2.29.12 "The Discipleship Dilemma"

"The Discipleship Dilemma"

Matthew 28:19-20

John 15:1-17

Happy Leap Year! Today we're looking at some verses outside of the One-Year Bible reading track as there isn't a given reading for the 29th.

Have you ever been given a job and really had a hard time completing it because you didn't understand it? I think there is a vast majority of believers who suffer from a sense of paralysis because there's not an understanding of the assignment. In the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands all of us, "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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

When you hear the words, "Go and make disciples", what feeling do you experience? I believe for many there's a feeling of intimidation because we don't understand what that means. When we hear the words "teaching to obey..." there's this level of confrontation that can be somewhat disconcerting. It's really important however, to look at the context of who's giving this command, and how he put this into action.

The Pharisees were people who walked around looking at people, and judging whether or not they were measuring up to the commands of God. They were judgmental. They looked down their nose at people. I think when we consider discipling people, our misconceptions of what it means may cause us to align with the methodology of the Pharisees.

But that's what we've got to reconsider. Jesus' method of discipleship was not a yardstick of judgment reminding people of how they fell short. His purpose and plan was to build relationships with people, and through those relationships teach them the ways of the Lord.

Listen to what Jesus says to his disciples: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands, and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as i have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." (John 15:9-17)

Notice the key mindset: FRIENDSHIP.

When we have an incorrect view of discipleship, and we align with the methods of the pharisees, we don't engage in the process. We're not connected to the vine. We're not bearing fruit. This is the dilemma: We're commanded to disciple, but don't do it.

We need to understand that the priority of discipleship is Making Friends! As we focus on building relationships and becoming Godly friends, THEN the exponential expansion of discipleship begins to take place. Our friendships need to have the focus of encouragement, servanthood, and love. Jesus said that the world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another. He didn't say it was by the fact that we have a discipleship workbook in our hand.

Make disciples today! You can do it! Build friendships with purpose!

Through the Power of the Spirit,

Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship

Relationships Devoted to Unity

Empowered Through Biblical Training

Active Ministry Involvement

Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.28.12 "God's Way"

"God's Way"

Leviticus 22:17-23:44
Mark 9:30-10:12
Psalm 44:1-8
Proverbs 10:19


In Mark 10, the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus. They chose the issue of divorce. According to the law given by Moses, there were circumstances that justify divorce. Listen to Jesus' reply:

"And why did [Moses] say that? I'll tell you why - it was a concession to your hardhearted wickedness. But it certainly isn't God's way. For from the very first he made man and woman to be joined together permanently in marriage; therefore a man is to leave his father and mother, and he and his wife are united so that they are no longer two, but one. And no man may separate what God has joined together." Mark 10:5-9

There has been a growing sense that divorce is "ok". That it's an option. That "it's not a good thing, but it beats staying in a 'bad' situation." This is an incredibly ungodly perspective.

"... from the very first he made man and woman to be joined together... no man may separate what God has joined together."

Marriage is put together by God. Even when people choose to get married as an act of rebellion, the sacred institution of marriage is covered by God. It is a foundation that is deeper than any of us realize. This is a major target of the enemy. Why does satan want to get at marriage? Believe it or not, it's not because he wants to get at us. It's because he wants to get at God. To destroy a marriage is to destroy the integrity of what God has put together.

Think of the lies Satan puts in the mind of people. "I missed God when I married that one... I'll just try again." "I'll try to make this marriage work as long as she does." "I deserve to be happy and I can't take this any more." These lies plant seeds that reap destruction in so many lives.

What Satan has done to break apart marriages has decimated the future of so many young people today. My wife has mentioned so many times how kids in her 2nd grade class have such a look of despair on their face because mom & dad are "splitting up". They're carrying a weight they should never have to. Why doesn't this upset us more?

As believers we need to put our flag in the ground and claim the marriages as something God has put together. We need this for so many reasons. We need it for our kids. Without the foundation of marriage, the security that children need is gone. We need it as sign to the unbeliever. The healthy marriage is becoming so rare, and so many are so hungry for it. If we make this a priority in the marriage of each believer, it will shine a light that the world so desperately needs. We need it to honor God. He put this together. We need to reclaim it. "Satan, you are not going to get at God through my marriage!"

You know someone who is really struggling in their marriage. They may not have shown it by their actions, or may not have said anything, but there is such a constant barrage from the world that "you deserve more from your marriage!..." it's creating seeds of discontent in many. Be assertive in taking a stand. Make the right kind of "noise" to drown out the lies of the enemy. When commitment marriages learn to infuse Christ's love into the relationship, it is incredibly fulfilling.

Wherever you are at in your life whether it be married or not, acknowledge the priority of the marriage commitment. Make a commitment to honor and uphold this God-ordained institution. Pray for the healing of the marriages around you. Watch for opportunities to influence the thinking of those around you.. Encourage others to know there IS hope! Pray that we experience revival in homes through the prioritization of the Godly marriage.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.27.12 "Have you Been to the Mountain?"

"Have you Been to the Mountain?"

Leviticus 20:22-22:16
Mark 9:1-29
Psalm 43:1-5
Proverbs 10:18

Wouldn't it be great if things came a little easier? I'm sure you are like me. I want to be who God has created me to be. But, to be honest, I'd much rather that it just "happen" to me. I'm lazy by nature. I wish that laziness were a spiritual gift, because then I could boast of my maturity!

We want to be like Christ. We want the wisdom to deal with the Pharisees in our lives. We want to be able to lay hands on the sick and see them healed. We want the ability to say in every circumstance, "not my will but thine be done!" What does that take?

In Mark 9 there's a story of Jesus approaching a crowd of people who are arguing with 9 of his disciples. As it turns out, there's a demon possessed boy and the disciples aren't able to cast it out. Jesus casts the demon out. "Afterwards, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, 'Why couldn't we cast that demon out?' Jesus replied, 'Cases like this require prayer.'" (Mark 9:28-29)

One thing that is consistent throughout the gospels is Jesus' devotion to get alone to pray. Sometimes he's more successful than others about the "alone" part, but you can definitely see it's priority in his life. At the beginning of Mark 9, Jesus asks 3 of his disciples to go with him up the mountain. His face begins to shine in glory, and his clothes become dazzling white. He is in the presence of the Almighty.

As he comes down the mountain to this scene with the other disciples, it says, "The crowed watched Jesus in awe as he came toward them." (Mark 9:15) It was obvious to EVERYONE who he was. It was obvious he had been with God.

There's a need all around us. It's a need for us to be who God has created us to be. How is that going to happen? It's going to happen when we "go up the mountain" in our private time with the Lord. We need to get alone to pray. Mediocrity breeds mediocrity. When we are not disciplined to meet with God, we can't experience his full glory, nor can we see his hand move like we should.

We need to find time to be alone. We need to seek God. We need to experience first hand the transforming power of His Spirit.

Many times we can think that the trials of our life are the arena for transforming our character. That's not really true. The trials of life test our character and reveal what's inside. The character needs to be transformed in the arena of our time with the Lord. Jesus' face didn't glow when he argued with the Pharisees. It didn't glow as great miracles were occurring. The glow came from the Glory of being set apart in time with God.

I need to get to the mountain on a regular basis. There are moments in my life that are ripe for miracles, and I miss them because of my bent towards mediocrity. I must increase my discipline to prioritize time in prayer. I'm not talking about needing to spend more time going down my list of needs. I'm talking about time to KNOW God. Time to open up to whatever HE wants to deal with in me. I need to allow myself to be transformed!

Make sure you find time to get to the mountain today, and each new day! The Lord desires to meet us there.


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.26.12 "The Goal is Death"

"The Goal is Death"

Leviticus 19:1-20:21
Mark 8:11-38
Psalm 42:1-11
Proverbs 10:17

"Raise your hand if you think our goal should be to be different than the world." At the first read, it seems yes, our goal should be different than the world's goal... But our goal should not be "to be different from the world." Our goal needs to be that we have the mind of Christ. When we become like him, then we will automatically become different than the world.

How far are we willing to go with that?

The most basic of all human instincts is "self-preservation". It's in our instinct that when we hear a lion roar, our "fight or flight" reflexes begin to kick in. (more "flight" than "fight"!) As natural as this is, this must be something we overcome as we mature in Christ. We must die to our instinct of self preservation. I'm not saying that we should run to the zoo and jump into the cage, but we must be intentional about not letting human nature rule us. Dying to the flesh must be our goal.

Jesus lays this out for us. "Then he began to tell them about the terrible things he would suffer, and that he would be rejected by the elders and the Chief Priests and the other Jewish leaders - and be killed, and that he would rise again three days afterwards. He talked about it quite frankly with them, so Peter took him aside and chided him. 'You shouldn't say things like that,' he told Jesus.

"Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, 'Satan, get behind me! You are looking at this only from a human point of view and not from God's.'"

How would you feel if you were Peter? I picture the cartoon where the character shrinks down to the size of a mouse. My thoughts would be, "But I'm just trying to help! Don't you see how I'm trying to help you? Don't you see that I'm trying to build up your ministry?" Peter had the best intentions. But they were wrong.

Why were they wrong? Because they were the result of a fleshly response: self-preservation. Jesus recognized that, and took it very seriously.

"Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. 'If any of you wants to be my follower,' he told them, 'you must put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross, and follow me closely. If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live. And how does a man benefit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul in the process?"

We've talked in the past of "Dead Man Walking". It refers to taking every step with the knowledge that our goal is death. This should not be a "theory", or a catch phrase. It must be a way of life. "I lay down my desires, my pleasures, and I stay close to Christ, making intentional steps toward the death of my flesh."

That sounds so difficult, but what's the alternative? To live for me? To live the "Mediocre Christian Life"?

If my goal is to live for Christ, my objective must be to die for him.


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.25.12 "The Generous Spirit"

"The Generous Spirit"

Leviticus 16:29-18:30
Mark 7:24-8:10
Psalm 41:1-13
Proverbs 10:15-16


"The good man's earnings advance the cause of righteousness. The evil man squanders his on sin." Prov. 10:16 (TLB)

We've all heard the phrase "it's not about you." We've probably heard it a couple more times than our flesh would like to hear it! As much as we may not want to hear that, it needs to become a part of who we are. To be who God has created us to be, we need to understand what it REALLY means to live a life that's "not about me".

Think of all your resources right now. Your time, talent, income, all of it. Would you put it in the category of "advancing the cause of righteousness" or "squandered on sin"? Immediately we connect the "sin" as the kind of stuff the prodigal son did. Squandering on partying, etc. Well, we can also get caught in the trap of squandering our resources on comfort and worldly objectives. We must accept the challenge to continually keep an eye on where our resources are going. Are they advancing the cause of righteousness?

I had a big ol' snowblower. I got it for $100 dollars as it is very old, but it worked. Prior to that, when I was shoveling, I would look down the street at my neighbors w/ a snowblower & think, "it would be nice if they'd offer to help with my driveway." So with me being the one with the snowblower, and neighbors who don't have a snow blower, I'm thinking, if this old snowblower wasn't so moody, I'd help the neighbors... Well, now I got a new snowblower... Guess what I need to do... advance the cause of righteousness.

When we take what God has given us and focus it on the needs of others, there is blessing on our lives.

"God blesses those who are kind to the poor. He helps them out of their troubles. He protects them and keeps them alive; he publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies. He nurses them when they are sick, and soothes their pains and worries." Psalm 41:1-3

We come across so many people with troubles, each one having varying degrees of how well they "deal" with it. Notice this pattern: Those least affected by circumstance are those with a generous spirit. In other words, those who have a healthy understanding of stewardship and are generous to others are FAR less thrown off course by a crisis.

At the same time, those who are so overwhelmed by the trials of life seem to be individuals who are not giving. They are not concerned with the needs of others. They like to keep the attention on themselves and on their personal crisis.

On which type of individual does the blessing of God rest?

Notice what the scripture says about the ones who are kind to the poor. "helps them out of their troubles... destroys the power of their enemies... nurses them when they are sick... soothes their pains and worries..." Notice how those who are kind to the poor still have troubles, enemies, sickness, pain, and worry. The difference is not that the road has no challenges, the difference is that there is someone along side who helps them through all of this.

The generous spirit needs to be a part of who we are to live the "A" of DREAM. We must apply this to our being. Look for opportunities today to "invest" in your blessing!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.24.12 "What Worship Isn't"

"What Worship Isn't"

Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17
Proverbs 10:13-14

A great way to discover what God wants is to find out what he doesn't want! In today's reading in Mark, the Pharisees are questioning Jesus about why the disciples don't fully follow their ceremonial washing traditions. Jesus definitely has an opinion about this!

"You bunch of hypocrites! Isaiah the prophet described you very well when he said, 'These people speak very prettily about the Lord but they have no love for him at all. Their worship is a farce, for they claim that God commands the people to obey their petty rules.' How right Isaiah was! For you ignore God's specific orders and substitute your own traditions. You are simply rejecting God's laws and trampling them under your feet for the sake of tradition." (Mark 7:6-9)

We know from past studies that the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life of Obedience. It's possible to know this and still not "get it". Worshipful Obedience is not a matter of obeying "tradition". It's not a matter of going through the motions of a Christian life. It's not a matter of trying to act in a way that doesn't offend other people. It's not trying to "look" holy.

The Obedience God desires is obedience that comes from knowing him. From spending time with him. Time in his word. Time in prayer and listening to his voice. When you know God and you know his heart, THEN there's an obedience that's pure. Righteous acts are the fruit of knowing him. There's a sincere desire to be holy and to keep from sin because you know it displeases him.

God's plan is not for a bunch of sour judgmental people to walk around pointing out the faults of others, and complaining about what's wrong in the world. People who are very "traditional" in action, but cold of heart are too common, and that is not what God has in mind for his people.

We need to worship him in Spirit and in truth. We need to allow his Spirit to work freely in our lives to direct us in His way. We must love one another, get into the word, use our resources for his glory, and be a light to this dark world. We must live the DREAM!


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.23.12 "You Feed Them!"

"You Feed Them!"

Leviticus 14:1-57
Mark 6:30-56
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 10:11-12

The feeding of the 5000 is a story that is familiar to many of us. Either from the pictures when we were kids, or just our own imaginations we can visualize the scene. The little boy, the loaves & fish, the 12 basketfuls left over. As we look at this today, lets look at it from an angle you might not have taken before. This is a story unfolding the principles of Responsibility found in Active Ministry Involvement.

"Then Jesus suggested, 'Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest.' For so many people were coming and going that they scarcely had time to eat." (Mark 6:31) If I was one of the disciples, I would have been "YESS!!! finally a bit of R&R! We NEED this!"

"So they left by boat for a quieter spot. But many people saw them leaving and ran on ahead along the shore and met them as they landed. So the usual vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat; and he had pity on them... and he taught them many things they needed to know." (vs. 32-34)

GREAT! all these people messing with our vacation!

"Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, 'Tell the people to go away to the nearby villages and farms and buy themselves some food, for there is nothing to eat here in this desolate spot, and it is getting late.'

"But Jesus said, 'You feed them.' 'With what?' they asked. 'It would take a fortune to buy food for all this crowd!' 'How much food do we have?' he asked. 'Go and find out.'" (vs. 35-38)

You know what happens next. They found 5 loaves & 2 fish & Jesus had the crowd sit in groups, and took the food they had in his hands, blessed it and gave it to the disciples to hand out.

"And the crowd ate until they could hold no more! There were about 5000 men there for that meal, and afterwards twelve basketfuls of scraps were picked up off the grass!" (vs. 42-44)

Here are some points that we can take from this:

1. Rest is important, but it's not the main objective. The disciples had just come from ministering, and Jesus knew they needed rest. HOWEVER, rest doesn't always come WHEN we think we need it. Many times the miracle is when we go just a little farther. I believe so many people quit before the miracle. Jesus and the disciples had every "right" to say, "we're too tired to minister to you. Don't call me on my day off." But that isn't what happened. They ministered. If you spend ever day ministering/working with your next vacation day or day off as the main thing on your mind, you're missing the point!

2. You see the need for a reason. They were on their way to rest when the need presented itself. Seeing the need, they bring it to the attention of their leader. In my words, it's "Leader, there's a need here, and you should do something." What I notice here today is Jesus saying, in my words, "You are right. There is a need here. The reason you are seeing this need is that I have placed this burden on your heart because I plan to use YOU to meet the need!" I wish I had a nickel for every time someone came to me with their burden they would like me to fix. I don't want to be hypocritical because I also have gone to my leaders wanting them to fix my burden. Jesus says, "You feed them."

3. It never seems like there's enough to do it. When Jesus tells them to meet the need, they say, "With what?" It seems impossible. So many people stop here. They're intimidated by the need and their own realization of inadequacy, and they bail. They stop there.

4. Take inventory of what you DO have. Jesus instructs them to "go and find out" what resources they have available. There are a million things we don't have that can give us an "excuse" to stop before the miracle. Jesus isn't asking us to list what we are deficient in, he's asking us for what we DO have. What are our resources? Do the spiritual gifts inventory. Take an assessment survey or your passions and experiences and abilities. Look at what IS available.

5. Put what you have in the Lord's hands. There's an amazing thing that happens when Jesus takes what we have and puts his blessing on it. It multiplies it far beyond what we can imagine. Putting it in his hands can be harder than it sounds. We really like to use "our" gifts "our" way. To give it to him, we need to give it to him without terms. "Lord, do whatever you want to do with what I have." What he wants to do with it is usually not what we expect. That's ok. It all his anyway!

6. When it's all done, hang around for cleanup! Don't overlook the part where it says, "twelve basketfuls of scraps were picked up off the grass!" This ministry did not end with the "high fives" of the disciples talking about how great that miracle was. They stuck it out until the task was totally completed. This is how we show true responsibility in using our gifts for the Lord.

Active Ministry Involvement is far more than joining a group. It's taking responsibility for the time, talents and resources that God has given us, placing it back in his hands, and being a faithful steward of it all. This includes what you do at your workplace. It includes what you do at home. "You feed them!"

As I look at all this today, I must ask myself, "Active Ministry Involvement... AM I?"



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.22.12 "Just a Pimple"

"Just a Pimple"

Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17
Proverbs 10:13-14

Here's your memory verse for today:

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'If anyone notices a swelling in his skin, or a scab or boil or pimple with transparent skin, leprosy is to be suspected. He must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons for the spot to be examined. If the hair in this spot turns white, and if the spot looks to be more than skin-deep, it is leprosy, and the priest must declare him a leper." Lev. 13:1-3

How's that for an inspirational verse? It's easy to bypass readings like this in the book of Leviticus because they seem to not have any spiritual application. But take a closer look.

There are several chapters in Leviticus devoted to discussing what sores look like, and how an individual must be separated from the people for a time to see if the sore would spread. There are even instructions for testing clothing. Remember the context of all this. The children of Israel had no knowledge of germ theory. There was no medical understanding like there is today. But God knew & knows even more than we do about all these things. He knew how dangerous disease could be for the people of God. It could wipe the people out if they were not careful to keep themselves pure and follow his direction.

"Winking at sin leads to sorrow; bold reproof leads to peace." Proverbs 10:10

In the same way an entire people can be wiped out from a little pimple, a "little" sin can cause incredible damage. It's too easy for us to wink at sin. We think "it's not so bad". What does sin do? It separates us from God. A "little" sin seduces us into being "ok" with a "little" separation from God. We grow numb to his voice. In an age of so much confusion & noise, the fact that we can't hear him is tragic.

In the same way that the Israelites couldn't fathom the danger of a little pimple, we can't fathom the great danger of a "little" sin. Winking at sin is equivalent to willfully placing a cancerous tumor in our body. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? It really is. We need to deal with sin with the intensity that God desires because of the potential for disaster. We need to bring the reproof that leads to peace.

Don't wink at the pimple of sin today. Deal with it. Ask the Lord to bring the sin to light so it can be cleansed in his presence.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.21.12 "The Teachable Spirit"

"The Teachable Spirit"

Leviticus 11:1-12:8
Mark 5:21-43
Psalm 38:1-22
Proverbs 10:8-9

"The wise man is glad to be instructed, but a self-sufficient fool falls flat on his face." Proverbs 10:8

To live the DREAM, we must be Empowered through Biblical Training. How does this occur? As we've discussed, "discipline" is the principle of "E", but is that it? If I discipline myself to attend church, sunday school and bible study am I Empowered? Not necessarily.

As a college student, I took MANY classes. Through some of them I was empowered. Some I was not. Why? Because of the material? It has to do with my teachability. No, not by ability to teach, but my desire to open up and allow the information take root.

We must have a teachable spirit to truly mature in Christ. What is teachability? First and foremost, it's a pride issue. It's a willingness to lay down "ego" for the sake of hearing what the Spirit of God may say.

As a minister, many come to me with the issues of life. Some come with a desire for God to move, and want to know the principles in his Word and how they apply to life. Others just want to keep you informed of their soap opera crises. Others basically just want to dump the struggle on someone, make their point, and leave the way they came, living the same life that got them to where they are now. Then they wonder why they keep "repeating the test".

We all have insecurities. For each of us they manifest in different ways. We know we have weaknesses, but we hate it when they are exposed. We don't like the way we feel when others see our weakness.

What happens in the discipleship process is that the light of truth shines on our weakness. We are only "Empowered" as we allow ourselves to be exposed to the truth, and allow the Lord to complete his work in us.

When we allow God to do this we die to pride. We humble ourselves. We become teachable.

Defensiveness is one of the obstacles to becoming who God has created us to be. When we are corrected we want to give the reason "why" we were in error as if there is some excuse. Look at Adam & Eve: "She gave me the fruit and I ate it" "It was the serpent..." For us it may be: "I'm tired and I deserve this..." "Well at least I'm not as bad as so & so..."

There's a significant amount of hypocrisy that wants to rise up in us when we can see the shortcomings of others and be so quick to want to "help" them see the light, but we don't want that light to shine on us.

There's a brokenness or vulnerability that is necessary to becoming truly "Empowered". It's not easy, but it beats the alternative: to fall flat on your face. It's so much better to be teachable than to have to be broken by our hardness of heart.

Ask the Lord to teach you today. Don't put up defenses against what he may show you.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.20.12 "'Tis the Season"

"'Tis the Season"

Leviticus 9:7-10:20
Mark 4:26-5:20
Psalm 37:30-40
Proverbs 10:6-7

We live in a society where technological advances happen so quickly that we "expect" change. We know the latest and greatest is just around the corner. We like things to happen fast. We get frustrated when our email doesn't load on our phone fast enough, or when it takes to long to make our meal. When our microwave died, I had no idea how it would rock my world. I went to make my snack, and I thought i was going to starve for about 10 or 15 minutes! (Thankfully there's a McDonald's within 5 minutes of home.)

When it comes to our life, we so many times get caught up in the moment, we forget the big picture of what God is trying to accomplish. We forget that life consists of "seasons". So many times individuals enter a difficult time and get so quickly discouraged or disillusioned they give up on everything.

Lisa and I went through a season years ago when our life was incredibly chaotic. We're busy now, but it pales in comparison to what it was then. We had people telling us "I don't know how you can do it." "You need to back down..." The difficult part was that we were doing what we felt the Lord leading us to do. We really prayed about what we should do, and the Lord revealed that we were in a "season". He led us to not change anything for another year. After that year, he led us to change. Acknowledging that it was only a season helped us to stick it out.

Today's reading in Psalm 37 says, "Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed."

You may be in a job situation and you want to bail on the plan. Don't bail on anything until you feel God's blessing on the decision. You may be going through marriage difficulties. Don't give up. It's a season.

Prove yourself faithful during difficult times. Stick it out. Keep traveling steadily on the path of where God has placed you. Too many times we bail right before God was going to move. Our impatience robs God of the chance to make his name great on our behalf.

Sometimes the fact that there's a storm causes us to doubt if God was in it at all. In Mark 4:35-41 is the story of Jesus calming the storm. You remember, he had been sleeping in the back of the boat etc. I've highlighted a couple key thoughts in that story. "Jesus said..." It was his idea. "Soon a fierce storm came up." Even when obeying God, storms will come. "The disciples woke him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't you care...'" It's our human nature to think that God doesn't care that we're in a storm. The reality is that storms don't take God by surprise. "Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm." God can handle any storm. "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" The Lord wants us to learn to not fear or panic in the midst of the storm we are in.

You only have to ask yourself, "Am I obeying what God is directing me to do?" If your answer is "yes", then Stay the course! If you're answer is "no", then seek counsel from mature Christian friends. If you're answer is "I don't know!", then turn off the noise that's distracting you from hearing his voice, get alone with him, and follow his direction.

Be obedient to what the Lord has directed you to do. Don't let circumstances lure you to manipulate situations in the flesh. Be disciplined to keep yourself to the course. God will never call you to anything without giving you the strength to accomplish it. If you feel like it's "too hard" it's because you are trying to change it in your own strength. Rest in his presence. Rest in his timing. God is in control!

In "due season he will honor you"!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

2.19.12 "What kind of dirt are you?"

"What kind of dirt are you?"

Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Mark 3:31-4:25
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 10:5

"And be sure to put into practice what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand what I tell you." Mark 4:24

In today's reading in Mark, Jesus tells the story of the farmer who sows seed. We know that the seed lands in different places. 1. path (which the birds ate) 2. shallow soil (grew quickly, but roots weren't deep enough) 3. among thorns (which caused seed to produce no grain) 4. Good soil (which produced great crops)

We can often hear parables or familiar bible passages and we kind of nod in acknowledgment of their point & move on, but we really should take the time to pause and evaluate "what does this mean for my life?"

Let's look at a few points we need to take away from this parable.

-Each of us are dirt. The Word of God has been planted in us. The question then remains, "Which kind of dirt am I?

1. The footpath. verse 15 says, "The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message only to have Satan come at once and take it away." What happens when you hear the word of the Lord? Is your mind so well worn by worldly influence that the voice of God is snatched from your hearing?

2. The rocky soil. "The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word." (Mark 4:16-17) This doesn't describe someone living the balanced Christian life, it's someone living the "emotional" Christian life. There are tears at the altar, and jumping during the exciting worship, but because of lack of roots, it's the waves of trial that cause them to lose what they have. Are your roots deep? Are you connected to the Body of Christ in such a way that you can weather the storms of persecution?

3. The thorny soil. "The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced." (4:18-19) So many times I hear the stories of those who are "too busy" working or wrapped up in other concerns to do what God has gifted them to do. Some are paralyzed by worries and insecurities, and others are lulled to ineffectiveness by the lure of the illusion that things will be less busy "soon". God's message is crowded out.

4. The good soil. "And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" There's one way to tell if you're good soil. Are you producing fruit? If not, what's the problem? What's holding you back?

Hosea 10:12 says "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."

It's your job to keep your soil in good condition. Only God can bring about a fruitful harvest in your life, but he has promised that if you care for your soil, he will do it.

Be GOOD dirt!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ