to control our own destiny, we read the Bible, we inquire of our pastors and we ask "What do I need to do?" We build a to do list and focus on checking the things we need to do to be righteous off the list. We focus on our behavior and our actions. Then we compare how we are doing to others. It seems that as Christians that at different points in our lives we have been both the tax collector and the pharisee.

Where are you today? Are you the tax collector or the pharisee?

Are you depending on your own righteousness or are you depending on Jesus's righteousness?

Jesus has done ALL the work to justify us, He has done ALL the work to make us righteous, He has done ALL the work necessary for us to come before the Father clean as snow.

We need to stop focusing on us and what we need to do. We need to focus on HIM and what He has already done. When we focus on Him and what He has done instead of on us and what we need to do, we change…not by our power…but His.

Grace at work...

2011-06-29T07:02:00.000-06:00

I heard a story from a pastor, he had been walking with a man who struggled with porn. When the man thought that God loved him less when he was looking at porn, and loved him more when he wasn't...he was stuck in it and continued in his sin. He felt defenseless and powerless against it. But when he finally understood that by God's grace, God loved him just the same no matter what he did or didn't do...he suddenly was able to stop looking at porn. The sin no longer had power over his life.

Knowing He loves us regardless, no less and no more based on our actions is so important. Will God discipline us? Yes…but does that mean that he loves us less? No! (see Hebrews 12:1-12) As parents, when we discipline our children, do we do it because we love them less? No, we do it because we love them and want better for them.

He loves YOU! He sent His Son for YOU! He wants better for YOU!

He is the same yesterday, today and forever, just as His love for us is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Lord, please help us grasp the depth of Your love for us today. Lord you know our hearts so much more than we do…and yet you love us. Help us to get that, embrace that. Show us Your grace at work in our lives today, help us to recognize it in the little things around us all day long. Amen!

One way unconditional love...

2011-06-27T07:16:00.005-06:00

How do you define grace?

I've heard it defined as "unmerited favor" by some. It sounds good, something we all need.

Recently though I've heard it defined as "one way unconditional love".

After hearing this new definition, "unmerited favor" sounds so insignificant; like when I hold the door open for a stranger...more of a courtesy.

But "one way unconditional love" sounds like so much more, doesn't it?

I can show unmerited favor, by holding a door open for a stranger, by giving a few dollars to a homeless person on the street. But can I show them "one way unconditional love"?

The same "one way unconditional love" that Jesus has given to me...to all of us.

Grace is one of the most important tools in the Christian's tool box, one of the most powerful, dangerous and scandalous tools. Grace can change a life immediately and completely...for the better when applied correctly, for the worse when not applied at all.

One way unconditional love has no "but's", no conditions...but we constantly set conditions...don't we? In a world where justice reigns supreme, grace defined as one way unconditional love is so much harder than unmerited favor.

Where are you setting conditions on your love, or on your grace towards others? Who are you merely showing unmerited favor and withholding true one way unconditional love?

Romans 3:23-24 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Lord today we pray that you would search our hearts and reveal to us where we are putting conditions on grace. Help us Lord to understand grace as You define it, help us to apply it as You apply it. In Jesus name, Amen.

Given Freely...

2011-06-06T07:31:00.000-06:00

Romans 3:21-24 - But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (emphasis added)

Simply put, our righteousness was given to us when we placed our faith in Jesus and we are all justified freely by His grace.

So why are you trying to earn what Jesus has given to you freely?

Are you living a life trying to earn the gift that Jesus gave you? Are you trying your best to "stay" in His grace?

We are saved, but not by anything we did. Jesus did all the heavy lifting.

Turn your focus to Jesus, to the Gospel...concentrate on these things. The good news is that Jesus paid it all. And when we understand that, we are truly set free.

Keep it simple.

2011-05-27T06:21:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it just feels like we make it too complicated. We tend to make a mess of the good news that our Lord is calling us to believe, live and share. It's like we have convinced ourselves that the 'good news' can't really be that good.

Luke 18:17 - Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (also Mark 10:15)

Today let us un-complicate it, make it simple...

Jesus loves you more than you can fathom.

He doesn't care where you are at, what you have done...HE LOVES YOU!

Today let's love him back by praising him with every breath and glorifying him in our every action and word.

When we make it simple, it's not only "good" news...it's "life changing" news!

Focus on the gospel!

2011-05-23T06:36:00.000-06:00

Do you focus too much on you and your performance than you do on Jesus, on the gospel?

I know that I do. I put too much stock in ME and not enough in HIM. I tend to focus on what I am doing, where I am at, what I am failing at, what I am successful at...all in the mindset of earning and not losing what Jesus did for me on the cross.

But when I look back at the successes in my life, those times when I overcame great obstacles, gave up sin in my life, made improvements...it was at a time when I was focusing on what Jesus did, instead of what I've done or am doing. When I focus on what Jesus did for me, when I get a glimpse the pain he endured for me and my sin...that is when I am transformed, that is when I am changed. When I'm focused on Him, He changes me, He transforms me, He makes me a better man.

Colossians 1:13-14 - For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He has rescued us, brought us into His kingdom...we are redeemed, forgiven, justified and when we focus on the life and work of Jesus...we are transformed from the inside out. When we focus on the life and work of Jesus we are changed not by our actions, our work or our obedience...but by His.

The other day I heard this quote from Timothy Keller "The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s but the A to Z of Christianity."

The gospel of Jesus Christ our savior is the beginning, middle and ending, it is everything. Focus on what Jesus did for you, and you will be changed.

Focus on what Jesus did for you...and don't stop until you meet him face to face.

Go do it!

2011-05-09T06:14:00.001-06:00

Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me." - Isaiah 6:8

How many times have you been in church and heard a call to help or serve from the pastor...and decided that it wasn't you who they were looking for, it wasn't your calling, it wasn't what the Lord wanted you to do, or that you just didn't have the time?

If you have spent much time in church you have probably done this many, many times. Something I have heard before and have found to be true is the 80/20 rule as it applies to church. That 20% of the people do 80% of the work (or more). If this is truly the case, that means that a lot more people than not take the stance that it's not them that are being called to help or serve.

Several years ago, I attended my first Warrior at Heart Camp, at the end of that camp the question went out..."if any one would be interested in helping". My hand shot up and I got involved. Getting involved has been one of the best things I have ever done. It has helped me in my walk with the Lord, it has helped me grow spiritually, it has given me confidence and brought out leadership abilities in me...that I never knew I had.

Where is God calling you to serve? Why aren't you doing it yet?

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

That's not a question...that is not a request.

In Matthew 28:19 our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is telling you what he wants you to do.

Now go do it!

The importance of decisions...

2011-05-06T07:45:00.000-06:00

Each day we are faced with many decisions. Some minor, some major. Some are important to make, some might not need to be made. But we are making them constantly.

Should I do this or that? How should I do this or that?

One of my favorite quotes (and I can't remember where I first saw it) is "Life is a series of decisions and then living with the consequences of each."

We will make wrong decisions and we will make right decisions. The question is...will we learn from the decisions we make, both right and wrong?

Many decisions we make are far more important than we give them credit. Some of our decisions set a mental precedent or pattern in our decision making which affects our future decisions. Some little decisions start a snow ball down a hill and result in us making the wrong decision on a very important matter. The decision to give into something just once, starts a pattern. It makes the next decision to give in easier. The next decision is even easier, and comes quicker. Before we know it we are down a road we didn't want to go.

The decisions we make are important. In Exodus 28 the Lord has them fashion a breastpeice for making decisions. This breast-piece was made with precious stones, gold and had the names of the sons of Israel engraved on it.

Exodus 28:29 - "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breast-piece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord."

While our decisions don't carry the same weight of Aaron's, what names would be engraved on your breast-piece of decision? Your spouse, your children, your mother, father, extended family? What is the weight of your decisions on you and those around you. What precedents, what habits have you fallen into that are affecting your legacy, the future generations of your family?

Do what it says...

2011-05-02T06:15:00.000-06:00

What habits have you established that helps you in your walk with the Lord?

Prayer, silence and solitude?

Reading, listening and memorizing scriptures from the Word?

Journaling?

Participating in community? (Church attendance, small groups, meetings)

Listening to sermons online or through podcasts?

Reading books about or related to your Christian walk?

There are so many things we can be doing to help us walk a better walk.

And while all these things are helpful, they are not the most important part...

James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

We can do all that I listed above, we can come to to have a great knowledge about the Word...but if we do not do what it says...does it even matter?

All of the knowledge in the world is useless in the hands of a person who will not use it.

2 Corinthians 6:3 - We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.

When we who claim to be Christians do not apply the Word of God to our lives, when we don't live our lives different...we become a stumbling block, an obstacle to others. We are not perfect, we are all broken and sinful and we will mess up; but when we apply the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the context of a life changed by it...others are changed by it.

Lord I pray that you would reveal to us areas where we know the truth, but are not applying that truth to our lives. I pray that we would be a people who not only knows about You, but intimately knows You and shows that by living a life that is changed by You. Amen.

Giving up the Ultimate for the Immediate

2011-04-25T06:14:00.000-06:00

Genesis 25:29-34

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.
He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished." Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."

"Look, I am about to die." Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Esau gives up the Ultimate for the Immediate

In this story, Esau gives up his birthright for a bowl of stew. If you don't understand the concept of the birthright you might not get how absurd this was. To be the first born and have the birthright meant that you would receive the larger share of the inheritance when your father died. In addition the son with the birthright would become the family patriarch, in charge of taking care of the family. The birthright was a big deal.

Esau gave that up for a bowl of stew? Really? Do you really believe that Esau was about to die? Do you think that Esau was in bad enough shape that he couldn't wait for a while...that he didn't have the energy to make a sandwich? If Esau wouldn't have sold his birthright would the it be said 'the God of Abraham, Isaac and Esau' instead of 'the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'?

Esau gave up the Ultimate for the Immediate. He gave up what would have been a huge blessing for an immediate desire...to eat.

Where in your life are you giving up the Ultimate blessing for a short term Immediate desire?

If we are honest, don't we do this a lot? We live in a culture that tells us we don't need to wait. That we need to live for the moment and we should give in to our desires when we have them.

So we give in to our immediate desires and go into debt, give into our immediate desires not worrying about the consequences, go to our immediate desires for comfort and acceptance. We give up the ultimate blessing when we give into our immediate sexual desires and have premarital sex, turn to pornography or an affair.

When we feed our need for the immediate, what Ultimate blessing are we given up in the future? It's something we need to consider.

Lord, I pray that you would reveal to us those areas of our lives where we let the immediate get in the way of the ultimate. Reveal those areas that we give into, which cause distance in our relationship with You. Lord walk with us today and help us to keep the ultimate prize in focus and give us strength to ignore the temptation of the immediate desires that trip us up. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

We get Jesus...

2011-04-18T06:24:00.000-06:00

Why are you into Jesus? Why do you love Jesus? Is it because of who He is? Is it because of what He has done for you on the cross?

John 6:26 - Jesus answered "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill"

To often we come to Jesus not for what He did for us or for who he is, but we come to Jesus for what He can do for us. We become consumers of Jesus. We go to Jesus to make our lives in this world better, instead of focusing on eternity.

John 6:27 - "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Are you coming to Jesus for food that spoils? Or are you coming to Jesus for food that will endure forever?

If Jesus came to you today and told you He would give you your hearts desire, but in exchange you had to give up part of Him, would you take it? Would you take what ever 'that' is and give up a part of your relationship with Jesus?

Now take a hard look at your life right now, look at where you are at in life, the things you have, the things you cherish...what are you putting ahead of your relationship with Jesus? If your being honest, for most of us, we are already putting something ahead of our relationship with Jesus, we are already giving up a part of Him.

Lord, today I pray that we would be content in the mere fact that we get YOU! That we would walk away from the things of this world solely based on what You have already done for us. That we would walk away from the sin in our lives as we focus on You, and find that your love is sufficient for us. Amen.

Grace Without Christ

2011-04-08T06:39:00.000-06:00

I found this devotion written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in my Men's Devotional Bible and thought I would share it:

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye that causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift of which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it gives man the only true life. Is is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above it all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 7:23), and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God.

Additional Scripture Reading: Mark 10:41-45; Romans 5:6-11

What's coming out of your heart?

2011-04-04T06:30:00.000-06:00

Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

What are you filling your heart with?

Are you filling it with Jesus?

In John 6:53 Jesus tells us "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."

When Jesus talks of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, he is calling us, inviting us into a full embrace of Him. He is calling us to fully consume him into our hearts; his love, mercy, grace compassion, teachings and commands. He is calling us to not just a surface relationship with Him, but is calling on us to take Him in fully.

If we fill our hearts with Jesus, what flows from our mouths?

Encouragement, love, concern, grace and mercy.

If we fill our hearts with the things of this world...what flows from our mouths?

Lord, today I pray that we would guard our hearts from the things of this world by filling our hearts to overflowing with You. And that from that overflow that our mouth would speak of Your love, grace, mercy, truth and commands. That you would use us to make a difference in someones life today. Amen!

Unity in Christ

2011-04-01T06:57:00.000-06:00

I strongly feel that one of the most important aspects of our walk with Christ is the Gospel Community that He has placed us in. The church body is made up of many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-26) and those parts work together in support of each individual towards the goal of sanctification. We have been placed together in our communities by God for a reason. As we walk together we learn from each other, we learn the importance of and application of love, grace, mercy, justice, patience, gentleness, humbleness and bearing with one another. Through our relationships God will use each of us to mold those around us.

Last weekend at our Warrior at Heart Ministry Leadership Camp, I experienced in a huge way how this all works. I witnessed 20 men come together and mold each other. We saw fears diminish and hearts change. We had difficult discussions and didn't always agree, but one thing we always agreed on was the importance of unity in Christ.

Psalm 133:1 - How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!

For gospel community to work, we must always make Christ our center, both individually and corporately. When we all make Christ our center, we become unified in him.

Ephesians 4:1-6 - As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Why?

Ephesians 4:12-13 - to prepare God's people for works of services, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

For what?

Ephesians 4:14-16 - Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The purpose of unity in Christ, is our growth, our sanctification. It's through our gospel community that we move from mere infants in Christ to maturity in Christ...from milk, to meat.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

2011-03-18T06:34:00.001-06:00

I found these words encouraging and I hope you do as well today:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

Final Instructions

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Lord, thank you for your Word. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our lives. Amen.

Opposed

2011-03-14T07:01:00.000-06:00

My wife and I had a really lovely time yesterday afternoon. The sun was out, the kids were off doing things teenagers do at the mall, so we decided to head down and find a bench by the river and just enjoy the spring weather. We had talked about doing a 40 days of prayer as a couple and as we sat on the bench we made a list of people and circumstances that we wanted to pray for in the next 40 days. It was really a great time.

Just a short couple hours later as we were planning on doing something as a family, one little thing, some miss-communication and our daughter, my wife and I are all mad and upset with each other.

As I look back on it this morning, I see it for what it was. I'm pretty sure that our enemy doesn't want my wife and I to be of one mind, focused in prayer on the same people and circumstances for 40 days. The fruit that could come from that prayer in the form of God working in our lives and in those we are praying for...is not something our enemy wants to happen. So we are opposed.

Satan doesn't like it when we make progress in our walk with Jesus. When you feel like your making headway spiritually, it always feels like another part of your life is falling apart.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Psalm 31:24 - Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

When you feel opposed, take heart and place your hope securely in the Lord. He is with you and just as He has pursued you...pursue Him, seek Him...and He will strengthen you.

Would you consider doing 40 days of prayer with your spouse? If not, why?

Lord, today I pray for the marriages represented by those reading this. I pray that you would bring peace to each of them, I pray you would strengthen each of them in your Word and in prayer. Help us to grow closer together as we grow closer to You, together. In Jesus's Name, Amen!

Grace

2011-03-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we talk about often is 'grace'. Grace is very important to us because of the grace that our God has given us, and the grace we are called to give to each other. I read a blog yesterday around the idea of giving grace to employees and fellow workers in the workplace and it got me wondering about what grace really is, and how that blog would translate to gospel community. So I looked it up and found several different definitions. For my purposes I picked these three:

generosity of spirit: a capacity to tolerate, accommodate, or forgive people
gift of God to humankind: in Christianity, the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to humankind by God
freedom from sin: in Christianity, the condition of being free of sin, e.g. through repentance to God

As I quickly found out the word 'grace' has many different meanings and uses. I also realized that I don't have the capacity to properly define it, articulate it, or provide a proper example of it. It just feels so beyond what my mind can grasp.

Here are a couple statements from that blog that caught my eye, slightly modified:

"Grace. It seems we’ve taken the marrow out of the word. We’ve Americanized it to mean that we can do anything we darn well please, invoke the grace card, and smile our way through our transgressions.

Why is it that we applaud Jesus offering grace to folks, but we miss how He threw a holy-hissy-fit in the temple, turning over tables? That’s not gracious—certainly not conciliatory. What kind of tyrannical boss would do that?But what if grace is invoked to such an extent that innocents are harmed? What if we extend so much grace to others that they’re enabled to keep offending? Is that grace?"

I don't know that I would have used the same words as the author of this blog, but I think the author made a great point. At what point does grace (a capacity to tolerate, accommodate) become problematic? At what point does this grace start to enable people to remain in the sin that they are most definitely called away from? A couple verses to consider today:

Romans 6:1-2 - What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Jude 1:4 - ...They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord"

Lord, I pray that You would help us to fully understand the grace You have offered and to accept it fully. I pray that You will lead us and show us how to always properly apply grace to ourselves and others. I also pray that You would reveal to us, areas where we have allowed grace to become a license to continue our sinful behavior or as an excuse to not challenge or call others out of theirs. Be with us to day, guide and direct us as You see fit. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Like clay in the hand of the potter...

2011-03-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:1-5 - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

James 1:2-4 - Consider it put joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

This week we (as a ministry) have seen suffering and trials of many kinds. We have seen the glory of God through the suffering and God glorified by those suffering.

But through it all one thing has been constant and unchanging...God's love.

And in His love, He uses the sufferings and trials to mold us and transform us. Through the sufferings and trials He is producing perseverance, building character, increasing our hope and faith. As He transforms us we become more and more mature and complete.

Jeremiah 18:6 - He said "Can I not do with you Israel, as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel"

Lord, it's been amazing to see how You are working in the men and families of Warrior at Heart Ministry this week. The overwhelming love and support of brothers as they face some of the most difficult times in their lives. It's during these times that we see just how much You have changed and transformed hearts. Thank you Lord for leading us, guiding us and most of all...for loving us, for transforming us. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

It starts with the heart...

2011-02-25T05:54:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

These words are so true. Everything we think, say and do comes from something rooted in our heart. Both the good and bad we do, flows out from our hearts.

Matthew 15:18-19 - But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean'. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

What is in your heart? What is coming out of your mouth?

Romans 10:10 - For is is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

How are you guarding your heart? What are you feeding into your heart that you should, and what are you feeding into your heart that you shouldn't?

Our lives and those around us are affected by what is in and what comes out of our heart. When I feed my heart with good things, out of an abundance of good things in my heart I am helpful and encouraging to others. When I feed my heart with bad things, I become cold, callous and hard hearted and that results in hurting others.

What affect are you having on others today? What is flowing out of the abundance in your heart?

Lord I pray today that you would help us see where we need to guard our hearts better. Help us to see in a very vivid and real way; how what we are letting in is affecting our relationship with You and those around us. Lord break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Lord help us to fill our hearts with Your love, grace and mercy and then to live out that love in action and in truth. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Turn to Him

2011-02-21T06:52:00.001-07:00

Romans 2:4 – Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.

Is the way you are living your life showing contempt for the gift that God has given you?

2 Corinthians 7:10 – Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

When you sin do you show Godly sorrow...or do you show worldly sorrow? Do you ache because Jesus didn’t deserve to die for you? Or do you show worldly sorrow over being caught or found out?

When we sin – we need to run to Him, not from Him.

We cannot fix ourselves – We can do nothing but try to manage our sinful behavior, we can put all of our effort into fixing ourselves, but that more often than not, will lead to a different sin (such as pride) or our old sin will rear it’s ugly head at some point down the road.

Only Jesus can help us.

This is why it’s so important to realize that we are loved by HIM...so we turn to Him. We have to continually recognize our sin and turn to Jesus, repent and ask for forgiveness.

It’s important that we spend time in His community. It’s important that we spend time in His Word. It's important that we spend time in prayer...that we spend time with Him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 - And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

When we turn to him and confess (with unveiled faces) His character starts to become our character and we are transformed from the inside out.

Lord, I pray today that we would all learn to run to You when we sin and not away from You. I pray that we would approach You with unveiled faces, open and honest knowing that nothing is hidden from your sight. I pray that as we press into You through the Word, prayer and community that we will be transformed more and more into Your likeness. Amen!

I can do everything...

2011-02-18T06:34:00.001-07:00

Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Do you believe these words?

Do you believe that if we are in Him, that through Him we have the strength to overcome anything?

This last week I've been thinking a lot about how the progression of the character Neo in the movie The Matrix is similar to the progression I have gone through...maybe it's similar to yours.

He starts out just like everybody else, consumed and part of the world. He feels like there has got to be more, like there has to be something else. He starts seeking that something more, he starts to get glimpses, starts to make contact with those that seem to have figured things out. He takes a plunge and enters into another world. He is told who he is, given his identity...he doesn't believe...but he keeps pressing in and learning more. He begins to believe...realizing he is more than he has been...he begins to confront his problems head on. It's not easy, he takes a beating...but he builds confidence, strength and trust in who he is. And then he believes..."No!" and the bullets of the enemy stop...

Philippians 3:12-14 - Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The point for me is that it's a journey, a journey that each and everyone one of us are walking...but when we truly believe in who we are in Him, in Christ and we live out lives accordingly by forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...we can overcome anything and everything.

I can do every everything through Him who gives me strength!

Where are you in your journey? Do you believe these words?

Lord, today I pray that You would help our unbelief. Guide us to healing and forgiveness so we can truly forget whats behind and strain toward what is ahead. Help us to see where we are in our journey and to know our part in Your great story. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Romans 12

2011-02-04T05:58:00.004-07:00

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
   In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Nothing is hidden...

2011-01-31T06:44:00.001-07:00

This weekend I've been struggling with why we feel we can justify our sin. For years I blamed others for my addiction to porn. I would convince myself that because of this or that, that I deserved it, that I earned those hidden moments. I would convince myself that I wasn't hurting anyone but me. It was all lies.

When I realized that when I stand before God to give an account, that He would not accept my justification...things started to change. When I realized that God was watching me, could see my every move, knew my every thought...as I was doing whatever I was doing...things changed.

Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Jeremiah 16:17- My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.

Luke 12:2-3 - "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear of the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs."

He sees us, knows us...He knows what you are thinking right now. And yet he still loves us, wants the best for us, that's why he sent Jesus! Because we got Jesus, Peter tells us...

1 Peter 1:13-17 - Therefore, prepare you minds for action; be self controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

"set your hope fully on the grace to be given"

Because we were given that grace, because we were shown that great and amazing love from the One who knows us, has seen us, knows our deepest and most terrible thoughts... Because he LOVES us that much, let's be "as obedient children," no longer "conforming to the evil desires we had when we lived in ignorance."

Lord we confess we are a broken and depraved people, and I pray that we will be transformed by Your amazing grace, unfailing love and mercy. That we would truly be made new in the knowledge of your love and presence in our lives. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Perseverance

2011-01-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been some of the most difficult for me in quite some time, especially with regards to ministry and gospel community. A pattern has emerged the last few months; at the beginning of each weekend something significant has happened. Something different each weekend, that has resulted in consuming time and energy and taking away from what the focus should be.

Last week was no exception as the phone began to ring Friday night around 10:30pm and once again that significant something. As I was sharing what happened on Friday night with a close friend he pointed out that each of these events was working to refine me, to develop my leadership. Then last night as I continued my reading through the new testament, I started reading James.

James 1:2-4 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

While the last few months have been difficult in some aspects, they have been incredibly good in others. The last few months I have found myself having more faith, putting my problems in Gods hands and listening for his answer. I have found myself spending more time in the Bible, more time journaling and praying. As I read these words in James I realized just how much I have been praying for perseverance these last few months. I have been praying for strength, perseverance, endurance... And now that I can look back and see what he has been doing in my life...I can see where he is delivering answers to those prayers.

Lord I pray that as we face trials of many kinds in our life, that we would recognize them as opportunities to grow in faith and in perseverance. That in the trials we would turn to You and not lean on our understanding or limited view. Lord my hope is that we would pray for Your guidance and direction to get us through the trials and not merely that we pray that You would remove them from our life. It's in going through them that our faith grows stronger. In Jesus's name, Amen!

Are you dong YOUR part?

2011-01-21T05:56:00.001-07:00

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

When I look around today I see a lot of men who have trouble. When I look in the mirror, I see a man who has trouble. It should be no surprise, Jesus himself said that "in this world you will have trouble".

But he also said that "in me you may have peace". Are you finding or living that peace today? Notice the word "may". Now why do you think he used that word instead of "will"?

I decided to look up the definition of "may" and here is what I found:

to indicate that permission is granted
to indicate possibility
to indicate ability or capacity
to express a strong wish

I think all of these apply. Jesus has given us permission to find peace in Him. Jesus has made it possible to find peace in Him. Jesus has given us the ability to find peace in Him. Jesus wants us, wishes we would find peace in Him.

So why are we not finding or living in that peace today? I'd like to suggest that Jesus has done all He needs to do. The question then; are we doing all we need to do?

Are you guarding your heart? - Proverbs 4:23

Are you confessing your sins? - 1 John 1:9, James 5:16

Have you repented? - Luke 5:32, Matthew 3:8

Are you walking the walk? - 2 John 1:6, Colossians 3:7

Are you dong YOUR part? It's not too late to start.

God Bless!

I stand at the door and knock.

2011-01-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

Revelation 3:20 - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

I'm sure most of us have read or heard these words some where along the way. I'm also guessing that many of us haven't felt like these words applied to us. Always saying something like, "I've already accepted Christ, I've already opened the door."

But what I find interesting is that these words come in a warning to the church in Laodicea. These words are directed toward a church, a body of people who believe. A body of people who have accepted Christ, but according to Christ's own words "I know your deeds, that you were neither cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" (Revelation 3:15)

So even if you have been a believer for a long time, even if you have attended church for your entire life...could Jesus be standing outside your life...knocking and you are not hearing His voice? Or maybe you are hearing His voice and yet...you still are not answering?

Why? What's keeping your door shut? What's keeping you from hearing His voice?

Is it fear, guilt or shame from what you've done or what has been done to you? Is it pride or arrogance? What is it that is keeping you from turning to Jesus?

Jesus loves you just as you are and is calling you back into his arms. He is standing waiting for you to open the door to Him, so that he can make you whole, and turn you lose in this life as He meant for you to be.

Lord I pray that we who already profess to be Your people, will listen and obey Your calling. That we will step out in faith, knowing you have plans to prosper us, plans for our good. Lord I pray today that we would learn to lay down our lives, our worries, our plans, our fears and doubts...and focus on what You have for us. Lord thank You for the many blessings we have already received, may we not take those for granted and turn to You today. Amen!

Elijah was a man just like us...

2011-01-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

James 5:13-16 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:17-18 - Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

For so many the new year brings an ending and then hope of a new beginning. But changing a digit in the date doesn't change a thing. However, changing your heart does. If you are looking for true change for this new year, start by changing your heart first.

If you are in trouble...pray.

If you are happy...rejoice and praise our Lord.

If you are sick...call on the elders to pray and anoint you.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Guess what...if you have accepted Christ as your Lord, no matter where you are right now, no matter what is going on in your life...you are a righteous man. You are made righteous because of the work that Jesus did on the cross.

Elijah was a man..just like us? Have you ever considered that? So many times we forget that many of the men in the Bible who did great and amazing things...were men just like us. Elijah prayed and it did not rain for three and half years? I can't remember any time that my prayers affected the weather at any level.

But I do know that prayer has changed my heart, that prayer has helped me in times of struggle, that prayers have helped me when I was sick and that when I have confessed my sins to others, the prays of those others have brought healing to my heart.

I hope that this new year that you look inwardly, pray and let Jesus change your heart.

Lord we come before you today asking for changed hearts. Lord search us and reveal those areas that need confession and healing. Lead us Lord in our transformation and set in us a desire to become more and more like you each day of our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Not helpful...

2010-12-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12 - "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything.

He also repeats this in 1 Corinthians 10:23 - "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is constructive.

Another translation says "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful"

For the last few weeks I've had a recurring thought in my head. A thought that I have really appreciated, because I know that it's for my benefit. In many occasions I have had the thought "not helpful" come to mind. I've had this thought while watching television, and realize that what I was watching was "not helpful". I've had this thought while walking down the street or in the grocery store and noticing attractive ladies..."not helpful". I've had this thought when I've been searching the kitchen for something to eat...even though I just ate a short time ago..."not helpful". There have been many more.

This recurring thought has helped me to identify things in my life that are permissible, but not beneficial, or not helpful in my walk with the Lord. It's helped me to identify things in my life that are precursor to sinful thoughts and actions. I know the thought has been from the Holy Spirit working in my life, transforming me from the inside out.

So what things are permissible or lawful that are not helpful to you? What things do you do; that take your focus off of God? What things move you just a bit further from Him when you watch or do them? I imagine this list is different in some aspects (depending our our weakness) but the same in many others for all of us. What are your idols?

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

Lord I pray that you will reveal to us the things in our life that are permissible, that are lawful, that are fully in our rights that are not helpful or beneficial to us. I pray that you would place that still small voice in each and everyone of us, pointing out each as we go through our days. Then I pray that we would have the ears to hear you, and the strength to walk away from those things and to walk closer to you. I pray that in all that we do, that we do it for Your glory Jesus...not ours. Amen!

Forgiveness needed...

2010-12-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

As Christians I think we sometimes take the forgiveness of our sins for granted and often forget that we are called to forgive just as we have been forgiven.

Matthew 6:14-15 - For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

As we read this and other verses in the Word, we are reminded that our forgiveness is conditional on our ability to forgive those who have sinned against us. Have you ever said or heard something like "I could never forgive what they did to me!" Have you ever struggled with the concept of forgiveness because in your mind it excuses someone from something...that is just to inexcusable? I am pretty sure we have all been there and many may still be there today. So I wonder...is forgiveness about you, or is forgiveness about the person who wronged you? If me being forgiven for my sins is dependent on me being able to forgive...then forgiveness has to be more for me than the other person.

Since the Words in Matthew 6 are true...aren't we only hurting ourselves when we don't forgive?

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 - Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive - I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Paul is telling the church of Corinth, that anyone they forgive that he also forgives. That seems strange doesn't it? What's the point? I think this is a perfect example regarding something we see much to often today. Have you ever taken on someone else's wounds, ever experienced someone being hurt and then become a champion for them in the hate and discontent department? Only to be confused at their lack of concern and being angered at their ability to forgive? I have...and what Paul is saying here is that he isn't going to do that...that if they forgive...he forgives.

But Paul goes on..."in order that Satan might not outwit us"... You see, our inability to forgive not only hinders our ability to be forgiven, it also gives our enemy a stronghold in our life. The longer we let it go, the worse our thoughts can get. We start imagining getting even, maybe even harm coming to the person...Satan goes to work on us...and because of our inability to forgive; we move away from God.

Are there hurts in your life that you need to forgive? Are their people in your past that wronged you that you need to forgive today? Is your spiritual life being hindered by unforgiveness?

Lord I pray that you would show us today those places in our heart that need forgiveness. Reveal to us those who we need to forgive...some might be fresh and on our minds now, but some may have happened years ago, maybe we have forgotten. Lord I pray you reveal those to use now and I pray that we would have the ability to let it go, to forgive and come closer to You. Amen!

Do you love as Jesus would want you to?

2010-11-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Do you love as Jesus would want you to love? I've been reading the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and found it challenging me in some very good ways. One exercise was to look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 in a different way. Read the passage again...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Now replace the word Love with your name and read it again.

It changes things doesn't it.

Am I patient? Am I kind? Do I envy? Do I boast? Am I arrogant and proud? Am I rude or self-seeking? Am I easily angered? Do I keep a record of wrongs? Do I rejoice in wrong doing? Do I rejoice in the truth? Do I always protect those I love? Do I always persevere?

We are called to love one another by Jesus. If this passage is the definition of what love is, how are YOU doing?

Have you deceived yourself?

2010-11-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Psalms 36:2-3 - For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

Have you ever known someone who told a lie so well and so often that it became truth to them? Do you know someone right now that believes something about themselves or God that is incorrect or un-truthful?

Now look inward...have you deceived yourself? Have you spent so much time justifying or hiding sin in your life that you no longer detect or hate it? We can easily be deceived by our thoughts, our flesh, by others, by the world or by our enemy. We can become completely unaware of our sin, or we can become convinced that we are justified in our sin thus making it "ok" to continue our behavior.

So if we are deceived, how do we know where we are deceived? That's the big question...because if we are deceived we probably don't know we are deceived. We pray and listen.

We start by praying as David did in Psalms 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting".

Then we listen. We listen as we read the Bible, we listen to our loved ones, we listen to ourselves and be aware of what we are hearing.

Proverbs 15:31-32 - He who listens to a life giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

What is God trying to show you? What is God using others, to show you about your life?

Lord I pray that you would search us, know our thoughts, test us and lead us to the everlasting by convicting us where we are deceived, where we are justifying our sin. Help us to see our sin, help us to hate our sin. Send loved ones, brothers to show us our sin. Lord we pray that you would bother us, nag us and not let us stay where we are at. Push us Lord to become more and more like you each and everyday. Amen.

Is God a concept or is God your reality?

2010-11-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

If God decided to commission a new version of the Bible set in our time; what would be your role; based on how you are living your life right now?

Would you the the legalistic pharisee who embraces the laws and concepts to the point of making others miserable. Or maybe the person who believes the concepts, goes to church each weekend...but has yet to embrace God and make Him the reality in your world. Or maybe, you would be like the disciples, knowing there is a significance, a weight to the Lord...learning and growing daily...not perfect but wanting so much to be like Him, wanting to live your life for His glory and not yours.

Based on how you are living your life today...where would you be?

Is God still a concept to you? Or has God become your reality? Do you live your life as if you are living it for the glory of God? To live your life for the glory of God is to live a life where you place the weight of God into each decision, into each action you take.

Galatians 1:10 - Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

If you are trying to win the approval of men, you are living a worldly life...not a Godly life. If you are trying to win the approval of men...you are not a servant of Christ. Is it for your glory or His? I've got to be honest, each and every thing I write...I want it to have an impact on those that I write it for. So I struggle with the question "Is it for my glory or God's?" constantly. When I've stopped asking, I've probably lost the battle.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

That is a big list, and I'm guessing that if we are honest, nearly all of us fall into that list somewhere. But I want to focus on what is said after the list. Paul is writing to the the churches he founded in Galatia...he is writing to a church and he uses the words "And that is what some of you were." - What some of you were...meaning that some are still there? That some in the church are still those things? YES...some of you are still there.

Is the reason...that you still only know the concept of God, and not the reality?

But you were washed, you were sanctified, justified....not by anything you did...but by and in the name of Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. Let Jesus become your reality and be washed, sanctified and justified by Him. It's time you let your life be transformed by the love, mercy and grace that is Jesus Christ our Savior.

Gospel Community

2010-11-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Do you realize the importance of community in your walk with the Lord? Most of us really don't understand how important community is. In fact, if we look at our culture, it almost seems like the best thing we can do for our spirituality is to go into hiding; where we can't be touched by the things going on around us.

But that is opposite of what the Word of God teaches us...

Acts 2:42-47 - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

The idea of community, taking part in a community is biblical. We are called to do it...

Why? It's in community where we learn and grow...it's in community we learn to forgive, show mercy and grace, to love one another. It's in community that we develop friendships and bonds. It's in community where we sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.), where we teach, rebuke, correct and train one another. (Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:2, Titus 2:2-8)

The idea of gospel community is not just showing up for church on Sundays. Gospel community is doing life together, it's includes church, small groups, gatherings, your marriage, breaking bread together, celebrating together, mourning together, supporting each other in time of need...

So what's going through your head right now? I'm guessing it's the lies of the enemy. Probably statements like: 'No one likes you.', 'You won't be accepted.', You will just be hurt again.', 'They don't care about you.'... Satan would like nothing more than to keep you isolated, keep you on the outside...keep you away from feeling the love of Christ through others. If it's something he is opposed to, what do you think we need to do? Engage!

Lord, I pray that you would help us to see how important gospel community is in our walk with you. I ask that you would place a desire for true gospel community in our hearts and that we would respond, that we would engage. Lord we pray against the spiritual warfare, the war that the enemy is raging in our thought life that keeps us from engaging in gospel community. Lord let us learn from your example of community and see that through community we come closer and closer to you. Amen.

Time in the Word...

2010-10-25T05:49:00.000-06:00

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

How much time are you spending in the Word? Are you spending time in the Word daily? The scriptures are "God-breathed", the scriptures are the written Word of God. The scriptures teach us, rebuke and correct us.

Matthew 4:4 - Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God"

The Word is a vital nutrient in our spiritual lives. The Bible is the words that came from the mouth of God. Reading and studying on the Word is where we find His truth.

John 8:31-32 - To the Jews who believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Where else do we find truth? If we rely solely on what others tell us about the Word, we open ourselves up to the possibility of false teaching. We must spend time in the Word for ourselves. We need to be studying and memorizing key verses that give us strength in time of need. We need to be testing what we are told by others against the Word and Spirit.

We need to be taking time to allow God to speak to us...and His written Word is the best place to start.

Lord, I pray that we would learn to turn to you always as a first resort and not the last. That we would find daily reading of your Word refreshing and useful. Lord, remove any barriers, any opposition to our time with you. Open our minds and fill us with "every word that comes from the mouth of God". Amen.

We are loved!

2010-10-16T20:03:00.000-06:00

Romans 8:31-38 - What, then shall we say in regard to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raise to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anythings else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For me this is a powerful verse because it tells me that nothing, nothing will separate us from the love of God. God loves us! Did you get that? Do you believe it?

I don't mean just believe it as in you read it and have a head knowledge of it. I mean do you accept it as truth in your heart of hearts? I mean down deep in your soul. Do you own it? Do you believe it?

John 8:32 - You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

That Jesus loves you is a truth that can set you free. Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. Because we are loved there is now no condemnation. Then why do we feel so guilty, why do we beat ourselves up when we sin? Because we don't own that fact that we are loved.

Colossians 3:12 - Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

As God's chosen, holy and dearly loved!!

A mark of Christian maturity is that when we mess up...that we turn to God instead of running from Him. We cannot make ourselves right, we cannot fix ourselves; but God can. When we understand the power in His love for us...we run to Him, not away.

Lord Father, I pray today that you will open our hearts and place the truth of your love deep into us, so that we would not only have the knowledge, but that it would be in our nature and in our responses to all that happens in our lives. Thank you Lord for your unbound love; your unending mercy and grace. May our lives be a living sacrifice that brings you glory. Amen.

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17 (Part 7)

2010-10-10T18:10:00.001-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The Roman soldier always had a sword with him. Not a heavy long sword, but a short two foot sword that was very effective in hand to hand combat. He would have spent hours and hours working with it, learning to be very efficient in it's use. His life would depend on his readiness to use the sword.

Paul tells us that our sword is the word of God. In most cases "word" is translated in the Greek as "logos" which references the written word of God. In this case it is translated as "rhema" which references the spoken word of God. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God comes from our knowledge of the written word and the guidance of the Spirit in how we apply and use it.

Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

How do we become efficient in it's use? First of all it requires us to spend time in the word and second it requires us to have a relationship with the Spirit of God. How are you doing in these areas? Are you spending time in the word? How is your relationship with the Lord?

How much does our life (our spiritual being) depend on us being able to wield this sword in a timely and effective way? How about others in our life; how does our effectiveness affect others? Our spiritual lives depend on our ability to defend ourselves from the attacks of Satan. We must know the truth from the lies, we must know the Word to know truth and we have to rely on the Spirit to defend it. We are to be prepared in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2) to correct, rebuke and encourage... Our effectiveness has a direct affect on those around us.

Lord please guide us and direct us as we apply the full armor of God in our lives. Show us the steps we should take and the things we should do. Help us to see how the full armor of God can help us and guide us to eternity with you. Amen!

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17 (Part 6)

2010-10-04T05:42:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"Take the helmet of salvation..."

In a physical battle the purpose of the helment is pretty obvious. Protect your head! If you get knocked out your done. If you take a blow to the head you can be disorientated, confused and forget where you are. To a Christian the helmet of salvation is all about protecting our minds.

For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we think about "salvation" is that through Jesus, our sins are forgiven and the penalty is paid. But most of us think of salvation in the past tense. In what has been done for us. Salvation is the deliverance from the power and penalty of sin. Which means it's not just something that happened when we accepted Jesus; it's something that is ongoing in our lives. It's about renewing of our minds...

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Colossians 3:10 - ...and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

2 Corinthians 4:16 - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Titus 3:5 - ...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Where is your battle? Where does sin start in your life? For most of us, it's in our minds. It's starts with what we let in, what we watch, what we read, look at...what we think. The thoughts we entertain. The battle is primarily won or lost in our minds.

2 Corinthians 10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

If you are in Jesus, if you have accepted Jesus; your freely given gift is salvation. You must know that and own that. You are forgiven, the power and penalty of sin no longer applies to you. This is what you need to put on and remember each day. Without that knowledge, its impossible to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Without that knowledge, the power of sin remains in your life and Satan convinces you that you are bad and not worthy...

Lord I pray for a complete understanding of salvation in our lives. Not just in that we have been saved, but that you are continually saving each and every one of us. I pray that you will continue to renew our minds through the knowledge of God which is the Word. Lord, thank you for all you do and continue to do in our lives. Amen!

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17 (Part 5)

2010-09-26T14:37:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

Now that we have put on our base armor, Paul tells us "In addition to all this", take up the shield of faith. The "shield" that Paul refers to is a big shield, about four feet tall and made to connect to one to another. Made with iron, wood, linen and leather; the shield would have multiple layers (with a gap between) of wood wrapped in linen and then covered with leather. The shield was design to absorb flaming arrows from the enemy.

But our shield, is the shield of faith and the flaming arrows we face daily are the schemes of our enemy. Each lie, doubt, temptation and attack are a flaming arrow. How do we put out those flaming arrows? Through our faith and trust in God's character, promises and timing.

Jeremiah 28:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie, not a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

His promises are good and he doesn't lie. Where are you in "faith" right now? Are you trusting God? Are you putting faith in what he has done and will continue to do in your life? Or are there areas of your life where you lack faith and trust? What are those areas? Take them to Him in prayer.

Lord we come to you now and ask that you would increase our faith. Help us to trust you more and to trust you in all things. Lord show us how to give it all up to you. Lord we admit we struggle and that we need You. Please guide us to faith and trust in you. Amen.

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17 (Part 4)

2010-09-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

No matter how much armor you have on, no matter how much you have prepared to wield your weapons...if when the battle starts you cannot keep your footing, you cannot stand in your position and you will be taken out. Roman sandals were a vital component to the soldier. A soldiers sandals were tightly strapped to their leg up to the knee and in some cases were fitted with nails to act similar to modern day cleats. Many victorious battles were credited to the fact that they had firm footing and could stand their ground.

Can you stand your ground? Have you fitted your feet "with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace"? Our foundation, our strong footing comes from knowing, understanding and applying the gospel in our lives and in the ability share that gospel with others?

Have you established a firm foundation in the gospel? What happens when we don't?

Galatians 1:6-7 - I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all...

When we don't have a firm foundation in the gospel we are easily deceived. We become convinced of untruths; all the while believing we are living the life that Jesus has called us to.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 and Ephesians 2:1-9

Do you have a firm understanding of the gospel? Do you find peace in the gospel?

Lord I pray that we can fully know, understand and apply the gospel in our lives. I pray that we would be ready in all circumstances to share the good news of Jesus and all he did for us. Lord continue to work in us, continue to walk with us and show us what it takes to fit our feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Amen!

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17 (Part 3)

2010-09-10T22:23:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"...with the breast plate of righteousness in place..."

Last week I reviewed the belt of truth, this week I am looking into the "breast plate of righteousness".

To a Roman soldier, the breast plate would cover his heart and all his vital organs. A very important tool in the battle. How does this translate to us? The breast plate is all about protecting our HEART!

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard you heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Our heart is so important. Out heart is our source for life, from it everything else flows. Our heart is our connection to God.

So what does he mean by "righteousness"? We know that we cannot be righteous in God's eyes on our own accord, that is why we need Jesus. It's only by the work of Christ that we are righteous with God.

But we are called to a righteous living. Meaning we are called to right living, integrity, good character and submission to our Lord; called to bend our will to His. We do this based in the righteousness gained from Jesus. Righteousness then is the practical application of the truth we learn from the Word of God.

When we don't live the righteous life we are called to we let things get to our heart. What do you have in your heart? Do you have anger, resentment, forgiveness not yet given? Are there truths that God has spoken to you through His Word that you have not applied to your life? What does these lead to? Guilt, shame or condemnation?

Lord I pray that you will reveal to us what is in our hearts. Show us those places in our hearts that need healing and forgiveness. Show us your truth and what it means to live a righteous life. Help us to discern your will and then apply it to our lives. Help us to bend our will to yours. Amen.

God Bless!

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17 (Part 2)

2010-09-04T20:23:00.002-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"so that...you may be able to stand your ground"

Giving up ground should not be an option. Why? In battle the worst thing that can happen is to give up ground to the enemy. Especially ground gained for us by Jesus. When Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross so that his blood could make us white as snow; he gained ground for all of us who accept him as our Lord and Savior. The cost to gain that ground was great. We have got to stand our ground so that we don't give up what we gained through our relationship with Jesus.

Verse 14 - "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth around your waist..."

To the Roman soldier the belt was key, the belt was the center piece to the armor he wore in battle. The belt holds it all together. What is our belt? Our belt is knowing and living in "truth". First, we must know the truth, we must know the truth as it pertains to God's Word. Second we must live truthfully and honestly, we must be honest with God, ourselves and others.

Knowing and living in truth is so important because one of the Satan's most important tools is deception. The first example of deception in the Bible is in Genesis when he deceives Eve. He offers lies and the counter is the belt of truth.

How have you been deceived? Do you live any false truths? Has Satan gotten you to believe something that is not quite right, close...but not right about your relationship with Jesus?

How have you been less than honest? Have you blamed others for you sin, or justified sin because of how others have treated or sinned against you?

Lord I pray that you would reveal to us those areas where we have been deceived, where we haven't been honest with You, ourselves or others. Lord help us to come clean in these areas so that we can be firmly planted in Your truth, that we can be completely honest and truthful with You, ourselves and others at all time. Lord help us to put on the belt of truth daily and live it. In Jesus name. Amen!

God Bless!

Learn It, Live It - Ephesians 6:13-17

2010-08-28T21:02:00.001-06:00

"...and developing..."

2010-08-16T07:05:00.000-06:00

Last week I ended with the Warrior at Heart Ministry vision statement. This week I want to start with it:

"Battling to heal and free men's hearts by inspiring and developing men to be the leaders and stewards God intended us to be...through the power of Christ's love."

As most of you know, we have recently added the words "and developing" to this statement. To be honest, as a leader in WAHM these new words have lots of things rumbling around in my head. I'm more of a detail kind of guy and the "how do we do that?" question has been loud and echoing in my head since we were "inspired" to add those words.

If I'm really being honest, I've been fearful of the consequences of "and developing". The immediate consequences have been spiritual warfare, the future consequences might mean more time requirements on leadership, more commitment, etc...

But as I was reading the vision statement this morning, I felt the Lord was telling me to not be afraid. He inspired "and developing" and He would handle the "how do we do that?". Then I also noticed something I hadn't before. The statement is cyclical, as we "...battle to heal and free men's hearts by inspiring and developing men to be the leaders and stewards God intended..." we are creating more men to do the same.

Isaiah 41:10 - So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

If God is with us...who can be against us...

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

It's time to become "thoroughly equipped for every good work".

A Transformed Life

2010-08-09T20:59:00.000-06:00

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Are you living a transformed life or are you still conforming to the pattern of this world?

"...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is..."

Living a transformed life helps us to know what God's will is.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come!

Are you living as the new creation that Christ made you?

2 Corinthians 3:18 - And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Are you reflecting the Lord's glory? Are you being transformed into the likeness of Jesus?

James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

It's time to listen to the word, listen to and embrace the gospel. It's time to stop conforming to this world and start conforming to His. He is waiting on us all to become the men, the leaders he intend us to be.

The Warrior at Heart Vision Statement: "Battling to heal and free mens hearts by inspiring and developing men to be the leaders and stewards God intended us to be...through the power of Christ's love."

Colossians 3:12-14

2010-08-01T18:43:00.000-06:00

Colossians 3:12 - Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

As God's chosen people how do you clothe yourselves? Sure I clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, but I also tend to put on other things as well. I often put on things that aren't in agreement with this list. I sometimes am unkind, intolerant, inpatient and not compassionate. How about you?

Colossians 3:13 - Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I find when I've clothed myself with the wrong things that it's difficult to bear with others and the things they do. I find it hard to forgive.

Colossians 3:14 - And over all of these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Wow...on top of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience I also need to put on love?

To be honest I all to often find it easier to show myself as compassionate, kind, humble and patient with those that I don't love. I seem to lose these things when dealing with the people I love most. Do you?

Today I pray that God helps us clothe ourselves with the right stuff. I pray that He gives us compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience for all people we encounter, but especially for those who we tend to take for granted. I pray he shows us the grievances we are carrying and how to lay them down and forgive. I pray Jesus shows us the guilt we are carrying and how to lay it down at the foot of his cross.

God bless!

We were born to embrace not accept it

2010-07-19T06:32:00.001-06:00

The first line in "Let Us Love" by Need to Breathe is:

We were born to embrace not accept it

When I really focused on these words; it really got me thinking about how often our Christianity is based merely on acceptance of Jesus.

When I looked up the definition of the word "accept" I found these words: "take something offered", "say yes to an invitation", "come to terms with something", "believe in something".

It strikes me that we can "believe in something" and not embrace that something.

When I looked up the definition of the word "embrace" I found these words: "to clasp in arms with affection", "to cling to, to cherish, to love", "to seize eagerly", "to submit to".

Could the difference be any more stark?

Would you define your relationship with Jesus as one of taking what has been offered, one of mere belief? Or would you define your relationship with Jesus as one of love, affection and submission?

We were born to embrace not accept it

The difference between embracing and accepting is a matter of heart. Where is your heart today?

I pray you "seize eagerly" the One who loves you, who gave it all up for you.

How is your foundation?

2010-06-27T19:31:00.000-06:00

Luke 6:46-49 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and it's destruction was complete."

The Lord's grace and mercy abounds and is plentiful; and His work on the cross is more than sufficient for our salvation. But His words in Luke give us a stark warning. If we accept His grace, but not His word...we are like the one building our house without a foundation. We have to not only listen and read his word, we have to put it to practice in our lives daily.

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

When we don't put what the Lord tells us to practice in our lives daily we leave ourselves open. The storms and struggles of this life will push us, they will shake our faith. We become vulnerable to the enemy and he will pick our weakest point and pounce. If we are not doing what the Lord tells us, how can we resist him? How can we stand firm in the faith?

He says about the house with no foundation...that "it collapsed and it's destruction was complete"

If we "hear" and "put them into practice"...we can stand tall in the face of the storms and struggles. Our foundation built on our Lord will hold and we will not be shaken.

How is your foundation today?

Do you have a seriousness about following God?

2010-06-13T19:57:00.000-06:00

Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,...

Have you been raised in Christ? It's important to know that what comes through the rest of Colossians 3 is directed to those who have been raised in Christ. So what does it mean to "have been raised in Christ"?

Do you believe that you are a sinner? Do you believe that you have rebelled against God? If not, then you haven't been raised in Christ.

1 John 1:8 - If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:10 - If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Further, do you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, sent as the wrath absorbing sacrifice for your sins? Do you believe that Christ was crucified for your sin and raised again on the third day?

If you say no to any of these questions then you probably haven't been raised in Christ. But if you have been raised in Christ, what are you to do?

Colossians 3:1 (continued) - set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Do you have a genuine affection for God? I mean a true deep love for God? Are you serious about following God? Do you have a desire to submit and humbly walk with Him?

Colossians 3:2-4 - Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

What should we be doing if we have a seriousness about following God?

Colossians 3:5-10 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Do you have a seriousness about following God?

God Bless!

Looking for that Saul-Paul moment?

2010-05-14T21:17:00.000-06:00

Acts 9 is where you find the story of Saul and how Jesus encountered him. It's a story worth reading if you haven't before and worth reading again if you have. It's a story of a un-deniable (especially to those involved) interaction between Jesus and Saul which completely converts a religous zealout who hated and persecuted Christians to a Christian himself. The conversion is so complete that Paul spends the rest of his days spreading the word of Jesus enduring beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonment and finally death.

Are you waiting for that Saul-Paul moment in your life? I think there are a lot of people who are. Are you looking for the un-deniable interaction; a moment that once happens; you know would change your life?

Would we recognize it if we saw it? Would I, would you?

2 Samuel 22:26 and Psalms 18:25 both state "To the faithful you show yourself faithful..."

Remember that Saul was very faithful to God; he followed all the rules, he knew the Bible (the first five books of the Bible) like the back of his hand. What Saul didn't know, what he didn't understand was that Jesus was God. It took a very impressive show of God to show Saul the error of his ways.

What are you doing with your life while you wait for that moment? Are you showing yourself faithful?

Hebrews 12:2-7

2010-05-10T06:02:00.000-06:00

Hebrews 12:2-3 - Let 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:4-7 - In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

The other day I heard the concept of the "passive wrath of God" for the first time. The passive wrath of God would look something like this: You are born, without blemish, perfect in every way. You have an amazing life with no hunger, no pain, no struggles with sin, no sickness, no un-met needs, no wants and no untimely death or sorrow. Basically the world at your finger tips, you appear to be blessed. You die and when judged, the Lord says I knew you NOT and you are cast into the firey pit. You went through life with no need to turn to God, no need to rely on Him. This would be the passive wrath of God.

Foruntately for us He loves us and wants us to learn to rely on Him. He places opportunities in our lives to come closer to Him, to learn to depend on Him and to love him. Opportunities you say? Yes!

In our hardships he is perfecting our faith, in our struggles with sin, the pain we endure from a lost love one, from what ever is going on in your life, He is teaching us to rely soley on Him and not our own devices. He is calling us closer and closer to Him.

Romans 8:18 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Don't let your suffering get you down, rejoice in it knowing that it's bringing you closer to God and that none of it will compare with the glory of God.

Are you following your calling?

2010-05-03T05:41:00.000-06:00

Matthew 3:15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fullfill all righteousness"

I'm not sure about your Bible, but in my Bible these are the first words in RED. This is the first direct quote from Jesus (at least in the ordering of the books of the Bible) in the Bible.

Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptizer and John said "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" John's calling was to prepare the way for the Lord (Isaiah 40:3) and part of that calling included baptizing Jesus.

Are you pursuing your calling or your potential? There are so many things each of us have the potential to do in this lifetime. The number of things we can do, that we can pursue are endless. We can get so caught up in that "keeping up with the Jones'" pursuit of our potential that we forget to pursue our calling.

I think it's very fitting that the first words in red are Jesus telling John to continue in his calling to prepare the way of the Lord. Now if John wouldn't have pursued his calling, I'm sure that God would have figured something else out, someone else would have baptized Jesus. So He doesn't need us to pursue our calling to accomplish his work, but he wants us to pursue our calling to accomplish his work.

How much more fruitfull would be pursuing your calling versus your potential? How much more happy would you be?

Are you following your calling?

"Let it be so now..."

Psalm 139:1-18

2010-04-26T06:43:00.001-06:00

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

You are a new creation...

2010-04-05T06:04:00.000-06:00

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Ephesians 4:22-24 - You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

1 Peter 1:3 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Corinthians 5:7 - Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Romans 6:4 - We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Are you getting the picture? This last weekend is all about Jesus giving us new life, making us a new creation, making us righteous through his gift of sacrifice.

ARE YOU LIVING IT?

Are you living a life worthy of the sacrifice? Now don't think that this means living a perfect life. There is only one who lived a perfect life; and He died on the cross for you and me.

Are you living a new life? Are you stiving to be more and more like Jesus everyday?

We need to claim and live in our new identity which is a new creation through the savior Jesus Christ our Lord! Know who you are, embrace it...live it!

God Bless.

Just imagine...

2010-04-02T05:30:00.002-06:00

Imagine the despair of those around Him. Those who walked with Him followed Him. Imagine what they must have been feeling and thinking…the devastation they felt. We know the rest of the story, those who loved Him then…did not.

Imagine how Peter felt…he had just denied loving Jesus three times; and now he could not make amends… Do you feel this way? That what you have done was too costly, that you cannot make amends? I pray you find freedom in the gift that was freely given by Him, by freely accepting it. We don’t have to feel the despair, the hopelessness or the fear that our mistakes have been too great. We just need to believe in and accept Him.

John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Do you have a contrite heart?

2010-03-29T06:03:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 57:15 - For this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."

Do you have a contrite heart? Do you even know what it means to have a contrite heart?

Contrite - feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming. The origins of the word come from Latin contritus, lit. "worn out, ground to pieces,"

Psalms 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart. O God you will not despise.

Isaiah 66:2 - "Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came in to being?" declares the Lord, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."

These words provide so much hope...that He lives in a high and holy place, but also with those of us who are contrite and lowly in spirit. He esteems the humble and contrite in spirit.

Do you have a contrite heart? You should, we all should.

God bless!

What has mastered you?

2010-03-22T06:15:00.000-06:00

1 Corinthians 6:12 - "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything.

In context these words come just before a lecture on sexual immorality; but they apply to so much in our lives. In a culture where we have so many things we can do; the questions we should really be asking ourselves continually are:

Is this beneficial?
Is this mastering me?

How often have you asked these questions about the things you are doing in your life? If you're like me it's not very often and probably while your feeling guilty about something. Usually we only think about things like this when we are outside of our normal routine or have experienced something in our life to make us consider where we are at in life.

But we should be considering this all the time in our lives. When we are watching TV, when we are shopping, when we are doing what ever we are doing...is this beneficial? Is this mastering me?

Is what I'm doing truly beneficial in my life? Does it bring me closer to the Lord? Is it the right thing for me to be doing? How does it affect my family? How does it affect others around me who know I'm a Christian? What else could I be doing?

Am I addicted to it? Does this dictate my schedule, how I spend my money, etc...? Does doing this create a hardship in other areas of my life?

Let's make sure we are spending our time on things beneficial and focus on breaking the chains of bondage where they exist in our lives.

John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Let's live like we believe...that we are free. God bless!

Are you shining like a star?

2010-03-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:12-15 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe...

Do you shine like a star in this crooked and depraved generation? Not many of us do. Most of us are busy just trying to survive in this crooked and depraved world. But we are called to do much more then survive. We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to let God work in us, to act according to His will and good purpose, to do everything without complaining or arguing...so that we can shine amid all of the depravity of this world.

Why should we shine?

Daniel 12:3 - Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

We are called to shine so that we are different. So that others will see us as shining examples, so that others will be lead to righteousness because they want to have what we have found.

Do you shine like a star in this crooked and depraved generation? Or are you sitting back and riding the fence between this world and His world? Do you blend in so well that those caught up in this world don't know you are different?

He is calling you and leading you to more...will you follow Him?

God Bless!

Be Trained, Be Ready

2010-02-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

There are two verses that have been strongly laid on my heart since before the first of they year.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righeousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season, correct rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.

"...so the man of God may be..."

Isn't this what we are striving for as a Christian? To be a man of God? It's what I am striving for. To not just be known as a man of God, but to live the life that a man of God would live. To me these verses are key. The scripture is so useful. I see more and more relevance in scripture to my life and the lives around me the more I focus on and study it. There doesn't seem to be a situation where the scripture doesn't have something to say.

We need training to be a man of God and we need to be ready at all times. I learned just this last week that I can't take time away from my training and my preparation. I did and I wasn't ready when a brother needed help. I need to be ready at all times, I must be ready at all times if others are going to be looking to me for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

Pressing into Jesus, learning and studying are things we must continue to do. It needs to not become something we do in this life, but how we live in this life. It needs to become second nature; that is when we will be ready both in and out of season. God bless!

Valentine's Day - Or how we should be everyday?

2010-02-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

In Ephesians 5 in the context of "Be imitators of God" Paul instructs wives and husbands regarding how they should treat each other. I think that we too often overlook everything in Ephesians 5 prior to the part about wives and husbands, but it adds so much significance to what he is telling us.

Ephesians 5:1-2 - Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

To start in this way is huge. In fact if we were to live out these verses would we need any of the rest? To love as Christ loved us means that we love unconditionally, with all of our heart.

In verses 3-20 Paul then gives instructions on what not to be and what we should be. Examples include: no hint of sexual immorality, no hint of greed, no obscenity, no foolish talk or coarse joking, live wise, don't be a fool, sing and make music in your heart, give thanks to God for everything, etc... Please read it for yourself.

Then...

Ephesians 5:21 - Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

This is important, because no matter what follows...we know that we are to submit to one another out of our deep love (our reverence) for Christ. At this point is there any reason to go on? This is what we have got to do marriage. In this context please read for yourselfs the remaining verses which ends with:

Ephesians 5:33 - However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband.

This statement is so tied to how we are wired. Men you need to love your wives, wives you need to respect your husband. Men if you don't love your wife and be considerate of her she will not repect you. Women, if you don't respect your husbands he will not truely love you. This is the point of submission...we need to offer the other what it is they need...in order to get what we need.

So should we wait for Valentine's each year to show our love for each other? Should Valentine's day be the only day we submit to the needs of our wives and husbands? No. We should be be serving, loving and submitting to each other daily in our reverence of Christ and what he did so unselfishly for us all. Valentine's day should be the day when we push that which we should do every day over the top!

Psalm 27

2010-02-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=psalm27&niv=yes

What kind of life do you want to live?

2010-01-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

What kind of life do you want to live? How does that compare to the life you are called to live? Is there a difference? If so, why?

I think our earthly beings long to be known, we long to live a life where our legacy lives on long after we are gone. We long to be part of an epic, to not only be part of it...but to be the center of it. To be the hero, the one remembered and talked about for ages to come.

Is that the life your being called to? Maybe.

The problem with wanting to leave a legacy, wanting to be remembered for ages...is that in the end it's not likely to happen. Some people get rich enough to donate to colleges and get a building with their name. Some people attain high positiions and get into history books. But for the rest of us; when it's all said and done, we may only be remembered for a generation or two at the most. Eventually all the people who we affect in this life will pass...who will remember us then?

I think that most of us are called to do the simple work. The work that simply is to be done for the glory of God. We are called to lead and raise up our families. We are called to do His work in our community. We are called to help and feed the poor, the orphans and the children. Each of us have something, some holy discontent that we are called to in this life.

If there is a legacy we can leave that will last it's with our family. A legacy that comes from our children seeing us knowing, loving and serving the Lord to the extent; that they do it as an example to their children; and they do it as an example to their children and so on. Something that becomes a family tradition...

In the end we are called to do little things in His great big story. A story He has lovingly invited us into. Go live your part well and teach your children to do the same. God Bless!

Do you know your identity and purpose?

2010-01-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

You need to know who you are. You need to know your identity. It's key in this life as the attacks you face are almost always set square against your identity and purpose.

Jesus knew his identity: Luke 3:21-22 - When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Jesus knew he was the Son of God, that he was loved by God. He was then led into the desert and was tempted...what was the devil attacking? His identity...

Luke 4:3 - The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread"

Luke 4:9 - The devil lead him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said"throw yourself down from here."

If you are the Son of God? Do you see where Satan attacked? If this is your identity then do this! But Jesus was secure in his identity, Jesus did not need to prove who he was.

Look at your life. Where does the attack come from in your life? It comes against your identity. You are not lovable, nobody likes you, you are a loser, you will never make it, you are a failure, you can't handle it, you are nobody, you are this, you are not that.... It comes, and unless we are secure in our identity; we begin to question...and before too long we begin to believe.

Be secure in your identity. You are a child of God, you were placed in this world for a purpose. He knew you before you were born and he made you as you are. If you ask Him, he will show you your identity and purpose.

You see Jesus was secure in His identity, His purpose and He was secure in His knowledge of the Word. He used them to deflect that attack of Satan. You need them as well. God Bless!

Are you living a reconciled life? - Part 2

2010-01-23T21:48:00.005-07:00

I wanted to finish up 2 Corinthians 5 so in this post I'm going through verses 11-21 which in my bible is titled "The Ministry of Reconciliation"

Verse 11: Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

In the previous verse we learned that we will sit on the judgement seat of Christ and be held accountable for what we do in this life...good or bad. But is that what the "fear of the Lord" is? I think it's deeper than what we consider "fear" these days. To have a fear for the Lord is to have reverence for Him.

Verses 12-15: We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

What I take from these verses is that Paul and those with him were living a life different or apart from others. A life that because of Christ's love in which he died and was raised for us, doesn't make since to others. A life where He would seem not in his right mind for the sake of God. A life of glorifying God, having pride in Christ (who is in his/our heart) where others couldn't see. Couldn't understand.

Verse 16: So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Paul is saying that he doesn't look at people as the world does anymore. Paul has gained an eternal perspective. He no longer looks at Christ from a worldly point of view, he now sees him as Lord.

Verses 17-19: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

This is the good news! Do you know what it means to be reconciled? Some synonyms I found for reconcile: settle, put to rights, bring together, reunite, resolve, merge, patch up, square, join.

The idea of reconciliation is huge. It means he no longer counts our sins against us. It means that we can know through Christ come before our Father. That through Christ we are new again and the the Father has committed this to us.

Verses 20-21: We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Are you living a reconciled life? God through Christ has reconciled himself to you. Have you reconciled yourself to Him? Are you Christ's ambassador? Do you give yourself as a living sacrifice, a living example worthy of His sacrifice? Don't get me wrong here, we are not called to be perfect...but we are called to be different. We will mess up, we will have struggles...but as ambassadors of Christ, it's how we respond that shows others we are different.

Are you living a reconciled life? - Part 1

2010-01-21T05:15:00.003-07:00

Today I'm focusing on 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10

Verses 1-4 - Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Are you longing for your heavenly dwelling? Do you groan and are you burdened because you want what is waiting for you in heaven? Be honest! Or would you prefer to stay in this life with your loved ones? Or do you groan and are you burdened at the thought of your mortal death?

Verses 5 - 8 - Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

We live by faith, not by sight. We cannot see him while in our earthly body. We can communicate with him through the Spirit; the Spirit he gave us as a deposit against what we will have when we enter our heavenly home. How is your faith?

Verses 9-10 - So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Are you making it your goal to please him? Are you living a life that would be pleasing to Jesus? A life worthy of the sacrifice he made for you and me? Even though we are reconciled to God through Jesus, we will still be judged for what we do in this life, whether good or bad.

I ask again, do you groan and are you burdened at the thought of your mortal death? Is it because your not living the life worthy of the sacrifice? Is it because your not living a life that honors and glorifies Jesus? If so, maybe it's time to change...

I pray that today you turn to Jesus and ask him to renew you so that you can live freely in the confidence of His grace and love. That you would live a reconciled life that brings honor and glory to the one who gave it all up for you. God bless!

What do we really "deserve"?

2010-01-19T05:14:00.003-07:00

Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one"

How many times do we get caught up in thinking things like "I'm basically a good person" or "that person is good, I hope he gets what he deserves"? I do, I think we all do at some point.

But "there is no one righteous, not even one"; no matter how good we think we or someone else is, we have to remember that our definition of good comes in comparison to others in this world and not based on God's laws and God's expectations.

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I don't want what I deserve; because of my sin I only deserve hell. But by the Grace of God...

Romans 3:24 - and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.

Through Jesus Christ I am freely gifted salvation and forgiveness of my sin; through faith in Jesus I won't get what I deserve. Through faith we are justified...

Romans 5:1-5 - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace which we now stand. And we rejoice in the the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

The good news is that we won't get what we deserve...that we don't have to do anymore than place our faith in Jesus.

I pray today that you will find peace and rejoice in His free gift of grace.

Paul's Instruction

2010-01-14T05:00:00.002-07:00

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.

First of all do you believe what Paul is writing here? That all Scripture is God breathed and is useful?

Paul is pointing out that the Scripture, the Word, your Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. So that we can be equipped for the good work he has in mind for us. He goes on to say to be prepared in season and out of season. That when we correct, rebuke and encourage...to do so in great patience and careful instruction.

We need to know our Bible, our Scriptures. They are the road map, the blue print to how to do all that we every really need to do.

As leaders (we are all leaders and have influence) we need to know our Bible to preach and teach, to rebuke and correct, to train. We need to be prepared always and in every season. We need to do all of this in great patience and careful instruction.

How are you leading at home? Your wife, your kids?
How are you leading at work?
How are you leading in your Church?
How are you leading yourself?

Is it as Paul describes? Are you in your Bible daily? Are you using it to determine how to live your life?

Are you content in all circumstance?

2010-01-12T05:22:00.002-07:00

I heard a pastor on the radio say something like: "If we can't be thankful for what we already have, how can we be thankful when we get what we want?" This really nailed me. I spend so much time wondering and day dreaming about what I want, about how things could be...that I usually overlook what I already have. Do you too?

Philippians 4:11-12 - I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Are you content in your current circumstances? Or have you gotten caught up in our culture, trying to keep up with the Jones family?

1 Timothy 6-10 - But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

We live in a culture where there seems to be a fine line between being seen as content and seen as being lazy, seen as being not content and having desire, passion and drive. But is it really one or the other? I think you can be lazy and not content, just as you can be content with what you have and still have desire, passion and drive for improving.

The question really becomes about the heart. Where is your heart? What is your motivation to do what you do? Is it about you or about Him? Is it about your glory or His?

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." - Let's set our heart on Him, let's be content and happy in what He has already blessed us with, let's walk on His path and be blessed in His ways.

Show it by your actions.

2010-01-05T05:45:00.004-07:00

1 John 3:18 - Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Are you living out your faith, your beliefs, your love with actions and in truth? Or do you merely talk a good game?

Do you talk about what it means to be a Christian and then not live it out?

James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Are you living as the Word tells us to live? If I ask those that work with you, would they know you are a Christian? Do they know you are different?

James 2:14 - What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

James 2:17 - In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by actions, is dead.

If you claim to be saved, if you claim to follow our Lord Jesus; but your actions are not distinguishable from the world around you...are you really saved? Have you really let Jesus take control of your heart? Or are you still just talking about it?

Don't just talk the talk.

It's time to walk the walk!

God the Pursuer

2009-12-29T10:29:00.002-07:00

How awesome is it that we have a God who pursues us?

Right from the beginning after the first sin God pursued his creation.

Genesis 3:8-9 - Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the Garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"

God knew where they were, but he pursued them...he called out to Adam...Where are you? God wasn't distant, He was there with them. He came to them.

Genesis 4:6-7 - The the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

When God saw Cain was angry because his brothers offering was favored, God tried to counsel Cain. Why are you angry? God knew why Cain was angry but was trying to point out to Cain that his anger was a result of his (Cain's) actions...not God's.

God pursued Cain, try to reason with him, tried to show him the error of his way.

And He has continued to pursue and counsel us all through history and continues today.

Prior to me coming back to Him I was haunted by a specific question over and over. "Where is Joe?" I would hear this question continually, in the shower, while driving, at work, etc... I thought I was going crazy...but I now know that it was His pursuit of me. He was pursuing ME? How do I know? As soon as I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior...the questions changed. I was no longer haunted by that question.

He is pursuing all of us all the time. Even in our sin, our troubles, our unbelief...he is pursuing us and will continue to pursue until He comes back.

How is he pursuing you?

Where are you? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

What does it mean to repent?

2009-12-17T05:40:00.002-07:00

The definition of repent is:

1. be sorry: to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it
2. change ways: to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits

On Wikipedia it's described as "Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law. It typically includes an admission of guilt, a promise or resolve not to repeat the offense; an attempt to make restitution for the wrong, or in some way to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong where possible."

Are we called to repent?

Luke 15:7 - I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who do not need to repent.

Matthew 3:2 - Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:17 - From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

There are so many verses in the bible where we are called to repent or into repentance. How are you doing at repenting of your sin? When you realize your in sin do you repent immediately? Do you repent completely?

What sin in your life have you not yet repented from?

Do you feel like God has let you down?

2009-12-15T05:29:00.002-07:00

I heard a very interesting question yesterday:

Do you feel like God has let you down in certain areas of your life? Be honest with yourself. Did something immediately pain your heart when you read that question? Have you felt like you deserved more success, less problems, more money, a bigger house, a better job, a better relationship with your spouse, a better sex life? Have you put expectations on your relationship with Jesus?

The follow up question dug even deeper. Do you allow yourself to sin in these areas? To make up on what you feel God hasn't delivered on? Do you take gaining what you were expecting into your own hands? If you were expecting business success, do you feel justified in cheating? Cheating people to get more money, cheating on your taxes? Do you tell white lies so others might think better of you? If you are struggling in your relationship with your wife, if your sex life isn't what you expected; do you feel you can justify divorce, adultery or pornography?

Do you think God defines success the same way we do? In Jeremiah 29:11 when God says "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future", do you think He defines the word "prosper" as you do?

Jeremiah 9:23-24 - This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of this wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight"

Genesis 39:2 - The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

Joseph was a slave and yet he prospered. That doesn't sound very prosperous does it? It goes on to say in verse 3 "...and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did." He was a slave!

Are you a slave to your expectations of God and others? If you feel like God has let you down then it's time to drop the expectations you have placed on Him. You cannot love God, you cannot glorify God, you cannot worship God unconditionally when your expectations of Him get in the way.

Do you feel like God has let you down? Maybe the question should be: how have I let God down?

What Jesus do you worship?

2009-12-10T05:14:00.003-07:00

I think that for way too many of us, the image of Jesus is of this radiant perfect good looking man with children sitting in his lap that we don't relate to. I remember when I was young and my grandparents took me to church. I would go into the children's classes and we had the old flannel graph (remember those?) and we would talk about the stories of the bible. I've got to be honest I didn't get Jesus. I just remember I couldn't wait until the end when we got to sing and pick our own songs. My favorite, the one that I always picked...Onward Christian Soldiers. I could relate to that.

So what Jesus do you worship? The Jesus who came to be the perfect man the last Adam the one to show us how it should be done, the Jesus that told us to love our neighbor, to turn the other cheek to love our enemies...the Jesus who was kind and caring. Or is it the Jesus who sharply rebuked the Pharisees and religious leaders and turned the over tables in the temple in anger. Maybe it's the Jesus who is God; who ascended to the throne, who comes back someday with a sword of lightning in his mouth on a mighty steed and a blood dipped robe and defeats his enemies.

He is all of these things and more. We can't pick and choose the parts we like and ignore the rest. Jesus is everything, this world is all about Jesus. The bible is all about Jesus. Jesus is Lord, Jesus is the one and only way to the Father, Jesus is the Savior, Jesus is the one to rule them all. It's all about His glory, all things will be made to glorify Jesus. In the end every knee will bow...every knee.

So, what Jesus do you worship?

It's all about Jesus

2009-12-03T05:16:00.002-07:00

It's all about Jesus

It's not about me

He's done the heavy lifting

just so I can be

Jesus is...Love

Jesus is...Mercy

Jesus is...Grace

Jesus is...Sufficient
Jesus is...God

He is the only perfect human.

He is the only human to defeat death.

He is the only one we should put our HOPE in.

He is the only one we should put our TRUST in.

He is the only one that can SAVE us.

Glorify Him!

John 1:1-5 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 1:10-14 - He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth.

Without Jesus there is nothing, it is all about Jesus and he is sufficient. But we need to believe and need to strive to be like He was when He came in human form. His life on earth is the only life we should use as a model, He is the only person we should long to be like. He is the only idol we should have.

Is He #1 in your life?

Philippians 3:12-16 - Pressing on Toward the Goal

2009-12-01T05:25:00.005-07:00

Philippians 3:12-16 - Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Emphasis added)

When Paul writes Philippians he is in prison and nearing the end of his life on earth. Given everything that Paul has been through, the sacrifices he has made, the suffering he has endured in following and teaching about Jesus...he is still humble and confesses that he has not already obtained the prize or been made perfect. If there is anybody at a point in their life that might look back and say..."look what I have done, I deserve what Jesus has for me"...it's Paul. But he doesn't and he knows his journey is not over yet.

"but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." - For me this is an amazing statement. First given all that Paul has done that he has to continue to press on, second because he reminds us that Jesus took hold of us...he choose us. We often talk about the day we accepted Jesus into our lives and it is a day for celebration. But what's more amazing is that Jesus choose us.

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." - When I read "forgetting what is behind" two things come to mind. First, to forget what is behind requires forgiveness; until we can truly forgive we cannot forget. Second, we can't rest on what we have done in our past. We can't set back and think our past accomplishments are enough or sufficient. We are better off forgetting those and focusing on what is ahead...focusing on Jesus and not on our works.

Our lives and our walk with Jesus is a journey. A journey that is not easy, a journey that is hard, tough and full of suffering. But it's a journey with an amazing prize at the end. A journey worth taking. Let's continue to press on toward the goal together just as Paul continued to press on until the very end.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T06:58:00.002-07:00

Psalm 100:4 -Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Showing thanksgiving and praise should be a daily occurrence in the lives of Christians regardless of our circumstances. Whether in dire need, suffering or in abundance we need to keep Jesus first and foremost in our lives.

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Today let's celebrate with thanksgiving and praise with our friends and family.

Lord Jesus, I pray for all who read these words. I lift them to You and ask for Your continued work in their life. No matter their circumstances I pray they find peace and comfort in Your presence in their lives. I pray for a renewing of hearts, forgiveness and reconciliation in relationships. Lord as I pray that Your will, will be done in our lives and no matter what we will praise and bring thanksgiving to You. In Jesus's name. Amen!

God is with you.

2009-11-24T05:05:00.002-07:00

When you look at the circumstances you are in, are you confident that God is with you?

I know people right now that are going through some of worst times of their lives and I know people going through some of the best times of their lives and many in between. Who is God with? Those suffering or those who appear to be receiving blessing? He is with both.

When I look back on my life during the times I have struggled I've many times cried out to God and asked why He wasn't with me. I perceived that in struggle that He wasn't with me. When I look at some of the best times of my life, I was sure that He was with me.

He is with us always and in every circumstance we face; both good and bad. But we don't act like it...do we? When things are bad we become depressed, angry, we withdraw, we go to those old familiar vices for comfort...instead of relying on God who is right there walking with us.

We were never promised a life without troubles:

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

We will have trouble, we will have tough circumstances in this life. If we put our hope, our trust and our confidence in Him, we can find peace during trying times. Finding peace during trouble is the difference between being that shining light on the hill that draws others to you and to Him and being a loud banging gong that pushes others away from you and possibly from Him.

My question for you today: What would somebody in my/your circumstances do if they were absolutely confident that God was with them?

Ephesians 5:25 - Jesus gave us a model of how to treat our wives.

2009-11-19T09:28:00.004-07:00

I think that Jesus gave us a model of what our role should be in our marriage and with our family.

Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up to her (emphasis added)

What does that mean? What did Jesus do for us…his church? How did he love his church?

He loved – unconditionally, no matter what we have done
He led – He was a great leader
He taught – He was a great teacher…he invented parables
He solved problems - He was a master problem solver
He showed us the path to God – our spiritual leader
He took responsibility for our sin; not the blame but he shouldered the responsibility
He forgave us
And finally He died for us so that we may live

This is the model that Jesus gave us. This is what we are to be for our wife and family; what Jesus was to His church.

In my marriage:

I have not always loved the way I should love
I have not led the way I should lead
I have not taught the way I should teach
I have not solved problems the right way
I have not always been the spiritual leader
I have not always took the responsibility that I should have

My marriage is far from perfect; I don’t know anyone who has that perfect marriage. But we have a model to follow, a blueprint to study and we can keep working on it.

Men what are your priorities?

I think they should be:

Jesus – your relationship with God
Spouse – your marriage
Children
Job – providing for the family
Ministry – serving, feeding, taking care of His people
Everything else

Jesus has to be #1 – If we can’t get this one right, everything else suffers…

Our wives cannot be #1 – and I know for some of us they are; going to our wife for affirmation, confirmation makes them god in our life. Affirmation and confirmation need to come from God. If we give our spouse this power, at some point we will be crushed.

Our kids cannot come before God or our wife – and for some of us they are. Do you put the kid’s schedules ahead of yours…do you skip your study and prayer time with God, do you skip date nights with the wife because of the kids?

Our careers cannot come before God, our wives or our kids – and for some of us it does.

Becoming the man Jesus called us to be in our marriages and in our families mean these are the priorities…And if we follow the model that Jesus gives us...we should be right in line with these priorities.

Stuck in the Middle

2009-11-17T10:28:00.001-07:00

Matthew 11:12 - From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.

Another translation says: "...the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

My question today is: are you one of these men? Are you grabbing onto and seizing the kingdom of heaven that Jesus who died for us on the cross gave us a right to? Are you crucifying your sin to Jesus daily so you can walk in full glory with your Lord? Have you walked away from the fear of man and boldly into the fear of the Lord? Are you living boldy for Christ being an example worthy of the violent death Jesus suffered on the cross?

Or are you still in that same place you have always been? Are you still making excuses for your sin and not taking responsibility? Do you warm the chair at church or a Warrior at Heart meeting and then walk back into your worldly life and live in fear of being ridiculed, fear of what others might think if you boldly go where your called to go?

I'm guessing most of you are exactly where I am...caught in the middle.

One of my favorite Casting Crowns songs is called "Caught in the Middle". In it Mark Hall the writer defines where we are exactly. The line that haunts me is this one "Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control"

The lyrics to Caught in the Middle:

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

Mark 8:34-38

2009-11-06T05:35:00.004-07:00

Mark 8:34-38 - Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

What a passage. There is so much meaning that I know that I don't comprehend it all.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."

He is calling us to crucify our earthly flesh, our earthly desires. Crucify as in to put to death. Death meaning as they exist no more, that they no longer live in us. This would seem to be a single action and when we crucify our flesh; that from that point forward we would no longer have our sinful nature. For me then the question is; have I not fully crucified my earthly flesh? Because I still have my sinful nature. Or is this an action that l must do each and every day? Am I to pick up the cross each and every day and crucify my earthly flesh over and over and over again? Either I am not good at the crucify bit or we are to continually work on it for our entire life.

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

We've all heard and read the first question. I want to focus on the second. What can a man give in exchange for his soul? This is Jesus blowing a huge hole in the whole "works" to be saved doctrine. It doesn't matter how good we think we are, how much time and effort or money we put into the Church, helping the poor, etc... These things do not save our soul. Only the acceptance of the amazing gift of Jesus saves our soul. The "works" we do, the money we give the time and effort...these are the things we do because Jesus saved us. These are the things we do to help promote the gospel so that others can know Jesus as well.

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Do you water down the gospel, the Word of God because you find it offensive? Are you letting the influence of this world change the meaning of the word of God? Do you think that the adulterous and sinful generation that Jesus talks about is long past? Just look around at the world we live in. If we are watering down the truth, by denying sin is sin, by saying it's ok to do one thing or the other when the Bible is clear...Jesus is and will be ashamed of you when he comes again.

There is only one thing, one person who matters. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Put Him first and foremost in your life, follow his commands; so on that day you will hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Satan's Strongholds

2009-11-05T05:25:00.002-07:00

What strong holds are you giving Satan in your life?

Unforgiven sin?
Unrepentant sin?
Withheld forgiveness of a sin/offense committed against you
Resentment?
Bitterness?
Anger towards someone or something?
Pride?
Idolatry? Are you putting money, sex, food, hunting, cars, career ahead of God in your life?
Fear?

All of these things can and will be used against you by Satan. These strongholds allow Satan to bring condemnation against you.

Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Condemnation comes from Satan not from Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:4 - The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Through Jesus we can demolish the strongholds that Satan has in our lives. To do it we must give these up to Jesus. We must ask for forgiveness, we must repent of our sin, we must offer forgiveness, we must give up bitterness, resentment, hate and anger. We have to put Jesus first in our lives and worship Him only.

Lord I pray that you would enter our hearts, that you would reveal truth. That you would search our hearts and that you would point out the strongholds we give Satan and show us how to release those through and to You. In the mighty and glorious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Real Husbands? - 1 Peter 3:7

2009-11-04T05:58:00.002-07:00

Are you the husband your being called to be?

1 Peter 3:7 - Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Are you being considerate to your wife? All the time? Do you even know what it means to be considerate? The definition I found for considerate is having or showing regard for others and their feelings; being thoughtful. Coming home from work plopping on the chair, turning on the game and expecting dinner to be served to you is not being considerate.

Do you treat your wife with respect? All the time? What do you say about your wife when your with the guys? How do you talk about women in general? Do you honor your wife at all times? Do you know what it means to respect and honor her? Do you look lustfully at other women? Have you looked at pornography lately? Have you abused your wife either physically or mentally?

Does she know or believe that you really love her?

Do you know who's daughter she is? She is God's daughter. Do you think that God likes the way you are treating His daughter? God knows all and sees all...he knows how you treat his daughter. He knows your heart and your intentions.

Did you notice the last few words of the verse? "...so that nothing will hinder your prayers."

Do you think if you are mistreating your wife that God is listening to your prayers? Do you think that if you are not honoring, respecting and being considerate to your wife that God will answer your prayers?

I wonder...

Psalms 37:4

2009-11-03T05:19:00.003-07:00

Psalms 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

I really like this Psalm. To know that our Lord loves us such that He would be concerned about the desires of our heart. Howard Thurman said “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

What makes you come alive? Do you really know? Or do you just have an idea but your not real sure? The reason I'm pushing here is that us humans are not very good predictors of what will make us happy, what will make us come alive. To a certain extent we need to experience things in life to find out if they make us come alive or not. We often fall in love with the "idea" of something only later to find we really didn't like that something.

I'm the kind of person who would get so caught up in trying to figure out what makes me come alive, what my hearts desires are; that I would forget about the first part of the verse.

What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord? When I look at these words I see two possible interpretations; that I find delight in the Lord, or that I make myself a delight to the Lord. What does it mean to you?

I looked up the word delight and one of the definitions is "something that gives great pleasure". Does being in the Lord give you great pleasure? If the Lord is looking at your life are you bringing Him great pleasure? I like the idea of this being a two way street. I should both delight in the Lord and what he is doing in my life and want to be a delight to the Lord by how I live my life.

I think that if we focus on "delight yourself in the Lord", the Lord will reveal our true hearts desires in time.

What do you think?

He has a plan. - Jeremiah 29:11-14

2009-11-02T05:39:00.004-07:00

Jeremiah 29:11-14 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity."

The LORD has a plan for each and everyone of our lives. The Lord is declaring through Jeremiah that He already knows His plans.

Things to think about:

Plans to prosper you and not harm you. - Prosper? I wonder what he meant here? One definition I found was simply "to make happy". I think many of us translate "prosper" to our material money. I don't think that is what he had in mind.
Plans to give you hope and a future. - Is the hope he is talking about Jesus and the future everlasting life?
Then you will call on me... - Given our sin how can we call on the Father? Only through Jesus.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - What does that look like? How many times in your life have you ever done anything with all your heart?

When I look at times when I've done something with all my heart, there have been other areas in my life that suffered. When the company I work for was a start up, I put my heart into it. I worked whatever hours were needed to get done what needed done. My family suffered for it. When I have put my heart completely into Warrior at Heart, my family and my job have suffered for it. When I put my heart completely into my family...then everything else suffers.

Given these examples in my life and the fact that I want to find a balance in all things...I wonder can I give my heart fully to anyone thing? Maybe the answer to finding balance is really giving my heart fully to the One; the One who can help me with all the rest.

Lord I pray that we can learn to give it all to You so that Your plans in our lives can be fulfilled.

Can we comprehend the love of Jesus?

2009-10-30T05:52:00.002-06:00

There are a lot of verses in the Bible about love and Jesus and some of my favorites are in 1 John.

1 John 3:16 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 John 3:18 - Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:7-12 - Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us us, we also ought to Love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:19 - We love because he first loved us.

So do we really know what love is? Do we know how to give true unconditional love?

In our culture the word love has become so over used and so temporary. We constantly hear things like: I love my new car, I love Mexican food, I love this, I love that. But that love is not the LOVE that Jesus showed for us when He died on the cross. That love is not the LOVE that God showed when he sent Jesus to live with us.

Do we really know what love is? What on this earth right now at this time in our culture can even come close to comparing? Love of your spouse? It should, but we live in a culture where over 50% experience divorce. That couldn't have been love like Jesus LOVED. Love of a child? It should, but how do we then explain the millions of orphans in the world?

I know what love feels like to me and I know who I love...but can I even dare compare that to the LOVE of Jesus? The LOVE of Father God who sent Jesus to wash us clean so that we can come home one day?

Can we comprehend the love of Jesus?

Humility and Leadership

2009-10-20T05:54:00.003-06:00

In my previous entry about True Humility I left you with this verse:

1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

How does this connect with Leadership? First of all let me say that I believe that we all have a certain level of leadership ability inherited from our creator.

1 Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God is the greatest leader of all time and we were created in his image. So I believe we all have leadership ability. Leadership ability that is hindered to a certain degree in each of us by our fear of man. Those with what appears to be natural leadership abilities have a less degree of this fear. If we start to replace the fear of man with the fear of the Lord our leadership abilities grow.

Now back to 1 Peter 5:6 and the first part "humble yourselves, therefore under God's mighty hand"; Peter is telling us to practice true humility as I described in my previous entry. Then to me the exciting part: "that he may lift you up in due time." I feel that he is always working on us, always preparing us...but we need to do our part. Our part is walking humbly with him and when the time is right that God is going to lift us up and use us in a mighty way.

"In due time" - Notice what I said above? I said "when the time is right". I think we sometimes get a glimpse of God's calling in our life, a glimpse that God gives us to begin a time of preparation in our lives. But as leaders we tend to get that glimpse and take off ahead of God and often miss a big part of that preparation. It's important for us to realize the difference between God's calling on our life and God's timing in our life. You may know God's calling on your life right now. If so, are you walking in true humility with Him? Or are you letting your pride in that calling take you off ahead of God's timing?

True Humility

2009-10-15T21:14:00.002-06:00

Here lately I've really be convicted around the idea of Humility. To me the basic definition of humility is the opposite of pride. I've always considered myself a very humble person, in fact I've taken pride in my humbleness. To me this seems counter productive. You see there is a "true" humility and a "false" humility. Me considering myself a very humble person comes from a "false" humility. I purposely made less of my talents, gifts and accomplishments to receive praise, affirmation and admiration of others. Then when I was given what I was so desperately seeking...I acted humble, not worthy...what a poser.

So where does "true" humility come from? True humility comes from the fear of the Lord and results in knowing your place in His story and being content with it.

Proverbs 15:33 - The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 22:4 - Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.

"True" humility is rewarded by the Lord, "false" humility which comes from pride (in my case a passive aggressive pride) is sin.

So how are you doing with humility? Take this little quiz...or better yet let those around you answer these questions on your behalf:

1. Are you teachable?
2. How do you respond to correction or rebuke?
3. Do you repent quickly and completely?
4. Are you considerate of other people?
5. Do you serve and receive service well?
6. Are you consistently aware of Grace in your life?
7. Do you disagree…agreeably?
8. How much attention and affirmation do you require?

Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Jesus is the ultimate example of "true" humility. For God to come to the earth in human form, to live a poor carpenters life to serve those He came to die for, to save. Jesus is Humility.

For a preview of my next posting regarding Humility and Leadership consider this verse:

1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Friendship - Redefined?

2009-10-05T21:24:00.004-06:00

I recently heard a sermon by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church where he redefined what a true friend really is. His definition:

"A friend is a trust worthy peer with whom we mutually choose to lovingly live with, seeking unique access and service for God's glory and your mutual good."

This last weekend at the Warrior at Heart retreat, I noticed a pattern that prompted me to share this definition. What I noticed is that many of us have been hurt buy those we considered to be friends. Further, once we are hurt by someone we consider to be a friend we then define and equate all further friendships based on that original hurt. We fear that each subsequent relationship will end the same way and guard ourselves. We withdraw and with each failed relationship we get worse at having them.

If you think about the definition above and look at those you have considered friends...how many of those have you had in your life? I'm guessing very few if any; and if you had one you probably still do. If you have had someone in your life that fits the above definition do you really think of that person as just a "friend"? The word friend is so over used in our culture these days.

We need these types' of friends in our lives. We need those who no matter what will have our back. We need those we can trust and those who know how to lovingly correct us when we are wrong. We need those who love us unconditionally despite our faults and who always intend good for our lives. Those who we fully feel and treat the same way. Some scriptures for thought:

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

Proverbs 27:6 - Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses

Proverbs 27:9 - Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 - If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

I pray that we all are blessed with a couple of these true friends in our lives.

Priorities

2009-09-28T05:58:00.002-06:00

I’ve been thinking about life priorities lately and thought I would share at least what I think the top 5 priorities should be in all of our lives:

1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children
4. Job
5. Ministry

Starting at the top, priority #1 is God and our walk with God. God should be first in our lives always. He is the creator of all things and His commandments are clear. We are to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. No other person, place or thing is to come before God. If you place something before God, that is considered an idol and you are an in idolatry. He wants to be first in your life and He wants to walk with you daily. Not just when you think you need Him; but daily 24/7.

Priority #2 is your spouse. Your spouse completes you and you complete them. It is written in the Bible that you leave your parents and you become one flesh; meaning that together you are complete in God. If you are at odds with your spouse or you are not putting your spouse right after God; then you’re probably at odds with what God wants in your life. Marriage is a beautiful blessing given by our Creator but it requires each partner to be focused on serving the other as we would serve God.

Priority #3 is your children. If you have children your job is to raise them right in the Lord. How do you raise them right? Start with getting things right in the first two priorities. If you have a good relationship with God and a good relationship with your spouse raising your children will be much easier. In 1 Timothy 3:4 Paul says “He must mange his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.” This verse is Paul describing an overseer in the church; but we are all called to be part of the church body and be examples to those around us.

Priority #4 is your job. Unfortunately we live in times where we need to make money to provide for our families. If we are not providing for our families then things will not be good with our spouse or our children and to be honest God. We are to be God honoring is all that we do; even if we do not like what we do. God put you into a job and it’s your job to do that job with gladness of heart as unto God; until He puts you into another job somewhere else.

Priority #5 is ministry. This is where we volunteer and help God’s people. Don’t confuse this with #1 above. Priority #1 is about your personal walk with God; you reading the Word, journaling, praying and listening to God. Ministry is serving others. But this cannot come at the expense of your spouse, children or job. We are to be good stewards over everything the Lord gives us and I don’t want to stand in front of Him at the end trying to balance ministry with a failed marriage and family.

If you are keeping these priorities you probably won’t have much time left over. But if we keep these five priorities God will bless us with much more.

I Need a Savior

2009-09-19T07:26:00.004-06:00

When I woke up the other day the first words through my mind that made sense were "I need a Savior". This isn't the first time I've woke to these words. I know they are from a song, but I can't really remember the rest of the song...but these words have stuck with me.

But it's so true. I do need a Savior. Why? Because without a Savior I am lost, I'm just a man and I make mistakes, I need a Savior if I'm going to get out of this physical life the right way. So what does having a Savior give me? Eternal life, relationship with the Father, forgiveness of my sins, a part in the larger story, love, mercy, grace, kindness, direction and on and on.

As I look at that list I realize that I don't just need a Savior, I want a Savior. I want those things in my life. You see we all need a Savior. The problem is that we all don't want a Savior.

Does God want us to follow Him or does he need us to follow Him? He wants us to follow Him. He is the God of the universe, He doesn't need anything. But He wants us because He loves us.

So the question isn't do you need a Savior? We know the answer to that...The question is do you want a Savior? Because the Savior wants YOU!

Rough Couple Weeks

2009-09-04T05:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a rough couple weeks for me spiritually. So busy and so tired that I haven't carved out my normal time for God through prayer or reading the Word. I can really tell the difference as my attitude the last few days has gone down hill.

I like to look for analogies in different things and noticed one in my life the last couple weekends. Each weekend (mainly on Saturday) I'd get up have breakfast with the family and then we would be off on our Saturday errands (shopping mostly). Part way through the day I would become very thirsty (realizing I haven't had any water all day), of course it would be while driving or in a store where there is no good source to quench the thirst. It would be all I could think about, dominating me and my thoughts...then we would get home, unload the groceries or whatever and before I knew it I hadn't thought about my thirst and we are pulling away from the house and I'm still thirsty. I didn't think once about it when it was convenient to get a nice cool drink of water.

I think for many of us this is how our relationship with God goes. When things are going on and we start to feel stressed about the problems in our lives we start to think about Him and ask Him for help. He is all we can think about for a bit; then we get distracted and we don't think about Him for a while...or until we realize we are thirsty for Him again.

In both of these cases the answer seems so simple. If we drink here and there through out our day we don't become thirsty. If we give moments to God here and there through out our day then we remain in Him and don't have to go searching when times aren't good.

Where my analogy falls apart...while a glass of water might not always be available; God is always available. His love for us is so great that He is always there. What happens when we don't spend these little moments with Him is that WE drift and become less connected to Him. But by His mighty grace and the precious gift of Jesus no matter how much we drift; he always will take his children back...we just need to start giving Him those moments again.

Warrior at Heart Retreat - August 2009

2009-08-27T05:19:00.000-06:00

We just returned from our August Retreat this last weekend. As with any retreat or conference type event when you get back you start looking at what went well, what didn't go so well, what can we make better, etc... I have to be honest I was actually beating my self up about how things went for me over the weekend.

But a few days into this week and I am now seeing the fruit that the weekend has produced. I've received awsome emails, saw multiple men who attended the retreat and were affected mightily, I've seen mens hearts changed.

I think we sometimes forget that God is in control. While something we do or are involved with may not seem like it was very good in our eyes, God is looking at it from a whole different perspective. And if we are listening to Him, he will show us just how affective He has made it.

You see for me...I saw areas where I can improve in how I handle things at our Warrior at Heart Retreats. I started beating myself up, but God said no, "It is what it is because it's exactly what I needed it to be at this time and in this place."

We need to remember that God can work anything and everything to His benefit and if anything was any different the fruit of what happened would be different. God is in control and He is good.

Are you guarding your heart?

2009-08-15T01:42:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite verses and one I have committed to memory is Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." A wellspring is a plentiful source or supply. The author of Proverbs is telling us that our heart is the plentiful source and supply of life...and above all else we do, to guard it.

The condition of our heart is so important to our lives. Our heart is what we live from it is the source of our happiness, our joy, love, peace and our anger, hate, self doubt and depression. As our heart goes...our life goes.

This is why it's so important to guard and care for our hearts. How do we do this?

I think for each of us it is a bit different. For me I do things like:

Stay grounded in the Word of God. In a world filled with lots of junk it's nice to be reminded daily of the awesome love, mercy and grace afforded to us by our Father and our savior Jesus.
Guard my Eyes - What we see can have a direct affect on our heart. As a former porn addict I have to be hyper-sensitive to what I watch and see. It's even hard just watching your normal TV shows anymore. In Job 31:1 Job makes a covenant with his eyes to not look lustfully at a girl. If during his time he had problems with this...well given today's standards we are in trouble.
Guard my Ears - I've got to really monitor what I hear; certain music, talk shows, etc... cause my heart to turn the wrong way. I start to fill anger and hate. I have to turn to K-Love or listening to my iPod to things that keep me focused on the things beyond this world.
Guard my Mouth - The tongue is a double edged sword...it can build people up or tear them down. When we say something and mean it in our heart it can really hurt and can be very difficult to recover from. For me when I slip and somebody is hurt, it affects my heart greatly because I being most own worst critic can cause damage to my own heart.
Capture Thoughts - Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Any thought that is not obedient to Christ needs to be captured and not turned into action. I don't know about the rest of you...but this is hard for me because I have a very active imagination.
Forgive - If I quickly forgive someone who wrongs me then I do not dwell on the wrong done and I don't have any cause to worry about retribution. Forgiveness is something that we don't nearly have enough of in our world...this really seems to be related to a lack of love of our fellow man.

These are the big things that came to mind for me. I'm sure you have others...please share.

Hello

2009-08-14T13:26:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new blog. I've got so many thoughts but can't seem to figure out how to start with this first posting. I'm part of a great ministry called Warrior at Heart Ministry (www.waheart.com) based in Grand Junction, CO. Being involved in this ministry has changed my life more profoundly then any other event or series of events.

I hope with this blog that I am able to share things that have happened, lessons that I've learned and thoughtful messages that will make sense and be thought provoking.

Thanks for checking it out.